SP3 (i7/512) coming in ~12hrs, any advice/need-to-knows?

[Saul]

Hey all, just wanting to check if there's...

(1)
Some very handy sw fixes/hacks/twks etc. that I should -possibly- employ for my SP3?

(2)
Also, any critical updates, some which may not necessarily be automatically installed etc?

(3)
Furthermore, any highly recommended apps/software?

(4)
Finally of much lower priority, for now; any highly recommended accessories?
(key/mouse/type_cover are sorted, & I have several other things "on my radar")

Thank-you for your help/time, if you can offer it.


All the best.
P.S.
How do I check the manufacturing date/batch of my SP?
And how do I determine which SSD I've ended-up with?

 

[ptrkhh]

First of all, before turning on the device, check for:
1. The device is not bent (iPhone 6 kind of bending)
2. The plastic strip (near the camera) aligns with the rest of the body
3. Check if the kickstand is able to hold its position, especially in wider angles (between Surface Pro 2-mode and canvas mode)

If the device fails any of those examinations, and youre bothered by that, you could directly proceed to ask for exchange or return without even turning the device on. Take note that point (1) is not only about aesthetics, but could also affect the airflow in the device, something to keep in mind.


For your questions:
(1) There is not much software tweak you can do since you already have plenty of space. Most SP3 software tweak is targeted for saving space, which is pretty close to useless when you have 512 GB worth of space to begin with.

However, I have one tip that I would recommend for everyone: disabling hibernation.
When you disable hibernation, the SP3 will not enter hibernation after 4 hours. That means, emails still get fetched, alarm still rings, and all sort of things that you expect from a tablet or smartphone. To do that, simply open an elevated cmd, then type powercfg -h off, enter. That's it.
The battery drain during standby is less than 1% per hour in my case, so its not really a problem for me. ymmv

(2) Just use Windows Update, it will take care of everything. Take note that during the massive updating session (there will be 2-3 GB worth of updates), you would experience excessive fan noise and battery drain. Its normal and will disappear once all updates are installed.

(3) OneNote. It seems like it was made for the SP3, or the other way around, I don't know exactly, but theyre perfect for each other.

To find out about the SSD, just right click on C:, and tap the Hardware tab. There you can see the manufacturer of the SSD. Its either Hynix or Samsung if I remember correctly (mine is Hynix, the item there starts with "HF")

 

[Saul]

Thank-you very much, I'll respond in full tomorrow, bed time here (~12:35am), what about point no.4, no suggestions for it?
Also you missed this one, or maybe you don't know the answer: How do I check the manufacturing date/batch of my SP?

Thanks again/GN.

 

[GreyFox7]

What @ptrkhh said... and resist the temptation to dive in, just get those updates finished, then enjoy.

 

[ptrkhh]

Thank-you very much, I'll respond in full tomorrow, bed time here (~12:35am), what about point no.4, no suggestions for it?
Also you missed this one, or maybe you don't know the answer: How do I check the manufacturing date/batch of my SP?

Thanks again/GN.

Youre welcome Glad I could help

about (4), I don't have many accessories on my SP3 (yet), so I couldn't recommend much.

One must-have is a pen loop. If you already have the Type Cover that comes with a pen loop, then youre set. I would recommend to attach it on the device itself, on the top left part next to the rear camera. There are 3 reasons:
a) When you have the Type Cover detached, you would still have the pen in reach. Since tablet mode in Windows 10 will be induced by the removal of Type Cover, you will probably detach it quite often.
b) It wont get in the way in landscape mode if you hold it on either side
c) it discourages you to hold the device by the right side in portrait mode. The right side in portrait mode, where the microphone hole is, is the weak point of the glass screen.

I don't know how to check the manufacturing date or batch, but as far as I know there has been 2 updates since the SP3 landed for the first time:

- The old pen nib wears off very quickly. They introduced the new pen nib in around September. The new pen nib is significantly more durable. Ive been using mine till the pen's battery low, and the nib shows zero sign of wear.

- The old AC adapter has only one LED color: white. The new charger with multiple color states that indicates whether the device is fully charged or still charging.

Mine has the new pen nib but old AC adapter (bought November 2014)

 

[Ford Prefect]

First First First make your recovery flash first before you even setup WiFi, just don't connect and make a local account. Take an 8GB or 16GB Flash drive and make a recovery flash drive.


resizing the OS partition and creating a secondary "data" partition really makes imaging/restore/backup much easier over the life of the device. If you do not do it now, you never will so consider this. Also, the more data on the drive the less shrink space may be available.


I found I could only resize down to about 300GB with the stock build andI wanted my OS partition to be smaller so i reinstalled windows.

Backing up my OS partition is now a much simpler thing and a 500GB partition can be unwieldy to manage which means it never happens.

My OS partition backup fits on a 64GB drive, and takes 10 minutes to backup/image with a USB 3 drive, this means it happens.

Consider this, because it will be now or never.

Also, I assume you got Complete if available?

 

[Saul]

Well, given that MS opts to send it via TOLL, without a doubt the most incompetent freight co. in Australia, I still don't have it.

I won't go into the dramas I've had with them already, other than to say it's been a complete & utter joke, & they're whole attitude/professionalism/approach is quite horrific.

Waaay too many Anglo Aussies, that's the critical flaw, lot more Asians from here (preferably not born/raised here) & based abroad, & the wheels would be greased much better.

I don't say that lightly or with any glee, I'm an Anglo Australian myself... >.>

@Ford Prefect
No I don't have "Complete", it's not offered to Australia, it's only offered to a handful of countries -inc. US.

 

[mtalinm]

most important need to know is that the VERY FIRST thread on this page is "OFFICIAL I Now Have a Surface Pro 3 i7". post there instead.

 

[NClens]

Don't put the pen in the pen loop and throw your device in a bag. The pen put a little ding on the side of my device, probably from rubbing against it. Since then, I separate the two when I'm carrying my device in my briefcase on a trip.

 

[ptrkhh]

Don't put the pen in the pen loop and throw your device in a bag. The pen put a little ding on the side of my device, probably from rubbing against it. Since then, I separate the two when I'm carrying my device in my briefcase on a trip.

One other benefit of the pen loop placement I mentioned earlier: the pen only rubs against the unpainted plastic strip. There is no paint to be scratched.

Heres the picture of my pen loop

 

[olimjj]

When you have completed the above suggestions, and you are ready to get your updates, make sure your SP3 is fully charged, and plug in connected. I would put your SP3, at least initially, to manual update, where you decide when to download and install the updates. Be patient with this process as it can take some time. If you are going to use IE make sure it is setup with the appropriate settings and tracking protections. You can do a search in this forum for recommendations.

 

[compnovo]

(1) and (2) have been well covered by others.
(3) I wouldn't be able to function without MS Office so it was the first application I installed (the Home and Office version is all I need to do my work). After that I installed the following apps to use when in MUI mode: Netflix, Video, Music, USA Today, Weather, and a few mindless games (can't live without Bejeweled). My app needs are modest but I also installed Steam because I discovered the tablet plays games like Portal very nicely.
(4) Right after I got the SP3 I swung by Walmart and picked up one of those inexpensive neoprene sleeves to protect the tablet when it's in my briefcase. The one I got is too big but I don't care, it was cheap and it does the job. Other accessories include the type cover, a wedge mouse (left over from my Surface RT days), and a couple of adapters (mini-Display port to VGA and to HDMI, the first for Powerpoint presentations on older projectors, the second for watching movies on the TV when I'm on the road).
Edit: I forgot to mention my most recent accessory, a USB to Ethernet adapter. As weird as it might sound for a wireless tablet, some of the places I stay when on the road have really poor Wi-Fi reception but still have the wired Ethernet option.