Microsoft Surface Pro 3 (256 GB, Intel Core i7) (Renewed)

Perfect computer to pair with a vinyl cutter. I love being able to draw directly on the screen and then send file via USB to my vinyl plotter. I do not have to use a separate computer to run the plotter and draw on an iPad. My first art on the surface was to make a wrap for the back. Worked perfect. It is now the Workhorse for my shop. The Surface Pro 3 works perfect and cost a lot less than a Surface Pro 4!

First off the actual surface is an amazing product and exactly what I need for what I do. The problem is the refurbished surface that I received apparently came from a business and had previously been registered with Microsoft. So I was unable to register the device. The real issue is the charging port failed and the one note software has a major glitch, so Microsoft was going to send me another unit. Problem is it could not not registered so in there eyes it like I don't own the device and trying to deal with the business tech support when I am not a business and f*** ridiculous and I have gotten no where. Trying to talk on the phone is next impossible, language barrier, unfortunately I speak English. The one not issue is pretty well documented on the internet help forums and Microsoft seems to just be ignoring it, so one note is useless if you plan to share your notes with anyone. The charging port is a major issue, It occurs on the female end of the actual computer, I have the standard charger, the docking station and a car charger, it occurs on all the devices, if the cord is not positioned perfect, it will not charge and is getting worse, at one point the device will stop working and I will be out 1200 for the computer. Here is a video I did of it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpOuXcmX5mw Do not buy refurbished surface.

I'd actually rather give this a 4.5, but it isn't an option. I'm sticking it in the system as a 4, because it certainly wasn't perfect but it is quite good. I actually got two of these at the same time. One of them appears brand new. Zero signs of wear on the casing, screen, or power adapter. The other one has some minor scuffs along the edge of the unit; nothing at all bad of that would hamper functionality. The scuffs are cosmetic only, and are minor to the point that you'd have to pick the unit up and inspect it to notice. They are not visible at normal operating distances (at least to me, your eyesight may vary). My only real complaint is that they didn't come with a pen. I'm not taking a star away because it was in the item description and I missed it. I think it would be better to pull the "except pen" part out of the general description about accessories, but that's just me. Making a note of it in the review so that anyone else who isn't detail-oriented with the bullet points of the description can see it. Haven't had a lot of time to work with these particular units yet, but I have other SP3's at work and they're all solid units. This one is a great price for a system that is not too terribly dissimilar to the most recent versions. Pay ~50% less, get ~90% of the performance. It's a solid trade-off and one I would recommend to people who want a good 2-in-1 system who either don't need the absolute top performance category or who don't have the budget for it.

I love this thing. It is SO much faster than my old Core i5 unit its ridiculous. Being a movie and music lover, I was initially worried about the limited amount of storage on the unit so, with my budget, I bought the unit with 256 GB of storage. I had never really used microSDs before, but Walmart was clearing out their Samsung EVO 64 GB units for $20 a pop, so I bought some. I found I could store about 30 movies or my ENTIRE music collection (about 55 GB) on one. Since the unit has a nicely tucked away reader, I just slip whichever microSD I want at the moment into it and am a happy camper. My only complaint is the kickstand. It works well for its full out setting in landscape mode, but for any other position, I'm forever trying to figure out how to support it. It's not particularly heavy, so I will generally just hold it in place, but it would be nice to have a few more options in this respect without adding bulk to the unit by encasing it in a cover of some sort. In short, (I know... too late), if you can afford the price tag, I would recommend this to everyone. It is exceptional!

Battery doesn't charge or sometimes it's not detected. I can troubleshoot it and get it to work, but I don't have a an hour to do that every few weeks. I need to be able to walk around while using it so plugged in all the time not an option. Otherwise, the tablet has very little wear and tear (some scratches on the back/lid). It works great. Connectivity quickly. Speed is great. Screen size is great. Image is crisp and clear. If you can use it sitting at a desk plugged in all the time, this is a great product.

Wow, I knew I was getting a refurbished device so I was a little nervous about it as some of the reviews were hit and miss on the condition, but I couldn't be happier as it looks and feels like a brand new device. I was also comforted that I was buying through Amazon Prime and could send it back, no problem, if there were issues with it. It wasn't clear which Windows operating system would come with it (8 or 10) and I am also happy to say it is Windows 10 pro. Mine is the i7/256GB SSD/8GB ram version of the Surface 3. I just unboxed it and am going through the windows updates process so I have yet to see if there are any issues with the battery life - I will update if there are but I have a feeling I will be in good shape. I feel like I got a real steal on this machine compared with the costs of new Surface Pro (around $2k for a comparable model!) and the fact that the the newer generation i7 chips are only marginally faster, but do have better batter life - for a near $1,500 price difference I am okay with plugging it in once or twice a day.