A couple simple questions...

[Modification]

hey guys, just bought a surface yesterday so I am still figuring out all these kinks. since i do not have a good understanding of this OS, i was hoping you guys could help me out here.

1) do apps running in the background (like the weather app for example) kill battery? im asking because its nice when your weather app actually displays data on the home screen.

2) i heard google chrome isnt a particular good browser for the sp3? i think, iirc, it was because it eats up too much memory or something along those lines. is this true?

3) where are your pen loops located? mine is a little below the left hand side of the keyboard. I ask because its a little difficult inserting the pen in the loop (i feel like its too tight) and also because the loop falls off (probably because i am trying to force it in).

4) I am also thinking about purchasing a sleeve and was wondering if you guys had any recommendations. I was leaning towards either: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KQ09W3A/ref=gno_cart_title_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AG8AYSVS7E5IO

or

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007ZSOZRY/ref=gno_cart_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2IHZFOHOQ0WG8

Any other personal tips or tricks you guys have that you feel like sharing is also a big plus to me. I don't see a sticky thread concerning this topic.

 

[silkrooster]

Here is the one I been looking at:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NJ2Y3C2...TF8&colid=167OF2B9ACNGQ&coliid=I2V73JGGVFHTVD

The reason I like it as it has plenty of space for the charger and other accessories, since traveling would probably be the only time I would really need it. Yeah it cost more, but it looks better than just a pocket.

That said, you can't really go wrong with any other case as a long as it fits.

OK, looks like I am answering in reverse order so here it goes:
3) I can't really answer since I won't have my keyboard until tomorrow, I decided to wait a month to divide up the cost a bit.

2) Chrome should be a bit easier on ram since it is suppose to be more strict on what is allowed to be added for plugins, etc. (I have not tested it yet so take this advice with a grain of salt)

1)Yes, anything running requires the use of the battery with the exception of it being plugged in with the charger. As for what is allowed to run during sleep mode, I do not know if anything can run, so I assume all stops running. (though hardware can be wake enabled so I could be wrong on that theory)
Though you will find the battery will last a good 6 hours or so, I have not allowed it to get below 10% but getting that low took two days of about 4 hours each. Give or take a few hours.

 

[malberttoo]

hey guys, just bought a surface yesterday so I am still figuring out all these kinks. since i do not have a good understanding of this OS, i was hoping you guys could help me out here.

1) do apps running in the background (like the weather app for example) kill battery? im asking because its nice when your weather app actually displays data on the home screen.

2) i heard google chrome isnt a particular good browser for the sp3? i think, iirc, it was because it eats up too much memory or something along those lines. is this true?

3) where are your pen loops located? mine is a little below the left hand side of the keyboard. I ask because its a little difficult inserting the pen in the loop (i feel like its too tight) and also because the loop falls off (probably because i am trying to force it in).

4) I am also thinking about purchasing a sleeve and was wondering if you guys had any recommendations. I was leaning towards either: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KQ09W3A/ref=gno_cart_title_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AG8AYSVS7E5IO

or

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007ZSOZRY/ref=gno_cart_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2IHZFOHOQ0WG8

Any other personal tips or tricks you guys have that you feel like sharing is also a big plus to me. I don't see a sticky thread concerning this topic.

Hi Modification, welcome to the forum!

On the Start environment (with all the tiles), your SP3 knows very well how to manage power with regards to apps. Any app not being used front and center, is hibernated in the background, ready to be brought back up instantly. However, apps that need to be up to date (weather, email, Skype) are also allowed to phone home occasionally. But like I said, your SP3 manages this very well and you shouldn't worry about battery usage in this case.

Regarding Chrome- yes, it does rev up the CPU quite a bit, and therefore is harder on your battery life. I am a Chrome user on my workstation at work, and I do fire it up once in a while on my SP3 for certain reasons, but by and large I use Modern or Metro Internet Explorer. It is made to work very well on the SP3, and really shows off how well it works on a touch device. I love it.

You can definitely ask about the sleeve, but also use the search function at the top of the page. You will find a LOT of talk about them.

Hope it helps!

 

[nipponham]

1) Maybe not “kill” the battery, but definitely does affect its longevity, especially if you have it set to update on your lock screen.

2) It’s true, although it has nothing to do with memory.

3) N/A

4) Lots of threads you can search about sleeves and cases

Browse this sub-forum for tips and tricks for your Surface: http://www.surfaceforums.net/forums/microsoft-surface-faq-guides.12/