Its been a couple months since the release of the Surface Pro 3 in the United States. But, for those outside of the U.S., its been a long few months waiting for the official release. Today, Microsoft has announced that their premier flagship tablet will finally be available in 25 additional markets.
There have been reports by some recent Surface Pro 3 users -- specifically those buying the Intel Core i7 devices -- that their tablets are overheating.
Microsoft officials responded publicly on August 26 to those reports, claiming a fix is in the works and will be available "as soon as possible." (Officials declined to say if that means on the next Patch Tuesday, which is September 9, or some other date.)
Signs point to Microsoft updating the Intel internals of the Surface Pro on Tuesday. And Windows Phone Central is claiming it has more details.
The site lists a variety of models -- or possibly just different SKUs -- based on a range of Intel Core series processors and a range of prices.
Last fall, Microsoft officials said to expect the company to make available an LTE-enabled version of the Surface 2 in early 2014.
It looks like that product may be getting closer to availability -- though given Microsoft's spotty availability of its Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 devices, maybe I should say "announcement."
Microsoft seemingly has begun rolling out at least part of an awaited firmware update for its second-generation Surface Pro 2 tablets, according to user reports on Twitter and in various online forums.
However, the firmware update may be one of multiple updates or a partial update only, said sources close to the company.
Following reports by Surface Pro 2 customers of excessively fast battery drain after applying last week's firmware updates, Microsoft has pulled the update.
"To ensure the best experience for our customers during the holiday season we have taken steps to remove the update for Surface Pro 2 that was previously published through Windows Update on December 10th, 2013. We are working to release an alternative update package after the holidays," confirmed a Microsoft spokesperson.
If you’ve been putting off buying Microsoft’s slate until the price dropped a little, now’s your chance to pick up a bargain. As part of a holiday deal at the Microsoft Store, the devices and services giant has slashed $200 off the price of the 64GB version of the first-generation Surface Pro, and $220 off the 128GB model.
The Surface RT, as it was then known, was Microsoft's first attempt to build a tablet computer.
On the upside, it was a well-built tablet with an attractive screen. It was also a bit more than a tablet—an integrated kickstand was handy for watching streaming video and the like. When paired with one of Microsoft's keyboard accessories, it became a good option for homework, e-mailing, light work, and more thanks to the bundled Office 2013 apps.
When creating the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2, Microsoft's ambition was not to reinvent the device but simply to make it better. The company is committed to the basic Surface concept of a tablet with a kickstand and detachable keyboard, and the second generation devices do nothing to shake up that formula. Like before, the goal is to make tablets that are highly productive.
Aesthetically, the devices look extremely similar to their predecessors. On the Pro version, the only obvious change is the logo on the back. Where before there was a Windows logo, there's now a Surface logo.
Though Microsoft has lost hundreds of millions of dollars on its Surface tablets, the company made it clear on Monday that it has no intention of backing away from the platform, going as far as to openly state plans are in place for future Surface tablets in the years to come.
The new Surface lineup represents a refinement of last year's models, sporting better battery life and upgrades to features like screen resolution and new keyboard accessories.
