Microsoft announce their own tablet

[robbo]

Student prices for Surface 3 type cover £98.99. PC World deal still about £19 cheaper for a black type cover. Also, the pen is £40.49.

[robbo]

What are people's thoughts on 2GB versus 4GB RAM for the Surface 3 and W8.1? I have to close apps when using my Stream 7 which only has 1GB RAM. I'm normally of the idea of getting as much as possible and can afford because you'll end up using/wanting it.

[Tappy]

Dunno... I've experienced neither. It's gonna get upgraded to Windows 10 eventually, and that's designed with tablets in mind, a great majority of which are 1GB / 2GB. So it might be fine on 2GB. The RT was fine with 2GB, but the apps on that were suspended (dehydrated?) a lot more than 8.1 probably does. But I reckon go for the biggy. You won't have that doubt then. And there's a lot more storage on that too.

[Johnmcl7]

I think 2GB is a bit tight particularly if running a 64-bit version, I'm still seriously considering the £530 package for 4GB/128GB and the keyboard.

John

[robbo]

At the moment I'm leaning towards getting the 4GB one and a pen with student discount and getting a keyboard later. Hmmm, decisions...

[Johnmcl7]

I didn't realise they both came with 64 bit Windows 8.1, I definitely wouldn't want that with just 2GB memory plus 64GB is pretty tight for a full Windows OS. I've just been trying to tidy up a Win7 X64 PC that has a 64GB SSD and it's full mostly from Windows patches and installer files which I was surprised at.

Also looking at the PCworld site, if you buy the keyboard then the 2GB/64GB and 4GB/128GB end up pretty much the same price as the cheaper model is £419 + £100 or so for the keyboard while the 128GB model is £530 with the keyboard.

John

[Tappy]

2GB memory plus 64GB is pretty tight for a full Windows OS.

Yeah, good point. With the price difference, that 64GB is looking less attractive by the minute.

[Johnmcl7]

2GB memory plus 64GB is pretty tight for a full Windows OS.

Yeah, good point. With the price difference, that 64GB is looking less attractive by the minute.

I'm thinking it's purely there so they can say the price starts from just over £400, it really doesn't make any sense otherwise but even that is clearly a bad idea as anyone who buys it will probably find it's too slow, claim Windows is crap and buy an Apple. I've been looking at a friend's PC which is running chronically slow even though there isn't much installed on it and it's clearly woefully underspecced with just 2GB ram and Win7 x64 (I realise Windows 8 is better on ram), it has 1.85 usable and is using 1.95GB before any programs have been opened. Obviously this is something OEM's have frequently been bad for but you'd expect Microsoft to avoid making the same mistakes.

John

[robbo]

Why does it seem so hard to find a non stylised cgi image of the pens?! Want to try and see what colour they are under normal lighting. Have found a couple and still not liking the blue colour as much as hoped. Maybe the standard silver or black then.

2GB memory plus 64GB is pretty tight for a full Windows OS.

Yeah, good point. With the price difference, that 64GB is looking less attractive by the minute.

I'm thinking it's purely there so they can say the price starts from just over £400...

Wow, didn't realise the 128GB ipad air 2 is £559 and the 64GB ipad air 2 £479. So still competitive to the new ipads then - as that's how it'll be seen.

[Tappy]

Why does it seem so hard to find a non stylised cgi image of the pens?!

I guess review sites are the best option. But most of them seem to have been sent the silver pens, a la: https://www.thurrott.com/mobile/microso ... urface-pen

[Johnmcl7]

It seems the £530 package might have just been a launch offer as it appears to have disappeared from the PCW site and has been replaced by a new bundle which has the 2GB/64GB tablet and keyboard for the same price.

I think that's a mistake as 2GB/64GB spec is pretty low for Windows 8 and it's not that cheap a system either, inevitably it's going to lead to people complaining about it being too slow and some will use it as justification for an Ipad.

John

[Replicant]

Having to return my SP3 today.

Plugged in the weird charger to th Surface last night and after about 30 seconds there was some smoke emanating from the port. Quickly yanked it and saw that part of it has melted! Not major in the damage stakes but unusable now.

Never had this sort of thing happen before.

[Johnmcl7]

I had that happen to a Dell laptop at work a few years ago and Dell support kept insisting I plug the charger back into the laptop...I think not!

Where did you buy it from?

[Replicant]

Got it from Currys/PCWorld and took it back earlier. Apparently will take a week to send off and get back.

[robbo]

You got yours back yet? I'm rethinking if I should get a Surface 3 once they start coming with w10 installed.