SP2 Owners: Satisfied or Regret Upgrade to SP3

[dstrauss]

malberttoo, I'm very glad you are stable and running smoothly, but not everyone is unfortunately.

There are severe throttling/thermal issues, some users even reporting their SP3's shutting down due to overheating while simply running Windows Update. It's a proven fact the SP3 is slower than the SP2 when the CPU is actually loaded due to the weaker thermal solution of this design.

My machine can't connect to Wifi after any sort of sleep or hibernate, requiring a reboot or reset of the Wifi card, thus not only eliminating any sort of "Connected Standby" gain but requiring more time when accounting for the reboot.

My machine (others reporting the same) will get stuck at ~20% CPU "System/System Interrupts" usage when a mSD card is inserted and used, thus killing the battery and heating the device uncomfortably. This was fixed on the SP2, but is shockingly back on the SP3!

Other users are reporting terrible results with the N-trig pen and can't even draw a straight line on the screen without terrible interference/jitters, thus eliminating this as an option for artists like previous versions.

Having said all this, I do 100% support the platform, and have owned a SP1/SP2 and now SP3 since release day. What I've learned during this time is Microsoft surprisingly builds very good hardware, but their drivers/software lags behind, as backwards as that sounds considering Microsoft is a mainly a software company...

Hi be77solo - good to see we are spreading our BS among multiple forums...

Sorry to hear about all your stability issues. After the first July update, I took the advice of others and reset my SPro 3, and got really great battery drain results (never ore than 3-4% overnight in sleep mode, sometimes as low as 1%), but still had random WiFi disconnects (just not as predictable, and sometimes survived sleep mode). Since the 7/16 update, WiFi has been nearly rock solid (one failed connection after a six hour sleep cycle) and battery drain continues to be solid. Perhaps a rest (lord I hate even suggesting that) is in your future. I'm not sure some of the temporary cures we all tried during those first two exasperating weeks didn't destabilize things so that the patches weren't reliable as well?

Regardless, I don't think anything will "cure" the throttling issue, mainly because it is just too tiny of a device to handle a heavier thermal load. perhaps that will be the Broadwell silver bullet, but my rational side says it will not be significantly better in that department, although it should offer another 10-20% battery boost.

 

[eallan]

Aspect ratio alone made it worth it, even with any heat related tradeoffs.

 

[Dblkk]

Aspect ratio alone made it worth it, even with any heat related tradeoffs.

My reason as well.

But I would say for a SP2 user thinking of SP3 upgrade, do you want/need the 12" screen and new aspect ratio. If yes, its a worthwhile upgrade then. If not, keep your SP2.

I came from SP1. The battery life and performance bumps made in the SP2 were really nice, but not enough to get me to upgrade. The power cover fixed that battery life of my SP1, and performance was adequate still. I could get by with 'most' uses with the i3 model even (if the SSD were larger). When the SP3 came out, I really really was impressed with the new screen size and aspect ratio. But never pulled the trigger. Figured I'd wait til BROADWELL or even SKYLARK. But SP1 took a crap, upgraded without question. Screen size is great and I think perfect. Aspect ratio makes tablet in portrait mode like holding a notepad, not tall and skinny so it was actually workable. And in desktop, biggest gains were in added realastate for programs in PhotoShop and Sony Vegas Pro especially.

The biggest con to upgrade for me, was resale value of SP1 was extremely low, and SP3 i5 8gb ram was my only wanted upgrade, so $1500 including new keyboard.

Since upgrading, no regrets whatsoever. And I would only recommend it if you want/need the new screen size/aspect ratio, and now. If not, then I'd suggest you wait. The SP2 and power cover will give you almost all day battery with any given user load.

 

[mtalinm]

mostly satisfied. only regrets are

1. whereas it worked well to fold the keyboard around the back of the SP2, the bigger/floppier keyboard of the SP3 doesn't work so well that way. I end up detaching it from the tablet. also because it has the pen.

2. pen is floppy with the tab. SP2 pen fit nicely into the power slot (and with a pen loop, was stable there). sp3 pen flops around too much, ick.

3. no "quiet" keyboard or Power keyboard that fits the screen.

 

[Dblkk]

mostly satisfied. only regrets are

1. whereas it worked well to fold the keyboard around the back of the SP2, the bigger/floppier keyboard of the SP3 doesn't work so well that way. I end up detaching it from the tablet. also because it has the pen.

2. pen is floppy with the tab. SP2 pen fit nicely into the power slot (and with a pen loop, was stable there). sp3 pen flops around too much, ick.

3. no "quiet" keyboard or Power keyboard that fits the screen.

#1, I totally agree with, that extra magnet is like right on the corner when you bend it back. No biggie, but yes a difference.
#2 I could see that. but where I have the pen loop on mine actually is better than even the magnetic sp1/sp2 area

loop places here
-------- |
______
|----------|
|----------|
|______|

if that excuse of a drawing helps. I had to put dashes, as when I left it as spaces, when I clicked post, the spaces were taken away. But its on the back of tablet, upper right side, about 2 inches in, and stuck to that the pen just just above flush with the top of the surface. I do this and not on keyboard, as I need/use pen when I don't use keyboard, so why have pen on keyboard?

#3 to each their own, I can't stand/type with touch keyboard, and numbers pulled showed touch keyboard didn't sell well. But ultimately yes that should be the consumers decision.
For power cover, I really hope one comes. Even with a BROADWELL chip and all day battery, it'd be nice on longer trips and such to have the power cover. I for one would buy it asap.

 

[eltos_lightfoot]

My SP3 works fantastically, and churns through everything I throw at it. To thosehaving trouble, it must be build quality or something. I honestly can't explain it. I don't miss my SP2 at all.

 

[mtalinm]

#1, I totally agree with, that extra magnet is like right on the corner when you bend it back. No biggie, but yes a difference.
#2 I could see that. but where I have the pen loop on mine actually is better than even the magnetic sp1/sp2 area

loop places here
-------- |
______
|----------|
|----------|
|______|

if that excuse of a drawing helps. I had to put dashes, as when I left it as spaces, when I clicked post, the spaces were taken away. But its on the back of tablet, upper right side, about 2 inches in, and stuck to that the pen just just above flush with the top of the surface. I do this and not on keyboard, as I need/use pen when I don't use keyboard, so why have pen on keyboard?

.

any chance you could post a picture? i just got the Leuchtturm pen loops that worked so well on my sp2, but tyhery aren't so good for sp3

 

[Dblkk]

My SP3 works fantastically, and churns through everything I throw at it. To thosehaving trouble, it must be build quality or something. I honestly can't explain it. I don't miss my SP2 at all.

I miss the small thick profile, in the fact that my sp1 felt tough and felt as though a tumble down the stairs wouldn't impact it at all. The feeling I get with the SP3, is that delicate, pricey, OOW MY feeling/look

Which is why I ordered and am waiting for the urban gear case

 

[thremix]

SP3, good to go.. I LOVE IT!

 

[stevenrossvanduyn]

I have got a surface pro , pro 2 and now pro 3.
The pro 2 was definitely a step up but the pro 3 has blown them out of the park.
No issues at all. Basically in everyway its better and the keyboard is also far better than the keyboard which came out with the pro 2. Im using the 128g core 5 for the price and specs is the best to buy.

 

[Telstar1948]

I admit that I love my SP3! I realize everyone has different likes and usage factors... but...I have NO issues with the type cover and use it on my lap with no issues, even with legs crossed as I type this. The kickstand makes it possible. The SP3 itself performs beautifully. I have no heat or throttling issues, no WiFi issues, no weirdo issues either. This baby just purrs. I'm careful carrying it around and getting used to using it on the fly... pen is great for notes and drawings; did some of that today in OneNote then saved it as a PDF & emailed it to a friend who needed the info. I run my SP3 in the dock at my desk running more stuff than any one guy ought to have. Once in a while the fan runs a little but soon shuts off... once in a while is every 2 or 3 days. What's not to love about this powerful, versatile tablet/laptop/desktop?? For me, it's absolutely great!!

 

[kristalsoldier]

But that isn't the Microsoft message. A tablet that can replace your laptop is the message. At $1500, you can have the both of both worlds. But as a tablet, the larger form factor isn't preferred over the 7-9" tablets that are everywhere. And as a laptop, the keyboard and touchpad are no where near best in class.

What I found is the Surface Pro 3 introduced more and deeper compromises than the SP2. Even though I'm not a big tablet user, when using the SP3 as a tablet, I would feel it was too big and just use my phone (Nexus 5). Wen being used as a laptop, I'd fight the keyboard and go back to my X1 Carbon.

With the SP2, which I think was much more of a niche product, I feel like I'm using a really good Eee netbook. I think I might have liked it better if the SP3 was in the Surface 2 form (thinness and battery life).

Coming from a Surface 2, I find the form factor of the SP3 virtually identical. Obviously the screen is larger, the aspect ratio better. But in terms of thinness and battery life, I can't find a difference. Indeed, if anything, the SP3 is - battery-wise - probably a bit more efficient because while the Surface 2 is optimized for video playback, the SP3 is more efficient for browsing and other general duties. I love the SP3 and it is - aside from my ThinkPads - one of the best devices I have ever owned. It has been rock-solid and stable and has travelled with me halfway around the world a number of times as a trusted companion.