![]() ![]() The glass trackpad (10.5 x 7 cm) is slightly larger than the trackpad on the XPS 13 (10.5 x 6 cm) and performs without any significant issues with up to five-finger gestures. In other words, there's a good reason why most other notebook manufacturers place the Power button away from the main keyboard keys. Expect some accidental presses since the button is adjacent to some commonly used keys including Backspace, Delete, PgDn, and +/=. The positioning of the Power button is a strange design decision worth mentioning. We still prefer the AccuType keyboard on most newer ThinkPads for the firmer and more uniform feedback between keys. Clatter is fairly quiet with almost no wiggling on each individual key. ![]() The Enter and Space keys in particular could have been stronger in feedback, but they will eventually feel adequate after just a few days of typing on the notebook. Key travel is at 1.5 mm (compared to 1.3 mm and 1.4 mm on the XPS 13 and VivoBook S510, respectively) with feedback slightly on the softer side. The chiclet keyboard (27.5 x 10 cm) comes standard with a three-level white backlight and offers a generally comfortable typing experience. Despite this, the system is definitely more balanced and ergonomic than the top-heavy Surface Book or docked Surface Pro 4. The maximum angle of 140 degrees is a bit on the low side and tautness starts to weaken once the hinges move pass 120 degrees. The small hinges are sufficiently taut for minimal wobbling when typing. If we are to have one superficial complaint, it's that the dark strips on the left and right edges for wireless reception deter slightly from the smooth metal surfaces. Overall build quality is nonetheless excellent and reflective of the high standards that the Surface family represents. ![]() It's not perfect, however, as the center of the keyboard will still visibly depress if applying pressure with a finger. The base is also fairly strong and exhibits almost no creaking when attempting to twist its sides. The lid in particular is reinforced with edge-to-edge Gorilla Glass 3, is thicker than on most Ultrabooks, and doesn't taper from tip to tip for better resistance to bending when compared to something more fragile like the Notebook 9 or Yoga 910. Rigidity is above average for both the base and lid. This unique pairing of matte metal and soft synthetic looks luxurious and makes fingerprint build-up almost impossible, though we wouldn't be surprised to see the microfiber alcantara palm rests grow dark and unsightly over time due to the inevitable accumulation of greasy hand sweat. Meanwhile, the Alcantara palm rests from the Surface Pro Signature Type Cover has become standard to visually distinguish the Surface Laptop from competitors. The same dark gray aluminum material from the Surface Pro and Surface Book series makes its return for the lid and bottom of the base. Microsoft is not explicitly marketing it as an Ultrabook, but the comparisons will be inevitable as the target student demographic will likely want to weigh the pros and cons between the Surface Laptop, Surface Pro 4, Macbook Pro 13/ 15, and other popular alternatives that we will discuss in detail.įor the purposes of this review, our test system was upgraded from Windows 10 S to Windows 10 Pro 64-bit prior to running any tests or benchmarks.Īfter the design guffaw of the awkward-looking Surface Book, the return to a more traditional style is welcoming. The Surface Laptop is almost a niche product due to its squarer display and design. ![]() Otherwise, there are disappointingly no display or connectivity differences between the configuration levels. Users must pay an additional $600 USD premium if they want the i7-7600U CPU with double the RAM and storage space. Our entry-level SKU in review is equipped with an i5-7200U CPU, just 4 GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 128 GB SSD for $1000 USD. This combination of features can be found on no other Ultrabook currently in the market and Microsoft is banking on this as a key selling point for its premier Surface Laptop series.Īside from the various color choices, current SKUs offer just two processor options (i5-7200U and i7-7660U) and a range of RAM and SSD sizes. Simply called the Surface Laptop, the notebook is distinguished by both its 3:2 screen ratio (not unlike the Chromebook Pixel) and rare Core i7-7660U CPU option with integrated Iris Plus 640 graphics. The first Surface tablet launched in 2013 and it wasn't until four years later that Microsoft was able to finally add a proper notebook to the family. ![]()
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