Microsoft Now Selling Surface 3, Provides Surface, Surface 2 Trade-In Program

[exfileme]

Customers can trade in their old Surface RT and Surface 2 tablets for credit towards a new Surface 3.

Microsoft Now Selling Surface 3, Provides Surface, Surface 2 Trade-In Program : Read more

 

[bmwman91]

Sign me up! Looks like I found a good use for my Surface RT. It has actually served me well over the years. Since MS makes a Remote Desktop application for the Surface RT, it actually proved to be mega useful for me when I was traveling since I could just RD into my home machine and use "real" Windows while carrying a nice, light machine around.

 

[razor512]

It seems like an overly high trade in requirement since the unless you have many (like 8+) dead pixels, they will not RMA the device. Thus their trade in requirement are more stringent than their quality guarantees for their devices.

 

[bmwman91]

It seems like an overly high trade in requirement since the unless you have many (like 8+) dead pixels, they will not RMA the device. Thus their trade in requirement are more stringent than their quality guarantees for their devices.

Perhaps so. Since mine is in perfect condition, and I would really like to be able to run x86 software, it seems like a pretty good deal. As far as dead pixels, I don't think that I have ever had one on a laptop (granted, I have never once bought a consumer-grade machine: they have all been Thinkpads and Elitebooks). The last screen I ran into with a dead pixel was a brand new 24" monitor back in 2007. Anyway, I am not saying that they don't exist, but QC for LCD screens has improved dramatically in the last decade and I almost never have to deal with warranty repairs for screens. The last time I needed to warranty a screen, it was a 2008 Thinkpad with an IPS/Flexview display which apparently had a known issue where dust could get between the pixels and screen filter causing black areas.

 

[RedJaron]

I highly recommend the 4GB RAM version. I've got a 2GB Win 8.1 tablet and running out of RAM is a regular problem when I've got more than a few browser tabs open.

 

[rexter]

I highly recommend the 4GB RAM version. I've got a 2GB Win 8.1 tablet and running out of RAM is a regular problem when I've got more than a few browser tabs open.

I agree that more RAM is good specially when browsing with multiple tabs.

 

[hannibal]

Indeed. It is a little weird that there still is 2 gig option. Why not 4 or 8 gig. The ssd size is quite good actually.

 

[ubercake]

I select any combo of Surface RT and either keyboard or no keyboard or both keyboards and still get $100.

 

[RedJaron]

Indeed. It is a Littellin weird that there still is 2gig option. Why not 4 or 8 gig. The ssd size is quite good actually.

I don't think it's weird. 2GB is fine for people that use it casually. Those who want to push the device more ( such as many folks on these forums, ) will be better served with 4GB, which is why I recommended it. Throwing in 8GB is overkill. It's a 32-bit OS anyway. Using a 64-bit OS eats up more storage space. And don't forget the CPU's limitation. If you're doing work that needs 8GB RAM, that's generally not a task a 2W CPU can keep up with. You'd need a laptop, ultrabook, or SP3 for that kind of horsepower.

Sure, it'd be nice to have a 4GB/64GB version, but that would mean very few people would want the 4GB/128GB version. Same reason you won't find an i3/128GB version of the SP3: it'd cannibalize sales of the i5 versions.

 

[hannibal]

32bit version? Why? It maybe eats a little bit more memory, but still...

 

[ubercake]

I love my Surface RT which I literally inherited, but I would not have bought it with my own cash. I really think MS needs to offer pricing on the Surface 3 at around $300 to compete with like products with like configurations.

It's really hard to take the Surface 3 seriously when there are things like the Asus T100 (comes with a keyboard/dock) for so much less money at around $350. When you consider what it really costs to even buy the low-end Surface 3 when you throw the $120 keyboard in the mix, you're talking about a $620+ entry point for a tablet. That's not good. Even with this discount, you're still looking at a near $500 device (with the keyboard) with only a 1-year warranty. If MS is going for a premium market, they need to offer a 3-year warrant and treat their customers like they're dealing with a premium product. If they won't back their product for more than a year, they need to drop the price down between $300-$400 with the keyboard.

Pricing on the Pro models is a different story, but the Surface 3 is the new entry point into their products. They need to compete price-wise or get out of that particular low-end market the Surface 3 sits in.

 

[RedJaron]

It's really hard to take the Surface 3 seriously when there are things like the Asus T100 (comes with a keyboard/dock) for so much less money at around $350. When you consider what it really costs to even buy the low-end Surface 3 when you throw the $120 keyboard in the mix, you're talking about a $620+ entry point for a tablet. That's not good. Even with this discount, you're still looking at a near $500 device (with the keyboard) with only a 1-year warranty. If MS is going for a premium market, they need to offer a 3-year warrant and treat their customers like they're dealing with a premium product. If they won't back their product for more than a year, they need to drop the price down between $300-$400 with the keyboard.

Can people please stop using the T100 and Switch 10 to "show" the Surface 3 is overpriced? I own a Switch, and though I like it vey much, I realize it's not in the same league as the Surface 3. Let's compare the specs:

T100
Z3775 Bay Trail ( 1.46 GHz - 2.39 GHz ) Quad core
2GB LPDDR3 1066 RAM, dual channel
1366 x 768 IPS display
802.11 N wireless
Plastic chassis

Switch 10
Z3735F Bay Trail ( 1.33 GHz - 1.83 GHz ) Quad core
2GB LPDDR3 1333 RAM, single channel
1280 x 800 or 1366 x 768 IPS display
802.11 N wireless
Plastic chassis

Surface 3
x7 Z8700 Cherry Trail ( 1.6 GHz - 2.4 GHz ) Quad core
2GB LPDDR3 1600 RAM, dual channel
1920 x 1280 IPS display
802.11 AC wireless
Al-Mg chassis
Optional LTE
Backlit keyboard
Kickstand

So, to sum up, the Surface 3 has a newer, faster CPU, faster RAM, faster wireless, higher res display, and much better chassis than these $300 tablets people keep comparing it to. It also offers an LTE option and backlit keyboard. The tablet itself is probably $50 overpriced, and should be $550 - $575 including cover.

You want this to be $400 including keyboard? Please find me one other 2-in-1 device with these specs, this size, and this fit and finish for only $400. The closest I can find is the T100 Chi for $450. You get the higher res display, but lose the full-size USB, get a plastic case, and are still stuck with a last gen CPU, slower RAM, and 802.11 N. You might have an argument to see the S3 w/ keyboard at $500, but that's pushing it. So can we please stop with these ridiculous comparisons and pricing demands?

The real competition with the S3 would be something like the Switch 11, which gets you a FHD IPS display, i3-4012Y, 4GB RAM, and 60GB storage for $580 or 128GB for $650 ( and I've seen that model on sale for as little as $500. ) It's a little bigger than the S3 and doesn't have as fancy a case, but it has significantly more power as well.

I will agree on the warranty, a 3- or 5-year deal should be included with the S3 if it's billed as a premium device.

 

[hannibal]

The Surface 3 is different beast than t100 or similar devices. The price for what it is, is just okay.
But when the t100 gets decent Cherry Trail upgrade, puts 4 gig memory and offer 802.11 AC, I am willing to give up that sturdy metallic case for plastic one, if the price is right.
Surface 3 is not cheap, but you get what you pay for!

 

[g-unit1111]

The Surface 3 is different beast than t100 or similar devices. The price for what it is, is just okay.
But when the t100 gets decent Cherry Trail upgrade, puts 4 gig memory and offer 802.11 AC, I am willing to give up that sturdy metallic case for plastic one, if the price is right.
Surface 3 is not cheap, but you get what you pay for!

I'm very much in the market for getting a laptop replacement tablet and I've been looking at the Surface 3 vs. the Dell Venue 10 7000. Each device has their strengths and weaknesses. The Dell has quad HD, but the downside is Android isn't really an operating system known for productivity. The Surface 3 runs full Windows 8.1 (RT is dead! Woohoo!) and has the features that a full laptop has. The downside to the Surface 3 is the cardboard keyboard, but I hear it's been greatly improved over previous generations.