Our quick take
The alternatives to consider…
Microsoft Surface Laptop - 4.5 / 5
- Best laptop: All the top notebooks, 2-in-1s and ultraportables to buy today
Microsoft Surface Laptop review: Design
- 308 x 223.2 x 14.5mm; 1.25kgs Metal body design with Alcantara keyboard surround 1x USB, 1x mini DisplayPort, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack
Microsoft Surface Laptop review: What is Windows 10 S?
Windows 10 S can be upgraded to Windows 10 Pro for free in 2017 10 S means Windows Store apps only can be installed, no EXE files One year subscription to Microsoft Office 365 included
What is Windows 10 S?
Microsoft Surface Laptop review: Display
- 13.5-inch, 3:2 aspect ratio LCD with Gorilla Glass protection PixelSense display for 2256 x 1504 resolution (201ppi) 10-point touch control; Surface Pen compatible (not included)
Microsoft Surface Laptop review: Typing and trackpad
- Alcantara material keyboard surround Full-sized keys with backlighting
Microsoft Surface Laptop review: Performance and battery life
- Seventh-generation Intel Kaby Lake processor options Intel Core i5 with 4GB/8GB RAM or Core i7 with 8GB/16GB RAM 128GB-256GB SSD for i5, 256GB-512GB for i7
To recap
The Microsoft Surface Book is a really interesting laptop. It’s gorgeous to look at, incredibly well built… and comes with a hampered version of Windows for a fairly considerable sum of money. In that regard it’s going to be mis-matched for the education sector at which it is pitched. However, upgrade to Windows 10 Pro – which is free throughout 2017 – and the Surface Laptop is a powerful, silent operator with an excellent screen and decent battery life.
