There was a little time not long ago, where bespectacled few get to sit in front of a pale grayish box called the monitor in the comforts of their home. Usually with a flickering screen and connected to another similar but taller box; the Central Processing Unit. Portable hard drives are never heard of and that same pale gray is washed over the generic ‘dot matrix’ printer has guaranteed its own presence. Now, in our present fast paced information overloaded multitasking generation, rarely any slow extinct creature would suffice to be benefiting our high maintenance first world tech savvy society till news of the recent Microsoft Surface Pro 3.
A unification of mobility from a tablet and performance from a laptop, results in what we may now know as a ‘Tabtop’, which stands for tablet-laptop. Built with functionality and portability in mind, the new Microsoft Surface Pro 3 is an entertainment and performance powerhouse, operating on Windows 8.1 Pro and packing up to 8 GB of RAM. This successor to the Microsoft Surface Pro 2, breaks free from 10.6-inch 16:9 aspect ratio into a 12-inch ClearType Full HD 2160 x 1440pixel display. The crisp sharp resolution of the large and beautiful 2K color-calibrated screen with multitouch input and a wide viewing angle is especially useful to convey complex ideas made on-the-fly, across to anyone with a clear line-of-sight. Applications such as Microsoft’s Note with the slick Surface Pen aids the user with dependable convenience, no more fumbling out notepads, scraps of paper or looking for that pen which seemed to have disappeared into thin air when in need.
This ‘tabtop’ is also well equipped with two 1080p HD video cameras, 5MP rear- and front-facing cameras for instant social media updating convenience.
Fitted in a compacted magnesium frame, the kickstand comes improved and multi-stage. Together with the Surface Pro Type, a detachable keyboard featuring a double-fold magnetic hinge, users can prop up Surface via its continuous kickstand and work comfortably on the lap even in the cramped confines of economical public transportation.
The new Surface Pen, removes the idea of fixed linear trackpad editing and brings along a personally versatile touch as uniquely individual to each own’s handwriting or signatures. Capture your thoughts with a simple click at the end, and for a natural writing experience the Surface Pen comes with 256 levels of pressure sensitivity.
With the best of work and play; Surface Pro 3′s Dolby® Audio-enhanced sound from the front-facing speakers quiets the critic in you with enjoyable sound great for music, gaming, and even movies. Light weighted, neat and functional the Surface Pro 3 transforms along with the harsh lifestyles of switching instantaneously between office, home, street and even entertainment during long-distance travel, like custom-made convertibles.
The Surface Pro 3 is available for pre-order at Microsoft Online Store. Purchases between 4 July to 31 Auguest 2014 with DBS/OSB credit/debit cards will receive a free messenger bag (while stocks last). Retail availablility commences by the end of August 2014. Prices begin from S$1,108 to $2,698.
Students from certified MOE institutions will receive a 10% discount on Surface devices and accessories through the Microsoft Online Store: microsoftstore.com/mssg/en-sg/store/student
*Images in this post are provided by Microsoft.
This review is written by Timothy Seow Theron. He is a Lighting Technician and Artist, involved in film productions such as Anthony Chen’s Ilo Ilo as the Assistant Art Director. His photography works on elements and interior design are also featured in local periodicals.