The mid-range surface pro (core i5, 4GB RAM) runs solidworks and rhino like a champ, and I would assume it could run modo just fine too. If you’re doing a heavy modeling workload, you could probably try the core i7 model with 8gb of RAM.
Jakebot, how are you doing with your Surface Pro 3?
We had Toshiba Tecra M7s for as long as they would run and have been searching for THE modern day equivalent ever since. I’ve got a hopped up desktop for admin/CAD and a Note Pro 12.2 for sketching but the Windows to Android to Windows flow has not been the smoothest.
I love everything about the Surface Pro 3 but it’s size…The Note Pro 12.2 has the same real estate and I remember the Toshiba’s 14.1" screen offered seemingly so much more…so, has anyone tried the Acer Aspire R7 (w/ Haswell) or the Sony Flip15 (w/ Haswell & Nvidia)? Both those two are 15.5" tablet/laptop hybrids with NTrig. The Sony is no longer available (anyone else remember hearing it had wifi or bluetooth issues?) but the Acer is still available and is upgradeable.
I’d say the SP3 is still definitely a mobile-centric device, but I’ve been doing about 90% of my professional work on it. The workflow on it is great, I’ve got One Drive set up so I can just drop files from my tablet over to my desktop, and anything bigger I can just use a portable hard drive. I would think the Surface Pro would work well at a desk with its kickstand, but if you’re used to a 21" Cintiq it might seem really small by comparison.
I picked up a 2nd hand Wacom DTU 2231 (21inch 1080p) for just £400 on eBay, about $600 I think. It’s basically a 16:9 Cintiq 21 minus the buttons. Good buy and I would recommend it.