Touted as the "tablet that can replace your laptop," Microsoft has released the first-ever commercial for the next revision of Microsoft's revenue hungry tablet line. In the 30 second spot, the commercial takes the target audience from bed to work to play. And, of course, it highlights the key features of the Surface Pro 3 that differentiate it from the rest of the tablet offerings which include: pen support, size, keyboard, Office, kickstand, external ports, power and speed, and "the freedom of touch."
But, about 10 seconds into the commercial, the following words pop-up on the screen:
Office, keyboard and features apps and programs sold separately.
So, yes, while it can replace your laptop, it'll cost you extra to cobble together a full laptop deviant.
Despite the additional cost for some of the pieces shown in the commercial, the world appears to be raving about Microsoft's latest release. Not quite on the same level of Apple's products, the masses are gearing up to receive it with open arms. And, while I'm personally hankering to touch one of these devices, I'm trying to take a different tact and understand if it truly can provide all I need. Don't hop the trail just because everyone else is doing it. Take the time to look past the glamor and shimmering appeal and decide if it's something you might actually still be using a year from now.
Not surprisingly, the commercial releases just a few hours prior to public demo availability. Surface Pro 3 devices will be available to demo in Microsoft retail stores starting today, with full purchase power coming on June 20. If you preorder online, the units will start shipping on that same date, but will be available (as supplies last) in physical stores.
It should be noted that only the Intel i5 (128GB and 256GB) units will be available first and the rest not shipping until the end of August. Most review articles state that the Surface Pro 3 starts at $799, but when you dig deeper and review the models that will actually be available on June 20, expect to pay $999 to begin with. The Intel i5 128GB is $999 and the Intel i5 256GB is $1,299.00. Both without a keyboard which will cost an additional $129.99.
