PCWorld Jul-14

IN LATE MAY, Microsoft announced the Surface Pro 3. Representing more than a mere spec boost over the Surface Pro 2, this tablet is a new entry in the lineup, and one designed to “replace your laptop.” To that end, the Surface Pro 3 blends tablet sleekness with Core i7 power. At the launch event, Surface head Panos Panay called the tablet, which the company designed in conjunction with Intel, “the thinnest Core product ever created.” The Surface Pro 3 measures a mere 0.35 inch thick without a keyboard cover, a hair thicker than the 0.29-inch iPad Air and far thinner than the MacBook Air, which measures 0.68 inch at its thickest point. This device isn’t fanless: The new Haswell Core processors are much more energy efficient than their predecessors, but…

WHEN MICROSOFT’S PANOS PANAY announced on May 20 that customers would be able to preorder the Surface Pro 3 the next day, the implication was that the tablets would be shipping soon. But that isn’t the case for all configurations of the newest Surface. Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3 preorder page (go.pcworld.com/surface3order) reveals five configurations, from a $799 model with a Core i3 processor and 4GB of RAM to a $1949 version with a Core i7 processor and 8GB of RAM. As of this writing, the two Core i5 models will ship by the time you read this, on June 20, while the Core i3 version of the tablet and both Core i7 models will ship on August 31. Our first impressions of the Surface Pro 3 are positive (for more, see our hands-on…

MICROSOFT’S “TABLET THAT CAN REPLACE YOUR LAPTOP” looks mighty impressive on paper, from the machine’s pixel-packed 12-inch screen to its almost impossibly slim 0.35-inch chassis to its full-blown Intel Core processor. And that’s only on the, er, surface: The thoughtful design tweaks that Microsoft is integrating into the Surface Pro 3 seem sure to make the new slate far more comfortable to use than its smaller predecessors were. Multiple configurations During the launch announcement, Surface head Panos Panay touted the Surface Pro 3’s Core i7 processor, but Microsoft is actually offering a wide, almost PC-like range of Surface Pro 3 configurations. Whereas the Surface Pro 2’s smaller dimensions limited that device’s built-in storage options, the Surface Pro 3 will be available in a multitude of flavors. Following is a list of the five…

Almost a PC In moving from the 10.6-inch display of the Surface Pro 2 to the 12-inch screen of the Surface Pro 3, Microsoft’s tablet line is becoming more PC-like than ever. Really, the only things differentiating the Surface Pro 3 from a traditional laptop are the strength of the hinge and the weight distribution. Otherwise, the Surface more closely resembles a notebook with each iteration. Bigger, brighter By itself, the tablet looks ungainly to use. But the larger screen size and excellent new hinge options make this a viable device to kick back with and watch a movie on. You will see letterboxing with the new 4:3 screen ratio, but it isn’t too bad. At 0.35 inch thick, the new Surface reminds me a lot of the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro—and that’s…

POOR LENOVO: HP introduced a Yoga copycat in February with the Pavilion x360, and now Toshiba is co-opting Lenovo’s contortionist-laptop design. The Satellite Radius is a 15.6-inch convertible with a 360-degree hinge that you can use in five modes: laptop, tablet, presentation, audience, and tabletop. In a late-May briefing, Carrie Cowan, senior product marketing manager for Toshiba, pointed out that Lenovo doesn’t offer a Yoga model with a display this large. “We’re targeting the mobile worker who needs to make presentations on the road,” said Cowan. “This is a high-end laptop that’s convertible.” The Satellite Radius will be available with either an Intel Core i5 processor and a 750GB hard drive for $926, or a Core i7 CPU and a 1TB drive for $1049. Both models will have 8GB of memory, LED-backlit…

LAPTOPS THAT FLIP around to become tablets. Thinner, lighter everything. To see the next big (or small) things in PCs, you have to go to the manufacturing source: Asia. Every summer in Taipei, Taiwan, the Computex trade show draws major PC vendors and legions of component makers. Their goods are hardly as priceless as the Imperial Chinese treasures at the National Palace Museum less than 5 miles away, but this is the stuff tech is made of, and Computex always provides an enticing peek at the near future. Here are some highlights. Dell unveils 360-degree laptops and thin all-in-ones Dell’s upcoming two-in-one Inspiron laptops have 360-degree hinges, just as Lenovo’s Yoga notebooks do. The entry-level Inspiron 11 3000 series, due out by the time you read this, starts at $450 and has an…