Microsoft Surface 3
An attendee photographs the new Microsoft Surface Pro 3, during the event in New York, May 20, 2014. Microsoft Corporation on Tuesday unveiled a larger but lighter version of its Surface Pro tablet as it ramps up efforts to make an impact on the mobile computing market and counter the popularity of Apple Inc.'s iPad and MacBook Air laptop. Reuters/Brendan McDermid

Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 is on sale, and the Redmond, Washington, giant is offering a $150 discount on a single variation of the Surface Pro 3, which comes with 256GB storage and Intel Core i5 processor. The Surface Pro 3 is a larger but lighter version of previous Surface Pro versions, all of which are the key to Microsoft's efforts to make an impact on the mobile computing market and counter the popularity of Apple Inc.'s iPad and MacBook Air laptop.

According to CNET, the Intel Core i5 processor delivers a clocking speed of 1.9 GHz and it is accompanied with 8GB of RAM. The usual price of the device is $1,299. With the $150 discount, it is now available for $1,149 on the Microsoft Store website and at retail outlets.

There are four other Surface Pro 3 variations. However, there is no promotional discount on those devices. The Surface Pro series laptops from Microsoft are designed to deliver high performance with portability. It's popularity has helped the company earn huge profits.

The advantage of the Surface Pro 3 is that it is a hybrid device: It can be used as a tablet by disconnecting the keyboard or as a laptop by attaching it. The new discount, available exclusively in the United States, will expire on May 23.

Microsoft is also giving away a free sleeve with all the variations of the Surface Pro 3 until July 1. Normally, the free sleeve is available for $20 to $40 without the deal.

On April 1, Microsoft refreshed its Surface line of tablets by announcing the economical Surface 3 tablet, which sells for $499 and up. The company is also expected to refresh its Surface Pro line of devices soon. The Surface Pro 3 was launched in May 2014, and variations of the device were made available for purchase in June.

The Surface Pro 4 is rumored to be the first device to come with the desktop edition of Windows 10. According to the Windows Central report, the Surface Pro 4 may arrive with two display versions -- a 12-inch and a 14-inch -- as well as an Intel fifth generation Broadwell processor.

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