Microsoft has been trying extremely hard, to overcome the dominant iPad, in the tablet PC segment.
After realizing that the iPad cannot be taken head on, Microsoft has tried a different approach with its Surface Pro tablets. The Surface Pro 2 was billed as the replacement for the laptops, while also acting as a tablet. The newly launched Surface Pro 3, not only irons out the issues faced by its predecessor, but also brings several new features to the plate.
Display
The Surface Pro 2 was an extremely well engineered product, but it had its disadvantage in the form of the kickstand. Even though it was a major improvement over the predecessor, it offered only two positions. This aspect has been improved on the Surface Pro 3, which supports infinite moments of the kickstand. Hence, it now replicates the laptop screen that also supports a similar adjustment. The new product is significantly larger than the outgoing model, largely because of the 12 inch display. The Surface Pro 2 offered a 10.6 inch display.
Resolution has also been improved on the display, from the full HD 1080p offered on the Surface Pro 2 to the 4K display present in the Surface Pro 3. This significant improvement in resolution allows Microsoft to take the multimedia capabilities of this device to a whole new level.
Speed
The Surface Pro 2 was offered with two different options when it came to internal memory. Since the device came with only one processor specification, choosing a product with lower internal memory meant that the device had only lower amount of RAM. This translated into relatively poor performance. This aspect has been corrected on the Surface Pro 3, with the device offering a range of processor options. Microsoft provides the i3, i5, and i7 from the fourth generation of Intel processors. Apart from providing users with a wide spectrum, it also enables Microsoft to position the lowest variant directly against the iPad.
The Surface Pro 2 prices start from $799, while the base version of the Surface Pro 3 also starts from a similar price. Even though price increases rapidly as powerful specifications get added to the device, it is possible to compare the Surface Pro 3 along with laptops in terms of performance at this level. Top end versions of the Surface Pro 3 will come with up to 512 GB of internal storage and 8 GB of RAM. This has proven to be more than sufficient hardware specifications to run the latest Windows 8.1 operating system.
Additional Features
The weight of the device has been marginally brought down from 2 lbs to 1.7 lbs. This will consequently aid in the portability of the device. It may lack the CD drives, which are on the verge of disappearing altogether, but an improvement to the stylus makes it a replacement for a note book. Compared to the stylus on the Surface Pro 2, new features have been added to improve recognition. The keyboard accessory for the Surface Pro 2 has also been improved compared to the accessory for the predecessor.
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