I bought this on the pre-BF sale, saved $400. Get the pen when you make the purchase and save another $20 on the pen (which comes with 5 different tips, each a different "pencil softness" - see image). I have 1st generation Microsoft Surface pro (i5 G3); I was concerned about m3 processor, but it (with improved GPU) is much better than the original and the battery life is about 4x better (original ~2.5h, this ~10h). The keyboard is just ok, it is backlit, and a little wider key spacing than previous; the "grey felt" look is nice, but key travel still limited. The latest pen has greatly improved touch sensitivity it is "marvolous"... using pen as mouse on screen is sensational. BTW: I can't believe new MacBooks don't have a touch screen - the screen viewing angle on the is tablet are exceptional combined with the new pen - a new computing experience. m3 processor is plenty powerful for most activities; Using Chrome Browser, I could easily open 6-8 tabs without noticing any sluggishness, at the same time run iTunes in the background. All told it's a great combination, and it's 100% quiet - NO FAN - and little noticible heat. behind the open kickstand you can feel warmth, but nothing like computers with older generation i3,i5 & i7 CPUs. If your lucky enought to get one fro this price, try the new Microsoft "inking" app, which combined with MS-Note provive a powerful on-screen writing combination.