The best Microsoft Surface Pro 3 version gets a $150 discount
If you are in the market for a Microsoft Surface Pro 3 then you should definitely get the 256 GB version with 8 GB of RAM. It is the best of the bunch, offering the right balance between price and performance. It is also the model that I would leave my 13-inch Apple MacBook Air for.
Luckily, if you are considering the aforementioned Surface Pro 3 version, Microsoft is now sweetening the deal with a $150 discount, which brings the price down to a more affordable $1,149. Normally, the slate costs $1,299.
I would not advise pocketing the difference, however. For $129.99 you can get a Type Cover keyboard, which would make Surface Pro 3 much more usable as a laptop replacement. You can always get a third-party keyboard, but given that Type Cover was designed to be used with the slate it will most likely work best with it.
Or, for $49.99 more, you can get the $199.99 dedicated docking station, which adds even more convenience to the mix -- it adds three USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a Mini DisplayPort and a security lock. You should consider this option if you plan on using Surface Pro 3 mostly at a desk, where any keyboard -- and mouse -- would do.
Microsoft says that this offer is good between May 17 and May 23, 2015, which means that you have until this Saturday to pull the trigger. No matter if you take this deal or not, Microsoft will ship Surface Pro 3 with a free sleeve, until July 1.
Surface Pro 3 highlights include: 12-inch display with a resolution of 2,160 by 1,440 (3:2 aspect ratio); 1.9 GHz Core i5; HD Graphics 4400; 256 GB of internal storage; 8 GB of RAM; battery life: up to 9 hours of web browsing; Wi-Fi 802.11ac; Bluetooth 4.0; full-size USB 3.0 port; mini DisplayPort; microSD card slot; 5 MP front and rear cameras; stereo speakers; Surface Pen; Windows 8.1 Pro (64-bit). Physical dimensions: 292.10 x 201.42 x 9.14 mm and 790 grams (11.50 x 7.93 x 0.36 in and 1.76 lbs).
Photo Credit: Joe Wilcox