Microsoft’s newest Surface trying to top laptop

A burning tech question at the start of the 2014-15 school year is whether Microsoft's new Surface Pro 3 can be a true laptop replacement.

The answer is … pretty much.

I'm writing this column on the Surface Pro 3 — Microsoft's signature hardware device billed as a laptop-tablet hybrid — sitting on my couch as I plunk away on Microsoft Word for Office 365.

In fact, a more precise scene-setter: I'm balancing the Surface on one thigh, doing the single-knee-bended recline.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not about to launch into Pilates here. I have to keep two hands on the keyboard cover so that my Surface remains stable in this precarious position. I miss the ability to pick up the entire device by the keyboard base and move it around. But it's clear that Microsoft has taken great pains to create a Surface that can rest as comfortably as possible on the real estate between one's stomach and knees.

This new "lapability" is made possible by a retooled kickstand, which pops out of the back of the slate and now uses friction to adjust to any angle up to 150 degrees. This not only allows for a ton of viewing angles, but also for the serious aforementioned lap-cred that the latest iteration of Microsoft's signature hardware provides.

Microsoft has also improved the touchscreen tablet experience on the Surface with a compatible stylus, a Bluetooth-enabled pen that summons the productivity program OneNote with a simple click of the top button. A very nice palm rejection feature allows the user to rest a hand on the screen while writing with the pen, just as one would on a piece of paper.

While the Surface's so-called Type Cover is improved, this keyboard that doubles as a cover now snaps into the tablet with far more conviction. I would still like the keyboard to feel less bendy and more solid.

Microsoft is clearly making a play for the high-end market, but the price — starting at $799 and with discounts for students available at the Microsoft Store — it may be a little too high-end.

Full disclosure: I finished this column on my MacBook Pro. Microsoft Word's many legacy features just seemed to keep popping up out of nowhere to hinder my productivity. So while the hardware is greatly improved, I can't say the same for all the software.

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