Today Microsoft unveiled the third version of its notebook disguised as a tablet, the Surface Pro 3. If you have been following this blog, you will remember that I reviewed the first version of the Surface Pro. At that time, I said that, although the tablet was good, it wasn’t for everyone. And it still seems to be the case.
Featuring PC specs, powered by an Intel Core i3/i5/i7 processor, the Surface Pro 3 is heavy (800g) for a tablet. Microsoft says it is the thinnest and lightest of its kind, but that is easy to accomplish when nobody else is doing stuff like this. For a notebook, it is very light — an 11″ MacBook Air weighs 1.08kg — and that is really what should be used as a comparison base, since it runs a full blown PC operating system.
However, as a notebook, the Surface Pro 3 still have problems. First, if you have ever used a Surface Pro, you know that the kickstand makes it very awkward to use the tablet on your lap. The screen angle is poor and the Type Cover feels wobbly. Another thing I don’t get is the 64GB model. Windows and preinstalled software alone take 35GB, which means you effectively have only 29GB of free space for your own files and apps. Even if you rely heavily on the cloud, that isn’t much.
So, for a no-compromise device, the Surface Pro 3 seem to be full of them, no?
Now, I want to comment some declarations I’ve seen today:
- “96% of people who have an iPad also have a notebook, creating for users a level of complexity” (Panos Panay, Microsoft VP for Surface Computing)*.
Well, since I am part of the 96%, let me tell you something. It is true that the iPad is not a notebook replacement. However, if you think we are ready to ditch two devices that work extremely well for one that has a lot of compromises, you are plain wrong. I’d rather carry two devices that do their job flawlessly than one that tries to do everything and isn’t perfect at nothing. And there is nothing complicated about having two devices, really. Unless you are calling us stupid, which is not a smart way of acquiring new customers. - “Microsoft is clearly focused on the ultimate productivity device, not focused on purely content consumption” (Patrick Moorhead, Head of Research at Moor Insights and Strategy)*.
Yes, and it has been a huge success so far with all those creative people doing their things on their Macs. Besides, this “iPad is for content consumption only” is bullshit. It might have been true in the early iPad days, but if it was true by now, Microsoft wouldn’t have launched Office for iPad. - Microsoft and some people on Twitter were praising the note-taking capability of the Surface Pro 3 today.
Well, the Surface Pro stylus is the best in the market, true. However, why would I pay $799 for a note-taking device that weighs a ton if I can do that with an Evernote Moleskine, a smartphone and a free app that fit in my pocket?
Besides, it still runs Windows 8.1, an operating system that nobody wants. In fact, if I could run OS X (or even Ubuntu) on it, I would consider buying one for experimenting.
All of this leads me to think this is going to be a niche device, as it has always been. I might change my opinion once I can review one, but learning from history, I know it will be difficult. Microsoft has been so out of touch with reality lately that it really doesn’t have a clue about what people want. Every time I see a new Microsoft product, it seems that they are designing products for people in 1998, not 2014.
Third time is the charm? I don’t think so.
* Extracted from Re/Code: “Microsoft unveils 12-inch Surface Pro 3“.
Nice review article!