Microsoft has unveiled a new Surface model, The Surface 3. The new Surface runs the new Intel Atom x7 quad core CPU, giving the low cost tablet/laptop some decent power and an x86 instruction set. Rather than with previous low cost Surfaces, this one will run the full library of Windows applications. Starting at $499, it can be a bargain for those not needing the higher power i5 & i7 Surface models.

This is an excellent way to move on past the Windows RT models, which were limited to applications from the Windows Store and could not run x86 applications.

Surface 3 features the same beautiful design and premium materials as Surface Pro 3 in a more compact and efficient package. It is thin (just 8.7 mm) and light (1.37 pounds or 622 grams) and has a 10.8-inch screen. Compared to the 12-inch Surface Pro 3 it is slightly smaller and it feels great when you’re using it as a tablet. The 3:2 aspect ratio that we first introduced on Surface Pro 3 is also used here, and, like its larger sibling, it feels natural whether you’re holding it in portrait mode for reading or writing a quick note with the pen or in landscape mode to watch a movie or play a game. Thescreen on the Surface Pro 3 is not only beautiful to look at — with incredibly accurate colors and clarity from multiple viewing angles — but also offers a world-class multitouch and pen experience. All that we did to make the Pro 3 screen one of the best in the industry is present in Surface 3, and you’ll appreciate this as you work and play on it.