Surface Pro 3: Microsoft gets most things right

NEW YORK — Microsoft had Apple in the cross hairs when it introduced the Surface Pro 3 tablet last week. Every one of Apple's tablet rivals has iPad-envy after all. What was unexpected was the degree to which Microsoft hammered its claim that the newest Surface also is meant to duke it out against Apple's popular MacBook Air laptop as well. Left unsaid was that Surface Pro 3 might also slug it out against any number of Ultrabook computers though Microsoft was understandably reluctant to utter such a thing out loud since Windows software is the lifeblood of Ultrabooks.

There's hardly a guarantee that Surface Pro 3 will hit big with the productivity-minded customers Microsoft has in mind, but based on my tests it's a strong tablet that doubles, with some limitations, as a strong laptop alternative. Microsoft has designed a handsomely sleek, business-first Windows 8.1 hybrid that is easy to fall for.

No it isn't appropriate for all comers. The storage, especially on the entry level $799 Surface Pro 3 model, is limited — 64 GB comes with the system, but only 37GB is available to the user. You can bolster capacity through a hidden microSD card slot or online via Microsoft's OneDrive.

And good as the optional $129.99 magnetic Surface Pro Type Cover accessory is — the Qwerty keyboard has more "travel" than before, the keys are now backlit, and the touchpad is vastly improved — it is still not quite the same as having a topnotch keyboard built in.

Attention laptop user: the Type Cover is a must. And the fact that it's still an option is a shame, because a keyboard is a key ingredient for a laptop. Consider $928.99 the true entry price.

Most hybrid computers I've seen have been compromised. In tablet mode they don't generally perform as well as a standalone slate, nor are they superior in laptop mode to a standalone laptop.

Microsoft's machine holds its own on both counts. Start with the high-resolution (2160 x 1440), 12-inch multitouch display. It's lovely. There's ple! nty of screen real estate for displaying two open Windows simultaneously — Word and Internet Explorer, say — which Windows 8.1 lets you do. Earlier Surface models (still in Microsoft's lineup) have 10.6-inch screens.

USA TODAY's Ed Baig talks to Micrsoft exec Panos Panay about the new Surface Pro 3.

The fourth generation Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 processors inside Surface Pro 3 are state of the art for now (though more power efficient Intel chips are coming). Surface 3 also has a full-size USB 3.0 port and Mini DisplayPort. The stereo speakers sound good. There are front and rear-facing 5-megapixel cameras.

Meanwhile, Surface 3 weighs less than 1.8 pounds, heavier than the 1-pound iPad Air, but more than a pound lighter than a MacBook Air with a 13.3-inch display. The weight with the Type Cover keyboard is about 2.4-pounds, same as the smaller 11-inch MacBook Air.

The nine hours of battery life for surfing the Web that Microsoft is claiming — I didn't run a formal battery test —stacks up well too, though it is less than what Apple claims for the iPad Air and 13.3-inch MacBook Air.

Microsoft can't compete with the iPad in terms of tablet apps, of course, but the flip side is that since Surface is a fully compliant laptop it runs virtually all of the Windows programs that your desktop PC can, from Photoshop to Quicken to Microsoft's own Office suite.

For the fuller PC treatment, you'll have to wait until later in the summer to add a $199.99 dock connector with extra ports and connectors.

One way I tested Surface Pro 3 as a true laptop replacement was to write this column in Word on my lap. (I used my Office 365 subscription to install Word; unlike Surface computers based on the Windows RT variant, Surface Pro 3 doesn't pre-install Word, Excel or PowerPoint.)

Earlier Surface models had a portable kickstand but you could only prop up the machine at two distinct angles. The major achievement here is that you can raise or lower the Surface Pro 3 kickstand to any angle. That is a bigger deal than you might first think. You can also fold up the very top edge of the Type Cover keyboard to prop it up at an easier to type on angle, also a big deal.

Yet another plus is the use of a special pressure-sensitive pen that will let you draw on the screen, jot n! otes and so on. Clicking the top of the pen launches Microsoft's One Note note-taking app, a handy (pun intended) touch. Alas, I fret about losing (or forgetting) the pen because there's no place on the tablet to stow it.

Microsoft has redesigned the proprietary AC adapter so your earlier brick won't work with this model. As before, a USB port on the power brick lets you charge your phone at the same time.

Microsoft gets most things right with Surface Pro 3. It's not a perfect tablet or a perfect laptop. But it's a perfectly appealing combination of the two.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Microsoft Surface Pro 3

$799 on up, www.microsoft.com/surface

Pro. Thin, light. Solid tablet/laptop combination. Capable of running Windows software. Pen. Type Cover keyboard. Kickstand.

Con. Limited storage. No place to stow pen. Keyboard cover should be included.

Email: ebaig@usatoday.com; Follow @edbaig.