7.1.2018

I actually selected to purchase the Surface Pro 3 version but Amazon delivered this one at the same price, £80 less than it is via the link. It works fine, as you would expect. Details: "Microsoft Surface Pro 12.3-Inch PixelSense Tablet PC (Silver) - (Intel 7th Gen Core m3-7Y30 2.6 GHz, 4 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD, Intel HD Graphics 615, Windows 10 Pro, 2017 Model) with Surface Pro Type Cover - Black".Here are my views, for what they are worth:1) Packaging. Absolutely fantastic by Microsoft. The box was so well made it was difficult to slide the top off!2) Documentation. Effectively non-existent. The PDF you can download from the Amazon page is for an early Pro on Windows 8, but not a great deal is irrelevant.That said, I do feel a fully pertinent, up to date, PDF specifically for this device should be available somewhere. I shall keep trying to see if there is anything on the MS site, but my first search wasn't hopeful. Many companies place such a document on the device itself. There is a page with some help, but that is not as convenient to me as a PDF:https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/products/surface-devices/surface-pro3) Start Up. It took around 8 hours to complete all the Windows upgrades. But you can use the machine while it is doing it. This excessive length of time may be partly due to me being on Talk-Talk and suffering from typical download speeds of 2 Mbs. But the longest part was actually working on the updates, i.e. after the updates had been downloaded. So be prepared for a long wait.4) Home Group Network. It was very easy to create a Home Group with my desktop PC and link the tablet to it. I copied my sheet music collection from my PC to the tablet via WiFi with no problems and quite rapidly.5) Bluetooth. I primarily bought the tablet to hold my digital music files, and so that I could play the piano and organ using the tablet as my music. To facilitate this, I also bought a set of Donner Foot pedals which you can pair with the tablet via blue tooth to wirelessly send page up/down commands to Acrobat to change the displayed music page. The pedals were recognised immediately, and work perfectly well. Also available on Amazon (see link below) for the music enthusiast. Now I can play and turn the page without moving my hands from the keyboard.6) Protection. I also bought a cover for it. This is, I think, vital to protect the device if you intend to transport it outside. I bought the Inateck cover, see link below, also from Amazon.7) Keyboard (Type Cover). Very good quality and works very well. Dead easy to snap to and from the tablet.8) Log on. The face recognition works fine, so I don't need to type in passwords etc for log on.I just look at the tablet.I have a Microsoft account so I only needed to log on with it first time.9) Cameras. They are not as good a quality as a professional camera, of course, but are decent enough for what I want.10) Screen. Colours are excellent, and easy to see in all sorts of angles. Some reviewers have mentioned bleed at the bottom of the screen, but I could not see anything untoward.11) Transportability. It is a touch heavy, but not uncomfortably so. I guess a 12.3 inch display (which I wanted to ensure my music pages were displayed as large as I could get them, to help my eyesight) is always going to be beefy. I disconnect the keyboard if I am taking the device outside, but that is extremely light anyway.12) Battery Life. Claimed as 11 hours, I don't know but it certainly lasts me well. I guess I used it for about 3 hours outside and the fully charged battery was around 65-70% afterwards. So about right, but so many factors affect this.13) Apps. I haven't tried any of the included apps yet, as that wasn't what I wanted it for. I did download Adobe Acrobat from the Adobe website, which works fine, and also Apache Open Office to get the word processor and spreadsheet, and I did download a game from the Store which is also fine. Playing games on the small screen, however, is never going to be a great experience for me.14) As well as (trying to) be a musician, I also do amateur programming. I copied an EXE file from one of my projects on the PC to the tablet, and it runs fine, though the programmer does need to consider the fact his app may be played on the small screen device, and code the display routines accordingly.15) Web sites. These display fine, as long as the web manager has designed his site to be "responsive", that is, to respond to the device the page is being displayed on, and to display correctly (or optimally) for PC, Tablet and Mobile. Most seem to be so designed these days.16) Touch screen. A little fiddly for me, as I have fat fingers and touching the correct icon can be difficult. I bought a "VicTsing" wireless USB mouse to use with the device, and a "Sabrent" 4 way USB hub so I can keep the mouse receiver plugged in as well as a stick etc., all from Amazon and just a few pounds. All work fine with the tablet. Of course, outside I have to use touch, but I can manage ok.17) E-Mail. Set up worked fine. Imported Google GMail and Calendar with no problems.Why four stars, not five? Primarily the documentation, and the length of time to get it started. Neither really dreadful, to be honest.Foot Pedals:

7.7.2018

I’d been debating for a very long time whether to buy a Surface Pro... At the beginning of the year I purchased an iPad Pro to use for work with the intention to go fully paperless for notes etc however the plastic Apple Pencil on the glass screen was so unnatural and slippy so my notes looked like a 3 year olds drawings. In addition the lack of a mouse meant a frustrating experience at times. I tried but simply could not get on with it at all, personal opinion but the Apple Pencil on the iPad screen simply feels very unnatural to me.I sold the iPad and had contemplated a Surface Pro 4 for the last few months due to the increased cost and inconsistent reviews,again my use case is primarily for using the pen to make notes and draw diagrams for work but the Surface has an added advantage over an iPad of running full windows and having a mouse.I finally settled on a 2017 Surface Pro M3 model - firstly I already have a powerful work laptop so the surface is my meetings/notes/travel PC rather than my primary PC. Secondly while opinions seem to vary I found a very good review/comparison of battery life between the different processors and the M3 came out on top as being able to push an extra few hours more than the i5 and i7, this was very important to me as I wanted something that could go all day when needed.So far I love the Surface and best of all the Surface Pen when writing on the Surface feels absolutely 100% better than the iPad/Apple Pencil. My writing no longer looks like that of a 3 year old! Performance has been surprisingly impressive so far and I run a lot of heavy applications such as Visual Studio 2017. Browsing the web, emails and taking notes are faultless, an absolute breeze with no lag at all.Initial windows updates have been a nightmare (my Surface arrived with Windows 1703 so needed a number of updates). Windows Update has been hit and miss with some lengthy waits (7 and a half hours into starting to do windows updates I was still only 93% complete "PREPARING TO INSTALL" 1803), however Windows Update is the same on other PC’s so this isn’t necessarily a problem exclusive to the Surface; I think it just feels slightly worse as there’s less processing power and therefore longer waits. If you manually run Windows update as soon as you start using the Surface like I did, keep going until there's no updates left to install then you won't have a series of frustrating updates to deal with while you are actually trying to use it.Windows Hello is amazing for quickly unlocking the device. I can see some 'screen bleed' that others have pointed out, to be fair I don't really care as it's barely noticeable and I certainly could not be bothered to keep sending the device back time and time again to get a 'perfect' one - life is too short for something barely noticeable!All in all I’m very impressed and would recommend if you are thinking of a Surface as a secondary PC and are on the fence about the M3 model you go for it, I regret debating for so long now but I’ve been seriously impressed so far. As long as your expectations are within reason you'll be fine - as a secondary PC the M3 is amazing for day to day browsing, email, writing and some dev work, if browsing/email is all you do then it'll be an excellent primary PC. Just don't expect it to handle everything you throw at it instantly or to be able to play games, that said having used Atom/low power processors before the M3 has really surprised and impressed me in terms of speed. The M3 is faster than some desktops PC's that I've used recently!

17.7.2017

Microsoft states that this new tablet of theirs has been completely redesigned from inside out with all new custom parts to deliver more battery power, more performance, superior display. The PixelSense display supports pen and touch, while the refined design provides 68% more battery life and 2.5X the performance of Surface Pro 3. A powerful Intel Core processor runs full desktop software with ease, ensuring a smooth, productive work session. The device features a 7th generation Intel Core i5 Processor, 256 GB of storage, 8 GB RAM, up to 13.5 hours of video playback. It is 2.5x faster than Surface Pro 3 because of a powerful Intel Core Processor. Has 68% longer battery life than Surface Pro 3; 50% longer than Surface Pro 4,can provide all-day power on the go. Also boasts an improved acoustic experience with newly redesigned front-facing speakers, quieter fanless cooling system. Further, it promises uncompromising mobility, allows the user to create, study, work or play virtually anywhere, It is better than ever; the ultra-light Surface Pro gives you total mobile productivity, all-day battery life, plus a softer, ultra-portable design with rounded edges. Surface Pro also works perfectly with Surface Pen,Surface Dial and Office, runs the full Windows experience, including 3D creation tools. The user can enjoy fast, secured, password-free sign-in with Windows Hello,The user can personalize Surface Pro, express himself/herself with next-generation creative tools in a choice of rich colors, including new Surface Arc Mouse, Surface Pro Signature Type Cover, and Surface Pen — with real-time writing and new tilt for artistic shading — plus enjoy on-screen support for Surface Dial.I’m a retiree, so that might give you an idea of just how adept I am at computering. I would be the first to admit I needed help from my computer guru to set this up, pair it with the Surface Pro Ergonomic Keyboard I had luckily previously received, replace my 10-11 year old SonyVaio. Mind you, I had always been pleased with the Vaio, it’s relatively small footprint. No tower, no speakers, entire works incorporated in the screen. But this. Entire works in a really small screen, of course, no tower or speakers. I sat with my computer guru; we introduced this intelligent piece of equipment to my face. I now sit down, it asks me to look at it straight on, and, kazam, turns itself on. Of course, this machine has all sorts of capabilities I haven’t even begun to scratch, and may never use, but it’s nice to know they’re available. Super sharp photos, print. Quick. I’ve had only one problem with it: the print is TINY. It’s described as 100%, whatever that means. T guru and I had to sit and work for a while trying to figure out how to get it bigger. Hint: its to do with the Zoom feature. Really cool.

1.12.2017

This is a really nice device that works well and has a nice quality feel. For many people this is a valid alternative to a more traditional lap top PC however whether that is true for you depends on how you use your lap top.There are some applications and uses which do go beyond the suitability of the Surface Pro and its spec is limited in some areas such as storage memory and number of ports. You can use an external hard drive or cloud storage to address the memory issue, and a USB hub can address the lack of ports and be used to connect a range of additional devices if you need wired connections (although it gets messy and if you do need to use a lot of other wired devices and need a multi-terabit hard drive then a regular lap top will make more sense).That said,

2.12.2017

Really happy with the Surface. I was a little doubtful, given the specs - m3 processor, 4GB RAM, limited connection ports. But I really wanted something small, compact, good enough for typing on and general Internet / Office use. Overall - I'm thoroughly satisfied with my purchase. I bought it for £600 including the type cover on the Black Friday sales during winter 2017.PerformanceHandles everything I need it for with relative ease. Multi tabbing Chrome, MS Excel running, playing videos and general Gmail / OneDrive usage. Some slightly noticeable slowdown, but nothing that irritates me too much. More than good enough for general internet / office usage.Battery lifeNot bad / not great either.

3.12.2017

Just to be clear, I bought and am reviewing this one: Microsoft Surface Pro 12.3-Inch PixelSense Tablet PC (Silver) - (Intel 7th Gen Core m3-7Y30 2.6 GHz, 4 GB RAM, 128 GB SDD, Intel HD Graphics 615, Windows 10 Pro, 2017 Model) with Surface Pro Type Cover - Black which is the base model surface.SetupI got this on a cyber Monday deal, and it was a deep saving. came quick, easy to set up, keyboard magnetically snaps to bottom edge of tablet, switch on, Cortana talks you through setup which is fast and painless. Seems to have superhuman wifi, can 'see' a lot further than our other devices. I bloody love the face scan to unlock feature, it is mega fast, I loaded my face with and without specs and it spots me,

12.12.2017

Bought on the Black Friday sale. Slightly annoyed by the price shenanigans between Amazon and Microsoft that day. The price shifted part of the way through the day from £650 to £599, and I paid the higher price at Microsoft before they dropped theirs. Annoying, meant buying another machine from Amazon and sending back the one from Microsoft.Got the Amazon machine promptly, and it was great. Spent literally all my spare time for about 4 or 5 days getting settings and apps and software downloaded and updated and configured. Ordered a surface pen and a 200GB SD card to go with it. Felt chuffed. Then the blasted thing wanted to update Windows 10, and after that it was completely bricked.

28.1.2018

The screen, keyboard, design and day to day usage performance are excellent. It's the perfect Netflix on the couch machine with it's kickstand and clear speakers, but also lasts me around 9-10 hours use taking notes or typing up documents with some light web browsing when I'm getting some work done. I think it's a great all round device for most people, I prefer the form factor to a laptop and I can't get over how beautiful the screen is. For £600 it's a steal.That said, I wish it had 8GB of RAM so I could feel confident going to town with tons of browser tabs and PDFs and PowerPoints at once. It's crazy that you have to spend almost twice as much to get a model with 8GB.

11.1.2018

I bought the M3 version and have used it lightly for the last few days. Initial impressions unpacking it weren't good, there were 5 obvious scratches near the charging port and my unit also had the dreaded back light bleed along the bottom of the screen.However, the back light bleed wasn't really obvious (unlike the screen on the i5 version, which I also had and returned), and I think that the bleeding is a trait of these machines and something you will have to put up with if you want a Surface. My unit came with the slower Toshiba SSD as well. Oh well. It isn't worth exchanging because the replacement could have even more issues.However, the screen is beautiful and bright,

31.7.2018

The Surface Pro 5 simply blows out of the water - any of the naysayers and claimed competition from tablets & apple.Those have always largely been fanboyism, but the idea that PCs are no longer needed, that tablets or chrome books are sufficient for most computing, or that Apple gives a superior quality experience, have all been part of the standard media drone for years.The Surface line is by far the best experience you can have with a computer. It has the clean and stylized lines of Apple but without the expense or the sealed off architecture, it has the interface capabilities and processing power of a desktop, it has an absolutely stunning screen,

2.8.2017

I tried a lot of different netbooks and 2-in-1 laptops before I tried the Surface Pro. Yes, it is expensive but it is also brilliant. It works so well as a tablet due to the excellent touch screen, and also as a laptop due to the well-design keyboard and kickstand. It is just so portable and usable, with really fast start-up, that I now don't know how I did without it.I went for the lowest spec of Intel M3 processor, 128GB storage, and 4GB RAM. This is more than adequate for my needs of general internet browsing, emails, and office software - it is very quick and responsive and never slows down on me. The screen in particular is a revelation - the high pixel count makes everything clearer and easier on the eyes.

21.12.2017

I bought this for my wife who's a teacher. So no gaming, just word, pdf, internet, email, films etc. I went for the Core m3 because she didn't need to much processing power. I was a bit skeptical after reading some reviews that recommended the i5 processor as a minimum and extra memory but so far it's perfect and fast for this type of use.My laptop, which I still use and is 6 years old, has a similar processor and I've never had a problems. So I would say that if you're just using it for everyday stuff it's fantastic and not worth paying the extra for the i5 unless you need autoCAD or something similar. I've opened word, photos, internet, pdf docs, xls docs and email and a film all at the same time and it's fast,

4.1.2018

So far I have got decent performance out of the m3 version and I mostly use it for browsing / discord.Make sure to disable windows animations and keep on high performance mode as long as you bring your charger with you. The charger is now in a smaller form factor (it doesn't need a separate adaptor to the plug anymore) compared to the previous model. Battery life isn't amazing but it can last for 3-5 comfortable productive hours. Always shut down the computer at night as sleep mode might use battery in the background.Pros: Screen resolution / brightness / colour tuned. Pen input is amazing and app availability for the pen is decent on the Microsoft store. I recommend pdf pro. bundle comes with keyboard.

29.11.2017

The Surface Pro 4 with the Black 2017 Type Cover is one of the best purchases I've ever made. Bought on the Black Friday sale for just £600 is a great deal.The Surface Pro 4 manages to handle everything I throw at it, this varies from web browsing to more demanding tasks like building applications in Visual Studio. The screen is bright and beautiful and the battery life is good enough. The speakers make listening to music and watching movies/videos a great experience.Moving on to the type cover, the type cover works great in dark situation due to the backlighting and has a decent amount of travel making typing a very enjoyable experience,

9.1.2018

So far I have got decent performance out of the m3 version and I mostly use it for browsing / discord.Make sure to disable windows animations and keep on high performance mode as long as you bring your charger with you. The charger is now in a smaller form factor (it doesn't need a separate adaptor to the plug anymore) compared to the previous model. Battery life isn't amazing but it can last for 3-5 comfortable productive hours. Always shut down the computer at night as sleep mode might use battery in the background.Pros: Screen resolution / brightness / colour tuned. Pen input is amazing and app availability for the pen is decent on the Microsoft store. I recommend pdf pro. bundle comes with keyboard.

Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) - Reviews

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