Surface Pro 3 aims to replace laptops -- and paper
Culture
Has Microsoft finally made one tablet to rule them all?
I'm Bridget Carey, and this is your CNET update.
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When it's time to buy a new computer, there's a question many struggle with, do you buy a tablet or a laptop?
Tablets are light and portable, but laptops are just better for getting real work done.
Well, Microsoft says it has improved the Surface Pro tablet so that this version is actually worthy of replacing your laptop.
The new model is called the Surface Pro 3. Much has changed with this fully loaded windows 8.1 tablet.
It's larger with a 12 inch screen, but it's also thinner and lighter than before.
But there are 3 improvements that really matter.
There's the kickstand, the keyboard, and the stylus pen.
The kickstand is more flexible, it can bend back to 150 degrees.
The ProType keyboard cover snaps in place with more magnetic support, so it holds sturdy in different positions, and the trackpad is larger with less friction.
The Kickstand and Keyboard might actually make it comfortable for you to use this on your lap because it's so adjustable.
But Microsoft is also pitching this as a worthy replacement, for paper and pen.
It's hard to beat paper and pen.
It's so quick to use.
There's no fussing with opening apps it works right away and it feels nice.
Well with the new surface.
There's also no app to open.
When you click the pen, it unlocks the tablet to write notes immediately.
A demo showed off the fine details of the pen's digital ink.
And the size of the screen is similar to a spiral notebook.
Microsoft will need to push these productivity perks to help struggling Surface sales and maybe with this Third version, they got something right.
Keep checking in with CNET, as we test it out for our review.
The Surface Pro 3 opens up for pre-orders on Wednesday and the price starts at $800.
But if you want the better Core I7 processor, that'll cost $1,550 and that does not include the Keyboard cover that'll cost another $130.
So Microsoft wants to fix the tablet but Google's latest product hopes to fix your photos.
Specifically, it addresses the hassle of organizing a ton of photos when you get back from a vacation to share online.
The new Google+ Story will automatically sort through your photos, and places you've visited, and weave them into an interactive photo album.
You just have to use Google+ app to back up all your photos.
It tries to take the best ones by ignoring duplicates or anything blurry, but you can edit the photos yourself before sharing.
It'll roll out to Android and the web this week with IOS coming soon.
That's your tech news update, you can find more on these stories at Cnet.com.
From our studios in New York, I'm Bridget Carey.
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