Microsoft Surface 3 Doesn’t Yet Work With Windows 10 Preview Build

With excited consumers ready to do their back-to-school shopping, many are speculating whether Microsoft’s new operating system is ready to hit the racks. Despite the increasing curiosity that Windows 10 is gaining, the company has yet to confirm the rumors that their latest product will be ready by July.

However, an unfinished version of Windows 10 is currently available on the market, and an estimated number of 3.7 million consumers have already taken it for a test drive on their Windows 7 or 8 PC. Clearly, many are already enjoying their first taste of Microsoft’s latest operating system, but a particular group of people are not happy with this news. Apparently, there is one group which cannot enjoy Windows 10 just yet, and that is the group of consumers who purchased Microsoft’s low-cost tablet, the Surface 3.

In Microsoft’s Surface forum, Microsoft Community Moderator and Microsoft MVP Barb Bowman addressed the numerous concerns of Surface 3 users who were inquiring as to how they can upgrade their tablet’s operating system to Windows 10.

Bowman gave this warning, “Please do NOT try to install Windows 10 on the new Surface 3. There are no drivers for the Intel x5/x7 Atom processors. There are no drivers in the Preview Build because Intel has not yet provided drivers.”

She also added that his warning does not apply to the company’s new high-end Surface Pro 3 tablet, which she assured could handle Windows 10 just fine.

Microsoft’s Surface 3 was released in the market last week after its product announcement late in March. Aside from its affordability, the low-cost tablet appealed to many consumers because it was not made with an ARM-processor, which limits the compatibility of its applications. Instead, it is compatible with all legacy desktop and modern user interface applications.

Physically, the Surface 3 features a 10.8-inch 1080p display. It comes in two models, which differ in their memory specifications. You can opt for the 64GB model with 2GB RAM or for the faster model with a bigger memory capacity of 128 GB with 4GB RAM. The tablet also comes with one USB 3.0 port, microSD card reader, and Mini Displayport. For connectivity, it has an 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0.

Moreover, the Surface 3 recently received an update which aids large-scale organizations in connecting with their employees equipped with the tablet. According to Microsoft, the unnamed update will assist their clients “intending to do mass deployments.”

Editor’s note: this story has been amended to correct the inaccuracy/lack of specificity in the original title.

[Image via Microsoft]