Should I Buy an SP3 now?

[samtoohey93]

So I am a microsoft appreciator, and Windows 10 looks fab. I had an SP2 but gave it to a friend because she needed a new laptop/tablet and my partner upgraded her Macbook pro mid 2012 non retina to a 2014 Air.
I took the pro and fixed it up for a change and I HATE IT, it is slowly dying and i'm yearning for the day when it doesn't turn on again so I can have an excuse to get something else - long story short...

I know broadwell is out, as well as Core M. Should I buy an SP3 now with haswell onboard or maybe wait until a potential Broadwell unit is out? or even a Core M version?? Is it worth buying a current gen Sp3 now to have it become obsolete in a few months?

 

[malberttoo]

Is it worth buying a current gen Sp3 now

YES.





Lol. Of course it is, don't get stuck in a cycle of waiting for the next thing to coma along. The SP4 may bring along some certain changes, but I think it will be more of a "refresh". The performance between Broadwell and Haswell will not be that big of a deal. The biggest benefit you may see is of course battery life improvement.


And I can guarantee you that it will not be obsolete in a few months. Even though the 4's will be out in a while, the 3 will still be going strong. Arguably, the 3 is where the Surface Pro line really found its stride and adoption of it exploded.

 

[jnjroach]

So I am a microsoft appreciator, and Windows 10 looks fab. I had an SP2 but gave it to a friend because she needed a new laptop/tablet and my partner upgraded her Macbook pro mid 2012 non retina to a 2014 Air.
I took the pro and fixed it up for a change and I HATE IT, it is slowly dying and i'm yearning for the day when it doesn't turn on again so I can have an excuse to get something else - long story short...

I know broadwell is out, as well as Core M. Should I buy an SP3 now with haswell onboard or maybe wait until a potential Broadwell unit is out? or even a Core M version?? Is it worth buying a current gen Sp3 now to have it become obsolete in a few months?

The SP4 is Vaporwear at this point, it will probably be announced between July and October to correspond with the Windows 10 launch. You should be able to get around 60% of the value at resell if you keep the SP3 in good condition. So will you get $600-700 of value from using the SP3 for 9 months?

 

[samtoohey93]

Personally, more than likely. I used my sp2 like a work horse and the three will more than likely be treated the same.

 

[JoeNathan78]

I FINALLY got mine two weeks ago, i5 256. My god... the wait was definitely worth it. I dont anticipate outgrowing the thing for years to come, no matter what comes out on the market.

 

[samtoohey93]

See that's the exact machine spec I want in my one. I am not too concerned on the 'newness' of a new SP4, i was hoping for a huge battery life overhaul. Like close to the new Dell XPS 13 in terms of Battery life. But I do miss the hybrid functionality of the SP2.
Plus the Sp3 is cheaper than the XPS 13 anyway. Definately food for thought.

All i know is at the end of the day this god forsaken Macbook Pro has to go to computer heaven sooner or later...

 

[benjitek]

If you're need isn't immediate, wait for the 4 -- it'll likely be a better version of the 3, run cooler and a bit faster.

 

[samtoohey93]

How hot does the sp3 actually run normally?

 

[supremekizzle]

How hot does the sp3 actually run normally?

I have the i5 256 and mine is always really cool. I don't use super heavy programs, but reader, Onenote, 10 tabs of chrome, and lots of chrome extensions all open at once never gets me hot. Usually around 40% RAM with all of the above. I actually first owned the 4 GB model, but my fan was constantly running and the device would get warm. Returned it and payed for the upgrade. Glad I did.

 

[mtalinm]

it is silly to wait for sp4. i wonder whether there will even be an sp4. sp3 is that good.

sp1 had several fatal flaws including crummy battery and one-position kickstand. sp2 addressed those but still had bulky form factor.

is there really anything wrong with the sp3? I don't think so. my i7 runs a little hot, but only when I throw intensive stuff at it for a long time. the fan blows in my i7 laptop too.

(I thought battery would be a fatal flaw, so I kept my Power Cover for that reason and keep taking it on trips but have literally not used it in six months)

sure I'd like it a little thinner and lighter, but those are nice-to-haves not must-haves. I think they may delay sp4 until there is a compelling reason. I'm not sure how much thinner it can get w/o dumping the USB port anyway. fanless would be nice but not at the cost of performance.

 

[samtoohey93]

If it gets any thinner I reckon it would be core M. As well as USB type C which would ruin so much of the productivity on the pro series. Extra connectors and all the little bits would be so frustrating for travellers

 

[spinachpie]

To answer your question, mine still gets REALLY REALLY HOT.

I have Hyper V on and usually about 2 windows/ten tabs of chrome. Then maybe have my torrent program too - maybe.

It tends to run very hot after a while using it.