And while that means the Surface 3 will show black bars when watching movies, the new proportions make it far more balanced to hold as a tablet. The Surface 3 adopts the 3:2 screen aspect ratio from the Surface Pro 3 for its 10.8-inch screen, which makes it resemble a sheet of paper more than the wide 16:9 displays on previous Surfaces. The two tablets still feel very different, though. At 1.37 pounds and 0.34 inch thick, the Surface 3 is also a tad lighter and thinner than the Surface 2, which clocked in at 1.49 pounds and 0.35 inch thick.

It features a new Intel Atom x7 processor, which lets it run traditional Windows apps, unlike the previous Tegra 4 chip. On a purely hardware level, the Surface 3 is the fullest realization of Microsoft's original Surface dream: a portable tablet that can do double-duty as a laptop.

Now that it's finally running software you'd actually want to use, the Surface 3 might make more people recognize Microsoft's design chops. Even today, after testing all five previous Surface devices over the past few years, I'm still impressed with Microsoft's craftsmanship. This time around there's also support for Microsoft's pressure-sensitive stylus, something that's always been available on the Surface Pro series, but never the plain Surface line.ĭon't take my lack of surprise as a negative, though - the Surface 3 is still incredibly well-designed, with an attention to detail you don't find on most laptops and tablets. It's not nearly as versatile as the Surface Pro 3's fully customizable kickstand (which has no distinct positions), but it's enough to make the Surface 3 fit comfortably on your lap in many different orientations.

And of course, there's the iconic kickstand, which can now click into three positions, one step beyond the Surface 2. It has the same silver magnesium alloy case with smooth chamfered edges, which gives it a smooth, premium feel in your hands. No, there aren't any major surprises when it comes to the Surface 3's hardware.

Microsoft surface 3