Microsoft Launches Surface 3 For $499, Will Run Windows 10 Apps

Microsoft launched the Surface 3 earlier this week, fitted with Windows 8.1 and some beefy specs. It is the first of the original Surface lineup to not run Windows RT, to the applause of most Microsoft fans.

Having full Windows 8.1 (and Windows 10 when it launches in summer) should be a big seller for customers worried about the full desktop experience. The only worry now is hefty professional applications and video games will not run well, but at least there is the option.

To cut down the costs to $499, Microsoft made some adjustments from the Surface Pro 3, including lowering the screen size and resolution to 10.8-inch, 1920 x 1080 display. The Surface 3 also runs on Intel Atom, a low grade processor that has started seeing some adoption on mobile.

Even though mobile providers are picking up the Atom chip, that doesn’t mean PC applications will not run on the Surface 3. There should be enough power to run most of the common apps and more than enough for web browsing.

One of the downgrades on the Surface 3 is no Office applications will come pre-installed. A small price to pay for having a wider selection of PC applications readily available, instead of being locked away because the platform won’t allow them to be downloaded.

Windows RT was doomed from the beginning. Customers hated the idea of having part desktop, but none of the applications that made Windows a prominent system.

Microsoft has held onto it for three years now, but with CEO Satya Nadella finally starting to change the way the company is run, Windows RT has been killed off.