New Microsoft Surface Pro: More power to you
Microsoft’s Surface tablet has not exactly been the hit the software giant envisioned. Since it was introduced in 2012 as the first device to meld the Californian company’s hardware with its Windows software, sales have been sluggish as consumers largely rejected it in favour of Apple’s market leading tablet, the ubiquitous iPad.
The first-generation Surface, therefore, was largely a flop, and forced Microsoft to engage in deep discounting to boost the flagging sales, leading to a loss of near US$1 billion in 2013, and a major embarrassment for the company. The more expensive and business-orientated Surface Pro series, of which there have been two, both launched in 2013 and featuring greater processing capabilities, have performed better, however.
Now Microsoft has gone one better, unveiling Surface Pro 3, which is physically larger (by about a third) than its predecessors, as well as containing even more computing power — the zippy Intel Core i5, designed to ramp up its speed when handling a lot of programs, an innovation the chip maker calls “an automatic burst of speed” that doesn’t zap battery power.
What are the other features of the Surface Pro 3, you ask? Along with its 12-inch screen and rear stand, there’s an improved Surface Pen that comes with more features, such as simulating writing on paper. A snap-on keyboard doesn’t come as standard but is optional, and if you’re thinking about getting or upgrading to Surface Pro 3, it’s advisable to get one so you have the full functionality of this powerful device to assist in your work.
The machine comes loaded with Windows 8 and Microsoft claims it can run for up to nine hours on its battery — that’s if you’re hardy using it, however. In reality, running a variety of programs and applications, you’re more likely to get just over eight hours – but that’s hardly not bad for a serious piece of computing hardware, a full day’s work on one charge.
In the battle of the tablets, it seems that in its Surface Pro series at least, Microsoft may have a serious contender to the dominance of the iPad.
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