The Surface Pro 3 launched last year was meant for high-end work by professionals and was priced in the premium bracket. Now, Microsoft has launched a cheaper version of the Surface Pro 3 aimed at business travelers and budget friendly college goers. The Surface 3 will fulfill most of your everyday tasks but don’t expect it to run graphics and other complex software.
The Surface 3 has been priced at $499 for the 64GB memory and 2GB RAM version (vs $799 to $1,949 for the Pro 3). If you want more memory be prepared to shell out another $100 for the 128 GB memory and 4GB RAM version. Microsoft is charging $129 for the distinctive Surface keyboard cover and $49 for the stylus. So, the total cost of the higher end model with all the accessories amounts to $777 (Rs. 48,000 approx).
Microsoft is billing the Surface 3 as a complete alternative to the laptop when used with the Surface keyboard cover. The Surface 3 will sport a smaller display size of 10.8 inches and a 1,920×1,280 full HD touchscreen (Surface Pro 3 has 12 inches). To cut back on costs, Microsoft has given the processor a downgrade to Intel Atom x7 which is slower when compared to Surface Pro 3. In addition the Surface 3 has a 8 MP rear camera, a 3.5 MP front-facing unit, a microSD slot, a full size USB 3.0 port, a mini DisplayPort, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0, and a battery rated for 10 hours of video playback.
The Surface 3 is being seen as a successor to the Surface RT range of tablets but the Surface 3 will support full Windows 8.1. The full support is a welcome move as Microsoft had earlier used Windows RT software in its affordable Surface tablets. As a result, Surface 3 can now run full fledged Microsoft Office software and will be eligible for an upgrade to Windows 10 upon launch. All Surface 3 tablets will come with a one year free subscription to Office 365 service.
Besides the US, the Surface 3 will be available in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Luxembourg, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Kingdom. Pre-orders are already available at Microsoft’s online store. The LTE-enabled variations will also be offered by Verizon and T-Mobile later this year. The Surface 3 will become available by May 5 in US markets.
