What are /r/Surface's favorite Products & Services?

From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

>Electronics Fire Containment Bag

For anyone who was curious, you can buy your own on Amazon - only $600USD each:

https://www.amazon.com/Electronics-Fire-Containment-Certified-Materials/dp/B01EYW1SI2

Sounds like a bargain to save a $300 million airliner.. They even include complementary oven mitts!

No. I've had this mouse before and the novelty is simply not worth it. When you're doing work at university, you'll want a mouse with better hardware and features. This is a good mouse.

Download - runs on my desktop running 64 bit Windows 10 Pro - Proof

It's a 15V 6A DC supply that ships with all surface docks. Couple of knock off options here that seem to have good reviews:

https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Including-Carrying-KSW-KINGDO/dp/B07G35JSCP

https://www.amazon.com/KABCON-Compatible-Microsoft-PD9-00003-Transformer/dp/B07G2ZYS6W

I actually didn't use an emulator, I used https://www.android-x86.org/

It's pretty easy, very easy to try it out, you just install it on a usb and then you can either try it without installing by running it off the usb or install it onto the SSD probably an sd card too I suppose.

I opted to shrink my windows installation on the SSD and install it alongside windows 10, so now whenever it boots I just decide if I'm booting into android or windows.

If you've ever booted a live cd of ubuntu or another linux distro it's basically that hard.

They just (and I mean today/yesterday/Feb 19, 2014) passed certification!

From https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1061646928/vlc-for-the-new-windows-8-user-experience-metro/posts/753308

> This is an extremely short update:

> Our dashboad on dev.windows.com finally says:

> VLC for WinRT: Release 1 passed certification.

> We need to polish a few things but we'll publish soon: the major crashes seem to be gone!

> We'll keep you posted.

In any case, there are a lot of updates over here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1061646928/vlc-for-the-new-windows-8-user-experience-metro/posts (some of them require you to be a backer, but not all of them)

I'm using it on and off all the time and don't really have any issues with ads, but that's because I use a selfhosted dns-server which filter out all those nasty things

(If you have a spare raspberry pi just lying around, https://pi-hole.net/)

I don't get it. Has enough money to buy $600-$3000 Surface. Doesn't have enough money to buy $2 battery for pen.

Edit: batteries as low as $.64 each on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Everyday-Alkaline-Batteries-8-Pack/dp/B00LH3DTYS/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1469740446&sr=8-3&keywords=aaaa+battery

Sorry 16:9 is a looser guy. I guess we all have preferences but 16:9 sucks for web, sucks for docs, sucks for books, it's only good for video.

Someone in another article recommended the Alcantara cleaner on Amazon this is the first one I saw... didn't do a deep search. https://www.amazon.com/Sonax-206141-Upholstery-Alcantara-Cleaner/dp/B00BBWJ16U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494025436&sr=8-1&keywords=alcantara

They dont prevent the main kickstand from opening fully in the horizontal orientation either.

Amazon Link

As I discovered that my desktop PC will not support Windows 11, I have decided to switch to my Surface Pro 7 for my primary work computer as I really want to be able to upgrade to 11. I bought this Anker dual HDMI USB-C hub that supports power delivery and Ethernet, and it works great. Really happy with this setup, and looking forward to Windows 11!

Hate that keyboard had with my iPad Pro that gap made my type by touch awkward . Ended up with this much better and folds up to around the same size as your duo there.

Download NirCmd 64-bit and put it on a memory stick. (You only need to put nircmdc.exe on the memory stick, make sure it isn't inside any folders.)

Open notepad and paste in this:

nircmdc setdisplay 2160 1440 32

Save as res.bat on the memory stick, in the same location as nircmdc.exe.

Insert memory stick into surface.

Press win+x

Press shift+c

Type: D:

Press Enter

Type: res

Press Enter

That should fix it, assuming D: is the letter assigned to your removable disk.

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/nircmd.html

(It's legit. If you want some reassurance, Google around and you'll find plenty of references to it. It's basically a command line utility that fills some of the gaps left by standard Windows commands, so you can include those functions in scripts.)

Download that (you'll want the 64-bit version), unzip it to a folder under Program Files so it has a permanent home. Then on the desktop create a new shortcut:

"C:\Program Files\NirCmd\nircmd.exe" monitor off

Double-clicking that shortcut will now switch off the screen without locking it or sending the machine to sleep.

You can pin the shortcut to the taskbar (and remove it from the desktop) for single-press activation. And right-click > Properties > Change Icon to something more appropriate if you're feeling swanky. ;) (There's a suitable "monitor with moon" icon under the default Shell32.dll icons.)

I use it for the same situation, saving the screen from burn-in while streaming music and not having to deal with customizing screen timeouts in power profiles. Hasn't failed me yet!

this is great OP! But you should really look into a way of securing it to the console and/or seats, if this were present in an accident then it could become a serious hazard considering how young your kids are. Maybe something like this may help lower risk significantly: amazon link

I've started reading "The Lean Startup" and if you think about it, Microsoft has been embracing those principles and seeing success. Basically, release a product ASAP, let early adopters tell you what to make of it, iterate to make a better product often, and then release it to the mainstream once you know you have a product that is great.

It took 3 iterations of the Surface to get them there, but it worked. The Surface 3/Pro 3 are great.

And they seem to be doing the same thing with Win 10 pre-releases. Really embracing feedback to make the product great (hopefully that team can thrive like the Surface team).

Use both here's why you MUST use both.

-You can only upload pdf files through desktop onenote

-If you're taking notes with the pen, mod onenote is king, great circle shortcuts and saves battery. (You won't accidentally keep clicking stuff with your wrist)

-You must tweak the settings to make this work in your favor. In mod onenote enable zoom, and in desktop onenote enable entering multiple pages for when you import pdfs.

-Someone here is bound to mention Drawboard(mod app), tried it but it wasn't for me, I suggest you try it, might be for you.

-If using stylus on pdf files zoom in max and write big, then move the screen to keep writing as far right as you wish, its the best way to make things work (trust me I've tried everything).

EDIT: heres some of my notes of interested

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?page=view&resid=B6A5DB9138599429!845&authkey=!AOEU5HKuA2spvG8

> I feel like this is definitely a place where a much simpler Operating System with a lower focus on productivity would be useful.

They're already way ahead of you and have been for years. The Surfaces used by the NFL are custom, including the OS:

> All other features of a consumer-grade Surface...have been stripped away. The tablets only allow access to a Sideline Viewing System app that provides the photos of recent plays

>So, here is another update about our port to WinRT platforms.

>We've worked a lot on the audio crashes, and finally decided to rewrote the audio stack for Windows Metro platforms. Hopefully, this will allow us to finally pass the Store validation. This kept us busy during the holidays.

>We've worked a lot on the interface, as you can see on the following screenshots.

>What you see is the current state of the application, that we are going to submit in the next couple of days.

>Thanks a lot.

source

You can start here: Touch-friendly games

I regularly enjoy XCOM: EW (grenades are fiddly), The Banner Saga, FTL (with the stylus and this tweak, HOMM 3 (not the newer HD version, but the GoG one), and Darkest Dungeon (which isn't 100% touch-friendly, but close enough).

Edit, forgot Hearthstone, and to reinforce Civ V as the best touch game (even if it isn't perfect).

Also, if you have a Dual Shock 4 or wired Xbox 360 controller, you open up a world of emulated PS1 and PS2 games, and ported AAA games.

And Sega Genesis had things like wireless controller, online play, CDs, motion control, a library of downloadable content, and the Dreamcast was one of the first home video game systems to be able to play online.

Problem was the ideas were there but the tech was not.

Before the iPhone, most mobile device screens were not capacitive touch, and included a stylus. And the OS was clunky, and almost required a stylus. Remember Windows Mobile 6? That was a horrible OS compared to how simple iOS was. I mean remember that this was a 2.8 inch screen (HTC Tilt), and we needed to hit the start button and then the programs. And this was a resistive touch screen (HTC Tilt).

And the HTC Tilt and the first iPhone were only 1 year apart.

Apple, while not an innovator, was very good at packaging products and dumbing them down for the public.

I know exactly what you mean, you would think they could have engineered it to sit flush. I got a BaseQi adapter for mine.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01AT7ECA2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_6HD2WYNWM8E5TBDGRSCG

All:

Don't forget to express your concerns directly in the product review page for Surface Pro 2017 (scroll all the way down). It is egregious that Microsoft still has not acknowledged this issue:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/d/surface/8NKT9WTTRBJK/H3CS?icid=Cat_Surface-NavLink1-SurfacePro-Pro-052317-en-us&wa=wsignin1.0

Because of the light bleed and Microsoft's failure to respond, I gave the product 1/5 stars. I felt like I needed to really warn consumers to steer well clear of this product.

Also, the Amazon product page, while you're at it:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072PSBZQB/ref=abs_brd_tag_dp?smid=ASH1H6YCFH4EF

Windows 10 tablet mode works surprisingly well for a dual-screen form factor. It would have been interesting to see the Duo running 10X, maybe we'll see a Duo 3 with full Microsoft software?

​

I achieved this by using Duet, an app that lets you use your Android/Chromebook device as an extra display for your PC. The app can be finicky when spanning but once you set it up the latency is surprisingly very low and the image quality is great despite being wireless. I set the Duo to be the only screen for my PC which let me enter tablet mode.

I even recently got a anti glare cover for my Go, and it feels more like a notebook than a computer. It is a neat experience.

Edit: Here the link to the one I got: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FXTXGP4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Are you going to get a Type Cover? Because if so, then I'd strongly suggest looking at the 2017 SP with i5, 8gb RAM, 128gb ssd which comes with a Type Cover for $799. (That deal is not Amazon-specific - you can find it at Best Buy, MS themselves, etc. It's a back-to-school deal.) You get a lot more power and RAM for just a small amount more than you'd pay for the Core M and Type Cover separately.

Here's my list of apps and programs (metro unless otherwise noted)

• <strong>Flux</strong> - Helps me sleep at night (desktop)
  
• Cover - My favorite comics reader
• Office 356 - Love it for work and school (desktop)
• Adobe CC For Dreamweaver, Illustrator, etc... and fonts (desktop)
• Tweetium - best twitter client out there
  
• Steam - gaming!
  
• LastPass Browser - It's IE Metro with the password manager LastPass built in
  
• Drawboard - best PDF annotator for metro
  
• Evernote / Skitch - For capturing everything including screenshots to markup and share
  
• LaterMark - Good Pocket client
  
• NextGen Reader - my RSS reader of choice
  
• VLC - to play the files that Windows won't
  
• Touchme - To add fantastic gestures to the Surface
  
• Spotilite - the metro Spotify player (unofficial)
  
• Amazon Prime Music - Desktop

Here are some tweaks

• Pen and Desktop OneNote - Set the pen button to launch the desktop version of OneNote
  
• Pen and Double Click Update Windows and Office to get double-click to work on the pen
  
• Firmware and other updates - keep checking and installing updates. This was most of last night

I use ShareMouse Enterprise to share my keyboard and mouse between my SP4 and my desktop.

• 4K 27" Acer CB271HK
• 1050p LG L226WTQ (Portrait)
• Poseidon Z RGB Blue Switch Keyboard
• Logitech G700s Mouse
• JBL Pebble 2 Speakers + 100W Bass unit
• Logitech C525 + C200 webcams

This is an excerpt from my mcat notes (though I think you can see my entire notebook) https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?cid=f61540624cb90407&amp;id=documents&amp;resid=F61540624CB90407%215859&amp;app=OneNote&amp;authkey=!AO2kcqMQAJrULn8&amp;&amp;wd=target%28%2FBiology.one%7Cccdbb60d-84a8-4a22-a313-d40a86993a03%2FNervous%20System%...

As you can probably tell I like to draw on this thing, a lot, though you should know that most of notes are on a graph paper background in the actual onenote program (its showing on blank paper on the website for some reason) and the formatting is a bit off (underlines look like cross outs) so its not as messy as it seems.

The other awesome thing about onenote is that your handwritten notes are totally searchable (it can somehow figure out my chicken scratch)

I used a case for two years and never had to open my surfaces hinge. I definitely recommend something like https://www.amazon.co.uk/ProCase-Surface-Microsoft-Compatible-Keyboard/dp/B0169X7WPW/ref=sr_1_24?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1549040494&amp;sr=8-24&amp;keywords=surface+case or https://www.amazon.co.uk/Microsoft-Feather-Light-Composite-Aluminum-Military/dp/B016ATD48O/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1549040453&amp;sr=8-1-spons&amp;keywords=surface+case&amp;psc=1

Open Broadcaster Software is free, open source, and completely ad free. It takes a little time to get started, but has a ton of features, such as being able to overlay your webcams (or any other window or portion thereof) and has great performance. If you grow out of the built in game DVR software.

I used Ninite for years but also check out Chocolatey. It supports way more apps. You can run it via Powershell or download an optional UI. Also great for keeping everything up to date. https://chocolatey.org/

From their Windows 10 FAQ:

>What happens when I reserve?

>When you reserve, you can confirm your device is compatible with Windows 10. Between reservation and when your upgrade is ready, the files you need for the upgrade will be downloaded to your PC to make the final installation go more quickly. Then, when your upgrade is ready after July 29, 2015, you get a notification that lets you get started with your upgrade.

It seems like it also attempts to scan for programs which are not compatible. Like the compatibility assistant for windows 8.

You can uually find it on Amazon or best buy for about $130 :)

Edit: I bought mine new for about $130 or so but here is a refurbished for $130 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01COAT0N6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ntTjzbM90XZKE

Yup!

Instagram

Artstation

And in all seriousness, the jitter is an annoyance, but I wouldn't consider it a deal breaker. Win11 seems to be an improvement on the pen front too.

Not expecting gold, but that did take a few minutes. Maybe an upvote?

Surface Type Cover Remaps (taking requests) -> https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=A9CBC1E56828BCA2!736844&amp;authkey=!APNshBvKTe69iD4&amp;ithint=folder%2cahk

I'm including the actual scripts because the various key combinations can be added together so long as they don't take the same input an map it to more than one new output.

https://justgetflux.com

it's software that reduces eye fatigue and helps to preserve melatonin secretion in your brain (helping you to fall asleep at a decent hour) by adjusting the color parameters of your display based on your geographic location and the circadian/day-night cycle.

Here's my entry this time around. This one I put overall more time into - a good 8-10 hours rather than my usual 3-4. Click on the image in the page to see it larger:

https://www.behance.net/gallery/22655531/Knights-Errand-Adventure

Just open it up, go through the guided setup process and you are done. This isn't Win95 where you need to spend a week tweaking and installing stuff to get everything right.

>Do you guys have recommendations for any programs every Windows user should have?

This will greatly vary based on your use, but most things will be installed right out of the box. I recommend getting Readit, it is the best Reddit client on Windows.

Readit (https://www.microsoft.com/store/apps/9nblggh189c8)

>I heard that Windows 10 has things like privacy issues and automatic updates, how do I fix these?

During the initial setup, if you don't do the express setup you can adjust some settings. Once in Windows if you open the Settings panel, and select Privacy, then you can adjust some more settings. Most of what you read online is alarmist FUD.

As for automatic updates, I don't recommend you disable them, but if you go to Settings then Update and Security, you can adjust some settings. If you set it to notify you, it will give you a toast notification that updates are ready to install, just shut the computer down when you are done and it will install the updates then. If you postpone the updates, eventually it will force install them, and usually at the worst possible time.

>On that note, will I need antivirus/spyware/adware etc? I haven't used them on my Mac, but I rarely go to shady websites to begin with.

Windows Defender antivirus is built in and works great, no 3rd party needed. Between that and using common sense you will be fine. Some also recommend installing an adblock extension to prevent some potential malware.

Make sure you have run all the latest system and firmware updates (swipe from right, choose PC Settings, Updates).

Check to see if any programs are downloading or updating in the background.

Chrome can also kill battery life pretty quickly, but I have found that the latest developer update works pretty well. You can download it here: https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/index.html?extra=devchannel#eula

They're just Urban Armour Gear cases. We got them from Amazon. They're not exactly cheap, but considering they're being used in a warehopuse and could be bashed around, we're willing to drop the money for a good case.

Check this amazon link if you want to know exactly what it is. The scanners also came from Amazon, and are surprisingly rugged.

Have you tried one of these? Super portable and works well. Only $10 on Amazon, too.

Anker 4-Port USB 3.0 Ultra Slim Data Hub for Mac, PC, USB Flash Drives and Other Devices https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XMD7KPU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_tETlzbHY7C93R

The only problem I've noticed is that very light strokes do not register as they do on a cintiq. For me it was a just another adjustment, the same you make when working with different traditional mediums.

cintiqs are great, ive used one professionally and if you can afford it you should seriously consider it. I went with the surface book bc it was an all in one solution that was also mobile, and the stylus performance was great, not perfect (if you define "perfect" as cintiq performance).

I also highly recommend drawing in Clip Studio paint rather than photoshop. I'm not tech savy enough to explain why, but the performance is way better, and the program is focused specifically on drawing and illustration while having an almost identical UI to photoshop for an easy transition.

You can also check out my comic for more examples of surface book art: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/zoe-dare-vs-the-disasteroid-brockton-mckinney/1124093191?ean=9781632291974&amp;st=PLA&amp;sid=BNB_DRS_Core+Shopping+Books_00000000&amp;2sid=Google_&amp;sourceId=PLGoP62465

Well, just looking at RAM in isolation, then yes your old laptop is 'better'; although most people would recomend you to get the 8GB SP4 anyway, even if you don't need it now, for future proofing.

In terms of basically every other specs, then no your old laptop is not 'better'. The SP4 CPU is slightly better, whilst having a 15W TDP instead of a 35W TDP, meaning it will run cooler and quieter, and consume less battery.

The hard drive is no contest, SP4's PCIe SSD vs a Hybrid HDD with only 4GB SLC NAND Flash portion - Read and Write speeds will be massively better in the SP4 and this translates in to a much more responsive system.

The screen is again no contest, SP4's 2,736 x 1,824 resolution display vs your laptop's 1366 x 768 display - meaning nearly 5 million pixels instead of just over 1 million; plus better colour accuracy etc.

In terms of raw computing power, there may not be a massive increase over your laptop - although the SSD will make a massive difference in how quick the system feels. The appeal of the Surface line comes due to the form factor, pen, amazing display etc - whilst still managing comparable performance to full size laptops.

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/paper-travel-illustration-sun-cloud-hill-782607226?src=library

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/man-walking-abstract-colorful-landscapeillustration-painting-403770346?src=library

Your problem is getting unreliable brands like Dell, HP, Acer. Surface is made by a subsidiary of ASUStek. Good brands include ASUS, MSI, Lenovo (unproprietary versions). Always purchase from these companys, they have higher grade parts as well as their quality and design is excellent. Since surface was designed by Microsoft and the internal workings made by ASUS, id say your in good hands there.

Cooling tech is dependent on the manufacturer ASUS uses Cooltek fans and copper heatsinks, and design each laptop differently. Microsofts has a two fan pure copper design in theirs, it'll only get 50•C from what my friend has temped. http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Microsoft+Surface+Pro+2+Teardown/18604/

ASUS provides 1-3 year accidental warranty's that are included with all their laptop's (depending on the model 1-3 years) their my favorite brand. http://www.asus.com/About_ASUS/The_Meaning_of_ASUS

Some site has a Surface teardown and I think the battery could be replaced but it would clearly void your warranty.

Here's the link:

http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Microsoft+Surface+Teardown/11275/1

Step 7 says that while the battery is glued in, it is way more replaceable than an IPad battery.

Likely this is a Java app built with Swing or AWS as its GUI toolkit, neither of which have support for high DPI screens. Java's JavaFX toolkit does have high DPI support, but the app would need to be ported over to it (or use a custom PLAF). I haven't had success using the Adobe fix on Java Swing/AWS apps - this is something Java would need to fix.

Try logging in to your Microsoft Account HERE

I had my Surface RT do this once and had to get the key from here. This will only work if you used a Microsoft ID to back your Windows Account.

I would still buy one. Aside from the awesome software I really like the small-ish notebook form factor. Many people who worked on courier worked on this app, check out the profiles of the people at the company: http://www.fiftythree.com/paper

Here you go. https://www.scribd.com/doc/248434352/Lecture-18?secret_password=5KHxKclVyIyjk4qXcsKq

Sorry my handwriting is a bit messy. Also exporting it as a PDF doesn't do it justice, I am often zooming in and out of the document.

This is an issue with Chrome version 49. You can download and install version 48 for now since it doesn't have this issue.

Edit: Here is a link for Chrome v48 and a guide on how to disable auto updates so that it won't update back to v49. I hope this helps you!

https://community.webroot.com/t5/Security-Industry-News/Google-Chrome-48-0-2564-82-Stable/td-p/237181

http://superuser.com/questions/974766/turn-off-chrome-updates

Hi:

There is a post under the official forum for Android-x86 where support for Surface Pro line is being discussed (Pro 2 and Pro 3 mentioned). Mario Holzinger is actively working on finding a solution for both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, for Wi-Fi it's resolved, it's the Bluetooth which is a bit tricky now. I've contributed a bit there, and so far images are good for SP3 (it boots and all), having in mind that:

Things that work for SP3: 1. Keyboard works 2. Internet with Ethernet cable (through adaptor) 3. Wi-Fi, but it's still a bit unstable 4. Touchscreen and pen as a cursor

Things that doesn't work for SP3: 1. Bluetooth (it cannot even be turned on). 2. Rotation 3. Sensors as a whole 4. Physical buttons (Turn off button works to shut down)

And have in mind that sensors get messed up after trying Android-x86 on the SP3. Before trying it out on a pendrive or whatever, I would recommend to hold both volume up and button power, it sort of reset the sensors back to usual and rotation will work again under Windows. If you don't do it, the Surface Pro 3 would be stuck at landscape mode after trying Android-x86.

The link to that post is this: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/android-x86/Rga96GUY7mM

For screen recording, I use Open Broadcaster Software. You can record the entire screen or just certain windows. You can hook in different feeds like a webcam and it will overlay the video in real time. It's a little complicated to set up if you aren't very technical, but you should be able to find plenty of tutorials online. Once you have it set up you can save different profiles for easily switching between different recording modes.

Batch installing programs

1. Touch pad/ screen gestures.

2. set left handed mode for pen if you are left handed.

3. enabling high performance mode

4. Micro SD card management for backups

5. Configuring Windows Hello to work with glasses on and off.

6. Mastering One note

7. offline maps (download the current city you live in)

8. syncing across all your devices.

Sounds great. It's still missing extensions unfortunately. But for ad blocking, I've been using a freeware open source project called Hostsman that really helps with Edge. As a bonus, ads are blocked across the OS, even in Store apps that use Microsoft's embedded browser control (like the native News app). http://www.abelhadigital.com/hostsman

Potplayer. It's an open source media player similar to VLC, but with far better interface and controls in my opinion. It has a pretty good menu for touch controls too, considering it's primarily a regular computer program.

Mine went crazy, I could not even open any options to change I had to:

In Windows, to reset FLAGS:

Close Chrome. Open via Notepad: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Local State Find line staring with enabled_labs_experiments Delete this whole line and save file.

Found here http://superuser.com/questions/575374/is-there-a-way-to-reset-chrome-flags-to-their-defaults

Just a tip incase anyone else gets stuck.

👋 Ian from Microsoft Whiteboard here. Thanks for using the app! It's early days, and there's so much more coming every day from our team. Just today we released a significant update to our iOS app, for example (and these features made it into the Windows 10 app recently too).

To address your specific questions/issues:

1. Deleting recognized shapes: Just select the shape (tap or lasso select) and tap the delete icon on the menu that pops up. Shape gone.
2. Convert handwriting into a nice font: This is actually something that's coming soon. Can't say much more yet, but stay tuned. You're going to be blown away. It way better than things like ink to text that you've seen before in other apps.
3. Participate from a browser: Microsoft Whiteboard has a web app currently in preview that allows exactly this. Learn more & get access to the web app preview here.

The Surface 3 is a bit under powered for your future programming classes, so you might hit a wall at some point. The Pro line is a bit more capable in that regard (I used to program exclusively on the Pro 2, for instance). That being said, the Surface 3 can still DO IT.

You're going to run into times where you wish for a more Linux environment for your future classes. In that regard, I highly suggest you look into

a) cmder - I have mine to cover one of my multiple screens when I press CTRL + ~ - full screen and transparent with multi tab. It's setup to be a MYSYS/Cygwin environment. It's not an actual linux environment, but it emulates a lot of common linux commands and emulates the pathing. Also makes a much better terminal experience.

b) vagrant - This is mandatory. You describe a VM for your project - what Linux you need, what programs you need installed, etc. It will download and install everything for you. then typing vagrant ssh in shell will headlessly connect your current folder and shell into that vagrnt box, giving you any linux OS running seamlessly in your windows terminal. SUPER useful for development.

Using the "Macally Aluminum Laptop Stand 10" to 17.3" (ASTAND)", its also offered with a fan if you really want max performance

&#x200B;

How about this oversized monster?

OneDrive

Original image, the current one has been enhanced

Note: You want a wallpaper that is 2736x2736, that way it doesn't stretch when the device rotates.

> I didn't want to drop the larger sums on a Surface 4

There is no Surface 4 yet. The Surface 3 is using the current top-of-line Atom tablet SoC from Intel. Intel only recently announced the next generation chipset, available second half of 2016, so that's the earliest we could see a Surface 4.

But yeah, I agree. The Surface 3 is a very capable machine, at iPad non-pro pricing. If you have a Costco membership, you can get a 4GB/128GB bundle including type cover and pen for $550 right now (normally $700).

From the US site warranty:

"Touch screen tablets are not included in this Service Plan."

http://www.costco.com/SquareTrade-3-TOTAL-Years-(For-New-Computers-%24500-%2526-above).product.11758241.html

edit: I'd love to be wrong; but it would suck to pay the $100, make a claim, and find out that you're not covered.

I had the "file explorer opening slow"-problem on an ASUS laptop a few months ago. It was caused by a NVIDIA driver shell extensions ("NvAppShExt Class" or "OpenGLShExt Class", can't remember which one). After disabling it with ShellExView, it opened as snappy as before.

ShellExView ( http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview.html ) is pretty easy to use, so if the culprit is somewhere else, you can easily re-enable the shell extensions again.

Hope that helps at least a little bit!

Leonardo is a new drawing and painting app that works really well with the SP4 (and all other Surfaces). It supports pen pressure, multi-touch and the UI scales to any screen size which makes it easier to to use with your pen/finger.

Full disclosure: I have developed Leonardo myself ;-)

TensorMetric, how did this lose a big order of Surface tablets exactly? What did the ordering party go with instead and why?

Seems lot a FUD clouding the argument for MS to extend F# support here which probably isn't helping the cause especially this unsubstantiated statement from over two years ago: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/23355973/is-it-possible-to-use-f-with-the-new-windows-universal-apps/32000593#32000593

>>BTW. A major client of ours wanted tens of thousands of tablets and they took Microsoft tablets off the table because they don't support F#.

So what is the best tablet to buy that "supports F#" right now? How does the perf-per-watt-hour on Android compare to the prevailing Windows non native F#-based apps using older compiler tech?

For your budget you cannot get any surface book or pro machine. Your only option is a surface 3. I had a look on amazon and currently the 128gb version is cheaper than the 64gb...so that's your only option https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Surface-7G6-00001-Tablet-Silver/dp/B00VGIRP62/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1484760232&amp;sr=1-1-spons&amp;keywords=surface+3&amp;psc=1

You wont get much gaming with that but it will fulfill your other needs.

Edit: Here is a better option: https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Surface-10-8-Inch-Certified-Refurbished/dp/B01ATVJDYI/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1484760420&amp;sr=1-2&amp;keywords=surface+3

This allows you to buy the pen (doesn't come with the surface only comes with surface pro or book) and the keyboard while still being close to budget. This is still a great machine! Just does what most people need. I would be happy with it. Just not a gaming machine my friend. You really need to decide which comes first in that budget...note taking and touch screen and surface portability or gaming and stuff

Nice setup. That stand is sold out (?) on that Etsy link. I found this one on Amazon. Does look like the same model to you? https://www.amazon.com/AboveTEK-Elegant-Aluminum-iPad-Stand/dp/B01KW7LSQK

First thing is MalwareBytes, put that on immediately and it will cover most of the dodging web surfing. Then it's any if the anti-virus suites that you feel like really, most of the key players are good at what they do (BitDefender is a good option).

Finally, but just as important, get yourself a paid VPN service (such as Private Internet Access) to encrypt your traffic when using public wi-fi. It will also act as a region proxy and general privacy shield.

There are many, many VPN choices, all with differing features depending on what type of encryption, tunneling, lack of logging, and other security features you need.

I personally use Private Internet Access.

It's encrypted by default only if you set it up with a Microsoft account to begin with or your employer had a security policy in place and the policy was enforced on your machine.

If you go to the Bitlocker recovery keys website, you can see if your device is listed. If so, then it had "device encryption" turned on.

Lightbleed is a common side effect of all nearly high-quality IPS monitors. Not sure how you'd avoid it short of moving to some other particularly exotic screen tech.

Good discussion on lightbleed here: https://www.quora.com/Is-there-any-PC-monitor-that-does-not-exhibit-light-bleed

It's almost 50% faster in single-threaded performance though, which I think is much more impactful to day-to-day usage. In fact, its dangerously close to the i3-4020Y that once was inside the Surface Pro 3.

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i3-4020Y+%40+1.50GHz

MS did make THE trackball for a long time, but ever since they stopped production it's now selling for 150-200 $ because it's so sought after and great :p

XDA Forums have come through again. Instead of using Remote Desktop to run apps on your desktop from Windows RT, RemoteApp will allow you to run virtually any x86 application installed on your main PC directly on the Surface. I've tried Putty, Chrome, uTorrent(basically all the things that I was missing from the app store :) ) and they all worked flawlessly!

EDIT: Forgot the link to the to the config utility: https://sites.google.com/site/kimknight/remoteapptool

They've made huge improvements with Skylake in the ULV space. They cripple the desktop space with a worthless iGPU. Not to mention the SP3 was limited because of cooling. I also think the 80% is about OpenCL...

Early Benchmark numbers show it's CPU compute is 15% faster. That doesn't take into account the throttling or the i7 6650U's edram. So saying 30% on extending computing, while being a stretch could be valid in some use cases.

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/compare.php?cmp[]=1955&amp;cmp[]=2608

Now if we look at the GPU that's a huge jump... 520 VS 5000 #'s The jump is big and that's not taking into account the i7's 64mb eDRAM. 51% jump in GPU on just the i5 GPU vs the old i7.

http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/compare.php?cmp[]=3255&amp;cmp[]=2552

End the day it's a pretty nice boost considering. But it'll be powerful enough to replace my ghetto desktop. I have a POS 5800K.

Check this Link you should be able to put dropbox on your SD with this trick. Just tell Dropbox to save i.e. c:/sdcard/dropbox ;)

Hyper should be re-released soon - it was by the far the best one (and free). You can follow the certification process on their facebook page.

They have a working beta build if you want to install it. Take a look at the readme for the installation instructions.

Yes there is solution But it involves a bit of a hack.

• First you need to subscribe to a PNP WMI event to detect that a device was plugged in: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/13988260/auto-execute-script
• Then filter the events to look for your specific hardware ID (for example a logictech mouse or whatever)
• Then use autohotkey to click the tablet mode UI buttons: https://autohotkey.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=15619

I based it more on this

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/apples-ios-is-eating-androids-lunch-in-this-crucial-measure-2015-02-26?link=sfmw

I didn't mean overall apple had the market share, that was worded wrong. Android is on a ton of devices and a lot of them are dirt cheap, it's also open source. iOS is more comparative to the flagship Android devices when it comes to hardware.

Drawboard PDF is great for annotating PDFs like textbooks or articles.

Get a cloud platform like Google Drive or OneDrive to backup all school files (never worry about losing an essay).

Ninite is a great tool to quickly install many useful programs.

There is no password, although there should be a recovery key backed up in your Microsoft account.

You can use this URL to see recovery keys in your MS account: https://onedrive.live.com/recoverykey

You can also back up the recovery key to a file and/or print it out.

More info here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/bitlocker-recovery-keys-faq

I would return the PS3 controller and get a PS4 one. They work with everything, and using either ds4windows or inputmapper, you can map the buttons / sticks to emulate an xbox360 controller

If you make it much smaller and thinner, you can use a heat gun to fine tune the fit once its printed. That's what I did for a Surface Pro 2 clip. For my Pro 3, I am satisfied with the loop and magnetic options.

https://www.youmagine.com/designs/surface-pro-2-stylus-clip

Use mremoteng or Microsofts Remote Desktop Connection Manager to run the RDP sessions. They can both handle the scaling in any setting you prefer.

Downloaded the official esd file for 16299.15 (FCU RTM) from Microsoft servers here and then used ESD Decrypter Wimlib to get an .ISO file which you can then unpack to start the Setup.exe. Then in the setup simply choose "keep personal files and apps" for an inplace upgrade (no data loss).

So it depends on context.

If I'm in a class or writing mostly text for instance I tend to be at one level (which is pretty much the rules lines ex: https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=F61540624CB90407!15314&amp;authkey=!AEn4ZqCZiJgNC40&amp;v=3&amp;ithint=photo%2c.png) and start writing, panning over if I need more space

However with my MCAT notes and when I write notes for exams, I usually formulate what I want to write and draw, I then draw the image and then zoom in to annotate it ( a good example is the page on digestion in the biology section of the notes or this image: https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=F61540624CB90407!15315&amp;authkey=!AD5rtgnFQFoLFxA&amp;v=3&amp;ithint=photo%2c.png). I usually write in the concepts in a larger "font", then zoom in to add detail, if needed.

So to answer your question, yes I do zoom in and out if I am reviewing something, but during class I keep it at one level. IMO Once you get a flow, zooming in and out become natural and getting a birds eye view helps in the learning process.

I just use Word (specifically, I have Office 365 University since it's such a good deal. You should check it out if you are a student!). If you don't want to pay for it, you could use something like OpenOffice perhaps?

Amazon sells an 8-pack of AAAAs for $4.49. My area has same-day delivery with Prime, so it's a no-brainer to buy from them. I tossed two of them into my bag for my SP4 along with extra pens.

1) Yes, when attached backwards in "Studio Mode", the clipboard has access to the graphics card, ports, batteries, and surface connector/charger found there. I have noticed that it does turn off the keyboard inputs though.

2) It is a reflective glass screen and so of course will be susceptible to glare and reflections in a bright environment. The screen itself is bright enough that it remains easily legible outdoors though. Matte screen protectors are available.

3) Hard to say as it is still a very new product, though I am hoping for the same lifetime that you are with the same use case. Hinge failure did not seem to be a common issue with the last Surface Book and Microsoft built the new ones even heavier than they were before (mainly to stiffen it and reduce the screen wobble that afflicted the first generation). I would say that 16Gb is a standard for what you are going to use it for even now and would not recommend that you settle for 8.

4) The amount of pressure that it would take to damage the hinge would have a negative effect even on a traditional clamshell notebook. Again, the durability of the hinge design is not something that you typically hear anyone complain about. There are military-grade hard cases available if you need that kind of protection. Here is one that I found doing a quick search on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Surface-Performance-Feather-Light-Rugged-Military/dp/B01MCZMON4/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_7?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=FGWPEBJ74BYYVWKXDHV0

5) I also use Chrome as my browser, but it is not really designed for pen use. However, there are other ways to clip or write on a Chrome browser if that is something you think you would be interested in (I believe Microsoft's OneNote, provides some of this functionality). Chrome works here pretty much the same way it does everywhere else and I don't think you will encounter any Surface-specific compatibility issues.

eBay $2.50 each

Amazon prime $8 each

True that. Amazon sells it themselves for that price, no need to even shop around.

Microsoft Surface Pen Platinum Model 1776 (EYU-00009) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072K5TXGT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ElNhCb8CPSX4T

I'm not sure what size is correct anymore so you'd have to do some research, but I highly recommend getting a CaseCrown messenger bag for it. ($30-$40 on Amazon) I bought one for my Surface Pro 3 waaay back when and it was so good I bought another one for my SurfaceBook as soon as I got it. Both devices were kept in prestine condition and I largely credit always having this bag around for my daily commute.

This is great advice. I like the way Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards puts it, that the reason amateurs draw 'representations' of objects or ideas instead of their actual shape is because they are accustomed to writing letters, which are visual representations of sounds.

I really liked My Study Life in undergrad. It's also how I kept track of my schedule.

Edit: Exams too! On the "Dashboard" it has these live tile type things with the number of assignments you created today and the number of exams in the next 7 days... That sort of stuff. It has a great web-interface for use on a laptop and app for Android (I'd assume iOS is good too).

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.virblue.mystudylife

I just did after upgrading my Surface Pro 3 on release day. Everything you say has annoyed me along with the complete gutting of Onedrive. If it wasn't for the fact that everything is already in Onedrive there wouldn't be a single distinguishing feature now pulling me to it over Google Drive or Dropbox.

I don't think we're alone here though, as can be seen on this ZDNet Article...

A great place to start is https://ninite.com/ it is going to have the option to download all the apps you could need in a couple of clicks, it is organized in categories and it skips all the crappy toolbars and stuff.

I am not affiliated with ninite I just use it on new computers

One of the first things I did on my Pro was create batch files for the 3 different power modes I like to use and place them on the desktop. Then all I need to do is tap the one I want and its set. The batch files just call powercfg.exe with the proper switches (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc748940(v=ws.10).aspx). I decided to go with the batch file method over any of the GUI methods simply because its quicker when you don't have a mouse going.

"Windows RT is the locked-down version of Windows 8 for ARM computers, as seen on Microsoft’s Surface RT tablet and a few other Windows RT devices. Unlike the standard version of Windows 8, Windows RT doesn’t allow you to install your own desktop programs. You’re limited to the included desktop programs written by Microsoft or Modern apps from the Windows Store. However, there are ways to jailbreak your Windows RT device and run unapproved software on the desktop.

These tricks aren’t for the faint of heart. They’re for the geeks out there who have a Surface lying around and want to hack around with it, making it do more than what it was designed to do."

Source: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-jailbreak-your-windows-rt-device-and-run-unapproved-desktop-software/