Just a quick request for opinions before I buy: I can get the Surface Pro 3 64GB/i3 for £539 and the 128GB/i5 for £669 (both after cashback). http://www.microsoftstore.com/store...12300?icid=Surface_Pro_3_surface_nav_22102014 Do you think it worth the premium for the faster processor and extra storage, given I don't have a huge amount of money to play with? How much do you think the minimal spec'ed model will hurt usability? I think I have an idea what to do, but I'd really value a second opinion before spending that much money. Thank you.
I would have to actually avoid against it for now, currently there is a really bad batch with BIOS issues etc /source: I am currently deploying 14 of them (i5's and i7) which is getting stuck at boot, bios showing wrong time, etc.
I know what you mean, but I've just thrown back a Lenovo , so I'm currently portable computerless and thus can't really afford to wait it out. Any opinions on the Dell Venue 11 Pro? Seems well spec'd for the money, and to be honest the 1080 resolution (+HDMI) appeals more as it make mirroring the display neater.
Yes. Assuming you are talking about the highest end model. It is slower than the Surface Pro 3, yet the same price. And the pen is a joke. You'll fight with it. It is also an extra. It uses Synaptic pen technology. They are totally new to it, and it shows front and center. Very sad. It has HDMI and not DisplayPort (well mini-DP in the case of the Surface Pro). You want DisplayPort. At least with DisplayPort, you can use any display or TV, you can get DP to HDMI DP to VGA DP to single link DVI, and as DP is royalty free. In addition, the Surface Pro supports miracast, and you get the highly well reviewed Microsoft Wireless Display, and now enjoy extending or cloning your display of your device to your TV. The Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter (yes, that is really the name of it. Very imaginative), also works with Android device and of course Windows Phones supporting miracast and it support multiple resolutions and keeps aspect ratio, so the image on your TV always shows correctly, and not stretch. And it's like cheap too. Competes with other devices twice the price. However, for the Surface Pro 3, question, which one to get, get the i5 128GB you want both.
I think 64GB is tight for a long term full windows installation. I am currently experiencing a storage shortage on my work computer and I assure you life is too short to constantly micro manage your data. How much free space is left on 64GB once you take into account the swap storage, plus sleep/hibernate file, plus the recovery partition plus the rest of the install. Not much is my guess. I am of the opinion to get as much storage as you can afford.
Reading about the newest Dell Venue 11 Pro 7140 is seems to be broadwell based (M-5Y10), which seems like a good thing. It's competitive with the Surface Pro 3 performance wise while using less power and producing less heat. Also, while I know Windows will scale external displays to fit the resolution and aspect ratio required, 1:1 mirroring is still only an option if the resolution matches, and stretching or boxing will always be required with differing aspect ratios. On balance 16/9 1080 is preferable to me. I would have though the wireless display adaptor would work with both, as Miricast/WiDi tech is baked into 8.1 with a compatible wireless adaptor, something you'd expect on a broadwell based tablet. Afaik it's not a Surface specific thing. As for the pen, it was never a deal breaker for me, and supposedly the Venue pen is okay (better than it used to be at least.) That would probably suffice for me. And as for being a paid optional extra, The Venue is a fair bit cheaper for similar (and more modern 5th gen) specs than the Surface, even factoring in some extras. We're talking a M-5Y10C processor with 128GB for the price of a discounted (via cashback) entry level i3/64GB surface. The more I look at it the more appealing it seems to me over the Surface. There aren't a huge number of reviews, but what there are look good. Plus it's aimed at business, which seems preferable after the Lenovo debacle.
^-- this This is my Windows 10 install on a 64GB partition, bearing in mind this is pretty much a bare install [couple of store apps and that's it] and this my windows 8.1 install on a 128GB partition, with Office, Photoshop and 3D Studio Max and a few other things installed All my games are installed elsewhere...
