Microsoft has unveiled a new laptop at its New York City press event earlier today. This time, it is a proper laptop, and proper means that it’s not like the 2-in-1 Surface Book. In fact, Microsoft has named it the Surface Laptop. It’s beautifully designed and it runs the newly introduced streamlined and light weight Windows 10 S software.
For starters, the Surface Laptop features a premium design, with an aluminium built chassis. It features a 13.5-inch Pixel Sense edge-to-edge display with a 3:2 aspect ratio, said to fit like a 13-inch laptop. The screen comes with Surface Pen support as well. The backlit Alcantara keyboard is pretty similar to that of the Surface Pro 4’s keyboard, with a quiet keyset featuring 1.5mm key travel. Microsoft has managed to fit these in a form factor weighing at 2.76 lbs, measuring 14.47mm at its thickest point.
The Surface Laptop operates with an Intel Core i5 for its base model, coupled with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of SSD storage. You can also opt for a higher end Intel Core i7 processor instead, with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, but that will definitely cost you. Battery life is claimed to be better than any Macbook Air out there, with the Surface Laptop’s battery said to last up to 14.5 hours. It also features Dolby Premium Audio without any speaker grille, since the audio will be fed out from underneath the keyboard.
As for software, the Surface Laptop runs on Windows 10 S, which is said to be Microsoft’s answer to Google’s Chrome OS. Windows 10 S is catered towards the education market as well, and streamlined for the lighter stuff. The software will support apps which are available on the Windows Store, but will also only support full fledged desktop apps listed on the store as well. If you wish to run all desktop apps, Microsoft will offer the option to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro for a price. Read more on Windows 10 S here.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop seems like a good addition to Microsoft’s line of indecisive hybrids. It will come in burgundy, graphite gold, platinum and cobalt blue color options. Pre-orders have already begun in the US, with the base model priced at $999 (RM4,323.67). What are your thoughts on the Microsoft Surface Laptop so far?