gobluetwo

I have the original Anywhere MX mouse (which I love), but it only has the USB wireless. the 2nd generation, however, does have Bluetooth, although MSRP is a bit pricey at around $80. I got my Anywhere MX for $28 from Best Buy a few months ago.

A USB hub like or would be useful with the Surface Pro 3.

Back on topic, how is the battery life of the Pro 3 for a typical business user? We're piloting it at my company and, although I'm not part of the pilot, I am wondering how long it lasts. I'm assuming power ports would be a must for most TATL/TPAC, but would it hold up for TCON or MIDCON? Typical use would be wifi, VPN, MS Office, Chrome (or other browser).

edcaya

With a full charge, my SP3 goes on TCON/MIDCONs with battery life to spare, and that's with WiFi on, a BT mouse paired, and at 25% to 40% brightness.

IsleOfMan

I have a small 3-port USB hub I carry in my gadget pack for use with the T100TAM but haven't used it once since replacing my MS Arc mouse with a $10 HP Bluetooth mouse which works great (only complaint is it does run through AAs, especially if you forget to turn it off).

Madone59

I have a 2 and love it. I never travel with my laptop anymore.

ScottC

Have you considered the Bluetooth Arc Surface mouse? I love mine!

Kagehitokiri

surface 3 is windows 8.1/10 but not windows 8.1/10 "pro" ? difference ?

surface pro 4 in october ? presumably worth waiting for ?

surface a lot better than other tablets with windows 8.1/10 ?
(besides the tablets with extremely large screens)

im probably going to get surface, and am looking forward to tablet i can actually use
will be my first windows computer in ~10+ years (i refuse to buy apple gadgets)

Jeannietx

I'm going to wait for Surface Pro4. It just means I have one more long trip carrying both iPad and laptop.

By the time I get back it will be Thanksgiving, so it's worth the wait.

robroy90

I have a Pro 3, and I like it, but:

1. A laptop it is not, literally. It is awkward at best if you just want to sit with it in your lap and try to do anything useful. You pretty much have to have a flat surface for it.

2. It really isn't that great of a tablet, in my opinion. I much prefer going back to an iPad for that type of consumption.

In my book, it just tries to be all things to all people, and it doesn't quite live up. It is a perfectly potent machine though, especially in Core i7 trim, and for those times I need an ultraportable capable of running a real windows app, I will reach for it every time.

Until then, I will just stick with my 15" Macbook Pro and an iPad Air 2. I don't mind the trade-offs associated with carrying two devices.

Kagehitokiri

a real app, or real files..

i use/like OSX. apple drives me crazy by refusing to put OSX on tablet. microsoft beat apple to market twice with tablets with full operating system. (first time was many years ago with toughbooks etc.) heck, apple could have tablets that run both OSX and windows using apple bootcamp.

freezefactor

I've actually found it works just fine as a "laptop", but you need to tilt the kickstand further back so that the screen is more horizontal.

robroy90

Your experience is vastly different from mine. The lack of hinge mechanism and the relatively thin keyboard do not make for a true laptop experience. I never could get comfortable with it in such a position.

Again, the Surface is a very capable unit, and I rather like mine, but I just have to remember its limitations.

IsleOfMan

The lack of a hinge was the only thing that turned me off from the original Pro I had... I could live with the weight given the performance/price ratio when it got below $400, and I could get past the battery life issues by using the Power Cover for TCONs and TATLs, but not being able to comfortably touch-type with any quickness with it in my lap, and having the kickstand slide off of the back of tray tables constantly eventually had me replace it with a far less powerful machine in a clamshell hybrid configuration... decreased weight when undocked and vastly superior battery life ended up being a great tradeoff for the performance hit when my travel uses rarely ever stray deeper than a quick check of an Excel spreadsheet or Powerpoint deck.

Kagehitokiri

has kickstand improved? docks?

superangrypenguin

Over what?

Kickstand is now able to be set infinitely variable (within the design limit) on the SP3 and there is a dock...

robr

Just picked up a Surface Pro 4 and flew with it. It was extremely awkward to use that and the Arc mouse on the economy tray table on my BOS-LAX flight. It also ran down on power pretty quickly playing video games. No power outlet in economy (or 1st) on AA.

Has anybody found something to strap the thing to the back of a seat above the tray table? I think it would work a lot better if I wasn't hogging up the tray table with it (I use it with the keyboard).

Nothing to be done about sucking up power when playing video games unfortunately.