14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3 is the latest and the most advanced tablet ever released by the world’s number one software maker, but until now, the device could not be used during flights because it didn’t have the required authorizations and could pose a threat to the crew and passengers.
That’s not the case though, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have recently said, so the Surface Pro 3 has finally received the green light for becoming pilots’ favorite companion during long flights.
Today’s news is important not only for passengers, but also for airlines who were planning to replace old and bulky paper-based flight kits, with the Surface Pro 3 now said to come as the right tool for getting navigation charts and aircraft reference materials.
Microsoft hopes that airlines will adopt its tablet
Now that it has qualified for in-flight use, the Surface Pro 3 could become a really powerful and helpful flight companion, Microsoft says, adding that it hopes that more companies will notice the opportunity of helping the aviation industry and also generating important cost savings.
“Through this assessment process, Surface Pro 3 completed rigorous environmental and situational tests, satisfying a lengthy and important part of the FAA authorization process,” Microsoft adds.
“Now, when airlines look to select the feature-rich Surface Pro 3 for their EFB initiatives, deployment timelines will be significantly decreased, and the device itself may be used to its full computing potential, versus serving just as a simple document reader.”
“The best replacement for a laptop”
Ever since Microsoft presented the Surface Pro 3 for the first time on May 20 this year, the company has been talking about its tablet as the perfect replacement for a laptop, explaining that this new device comes with the best of two worlds, while also offering enhanced portability and longer battery power.
The Surface Pro 3 features a 12-inch screen and a new kickstand mode, which can really come in handy when working on the go.
At the same time, the device boasts really powerful hardware, including a choice of three different CPU models, namely Intel Core i3, i5, and i7. The top-of-the-range version comes note only with the i7 processor, but also features 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage space.
Pricing appears to be the only drawback for some organizations, as the most advanced Surface Pro 3 can be yours for no less than $1,950 (€1,500) in the United States.