Anyone use Microsoft Surface? I have a Microsoft Surface 3 loaded with Photoshop Elements 12. Now I know that is not the latest and greatest for PP. I am just wondering if anyone is...

Keith S Loc: Federal Way, Wa

I have a Microsoft Surface 3 loaded with Photoshop Elements 12. Now I know that is not the latest and greatest for PP. I am just wondering if anyone is using the Surface 3 or 4 with an external monitor for their processing.
If the platform is ok I will probably upgrade the PP software once I purchase an external monitor.

Thanks for your constructive opinions.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Keith S wrote:

I have a Microsoft Surface 3 loaded with Photoshop Elements 12. Now I know that is not the latest and greatest for PP. I am just wondering if anyone is using the Surface 3 or 4 with an external monitor for their processing.
If the platform is ok I will probably upgrade the PP software once I purchase an external monitor.

Thanks for your constructive opinions.

With regard to upgrading the software, which do you have, the Surface 3 or Surface Pro 3? What configuration do you have? Processor, hard drive size, amount of memory? The hard drive on the Surface 3 is relatively small and depending on the processor, available memory, and the on board video card, you may be limited to what you can run on it.

BebuLamar

Keith S wrote:

I have a Microsoft Surface 3 loaded with Photoshop Elements 12. Now I know that is not the latest and greatest for PP. I am just wondering if anyone is using the Surface 3 or 4 with an external monitor for their processing.
If the platform is ok I will probably upgrade the PP software once I purchase an external monitor.

Thanks for your constructive opinions.

I use the Surface Pro (new one after Surface Pro 4). I like it a lot but I think it would not be a good candidate for using with external monitor. The surface is the one computer I don't want to use external monitor with.

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

Keith S wrote:

I have a Microsoft Surface 3 loaded with Photoshop Elements 12. Now I know that is not the latest and greatest for PP. I am just wondering if anyone is using the Surface 3 or 4 with an external monitor for their processing.
If the platform is ok I will probably upgrade the PP software once I purchase an external monitor.

Thanks for your constructive opinions.

I have the Surface 4 but no external monitor, not so sure that if I were spending that much money again on a laptop/tablet that I would go with the surface, not the biggest fan.

chemsaf Loc: San Diego

I have a S3Pro, with 500Gb SSD and 32 Gb RAM
I plug it into a 30 inch LG monitor and a 1 Tb external drive via a dock. I use LR And PS regularly. Works great. I keep everything in color calibration with Colormunkie.

pahtspix

I had a Microsoft surface pro given to me as a birthday present a few years ago..The device was a total piece of junk, with screen colors that really sucked, and 0 % technical support from MSFT!!..Never again will I purchase another example of Microsoft hardware!

jcorning Loc: Delaware

I use a surface pro 3 and a Samsung 27 inch external monitor. I don't store my photos on the surface. I upload them keep the ones I like and upload them to the cloud then delete them off the surface.

Keith S Loc: Federal Way, Wa

Thanks all for your opinions. They are of great help.

I have the surface Pro 3 , 500Gb and 32 Gb RAM. As far as upgrading the SW, I may just get the subscription for $10 a month. Although I am only a novice and. Only take photos for my own pleasure and to share.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Keith S wrote:

Thanks all for your opinions. They are of great help.

I have the surface Pro 3 , 500Gb and 32 Gb RAM. As far as upgrading the SW, I may just get the subscription for $10 a month. Although I am only a novice and. Only take photos for my own pleasure and to share.

I'm glad you have a tricked out Surface Pro 3. In your initial post you indicated the Surface 3, not the Surface Pro, which is a minimally spec'd machine and prompted my earlier response.

szoots

I computer is only as good as its guts. If you’re doing Windows, get an i7 or better processor, lots of RAM, a 500 GB SSD c:drive and a portable hard drive for storage backup, etc. usually this combo will work well and your choice of having a larger monitor is a personal preference. I don’t use an external monitor as I also have a desktop computer and my Surface goes with me on the road.

toxdoc42

I have a Surface Pro 2 that I use when I travel. I like the small screen since it fits well on the tray on a plane while the usual notebooks are really too big. The problem is there is no real hard drive and the equivalent is so small that after the operating system and a few programs there is not much room. I am thinking of upgrading to the new model, which also has a 10 inch monitor, but the SSD is again small. Has anyone been able to use programs installed on the SD card you can install?

Keith S Loc: Federal Way, Wa

Yea, I should have been more specific on the guts of my Surface. So back to the original question, do you think the Pro 3 with a good external monitor is ok for PP. of course once I learn to use the software. I have tried to print my photos from the surface and they don't look anything like they do on the screen. So I believe a good external monitor is required.

Thanks all.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Keith S wrote:

Yea, I should have been more specific on the guts of my Surface. So back to the original question, do you think the Pro 3 with a good external monitor is ok for PP. of course once I learn to use the software. I have tried to print my photos from the surface and they don't look anything like they do on the screen. So I believe a good external monitor is required.

Thanks all.

Even using a good external monitor with your fairly powerful machine, how well it would work for post processing would depend on your onboard video card's amount of memory, and Open GL capability with the software you intend on using.

szoots

500 GB SSD Drive is plenty big for your operating system and software. Storage of your photos can be uploaded to an external drive and cloud. I only store photos temporarily on the SSD Drive while I’m on a trip and/or editing. Once I get home all gets backup to my array library (4x 4TB). Photos are deleted in preparation for the next trip. That array is mirrored on a exact duplicate array located at my sister’s home on the East Coast.

rdsisco

I have a Surface 4. I purchased new about two years ago about 2 k with all the accessories.
I purchased a new Yoga 720 Core I5 8th generation this past Xmas at Best Buy for $699.00 about 60 % less. The weight difference is not noticeable, has larger screen more connectivity & finger print reader.

The Surface 4 has not been used since the Yoga was purchased. I no longer would even consider a Surface. It is twice as many $$$ and 50% slower than the Yoga. I also would not consider purchasing a computer I5 that was not an 8th generation of Intel Core 5