It should get you through the workday just fine. This makes it an excellent device for when you're on the go, as you won't have to carry around a charger just in case you run low on juice. I constantly achieve nine or 10 hours on a single charge with the Surface 3, and even more when using it lightly. It takes a second or third click before Windows decides to actually open Start.īattery life is exceptional.

I've also noticed that sometimes, although rarely, the Start Menu won't open on your first try. Installing updates still takes much longer than on more modern hardware for the same price, and sometimes apps can take a few extra seconds loading, which adds up over time. Although better, Windows 10 hasn't perfected everything. Pushing the Surface 3 any more will cause some noticeable slowdowns. That's the extent of your usage scenario, however. It still chokes when multitasking with more than a few apps at a time, but if you're just doing simple things like writing up a document while listening to some music and browsing the web, the Surface 3 holds up fine. Microsoft has done a lot of work under the hood of Windows 10 to make it work great on low-end hardware, and this directly benefits devices like the Surface 3. In fact, thanks to Windows 10, performance has gotten slightly better compared Windows 8.1. And it really was.Įven in 2017, the Surface 3 holds up in this regard. That wasn't what the Surface 3 was for anyway, and Microsoft positioned the Surface 3 as a productivity device, on that was good for students or those who work in Microsoft Office. It wasn't a device in which you could edit video on the go, as that was the sort of task for a Surface Pro 3. Rocking an Intel ATOM x7 CPU with either 2GB or 4GB of RAM, the Surface 3 was meant to be good for light multitasking, web browsing, email and word processing. First and foremost, performance is important, and as we know, the Surface 3 is no powerhouse.

Best tablets 2017 microsoft office