Should I buy a Surface Pro 3?

[ChrisPanzer]

Here's what you do:

1) Stop by your nearest garbage bin.
2) Place dell within
3) Go buy a SP3

=)

 

[hughlle]

I'm young, but old enough that when i left school at 18, laptops in the classroom was a non-existent concept. Now i'm at university, i cannot imagine not having my SP3. I spent a lot of time considering a surface or an ultrabook, and in the end am damned glad i bought the surface. absolutely brilliant for me as a student. There are folk in my tutor group with ipad airs who have expressed a desire for a surface instead having seen me using it with onenote and the pen during lectures, while they are faffing about with multiple windows open, or a lecture on their macbook and a pen and paper for notes.

Pretty sure the majority of people on this site would agree with you, but you gotta realize within the scope of windows laptops/convertables/etc, you're in the extreme minority. From a different perspective, I doubt there's many people out there that can type faster and more accurately on an SP3 typecover compared to a conventional keyboard. Its plus's are that it's light, while a traditional laptop keyboard wins in every other category. Not to say you can't be efficient with a typecover, just that you're less efficient than on a real keyboard - you can probably come close with enough practise though.

I've been beating this dead horse for awhile now though - everyone's got there own opinions, pretty much impossible to change those opinions once people have their bias's set.

This isn't like some kind of ipad keyboard cover, it is perfectly large enough for full speed typing. I'm now actually quyicker on my sp3 keyboard than my dinovo edge that i've used for 5 years, in my view because it's large enough for ful speed typing, yet small enough that my fingers don't need to travel quite so far.

 

[zhenya]

I think the type cover is great for what it is, but there is so little travel and so little feedback compared to even a good laptop keyboard that I find it difficult to be as precise. Again, it's very good for what it is, but I wish Microsoft would make a more substantial keyboard accessory as an option, perhaps that included some additional ports while still keeping it as light as possible for use at home, when I need a better keyboard, or to take with me on longer trips.

 

[jnjroach]

My 14 year old types 120 words per minute on the Type Cover, he types 120 words per minute on his full size keyboard, he has no problem between the two. My wife has written all of her doctorate papers either of the Type Cover 2 or Type Cover 3. I use the Type Cover to write Technical Whitepapers, Reference Architectures and other technical papers.

The whole Type Cover isn't a good typing experience is rubbish...

 

[GreyFox7]

I think the type cover is great for what it is, but there is so little travel and so little feedback compared to even a good laptop keyboard that I find it difficult to be as precise. Again, it's very good for what it is, but I wish Microsoft would make a more substantial keyboard accessory as an option, perhaps that included some additional ports while still keeping it as light as possible for use at home, when I need a better keyboard, or to take with me on longer trips.

We should all start pinging Logitech on when they are entering the Surface keyboard market.

 

[ptrkhh]

This is the reason why the keyboard is optional. Don't like it? Just get another (BT) keyboard.

also the SP3 keyboard is a mechanical keyboard

What?
I don't think its a real mechanical keyboard as in the one with real mechanical switches like most mechanical gaming keyboards. Can anybody confirm?

 

[ChrisPanzer]

I think the type cover is great for what it is, but there is so little travel and so little feedback compared to even a good laptop keyboard that I find it difficult to be as precise. Again, it's very good for what it is, but I wish Microsoft would make a more substantial keyboard accessory as an option, perhaps that included some additional ports while still keeping it as light as possible for use at home, when I need a better keyboard, or to take with me on longer trips.

agreed the type cover feels like its stuffed with a piece of rigid cardboard.

 

[zhenya]

The point isn't that I can't type adequately fast on the type keyboard, I can. However as in many things, once we get used to something better, it's hard to be satisfied with something sub-par again. If you are coming from the typical rubber-dome keyboard of today, then the type cover isn't too different. If you generally use a Thinkpad keyboard or a full mechanical one, then it leaves a lot to be desired.

Again, this is as much about how I feel using it long-term rather than how effective it is. A high dpi screen doesn't help me be more productive either, but I'd sure hate to go back from them.

I've thought about buying the portable Thinkpad keyboard, but at that point the entire device becomes as heavy as my Thinkpad, significantly less powerful, and more unwieldy. The point of making a better keyboard optional is that not everyone would want it, but there has been a significant movement back towards better keyboards recently. Microsoft should recognize this.

 

[ChrisPanzer]

Personally, I don't type well on the modern, minimalistic chiclet-style fragile button keyboards. Give me an old-school, old-fashioned full-sized IBM PS/2 keyboard with raised keys that make 'click' sound every time u press it, kinda like the Cadillac of Keyboards, lol, and I'll rip out 120WPM everytime.


SIDE GRIPE: Anyone else notice, whilst lying down with the SP3 in your lap with keyboard attached, space bar button is constantly missed as well as left-clicking becomes very difficult, due to pressure being applied by resting wrists at an awkward angle on the keyboard (im assuming)

 

[Nys299]

I use this keyboard because I need to do work in Portrait mode. It is one of the best typing keyboards that I have ever used. And it is backlit too.

 

[ChrisPanzer]

View attachment 5146

I use this keyboard because I need to do work in Portrait mode. It is one of the best typing keyboards that I have ever used. And it is backlit too.

Nice touch with the reading glasses...

 

[Nys299]

Nice touch with the reading glasses...

Hehe I'm blind as a bat.