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Microsoft Debuts $999 Surface Laptop, 'Streamlined' Windows 10 S, and More at Education Event
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Right, that's why we have an iPad pro that stands upright like a laptop.
Ever since I bought a Surface Pro 3, I find myself reaching at my MacBook Air screen, trying to scroll web pages. Touch works great for certain tasks, even on a laptop. Also, a pen is a much better input device for filling out web forms vs. dragging around on a touchpad. I never realized how nice those technologies were until Microsoft did them correctly.The new Surface Laptop is what the MacBook Air needs to become. After you use one, it stops being a crazy idea.
It doesn't even run full windows!
Everything that runs on Windows 10 S has to be downloaded from the Windows Store, which will suggest alternatives to any programs it doesn't offer.
This be RT in disguise.
Everything that runs on Windows 10 S has to be downloaded from the Windows Store, which will suggest alternatives to any programs it doesn't offer.
This be RT in disguise.
Gorgeous device. The 4GB of starting RAM is a little ridiculous, but maybe that's enough for Windows 10 S. Still, for that price point I'd expect 8GB.
For anyone that doesn't know, YES you can upgrade to Windows 10 Pro.
At any rate, I'm very interested in this device.
For anyone that doesn't know, YES you can upgrade to Windows 10 Pro.
At any rate, I'm very interested in this device.
Macrumors upon hearing base-spec MBP is 8gb of ram and top-spec is 16gb: "wtf Apple, this isn't nearly enough for me!"
Macrumors upon hearing base-spec Surface Laptop is 4gb and top-spec is 16gb: "Ordering one now, **** Apple!"
Macrumors upon hearing base-spec Surface Laptop is 4gb and top-spec is 16gb: "Ordering one now, **** Apple!"
If it was up to me, I'd sell it as a loss-leader to schools. Get them hooked on the ecosystem early, and keep them familiar with my brand. Who cares if they make a loss selling $200-$300 laptops to schools for schoolwork when that eventually trickles up into teens and adults buying into your products in the future!
That's kind of like saying another $300 Android phone just got released and Apple is caught snoozing. Apple doesn't currently exist in any of the budget markets unless you consider iPads competing with this laptop.
It's priced beat for beat to match the non-touch bar 13 inch Macbook pro pricing tier at the higher end and under cuts Apple on the mid and low end. Except this has a newer processor, better integrated graphics, and legacy ports.
MS offers a cripple version for $1000. Fine, that sucks. But they offer it.
Mid range:
Surface Laptop: Kaby Lake Core i5, 8GB ram, 256 GB SSD = $1299
MacBook Pro 13 inch non touch bar: Skylake Core i5, 8GB ram, 128 GB SSD = $1299
High end config:
Surface Laptop: Kaby Lake Core i7, 16GB ram, 5126 GB SSD = $2199
MacBook Pro 13 inch non touch bar: Skylake Core i7, 16GB ram, 512 GB SSD = $2199
You're behind on this. It can. Upgrade to win 10 for free now, $50 in the future.
Here's a novel approach to it...just don't touch it!
It's barely better than the Macbook Air that comes in at the exact same pricepoint - $999 - and that's a machine that hasn't even seen an update in 2 years!
It has only an iterative increase CPU wise, it has 4GB less RAM, it certainly doesn't have the quality track pad and it's tied to a locked down version of an already confused OS, the better display is the only way that this competes with 2 year old outdated hardware.
It should be able to smash the Macbook Air out of the park at this stage in the game, maybe a year or so ago this would have been competitive but if it's struggling to pull ahead of an old system that's probably going to be EOL like the MBA then Microsoft have some issues ahead.
MS says the thickness is .57", which is at the front of the laptop lid closed. . . what is the thickness at the back? They don't seem to offer that.
For education, it sounds great. Well, great for Microsoft. Chromebooks have been eating their lunch.
Your reality, not the rest of the world that uses Windows (which, I might add, is the MAJORITY of users).
Yes it does, you get a free upgrade to windows 10 pro......
And yet Apple is positioning the iPad Pro as both, keyboard, touchscreen and all. Can't have it both ways.
Us Apple users can hardly complain about Microsoft data-mining. When Siri looks something up on the web who do you think does the search? Does Apple have a search engine? No they don't. They use their partner Microsoft's search engine Bing. You can bet Microsoft data-mines those searches just as bad as Google does but hey, at least Apple doesn't do it directly.
I'm kinda with this guy. If you only want windows, get your student this. If your a school, there's really nothing to see here. It's all too expensive. MS only made chromebooks look more appealing today for a school board.
That said, I would get my child either a surface pro or MBP (preferably the MBP but up to the kiddo). I'd consider a gaming laptop only if my child truly wanted it. Probably an alienware since I'm dell centric.
Didn't watch event but I can believe it. MS is pulling an Apple Watch for their last few hardware releases. They're promising to please many different market segments and customer types but can only appeal to one or two in the end. They just don't know yet themselves so their messaging isn't very clear a the moment.
The MacBook Pro uses LAST GEN of the shelf components... or did you forget that Apples latest and greatest laptop is NOT using the current latest gen Intel processors? I suppose you'll make the excuse that their isn't much difference and then praise the ground when Apple catch up to everyone else eh?
Here have a look yourself:
https://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/productID.5102691100?icid=en_US_PC_ModA_Surface Laptop_5.2.17
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I remember seeing that picture a looong time ago. I would have said that it must be a decade old but by seeing some black Macbooks in there, I'd say that it's 7-8 years old.
This picture makes me kind of sad by the way that there is no glowing Apple anymore.
On topic, the new Microsoft laptops look great in my opinion. Microsoft has realised - much like Apple - that it's not all about the specs and that a sexy computer will probably turn many more eyes than a quad core processor. They are expensive but they are first gen products. They'll only get better and cheaper in the future. Hopefully this will be another warning bell for Apple and their own products.
The downside is app behavior becomes inconsistent. I have a nice dell xps w touch a screen. Adobe acrobat turns off touch pad scrolling by default if a touch monitor is present. Outlook puts addition icons on the screen for touch controls. Other minor annoyances. Im considering getting an xps with a lower spec screen to get away from touch monitor and windows 10 horrible hiDPI inconsistency
E
Do you know how slow a m3 or m5 processor runs in comparison to the latest i5. It really is a big difference especially in terms of throttling etc. Apple has failed with their latest macbook and macbook pro offerings...truthfully. Oh i forgot, Apple has yet to put touchscreens on their laptops.....that's stone age.
I hope more than anything that this pushes Google to release a new high-end premium Chromebook for around the same price range.