Is the Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) really worth the high costs?

[mrmike16]

I think the newest model of the Surface Pro is the most expensive out of all of them (when new). So is it worth it anyway?

 

[atomicWAR]

Not if you believe consumer reports.

https/techcrunch.com/2017/08/10/consumer-reports-pulls-microsoft-surface-recommendation-citing-high-breakage-rates/

 

[mrmike16]

Not if you believe consumer reports.

https/techcrunch.com/2017/08/10/consumer-reports-pulls-microsoft-surface-recommendation-citing-high-breakage-rates/

I personally don't, since I see no reason to. You can read the comments in the link you just posted, only 2 people agree with it on there.

 

[atomicWAR]

I saw the the posts. Not sure if i trust them or not. Personally I'd take CR over some random posts. That said my personal issues with surface is, over priced and to hard to fix. If those two don't bother you. You'll probably love it.

 

[mrmike16]

I saw the the posts. Not sure if i trust them or not. Personally I'd take CR over some random posts. That said my personal issues with surface is, over priced and to hard to fix. If those two don't bother you. You'll probably love it.

Yes, my problem is that it is overpriced.
I had a Surface 3, which was $500 2 years ago, which was amazing. Then my nephew knocked off a table and there goes the touch functionality. But even the cheapest Surface Pro 4 costs more than that.

 

[jaguarskx]

I had a Surface 3, which was $500 2 years ago, which was amazing. Then my nephew knocked off a table and there goes the touch functionality. But even the cheapest Surface Pro 4 costs more than that.

That's because the Surface 3 is a less powerful version of the Surface Pro 3 which uses an Intel Atom Z8700 CPU. The "Pro" versions uses Core i3/i5/i7 CPUs, plus they use components with higher specs. The Surface Pros are a premium product so naturally you pay a premium for them. Similar to Macbook Pros.

If you generally like the format of the Surface 3, then there are alternatives to the Surface series. An example is the Acer Switch Alpha 12 which was released last year so it uses a 6th generation Intel CPU. Here is one with a Core i5-6200u, 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD for $660; active digital pen sold separately. It has a Synaptic digitizer so the digital must be compatible with Synaptic tech.

https/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834315480&cm_re=Acer_Switch_Alpha_12-_-34-315-480-_-Product

This one from Amazon comes with the pen, but is selling for $750. However, there are a lot more user reviews:

https/www.amazon.com/Acer-Switch-Memory-Windows-SA5-271-55WD/dp/B01LZPVPC7/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503676442&sr=8-1&keywords=acer+switch+5

Here's a video review:

https/www.youtube.com/watch?v=wP404GpoE2Y



The newer version which has just been recently released using Intel 7th generation Core i5/i7 CPUs and is called the Acer Switch 5. Best Buys sells it for $800.

https/www.bestbuy.com/site/acer-switch-5-2-in-1-12-touch-screen-laptop-intel-core-i5-8gb-memory-256gb-solid-state-drive/6025406.p?skuId=6025406&ref=212&loc=1&ksid=5a3caec0-35b3-4ffc-b732-f6372d8e50b1&ksprof_id=8&ksaffcode=pg200319&ksdevice=c&lsft=ref:212,loc:2

There are no in depth reviews for the Acer Switch 5 yet... since it was recently released. But you can find quick hands on reviews from when Acer showcased the Switch 5 such as the following.

https/www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtw9GwpPssU

 

[mrmike16]

Thank you! That is a good suggestion. I will wait for reviews, as I have always thought of Acer as a cheap brand with cheaply made products.

I am aware about the difference between the Surface 3 and the Surface Pro 3. But the Surface Pro 4 is already a year old, and costs more than the Surface 3 did when it was new (And I think it even costs more than the Pro 3 did when it was new as well).

Also, if I remember correctly, the Surface Pro 4 with an m3 processor and the New Surface Pro with an m3 processor are supposed to be instead of the non-Pro Surfaces that were never made. Their purpose is the same as the Surface 3's- very basic use. The reviews say the same exact thing about their performance as they did about the Surface 3- They are good for word processing, browsing, etc. Not powerful things. Which makes sense. So the only difference really between the lowest Pros and the Surface 3 is the name and the "premium" price, which in my opinion is unfair for the lower budget college students. Which is what I was when I got the Surface 3. I will most likely get another Surface 3 despite it being weaker and older.

But anyway the point of this post was to see if you actually do get bang for your buck with these new ones that cost lots.

 

[KirbysHammer]

Thank you! That is a good suggestion. I will wait for reviews, as I have always thought of Acer as a cheap brand with cheaply made products.

I am aware about the difference between the Surface 3 and the Surface Pro 3. But the Surface Pro 4 is already a year old, and costs more than the Surface 3 did when it was new (And I think it even costs more than the Pro 3 did when it was new as well).

Also, if I remember correctly, the Surface Pro 4 with an m3 processor and the New Surface Pro with an m3 processor are supposed to be instead of the non-Pro Surfaces that were never made. Their purpose is the same as the Surface 3's- very basic use. The reviews say the same exact thing about their performance as they did about the Surface 3- They are good for word processing, browsing, etc. Not powerful things. Which makes sense. So the only difference really between the lowest Pros and the Surface 3 is the name and the "premium" price, which in my opinion is unfair for the lower budget college students. Which is what I was when I got the Surface 3. I will most likely get another Surface 3 despite it being weaker and older.

But anyway the point of this post was to see if you actually do get bang for your buck with these new ones that cost lots.

All laptops under $1500 except for business class machines or apple (grossly overpriced for the specs) have pretty shoddy build quality.

 

[mrmike16]

Thank you! That is a good suggestion. I will wait for reviews, as I have always thought of Acer as a cheap brand with cheaply made products.

I am aware about the difference between the Surface 3 and the Surface Pro 3. But the Surface Pro 4 is already a year old, and costs more than the Surface 3 did when it was new (And I think it even costs more than the Pro 3 did when it was new as well).

Also, if I remember correctly, the Surface Pro 4 with an m3 processor and the New Surface Pro with an m3 processor are supposed to be instead of the non-Pro Surfaces that were never made. Their purpose is the same as the Surface 3's- very basic use. The reviews say the same exact thing about their performance as they did about the Surface 3- They are good for word processing, browsing, etc. Not powerful things. Which makes sense. So the only difference really between the lowest Pros and the Surface 3 is the name and the "premium" price, which in my opinion is unfair for the lower budget college students. Which is what I was when I got the Surface 3. I will most likely get another Surface 3 despite it being weaker and older.

But anyway the point of this post was to see if you actually do get bang for your buck with these new ones that cost lots.

All laptops under $1500 except for business class machines or apple (grossly overpriced for the specs) have pretty shoddy build quality.

I disagree. I have seen plenty of nice Asus laptops that are way cheaper than that and I myself had a nice Dell Inspiron 15 5559 which was around $800.

 

[KirbysHammer]

Thank you! That is a good suggestion. I will wait for reviews, as I have always thought of Acer as a cheap brand with cheaply made products.

I am aware about the difference between the Surface 3 and the Surface Pro 3. But the Surface Pro 4 is already a year old, and costs more than the Surface 3 did when it was new (And I think it even costs more than the Pro 3 did when it was new as well).

Also, if I remember correctly, the Surface Pro 4 with an m3 processor and the New Surface Pro with an m3 processor are supposed to be instead of the non-Pro Surfaces that were never made. Their purpose is the same as the Surface 3's- very basic use. The reviews say the same exact thing about their performance as they did about the Surface 3- They are good for word processing, browsing, etc. Not powerful things. Which makes sense. So the only difference really between the lowest Pros and the Surface 3 is the name and the "premium" price, which in my opinion is unfair for the lower budget college students. Which is what I was when I got the Surface 3. I will most likely get another Surface 3 despite it being weaker and older.

But anyway the point of this post was to see if you actually do get bang for your buck with these new ones that cost lots.

All laptops under $1500 except for business class machines or apple (grossly overpriced for the specs) have pretty shoddy build quality.

I disagree. I have seen plenty of nice Asus laptops that are way cheaper than that and I myself had a nice Dell Inspiron 15 5559 which was around $800.

Well don't expect anything amazing out of a surface pro.

 

[mrmike16]

KirbysHammer (Nice username), why not? I'd like to know your reasons for that opinion.

 

[GreyCatz]

I think the newest model of the Surface Pro is the most expensive out of all of them (when new). So is it worth it anyway?

For what it's worth, here's my take on your question:

First off, yes, it is worth the money. You get what you pay for - respectable specs and above-average build-quality.

Second, I haven't owned a Surface model, or any other Microsoft computer, and I would never consider buying one. From numerous reviews - videos and articles - I have come to the conclusion that Microsoft's current range of computers is the IT equivalent of Toyota's Lexus models: (almost) perfect and therefore a bit boring, too.

Microsoft have entered the computer market much like Toyota did with Lexus back in the early 1980s - by combining a massive presence with an ambitious strategy aimed squarely at offering 'perfect' computers right from the get-go.

If you do a search - quick or in-depth - for reviews and feedback on these machines, I'm sure you'll agree that it's difficult to find any serious issues or fundamental design flaws, and I guarantee you the price point has been determined with surgical precision to be just a tad out of reach (aspirational) but not too far off in the horizon, either (realistic proposition).

The reason I'll never buy a Microsoft computer is that I simply cannot answer the question: Why should I?

It's not bad, but it doesn't stand out in any way, either. Apple products are notoriously overpriced, but you can't argue the amount of resources that went into the design. Comparable Lenovos, HPs, and Dells may not be as well-built as the Surface, but they are also less expensive (generally speaking).

Which brings me back to square One: It's a Lexus.

Cheers,
GreyCatz.

 

[mrmike16]

I think the newest model of the Surface Pro is the most expensive out of all of them (when new). So is it worth it anyway?

For what it's worth, here's my take on your question:

First off, yes, it is worth the money. You get what you pay for - respectable specs and above-average build-quality.

Second, I haven't owned a Surface model, or any other Microsoft computer, and I would never consider buying one. From numerous reviews - videos and articles - I have come to the conclusion that Microsoft's current range of computers is the IT equivalent of Toyota's Lexus models: (almost) perfect and therefore a bit boring, too.

Microsoft have entered the computer market much like Toyota did with Lexus back in the early 1980s - by combining a massive presence with an ambitious strategy aimed squarely at offering 'perfect' computers right from the get-go.

If you do a search - quick or in-depth - for reviews and feedback on these machines, I'm sure you'll agree that it's difficult to find any serious issues or fundamental design flaws, and I guarantee you the price point has been determined with surgical precision to be just a tad out of reach (aspirational) but not too far off in the horizon, either (realistic proposition).

The reason I'll never buy a Microsoft computer is that I simply cannot answer the question: Why should I?

It's not bad, but it doesn't stand out in any way, either. Apple products are notoriously overpriced, but you can't argue the amount of resources that went into the design. Comparable Lenovos, HPs, and Dells may not be as well-built as the Surface, but they are also less expensive (generally speaking).

Which brings me back to square One: It's a Lexus.

Cheers,
GreyCatz.

Very good and informative answer. Thank you!