I’m looking at getting a Microsoft Surface Pro 3. I’ve watched the Surface from the beginning and while I really liked it, thought it was just not there yet until now. It’s all grown up and, surprisingly, I don’t hate using Windows 8 on this thing. This is exactly what that OS was designed for.
I already have an iPad 4, a rMBP, and iPhone 5s. The iPad sees next to no use at home. I only use it in classes to record lectures, take notes, and edit a paper to print at the last minute if I catch something I missed. All heavy lifting is done with my rMBP, which is for the most part a desktop replacement.
I do not like taking the Macbook out of the house because it’s a big expensive thing with no insurace against a busted screen. For classes, my iPad can do the job fine. I was thinking of using Notability this semester as I have just had enough of my old notetaking apps and thought something new would be better, and aside from how it handles Powerpoint import, I like it.
The iPad 4 has a few things on there I really would like to bring over to the Surface Pro. I don’t plan on keeping both as the sale of the iPad (with unused applecare+) will offset the cost of a Surface enough for me to buy one. Flipboard is avaliable on both, which is great because that is how I spend my lunchtime on campus. Square register is useful when I do computer repairs but I can always do that on my phone. My Synology apps are important, but I can access it with Internet Explorer if I have to, which is actually nice in metro mode on a touchscreen device.
Office is available free from my university so that is covered. For presentations though, I will still bring in my macbook as I prefer keynote to powerpoint. Blackboard Learn is a fantastic app. It grants me easy access to lecture slides and assignments and even pushes grades and other notifications to me. I’m not really addicted to the Coursesmart eTextbooks app as that has always been a pretty terrible experience on my iPad. Notability looks very useful, but I don’t think anything like that is available for the Surface. All I can find is Onenote, but I couldn’t try it because I need to sign in with a Microsoft account. Has anyone used it to record lectures, import the occasional slide, and type up notes? How was that experience?
As for my other observations:
- The type cover keyboard is a joke. The touchpad is very impressive for what it is, but the keyboard is absolutely horrendous. I’m not just spoiled by my Apple keyboard. I have touch typed for 3 semesters just fine with my iPad. It can get annoying at times, but I can really move on that thing. Microsoft’s on-screen keyboard was very impressive, and that kickstand felt much more secure than my iPad’s smart cover.
- While I don’t use it often, the stylus would be nice. I have a jot for my iPad but the lack of palm rejection was always a problem. Chem class was hellish there. The stylus was more useful for highlighting than anything else.
- I can forgive poor battery life if the Surface charges rapidly. My iPad lasts forever and it charges about as fast as my iPhone. It’s as if it were powered by will alone.
- I must have an Applecare equivalent if that thing is going to travel with me. No, Best Buy’s ****** repair service where they basically borrow your broken equipment and return it in slightly better condition will not do. Fortunately, Microsoft has complete, which is pretty much Applecare+ for the Surface.
- The Surface uses cooling fans. Therefore, it will be moving dusty air in and out of it. I must have a way to blow out that dust from time to time. This is not a device that can be opened and cleaned. I’m hesitant to buy something that is actively cooled and has no way to blow the dust out.
I already have an iPad 4, a rMBP, and iPhone 5s. The iPad sees next to no use at home. I only use it in classes to record lectures, take notes, and edit a paper to print at the last minute if I catch something I missed. All heavy lifting is done with my rMBP, which is for the most part a desktop replacement.
I do not like taking the Macbook out of the house because it’s a big expensive thing with no insurace against a busted screen. For classes, my iPad can do the job fine. I was thinking of using Notability this semester as I have just had enough of my old notetaking apps and thought something new would be better, and aside from how it handles Powerpoint import, I like it.
The iPad 4 has a few things on there I really would like to bring over to the Surface Pro. I don’t plan on keeping both as the sale of the iPad (with unused applecare+) will offset the cost of a Surface enough for me to buy one. Flipboard is avaliable on both, which is great because that is how I spend my lunchtime on campus. Square register is useful when I do computer repairs but I can always do that on my phone. My Synology apps are important, but I can access it with Internet Explorer if I have to, which is actually nice in metro mode on a touchscreen device.
Office is available free from my university so that is covered. For presentations though, I will still bring in my macbook as I prefer keynote to powerpoint. Blackboard Learn is a fantastic app. It grants me easy access to lecture slides and assignments and even pushes grades and other notifications to me. I’m not really addicted to the Coursesmart eTextbooks app as that has always been a pretty terrible experience on my iPad. Notability looks very useful, but I don’t think anything like that is available for the Surface. All I can find is Onenote, but I couldn’t try it because I need to sign in with a Microsoft account. Has anyone used it to record lectures, import the occasional slide, and type up notes? How was that experience?
As for my other observations:
- The type cover keyboard is a joke. The touchpad is very impressive for what it is, but the keyboard is absolutely horrendous. I’m not just spoiled by my Apple keyboard. I have touch typed for 3 semesters just fine with my iPad. It can get annoying at times, but I can really move on that thing. Microsoft’s on-screen keyboard was very impressive, and that kickstand felt much more secure than my iPad’s smart cover.
- While I don’t use it often, the stylus would be nice. I have a jot for my iPad but the lack of palm rejection was always a problem. Chem class was hellish there. The stylus was more useful for highlighting than anything else.
- I can forgive poor battery life if the Surface charges rapidly. My iPad lasts forever and it charges about as fast as my iPhone. It’s as if it were powered by will alone.
- I must have an Applecare equivalent if that thing is going to travel with me. No, Best Buy’s ****** repair service where they basically borrow your broken equipment and return it in slightly better condition will not do. Fortunately, Microsoft has complete, which is pretty much Applecare+ for the Surface.
- The Surface uses cooling fans. Therefore, it will be moving dusty air in and out of it. I must have a way to blow out that dust from time to time. This is not a device that can be opened and cleaned. I’m hesitant to buy something that is actively cooled and has no way to blow the dust out.
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