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Microsoft has gone ahead and added in a sixth model to its line up of Surface Pro 3 tablets. The new model comes equipped with an Intel Core i7 processor clocked in at 1.7GHz and 8GB of RAM just like the more expensive models but in order to cut down on cost a bit, storage was reduced from 256GB to 128GB.
This model is positioned fairly well, coming in at $1299, the same price as the Surface Pro 3 with an Intel Core i5 and 256GB of storage. This way, you can pick between having slightly more processing power but a little less storage, or having more storage and a less beefy CPU. Unfortunately, this model is not currently available in the UK, although there is a Core i5/128GB storage model available.
The Surface Pro 3 is a little over a year old now, so this cheaper option may have been introduced to squeeze a few more sales out of the range before introducing the Surface Pro 4 this year once Windows 10 has officially launched. That said, this is just speculation, we haven't actually heard much about the Surface Pro 4 so far this year. It is possible that Microsoft is waiting for Intel to drop Skylake chips, which would make sense given that they are apparently due out some time this year.
You can find the Surface Pro 3 on the Microsoft store, HERE.
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KitGuru Says: Microsoft's Surface tablets have become increasingly impressive over the years. I know a few people who use them as a laptop replacement while travelling. Do any of you own a Surface tablet? What do you think of it?
I have a surface pro 2, unfortunately with the old form factor. It is actually fantastic as a note taking device due to the stylus and access to the full fat windows ecosystem. I have even managed to run some games (on lowest settings) on it, which is very impressive. The only real niggles with it, is the poor form factor, which was obviously designed with content consumption in mind, as well as the large weight. This can be frustrating as it neither really works that well as a laptop replacement, or a one handed tablet, as a result, for the respective reasons. In fact, it opened up an entirely different computing utility to me, which was as a digital note taker, for annotating university notes, as well as jotting down ideas and maths work, with the persistence and organisation that paper would not afford you.
I will be an early adopter of Surface Pro 4.
My SP then SP2 and for the past year or more SP3, i7, 256, not only replaced by laptop but my desktop as well. And I really like the fact that it is my only computer and yet it was able to handle the Win 10 preview from day 1 and soon RTM without batting an eye. I like the larger form factor (SP3) since for note taking at meetings it comes closest to a “piece of paper” hence more natural. (More importantly, my eyes are “more experienced” hence gravitate to brighter and LARGER print. You young folks out there don’t have a clue what I am describing here, but you will when you get beyond 40 years of visual experience). Humor aside, I don’t play much HD or high FPS games so that Tom’s game niggles don’t enter into the equation for me. Some have commented in other forums that their pen experience on the SP3 is unsatisfying because the Surface screen resistance to the pen is not equal to paper. My experience is exactly the opposite. Writing on glass with a high contrast (and thick) nib is pure joy. (Again, unfortunately without humor, I suspect that when some of us start facing arthritic fingers, that effortless pen stroke on an SP will mean less pain.) So, like Tom, I will be an early adopter of the SP4 (and 5,6,7+).