Why You Can Trust CNET This refurbished Surface Pro 3 includes a keyboard and pen for $449
Plus: Save 15 percent on Ebay (today only!) and enter for your chance to win a Casio Pro Trek smartwatch!
The Surface Pro 3 with pen and keyboard included? How quaint!
A quick update regarding yesterday's 6-deal roundup: The Tacklife rotary tool had promo-code problems (and limited inventory), but the vendor has promised to repeat the deal soon. If you missed out, stay tuned!
Surface Go? I say Surface no. I don't get Microsoft's new tablet at all. It's under-powered, too small to be of practical use and still sold without a keyboard.
But a solid deal on the Surface Pro? That's more like it. For a limited time, and while supplies last, Walmart has the refurbished Surface Pro 3 with Type Cover and Surface Pen for $449.
This is the Core i3 model with 4GB of RAM and a 64GB solid-state drive. You can get the Core i5 model with 128GB SSD for $530, and there are a couple other higher-end models as well.
But for our purposes, let's focus on the $420 option. It's a 12-inch tablet with a full-HD display and 1.75-pound travel weight (not including the keyboard).
Sure, you could get the entry-level Surface Go for $399, but what are you going to do with it without a keyboard? Probably very little, so plan on an extra $100 for that. (Want the Surface Pen, too? That'll be another $100, please.)
Here's the thing: a 10-inch screen and matching keyboard are not comfortable for work. If you're going to schlep a screen and keyboard, why shoehorn yourself into something cramped?
That's what makes this Surface Pro 3 a much smarter buy, in my humble opinion. It's bigger, faster and bundled with one must-have accessory and one nice-to-have accessory.
The catch, of course, is the warranty: 90 days. If you're willing to gamble on that, I'd strongly recommend this over a new Surface Go.
Your thoughts?
Bonus deal: If you're shopping for something, anything, today, see if it's available from Ebay . Because today only (starting at 8 a.m. PT and ending at 10 p.m. PT), you can get 15 percent off nearly any Ebay purchase with promo code PRONTO15.
There are a few conditions, of course. That code is good for a maximum savings of $100, and it can't be used for things like gift cards and warranties.
But if you're looking for, say, a back-to-school laptop, an Apple Watch or some other pricey item, a 15-percent savings is well worth pursuing. Let me know what deal(s) you score!
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