Surface Pro 3 i7 Review
Authors, bloggers and writers in general have held the monopoly on working anywhere for too long. Cafes the world over are full of people free from the shackles of their desks, busy beavering away while enjoying free wifi, good coffee and the freedom to disconnect from the oppressive office environment.
For digital artists it’s sometimes not so simple. We require more from our laptops than the ability to surf the web or write a manuscript. For many, just being able to sketch or continue an illustration is enough, but for those of us who work in 3D we also need to be able to manipulate thousands, if not millions of polygons, sculpt and texture a detailed model or animate a fight scene.I realise that there are tablets available which allow you to do this already. The Cintiq Companion for one is a great tablet for sculpting and painting, but it’s not the most mobile of devices and trying to write or do more general tasks on it can feel cumbersome.
I`ve been a fan of the Surface Pro 2 for a while now and had hoped this would be the device which would give me more freedom. Although it did eventually replace my iPad and laptop, the smaller screen size, basic stylus and lack of any physical buttons meant I was never as comfortable working on it as I was my desktop.
Then along came the Surface Pro 3 touting many improvements including a larger screen, lighter and slimmer design and a controversial change in direction for the pen. Needless to say I couldn`t wait to get hold of one in the hopes that this was it, this was the tablet/laptop I had been waiting for, one which I could actually work on and would be a true mobile office.So did it live up to expectations? Read on to find out.
Unboxing and Setup
The packaging the Surface Pro 3 comes in is very similar to that of its predecessor, except the main box is longer and lighter.
Once out of the box what you have is a sleek slate of a device which feels solid and well built. The Surface Pro 3 is not only larger and lighter than the Surface Pro 2 but thinner too, with Microsoft reducing the thickness from 13.5mm to just over 9mm.
Also in the box is the pen and its battery, power adapter and a separate adhesive pen holder which you can stick to your Type Cover, if you also purchased one. I was glad to see that the power brick still had the extra USB slot in it which is useful for charging a second device while you’re on the move.
The Surface Pro 3 comes pre-charged, as most devices do these days but I plugged it into the power adapter anyway and turned it on. As with the Surface Pro 2 the power connector attaches using magnets, which helps to hold it in place. The same area, when not charging, can also be used to temporarily hold the pen, again using the built in magnets.
Note: One thing I have noticed with the new power cable is that once connected a white light appears to indicate it is charging, yet it never turns off to indicate when the battery is full.
Once the Surface has booted, which takes mere seconds to do, you are then presented with the usual configuration steps which you would expect with a Windows based device as well as an onslaught of updates.If you have a Microsoft account you can also log in and synchronise the main settings with your desktop system which was a nice touch and made me feel more at home while navigating it.
The Screen
The new 12.1 inch display boasts a resolution of 2160x1440 pixels, which is a welcome improvement over the 10.6 inches or 1920x1080 pixels of the Surface Pro 2.
The larger screen is clear, bright and pin sharp, plus the size makes it instantly more comfortable to look at while you work. Most applications now fit nicely on the desktop, with the exception of a few like ZBrush which is still a little too wide, especially when navigating the Lightbox, but this isn`t a major issue.The downside is if your applications don`t support a scalable UI you may find that the increased dpi means your icons and menu items are almost lost, but many developers seem to be embracing the dynamic UI which is a welcome move on their part and more should be integrating this sort of flexibility.
The Stand
With the Surface Pro 2 the built in stand, when not in use, folded nicely into the back of the device becoming invisible. Thankfully the same design has been applied here and also enhanced.
With the older model you were restricted to two stand positions, which worked as a standard way to hold up the device as you worked or watched a movie. With the Surface Pro 3 Microsoft hasn’t just added a few more positions they have made the stand fully adjustable. So you have the freedom to fold it around from closed to almost flat, with the stand supporting the weight at any angle in between.
In practice this works very nicely and means you can work anywhere and in any position. Sitting on the sofa with it on your knees, lying with your knees up and the stand propped over them or even hunched over it while working on a desk.
It’s quite liberating not being forced into two set positions.
The Type Cover
Although you can use the Surface Pro 3 without the Type Cover through its on screen keyboard, it really comes to life with it. Not only does it work as a back lit keyboard but also a cover to protect the screen when not in use.It’s important to state that the Type Cover is sold separately, but this is also an area where Microsoft hasn`t hesitated to make improvements.
I`m typing with it now as I write this review and I find it quite comfortable to work on. The actual size of the key area is no different to the one on the Surface Pro 2, but the outer area is larger, as it would need to be to cover the increased screen size, but this also means there is more room to rest your hands.
The multi-touch touchpad is the first area which has seen a redesign. It’s larger, nicer to run your fingers around and you can now physically click it to make selections.
The second area of improvement is the way the Type Cover actually connects to the Surface. As before magnets are used to help guide it and hold it in place, and this feels really nice and solid. As an extra step however you can now also fold the keyboard up slightly so a smaller strip close to the device attaches to it, again using a magnet.
This raises the keyboard to a more natural typing angle, and makes it sturdier to work with, although the keyboard is still flexible so will bend slightly under heavy fingers.
The only negative point I have to say about the Type Cover is that even with it attached the on screen keyboard still tends to pop up when you need to type into a selection box in a browser for example. It’s just a small thing, but can get a little annoying when you have to close it each time.
The Pen
One of the most controversial decisions Microsoft made with the Surface Pro 3 was to switch from using a Wacom based digitizer to n-Trig. Initially people weren`t too happy with this as it was seen as possibly a step backwards. Many hoped that the pressure levels would have been increased on the Surface Pro 3 to 2048, which is standard with Wacom devices. With n-Trig it has gone the opposite way and been reduced to just 256.The pen on the Surface Pro 2 wasn`t perfect and as soon as I could I replaced it with the Wacom Bamboo Stylus which was much more precise and nicer to work with. Even then there was a slight issue with the pointer becoming offset as you moved towards the edge of the screen. This doesn`t seem to be an issue with the new n-Trig system.
Another improvement is the addition of a third button, bringing it in line with the desktop stylus. This means you can use the pen as a mouse and still have access to two more buttons for right and middle click. Well, you could accept there are currently no options for configuring the pen buttons.
By default the tip acts as your usual left click, the first button is the eraser and the third is the right click. The button at the end of the pen, which did nothing on the Surface Pro 2 now actually has a function. Again this is not customizable but a single click will launch One Note, even if the device is off, and a double click will take a screen shot.
When the Surface first launched there were no options for configuring the pen and many people complained about the linear pressure curve. As an artist you need to be able to adjust these levels to compliment the way you work, so it’s a very personal thing.
Thankfully Microsoft quickly followed this up with the launch of the Surface Hub, an application which allows you to adjust the pressure curve, all be it in a basic way. Unfortunately this is pretty much all this tool does, and I would have liked to see more options available for button customisation too.
In use the pen works very nicely. Once you get over the hover lag, which is an issue where the cursor seams to float behind your pointer as you hover the pen over the screen, you will find that it’s smooth and responsive. When the pen touches the screen the pointer jumps to that point so the hover lag isn`t an issue once you learn to ignore it.
To date I have dabbled in Mischief, Photoshop, ZBrush and 3DCoat and have yet to notice any issue with the reduced pressure sensitivity. If anything the new pen feels more natural to hold and even more precise making it ideal for sketching, painting and even taking notes.
Radial Menu
One of the areas I really missed with the Surface Pro 2, and again with the Surface Pro 3, is the lack of any physical buttons at the side of the screen. Coming from a Cintiq, and with most of my main applications needing some sort of keyboard access, I did struggle with using ZBrush, Maya and 3DCoat. All of these need the user to at the very least hold or press the Alt, Control and Shift key to maintain a streamlined workflow.
Yes you can use the Type Cover, but with applications like these you want to use the pen and hold the device like a tablet as you work, with the keyboard detached.
One solution is to enlist the help of a third party application like RadialMenu, which gives the user a suite of configurable buttons and a custom radial menu which will float on the desktop. This toolbar can then be touched and held as you work as you would any physical button.
Another advantage of an application like this is that you can create a new personalised toolbar per application and also reconfigure the Surface Pro 3`s pen buttons as well as the volume buttons.Problem solved, right? Well, not exactly. This type of tool is excellent for this sort of issue but in practice it can sometimes become frustrating.
As an example, you’re working in ZBrush and decide to hold Alt to sculpt a recess into the model, if your hand brushes the screen or your finger moves slightly the button is unintentionally released. So you then end up adding to the surface of your model rather than removing. Yes you can press Undo but it breaks your concentration and train of thought and ultimately becomes frustrating.
I admit that this is more of an issue with the software than the hardware, it could also be my fat fingers, or perhaps it’s just a simple case of getting used to a new workflow. Either way I intend to persevere with the tool as the applications work well on the i7 so I want to push myself to use it for as much as I can.
Ideally Microsoft will hear our calls and invest the time into creating their own configurable touch keyboard. One already exists in Windows, so all they need to do is rework that one so you can drag a few choice keys to the side of the screen and keep them there as you work.
If you know of any other good touch keyboards which work on the Surface Pro 3 then please let me know in the comments below and I will give them a try.
You can find a great, more in depth review of RadialMenu over at SurfaceProArtists website.
Digital Art Use
I`ve talked in length about the Surface and its improvements but let’s get down to business. The upgrades are all well and good but will the Surface Pro 3 run the applications we all want to use?
Rather than give a general overview of how the Surface performed with a few key 3D applications I thought I would add a separate section on each, outlining their pros and cons.In general there were occasions when the Surface`s fan would kick in and continue to whirl loudly for long periods of time, in addition to this the back of device did get quite warm. This did only seem to happen when I was using more processor intense applications like ZBrush or 3DCoat.
Mischief
If you’re not familiar with it, Mischief is a relatively new application focusing purely on drawing and sketching. Working in tablet mode i.e. type cover detached, your Surface becomes your own digital A4 sketch pad.
Without the need to hold or press any extra buttons you can then happily sketch or ink using the pen with each stroke coming through fluidly, and the pressure registering nicely.
However, using the touch screen to zoom, pan and rotate around the canvas was a strange experience, as you will see from the video below. Panning with two fingers worked seamlessly but zooming into the canvas didn`t always register. With practice I had to pan first and with my fingers still in position zoom into the scene.
I downloaded one of the sample files from the Mischief web site, to compare performance and initially I was disappointed. Zooming into the scene and panning around it did become laboured when more information was being displayed. This disappointment soon vanished when I tried the same scene on my desktop machine and noticed the same issues. So essentially this was not a hardware problem.So to summarise Mischief works very nicely on this device.
Maya
With Autodesk Maya, an application I use daily, I decided to take a scene I was currently working on and open it on the Surface. This way I could properly compare the two devices.Happily the scene, which was a subdivision surface based animal, seemed to perform equally to the desktop. I could pan, move and edit the topology with no visible delay in the feedback.
Next I took a more complex scene and opened it on the Surface. This one was a character made up of over 1.5 million polygons. So not super high resolution, but a decent every day test. Panning and moving around the scene was flawless, and I was happy to be able to use the touch screen to do this too. It was when I tried to edit the model that things slowed down.
With Viewport 2.0 enabled model manipulation was very slow. Using Soft Selection, the falloff display moved across the models surface smoothly but it was when I selected a vertex and move it that things began to chug.
To compare I switched to the Legacy Default Viewport and things did speed up dramatically.
Although I was using the RadialMenu tool I mentioned earlier I did feel that for more intense work I still needed access to the keyboard. I work primarily with Maya`s Marking Menus which are heavily keyboard based, so in this instance RadialMenu couldn`t compare.In summary Maya handled flawlessly for lower end work but I would primarily use the Legacy Default Viewport for more higher end models. I also decided that for this application, and my particular way of working, it would be easier to use a mouse and keyboard for more focused work.
Update - 23/2/15 - After spending some more time with Maya on the Surface I have noticed the same buggy touch screen controls I experienced in Mischief. Perhaps this isn`t a software issue after all and instead is a hardware one?
ZBrush
I was excited to try ZBrush on the Surface Pro 3, not only because its ZBrush but timing wise couldn`t have been more perfect with the release of ZBrush 4R7 and the long awaited 64bit version.
With the Surface Pro 2`s smaller screen ZBrush was cramped to say the least, but its configurable UI meant you could easily rework your main tools to fit on the reduced resolution. With the Surface Pro 3`s increased screen size and resolution the UI was a much better fit, although the Lightbox did hang over the edge slightly as mentioned earlier.
To help myself out I decided to rework the UI to fit better on the Surface Pro 3, if you like you can download it from hereand give it a try yourself.
So how did ZBrush perform? Initially I began by testing some of the models which are supplied with the application in the standard 32bit version. First was the 4R7_QuickHeavyLoadMech project and second was the GroomPracticeLongHair scene. The mech loaded and I was able to move around it and also edit it with the new ZModeler brush, all smoothly and with no lag. Unfortunately when it came to the FiberMesh intense groom scene things did see a reduction in performance.To compare I moved to the new 64bit version and in short both scenes were super smoothly with no lag.As with Maya I loaded the 1.5 million polygon test model next, to see how ZBrush would hold up. Even with two more subdivisions added to the model it continued to be as smooth and fluid as the base mesh. In fact the only issue I did have was I couldn`t then add more subdivisions because I had hit the polygon per model limit on this machine.
So in summary ZBrush ROCKED! Particularly the 64bit version which didn`t even seem to break a sweat.
Update - 23/2/15 - Ok, so after working more in ZBrush on the Surface I may have discovered a major flaw. This may just be my system and I am looking into whether other people are experiencing the same problems but it seems that if you import an external model it loses the pressure sensitivity. It works fine initially with the stock models and using a dynamesh sphere, but loading or importing a model or tool created elsewhere seems to break the pen. This could be a huge game changer for ZBrush on the Surface Pro 3 as it means, certainly in my experience, any work I do on my desktop machine can`t then be continued on the Surface.
I don`t know whether this is a hardware or software issue just yet but I am investigating it. For now you can find out more about this bug in THIS thread I set-up over at ZBrush Central.
Update - 25/11/15 - I can now confirm that ZBrush finally works with the Surface Pro 3! You can read the full details of the update, and how you can fix the issue HERE.
Photoshop CC
Finally I wanted to dip into Photoshop CC as this is kind of the flagship application for the Surface Pro 3.In this blog post last year, Microsoft revealed that it was working closely with Adobe to bring to us a version of Photoshop CC which was "optimized for the Surface Pro 3". This included updates to make the UI more user friendly, the addition of touch controls for navigation and greater accuracy with the pen.
On first loading the program I was struck by just how tiny the UI was. The buttons and menu text were so small I almost had to squint to see them. Luckily Adobe has started to combat this issue, as mentioned above, by adding an Experimental Features tab under the Preferences menu. Inside here is the ability to scale the UI by 200% making the buttons much easier to press on a touch screen device.
Great! I thought. Although I think they maybe went too far.At 200% the UI and dialogue boxes become huge, so much so that this results in some boxes hanging off the screen. I can see why they decided to simply double the button sizes as they are much easier to tap with your finger, however I would have preferred a more scalable UI, or at least a few more options in between. Maybe 150%?
The UI aside, working on the i7, painting and using the touch controls to pan and rotate the canvas worked seamlessly, as promised. Again, just like Mischief, the pen pressure transferred nicely with the lightest and heaviest of strokes coming through beautifully.
This just helped to reassure me that the reduction to 256 levels hasn`t affected the ability to sketch and paint effectively on the device.In a final summary, Photoshop on the Surface Pro 3 is a go! The UI just needs a little bit more flexibility.
Below is a short video to accompany this section where I use the Surface Pro 3 in tablet mode and experiment in ZBrush 4R7 and Mischief.
General Use
I`ve spoken about how the Surface Pro 3 holds up to being worked on with the more higher intensity 3D and 2D applications but there is so much more it can do.
Surfing the web is smooth and responsive, plus if you’re using Chrome along with a Google account all your bookmarks and settings are seamlessly synchronised to this system. This again helps to maintain a familiar surrounding as you work or browse as you’re essentially looking at the same browser across computers.
Another area where the Surface has outshone its competitors is by using it to watch TV or movies. Previously on a cold night I would retreat to bed and watch Netflix or some other similar streaming service on my iPad. I recently tried this with the Surface and won`t be going back. The screen is larger and clearer, plus the sound quality is far superior.
As for more office based tasks like writing a document or compiling a spreadsheet the same applies, working on the Surface was a pleasurable experience.
Battery Life
So after all these tests how did the battery hold up?I guess it comes down to what you are using it for. Everyday tasks like writing documents and surfing the web, plus using Photoshop or a similar application, something which doesn`t throttle the processor too much will give you a much longer battery life. I spent a few hours doing these as well as watching some movies and the battery meter didn`t drop much at all. Certainly not to the point where I was dashing for the cable.
Once you start using more intense 3D programs and the fan begins to whirl, the case raises in temperature, then you can expect this to drop dramatically. As an example, an hour in ZBrush can see your battery drop by almost 40% which isn`t ideal if you are traveling.
It’s important to say that I haven`t done any scientific tests so your own timings may differ. In general the battery is excellent for basic tasks but if you’re planning on any 3D work I would have your charger and a plug socket handy.
Mobility
I think the Surface Pro 3 probably answers this question itself.
The slimmer, lighter design with the ability to use the Type Cover also as a screen protector makes this a very mobile device. It’s not as light as an iPad Air 2, but if you compare the scope of just what you can do with it then I know which I would rather have in my bag when heading out to a meeting.
I can already see myself doing a bit of writing, sketching or even ZBrushing whilst on a long train journey.
Should You Invest?
I have to admit that I love the Surface Pro 3 and with the upcoming release of Windows 10 I can imagine it only getting better.It’s a perfect device for everyday tasks such as using Microsoft Office, writing emails, surfing the web, watching movies etc. the list goes on, and I love the way you can use it as a tablet and a laptop, so from that perspective I think Microsoft has nailed it.Even small things like it mirroring my desktop machine through my Microsoft account, and Google synchronising Chrome, help to make the transition smoother when I do step away from my desk.
From a creative point of view, a traditional 2D artist or even a Photographer would find it a perfect fit for their work demands. As mentioned, in tablet mode it becomes more like an A4 pad, so painting in Mischief or using Photoshop are ideal.
Unfortunately I still don`t think it will be there yet for some 3D artists. Performance wise it hit all my personal targets meaning I wouldn`t be concerned about switching to this to continue working in Maya or ZBrush if I was out of the office, and close to a plug socket.
What may put some people off is having to use an on screen keyboard solution but with practice and a few application updates this could become a non-issue if you’re willing to persevere.
Ideally Microsoft need to release its own, more robust on screen keyboard solution for us 3D digital artists. Add to this more configuration options for the pen buttons too, making these changeable per application, and they could be on to a winner.
What’s Next?
The review is over and thanks for taking the time to read it, but things don`t end here.In the coming months I plan to take the Surface Pro 3 further and push it to its limits to see just what it can handle. Will it hold up to baking Normal Maps or Occlusion maps? What’s it like to animate or even render on? Could you work through an entire project on it?
These are just a few questions I have, but feel free to post your own in the comments below if there is anything in particular you would like me to test.
In the meantime please make sure your following my Facebook page for more regular updates and thanks for coming.
Although Microsoft supplied the device, the opinions offered in this review are my own.