Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3 has finally launched, having been announced a little over a month ago. With a screen size of 12 inches and a battery life of up to nine hours, this tablet-laptop hybrid is an intriguing proposition. The question is, what apps do you need?
1) Twitter
No doubt the first thing you will want to do after booting your new computer up is to brag to your many thousands of followers about it. As well as the obvious features, this app allows you to manage multiple accounts – handy for managing both your personal and business accounts.
2) Kindle
Amazon’s ebook store is the best in the world right now, disputes with a few publishers over prices notwithstanding. Kindle users are only a few clicks away from millions of books, and many classic titles are available for free.
3) Netflix
The library for this streaming service may not be as extensive as many would like, but for the money it is hard to complain. The app makes it even easier to catch up on House of Cards, or those Louis Theroux documentaries you have been meaning to watch.
4) Flipboard
A flashy RSS feed aggregator, Flipboard lets you collate news sources into an attractive magazine. It’s also not a bad place to discover new content, and connects into social networks for simple sharing.
5) Metrotube
This unofficial app for watching YouTube videos has received rave reviews from press and public alike. Users can manage their subscriptions, and fiddle with the default streaming quality, among other things.
6) Facebook
Another social media app, this gives you all the features you would expect. While some may prefer accessing the network through a web browser, this is ideal for use while relaxing in bed or on the sofa.
7) Photoshop Express
A simple image editing suite, this is ideal for making basic edits to photos. Cropping, rotating, and colour fixing are all available, and there is even an option to remove red eye.
8) Skype
This online phone service should be familiar to everyone, letting people make free video calls to their family and friends around the world. Users can even call out to phone numbers, though at a price.
9) Sketchbook Express
Part of the joy of a touchscreen is using it as you would pen and paper. While most will not be able to create some of the sample images on the download screen, they can still have fun trying.
10) Xbox Music
Microsoft’s answer to iTunes, this lets you manage and listen to your music collection, and add to it from the connected store. You can also use it to listen to the radio, or import playlists from other music managers.
