Microsoft Surface Pro 3 – The All Convergent Device?

I keep looking for the perfect, convergent device that will meet all of my computing needs. So far, I haven’t found that device, but Microsoft is getting closer with the new Surface Pro 3. It has the horsepower and usability I need and it might fit the bill for mobility as well.

I currently have a number of devices that I use. There are the tinkering devices such as my old laptop, and that really horrible Acer Iconia W3 tablet that I picked up at the Microsoft Build convention a couple years back. There are the hardcore, get-work-done devices such as my desktop machine with dual monitors. Finally, I have the mobile devices that I love and use often, my iPhone 5 and my Microsoft Surface Pro. Each one of these devices has its own purpose, but I would love to have a convergent device that would rule them all with its all-encompassing functionality.

The Microsoft Surface Pro that I have is a very powerful tablet. It can do all the things that you want a tablet to do and then some. I can use it to run Visual Studio and Word, while it will also do the not-so-work things like Netflix and games. It can be used with the keyboard for work, while used as a tablet for play. However, it lacks the ability to dock to dual monitors and it doesn’t have a cellular (LTE/4G) radio. It is difficult to use as a laptop because of the screen angle and the floppy connected keyboard. Its screen and pen capabilities are not quite there for taking notes. If only there was a hybrid that would address these issues…

Can the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 fill in these gaps as the first, truly convergent device? Possibly so. It comes close. It comes with an available Intel i7 processor, which would provide plenty of horsepower for all manner of applications, from software development tools to CAD packages to graphics-intensive games. It has a 12″ screen, which brings it closer to the size needed to be a laptop replacement (BTW – this is Microsoft’s marketing scheme for this generation. They intend for it to replace your tablet AND laptop). Also, it has a new keyboard design, which seems to take care of the floppy keyboard syndrome, which I mentioned earlier. You can run all of your legacy Windows apps as well as new, Metro/Windows Store apps.

The only 2 things that they didn’t address at this morning’s Surface 3 unveiling was whether or not the device will support multiple monitors and if it will have a cellular radio built in. I have done some poking around on the Surface website and have found that the Surface 2 is to have support for up to 2 monitors:

Plug in an external monitor using the Mini DisplayPort. Multiple monitor support is coming soon to Surface Pro 2 (via DisplayPort 1.2 daisy chaining).

Of course, I’m assuming this would be available in the Surface Pro 3, so I’m assuming this as a win for the Surface Pro 3.

As for the issue of the cellular radio, I’m not as excited… The specs available for the Surface 3 show these as the connectivity options:

• Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11ac/802.11 a/b/g/n
• Bluetooth® 4.0 Low Energy technology

It seems that only the non-pro devices have cell connectivity. I see that the Surface 2 (but not the Surface Pro 2) has the ability to connect to cellular:

Also available with AT&T 4G LTE

Alas, this lack of cellular connectivity seems to be the case with the Surface Pro 3, as well. To this, I have to ask “Why, Microsoft? Why cripple the flagship tablet by removing connectivity?” Perhaps I’m wrong and the Surface Pro 3 has cellular connectivity. We shall see. If it isn’t there, this was a bone-headed design decision. If I were Steve Jobs and I worked at Microsoft (which is an odd leap), I would be kicking over a trash can or firing someone right now over this shortcoming.

Is the Surface Pro 3 the all-convergent, one-machine-to-rule-them-all device? Possibly. I wish that Microsoft had made this answer a “definitely” for me so that this device was on must MUST HAVE list. I wish they had fully designed it as the always-connected device that its target market wants. They were so close. Still, this device is leaps forward from the Surface Pro 1 and it is a device that I will consider buying. Let’s face it – it just seems odd that I’ll have to cellular-tether my Microsoft device to my Apple device to get all of the functionality that I would expect.
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