Surface Laptop reviews

[raqball]

Yes but the most important question is... which colour would you go for?

They didn't have the Blue available so I only saw the Red, Platinum and Gold versions.. I'd probably go with the Platinum if I end up ordering one..

I'll keep using my X1 Carbon as it's a stellar machine that pretty much demolishes the SL but dang the SL is sexy.. Only issue is do I want to drop $2100 for it if I opt for the 16GB version.. I might end up getting the i5 / 8 / 256 for $1300 and just keep it as a super sexy secondary machine..

 

[convergent]

I love how it goes almost flat the other direction after opening. I have been able to prop it on my legs or even just a knee if sitting cross legged on the couch. I haven't found too many situations where I haven't been able to find a way or means to prop it up using the kickstand. Actually I have found more way to do that, than I have with my MBP or iPad.

Agreed there is more than one way to sit and the SP can adapt to far more positions, sure if you sit like a nun then maybe a clamshell feels more stable and you do not have the kickstand edge on your legs but at times when a conventional clamshell is running hot there is no heat transfer or blowing from the SP to your legs etc

The only use case that the Surface Pro can't replicate a clamshell is the case where you are standing or walking around holding your laptop by the keyboard with one hand and possible typing with the other. There really isn't anyway to stand or walk around with a Surface Pro and keyboard in use together in one hand... it would be hard even in two hands. But... you can certainly ditch the keyboard entirely and use it in tablet mode while walking around and it is much better in many ways.

As I've described it many times, the Surface Pro is not better or worse for "lap-ability" form a clamshell... its just different. There are going to be cases either way that one is a little better than the other.

 

[raqball]

I went ahead and ordered the Platinum i5 / 8 / 256... Should have it tomorrow. I had almost $200 in my MS account from rewards and other stuff so that cut my price down to about $1115'ish...

 

[raqball]

I received the Surface Laptop so here are a few initial thoughts on the machine…

Build Quality: 10/10

The build quality is superb and above average! I am very impressed with the build but do have concerns over the Alcantara cover. It feels great and it adds to the overall look of the machine but I worry about its long tern durability.

Specs / bang for the buck: 7/10

My machine has the following specs which are underwhelming for a machine priced at this point. At this price point I would have expected the 7300U and faster SSD’s..

· I5 (7200U)
· 8GB RAM
· 256 SSD

The 7200U is about 10% slower on average -v- the 7300U. Not a huge deal really but for a $1,300 machine you’d expect a better CPU.. The SSD is terribly slow compared to other machines at similar price points.

SSD Speed test = Abysmal!

Ports: 2/10

There is one USB A, one display port, a headphone jack and the quick disconnect charging port. I don’t mind USB A only but since it’s the machines only usable option, I think USB C would have been the better choice. The magsafe like quick disconnect power port is a nice addition. It’s the same power adapter found on other Surface products.

Screen & Sound: 9.5/10

The screen is gorgeous and I have no screen bleed on my unit. Sound is WOW! Unbelievable how good this machine sounds! The 3:2 aspect ratio is great for viewing documents and webpages but lacks a little for video viewing.. Overall very happy with the screen and sound.

Keyboard and Trackpad: 9/10

The keyboard has good travel and feels nice to type on. The keys are on the firm side and are not wobble or lose. The backlight on the KB works great and there is little to no light bleed through. The trackpad is one of the best you will find on a PC and it’s pretty close to being as awesome as the MacBook trackpads. My only minor complaint is that clicks on the trackpad are slightly on the loud side.

Other thoughts:

I can’t comment on battery life as I’ve only had the machine for a day. I am going to keep Windows 10S on it for as long as I can and see how I make due with it. So far I’ve found a few apps in the store to take over for missing programs I’d normally install. One massive bummer of 10S is it’s Edge only for the browser and you can not change the search engine from Bing…

RAM usage on 10S is stellar however..

The machine stays pretty cool and I’ve not heard the fan yet, even through the updates after initial boot. Overall I am impressed with the machine. I’d say its definitely a good option for those considering the MacBook Air or the nTB MacBook Pro.

Even though the machine ships with Windows 10S you can upgrade for free to Windows 10 Pro until the end of 2017.. The upgrade to Pro process apparently only takes about 5 minutes to complete..

I will be buying Microsoft Complete for the machine as it is non repairable at just about every level. Also this will diminish my concerns about the Alcantara fabric wearing or staining. I’d recommend that anyone considering this machine get the Microsoft Complete warranty.

Photos:

 

[convergent]

The magnetic port is not just power... it is also a complete dock port.

 

[zen]

Looks good! How is the roughness along the edge of the fabric/keyboard deck?

 

[viktit88]

Dear friends!
Help me, please.
Which device better in long typing experience and display:
1) Surface Laptop
2) Surface Book
3) Thinkpad X1
4) MBP 17
I know, that Book has much better screen (3000x2000), than Laptop, but I don't know about keyboard. Is it the same? How it compares to Thinkpad and MBP?
I am academics, professor. And I am going to buy the new productive laptop.
Need some opinions from people, who have tried these devices. Many thanks.

 

[Queen6]

Surface Book & Laptop keyboards are comparable, the Surface Book IMHO has better keys, little difficult to explain more related to the material used for the construction of the keys. Have you considered the Surface Book without the Nvidia dGPU as this reduces the price if that is of any concern.

In real life viewing the displays are pretty similar with the Surface Book having the higher resolution, equally at these levels of DPI theres not signifiant difference. The real question is will the 2 in 1 feature and the dGPU be of benefit to your workflow.

Currently running Surface Book with i7, 8Gb, 256 SSD & Nvidia dGPU, utilised in an engineering role. So far no issues or limitations. I also found the Pen & Touch input to be of benefit, although not heavily utilised. Surface Book with Performance Base also interests, however at this point i'll like wait on the next revision with 7th Gen CPU and hopefully 10 series Nvidia dGPU.

Q-6

Dear friends!
Help me, please.
Which device better in long typing experience and display:
1) Surface Laptop
2) Surface Book
3) Thinkpad X1
4) MBP 17
I know, that Book has much better screen (3000x2000), than Laptop, but I don't know about keyboard. Is it the same? How it compares to Thinkpad and MBP?
I am academics, professor. And I am going to buy the new productive laptop.
Need some opinions from people, who have tried these devices. Many thanks.

[doublepost=1498993745][/doublepost]

Looks good! How is the roughness along the edge of the fabric/keyboard deck?

Display model I recently looked at was fine the edge of the material was cut sharp and uniform. I did notice that it was picking up some handling marks, equally it's a display model in a busy outlet that has a lot of traffic. Also I am based in the sub tropics so is generally 30C+ with equally high humidity, so I think more likely to pick up grease from the hands etc.

Q-6

 

[raqball]

Looks good! How is the roughness along the edge of the fabric/keyboard deck?

Mine appears to be fine on the edges but I still worry how it will hold up over time.. If someone constantly puts it in and out of a bag that might cause excessive wear and tear..

Dear friends!
Help me, please.
Which device better in long typing experience and display:
1) Surface Laptop
2) Surface Book
3) Thinkpad X1
4) MBP 17
I know, that Book has much better screen (3000x2000), than Laptop, but I don't know about keyboard. Is it the same? How it compares to Thinkpad and MBP?
I am academics, professor. And I am going to buy the new productive laptop.
Need some opinions from people, who have tried these devices. Many thanks.

Depends on the intent for the machine. I see from your post you want a productive machine with a great KB.. Based on that, my opinion is this:

1. Rule out the new MacBook Pro's unless you like the low key travel and clickity-clack sound that KB makes.
2. Rule out the Surface Laptop. The KB is above average but its not as good as the SB or the X1. It's also underpowered CPU and SSD wise when compared to the other options on your list. I view the SL as a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro nTB replacement for a home user or a student or as a secondary use machine.

That leaves the Surface Book and X1 Carbon. I also have the X1 Carbon (2017) and it's fantastic. @Queen6 has the Surface Book and is happy with it.

Do you want a removable screen that can be used in tablet mode? Do you want touch and pen usage? If so then the Surface Book would be the choice.

If you want a user repairable and upgradable machine with what I'd consider as the best KB on the planet and the trackpoint (nub) is appealing to you, then maybe the X1 Carbon is the better choice.

 

[sracer]

Mine appears to be fine on the edges but I still worry how it will hold up over time.. If someone constantly puts it in and out of a bag that might cause excessive wear and tear..

It will depend upon the individual person. I've been using a TypeCover on my Surface 2 for YEARS, transporting it and out of backpacks, etc. without any problems. The only issue is that the touchpad gets a bit "lighter" since it isn't glass but the same material and acts like micro-sandpaper on my fingertips. So I have to periodically clean it.

The Surface Laptop touchpad is glass, so that won't be a problem.

Thank you for posting your initial thoughts and photos. The more I see of it, the more I'm thinking it might be my next notebook.

 

[raqball]

It will depend upon the individual person. I've been using a TypeCover on my Surface 2 for YEARS, transporting it and out of backpacks, etc. without any problems. The only issue is that the touchpad gets a bit "lighter" since it isn't glass but the same material and acts like micro-sandpaper on my fingertips. So I have to periodically clean it.

The Surface Laptop touchpad is glass, so that won't be a problem.

Thank you for posting your initial thoughts and photos. The more I see of it, the more I'm thinking it might be my next notebook.

It's a very nice machine.. As I previously stated I'd highly recommend anyone getting this also buy the MS Complete warranty... It's non repairable!

If the battery goes after base warranty is expired then it goes in the trash! Headphone jack fail? Same! At least with MS Complete they'd have to give you a new machine. Same goes for the Alcantara fabric. If it develops an issue after the base warranty is expired then you are basically out of luck. With MS Complete they'd have to give you a new machine..

I usually don't buy extended warranties but for this machine (and for the new MacBook / Pro's) they are almost a requirement due to their non reparability...

 

[viktit88]

Mine appears to be fine on the edges but I still worry how it will hold up over time.. If someone constantly puts it in and out of a bag that might cause excessive wear and tear..



Depends on the intent for the machine. I see from your post you want a productive machine with a great KB.. Based on that, my opinion is this:

1. Rule out the new MacBook Pro's unless you like the low key travel and clickity-clack sound that KB makes.
2. Rule out the Surface Laptop. The KB is above average but its not as good as the SB or the X1. It's also underpowered CPU and SSD wise when compared to the other options on your list. I view the SL as a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro nTB replacement for a home user or a student or as a secondary use machine.

That leaves the Surface Book and X1 Carbon. I also have the X1 Carbon (2017) and it's fantastic. @Queen6 has the Surface Book and is happy with it.

Do you want a removable screen that can be used in tablet mode? Do you want touch and pen usage? If so then the Surface Book would be the choice.

If you want a user repairable and upgradable machine with what I'd consider as the best KB on the planet and the trackpoint (nub) is appealing to you, then maybe the X1 Carbon is the better choice.

Thank You, Q6 and Raqball!

I understood about SB and X1, that they are the best.
When will be the 7th gen version of SB? November?
I don't really know, if I need Pen and touch. Haven't tried it on Windows laptop. How it is useful or not - I don't know.
I heard, that matte screen better for eyes, than glossy. Is it so? Maybe better to buy t470s or x270?

 

[SteveJUAE]

It's a very nice machine.. As I previously stated I'd highly recommend anyone getting this also buy the MS Complete warranty... It's non repairable!

If the battery goes after base warranty is expired then it goes in the trash! Headphone jack fail? Same! At least with MS Complete they'd have to give you a new machine. Same goes for the Alcantara fabric. If it develops an issue after the base warranty is expired then you are basically out of luck. With MS Complete they'd have to give you a new machine..

I usually don't buy extended warranties but for this machine (and for the new MacBook / Pro's) they are almost a requirement due to their non reparability...

My sisters SL came with standard 2 years warranty

I was a bit disappointed it had a Fan for the I5 thought it would be fan less like the new SP I5, but I have not seen it kick in

I noticed in your summation for viktit88 that you did not mention the new SP, which has it's place for both portability and adaptability plus should negate any reason to have a separate tablet. It should be on a shopping list if these points matter IMO

 

[Strelok]

I don't know, I just can't get behind this. The 10S nonsense bothered me the most I think, the windows store sucks. I think you can upgrade to regular 10 Pro though. But the price, spec and port selection just seems really meh to me. Microsoft always seems to skimp on some newer tech, like using old 9xx series in the surface studio and then no TB3 on this laptop. If I were getting a windows laptop it would either be Lenovo or maybe Dell.

 

[SteveJUAE]

I don't know, I just can't get behind this. The 10S nonsense bothered me the most I think, the windows store sucks. I think you can upgrade to regular 10 Pro though. But the price, spec and port selection just seems really meh to me. Microsoft always seems to skimp on some newer tech, like using old 9xx series in the surface studio and then no TB3 on this laptop. If I were getting a windows laptop it would either be Lenovo or maybe Dell.

The 10S mode is really lockdown student thing sort of like corporate laptops that have limited options, Win10 Pro is a free upgrade till December then $40

The store goes hand in hand with the lockdown mode if you want the worlds best software choice then go Pro mode

Not sure why you would want TB3 on this class of laptop, but each to their own

 

[Strelok]

The 10S mode is really lockdown student thing sort of like corporate laptops that have limited options, Win10 Pro is a free upgrade till December then $40

The store goes hand in hand with the lockdown mode if you want the worlds best software choice then go Pro mode

Not sure why you would want TB3 on this class of laptop, but each to their own

That brings up a good point, I just don't think these kinds of laptops are for me. Too much compromise for not much gain IMO. I also don't get the point of the MacBook though.

 

[raqball]

I am getting by fine so far with Win 10S.. I am mainly using it for browsing the web, office type stuff like docs and excel, email and even edited a GoPro video on it today.. No problems...

Could I use 10S as my main OS? No but I can see where many would be able to even with the limited apps available in the store..

I view the Surface Laptop as a big step up over the MacBook Air and on par with the nTB MacBook Pro.. Win 10 Pro is a free upgrade and I will do that before the end of the year just so I can get the license for it, then I'll prob roll it back to 10S...

 

[Strelok]

One thing I never understood is why windows laptops always end up with weaker integrated GPU's. The base model has the 620, which is actually a decent bit slower than the standard 640 in the nTB MBP. You only get it in the Surface Laptop if you step up to the i7. The SSD also seems to be quite a bit slower, so I'm not really sure how it's on par with the nTB MBP.

 

[raqball]

It's on par because while you can mention a few specs where the nTB wins, the SL demolishes the nTB KB. Trackpad are even, sound is even ect...

The specs you mention are not really all that important on a lightweight ultra portable machine but the screen (even), trackpad (even), sound (even), battery life (even) and keyboard (SL easily wins) are important..

SSD speeds on the SL are pretty slow all things considered but it and the nTB are not really intended to be heavy workload machines so even though I think the SL should have faster SSD's the bottom line is 99% of users will never even notice the difference.

What do you need that upgraded 640 GPU on low powered ultrabooks for? Curious....

For watching video (I don't on my machines) the nTB has the better aspect ratio but for web viewing, documents and email type things, the SL's aspect ratio is much better..

My .02

 

[Queen6]

The other aspect is Windows 10 simply runs better on lower spec hardware. Microsoft has to ensure the OS runs efficiently, while Apple seems to rely more on it's harware. For my usage W10 is significantly faster & fluid, more importantly more stable.

How the tables have turned...

Q-6

It's on par because while you can mention a few specs where the nTB wins, the SL demolishes the nTB KB. Trackpad are even, sound is even ect...

The specs you mention are not really all that important on a lightweight ultra portable machine but the screen (even), trackpad (even), sound (even), battery life (even) and keyboard (SL easily wins) are important..

SSD speeds on the SL are pretty slow all things considered but it and the nTB are not really intended to be heavy workload machines so even though I think the SL should have faster SSD's the bottom line is 99% of users will never even notice the difference.

What do you need that upgraded 640 GPU on low powered ultrabooks for? Curious....

For watching video (I don't on my machines) the nTB has the better aspect ratio but for web viewing, documents and email type things, the SL's aspect ratio is much better..

My .02

 

[raqball]

Agree.. I've had one BSOD on my X1C and that was my fault as I made an error on a regedit change I applied. Other than that, no issues whatsoever.

10S on the SL is very efficient. My machine has been on for 2 days with numerous programs opened and closed and I have to say, it does a stellar job managing the resources..

Compare that to a MacBook and it's not even close.....







I have not done my usual yet and put Linux on as a dual boot but will do so later today. I am interested in seeing how the SL behaves with Linux.

 

[Strelok]

So I’m curious what you mean with macOS having issues with resource handling? My 3.5 year old MBP is running pretty much as it did day one.
I realize you have the new machine syndrome right now, but take a step back and realize that you are using a machine with a brand new install. My old i5 2400 machine ran better with a new windows 10 install than my OC’ed i7 3770K machine before I reinstalled windows 10 there too. All new machines run great, it’s only after time that any issues will show up.

Btw I’m not trying to poop on anyone’s parade, just giving my opinion.

 

[raqball]

So I’m curious what you mean with macOS having issues with resource handling? My 3.5 year old MBP is running pretty much as it did day one.
I realize you have the new machine syndrome right now, but take a step back and realize that you are using a machine with a brand new install. My old i5 2400 machine ran better with a new windows 10 install than my OC’ed i7 3770K machine before I reinstalled windows 10 there too. All new machines run great, it’s only after time that any issues will show up.

Btw I’m not trying to poop on anyone’s parade, just giving my opinion.

No need to make wild assumptions and insinuations.... And no, I don't get 'new machine syndrome' sorry to burst your bubble...

Have you have taken a look at what and how much resources your Mac uses and how efficiently they are managed? I'd guess not based on your response..

I notice you avoided the 640 question... Care to respond to that?

 

[Strelok]

No need to be rude and make wild assumptions and insinuations.... And no, I don't get 'new machine syndrome' sorry to burst your bubble...

Have you have taken a look at what and how much resources your Mac uses and how efficiently they are managed? I'd guess not based on your response..

You said it runs great...after 2 days. It wasn’t meant as an insult btw.

Just because RAM is “used”, doesn’t mean it’s being wasted.

 

[raqball]

Just because RAM is “used”, doesn’t mean it’s being wasted.

Until you see what's using it and how it's managed.. LOL

That was one of the reasons I sold my 2016 nTB.. Terrible RAM and CPU management... Has Apple fixed this with updates? There is a lot of garbage running 24/7