Microsoft's Surface 3 is Now Available in Several Global Markets Starting at $499

[dgstorm]

Here's a piece of hot, off-topic, high-tech news for you folks today. Microsoft's latest tablet is now available. The Surface 3 is up for grabs in several different markets across the globe. You can pick it up on Microsoft's online store, Amazon, or several other retailers. It's on sale in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States.

On May 7, the Surface 3 will be available to Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Here's a quote from Microsoft on the new Surface 3:

Surface 3 has the looks and performance to turn heads. With its 10.8-inch screen and thin, light frame, it’s just the right size to slip under your arm or in your purse and take anywhere. Fancy a movie or some late-night gaming? With 10 hours of battery life, stellar sound, and an integrated Kickstand, Surface 3 is perfect for hands-free entertainment wherever you go.

Here are a few links where you can grab one now:

Microsoft Store:

• Microsoft Surface 3 64GB / 2GB RAM / Wi-Fi – $499
• Microsoft Surface 3 128GB / 4GB RAM / Wi-Fi – $599

Amazon:

• Microsoft Surface 3 Tablet (10.8-Inch, 128 GB, Intel Atom)
• Microsoft Surface 3 Tablet (10.8-Inch, 64 GB, Intel Atom)

 

[cybertec69]

Nice, but without a real app store and real apps, sorry, will pass. It's a nice tablet though, design wise.

 

[boidsonly]

M$'s walled-garden approach is killing everything they have. Their new "locked UEFI" to prevent installing another OS/dual boot on a PC will kill their PC share as well. This is a must read for all PC users of Windows:
Microsoft s UEFI Secure Boot Locking Out Choice and The Competition In The Name of Security

 

[jstafford1]

Tablets need to come down in price. I got a decent full laptop for that price.

 

[Jonny Kansas]

Tablets need to come down in price. I got a decent full laptop for that price.

No doubt. And I believe that's the price without the keyboard. To me, if you're going to advertise the product with the keyboard, advertise the price WITH the keyboard. Makes it even less of a good deal unless you're strictly in the market for a tablet that can be used as a laptop. Even then, I'm not convinced that this is a device I have to have. Might be handy at work, but definitely not something I'd use at home enough to justify the price.

Nice, but without a real app store and real apps, sorry, will pass. It's a nice tablet though, design wise.

They ARE opening up and making it easier for android and iOS devs to port their apps, so at least maybe they'll have that going eventually, but likely not until Windows 10 has been out for a bit, so I couldn't agree more here at this point in the game. And who's to say many devs of popular apps will want to port their app to yet another OS and support it?

 

[cereal killer]

And who's to say many devs of popular apps will want to port their app to yet another OS and support it?

I'll give you four reasons why a lot of them will. The smart ones at least:

1. Carrier billing across all Windows 10 devices. If memory serves me right that will increases purchases in emerging markets by 8x
2. Updated Windows 10 Microsoft Advertising SDK with support for video ads and install tracking
3. In-app purchase subscription support
4. New Windows Store Affiliate Program

 

[Jonny Kansas]

I'll give you four reasons why a lot of them will. The smart ones at least:

1. Carrier billing across all Windows 10 devices. If memory serves me right that will increases purchases in emerging markets by 8x
2. Updated Windows 10 Microsoft Advertising SDK with support for video ads and install tracking
3. In-app purchase subscription support
4. New Windows Store Affiliate Program

Well, when you put it that way... Haha! Thanks for reminding me that I forgot to dig in to the specifics from the Build event!

Sent from my Note 4

 

[cereal killer]

Well, when you put it that way... Haha! Thanks for reminding me that I forgot to dig in to the specifics from the Build event!

Sent from my Note 4

They made it really easy for them (had too) It was a great move on MSFT's part. There was/is a problem and I think their solution is brilliant.

 

[IIGood]

Those prices actually aren't too bad for what they are. Think of the smaller form factor you gotta cram those electronics into versus a laptop...and this basically is a full-blown laptop...full OS, full PC CPU, etc.

I only chime in because we're doing an Alpha test on these at my job. I've been using one for several months and it does everything my main work laptop does, but faster thanks to the SSD. I typically use it when I'm doing my on-call rotation. Much easier to carry around than the laptop, boots into Windows faster so I'm not holding the customer up longer than necessary when they call, and so on. It does use Windows 8.1 so that's a minor ding against it but we've figured out ways around that. Disabled the tile interface and we've gotten some of our applications to run on it. Some other applications still aren't compatible but that's our own fault...we're still living in IE8 days and some stuff is just barely compatible with Win7.

We've deployed about 10 of them to select people so far who have been putting them through the wringer...our Beta phase is next when we'll get them into the hands of execs, other upper management, and some of the sales team. The devices we got were about 3 times as costly though, but I'm sure these have better hardware (Core i7 processor, 8 GB RAM, 256 or 512 SSD...and it included a dock and keyboard).