Which surface should i get?

[Dakkie]

Hello, i am seriously considering getting a Surface pro 3 after testing one in a store. I already have a samsung galaxy note pro 12.2 with which i am taking notes at university. That is what i'll be using it for mainly, taking notes at school and doing school related stuff, which would be matlab and maybe some lighter simulations related to electrical engineering, so really no heavyweight stuff.

I am considering if the 4gb i5 version will work for me. I am not a noob consdiering computers but i think ishould get a second opinion on this matter. Let's say i manage my programs well and try not to run as many programs at the same time etc etc, would that version be enough? Keep in mind i will use it mainly for taking notes, and if i ever need to run a simulation or a matlab-program, 37/38 times i'll have a computer in school available so i could just run it there instead.

The reason i am think of leaving the Samsung for the surface is because i got the impression that the pen for the surface was WAY mor eresponsive. The Samsungs pen isnt unresponsive, but it's a good halv centimeter late when i drag the pen relatively fast, so not as much of a "live" writing as it ouwld be on the surface.

Opinions?

Thanks in advance
Christoffer.

 

[kc912]

Running Matlab and taking notes is why the Surface Pro line is so great. You have the versatility to sit in lecture annotating notes and recording the lecture but also run Matlab and some simple CAD builds. Like you say some more complex things on Matlab should probably be done in the labs but most things will run great on the SP3. I'd go for it. I wish I had one at Uni, the note taking ability alone would have meant that my notes were straight onto the lecture documents as opposed to spending hours after writing them up.

 

[Dakkie]

Running Matlab and taking notes is why the Surface Pro line is so great. You have the versatility to sit in lecture annotating notes and recording the lecture but also run Matlab and some simple CAD builds. Like you say some more complex things on Matlab should probably be done in the labs but most things will run great on the SP3. I'd go for it. I wish I had one at Uni, the note taking ability alone would have meant that my notes were straight onto the lecture documents as opposed to spending hours after writing them up.

Alright, then i'm not completely out of track here. I'm trying to think about maybe just getting the more powerful one, people spend even more money on macbooks for school so it's not like it's outrageous. But do you agree that the 4gb-version should suit my needs? Also, would this last 4 years (which is the time i've left in uni)? I know laptops have a life-length no matter how much you pay for it but would this one last at least 3 years without slowing down to much as to a point where i can't use it ?

 

[GreyFox7]

In case you haven't noticed, at the Microsoft Store the i5 8gb is currently $150 off for a limited time and you should still get the 10% student discount. There is no special deal on the i5 4gb so the 8gb would only cost you $150 more than the 4gb. Seems like a worthy consideration.

 

[Dakkie]

In case you haven't noticed, at the Microsoft Store the i5 8gb is currently $150 off for a limited time and you should still get the 10% student discount. There is no special deal on the i5 4gb so the 8gb would only cost you $150 more than the 4gb. Seems like a worthy consideration.

Can i really stack the discounts? I can get ahold of a brand new one from a store for 1350USD (contacts). That's a fair price eh ? For the 8gb-version.

 

[GreyFox7]

Can i really stack the discounts? I can get ahold of a brand new one from a store for 1350USD (contacts). That's a fair price eh ? For the 8gb-version.

I'm not positive about that... perhaps another student can verify or refute. but the i5 8gb lists for $1149 in the online store.
What does the 1350 include??? Accessories etc??? Normal list price is $1299.

 

[Dakkie]

I'm not positive about that... perhaps another student can verify or refute. but the i5 8gb lists for $1149 in the online store.
What does the 1350 include??? Accessories etc??? Normal list price is $1299.

Forgot to mention that this is in Swedish currency, we've got alot of taxes on about everything, microsoftstore retails it 12667 for students, i can get it for 12300 or maybe as low as 11800, which i'd consider a good prise. Standardprice here is 14000 SEK. 11800 SEK is about 1350 USD and 14000 (which is the standard price) is about 1620 usd. That would amount to 25% tax which is standard for "stuff" (food, clothes, electronics).

To summarize, it's a good prize here, maybe not in the usa haha Still not decided about 8gb or 4gb yet.

 

[kc912]

I'd go 8GB, if you're in engineering and you want to use it for 4 years. Better future proofing and you'll be doing some high end stuff, my RAM starts running out pretty quickly at 4GB.

 

[GreyFox7]

Forgot to mention that this is in Swedish currency, we've got alot of taxes on about everything, microsoftstore retails it 12667 for students, i can get it for 12300 or maybe as low as 11800, which i'd consider a good prise. Standardprice here is 14000 SEK. 11800 SEK is about 1350 USD and 14000 (which is the standard price) is about 1620 usd. That would amount to 25% tax which is standard for "stuff" (food, clothes, electronics).

To summarize, it's a good prize here, maybe not in the usa haha Still not decided about 8gb or 4gb yet.

25%, ouch. Somebody better be picking you up at the door in a gold limousine for that level of highway robbery.

 

[hughlle]

I'm not positive about that... perhaps another student can verify or refute. but the i5 8gb lists for $1149 in the online store.
What does the 1350 include??? Accessories etc??? Normal list price is $1299.

It seems that they often do not let you stack discounts. They had 10% off type cover 3's last week, i thought hey, why not, went to the student store and it was the exact same price.

@Dakkie I am at university (business and psychology) so mainly just note taking and essays and research, and the 4gb SP3 does me just great. I';ve never been given a single reason to regret not getting the 8gb one (the only reason i'd have wanted it was for storage, I've no need for the extra ram). works just great for uni, and still runs a lot of fairly demanding apps and games at home when I need it.

 

[Dakkie]

25%, ouch. Somebody better be picking you up at the door in a gold limousine for that level of highway robbery.

Yeah well, we've taxes on everything, EVERYTHING here but in return i get for example free education indefinetly as well as 330USD per month if i perform well in school, free healthcare etc etc so it's worth it Maybe not a gold limo but i could surely save up for my own limo haha

It seems that they often do not let you stack discounts. They had 10% off type cover 3's last week, i thought hey, why not, went to the student store and it was the exact same price.

@Dakkie I am at university (business and psychology) so mainly just note taking and essays and research, and the 4gb SP3 does me just great. I';ve never been given a single reason to regret not getting the 8gb one (the only reason i'd have wanted it was for storage, I've no need for the extra ram). works just great for uni, and still runs a lot of fairly demanding apps and games at home when I need it.

I think i MAY do some heavier tasks than you but still notsure if 8gb really is required.. ; )I'll have to think about it for a little while Thanks for the response everyone, i appreciate it.