IT Pro Verdict

The Microsoft Surface 3 is comfortably the best of the lower-cost Surface hybrids to date. The sum of improvements made to the hardware, both in the tablet part and the keyboard, and full Windows 8.1’s flexibility make it a very workable portable companion to a more powerful desk-bound laptop or desktop.

Reasons to buy

+
Good screen quality; greatbattery life; strong removable keyboard

Reasons to avoid

-
Low CPU and storage performance; limited RAM; Fiddly to use on lap

By Andrew Williams

published 1 May 2015

in Reviews

It's worth the extra. The pen is well-constructed, feels natural and features two mouse-like buttons on its shaft for extra functionality. Inbuilt palm rejection means that when the stylus is used, the touchscreen is automatically disabled, allowing the scrawler to scribble away on the screen freely.

Continuing the theme of packing in extras generally not seen in more affordable models, the Surface 3 also comes in a 4G version.

Conclusion

The Microsoft Surface 3 is comfortably the best of the lower-cost Surface hybrids to date. The sum of improvements made to the hardware, both in the tablet part and the keyboard, and full Windows 8.1's flexibility make it a very workable portable companion to a more powerful desk-bound laptop or desktop.

It does seem more a companion to a more powerful laptop than something to rely on all day, every day, though. While the Intel Atom CPU provides respectable performance for light tasks, it's not up to all that much more and the poor storage speeds only add another bottleneck.

However, with great battery life and a flexible design, it's a good choice for many.