Starting with the Surface 3, both the Surface and the Surface Pro use Intel processors and can run a full version of Windows 10, although the Surface 3 LTE model I used ships with Windows 8.1. Surface Pro tablets ran Intel processors. The Windows RT Surface computers ran on ARM processors, which is why they didn't run full Windows. If you remember your Microsoft Surface history, each generation of Surface tablets had two versions - a cheaper version called Surface, which ran a neutered operating system called Windows RT, and a more expensive version called Surface Pro, running a full version of Windows. It's even better because the version I used is the new Surface 3 LTE with built-in cellular data from AT&T. I've been using a Microsoft Surface 3 tablet for the last week, and it's a pretty darn good Windows computer. Windows users are lucky - they can have the best of both worlds: the small size and large touch-screen of a tablet along with a full copy of Windows and the ability to run all their favorite Windows programs.

As an iPad user, I've often wondered whether it could ever take the place of my laptop.Īlas, the answer is no - not yet, at least.Īpple's iOS is a nice operating system, but it can't run Macintosh apps.

Windows surface 3