Surface Pro 3: the three best alternatives

The Microsoft Surface Pro 3 has so far not had to compete with many opponents. There are only a few alternatives that have all the advantages of the Surface - a large screen, a keyboard and pen input. We present three models that can compete with the market leader.

Surface Pro 3 vs. Surface Pro 4

• Not a Surface alternative, but an improvement to the Surface Pro 3, is the successor that will be launched on November 12.
• In another practical tip, we will show you how the two models compare in a direct comparison.

Surface Pro 3 alternative: Lenovo Miix 700

The surface alternative par excellence is the Lenovo Miix 700, which will be launched in November.

• The new Lenovo tablet has a 12-inch display with a resolution of 2, 160 x 1, 440 pixels, which is the same as for the Surface.
• The Miix weighs 780 grams without a keyboard, and 798 grams for the Surface.
• Just like the Surface Pro 3, the Lenovo Miix 700 has a fold-out foot and a keyboard cover that is attached magnetically. The cover of the Lenovo device is a bit more stable, it strongly resembles a notebook keyboard.
• The Miix 700 is equipped with the latest Skylake processors from Intel. The largest version has an M7 processor and is therefore clearly ahead of the Surface Pro 3 in terms of performance.
• The largest version uses 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD as storage - the Surface Pro 3 is even available with a 512 GB SSD.
• Lenovo provides interfaces like Microsoft USB 3.0, USB 2.0 and Micro-HDMI. There is also a micro SD slot on both devices. In contrast to the Surface, the Miix is ​​also available in an LTE version.
• No details are known about the stylus input on the new Miix 700.
• The price of the Lenovo Miix 700 is significantly below the expensive Surface: the device including keyboard and pen should cost $ 699.

Acer Aspire Switch 12: Cheaper than the Surface Pro 3

Acer has a Surface competitor on the market with the Aspire Switch 12.

• The tablet has a 12.5-inch screen diagonal and 1, 920 x 1, 080 pixels, which is fewer pixels than the Surface on a slightly larger screen. The Switch 12 creates sharp images, but they don't look as clear as on the Surface.
• With the keyboard dock, the tablet weighs 1.4 kg, without it it is 1.1 kg. This makes it significantly heavier than the Surface.
• Instead of the fold-out foot, the Acer Aspire Switch 12 can be attached to the keyboard dock and set up like a laptop.
• An Intel Core M 5Y10c dual-core with 800 MHz works inside the Switch 12. The Surface is thus much faster on the road, but the performance is completely sufficient for normal multimedia and work applications.
• The Switch 12 has 4 GB of RAM and a 128 GB SSD. There are no other equipment options.
• The tablet offers a USB 2.0 port on the keyboard dock and a micro USB 3.0 port on the tablet.
• The memory is expandable, the device has a micro SD slot.
• The digitizer, which is available as an accessory for around 60 euros, works less precisely than that of the Surface, but the Acer Aspire Active Stylus is good for notes.
• The tablet including the keyboard costs around 700 euros.

Apple's iPad Pro: With keyboard and stylus

Apple's new iPad Pro is also a real Surface competitor. The giant iPad will be released in mid-November.

• The iPad Pro has a 12.9-inch screen and has an amazing 2, 732 x 2, 048 pixels.
• The iPad is very flat: the tablet is only 6.9 mm thick.
• Together with the Smart Keyboard, which is magnetically connected to the side of the tablet, you can set up the iPad like the Surface.
• The new iPad contains a new A9X processor that is said to be 1.8 times faster than the already very high-performance A8X CPU in the iPad Air 2.
• The iPad Pro will be available in memory variants from 32 to 128 GB. The memory cannot be expanded.
• The iPad does not have a USB connection either, only USB devices can be connected via the Lightning port using an adapter.
• With the Apple Pencil as an optional accessory, Apple is equipping an iPad with an active stylus for the first time.