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Microsoft Announces Surface 3 Tablet
An anonymous reader writes: Today Microsoft announced the latest device in their line of Windows tablets: the Surface 3. The tablet runs a full version of Windows (the troublesome "RT" line has been deprecated), and aims to compete with Apple's iPad. The Surface 3 has a 10.8" screen running at 1920x1280 (note the 3:2 ratio). It's 8.7mm thick and weighs 622 grams (1.27 lbs). They're somewhat vague about the battery life, but they say it will last up to 10 hours "based on video playback." They've also made it possible to charge the device with a standard micro-USB charger. The base device with 64GB storage, 2GB RAM, and Wi-Fi will cost $500, and it'll scale up with more storage, more ram, and 4G LTE connectivity. (It maxes out at 4GB RAM, so any heavy-duty gaming is probably out of the question.) The keyboard is still a separate $130 accessory as well.
IT probably will run win 10 now. I know a guy running win 10 on a surface pro 3 currently
have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
The linked page indicates it's an Intel Atom x7 chip, which would be X86
Never mind, it's in one of the last paragraphs. It's an ATOM processor. Depending on the version and clock speed it could be ok or a total piece of crap running full windows.
The netbook is reborn!
I see not one thing that says this is an x86. If it's not x86 it's still ARM and still windows RT even if they don't call it RT anymore. The result being you can only run software from the windows store, no legacy apps.
Its a 14nm Cherry Trail SoC. Don't confuse this with old crappy Atom. These are really fast. This is http://www.anandtech.com/show/...
Well geez, I paid $100, bought an HP Stream 7 and it only has 1GB of RAM. And it's plenty speedy.
In fact, for Windows 8.1 and Atom, it's surprisingly fast.
The only thing is, for $100, the Stream 7 can run like crap and I'd still like it - it's a $100 friggin' PC running full Windows. Heck, I have Steam running on it!
This thing though is $500. A bit pricey for a Atom based tablet, I think.
Here are (only two) benchmark results...
http://browser.primatelabs.com...
As much as I hate Windows 8.1, one thing they have done right is greatly reduced the memory load.
Windows Vista 64-bit took about 2GB RAM, you basically had to have 3GB+ to run anything.
Windows 7 64-bit took about 1GB RAM, or practical tests 0.8GB, you basically had to have 2GB+ to run anything.
Windows 8/8.1 takes a whole 0.28GB RAM, you basically need 1GB+ to run anything.
The Surface 3 is made for word processing, browsing the web, watching video, taking notes, or simpler tasks like that. 2GB will work well for this role.
Will it work well for you? Maybe not, this is why there is the full line-up of the Surface 3 and Surface 3 Pro models.
Unlike the ARM based Surface models, these will run any X86 program, this opens up all sorts of possibilities. Portable sound studio? Why not, the voice of Honest Trailers uses Audacity and since the Surface 3 has a standard USB 3 Port, you just need a good USB Microphone, or a good converter.
Microsoft, Apple, Google, Amazon what's the difference? All steal money from devs and control with walled gardens.
As others have noted the newer atoms aren't the same as the old under powered garbage. I've actually got a server running one of the new Atom server chips. It's a good low power processor with some strong capabilities for the power envelope it uses.
Though there is one exception, there are some under powered Atom chips. They are smaller and use even less power and generally aren't intended for a PC type install. But they do exist because Intel is still trying to figure out how to sell chips in this space without totally cannibalizing desktop sales with chips they lose money on.
Which chip Microsoft chose (or whatever one Intel let them use) is going to determine whether the surface 3 is garbage or a reasonable balance of CPU and power use. It's entirely possible it's going to be way to slow for use in anything CPU intensive because Intel is still making Atoms that aren't very good, even if they are better than the previous Atoms.
It's interesting to me that Microsoft isn't saying WHICH Atom they used.
Those RT devices were probably the most underrated tablets ever. My mom has one and she loves the thing. Runs office, solitaire, and Netflix just fine. Granted, it can't run legacy x86 apps, but neither can iPad or Android.
Atoms in tablets were never about performance. Your CPU has an astonishingly bad 105W TDP, which uses (at least) 10 times the power.
Fanless computing in a small enclosure...
Walled gardens sound crappy until your users turn out to be stupid.
Wealth is the gift that keeps on giving.
There is no way I'll be paying anyone $130 for a qwerty keyboard.
105W is not astonishingly bad;
Yeah you're right. The correct word would be fucking atrocious and physically unworkable in an enclosure only 1cm thick.
I expect my portable computers to be just that: Portable computers. I do the same things with a portable computer as I do with a desktop computer.
Then buy an Alienware desktop replacement. Just don't come back and complain it costs more than $500, weighs more, or is thicker or heavier.
I doubt this new Atom part is even as fast as my (even more ancient) 1.83GHz, 2MB cache, single-core Pentium-M laptop at these tasks.
Why doubt when you could simply type Pentium M into the search box and see that not a single Pentium M based PC beat it in single-core benchmarks?
Perhaps I am a corner-case in that I actually want a CPU to be "fast" compared to products from a decade or so ago, especially if the device is bigger than a cell phone. I'm not buying anything slower than what I already have.
You're not a corner case. You're simply clueless in matters of engineering, reality, and lack the realisation that there's more people in the world than yourself who would much prefer something small, light, can run all day without power, and still do pretty much most of the common tasks that don't require a modern workstation or gaming rig to perform.