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Surface owners, talk to me

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Oct 9, 2003
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Surface owners, talk to me

I am super interested in the Surface Pro 3. It seems like excellent technology but does it work for students well? I would be replacing my Macbook Air and My iPad with it.

My questions are these:

I am a student, i want to use it to take notes and to write directly on digital slides. I have seen my professors doing this in the past but want to know if it is easy to do, this is something I am really interested in.

I would be buying the keyboard as well but the pen is what really interests me, how long is the battery life and does it really work with lot of apps?

What apps would you suggest?

How does the HDMI work on it? I know that it requires a dongle.

What else does a person "think" it will do that it actually doesn't?

What are your major disappointments with the units? What do you want it to do?

Surface 4, should I wait?

Battery life? I have read reviews but I want real world discussion

Does it integrate well with OneDrive? I have a one drive account with 1 TB of storage so this is important to me.

Please, if there is something else here I should know let me know. I am coming from windows 7 and OS X.

Thanks in advance!
15 replies
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Apr 15, 2004
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windows 8.1 has one drive.... when u start any new windows 8 laptop it will ask you for your hotmail skydrive username and pass

best note taking app would be one note? it has pen input also
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I have surface pro 1, bought it last year for taking notes. Best purchase I've ever made. If you have classes that require you to do some writing, drawing, etc then SP is the best option because of the palm rejection and pressure sensitivity.
1. I made an extra power saving option and now it can hold 4.5 hours of taking notes (with screen brightness at around 1/4 and no wifi). SP3's battery life should be much better.
I also tweaked some stuff to free up some space and now I have ~21gb of free space on my 32gb version (essential programs already installed ex ms office, media players, photoshop) and I bought an extra 32gb card, so space is not an issue.
btw the keyboard is not that bad, you'll get used to it. Definitely better than those ipad bt keyboards that some students use and make tons of noise when typing.
2. The best note taking app is OneNote (free desktop version) for typing, writing, navigating, drawing graphs etc, it also has a pressure sensitivity and you can import any of your slides (open your slides, ctrl+P and send to onenote). Make sure to install it on your home pc and cellphone, it will sync your notes. Onedrive works as well.
If you prefer to write on pdf directly without importing to onenote then Drawboard PDF is your best app (although it doesn't have pressure sensitivity and typing requires you to select an area). There is also Xodo Docs, it used to have many flaws 2 years ago but looks like they read my reviews and fixed many problems so it should be good too. There is also another way, install adobe acrobat + AutoInk but that's expensive. You can also write in your word, powerpoint documents
3. Haven't tried hdmi but there shouldn't be any problems, just get mini display port to hdmi adapter.
4. For surface 1, the biggest disadvantage is the form and bulkiness which makes it awkward to use on the couch or bed, but I use for school anyways so not a problem (my bio manual is bulkier). SP3 might not have these issue at all but just in case.
¯\_(・_・)_/¯
Deal Fanatic
Jun 17, 2013
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the HDMI is super easy. bought a display port adapter from BB for $4. Plugged it in, then the HDMI to the tv and bang the screen was on the TV via HDMI.
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Jul 21, 2003
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Not a student but I do lots of collaborative meetings where pen and paper are useful.

Got surface pro 3 and not dissapointed. Had 1 and 2 also but never kept them over a month. 3 was the game changer due to size and new aspect ratio. Now its roughly the site of a writing pad so great for note taking.

All you need is MS Office and OneNote. Powerpoint slides will import directly into OneNote and allow you to markup to your hearts content.

Buy dongle to connect to HDMI monitor and get a mouse and you have a fine workstation.

So far for me it lives up to the hype. 7 hour real world use. 5 if I am constantly streaming Netflix or something.
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Aug 28, 2007
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I got a SP3 back in December and it is by far one of the most impressive devices that I've ever bought.

Osuman seems to have answered a lot of your questions already and I agree with what he's offered in terms of solutions.

My personal feelings on it after 1 month of usage are as follows.

PROS:
- All-in-one device. I can use it in tablet form for entertainment (XBMC, light gaming, Netflix, browsing) as well as doing "real" work (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
- OneNote: Since realizing the simplicity of this program, I've deleted everything that I had in my Evernote and moved it all over to OneNote. Pen input is fun and convenient.

CONS:
- Camera lacks auto-focus. I tried to take a picture of a document and learned just how important auto-focus is. Couldn't get any clarity on the letters. Had to resort to a workaround (used iPhone and uploaded to OneDrive).
- Windows App Store - Another thing you just have to work around. Developers are refusing to make authentic apps for Windows and if they do, they sorta suck when compared to the Android/iOS versions of the same apps. I have an iPhone, so my "appetite" for these apps is lessened by the fact that I don't "really" need them on my SP3 as well as on my phone. Web based apps like Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/LinkedIn... I just created a tile that hyperlinks to the website.
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Dec 25, 2010
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I have a surface RT probably doesn't count lol. But what I hated most about the surface devices are the keyboard. It is just not a great typing experience if you're not on a table or sitting still. When I attend lectures some students struggle to put their surface to a proper angle to type and in some cases it fell down because the table was too small and the back hinges supporting the devices required more tablet space. Other than that it's a pretty good device.
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Aug 4, 2008
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Super strokey wrote: I am super interested in the Surface Pro 3. It seems like excellent technology but does it work for students well? I would be replacing my Macbook Air and My iPad with it.

My questions are these:

I am a student, i want to use it to take notes and to write directly on digital slides. I have seen my professors doing this in the past but want to know if it is easy to do, this is something I am really interested in.

I would be buying the keyboard as well but the pen is what really interests me, how long is the battery life and does it really work with lot of apps?
Barely any apps, I bought the official Plex app for it, and thats all I used.

What apps would you suggest?
Plex, TouchMail for Gmal Sync, One Drive

How does the HDMI work on it? I know that it requires a dongle.
Yes, need a dongle, mini displayport to HDMI.

What else does a person "think" it will do that it actually doesn't?
Function Quietly.

What are your major disappointments with the units? What do you want it to do?

Surface 4, should I wait?
Hard To Say

Battery life? I have read reviews but I want real world discussion

Does it integrate well with OneDrive? I have a one drive account with 1 TB of storage so this is important to me.
Yes, but its not a fun task.

Please, if there is something else here I should know let me know. I am coming from windows 7 and OS X.

Thanks in advance!
I went through 4 Surface Pro 3s, the i7 256 SSD variant. All purchased from Futureshop, had it for two months, and finally returned it yesterday. It's a great device in theory, but the i5s and i7s are plagued with throttling and fan noise. Whenever the Surface is idle, Windows will check for updates, which is often is you use Microsoft Essentials, anytime usage goes above 30%, the fan kicks up agressively, to prevent the chip from hitting 80 degrees. It's a very aggresive fan profile, and you can't change it. Why does this matter to you? Well imagine sitting in class or lecture, and your fan kicks up, trust me, you will be heard and looked at as if you are using a Dell from 2005.

Regarding waiting for the Pro 4, well the forums suggest Microsoft might go with the Intel Core M, and use Broadwell for the i5 and i7 variants, but the body used will be the same as the current. Not sure if that will improve the fan noise and throttling. I tried my best to keep it, I had a second power adapter, second digitizer, the ethernet dongle, and the HDMI dongle, but its baffling having to hear the fan kick up even when it sits there in idle, or your using basic tasks.

Chrome does not work well with, so I had to use IE.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/surf ... 33738b8532

Check that thread, its filled with non-stop complaints, most of the reviewers, were sent i5s, or assumed it was normal and would be fixed with a firmware update, it never was. I also got my i7 at a steal, 1325 vs retail of 1599. The Surface I think will be viable when Skylake rolls around, and I doubt Microsoft will update the entire body again and all the internals for Broadwell, with Skylake coming around next year and bringing around a ton of features.
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Aug 21, 2012
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Android has One Note as well I believe, if thats all you are using it for. Though I'd think a pdf annotator like Foxit PDF would be better for taking notes; if you have an Android phone you can try it anyways.
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Aug 13, 2012
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rebel_rfd wrote: I went through 4 Surface Pro 3s, the i7 256 SSD variant. All purchased from Futureshop, had it for two months, and finally returned it yesterday. It's a great device in theory, but the i5s and i7s are plagued with throttling and fan noise. Whenever the Surface is idle, Windows will check for updates, which is often is you use Microsoft Essentials, anytime usage goes above 30%, the fan kicks up agressively, to prevent the chip from hitting 80 degrees. It's a very aggresive fan profile, and you can't change it. Why does this matter to you? Well imagine sitting in class or lecture, and your fan kicks up, trust me, you will be heard and looked at as if you are using a Dell from 2005.
Did you try putting a limit on cpu speed by creating a new power option? My sp1 used to be noisy too but its quiet now with open pdf, word, sound recorder and firefox/chrome.
turnipx wrote: Android has One Note as well I believe, if thats all you are using it for. Though I'd think a pdf annotator like Foxit PDF would be better for taking notes; if you have an Android phone you can try it anyways.
Onenote works best with pens. I never used it on my surface rt but I've been using it ever since sp. I use my android phone to check notes while commuting.
¯\_(・_・)_/¯
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Jul 21, 2003
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rebel_rfd wrote: It's a great device in theory, but the i5s and i7s are plagued with throttling and fan noise.
Had this problem with the first i5 I bought near launch. Returned it and later bought i3 version to avoid the issue. Its been great. I picked a new i5 version after Christmas and it isn't exhibiting the systems either so hopefully they've ironed out the problem which is very likely hardware related.

If you it's always spinning up and overheating then return it. A properly functioning unit is a great device indeed.
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Aug 4, 2008
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The SP3 only has one power option, I think it was balanced, no high performance or power saver, however, it has a built in setting to avoid doing the annoying plugged in idle tasks, when its on battery.

I went through three of em from the Futureshop/Best Buy lot numbers. i3 has been reviewed well, but the i7s are all garbage, and the i5s are mixed. One week it ran perfectly fine, even Lightroom or Photoshop didn't kick the fan up, but I think it was a fluke, cause every day it would kick up. I can deal with it at home or in Starbucks, but in the middle of class, or a library, people look down at you, and honestly, at $1599 before taxes, this device should not be performing like that.

Microsoft had the right idea, but the implementation was screwed, they really put in an aggressive fan curve, that still can't be adjusted. Like I said, look at the Microsoft Forums, their plagued by the fan noise of the i5 and i7.
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Aug 4, 2008
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Mine never overheated, like I didn't get the temperature logo, but the fan kicks up. It's fine when it does for a a minute or two, but thats the fan curve. Microsoft could be a little more softer with the profile, let it run the fan longer, but quieter. Yet no firmware in site, and there is the wifi issues that have yet to be fixed completely.
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rebel_rfd wrote: The SP3 only has one power option, I think it was balanced, no high performance or power saver, however, it has a built in setting to avoid doing the annoying plugged in idle tasks, when its on battery.
Well you can create a new power option yourself, did you try it?
¯\_(・_・)_/¯
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Dec 1, 2006
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Have you guys looked into penultimate from evernote?
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Dec 11, 2008
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osuman wrote: Did you try putting a limit on cpu speed by creating a new power option? My sp1 used to be noisy too but its quiet now with open pdf, word, sound recorder and firefox/chrome.


Onenote works best with pens. I never used it on my surface rt but I've been using it ever since sp. I use my android phone to check notes while commuting.


I got a Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 edition) back around Black Friday. I've been using Onenote on it for taking notes during class and am liking it so far. Although it doesn't have all of the functions as the Windows version. I also noticed that the basic Adobe app for Android allows you to mark up PDFs (but how it compares to other PDF marking apps, I don't know).

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