Microsoft’s Surface Laptop is official, and it isn't the Chromebook rival we previously thought the company would be announcing. Rather, Microsoft’s Surface Laptop is a device that has students specifically in mind, and is all set to go toe-to-toe with the MacBook Air.
Yes, Microsoft is gunning for Apple’s ongoing dominance of the well-to-do student laptop market, and it may just be crowned victorious. Here’s why.
For starters, its 13.5in screen with the 3:2 aspect ratio will display 3.4 million colours. Surface devices have always sported impressive-looking displays, and the Surface Laptop continues in that vein. This will be a cracking screen to do your work on, and – crucially – binge-watch Netflix on those off days. Oh, and it will be compatible with Microsoft’s excellent Surface Pen as standard. No word yet on whether it will be bundled in the box, however.
The Surface Laptop will be available in a range of colours: Graphite Gold, Burgundy, Cobalt Blue and Platinum finishes, in case you were wondering.
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Internally, you'll have a choice of Kaby Lake Core i5 or Core i7 processors, and a handful of different RAM and storage configurations starting at with a 128GB SSD and 4GB of RAM. This laptop will be fast, Microsoft says – supposedly 50% faster than Apple’s MacBook Air and, intriguingly, speedier than its flagship Core i7-equipped MacBook Pro, too. Oh, and it will run Windows 10S, the firm’s answer to Chrome OS.
Windows 10S is a stripped-back version of Microsoft's desktop OS that looks like Windows 10 on the surface but will allow users to install and run only Windows Store apps. Try installing a regular Windows application and Cortana will tell you off, referring you to a similar app you can find on the Windows Store. Like Chrome OS, this should make for a more streamlined experience and, so Microsoft says, a more secure one, too.
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Strangely – and this caught my attention at the unveiling – there’s no speaker grille visible on the new laptop. Instead, Dolby Audio sound blasts right through the keyboard fabric, which must be a strange feeling while you’re typing, surely? I’m yet to get some proper playtime with the new laptop, but I guarantee this will be the first feature I test when I finally get one in my hands.
A range of more cost-effective Chromebook alternatives remains on the cards; it's just that Microsoft won’t be making them. Like those Windows VR headsets, a handful of education laptops equipped with Windows 10S will launch very soon, with prices starting at $189 (around £145). Expect these to be lower-spec devices, akin to most Chromebooks.
Microsoft Surface Laptop: UK price and release date
As for pricing, Microsoft says you can pre-order the Surface Laptop now, starting at $999 for the Kaby Lake Core i5 model. When will it arrive? Expect the Surface Laptop to launch on 15 June, in the US at least. There’s no official word on pricing or release date in other regions, but expect news on this very soon.
Microsoft Surface Laptop: Early verdict
With Microsoft seemingly targeting low-end Chromebooks with those cheap Windows 10 S-powered laptops and Apple at the high-end with its impressive-looking Surface Laptop, the firm seems to have both ends of the education market in its sights. It’s now time for Apple’s and Google’s inevitable riposte.
Expect a full Microsoft Surface Laptop review in the very near future.