Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3 computer to go on sale on 28 August

6 Aug 2014

The Microsoft Surface Pro 3

Microsoft today confirmed its forthcoming hybrid notebook and tablet device Surface Pro 3 will be available in retail outlets on 28 August.

The new device comes with a larger 12-inch screen and is 30pc thinner and 26pc lighter than an 11-inch Apple MacBook Air, according to Microsoft.

First unveiled in May by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, the Surface Pro 3 is 9.1mm thick and is thinner than its Pro 1 and Pro 2 predecessors.

It has also been described as the ‘thinnest Intel Core ever’.

Write in red ink

The device’s HD screen has a 3:2 aspect ratio and a 2,160 x 1,440 resolution that Microsoft describes as relatively ‘pixel free’.

As well as USB 3.0 connectivity, the device will have a new docking station and Ethernet adapter, as well as a microSD card reader and Mini Display Port.

The machine comes with a new pressure-sensitive pen that allows users to write and scribble on the screen in red ink.

A new TouchPad has been developed that is bigger and more sensitive and which works with two-finger gestures. The trackpad has also been made wider and longer, 68pc larger than its predecessors.

The next-generation TypeCover also boasts new design improvements insofar as it is thinner than its predecessors.

The device has already been on sale in the US and Canada and hits Ireland and 25 additional markets on 28 August.

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com