By Ila Garg

Over the past few years, technology has seen many advancements. The latest gadget to hit the market is the Microsoft Surface Pro 3. This tablet doubles as a laptop too. Microsoft claims that their Surface Pro 3 tablet has the power and performance of a laptop. The user can easily install Windows desktop software, including the entire Microsoft Office suite and Adobe Photoshop. But can it really replace your laptop?

Team NewsGram went to the Microsoft Store at the magnificent mile in downtown Chicago for first-hand experience of their latest product. There, the team manually inspected and checked the functionality of Surface Pro 3.

It is sleek and light, making it easy to carry around. It is built to handle even the most intensive of tasks. The user can use up to three apps or desktop programs side by side at any time and switch between them with ease. Its 12" full HD Plus screen display is easy to the eyes. It has a fully functional sleek keyboard, available in many colors. Among the various options, the brick red keyboard looked most appealing to the NewsGram team. The keyboard also has a magnetic strip, thus it can connect to the screen. It is detachable so that the user can use the Surface both as a tablet and a laptop. With the 4th generation Intel Core family of processors (i3, i5, i7), it offers fast speed and seamless graphics, along with between 64 to 512 GB of SSD internal storage and 4 to 8 GB of RAM. It also has a full-size USB 3.0 port, a microSD card reader, and Mini DisplayPort.

It has stereo speakers with Dolby audio and two 5 megapixel HD cameras situated at the front and back. This makes video conferencing better than ever. The touchscreen is quite responsive, and the tablet includes a pen. Even if the Surface Pro 3 is asleep, with the click of the pen a blank sheet opens up for quick notes, scribblings, and sketches.

Weighing 1.76 pounds and 0.36 inches thin, this is indeed an amazing piece of technology, complete with a kickstand. It has an attractive display and design and is available at an affordable price range. Also, in the USA, there is a student discount of 10% on the Surface Pro 3. The tablet is also available in India.

Battery life may be an issue. Also, it tends to run hot at times. While it has an attachable keyboard, it may be hard to use in one's lap due to the requirement of using the kickstand.