Walked Into MS Wanting to Love the Surface Pro 3, but Didn't, What Am I Missing?

[Capt Crunch]

Couple caveats: 1) I drink the apple kool-aid, 2) I'm not a troll

I've always had macs, but ever since I've started working I've been using the ms office suite which I think is fantastic. I'm a consultant and I use pretty much the entire office suite. My work laptop is a workstation which is enormous since part of my job deals with very large datasets. I've since become a manager and do less of the heavy lifting-- I'm much more likely to be annotating a PowerPoint on the plane than building some massive model. Sounds like a surface is right up my alley. I went to the local MS store, however and was pretty disappointed:

1. 2/3 of the demo units didn't work. Not a BFD IMO.
2. None of the office apps use the metro interface except onenote
3. You can't annotate powerpoint directly
4. Onenote has several limitations:
   1. The metro onenote apparently only syncs to the desktop copy through sharepoint/onedrive. Useless if I'm on a plane. I'm really boggled by this.
   2. The workflow for handwritten notes in cumbersome. I'm using the desktop interface, pecking with a stylus, and it takes like 4 clicks to do a paragraph... that doesn't do very well formatting my admittedly bad handwriting.

I really like the metro interface. I'm willing to break out of my apple ecosystem to have an effective tablet that is good for content creation as well as consumption. And yet, 30 minutes in the store and I was spending most of my time in the desktop, using desktop apps. I might as well be on a laptop.

Now I've never been wild about the iPad. Its simplification is annoying, it's UI/lack of multitasking sucks, but Office 365 on the iPad was.... better than on the surface, from a tablet's perspective. I ran into a roadblock of not being able to check docs out from sharepoint, which, if in fact a true limitation, would be criminal, but the principal that MS knows how to make a tablet interface and then doesn't for it's flagship product sucks.

So tell me guys, what are your workflows? Do you accept meeting invites using the metro mail app? Do you send meeting invitations from the calendar app? What's the best way to use onenote? I really want to know because I really want to like the surface because I really want to show some powerview awesomeness to my clients on a tablet and then fly home playing some game on a xbox controller.

 

[ctitanic]

First you have to open your mind.
1. Some time the demo units are abused.
2. Correct. Microsoft is working in a Metro version.
3. I'm not sure about that. (http://lifehacker.com/130558/ms-office-tip-annotate-during-presentations)
4. Correct, that's why power users use the desktop version. Once you start using OneNote after a while you stop converting your handwriting notes to print text. The search capability of OneNote allows you to find words within your handwritten notes so there is any use to convert those to text unless you are planning to share them with somebody else.

Unfortunately the MUI still a project in progress. You will be depending on the desktop apps for a while. But think about it, you have know a Tablet with millions of legacy Apps. The Sky is the limit!

 

[ctitanic]

Oh! And Welcome aboard!

 

[ipaq_101]

Even for avid Windows users Windows 8.1 takes sometime to get use to and even more so if you are an Apple user.

It's more about forming a new habit, a half hour with the SP3 won't allow you to truly discover the pros of the machine, the cons are easy to highlight (there are a few, but nothing is perfect).

It's take more than 30 minutes to master the touch UI, I can truly say I have discovered things about windows 8.1 weeks after I owned the SP3 and I have always used Windows. The more time you spend with the SP3 and the more you will like it (or maybe you won't), but maybe try it out for a few weeks and then see if it's a worthwhile investment for your needs.

 

[Capt Crunch]

3. I'm not sure about that. (http://lifehacker.com/130558/ms-office-tip-annotate-during-presentations)

That works! Thanks!

Oh! And Welcome aboard!

Thanks!

Even for avid Windows users Windows 8.1 takes sometime to get use to and even more so if you are an Apple user.

It's more about forming a new habit, a half hour with the SP3 won't allow you to truly discover the pros of the machine, the cons are easy to highlight (there are a few, but nothing is perfect).

It's take more than 30 minutes to master the touch UI, I can truly say I have discovered things about windows 8.1 weeks after I owned the SP3 and I have always used Windows. The more time you spend with the SP3 and the more you will like it (or maybe you won't), but maybe try it out for a few weeks and then see if it's a worthwhile investment for your needs.

Do you have a favorite workflow? How would I go about trying a surface out for a few weeks? Is there a generous return policy?

 

[ipaq_101]

MS has a 30 return policy.

 

[ctitanic]

Do you have a favorite workflow? How would I go about trying a surface out for a few weeks? Is there a generous return policy?

BestBuy has a 14 days return policy. About the workflow... I don't know, just enjoy the device, anyway you already have done the most important step, to become a member of this forum where you will find all the help that you need.

 

[benjitek]

...was pretty disappointed...

OneNote is cumbersome, I give it another try each time it's updated, but it has yet to pry me away from EverNote Business. OneNote becomes particularly annoying if you have a MS account ID that's the same as your Office 365 login -- the sync process is about as non-intuitive as it gets. EverNote just works, though the Windows 8 tiled version of it is a mess, the desktop version is great.

It's good that you took a look, but I'd say hold off and revisit the fanless Broadwell-chip Surface Pro 4.

 

[ctitanic]

It's good that you took a look, but I'd say hold off and revisit the fanless Broadwell-chip Surface Pro 4.

Wow! Then you should wait for the Surface PRO 5 and the 2015 version of OneNote. We still don't know what will be included In the PRO 5 but for sure will be something better than what we have in the current one.

 

[supervelous]

As others have said, you probably need more time with the device, and Windows. I kind of relate. I hear others, my cousin who I look up to included (really nice guy, programmer, knows a lot about tech, makes a lot of money) rave about macs all the time. Then I go into the Apple Store, I play with them, I use one occasionally at friends and family's house, and I just don't get it. There doesn't seem to be anything really "better" about it to me other than small things like a better keyboard and nice trackpad, just all the same activities (web surfing, office, video editing) with a different interface.

I know if I actually bought one and used it for a couple months I'd probably be just like them and love it. Alas, I just never had the money to buy one, was always buying cheap windows laptops. Well, I just won a contest at work with a $5,000 cash prize, and got promoted in the same week to the point I'm making about six figures and finally decided I could dump whatever I wanted on a device for the first time in my life.

I ended up going with the SP3, just because I am going back for my MBA in the next few months. Between the portability/lightness/thinness of the SP3, ability to use as a tablet, the pen and note taking capabilities, and the touch screen I felt it was the best choice. If I was SOLELY looking for a powerful laptop for home I probably would have bought a retina MBP as I always told myself when I had the money for a mac I'd get one.

 

[benjitek]

Wow! Then you should wait for the Surface PRO 5 and the 2015 version of OneNote. We still don't know what will be included In the PRO 5 but for sure will be something better than what we have in the current one.

Nah... I think the SP2 was an evolutionary upgrade to the SP1 as the 4 will be to the 3. The exception being that the Broadwell chipset will allow the smaller form factor to be more fully utilized. Losing the fan-cooling is reason enough to wait, at least for me.

Just because someone's opinion differs from yours doesn't mean they're wrong ;-)

 

[ipaq_101]

I find product reviews like movie reviews, the critics really hate some movies,while I love them. The same can be said about opinions my friends have about certain movies, sometimes they will rave about it and I just don't get why after watching it myself.

You be the judge and only then you can form a proper opinion if the SP3 or any product is a right fit for you.

Btw, my one note experience has been flawless, I use it daily and have it synced to the the cloud, not one problem so far. Clearly some people have had different experiences.