Surface 3 is an ideal graduation gift

Laptops are popular graduation gifts. Many students share a home computer with parents and siblings and need a portable computer of their own as they head off to college. This year, though, there is something even better than a traditional laptop–the Surface 3 tablet from Microsoft.

I wrote a post listing the reasons why the Surface 3 is the ultimate graduation gift for the Class of 2015:

Mother’s Day is the big event on the immediate horizon in many countries, but if you stroll through the gift card and wrapping paper section of your favorite store you’ll probably notice that graduation season is right around the corner. Whether you’re shopping for a high school student heading off to college, or a college student preparing to start a new career, Microsoft’s Surface 3 makes an ideal graduation gift.

The Surface 3 hit store shelves May 5, 2015 — just in time for graduation gift shopping.Surface 3 accessories, including the Surface 3 Type Cover, Surface Pen, and Surface 3 Docking Station, are also available.

Computers have been a favorite graduation gift pretty much since there has been computers, especially for high schoolers going to college. Students need productivity software such as Word and PowerPoint, and they need access to the internet for research purposes. Laptops replaced desktops because they provide more versatility to be productive from anywhere instead of just in the dorm room. The Surface 3 takes portability and flexibility to another level.

There are very capable Windows laptops available for less than $500, but the Surface 3 is an ideal gift for the following four reasons.

1: Portability

Microsoft has packed a full Windows PC into a tablet that’s barely more than a third of an inch thick and weighs less than one and a half pounds. You can put the Surface 3 into a protective sleeve, and the whole thing will be smaller and lighter than most college textbooks.

2. Flexibility

With a Surface 3 Type Cover and the kickstand, the Surface 3 is a very effective “laptop.” You can also detach the keyboard cover, and just use it as a tablet. You can use the Surface Pen to “write” and take notes right on the display. One of the things that puts the Surface 3 in a flexibility class all its own is the fact that it can be recharged from virtually any power source using a standard micro USB cable. Try that with your laptop.

Read the full post on TechRepublic: Four reasons why a Surface 3 is the ultimate graduation gift.