This is Microsoft's new Surface Pro 3, in pictures

The new Surface Pro 3 is on sale and Microsoft has finally achieved its vision of combining a laptop and a tablet into a device that doesn't have too many compromises. This is simply the best hardware that Microsoft has ever produced and even if you aren't a big fan of Windows, you can at least appreciate the flagship hardware it runs on.

The tablet weighs 1.76 pounds (without the new Type Cover) and is .36 inches thick. The display is now bigger too, it's a nicely-sized 12-inch touchscreen with a tack-sharp resolution of 2160 x 1440. One of our favorite features is the new kickstand, which uses friction and can hold the device up at any angle. The Type Cover has been redesigned too, and is much better than previous models.

But can this device take on the MacBook Air? Can it really replace your laptop? Check out our full review of the Surface Pro 3 to find out. In the meantime, you can see more details about the device in our photo gallery below.

Photography by Michael Shane.

The Surface Pro 3 has a large, 12-inch screen with a resolution of 2160 x 1440
The new pen is bigger and uses N-Trig technology. You can click the top of the pen to instantly launch OneNote, even from sleep.
It runs Windows 8.1 Pro, which is a powerful operating system that can sometimes be a little confusing to new users.
Because the new Type Cover can attach to the bottom of the screen, Microsoft moved the main Windows button to the side.
There are dual, front-facing speakers. They're very loud and sound great.
The new Type Cover finally has a large, decent trackpad. It's still not as good as what's on a full laptop, but it's much more usable than before.
One of the ways the Surface Pro 3 is better on your lap comes from this new magnetic strip on the Type Cover. It add stability and elevates the keyboard when typing.
The new hinge uses friction to hold itself in place. This means you can position the Surface Pro 3 at any angle between 22 degrees and 150 degrees.
Here's a close-up of the new friction hinge. It feels very sturdy.
When fully extended, the Surface Pro 3 is great for setting on a desk for drawing.
Hidden beneath the kickstand is a microSD card slot. It's not as good as a proper SD card slot, but at least it's something.
Thankfully, there aren't too many logos on the Surface Pro 3. This is the only adornment on the back.
The new pen supports 256 levels of pressure sensitivity.
But it doesn't automatically make you a good artist. A future update will let you take a picture and draw on it directly. Maybe that will help!