Posted on 04/01/2015 7:38:33 AM PDT by dayglored
Announcing Surface 3
When we developed Surface Pro 3, we set out to design the tablet that can truly replace your laptop – even your high-end laptop. Today we feel both fortunate and proud that the vision of Surface has become a reality with so many people using Pro 3 and loving the experience...
he result is Surface 3, as well as a mobile-broadband version, Surface 3 (4G LTE). It’s the thinnest and lightest Surface we’ve ever shipped. It runs full Windows, including desktop applications. It includes a one-year subscription to Office 365 to help you really get down to work. And it starts at just $499...
(Excerpt) Read more at blog.surface.com ...
Surface 3 PING!
FROM YAHOO:
http://news.yahoo.com/microsoft-finally-gets-surface-3-120550827.html
EXCERPT:
Surface 3 delivers on lower cost. The entry-level model is only $500 (USD) and comes with 2 GB of RAM and 64 GB SSD storage capacity. For another $100, you can double both of those to 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB SSD. It also has better battery life, plus it’s thinner, lighter, and has better front- and rear-facing cameras. The Surface 3 even offers optional 4G / LTE functionality.
At $500, the Surface 3 is still on the high end of what people are willing to pay for a tablet. As a computer, though, the $500 and $600 Surface 3 models fall well within the $500 to $1,000 most people plan to spend on their next PC. When you consider that the Surface 3 is both a tablet and a PC, $500 is a ridiculously affordable price to pay.
Do you need more incentive? Microsoft is including a one-year subscription to Office 365 Personal with the purchase of the Surface 3—a $70 value that effectively makes the Surface 3 just $430. Office 365 Personal gives you Office 2013 Professional (and Office 2016 Professional, once it’s launched) along with other perks and benefits like Skype calling minutes and unlimited OneDrive storage.
As an Apple fan, I’d normally provide a “meh” here.
However, since Apple seems to want to go political, I’m going to give this very serious consideration.
Price point is great for the product, but I need 8.1 Pro for domain operations. Looks like the in-channel business price is competitive.
Microsoft is just as political.
Choose your poison.
Or start your own tech company. I’ll buy from you :)
That's an excellent point. No computer is going to make it in the enterprise unless it can be joined to a domain and allow policy control. Madness otherwise.
I surely hope Microsoft gets their act together. Apple needs some competition badly.
Thanks for sharing this. This is something I will look for in my next computer.
At least their CEO seems to keep his mouth shut regarding non-business related issues. I have no doubt that they are infested by Libs, and donate heavily to Lib causes -- but that is a lot different than making outspoken public opinions, on the behalf of their Companies - like the Starbucks and Apple CEOs.
Uh, no. Microsoft's highest management has been pushing for marriage redefinition (same-sex) for many years, loudly.
It's a damn shame that, after all these years of Steve Jobs focusing on technology and empowering people to do great creative things using snappy computers and outstanding software, his successor should drill the company's image into the ground with unrelated socio-political crap on account of his own sexuality.
Apple hopefully will see the light, and recognize that they're a technology company, not a social service, before their customer base walks away in disgust. Perhaps their stockholders will let them know.
Microsoft has been just as socio-politically aligned, but they have been quieter about it. One has to wonder whether Redmond is going to feel like they have to compete with Apple on the social front as well...
Do you think MS is on the way to adopting the Apple model as much as it can? Selling software and the hardware to run it in one unit? Maybe open some genius bars?
It’s possible!
I read a post that said this.
I bought a Surface Pro 3 and I really like it.
Yeah, yeah, April 1, yer funny...
Microsoft has almost exclusively been a software company (Zunes, mice, and keyboards aside). They've been almost entirely dependent on other manufacturers to make the hardware that provides the market platform for Microsoft products.
This has been both a strength and a weakness -- strength because hardware became a commodity with low margin, and weakness because Microsoft couldn't control their environment as much as they'd like.
Apple has always made SYSTEMS -- well-integrated hardware, software, and support. They've controlled their environment and been heavy-handed with the "our way or the highway" walled garden approach. But they've also been able to reap huge profits and be extremely successful because they provided only high-end products. The drawback has been their marketshare is restricted to the high-end.
Microsoft is, as you say, adopting PART of the Apple model -- they're starting to make SYSTEMS. And they're (so far) mostly working at the high end of the spectrum, where there's respect for quality and people willing to pay for it.
So yes, I think you're right.
I dunno about the "Genius Bars" though. Microsoft would have to overcome a lot of sarcasm, should they try that. But they could do it if they put their minds to it. Apple has a great reputation for smart employees and great service. There's no reason Microsoft couldn't accomplish the same if they want to.
The Professional and Enterprise versions can be joined to domains and have BitLocker available as a feature. Since I do a lot of POC testing for new MS technologies, it’s imperative that I can join to a domain.
Not my fault, I swear!!
My job gave me one of these as a work computer. Was skeptical at first but itoo has won me over. Mega portable and has a docking station that works like a charm. Could use another USB port but other than that about as good as can be expected for something not an Apple.
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