Combining your laptop and tablet into a single device is a feat Microsoft has been trying to accomplish through three generations of "laplets." The Surface Pro 3, the software giant's latest model, so far comes the closest to solving the conundrum, most experts agree.

The 12-inch device premiered in the United States and Canada a little over four months ago. It's thinner and lighter than its predecessors and innovates with a new type cover and a battery-powered Bluetooth active pen.

A 4th generation Intel Core processor with TPM chip runs the Surface Pro 3, which is available in five different configurations with five different price points:

  • The Intel Core i3 CPU with HD 4000 sets you back $799 and comes with 4 gigabytes of RAM and 64 gigabytes of internal storage;

  • The Intel Core i5 with HD 4400 costs $999 and comes with twice as much internal storage than the above.

  • The same CPU goes up to $1299 with 8 gigabytes of RAM and 256 gigabytes of internal storage.

  • The Intel Core i7 with HD 5000 clocks in at $1549 with the same RAM and storage as the above.

  • Finally, to get the most advanced CPU with 512 gigabytes of internal storage, you have to hand over $1949.

The unit gets high fairly marks from PC Pro.

"The Surface Pro 3 is the most radical step forward for the family yet, with a display that has swelled to near-A4 size," the site said, adding that the tablet is an "impressively persuasive hybrid."

The site's reviewers gave the Surface Pro 3 four stars, out of a maximum of six.

"Can the Surface Pro 3 really replace your laptop? In my case, the answer is yes," ZDNet's Ed Bott said. "For the first time in 20 years, I no longer own a conventional clamshell laptop."

Bott especially lauds the $199 docking station, which allows him to seamlessly connect the device to the two monitors he uses in his office. The station helps users back up files to an attached external drive.

The experts at CNET, however, give the gadget a mixed review, concluding, "It's more successful as a tablet than a laptop replacement." Still, the site acknowledges the Surface Pro 3's lightweight design and large display, as well as its "best-in-class" keyboard, but laments that the "keyboard cover is not included in the base price, and its improved touchpad still doesn't measure up."