I really don't know much about digitizers but if you wanna see a really good comparison between WACOM and N-Trig, this breakdown is worth reading:
http://www.ticktakashi.com/2014/05/wacom-vs-n-trig-modern-comparison.html
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Surface Pro 3 First Impressions
- Thread starter soulreaver99
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I really don't know much about digitizers but if you wanna see a really good comparison between WACOM and N-Trig, this breakdown is worth reading:
http://www.ticktakashi.com/2014/05/wacom-vs-n-trig-modern-comparison.html
Hmmm... you should try using actual facts. There is more Windows 8 installed than all Mac OSes combined as of last Fall....
http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/09/02/windows-8-jumps-past-os-x-for-74-market-share
Contemplating picking up the i3 version of this. Best Buy & Microsoft's student site are running it for $649, which is quite tempting...
Whaaaaat? Whooooa, I found it. I entered my email. I haven't gotten a coupon yet...
But this was already super tempting at full price. $150 off?!?
Hmm, but which do I buy? If the coupon actually comes, this makes the base i5 only $50 more than I would have paid for the i3, and practically speaking 128GB is REALLY tight space. On the other hand this makes the i3 model that much more afordable, and I don't plan on using it as a full PC really...though still, I'd like to be able to have a game or two installed + Office + Firefox + odds and ends...
EDIT: Then I think "ah, the Core M version's going to come out! The Broadwell version... the version after that!" Grr LOL
EDIT: Hours later and I still don't have a coupon. Don't know if I'm doing something wrong or what...
Last edited:
Quite disappointing news... overheating problems
Oh yeah? Where is this being reported? Is it with the i7? My i5 never gets much more than warm to the touch, surprisingly. I ducked into the Apple Store in Ginza yesterday to attend a webinar I forgot about on one of their MacBook pro 13s hooked up to a 30" display... at one point I laid my hand on the MacBook body and it was like it was on fire. Surprised me as my old MacBook air never got anywhere near that hot.
I finally saw the 3 in real life today. WOW is it nice. It really doesn't seem huge at all, and feels high quality like the earlier ones. I just wish the Kindle app for it were better and there was a Marvel unlimited app!
Played with a 12.2" Samsung tablet, and it looks and feels so cheap by comparison. Garish actually.
Actually saw a pretty nice 10" Toshiba tablet running 8 for $200 something that seemed shocking nice for the price. Two biggest compromises were a lowish (by current standards) resolution screen-though it was IPS and looked nice, and only 1GB RAM. Shockingly it seemed to be running real full Windows on 1GB better than Android does, but still like 90% of RAM was in use with mostly just IE going...though IE with multiple windows, multiple tabs, and a bunch of video ads running in flash.
EDIT: I was surprised the 32GB Toshiba actually had roughly half that available as storage. A 64GB Surface might be less compromised than I thought...
Played with a 12.2" Samsung tablet, and it looks and feels so cheap by comparison. Garish actually.
Actually saw a pretty nice 10" Toshiba tablet running 8 for $200 something that seemed shocking nice for the price. Two biggest compromises were a lowish (by current standards) resolution screen-though it was IPS and looked nice, and only 1GB RAM. Shockingly it seemed to be running real full Windows on 1GB better than Android does, but still like 90% of RAM was in use with mostly just IE going...though IE with multiple windows, multiple tabs, and a bunch of video ads running in flash.
EDIT: I was surprised the 32GB Toshiba actually had roughly half that available as storage. A 64GB Surface might be less compromised than I thought...
Quite disappointing news... overheating problems
My i5 in the month I've had it hasn't overheated whatsoever and only gets slightly warm to the touch when being significantly taxed. Fans barely run. Battery life has been very good.
My docking station came on Wednesday and it's been great. The Surface makes a great desktop; connected to the docking station I have a Logitech backlit keyboard, a nice mouse, a Dell 3008WFP 30" 2560x1600 display, a USB DVD burner and a gigabit ethernet connection. The 2.9GHz i5 is more than up to the task.
Do you think the docking station is worth $200? I was looking at USB docking stations that are like half the price. I'm kind of annoyed that it doesn't have HDMI and I would still need to get an adapter for it. At the same time, I like that when it is plugged in to it, it charges the Surface without needing another plug. So...I am still on the fence and trying to decide which way to go. I probably just need a USB hub...just with those I worry about the cable being short and getting knocked around causing the surface to tip.
Just saw this today:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/8388/intel-demonstrates-direct3d-12-performance-and-power-improvements
They happened to use a Surface Pro 3 (which makes sense really since it's the one area where Intel's GPUs are top of the line). I'm not sure if this applies to ALL Direct X games/program (like DX 9 and earlier) or only DX11 games/programs, and maybe the stuff was cherry picked a bit, but even if it was it's VERY impressive. The one benchmark under DX11 is 19FPs...under DX12 it's 33FPS!
Basically all the savings are from needing less CPU...and in the case of these chips less CPU means you can put more of the power/thermals into the GPU. They also mentioned that it lets all CPUs get utilized better, which lets them keep them clocked lower, which also helps keep power down, which also lets them crank up the GPU more.
So...that's darned impressive, even more so if it's a remotely typical result on all DirectX stuff!
http://www.anandtech.com/show/8388/intel-demonstrates-direct3d-12-performance-and-power-improvements
They happened to use a Surface Pro 3 (which makes sense really since it's the one area where Intel's GPUs are top of the line). I'm not sure if this applies to ALL Direct X games/program (like DX 9 and earlier) or only DX11 games/programs, and maybe the stuff was cherry picked a bit, but even if it was it's VERY impressive. The one benchmark under DX11 is 19FPs...under DX12 it's 33FPS!
Basically all the savings are from needing less CPU...and in the case of these chips less CPU means you can put more of the power/thermals into the GPU. They also mentioned that it lets all CPUs get utilized better, which lets them keep them clocked lower, which also helps keep power down, which also lets them crank up the GPU more.
So...that's darned impressive, even more so if it's a remotely typical result on all DirectX stuff!
I own the dock and I think it's worth it. It's pricey but the power adaptor is baked into the price.
I tried to go with a USB hub only when I used the SP2 (I used a Plugable USB3 dock). But if you dock/undock regularly, the convenience of the MS dock becomes a big deal. Slide once vs plug/unplug cables and have them dangling everywhere.
The dock is very clean as compared to plugging in a USB cable, the display port connector and the power cable. Plus it gives you a real gigabit Ethernet connection (which to me is important).
The included power brick is something like 55 watts, so it'll charge the surface even if it's under full load. My numbers might be off, but it's bigger than the included charger either way.
On top of that, it's worth a few dollars to have Microsoft-supported hardware devices (like the audio and Ethernet devices) for all the dock devices versus generic USB-to-everything conversions all running off a single USB port.
If that makes sense...
E.g.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Minecraft-Also-Said-to-Cause-Surface-Pro-3-Overheating-454965.shtml
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Micr...Continue-i7-Models-Also-Affected-453998.shtml
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...g-during/1efa253a-f7f2-486b-a891-5633738b8532
Hopefully it is only a certain batch(es).
That last link is great - very detailed. Definitely looks like a defect with some of the i7 models. My i5 never even gets warm. Either that or something is triggering some kind of loop. I left a HuffPost tab running in my browser on my NUC the other day and came home after dinner and the thing sounded like a jet engine - could be something similar happening.
When the MBA was first released, it was revolutionary for its design alone. It was thinner and more elegant than anything at the time. It easily rivaled the bulky dell laptops my school made available for purchase. Perhaps the MBA's only criticisms were a lack of power and poor battery life. Eventually, I upgraded to the newer design (mid 2012) and realized that it was almost the perfect machine. But now, in late 2014, the MBA easily feels dated. Poor resolution, large bezels, no touch display, no detachable keyboard, and not so thin and light anymore compared to other devices on the marketplace. The Surface 3 addresses all of these issues, and, for that reason, has become very attractive. I am really hoping, however, that Apple announces a killer new MBA - even as early as September - to compete with all the competition. For the past few years, it no longer feels like Apple is cutting edge and at the cusp and forefront of design and innovation. These last few years have felt like Apple is playing catch up and only adopting design trends and industry features, rather than relying upon its own ingenuity, if that even still exists. Apple products are simple and elegant and beautiful, but I don't think they are necessarily the best anymore or the most cutting edge per say. The only Apple products that strike me as ahead of its time are perhaps the iPad Air or iPad Mini.
Actually if you check the latest replies it seems to be only a software bug running high cpu level and memory. Killing them solves the problem
Need to wait and see if this is the case and will solve the problem permanently. Then I will definitely go and get one =P