by "Slant6" (slant-6)
Published 11/17/2017 at 08:51
by "Slant6" (slant-6)
Published 11/17/2017 at 08:51
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STARS: 0
I’m currently selling my Surface Pro 2 on eBay . It has served me well for 1.5 years but the small screen really was starting to get to me. I was thinking of just upgrading to a Pro 3, they go for just about at much as my loaded Pro 2 will go for and they have the bigger screen.
I was checking prices on eBay and then cross checked with Microsoft’s refurbished store to see how much Pro 4s are going for and found that the 8gb i5 Surface Book is selling for $750 , about $20 more than i5, 4gb Pro 4 is going for. For $20 you get twice the RAM, the pen, the key board and a bigger screen. Not to mention it’s a stunning machine visually.
This is the model without the dedicated GPU though, but all the Surface Pros I was looking at didn’t have that anyway. I’m mainly looking at this as a machine to use for digital sketching, I’m an Industrial Design major. I also would like to use it for some light mobile 3d modeling. I think Rhino Should run fine without the GPU, and I feel like I should be able to light things in Solidworks, real view off and everything.
I should note that this would serve as a 2nd computer. I have a Dell m4800 with ample specs for everything I do, including flow simulation, that I’m currently lugging around campus.
Any opinions on the Surface line, or Surface Books? It would be nice to have the GPU, but I have a machine that has one and I wouldn’t be doing anything too heavy on the Book, mainly just work in class, sketching, and showing people files that I made on the Dell. I think it’s a pretty good deal at $750, and it includes a warranty, something all the eBay Surface Pros couldn’t offer.
"Nibby" (nibby68)
11/17/2017 at 08:53, STARS: 2
yeah that’s much better than what they go for new
they’re okay but limited expandability as per usual with most new ultrathin laptops
"Slant6" (slant-6)
11/17/2017 at 08:56, STARS: 0
I think it’s almost half off of new. New I would spring for a higher spec one, but I’m looking at it as more of a Surface Pro alternative, and at this price it’s convincing.
It’s also double my initial budget, but I’m getting a more modern machine overall.
"Nibby" (nibby68)
11/17/2017 at 08:58, STARS: 1
surface pros are not worth it at all; this is much better
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/17/2017 at 09:08, STARS: 3
“I’m an Industrial Design major.”
*Cries in Mechanical Engineering*
Look, if you already have a powerful machine, just deal with it. You’re wasting your time and money trying to use such a slim, badly cooled computer for those applications. Bank the money and buy a less powerful convertible/tablet if you don’t like carrying it around for every lesson (looking at you, ETHICS).
I know because I have a similar machine; I have the MBP with intel graphics and it sucks because whenever you even draw the cursor near a video game or a CAD program the SMC goes nuts and my fans spin up making a huge racket! Also, aluminum surfaces absorb heat quickly, I can’t even get close to the “F2" key anytime I run a heavy program. I haven’t taken the CAD program here at university (I’m first year) but I will most certainly use the computers at the lab rather than trying to pretend mobile is good enough.
"AdverseMartyr" (ewilliamson)
11/17/2017 at 09:18, STARS: 1
I like mine, but I don’t really use it too intensively. I just found a good deal on one when I was looking for an ultrabook/2in1 when they had been out for a few months. Though mine does have the GPU (used, under warranty for $1400 at the time).
Perhaps the biggest gripe is that the latch fails to open a bit more than I would like, and the troubleshooting for it is to clean the pins then reattach - which is impossible to do when it fails to unlatch.
The hinge takes a bit of getting used to if you are used to laptops that don’t have a gap between the top and bottom halves when closed.
I installed a microSD with one of those flush aluminum adapters, and I’ve removed it maybe twice in a year and a half. It’s great for extra storage.
"random001" (random001)
11/17/2017 at 09:19, STARS: 0
I have an i7 w/Performance base, moved from an SP4. AMA.
Also, check Swappa.com
"phenotyp" (phenotyp)
11/17/2017 at 09:22, STARS: 1
I’ve been using my Surface Book for almost a year and a half now, and I pretty much love it. I don’t really like sketching on it, still use my Pro 3 for sketching exclusively, but I use the Book for modeling, Keyshot rendering, and everything else. The only negative I have with it is that sometimes if I leave it with memory-intensive stuff running (Keyshot, Solidworks, and Illustrator, for example), and come back after it would have gone to sleep, it’s locked up and requires a hard restart. It seems to be some glitch with either the GPU or some weird shit like windows updates. Haven’t figured that out yet. But overall, I’ve been really, really happy with it.
"Slant6" (slant-6)
11/17/2017 at 09:22, STARS: 0
We have guys run Rhino and Solidworks on Pro 4s just fine. They’re also not doing simulations, I’m one of the only people in my program that learned them in Solidwork, looks really neat in my presenttions.
The real benefit here for me is the pen support. Tablets are one thing, drawing tablets are another. Digital sketching really speeds up my process.
"TheTurbochargedSquirrel" (thatsquirrel)
11/17/2017 at 09:28, STARS: 1
They seem to be rather nice machines. My sister has a Pro 4 which she loves. I also know several friends at school who use Surface Pro 3s and Surface 3s. They like them for the ability to write and take notes on them but the reliability of the Pro 3s seems to be slightly lacking. My friends do tend to beat them up a bit though.
From a drawing perspective though I would recommend the Pro over the Book. The Pro lets you put it at different angles and it will support itself while you draw on it where as the Book tends to be a bit wobbly. That doesn’t make much difference if you are just going to be using the tablet placed flat on a table or closed over the base with the screen out though.
"Slant6" (slant-6)
11/17/2017 at 10:04, STARS: 0
Do you do any sketching? I’ve heard that the Pro is better for drawing over the book.
"Chuckles" (chucklesw37)
11/17/2017 at 10:08, STARS: 0
I’ve got no opinions, but now I’m sitting at work thinking about buying your surface pro 2. Curse you for posting this on a payday.
"random001" (random001)
11/17/2017 at 10:20, STARS: 1
Well, ok, yes, but not maybe what you are thinking. I’m an engineer, so I do engineering drawings that I translate later to CAD. I take a tone of notes on the Book. I think the book is better. The screen is brighter, an the extra inch or so helps a lot. The ability to angle the pro a bit more is nice, though. The book, you can put the screen on backwards and angle it, but if you press too hard it’ll lie down.
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/17/2017 at 10:43, STARS: 0
Yeah, the pen is a plus definitely, but you can get a really good interface using a Wacom tablet (perhaps even better.) on your m4800.
But again, to each its own. I personally wouldn’t buy a laptop already having one more powerful than the one i’m buying. I think you’re better off with something savagely simple. Like a chromebook
"Slant6" (slant-6)
11/17/2017 at 11:18, STARS: 0
It’s not the same off the screen. I actually had an intuos and returned it. I use the Cintiqs in the lab but younger students frequently loose the pens. It’s a little more than a plus for me, it’s really the driving reason for liking the Surface line.
Sure a Chromebook would be perfect if I just wanted something to take to gen ed classes (which I just finished all of last semester). But I’d like to be able to at least open up my 3d files on the go and do some light editing, and nothing too complex. Like maybe some quick changes to make the part CNC right, or so I have dimensions handy when I’m in the shop.
I know I’m justifying this to myself, and I hear what you’re saying. I’m looking at this as more of a WorkStation Lite, rather than a word processor web browser for class.