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List of top 3 likes and dislikes about SP3

Deryl McCarty

Active Member
Plusses:

1. design and build quality and MS's meticulous attention to detail. (I.e., Panay and his folks "dun gud")
2. its a computer - my only computer: in bed, on the go, at my desk, in front of a crowd, anywhere...ok, ok, I am also a scuba diver so not exactly anywhere. (Hummm, will it fit in a 2 gallon zip lock bag?)
3. inking/one note.

Not so plusses:

1. price - OTOH I will certainly shell out another $2k for the SP4 without even telling my wife (just include the KB this time please.) I already promised her the SP3 in that scenario.
2. KB still not there yet...but I will admit that the pen so overshadows the KB that I wonder if I will even want another KB for on-the-go.
3. built in pen storage...that stick on "loop" that came with the computer/KB is not happening.

PS Please no juvenile comments about my SP3 and the bed. I use it for research only, like finding new positions for my wife and I to...uhhhh...never mind.
 

disambiguous1

New Member
Likes
1. I can take notes with the pen and not have to worry about where I'm putting my hand on the screen. With all the meetings I attend this feature alone is worth the premium paid for the SP3, especially when using OneNote.
2. Runs real, actual, full-blown Windows.
3. Kickstand is fantastic.

Dislikes
1. Rear camera does not focus close. This is a horror for someone who would like to take a picture of a document so that it can be sent to someone else (I discovered that omission while working under a deadline, had to use my phone to do it). Every other major tablet and phone has a main camera that will focus, it should go without saying that a flagship laptop is absolutely expected to have one. For the Surface 3 Pro not to have this feature is like buying a car only to find out later that it does not have a heater.
2. Tiny lettering in many apps
3. Setting up the doc is a horrible experience
 

wynand32

Well-Known Member
Likes:

1. Flexibility: Can be used comfortably as a tablet, as a "normal" notebook sitting on a desk, and in all sorts of contorted positions in a lounger, on a couch, in bed, etc.

2. Screen: even with the yellow hazy line along the left-hand side, the screen is lovely. Accurate colors, incredibly sharp, and the 3:2 ratio is so much better than 16:9 (maybe even better than 4:3 in some ways, e.g., for video).

3. Input: I don't use the pen as much as I did back in my Tablet PC days (different jobs), but when I need it, it works. And I love the feel of the Type Cover--probably my fastest typing device, taking over from the MacBook Air.

Dislikes:

1. Update flakiness: I still get the 10/6 hardware update popping up and installing, requiring a reboot. And I hate to leave updates uninstalled, for whatever reason. And I don't really have that issue with my other machines.

2. Fan noise: This could actually be a positive depending on use-case. As a notebook, fan noise is superior (my MacBook Air, for example, is much louder, and don't even get me started on my wife's HP Envy 14). As a tablet, though, any fan noise is unwelcome since we've been trained that tablets are fanless.

3. Heat: Same with #2. As a notebook, the little bit of heat that I experience (sometimes more than a little, but not often) is irrelevant because the SP3 doesn't come in contact with body parts as a normal notebook does (again, MacBook Air, I'm talking about you). As a tablet, though, it's warmer than my others (although my Nexus 10 does get toasty on occasion), particularly to the touch on the screen (it's really the only tablet I've used where I can feel warmth on the screen vs. just the back cover).
 

mitchellvii

Well-Known Member
LIKES:
1) Screen resolution is sweet spot for rendering smooth text while not getting ridiculous (looking at you Yoga 3 Pro).
2) 3:2 aspect ratio makes for excellent tablet experience in portrait.
3) The pen.

DISLIKES:
1) I'd prefer a solid attached keyboard as with the Yoga line.
2) The keyboard should be included in the price. What MS makes on the keyboards, they lose in overall unit sales. Just dumb marketing, but hey it's MS, dumb marketing experts.
3) Needs another USB3 port. Ports should be at the bottom and the power connector at the top instead of other way around to cut down on "cable-stickout".
 

VickiFL

Active Member
I use my SP3 for personal use, and we also use it for home school for our daughter.

The top 3 things I like the most:

1. It runs real Windows, and I can run Windows based programs on it, which is very important to me. I also like that I can switch back and forth from laptop to tablet mode as needed.

2. The size and portability. Thin, powerful, and can fit in my back pack when we go out, and I have a small backpack. I take it most everywhere we go now because the world is our classroom!

3. I like being able to take handwritten notes in One Note, and I love the pen.

**Bonus like: It works great together with my Nokia Lumia 1520 Windows phone. :)

The top 3 things I dislike the most:

1. Price. I hate that you have to pay extra for the keyboard. It's damn expensive, but it's so unique!

2. I wish it had at least one more USB port.

3. The pen holder is flimsy, and already fell off my keyboard. They should have made a better pen holder.
 
My likes are
1- The size and weight is great
2- The kick stand
3- The boot up speed

My dislikes
1- One more usb port would be great
2- The keyboard included for free. ( i sure this will happen for the surface pro 4)
3- Battery life 12 hours ( if this was possible )
 

tat3406

Member
likes
1-light weight with high performance device.
2-Flexibility. Easy to use at any place and any position.
3-One note and Pen. This become my new experience of taking note on a laptop.

dislike
1-mini SD card slot. All My camera using SD card, I need a external card to read my card.
2- Pen Holder. Hope to have better solution to keep the pen with surface. Pen can add in button to scroll down or up.
3- Still a lot of programs and apps are not support the Pen or touch and the high resolution screen.

4- I need to fight with my girl friend to use the Surface! argh...
 

dniezby

Member
As I read through these likes / dislikes I sit here shaking my head...I don't have half the problems I see reported.

I don't have fan problems.
I don't have pen problems.
I don't have WiFi problems.
I don't have battery problems.

I did have problems with Desktop software screwing things up.

A reset fixed that.

Now I don't have problems.

So, my likes -
Everything.

Dislikes -
Poor software from 3rd parties F#&$ing up my SP3.
Okay, I do wish the price was lower but with this price point I feel special : )
 

Aeron15

Member
Pros
1. Portability
2. Power
3. USB Port

Cons
1. Price
2. Dirt magnet type cover
3. Type cover is an added expense
 
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