Microsoft Surface Laptop Preview

Microsoft Surface Laptop Preview

Today in New York, Microsoft announced Surface Laptop, a new premium offering that runs Windows 10 S and corrects some of the design mistakes in Surface Book.

I’ve already written a lot about this device, in a way: In March, I wondered aloud about “an affordable Surface Book 2 Laptop.” And back in January, I looked ahead to the ways in which Microsoft might improve on its gorgeous but too expensive Surface Book design this year.

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So there’s no need to rehash the past, other than to point out my most obvious point: Nobody was asking for a large, detachable Surface-branded laptop. What customers were asking for, however, is a Surface-branded MacBook Air. A non-detachable Surface-branded laptop, in other words.

Ladies and gentlemen, Microsoft just announced that product.

And, seriously, kudos to the software giant for not wasting two or three years arriving at the obvious: As originally released, Surface Book was too expensive, and its design—with that goofy and unreliable hinge—was compromised. Surface Laptop solves these problems. It’s a laptop, the form factor people really want. And it’s less expensive—much less expensive—than Surface Book.

Excellent.

While it is very reminiscent of Surface Book, Surface Laptop is more stylish than other Surface devices: It will come in four colors—Platinum, Burgundy, Cobalt Blue, and Graphite Gold—and will include an Alcantara-covered keyboard. The form factor is basically that of Surface Book, with the same 13.5-inch screen, but it appears to be thinner (9.9mm at the front tapering to 14.47mm at the rear) and, at 2.76 pounds, it’s a bit lighter.

The ports are minimal: On the left, we see USB 3 and miniDisplayPort, only, plus a headphone jack. And there’s a Surface Connect port (boo!) on the right. Yes, that’s everything. (And no, there’s no USB-C/Thunderbolt 3. It looks like Microsoft is milking its peripheral compatibility for another year.)

This machine looks amazing. AMAZING.

More soon.

And kudos to Walking Cat for the leaks.

 

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Conversation 76 comments

  • scumdogmillionaire

    02 May, 2017 - 10:52 am

    <p>I've owned:</p><p><br></p><p>Surface RT, Surface 2, Surface 3, Surface Pro 3, and the Surface Book, which is my daily PC… I'm over the "felt" of the keyboard though. I'd rather this be a keyboard like the Surface Book.</p>

    • jwpear

      Premium Member
      02 May, 2017 - 10:56 am

      <blockquote><a href="#108814"><em>In reply to scumdogmillionaire:</em></a></blockquote><p>Agree with you on the keyboard.&nbsp; The keyboard cover on my SP3 is showing its age.&nbsp; At least you can replace the keyboard on the SP.&nbsp; </p>

    • Nonmoi

      02 May, 2017 - 12:04 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#108814"><em>In reply to scumdogmillionaire:</em></a></blockquote><p>Yeah, I would prefer a keyboard that will stay cool over a keyboard that is warm to touch (supper annoyed by laptop keyboard/warmers) most days of the year when I work in doors. </p>

  • DerOi

    Premium Member
    02 May, 2017 - 10:54 am

    <p>@Paul You just looked so in love with this device on the livestream ;)</p>

  • wunderbar

    Premium Member
    02 May, 2017 - 10:55 am

    <p>I said this on the post of the leak last night, but port selection makes me very sad.</p><p><br></p><p>I'm in the market for a nice midrange laptop, but will not buy a new computer in 2017 that doesn't have USB C ports, and doesn't charge over USB C.</p><p><br></p><p>IT's 2017. This should be the standard. Instead they took the Surface Pro 4 ports and put them in a laptop.</p>

    • scumdogmillionaire

      02 May, 2017 - 11:06 am

      <blockquote><a href="#108833"><em>In reply to wunderbar:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>I was at first on the fence about this. I'd be pissed to buy this to replace my Surface Book and not have my docking station work, which I also use with my Surface Pro 3… but they're really targeting a different segment here, and since that is a new target, they should have taken then opportunity to do this.</p>

    • JudaZuk

      02 May, 2017 - 5:52 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#108833"><em>In reply to wunderbar:</em></a><em> I have no problem buying a new laptop in 2017 that does not have a USB-C port… if it cost $200 – $300 .. for $999 and above.. H*ll no </em></blockquote><p><br></p>

  • Rob_Wade

    02 May, 2017 - 10:56 am

    <p>I watched this and I was just 'meh'. It does nothing for me. At all.</p>

    • NazmusLabs

      02 May, 2017 - 12:00 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#108835"><em>In reply to Rob_Wade:</em></a></blockquote><p>Same</p>

  • dcdevito

    02 May, 2017 - 11:04 am

    <p>I really wish it had USB-C. Bummer</p>

  • Daekar

    02 May, 2017 - 11:13 am

    <p>Touchscreen? Tell me the price, tell me the hardware, and tell me I can easily upgrade it to full Windows when I discover that none of my peripherals work without Win32 compatibility and installers. And as one of the Premium posters commented, no laptop without at least one full-function USB-C port will get my money…</p><p><br></p><p>I've been wanting a Surface Laptop to recommend to family and friends, and if they check enough technical boxes I can do that – it certainly is visually appealing. They won't care about USB-C for a while.</p>

    • NazmusLabs

      02 May, 2017 - 12:00 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#108935"><em>In reply to Daekar:</em></a></blockquote><p>You can upgrade to Windows 10 pro for free in 2017. Price starts at 1k USD</p>

  • Ron F

    02 May, 2017 - 11:16 am

    <p>I wonder how much time this alcantara cover will last considering my undergraduate students' higiene. Still, it is an impressive piece of hardware for the price. Does it supports the pen too?</p>

    • Curtis Quick

      02 May, 2017 - 12:31 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#108961"><em>In reply to Ron F:</em></a>The alcantara cloth is supposed to wear well over time and the Surface Laptop supports the pen (although since the screen is not detachable, I don't see how the pen could be easily used).</blockquote><p><br></p>

      • SvenJ

        02 May, 2017 - 7:28 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#109408"><em>In reply to Curtis Quick:</em></a> It's the same stuff they use in higher end car interiors. It holds up pretty well there. </blockquote><p><br></p>

  • paladintom

    02 May, 2017 - 11:16 am

    <p>So Windows 10 "S" is tied the Windows App Store?! What a disaster! At least you can "upgrade" (i.e. unlock) to Win10 Pro for only $50.</p><p>Prediction: Windows 10 "S" is dead in a year.</p><p><br></p><p>Also, at that price, there's no way this is a competitor to Chromebooks.</p>

    • k

      02 May, 2017 - 11:22 am

      <blockquote><a href="#108962"><em>In reply to paladintom:</em></a></blockquote><p>I would love to crap on Microsoft as well (it *is* fun) but what else would you do? People want convenience and "security", not compatibility and flexibility. I agree it will likely fail but they have to try something… </p>

      • skane2600

        02 May, 2017 - 11:49 am

        <blockquote><a href="#109055"><em>In reply to k:</em></a></blockquote><p>"People want convenience and "security", not compatibility and flexibility."</p><p><br></p><p>Which people are you referring to? The failure of WinRT devices is good evidence that compatibility is exactly what people want.</p>

    • maethorechannen

      Premium Member
      02 May, 2017 - 11:23 am

      <blockquote><a href="#108962"><em>In reply to paladintom:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>I think it's&nbsp;going to be&nbsp;Windows 10 Home that's dead in a year.</p>

      • skane2600

        02 May, 2017 - 11:57 am

        <blockquote><a href="#109064"><em>In reply to maethorechannen:</em></a></blockquote><p>That would be a dumb decision on MS's part but then there's precedent for that lately.</p>

    • scotttech1

      02 May, 2017 - 11:40 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#108962">In reply to paladintom:</a></em></blockquote><blockquote>Also, at that price, there's no way this is a competitor to Chromebooks.</blockquote><p><br></p><p>The original Pixel was <span style="background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250);">US$1299 and wasn't running a 7th Gen i7</span></p>

      • scotttech1

        02 May, 2017 - 11:42 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#109166">In reply to scotttech1:</a></em></blockquote><p>to fix a slight oversight the original Pixel was an i5 and the $999 Surface Laptop is also an i5 (7th gen) so $300 less</p>

      • skane2600

        02 May, 2017 - 12:05 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#109166"><em>In reply to scotttech1:</em></a></blockquote><p>And what percentage of Chromebooks sold are high-end devices? </p>

      • paladintom

        02 May, 2017 - 12:18 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#109166">In reply to scotttech1:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>I didn't mean a specific model, I meant Chromebooks in general. Most of them a far far cheaper than Windows pcs. There were rumors that Windows 10 S would compete with ChromeOS. It does not.</p>

        • skane2600

          02 May, 2017 - 12:33 pm

          <blockquote><a href="#109352"><em>In reply to paladintom:</em></a></blockquote><p>I agree that the average Chromebook is a lot cheaper than a high end Chromebook or the Surface Laptop. On the other hand, there are Windows PCs that are just as cheap as the cheapest Chromebook.</p>

    • NazmusLabs

      02 May, 2017 - 11:59 am

      <blockquote><a href="#108962"><em>In reply to paladintom:</em></a></blockquote><p>Upgrading to Pro is free in 2017 for the surface laptop</p>

    • Curtis Quick

      02 May, 2017 - 12:33 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#108962"><em>In reply to paladintom:</em></a> There is no way that Microsoft is going to undercut it's partners and come out with a low-cost Surface device. As far as Microsoft is concerned the Surface Laptop is only competing with Apple. Microsoft is encouraging its partners to produce the sub-$500 Chromebook killers running Windows 10 S. If they are 2-in-1s with a pen, they might just be the ticket back to the classroom (at least if these devices run well).</blockquote><p><br></p>

    • SvenJ

      02 May, 2017 - 7:26 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#108962"><em>In reply to paladintom:</em></a> Sigh. Try to get the whole picture. Laptops running Windows S will be available from partners from $189 and up. That is squarely in cheap Chromebook territory. Nobody suggested school districts stock up on Surfaces. The Surface though would make a reasonable purchase for a college student, for 4 years, whether they leave it at S or upgrade to Pro. That is right in the ballpark of MacBooks purchased for the same scenario.</blockquote><p><br></p>

      • skane2600

        02 May, 2017 - 8:20 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#110589"><em>In reply to SvenJ:</em></a></blockquote><p>But you can still buy full Windows 10 PCs for less than $189. </p>

      • skane2600

        02 May, 2017 - 11:49 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#110589"><em>In reply to SvenJ:</em></a></blockquote><p>What is interesting is that if you look at the Microsoft devices page, the only device with a listed price of $189 doesn't run Windows 10 S, it runs Windows 10 Pro. </p>

  • bbold

    02 May, 2017 - 11:21 am

    <p>I can't decide between burgundy and blue… omg omg… first world problems 😉 Thank you for your reporting, Brad and Paul! Did you manage to steal that nice young lady's Surface Laptop yet? haha ;)</p>

  • Brian560

    02 May, 2017 - 11:22 am

    <p>I am not going to compare it against the Surface Book, I am curious on how it compares to the Surface pro 4 (m3 and i5) and the Dell XPS 13's .10 S is also compared to Windows RT, and lets not forget the older non-pro lineup of Surface devices.</p>

    • scotttech1

      02 May, 2017 - 11:35 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#109056">In reply to Brian560:</a></em></blockquote><blockquote><em>I've seen reports that an upgrade to pro from S is only $50</em></blockquote><p><br></p>

      • NazmusLabs

        02 May, 2017 - 11:58 am

        <blockquote><a href="#109133"><em>In reply to scotttech1:</em></a></blockquote><p>Upgrade to Win10 Pro is free in 2017, as discovered in the TWiT Live special. So you save the $50</p>

        • JudaZuk

          02 May, 2017 - 12:17 pm

          <blockquote><a href="#109264"><em>In reply to NazmusLabs:</em></a></blockquote><p>Except do you want Windows 10 Pro on 4GB RAM?</p>

      • skane2600

        02 May, 2017 - 12:01 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#109133"><em>In reply to scotttech1:</em></a></blockquote><p>It's likely that any upgrade scenario is going to cost you more than just buying a PC with the version of Windows you really want. Windows S and Windows Pro are at opposite ends of the productivity spectrum.</p>

        • SvenJ

          02 May, 2017 - 7:22 pm

          <blockquote><a href="#109286"><em>In reply to skane2600:</em></a> Did you actually give that any thought? If the PC you really want runs Win 10 Pro you are likely talking $500 or more. Lower priced devices tend to come with Home. You think an upgrade from S to Pro is going to be in the neighborhood of $500? </blockquote><p><br></p>

          • skane2600

            02 May, 2017 - 8:17 pm

            <blockquote><a href="#110588"><em>In reply to SvenJ:</em></a></blockquote><p>I found new Win 10 Pro laptops for as little as $279 from Dell. One could probably find a lower price elsewhere. MS mentioned the lowest price for a Windows 10 S laptop would be $189, but we don't know what it's specs will be. The fact is that the economics of PCs are the same for everyone. BTW, at Dell's website upgrading from Windows 10 home to Pro is also $50. The bottom line is that buying the cheapest of Windows S computers and then upgrading to Pro isn't a very smart way to go. When you consider the high cost of the Surface laptop and it's meddling specs, you could say that the Pro upgrade is already "baked" in the price.</p>

  • SaadElBoury

    02 May, 2017 - 11:24 am

    <p>I wonder how far back the hinge reclines, can you lay the screen almost flat.</p><p>That was the main reason I picked the Surface Pro over the Book</p>

  • Stokkolm

    02 May, 2017 - 11:28 am

    <p>Looks like I'm going to stick with my planned 5th Gen X1 Carbon purchase, I was so hoping for Thunderbolt 3 here as I've been a loyal Surface Pro/Book owner since the Pro 2, but I can't (don't want to) wait another year to see if they will offer it.</p>

  • jjaegers

    02 May, 2017 - 11:32 am

    <p>This looks waaaayyyy nicer than the latest MacBook machines with that goofy touch strip.&nbsp; I LOVE the idea of the fabric covered base.&nbsp; I have a surface book that I never take the screen off of… I will be trading up to one of these pretty quickly! The blue one looks fantastic!</p>

  • Nonmoi

    02 May, 2017 - 11:42 am

    <p>The question I have is that, this is affordable to whom exactly?</p><p><br></p><p>As it is marketed at announcement, it seems to target the education market.</p><p>However, no parents of K-12ers will be rich enough to fork over 1000+ dollars per device for their kid, especially one that looks so elegant and with unchangeable textile keyboard that surely will be totally hygienic with those little dirty hands.</p><p><br></p><p>Paul, and other tech bloggers seems to understand it as a cheaper Surface Book for general consumers, but even in that market a i5 machine with 4GB of RAM at $999 (and not sure if it come with W10S or Pro, if S then there is assume to be another $49 upgrade fee?) isn't exactly affordable either.</p><p><br></p><p>Anyhow, it surely isn't for the 3rd world kids and poor immigrant families that the rich Microsoft execs talking about today.</p><p><br></p>

    • JudaZuk

      02 May, 2017 - 12:13 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#109177"><em>In reply to Nonmoi:</em></a></blockquote><p><em>totally agree, $999 for 4GB RAM, are they insane?? And no USB-C either, great that it has a classic USB, but it should have that as well as a USB-C port. And of course a proprietary charger as well.</em></p><p>And fabric around they keyboard?? Who thought that was a good idea? It will get dirty the first week, and then your laptop will look crap after that, and you can't do anything about it.</p><p>This is definitely not for students, I honestly don't know who it is far at all. It is possible even worse then a Macbook, only redeeming feature compared to that is that it has a proper keyboard </p>

    • edboyhan

      02 May, 2017 - 12:53 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#109177"><em>In reply to Nonmoi:</em></a> They were pretty clear at the event that the Surface Laptop is targeted at the post K-12 market segment (university students and profs). K-12 will be handled by OEM's at much lower price points.</blockquote><p><br></p>

      • Nonmoi

        02 May, 2017 - 4:14 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#109487"><em>In reply to edboyhan:</em></a></blockquote><p>Still not affordable for that market by any mean, as there are many more powerful and cheaper laptops from reputable OEMs at the price level, running the full Windows Pro. Heck, this isn't even more affordable than Surface Pro 4 even before the discount.</p><p><br></p><p>Come to think about it, this is the perfectly wrong device to showcase today for both Windows 10 S and education market. There's no need to proof to anyone a $1000+ laptop can run Windows 10 fine, so unless Win10S is even less efficient than Pro what's the point that MSL is trying to prove here? And how is MSL exemplary of MS' dedication and innovations in education market? Can it do anything that a similar priced laptop, MBP or Linux laptop cannot do? Does it enable the next level of communication and team work over Slack? Does it revolutionized the teacher's ability to teach and communicate with students and their parents? Does it redefine the way students learn in class that no other devices can? Does it at the very lease, reduce the price of modernization of education infrastructure, or as SV people like to call it "democratised" edu? To me, the answer is a clear NO as these questions can not be addressed by an inspirational hardware, but consistent development in software development and system engineering. Microsoft maybe better off to showcase a $300 Surface Mini, or no hardware at all today, and hold off this piece of nice to have, but none essential laptop for next week's Build. </p>

      • JudaZuk

        02 May, 2017 - 5:40 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#109487">In reply to edboyhan:</a></em></blockquote><p>No professional have use for a low powered laptop with 4GB of RAM .. ever need to to spin up a VM, Hyper V or similar..forget about it . Need to compile some code, 4GB of RAM.. yeah forget about it if it is more then "my first app project". </p><p>Photo editing on 4GB .. yeah no way if you are doing more then adding stupid "instagramesque" filter, and if you use RAW files, there is no way at all</p><p>Video editing, yeah, that is basically a no go as well</p><p>you are a student and use MathLab to do complicated calculations, look else where.</p><p>So unless you are a professional Cat video viewer, this computer is just not good enough.</p><p>If you are an author, or just browsing the web, then fine, you are good, but for the rest of the professionals in the world, this is not an option at all .</p><p>So just get a proper laptop from Lenovo or Dell instead, and get a proper version of Windows 10, Windows 10 Pro, and don't bother with Windows 10 S. It will also be cheaper.</p><p>Windows 10 S is great for kids in school where you really want to lock things down, and if you can get some more browsers and other apps in there it is totally okay. But if you are a student at a real university, and actually learning something (…and not just burning cars and rioting, or the better option chilling drinking beer and slacking) Windows 10 S is not an option</p><p>So basically , if you are a student at the age of 8 – 14 Windows 10 S is perfect for a school, and S stands for Student</p><p>If you are at the age 15 – 21+ it is just as pointless as a Chromebook, (only benefit it has is that t you can upgrade to proper Windows 10 Pro, a Chromebook will always be a limited Chromebook. .. ) ether way, in this age bracket, S must stand for Stupid</p>

        • crfonseca

          Premium Member
          03 May, 2017 - 5:25 am

          <blockquote><a href="#110420"><em>In reply to JudaZuk:</em></a></blockquote><p>Ya know, I'll bet with you that the ratio of pros that don't ever need VMs is to the ones that actually need them is easily at least 1000:1.</p><p>Thing is, not even most IT folk need them. VMs are a very, *very*, niche requirement. And now that Windows has pretty decent Linux support (and that might be the greatest embrace, extend, extend so much that there are no real alternatives coup MS ever threw that the Linux fanboys never saw coming) there's even less need for them.</p><p>Most people also have no desire to edit photos or videos. Sure, everyone does some cutting and tweaking, but for them even the stuff the Photos app does is more than enough. And a laptop with 4 GB of RAM can easily handle that.</p><p>And did MS say that this is a device for pros? Does it have "pro" in the name, like some other device by a certain fruity company?</p><p>Also, did MS announce that from today, no more OEM PCs will be available?</p><p>The Surface Book is too expensive, too underpowered, too whatever for you? Buy something else. There's a reason it's called "free market".</p><p>For kids going to school, MS did say you'll have Windows 10 S devices starting from USD 189.</p><p>Oh, and most of the same is valid for Chromebooks. I get that their limitations are too much for you, but that's probably because they're not designed for you. But for schools with limited budgets and no real IT staff they're a godsend.</p><p>And that's the market that Microsoft is going after, for now.</p><p>And you can think of the Surface Laptop as that crazy expensive Chromebook Google launched some years ago, the Pixel, iirc.</p>

          • JudaZuk

            04 May, 2017 - 1:05 am

            <blockquote><em><a href="#111077">In reply to crfonseca:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yes "Windows has pretty decent Linux support" and that is great .. but Windows 10 S have Zero Linux support… you have to upgrade to Pro do use that. So why not just buy a better laptop that is cheaper that comes with Windows 10 Pro already. </p><p>"You can think of the Surface Laptop as that crazy expensive Chromebook Google launched some years ago, the Pixel," Yes and I do .. and what happened to the Pixel .. it failed, hard .. and now Google more or less dropped it </p>

  • dallasnorth40

    Premium Member
    02 May, 2017 - 11:59 am

    <p>I am going to get this machine! Beautiful!!!</p>

  • tremblaymax

    02 May, 2017 - 12:01 pm

    <p>No USB Type C is an error, but not a deal breaker : I still don't have any USB Type C peripherals and in 4 years i'm pretty sure there still will be USB Type A peripherals out there. </p>

  • feinburg

    02 May, 2017 - 12:10 pm

    <p>At $999 the base price, 8GB of RAM should be the standard. 4GB of RAM should not be an option anymore.</p>

  • Curtis Quick

    02 May, 2017 - 12:11 pm

    <p>I realize that Paul and many others really wanted a Surface Laptop but for me, a physics teacher, I really wanted a laptop that had a detachable (or at least a foldable) keyboard. Sadly, I do not see how the pen will be very usable when in front of class solving science problems wirelessly on the big screen, unless the keyboard comes off and I can hold the screen in my hands as a tablet while I draw out solutions to physics problems. Also, I am not really sure how a student will be able to take notes with drawings and annotations with the pen during class as the screen will be mostly vertical instead of mostly horizontal. It is a beautiful laptop, but it would have been so much better if at the end of the presentation Panos had pulled the screen off the keyboard (or folded it all the way back) for those of us who needed tablet functionality. I guess I will just have to stick with my Surface Book (which I love to death, but wish it was as stylish and light as the new Surface Laptop) for now. As it stands, a Surface Pro with a pen is a much better device for education than the Surface Laptop. Perhaps a 13.5 inch Surface Pro 5 will make me happy in a few weeks/months.</p>

    • chaad_losan

      02 May, 2017 - 2:02 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#109323"><em>In reply to Curtis Quick:</em></a></blockquote><p>It can't. You can't. They can't. They won't be able to. And absolutely not. Would have been hundreds more. </p>

  • 2ilent8cho

    02 May, 2017 - 12:17 pm

    <p>That is one of the most ugly laptops i have ever seen, and that mouse YUCK! I was not a fan of the Surface Book either with its ugly hinge. </p>

  • Waethorn

    02 May, 2017 - 12:26 pm

    <p>The cloth material on the keyboard wears out too fast. And unlike a Surface tablet, you can't replace this one.</p>

  • alf

    02 May, 2017 - 12:32 pm

    <p>"We got this great new Chrome OS competitor — a hobbled version of Windows 10. Don't worry though, we left the ads in file explorer. Designed to compete with low-end Chromebooks in the "edu" market, and designed as the premier host for Windows 10S, we bring you the Surface Laptop — an educational tool affordable only to trust fund babies attending CEO school on the East Coast."</p><p>What a giant load of steaming crap all the way around. Still, better than that P.O.S. new "Touchbar" Macbook.</p>

  • StephenCWLL

    02 May, 2017 - 12:33 pm

    <p>I'm unsure what everyone is getting excited about? These aren't much cheaper than previous surfaces.</p>

    • SvenJ

      02 May, 2017 - 7:15 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#109411"><em>In reply to StephenCWLL:</em></a> It is substantially cheaper than Surface Book. If what you want is a laptop, this meets that need while Surface Pro is a bit iffy. </blockquote><p><br></p>

  • Careyy Price

    02 May, 2017 - 12:37 pm

    <p>I don't know whats up with all the negative comments, I'm really interested in this device and can't even believe Microsoft created this laptop in the first place! Exciting times!</p>

  • vernonlvincent

    Premium Member
    02 May, 2017 - 12:45 pm

    <p>Can you use a USB 3.0 to USB-C cable to essentially use Thunderbolt features on this device? Found a cable on <a href="https://www.showmecables.com/usb-31-type-c-male-to-usb-type-a-male-3-ft&quot; target="_blank">ShowMeCables </a> that would let me do this. I know I won't likely get charging – but was thinking more of the eGPU functionality. If that works, it could turn the device into a decent desktop device.</p>

    • lvthunder

      Premium Member
      02 May, 2017 - 2:06 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#109452"><em>In reply to vernonlvincent:</em></a></blockquote><p>Just get the Surface dock if you want to turn it into a desktop device.</p>

    • GarethB

      Premium Member
      02 May, 2017 - 8:25 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#109452"><em>In reply to vernonlvincent:</em></a></blockquote><p>USB-C &lt;&gt; Thunderbolt. </p><p><br></p><p>The most you'll get out of those adapters is a 4.8Gbs USB connection. Not a 40Gbs Thunderbolt 3. Thunderbolt devices won't work unless they also support USB3.1 std. </p>

  • edboyhan

    02 May, 2017 - 12:48 pm

    <p>Color is only available on certain I5 configurations — for all the rest it's only in platinum. I also thought I saw that color will only be available in the US market?</p>

  • Simard57

    02 May, 2017 - 12:51 pm

    <p>Does it have a pen loop?</p><p><br></p>

  • Ugur

    02 May, 2017 - 12:57 pm

    <p>I quite like the device overall for this price range it is really sleek and nice.</p><p>I wish the screen could be folded over fully (since it nicely has pen support).</p><p>I also want pro models in 15 and 17 inch with out of the box win 10 pro, highest end gpu options etc for of course then higher price.</p><p>But yeah, considering this one at this price, too, sounds like a great laptop for the couch and on the go =)</p>

  • Chris Payne

    02 May, 2017 - 1:38 pm

    <p>I'm "meh" on this too. I'm not sure how this at all advances MS's stated ambitions to advance technology for educational needs (and the masses) or give a perfect device to demonstrate the "soul" of Windows.</p><p>This is just filling out their model lineup. Which is fine if you are trying to be a hardware retailer. But that's not what they said they were trying to be. And doesn't jive with their other work so far.</p><p>If they're going to introduce a generic laptop, why did they kill their generic phones?</p><p>Frankly, this device kind of upsets me. Not the device itself, but what it signifies.</p>

  • rameshthanikodi

    02 May, 2017 - 1:55 pm

    <p>That's a really great design, too bad it's marred by software that general consumers don't want, bad pricing (goes up really quick), and bad port selection.</p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Windows 10 S is only really for managed environments, the pricing makes the Surface Pro 4 look sane, and having no Thunderbolt ports is surely arbitrary to make this appear like a low-end product when it shouldn't have been.</span></p>

  • Josh Durston

    02 May, 2017 - 3:27 pm

    <p>3:2 display is awesome</p><p>No USB-C/Thunderbolt… lame</p>

  • Narg

    02 May, 2017 - 3:28 pm

    <p>Surface Connect I don't mind, in fact like it due to magnetic connection. USB-C/Thunderbolt? That was a mistake.</p>

    • wright_is

      Premium Member
      03 May, 2017 - 3:27 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#110037">In reply to Narg:</a></em></blockquote><p>Exactly, the Connect port caters to existing MS users who have already forked out for a dock, the USB-C port would be better for new users.</p>

  • robincapper

    02 May, 2017 - 8:12 pm

    <p>Just decided my next laptop will be a Surface Book, but wait till v2…? When?</p>

  • bbold

    02 May, 2017 - 11:05 pm

    <p>Does the pen magnetically attach to the side as it does with the Pros?</p>

  • ruusterc

    03 May, 2017 - 12:20 am

    <p> i have a macbook running windows 10 and micorsoft until now has never really created anything in the laptop area that i would consider leaving my macbook or anything i could aford until today they just announced the product i was hoping surface book would of been in 2015 i think this is the best product they have ever made i just wish they had have announced this last year when i was in the market for a new notebook</p><p><br></p>

  • wright_is

    Premium Member
    03 May, 2017 - 3:26 am

    <p>I could understand USB-C + Surface Connect Port, but no USB-C today seems a little silly.</p><p>For existing users, having the Surface Connect Port to connect to their existing hardware is a good thing. For new users, having USB-C would be better.</p><p>We have dozens of docks for our laptops, but the new generation means we can start to throw our expensive docks away and buy new ones…</p>

  • crfonseca

    Premium Member
    03 May, 2017 - 7:52 am

    <p>I have to say, I still don't get why Microsoft did the Laptop.</p><p>I get the other Surface devices, even the ill fated Surface RT showcased Windows RT, but that was because Windows RT needed a device to run on and no one else was going to make one.</p><p>The Laptop isn't really needed to showcase Windows 10 S, is it? Pretty much any moderately recent PC is capable of running it, so that's not why it was needed.</p><p>Is Microsoft going head on against Apple? It kind of seems to, since the Laptop really aims at the Macbook Air. But if that's the case, will they follow through with it or do what they did with the Lumia devices and dump it in two years?</p><p>Fan service? I get that *a lot* of people were begging Microsoft to make a real laptop, but was there really a need for it? There are already plenty of very high quality ultrabooks in the market…</p><p>Also, did Microsoft just declare war on its OEM partners?</p>

  • eq07

    15 June, 2017 - 8:32 am

    <p>How come you cannot tap the photos to see or zoom in on bigger photos???</p>

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