13. Final Words – Is It Worth It?
This last bit of the review proved the most difficult to write as the Surface Pro 3 is not your average laptop. Or your average tablet. It attempts to do both and excel at both, too. Has it managed?
When it comes to competition, the most obvious contender is Apple’s MacBook Air. I’ll be very straightforward here – as the Air’s main goal is to be compact (which it is), it fails completely against the Surface. It’s heavier, not as thin and has a screen that is inferior to a staggering degree even on paper. And while you can spec it similarly to Surface with powerful processors and lots of RAM memory (and end up with a similar price), you still lose the touchscreen capability and versatility of a tablet computer. On one hand, potential battery life is a redeeming feature (all MacBooks score very highly in this area), as is amazing build quality and beautiful design. On the other hand, Surface will keep your lap cool no matter the pressure on the processor. In the end, both choices are compromises. But compared to the Surface (unless you need or want the Mac OS), the Air does not make all that much sense and even feels as a product of the past. It’s the wrong sort of compromise. If you are to compromise on portability slightly (not something I ever thought I would say about the Air, but there you go), best look at a laptop that has a ton of features to redeem itself.
The MacBook 13.3″ Pro Retina is that laptop. With (currently) comparable price (once you add the keyboard to your Surface) and dimensions (all but thickness, which stands at 1.8cm and is exactly twice that of the Surface), the junior MacBook Pro is, in my opinion, the best in the lineup and the one I had my eye on whilst keeping the other on the Surface. It has a breathtaking screen with even more resolution and density at 2560×1600 pixels and matching or beating specifications. Add the promised 9-hour battery life that will last for at least as long as that of the Surface, more ports, and a truly gorgeous unibody construction, and it starts to make a lot of sense. More than that, you wouldn’t exactly call it vast, would you?
So the question you need to ask yourself – what do you require more, the unmatched versatility of a tablet/laptop hybrid or better performance and ever so slightly better bang for your buck? No doubt Microsoft has come up with a very good device. It’s powerful yet compact and quite gorgeous to look at. The price only reflects the quality of materials used and the high manufacturing standards that only show barely noticeable flaws when compared to Apple products – arguably the most stylish and best built on the market (perhaps not for long as with every iteration the Surface is catching up). If it is worth the price or not is a very subjective question. For me, it made more sense than the Pro for its touchscreen, compact dimensions and tablet capabilities. I love how it fits perfectly into my most-used camera bag as much as using it as a tablet for some casual browsing and video. If you need the most portable premium package and both Mac OS and Windows are valid options, the Surface is well worth it. But if you are ready to make a compromise, give up the portability of a tablet and the touchscreen, skip the Air. MacBook Pro 13.3″ Retina is the one I would buy in that case. Add Arc Touch Surface mouse and Type Cover to the price of the Surface, and you have quite the budget for a powerful, dependable, at-least-as-beautiful and highly regarded MacBook Pro.
My choice? Well, I’m sure you already know, given that this is my Surface. And not once did I regret it. Well done, Redmond. This is a properly good tool. It is also good if you want to hit on girls. Not that I’ve ever done it myself… Yep. Pretty.
Microsoft Surface Pro 3 : Photography and Writing
- Features
- Build Quality
- Handling
- Value
- Screen Quality
- Size and Weight
- Packaging and Manual
- Ease of Use
- Speed and Performance
- Stability
Photography Life Overall Rating
Table of Contents