We really are in the golden age of travel technology. I’m sure I’ll look back on that statement in ten years – or two – and laugh. But the combination of portability and power of today’s laptops and mobile devices is almost absurd.
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While I’d love to free myself from the constant tether of the internet, Facebook, and The Daily Puppy, my schedule is always peppered with work requirements no matter where I am in the world. Editing photos, publishing blog posts, answering e-mails, and … whatever it is that I do on social media.
For a while, I toted around an iPad which worked … okay. But it didn’t have (a) the computing power for proper photo editing and (b) a keyboard which, as a writer, I desperately need. So I’ve been lugging a 15″ laptop (a beast of a machine that could probably edit Transformers CGI footage if I asked it to) from destination to destination. But it’s growing increasingly obvious that I needn’t do that anymore.
So I’m digging the new Surface Pro 3 for a bunch of reasons:
- It has a full keyboard.
- It offers 9 hours of battery life which is awesome for long-haul flights/transport.
- Unlike a true tablet, it’s not app-centric
- 12″ Full HD screen – ideal for editing photos
- A full-size USB 3.0 and microSD card reader
- 4th generation Intel Core processors (i3, i5, i7)
- Up to a 512 GB hard drive
- It’s only 0.55″ thick (with the keyboard attached) and weighs just 1.76 pounds which is almost ridiculous
- Integrated front and rear HD cameras
- Magnetic stability keeps the Surface Pro 3 Type Cover steady, so you can work on your lap or a desk.
- It’s technically classified as a tablet according to the FAA and the TSA which means you can leave it in your carry-on at security. Boo-ya!
At $999 USD for the mid-range model, it ain’t cheap by laptop standards. But, for the insane amount of portability it offers, I’m willing to suck it up!
I’m looking forward to checking out the Surface in the next few weeks. Anyone have one already? What’re your thoughts?