New Surface 3 driver will aid in mass deployments for enterprise customers

By John Callaham
last updated

Microsoft now has a new driver for its just launched 10.8-inch Surface 3 tablet that will allow it to be deployed on a large scale similar to the business features found on the older Surface Pro 3.

The driver is not available via the normal Windows Update feature in Windows 8.1; it has to be manually downloaded via Microsoft's website (opens in new tab). The company stated:

"The update – which is available now -- improves the mass deployment process, broadens the range of enterprise-level features, and helps bring the Surface 3 deployment experience in line with its more business-oriented sibling, Surface Pro 3. The update includes new and enhanced features including those expected in a larger-scale commercial environment such as enhanced PXE booting and support for asset tagging."

This update should help the Surface 3 be more enterprise and business friendly and could encourage more companies to purchase the tablet in the weeks and months to come.

Source: Microsoft (opens in new tab); Via: Mary Jo Foley

John Callaham
John Callaham
40 Comments
  • Hoping for the best.
  • The downside is the Surface 3 comes with Windows 8.1 Home edition and it is not able to join the domain which means it must be upgraded/re-installed with Pro.
  • No downside. Go check out the Surface 3 business SKUs. They come default with Windows 8.1 Professional.
  • I purchased one off of MS website, didn't see an option for Windows 8.1 Professional. Mine definitely has Home edition, I went to join to the domain and was unable to. It's not a big deal for me because I can upgrade it, but might be for others. Edit: To clarify, it actually doesn't say Home edition, it just says "Windows 8.1" and provides the option to pay $99 more to get the "Windows 8.1 Pro Pack". Without the Pro Pack, I have no ability to join it to the domain.
  • You buy those Surfaces from Business suppliers. Like this one from a supplier in the Netherlands: http://www.centralpoint.nl/tablets/microsoft/3-64gb-art-lc5-00003-num-4345629/ It states 'Windows 8.1 Pro'  
  • picked mine up at the Microsoft Store with 8.1 Pro. $50 more and the box isnt as nice looking ;)
  • Enterprise customers generally overwrite the OS with their own pre-built images and use bulk licensing anyway.
  • This is true and a mistake. Ideally the tablets could ship and as long as a user has valid credentials they can log in to the network.
  • Get Windows 8.1 Pro Pack.
  • Awesome. So far I haven't had issues deploying the pro version with MDT.
  • That's the only thing better on the iPad, otherwise the surface 3 blows it away.
  • Sad thing is were missing things like cameras, gps, & lte that some rt OEMs had
  • So, you came all the way to an article talking about drivers that will be easy to deploy massively in enterprises to talk about how the ipad's camera is better? Do you see why you make no sence? 
  • I mean, yeah... But I still don't see the allure of taking photos with your tablet. :/
  • And the iPad air doesn't have a driver that allows mass deployment that the Surface 3 now has. Being the Surface 3 has many, many more features that the iPad air does not have along with millions more apps that the iPad air doesn't have, I think it is quite obvious the iPad air looks like a very weak product compared to the Surface 3.
  • Got my Surface 3 today.
    My wife uses her nexus 10 shows me what smooth scrolling is... :'(
  • Really?
  • Having all the updates installed it seems better. Nexus 10 still beats it. And don't try heavy data operations, Surface 3 had the explorer crashed twice while importing like 4gb photos and media from my 930
  • Mine is working great! I'm actually testing with it now as a replacement for my SP3 256GB i7. It's handling the load quite well. Have Outlook, Excel, Skype for Business, Explorer, IE (7 tabs), chrome, OneNote, Foxit, CMD, Remote Desktop Manager, and other remote apps.  
  • I tried some music production software on it. Fl Studio 12 and protools. Worked pretty well. Its slower at loading the projects but it did handle them. Both Protools and FL used about 50% of the CPU though.
  • Mine is using a fair amount of CPU, on occasion 100%, but even at those times it just keeps chugging. When my SP3 i7 is using 100% it really starts to lag. Oddly enough the S3 keeps working pretty smoothly even when the CPU is 100% consumed.
  • which surfaace 3 do you have because the best one is the one with 4 gigs of ram and 128 gig main memory. if you ahve th 2 gig ram Surface 3 i am not shocked it may be slow.. your device still has the advantage of running millions of deskto PC programs you just have to limit the amount of apps you have open at one time. touch screen Apps programs are simple so i am not shocked they open faster than desktop programs  
  • Which browser? Don't tell me it's Chrome ;) Use IE immersive browser. Way faster.
    Anyway this newspost is about businesses. Try to join the Nexus to a Domain. It can't. A Surface 3 can.
  • And show her browsing with Edge when we get Windows 10 on our Surfaces. Recent tests showed it's the fastest browser.  
  • It's worse I'm an a fool for Firefox. Will try on ie.
  • Switch to a browser not Chrome. Scrolling on Chrome is always sluggish regardless of processor.
  • Looking though the article.... Nope, no mention of Nexus 10, smooth scrolling, etc. so why do you need to talk about it here? But then again, some one hit wonder with no real history on this site suddenly "bought" a Surface 3, and immediately knows all it's abilities, all the deficiencies, had time to show it off to others and for them to immediately notice a supposed "problem" that no body else has talked about.  Sorry, I don't believe anything in your little fairy tale story.
     
  • That's cute.
  • You arent using that data mining chrome to see smooth scrolling are you? because all that """""free""""" software from that add company suck. Use metro IE for buttery smooth scrolling.
  • Stop using Chrome.
  • Wish Microsoft would fix the firmware on the Surface 3 to allow for virtualiztion. The processor is capable of it, but the BIOS won't allow it.
  • When I looked at the specs of the CPU on Intel's page it said vurtualization is not possible with this chipset. Can someone comfirm this is truly is a limitation to S3's firmware?
  • 64GB / 4GB RAM / Wi-Fi / Windows 8.1 Pro = $549.00 ...good for anyone that needs 4GB RAM, but only need 64GB storage No free Office 365.   Also available: 128GB / 4GB RAM / Wi-Fi / Windows 8.1 Pro = $649.0 Also no free Office 365.  
  • lovely tablet  
  • Cool. A good PXE implementation is essential for mass deployment.  
  • Please let sprint switch from ipads to surface 3's
  • How does the PXE work with Surface3? Using USB network adapter? If yes, does it work with any brand/make?
  • Atom Windows tablets have been used in the Enterprise for awhile now. HP, Dell, and Lenovo have business level Windows Atom CPU tablets for sale.I am not shocked that businesses want to use Surface 3 tablets after all the Surface 3 uses the latest best Atom CPU's around and folks it comes preloaded with MS office which is about the most used program suite in the Enterprise. the Surface 3 can also run specialized Windows Business programs that companies have paid programmers to make for their specific company operations. the surface 3 limitations are that it is not as fast or a better multitasking computer than a surface Pro 3. 
  • I bought the surface 3 for my wife Saturday well actually we traded the surface 2 and got the 150 off and then use the discount and added the type cover 524.00 out the door.
  • Oh by the way she loves it now ove the RT 2 .