Microsoft has some very special pricing available for qualified students across a range of products, not the least of which is the Core i3 version of the Surface Pro 3 for $649. This price gets you 4GB of RAM and a 64GB SSD, the latter of which can be complemented by up to 128GB of microSD storage.
Not only is this a great price for such a powerful and flexible machine that runs the full version of Windows 8.1, all Windows applications (desktop and modern), and with a full compliment of expansion options, but it’s also very competitive with some of the other tablet-only offerings on the market. Sure, you’ll want to add the $129 Type Cover, but these particular tablets don’t come with keyboards.

Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2″ 64GB: $744.99

Apple iPad Air 64GB: $652.00
You might be able to find the Samsung and Apple alternatives for less somewhere else, and there are cheaper options, but seriously, $649 is an excellent price for a Surface Pro 3 that can serve a student as a full-featured notebook (with the Type Cover, of course, which is also available with the standard Microsoft 10% student discount), a powerful note-taking tablet, and even a desktop with the excellent dock accessory.
While roughly $800 including tax for the Surface Pro 3 and Type Cover is a significant investment for a student, it’s also a long-term investment that’s still likely less costly than any other notebook/tablet combo on the market. And, considering that you’re getting it all in one no-compromise machine, it’s really a steal.
4GB not 4MB of ram…
Oops, yep, that’s correct, of course. Fixed, and thanks!