The "Official" I got my Surface 3 thread
- Thread starter leeshor
- Start date
kristalsoldier
Well-Known Member
My Surface 3 was delivered today!!!! My aim in buying it? To replace my iPad Air. The next three days will show if it actually can. From what I have used today, I like it very much but that's all I am going to say at the moment. I will post a more detailed user-review in a day or so. But I must say, a very slick device.
brocharlieb
Member
Got mine, nine days after I ordered it from Costco. Quite pleased so far, but just getting going.
kristalsoldier
Well-Known Member
Well, its been 7 days now that I have got and used the S3 (4GB/ 128GB). As per original intent, I have used the S3 heavily as a digital notebook (OneNote mainly) and a means to access my digital reference library (PDF/ ePub) and online reference materials (IE - MUI and Desktop). I have not yet installed Office 365 on it but will do so soon. And, as a background, a 4GB/ 128GB, i5, SP3 Pro is my main machine.
Weight: The S3 is light...well, lets say, not heavy or awkward. I am comparing it with the SP3, iPad Air with magnetic cover + soft plastic backcover by Speck. It is lighter than the SP3 - noticeably; And, in my opinion is comparable with the iPad kitted out as above. It is less awkward to use than the Dell Venue 8 Pro which I also have. And the stylus experience on the S3 is infinitely better than on the DV8P.
Battery life: I take the S3 off the charger in the morning (say, around 9AM) and by late evening (say, around mid-night) the battery icon shows me that I have about 35-40% battery left. Brightness is at 37% when on battery. But my use of the device though intensive is also very light. So, I am not very sanguine about the battery-life though - I wish it were better.
Charging issue: I have read some horror stories about the charging issue. I am ambivalent about this whole USB charging thing. I wish they had made the charging port the same as their other Surface devices and if USB charging was something that MS was hell bent on providing, then it should have been an additional capability and not the only means to charge the device. But I charge the S3 every night and when I take it off the charger, it shows 100%. I am using the charging unit and cable that came with the device.
My main question: Can the S3 replace my iPad Air?
In terms of functionality, yes - absolutely! Having the S3 is like a dream device - I am not saying that S3 is a dream device - it still is quite rough-edged in some ways.
But as always, the app experience is a problem and I am hoping that with Win10, this will change and only for the better. Want an example? I read a lot of PDF and ePub texts. On the iPad, I use PDF Expert for PDF and iBooks for ePub. And, I think they are excellent. Rarely, if ever, have they crashed. They are simply excellent. On the S3, I use DrawBoard PDF and BookViser. Both are good no doubt (I use them, after all!), but to be honest, they are not as slick as their iPad counterparts. But, I am not unhappy with what is available currently on the S3.
Will I keep it or return it? I don't know yet!
Weight: The S3 is light...well, lets say, not heavy or awkward. I am comparing it with the SP3, iPad Air with magnetic cover + soft plastic backcover by Speck. It is lighter than the SP3 - noticeably; And, in my opinion is comparable with the iPad kitted out as above. It is less awkward to use than the Dell Venue 8 Pro which I also have. And the stylus experience on the S3 is infinitely better than on the DV8P.
Battery life: I take the S3 off the charger in the morning (say, around 9AM) and by late evening (say, around mid-night) the battery icon shows me that I have about 35-40% battery left. Brightness is at 37% when on battery. But my use of the device though intensive is also very light. So, I am not very sanguine about the battery-life though - I wish it were better.
Charging issue: I have read some horror stories about the charging issue. I am ambivalent about this whole USB charging thing. I wish they had made the charging port the same as their other Surface devices and if USB charging was something that MS was hell bent on providing, then it should have been an additional capability and not the only means to charge the device. But I charge the S3 every night and when I take it off the charger, it shows 100%. I am using the charging unit and cable that came with the device.
My main question: Can the S3 replace my iPad Air?
In terms of functionality, yes - absolutely! Having the S3 is like a dream device - I am not saying that S3 is a dream device - it still is quite rough-edged in some ways.
But as always, the app experience is a problem and I am hoping that with Win10, this will change and only for the better. Want an example? I read a lot of PDF and ePub texts. On the iPad, I use PDF Expert for PDF and iBooks for ePub. And, I think they are excellent. Rarely, if ever, have they crashed. They are simply excellent. On the S3, I use DrawBoard PDF and BookViser. Both are good no doubt (I use them, after all!), but to be honest, they are not as slick as their iPad counterparts. But, I am not unhappy with what is available currently on the S3.
Will I keep it or return it? I don't know yet!
Ordered yesterday, received today 
Pretty sluggish (relative) but still a big jump in performance from the nexus 10 it is replacing. Think i shall be happy with it other than for the stupid volume buttons. why do companies refuse to use a software controlled volume rocker? One of the good things about the nexus 10 was no matter how it is orientated, the volume keys re-map to account for it. Stupid.
Pretty sluggish (relative) but still a big jump in performance from the nexus 10 it is replacing. Think i shall be happy with it other than for the stupid volume buttons. why do companies refuse to use a software controlled volume rocker? One of the good things about the nexus 10 was no matter how it is orientated, the volume keys re-map to account for it. Stupid.
lookingforward
New Member
Kristal, also try Xodo PDF reader. It is free and in some ways I prefer its interface over Drawboard
Hughile, coming from a Samsung Tab Pro 8.4, I am blown away by the performance leap. The only sluggishness I have encountered is the keyboard lag when writing forum posts with the Metro IE. I'm guessing this a software issue.
I like the volume rocker. It feels very solid and I always know that volume up is proximal to the power button.
Hughile, coming from a Samsung Tab Pro 8.4, I am blown away by the performance leap. The only sluggishness I have encountered is the keyboard lag when writing forum posts with the Metro IE. I'm guessing this a software issue.
I like the volume rocker. It feels very solid and I always know that volume up is proximal to the power button.
As i say, when i say sluggish i'm just basing this relative to the Sp3. Just setting up took forever, and to me, it seems perceptibly slower than what i am used to. So not necessarily sluggish, just not what i'm used to. But what i kind of expected. It is certainly leaps and bounds beyond the nexus 10 though, or any android/ios tablet i've used.
I always use tablets in landscape, so i just find it annoying that it is fixed the "wrong way" and that they couldn't use changable controls. On a tablet, a device that is designed to be used in multiple orientations, it just seems silly to design the volume rocker only for one orientation.
lookingforward
New Member
I do agree that easy access to a software volume toggle in the charms menu would be nice.
I also agree with Kristal that I prefer the SP3 style charging connector. The micro-USB port should have been an optional method--I do like being able to charge with 10 foot USB cables.
I also agree with Kristal that I prefer the SP3 style charging connector. The micro-USB port should have been an optional method--I do like being able to charge with 10 foot USB cables.
kristalsoldier
Well-Known Member
Thanks. I have downloaded XODO PDF and from the little that I have seen thus far, it looks quite good actually. Thanks for the suggestion.
VickiFL
Active Member
Well, we ordered a Surface 3 4GB/128GB for our daughter late this afternoon. I was going to jump on that $799.00 sale for the SP3 i5, but Microsoft talked us out of it. All three of us talked about it in great length via speaker phone, and my daughter agreed with them, and she doesn't mind the slightly smaller size either.
I happened to have an extra SP3 pen, so I'm going to give it to my daughter to save that expense. We already have a nice case for it too. Had to order her a type cover, and I hate that expense, but it had to be done. I have other accessories I imagine she will borrow, i.e.-speakers, etc. as well.
We ordered it late in the day, so we won't get it until Friday.
I happened to have an extra SP3 pen, so I'm going to give it to my daughter to save that expense. We already have a nice case for it too. Had to order her a type cover, and I hate that expense, but it had to be done. I have other accessories I imagine she will borrow, i.e.-speakers, etc. as well.
We ordered it late in the day, so we won't get it until Friday.
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