Microsoft’s Surface family has a lot of members, and it’s not always easy to tell them apart. For example, the Surface 3 and Surface Pro 3 look identical at first glance, but they’re different devices on the inside. We tested the Surface 3 and Surface Pro 3 to help you decide which one is right for you.
Spec comparison: Surface 3 vs. Surface Pro 3
Both tablets come with Windows 8.1 and can be used with a keyboard cover (with backlit keys), a stylus and other accessories such as a docking station and wireless display adapter. Apart from the different sizes, both devices look the same on the outside. That's where the similarities end.
The Surface 3 is the more affordable of the two tablets. It has 2GB of memory and 64GB of storage, which can be doubled. It has a 10.8-inch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1280. This tablet is powered by a quad-core Intel Atom x7 processor, which isn’t as powerful as the Intel Core processor on the Surface Pro 3. However, the Surface 3 does have a longer battery life (10 hours versus 9 hours).
The Surface 3 runs the full version of Windows, just like a regular laptop, and has a full-size USB 3.0 port, a microSD card reader, and a Mini DisplayPort. These features give it several advantages over tablets like the iPad, but it won’t replace a regular laptop.
