Like me you may have drooled over the sexy Surface Pro 3 when it debuted last year, Microsoft’s best convertible notebook thus far. It was delicious as it was powerful, but it also came with a price. And so we were left to settle for cheap knock-offs (and some were actually pretty decent) to fill that gaping void.
Today though, the Redmont giant announced the Surface 3, the thinnest and lightest Surface yet. The notebook replacement is perfect for work and play, and runs full Windows 8.1. Malaysia is one of the first countries in the world to get the new convertible device, and you can pre-order yours today from selected retail partners.
Still the Surface you love, only better
There’s no denying that the Surface is a beautiful device, from its durable magnesium exterior to its slim 8.7mm side profile. Weighing just 622g, it’s light enough for your bag, and will feel great in your hands. The much-loved kickstand is there, although limited to three angles.
Despite its slim form factor, the great thing about the Surface 3 is that it doesn’t skimp on connectivity and ports. There’s a full-size USB 3.0 port, Mini DisplayPort, micro-USB charging port, microSD card reader and of course a 3.5mm mic jack.
To differentiate it from its bigger sibling, the Surface 3 packs a smaller 10.8-inch ClearType Full HD Plus Display which Microsoft says is the brightest Surface display yet. With a 1920×1280 pixel resolution at a 3:2 aspect ratio, the display is plenty crisp and bright.
In place of the ARM-based Tegra 4 in the previous generation Surface, is the new quad-core Intel Atom x7 chip — claimed to be the most powerful in the Atom family. What you get is impressive compute power and power efficiency to boot. Thanks to the new Atom, you get up to 10 hours of video playback battery life.
Built-in is also an 8MP Full HD rear camera with autofocus, complemented by a 3.5MP on the front.
You’ll be happy to know that the Surface 3 now runs full Windows 8.1 (goodbye, RT!) so you’ve the entire barrage of desktop software and Metro apps to explore. You’ll be able to upgrade to Windows 10 for free when it becomes available. Microsoft is also throwing in a one-year subscription of Microsoft Office 365 Personal, including 1TB of OneDrive storage.
With the new Surface 3 comes a plethora of accessories namely the Surface 3 Type Cover which features an improved trackpad and responsive keyset. Sadly, the gorgeous funky Orange keyboard will not be available for the Malaysian markets. Boo. There’s also the famed Surface Pen now available in a variety of colours.
When you’re home and want more connectivity options, you can grab the Surface 3 Docking Station that lets you easily connect an external monitor, network via Ethernet port or plug in more accessories and peripherals via its 4x additional USB ports.
Pre-orders kick off today
Full price list:
- Surface 3 64GB, 2GB RAM – RM1,989
- Surface 3 128GB, 4GB RAM – RM2,389
- Surface 3 Type Cover (Black, Bright Blue, Red) – RM479
- 24W Power Supply for Surface 3 – RM149
- Docking Station for Surface 3 – RM769
- Screen Protector for Surface 3 – RM179
- Surface Pen (Black, Bright Blue, Red) – RM189
Pre-orders can be done through these retail channels:
- Aone Plus Supplies & Services
- All IT Hypermarket
- Harvey Norman
- Hello Station (Nokia Outlet) – +603-21810847
- PC Image Sdn Bhd
- Sen Heng
- SNS Network
- Style Vision
- Thunder Match Technology
- Viewnet Computer System
General availability of the Surface 3 and accessories will be from 5 May 2015.
