When comparing Microsoft Surface 3 vs Microsoft Surface Pro 4, the Slant community recommends Microsoft Surface Pro 4 for most people. In the question“What are the best graphics tablets?” Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is ranked 2nd while Microsoft Surface 3 is ranked 6th. The most important reason people chose Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is:
The (included) Surface Pen has a very interesting set of features - it allows for 1024 points of pressure, has an eraser on top, and when you click the eraser it will open Cortana (Microsoft's new voice assistant). It's magnetized, so it will stick to the left side of the Surface. The Surface achieves all of this via its new N-trig technology (replacing the Wacom technology found in older generation models). There's also palm rejection technology, so whenever the pen tip it close to the screen is will ignore all finger or palm touches.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Full Windows software
Unlike the Surface RT and Surface 2, the Surface 3 runs full Windows 10 software. With the optional keyboard accessory, this tablet can function as a full laptop (keep in mind it has fairly low end specs)
Pro Optional keyboard accessory
The keyboard ($130) doubles as a screen protector when not in use, and magnetically attaches to the bottom of the Surface. It's thin, so key travel is shallow, but it's a very capable keyboard. It features 5 levels of backlight, as well as a (rather small, but very high quality) trackpad. It connects directly to the Surface, so there'd no need to charge the keyboard and you don't need to worry about bluetooth.
Pro Kickstand
The Surface 3 has a kickstand on the back of the tablet so that it can hold itself upright. It has 3 positions - one upright (almost vertical), one at almost a 45 degree angle, and one fairly close to flat (this one is useful for drawing or typing if you don't have the keyboard).
Pro Optional Pen accessory
The Surface 3 (when coupled with the $50 pen) can register 256 levels of pressure sensitivity, and also has Palm Block technology. It makes for a good experience when drawing diagrams, sketching or even just doodling. Clicking the button on top of the pen opens OneNote - Microsoft's note taking application.
Pro Portable
At just 267x187x8.7mm (10.5x7.4x3.4") and weighing 622g (1.37lbs), this is a portable machine. Some other tablets are a bit thinner and lighter, but the kickstand really helps you comfortably use it anywhere (you could set it up in the kitchen for a recipe instead of laying it down flat, or rest it on your chest while laying down in bed instead of holding it up).
Pro Great pen support
The (included) Surface Pen has a very interesting set of features - it allows for 1024 points of pressure, has an eraser on top, and when you click the eraser it will open Cortana (Microsoft's new voice assistant). It's magnetized, so it will stick to the left side of the Surface. The Surface achieves all of this via its new N-trig technology (replacing the Wacom technology found in older generation models). There's also palm rejection technology, so whenever the pen tip it close to the screen is will ignore all finger or palm touches.
Pro Laptop-level specs
The Surface Pro 4 comes in configurations from core M up to a core i7. RAM starts at 4GB, and goes to 16GB. Storage caps out at 256GB of SSD storage, which should be enough for most users. These are all specs that can be found in most laptops - even beating out some budget-midrange desktop options.
Pro Good expandability options
The Surface has a USB 3.0 port that can be used for a mouse to be plugged in, or you can plug in a USB hub or Microsoft's own Surface Dock, which has 4 USB 3.0 ports, audio output, Gigabit Ethernet, and two HD video ports. The Surface Dock allows for as much expandability (or more) as most laptops out there. There's also a SD card slot if you need more storage (current SD card sizes range up to 200GB, although this won't be as fast as the internal SSD speeds).
Cons
Con Small app store
The Surface 3 is almost better as a laptop than tablet because it has so few touch-enabled apps. It uses the Windows Store to access its games, so it has the same collection available as desktops and laptops.
Con Fragile
The screen is very susceptible to being damaged. Here's where its generally beneficial light weight can be a downside. It requires as much protection/care as a tablet does -- it is not as sturdy as a laptop. The back cover will scratch fairly easily if dragged along a table as well.
Con Very slow to charge
The Surface 3 uses micro USB to charge which is nice because cables are plentiful, but charging from empty to full takes about 6 hours.
Con Expensive
You can find a computer with similar specs for about half the price of the Surface Pro 4. You are paying a premium for the high-end build quality, for the engineering required to manufacture a fully portable computer, as well as for the high resolution touchscreen.
Con Lack of touch-focused apps
Windows has traditionally been a mouse-and-keyboard operating system. Finally, third party apps are starting to become more touch friendly, although it's a long, slow process. The Windows Store still lacks many big titles, which means the only option is to download the regular Windows version of most apps, which are rarely touch-friendly.