Surface Pro 3

I have a friend who’s selling Surface Pro 3 for $500 and I would like to get communities help in making my decision on whether i want to buy or not? My question revolves around is it worth buying Pro 3 now? Or should i not? I’m also thinking i can buy and send it to my parents to use it. So, is there a high learning curve when it comes to Windows 10? I’m asking about learning curve because i cannot truly decide as I never had to as I jumped into Insider program in 2015 and I’m pretty knowledgeable when it comes to any UI. So Community, please help me in deciding on Pro3.

PS: I would love to hear from Sam or Paul’s take on this here or in their pod-cast.

Thank

Udupa

Conversation 13 comments

  • 4561

    28 November, 2016 - 6:25 pm

    <p>I would not pay $500 for a used SP 3 (although you did not mention the specs). If you are in the U.S. did you see the various&nbsp;SP 4 bundles this weekend? &nbsp;$600 at Best Buy for the low end model with the Type Cover (no pen), $100 more for the base Core i5 version, or $999 for the one I purchased through the Microsoft Store (Core i5, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB hd with the pen and a Type Cover).&nbsp;</p>
    <p>&nbsp;</p>

    • 5618

      29 November, 2016 - 10:38 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#27669">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/Tonymiller">Tonymiller</a><a href="#27669">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>Sorry abt not mentioning the model and giving spec details but Its an 128GB with Intel i5, 8GB Ram and has type cover along with&nbsp;pen.</p>

      • 6825

        01 December, 2016 - 6:59 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#27761">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/Kudupa">Kudupa</a><a href="#27761">:</a></em></blockquote>
        <p>Well worth the cost if in decent shape, then. My "problem" with the SP3 is largely mine, but your parents may share it. I’m 65 and the screen was not quite large enough for my eyes. I replaced mine with a Surface Book, and LOVE IT! Best computer I’ve ever used. (and I’m an MCP with 25+ years in tech support). BTW, if you don’t buy it, I’d be interested for my daughter. :)</p>
        <p>Jerry</p>

  • 180

    29 November, 2016 - 8:48 am

    <p>It depends a lot on which SKU of the SP3 you’re looking at, and if he’s bundling things like the cover for that price. It’s a fine machine overall, whether it’s worth $500 of your money is a more difficult question.</p>

    • 5618

      29 November, 2016 - 10:39 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#27729">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/Polycrastinator">Polycrastinator</a><a href="#27729">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>Sorry abt that as i was at work and created the post within a minute. I have posted the spec below</p>

  • 1251

    29 November, 2016 - 1:24 pm

    <p>I think $400-$500 is a fair price for a used Surface Pro 3 in good condition.</p>

  • 5496

    29 November, 2016 - 4:02 pm

    <p>There no learn curve like people say.</p>
    <p>If you are already in the insiders like you say. You already know how it works then.</p>

  • 3216

    29 November, 2016 - 4:05 pm

    <p>Your first decision is whether or not a Surface is right for you.&nbsp; I own a SP3 and it has completely failed to live up to my expectations.&nbsp; I find that a touch interface is helpful for some things and pathetically useless for others – particularly older software.&nbsp; The pen works great for writing but isn’t a very good replacement for a mouse or stylus.</p>
    <p>Basically, make a list of everything you need to do, scale back your expectations as to what a touch interface can add to that, and then decide if you wouldn’t be better buying a regular laptop.</p>
    <p>Your mileage will vary.</p>

    • 5496

      29 November, 2016 - 4:41 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#27831">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/gsmith-plm">gsmith-plm</a><a href="#27831">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>But you aren’t forced to use the touch screen. You can use it fine with a mouse and keyboard.</p>

      • 3216

        30 November, 2016 - 10:43 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#27839">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/lordbaal1">lordbaal1</a><a href="#27839">:,</a></em></blockquote>
        <p>I do, in fact, use a mouse and keyboard most of the time.&nbsp; But then why spend all the extra bucks for a touch screen?&nbsp; Everything is relative to what someone is looking for in a notebook.&nbsp; I was looking to see if I could replace an iPad and an old laptop with a single machine and, for me at least, the answer is no, and I’ve spent well over a year trying.&nbsp; Granted, that could just be me but I think it’s important that anyone considering purchasing a Surface understand that just having a touch screen does not empower the computer with some kind of magical properties.</p>
        <p>The fundamental problem isn’t so much the hardware as the software.&nbsp; If the only thing I was using were touch centric (or at least touch optimized) programs then having a hybrid would make sense.&nbsp; Something like an iPad is touch centric from the ground up and the apps it runs better darn well work with a touch screen if they want to sell.</p>
        <p>Here’s a simple example of why something that seems a natural can fail.&nbsp; You can use the pen with OneNote and it will store your scribbles and it will even turn them into text.&nbsp; But that same $60 pen can be extremely difficult to use to select things or place the cursor in a text block in OneNote because it draws rather than selects.&nbsp; I’m not saying that there aren’t people doing great with a Surface, but it does take a lot of practice to make the touch screen really useful.</p>
        <p>So, if someone is buying a Surface to use as a tablet (at least part of the time), then they should read the negatives reviews to see why some people are having trouble and decide if that’s really right for them.&nbsp; If it’s not, then take the same $$ and put it into a "normal" laptop.</p>

        • 5496

          30 November, 2016 - 11:59 am

          <blockquote><em><a href="#27949">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/gsmith-plm">gsmith-plm</a><a href="#27949">:</a></em></blockquote>
          <p>Touch screen would be good for metro apps. Being that they are built with touch mind.</p>
          <p>But I’ll bet you can still use touch on non touch apps.</p>

          • 3216

            01 December, 2016 - 10:32 am

            <blockquote><em><a href="#27969">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/lordbaal1">lordbaal1</a><a href="#27969">:</a></em></blockquote>
            <p>When you say, "But I’ll bet you can still use touch on non touch apps.", that implies to me that you don’t actually have a touch screen device and so are only going based on your assumptions of what you think it should do.&nbsp; Well, that’s what I thought – but I found I had not thought it through.</p>
            <p>Windows apps are designed for a keyboard and mouse.&nbsp; Just think about all you routinely do in a Windows app with those two things.&nbsp; There are keystroke shortcuts (e.g. Ctrl-C) and combination key/mouse commands (Ctrl-Left Click) – literally dozens of things you do that speed up your work.&nbsp; Almost all of those things are impossible or are awkward with a touch interface.&nbsp; There are some alternatives but what you end up having to do is to relearn how to use programs you may have used for years if you want to use them with a touch screen.</p>
            <p>Microsoft is selling dreams.&nbsp; It’s not that you can’t do some great things with devices like a Surface, but if you think you are going to just switch between a mouse/keyboard and a screen/pen with your existing programs then you better be prepared for a pretty big learning curve.</p>
            <p>As always, your mileage will vary.&nbsp; I’m just saying that anyone who wants a touch screen device needs to make sure that the extra $$ they spend will get them what they want/need rather than just what they "think" they are getting.</p>

  • 5664

    Premium Member
    01 December, 2016 - 11:49 pm

    <p>As far as the hardware, don’t sweat it. I’m running Windows 10 in native UEFI boot mode on a late 2012 Mac mini. It’s the quad-core i7 model with Intel HD 4000 video, and it handles everything I throw at it with aplomb, aside from gaming.</p>
    <p>I wouldn’t sweat the SP3’s shelf life at all!</p>

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