Once more, thanks PilotAlan. Does a mall kiosk count as a Microsoft Store? I think that would be my only option in Des Moines area.

I did as you suggested and things are the same. I have the i7, 8GB, 256GB SP3. Last night I used it continuously finishing up a work project - working between 4 or 5 different Word files open simultaneously, Windows photo previewer, Adobe Acrobat XI standard, and for a short time Photoshop - my usual work desktop minus Outlook.

I turned off Bluetooth, went into airplane mode, turned off all the components for Norton Security I could turn off, and cranked down the brightness to 30%.

Ended up with 5 hours before battery died, so 20% battery usage per hour.

I know Photoshop is a CPU hog, not sure how big a CPU hog Word is - maybe 5 hours of continuous "office" work is average? From a bit of researching online I gather that might just be it?

Curious to know your thoughts and usage patterns in comparison. I live quite a ways from the Microsoft kiosk - might be worth the trip if my battery drain is an outlier ... assuming, of course, the kiosk employee has knowledge/skill/ability to evaluate this !

Thanks again,
Doris