I spent over an hour today at the Bellevue Square Microsoft Store and I can tell you the Surface 3 is absolutely amazing. It’s beautifully designed, thin, light, powerful. But as beautiful as it is, I had to cancel my order, see Surface 3 it’s not you, it’s me…
I know, I know, I know, when I held you it felt so right, you are slender, well balanced, a joy to hold. And when I caressed you with the stylus it was gentle, smooth, perfection. But then I thought… what am I doing? Why is my eye wandering to another? My Surface RT, tucked snuggly in my briefcase, provides me everything and anything I could want for right now in a laptop sized device.
But more than that I realized I was jumping too soon. You see, I know there will be another, but for me, now is not the time. As much as I loved writing on your 8 1/2 by (almost) 11 inch screen what I really longed for, what really will complete me, is a 7″ tablet I can both browse on and write on, yet carry in my pocket. See, I’ve never been the showy, flash a full-sized pad of paper kind of note taker. Rather I’m the type that likes a more discrete note pad size. I’m more of a 4×6 sized note-taker than an 8 1/2 by 11 sized note-taker, which by coincidence turns out to be a 7″ screen size which, for me, is just about spot on perfect.
And I also remembered, didn’t Microsoft *almost* announce a Surface Mini at the same time it announced the Surface Pro 3? But a few things held it up, most notably, they were not ready to release the “modern” version of Microsoft Office. So they would have had a 7″ device, totally geared for touch, with a version of Office really geared for mouse and keyboard.
And where are we now 18 months later? Preview versions of “modern” Office apps are available to try, and Windows 10, and Windows 10 Mobile, will release this summer. And you know that Microsoft, and the other device makers, are getting ready to roll out a whole set of new hardware in conjunction with the Windows 10 release, and we most likely will see the long anticipated Surface Mini.
So, if you are in the market right now for a new laptop, I strongly encourage you to consider the Surface 3. For me? I have a Surface RT which does almost everything many of the things I need given I’m not currently a heavy laptop user, and I remain optimistic that later this summer the device of my dreams will finally materialize. So for now, I’ve cancelled my order for the Surface 3. And please Surface 3, always remember, it wasn’t you, it was me.
clarkb... 