Microsoft announces new laptop

KTMphil

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I can't say enough good things about the Microsoft Surface Pro, a fast tablet that runs full Windows, great for running Garmin map software. Microsoft today have announced a laptop version with a 13.5 " screen USD$ 1,499, they say 12 hours of battery life.


Welcome to the Surface Book:


The Surface Book includes a 13.5-inch display with a pixel density of 267PPI. That display is optically bonded to the glass, which means it should look good. Microsoft says the Surface Book is housed in a machined magnesium body — basically, it's a silver metal laptop, but it manages to look far different than a MacBook, despite its similarities in name. Perhaps the standout design element here is the Surface Book's hinge. Microsoft calls it a "dynamic fulcrum." From the side, it appears to almost flex as it bends. It leaves a slightly awkward gap when the Surface Book is fully closed, but it also elevates the display at an angle when the screen is flipped around for use as a tablet. A button on the side releases the display, which detaches from the top of the hinge.
Microsoft says the Surface Book is for someone who wants a bigger screen and "the perfect typing experience" of a laptop. For one, that includes a backlit keyboard. There's also deeper keys, with 1.6mm of travel. Microsoft is kind of freaking out about this keyboard. It's calling it "perfect" and saying it'll type almost silently. Beneath all that, the Surface Book includes a glass trackpad with five points of touch sensitivity.






All together, the machine is supposed to keep running for 12 hours on a single charge. "Ounce-for-ounce, pound-for-pound," Microsoft claims, "this is the fastest 13-inch laptop ever made anywhere on any planet." Microsoft says it'll actually be twice as fast as the MacBook Pro.
The Surface Book will go on sale October 26th with prices beginning at $1,499. Preorders will begin October 7th.



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microsoft-surface-book-22.0.jpg
 
Phil
Do you know if its possible to run mapsource on the surface pro 3 ?
 
I couldnt get mapsource to install on a new dell inspiron running windows 8.1.
Basecamp worked ok on it.
 
Installed Mapsource on a HP Pavillion 14 running Windows 8 Pro and had no problems installing it and it works without any problems.
 
Installed Mapsource on a HP Pavillion 14 running Windows 8 Pro and had no problems installing it and it works without any problems.

Thanks Auke, good to know.
My Dell was stolen so I'm ordering a Surface Pro 3 to replace it.
Are you using Mapsource update 6.16.3 from Garmins website ?
Just wondering if there's any update versions that work better ?
[h=2][/h]
 
Phil
Do you know if its possible to run mapsource on the surface pro 3 ?

Sorry Bill for as late reply, I don't get on the site too often anymore.

Mapsopurce runs on my Surface Pro 3 just fine. Enjoy the Surface Pro 3.

I find it packswrolds thjinnerr than my old 8" Lenovo for trips, l,ovely and thin. However I think the touch screen response sucks compared to (I hate to say this Apple products). Also the kickstand does not work on the lap as well as a traditional laptop setup. The weight bias upsets things a bit and the length needed for the kickstand is a lot more than a traditional laptop layout.

The HD screen is brilliant however. Enjoy it Bill.
 
Thanks Auke, good to know.
My Dell was stolen so I'm ordering a Surface Pro 3 to replace it.
Are you using Mapsource update 6.16.3 from Garmins website ?
Just wondering if there's any update versions that work better ?
[h=2][/h]

I have 6.16.2 running on my HP and no, 6.16.2 / 6.16.3 are the latest updates as Garmin has decided to dump Mapsource in favour of BaseCamp
 
Sorry Bill for as late reply, I don't get on the site too often anymore.

Mapsopurce runs on my Surface Pro 3 just fine. Enjoy the Surface Pro 3.

I find it packswrolds thjinnerr than my old 8" Lenovo for trips, l,ovely and thin. However I think the touch screen response sucks compared to (I hate to say this Apple products). Also the kickstand does not work on the lap as well as a traditional laptop setup. The weight bias upsets things a bit and the length needed for the kickstand is a lot more than a traditional laptop layout.

The HD screen is brilliant however. Enjoy it Bill.

Justin, Auke,thanks for the info
I get the Surface Pro 3 next week so will do battle with it then. My old Mapsource CD that came with my 60csx seems to have given up the ghost so will try installing Mapsource on the Surface Pro 3 using this method
 
Sorry Bill for as late reply, I don't get on the site too often anymore.

Mapsopurce runs on my Surface Pro 3 just fine. Enjoy the Surface Pro 3.

I find it packswrolds thjinnerr than my old 8" Lenovo for trips, l,ovely and thin. However I think the touch screen response sucks compared to (I hate to say this Apple products). Also the kickstand does not work on the lap as well as a traditional laptop setup. The weight bias upsets things a bit and the length needed for the kickstand is a lot more than a traditional laptop layout.

The HD screen is brilliant however. Enjoy it Bill.

Justin
Wrt to some of the shortcomings you pointed out, some improvements/updates seem to have been made according to this review dated Oct 2015.

Update: There's life in the old Surface Pro 3 yet, as the saying goes. Microsoft has pushed a firmware update that improves the 2-in-1's graphical performance on Windows 10. Available to download from Windows Update, HD Graphics Family driver update v10.18.15.4256 can also be downloaded and installed on the Surface Pro 2.....

.....A tablet wouldn't be much of a laptop replacement without a keyboard, and the Surface Pro keyboard was in desperate need of a boost. Luckily, Microsoft sent the Type Cover back to the drawing board, and what came back is the best version yet. From keys with deeper travel and stronger feedback to a wider glass trackpad that actually clicks, nothing was off the table.
But the most important improvement is the brand new double hinge. Equipped with a strong magnet that latches onto the Pro 3's lower bezel, the Type Cover can now rest with just a portion of it touching your lap or desk. This proved to make writing on my lap much more stable than with previous Surface devices. .....

Re the Surface pro 4, bit overpriced for now imo. Also for traveling on the bike, the 12" screen of the pro 3 or similar hits the right balance for me in terms of portability and functionality.
 
Looking at ordering the SP4 type cover with the SP3 tablet.

According to some Amazon reviews, the SP4 type cover solves the shortcomings of the SP3 cover, and will fit the SP3 tablet.

Only small downside would be stowing the older non magnetic SP3 stylus. Apparently the stylus that comes with the SP4 tablet is magnetic, so there's no loop on the SP4 cover for it.
 
REASONS TO UPGRADE TO THE SURFACE PRO 4

[FONT=noto_serifregular]• Thinner and lighter design
• Larger and higher resolution screen
• 16GB of RAM available
• 6th-gen Intel Skylake processor
• 8Mp camera
• Comes with new Surface Pen[/FONT]

[FONT=noto_serifregular]Buy the Surface Pro 4[/FONT]



REASONS TO STICK WITH/OPT FOR THE SURFACE PRO 3


[FONT=noto_serifregular]• Cheaper
• Compatible with new Surface Pen
• Compatible with Pro 4 Type Cover
• Upgradable to Windows 10 for free[/FONT]

[FONT=noto_serifregular]Buy the Surface Pro 3[/FONT]
 
REASONS TO UPGRADE TO THE SURFACE PRO 4

[FONT=noto_serifregular]• Thinner and lighter design
• Larger and higher resolution screen
• 16GB of RAM available
• 6th-gen Intel Skylake processor
• 8Mp camera
• Comes with new Surface Pen[/FONT]

[FONT=noto_serifregular]Buy the Surface Pro 4[/FONT]



REASONS TO STICK WITH/OPT FOR THE SURFACE PRO 3


[FONT=noto_serifregular]• Cheaper
• Compatible with new Surface Pen
• Compatible with Pro 4 Type Cover
• Upgradable to Windows 10 for free[/FONT]

[FONT=noto_serifregular]Buy the Surface Pro 3[/FONT]

Comparo here.

Last week I bought a new SP3 (without type cover) locally and ordered the SP4 type cover from amazon as its not avail in Cambo yet.
For my application there wasn't enough improvements in the SP4 tablet to warrant the extra cost, but the SP4 type cover seems like a worthwhile upgrade going by the reviews.
 
Microsoft is making a big deal out of the Surface Book keyboard being one of the best keyboards ever, which makes it interesting & not too much more money for the base model, Big 13.5" screen too.


Comparo here.

Last week I bought a new SP3 (without type cover) locally and ordered the SP4 type cover from amazon as its not avail in Cambo yet.
For my application there wasn't enough improvements in the SP4 tablet to warrant the extra cost, but the SP4 type cover seems like a worthwhile upgrade going by the reviews.
 
From the Surface Pro, run the HDMI cable to a large monitor, no setup drama, it shows straight away on the monitor. It makes looking at Garmin maps at the 5km zoom level (where on many the detail then appears) great for trip planning as you can see a lot more of the territory.


Here HDMI to a 50" screen


50 inch by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr
 
the new surface pro laptop looks lovely but where i have been working recently we have encountered numerous issues with window 10 , on new machines and with upgrades on older ones and some friends and family have al;so come to me to sort out their Windows 10 issues

I dont trust Window 10 at all now , it defaults often to Microsoft defaults undoing your choices and also loosing all saved data !!!!!it is very intrusive , and intolerant of non Moneytised software that is alternative to MS software also you cant stop the update process which is a nightmare , MS need to tone it down ...8.1 or 7 are OK
 
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