Is The Microsoft Surface A Good Laptop

Webcam Improves Just Not As Expected

Microsoft only includes one user-facing camera on the Surface Laptop Studio, but its best of class. The colors and white balance do look better than the Surface Book 3, Microsofts previous high-water mark for camera quality. Though its unlikely that many people take photos with their user-facing Surface camera, the available resolution options have diminished considerably, to a maximum resolution of 1920×1080.

Microsoft also promised us that the camera would use Windows Hello 2.0 technology, which would include the ability to log you in even with sunglasses, a beard, or a surgical mask. That latter scenario isnt true, as the laptop couldnt recognize me while wearing a mask, and it wouldnt let me create a facial profile while wearing a mask, either.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 Specs

The 15-inch version of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 offers one of the most refined computing experiences of any Windows laptop. With two color options and excellent build quality, its a standout big-screen notebook. New for 2021, processor options from both AMD and Intel make this fourth-generation laptop’s performance even better. The Surface Laptop 4 now cinches an Editors Choice award as our top pick among premium 15-inch models. Its ideal for general-purpose computing on a big screen.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio Display And Webcam

The display on the Surface Laptop Studio is great. The display measures 14.3 inches, and it has a resolution of 2400 x 1600, with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The screen gets nice and bright, colors are vibrant and relatively accurate, and the high refresh rate helps make for a smoother experience, including when drawing using the Pen. Those that regularly use styluses for digital design will appreciate that smoothness it got close to feeling natural for me.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio Display Image source: Christian de Looper for BGR

The display is a touch screen, and I found the touch controls to be very accurate. Palm rejection is very good too so you can rest your hand on the screen while using the pen, without having to worry too much about accidentally controlling the device.

Like other Surface devices, the Surface Laptop Studio has a 3:2 aspect ratio, which means that youll see plenty of information on the screen at once. I dont really need the extra screen height, but certainly didnt find it to be a bad thing.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio Pen Image source: Christian de Looper for BGR

The webcam on the Surface Laptop Studio is a 2-megapixel 1,080p webcam, and its only fine. Its definitely good enough for video calls, though it did redden my skin a little. It supports Windows Hello though, which I still love as a way to access a computer.

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Is Surface Laptop 3 Good For Engineering

You would want to make an informed decision in selecting the best laptop, creating the need to discuss whether you can successfully undertake your engineering projects using the Surface Laptop 3.

The Surface Laptop 3 is an excellent choice for any engineering work, provided that you select an excellent option for you and the tasks you do. If you are a qualified engineer doing many 3D tasks, your go-to is an SL3 with insane processor speeds, preferably 16GB RAM and a Core i7 with massive storage space. On the other hand, if you are a student or an electrical engineer whose CAD tasks are mainly in 2D, you dont necessarily need an extremely high-performance gadget. An SL3 i5 of 4GB RAM and a considerable space will suffice.

The variations in specs of the SL3 give you the advantage to choose a suitable gadget according to your needs. If you are a training engineer, you can opt for a smaller-sized laptop measuring 11.5, a core i5, 4GB memory, and storage space of at least 256 GB. With these features, you will have everything you need to stay ahead of your course work because, in most cases, your school may provide laptops or have a computer lab with more powerful gadgets.

Fortunately, the Surface Laptop 3 has other impressive properties to suit you regardless of your field in engineering. Even with basic features, you can still develop an exceptional and attractive final design for presentation to your professors or clients.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 Review: Audio

• Loud and clean sound from a compact laptop
• Dolby Atmos support adds depth

The big talking point around the Surface Laptop 4s speakers is the addition of Dolby Atmos technology, which Microsoft claims helps the laptop deliver richer, more spatially accurate sound by pumping it out from beneath the keyboard and bouncing it off the screen.

Im no audiophile, but even I can tell you that the speakers on the Surface Laptop 4 make music and movies sound very nice. Bass-heavy tracks like Massive Attacks Angel still have a kick to them, and while watching the trailer for Godzilla vs. Kong I caught myself glancing down to make sure the laptop wasnt actually vibrating in time with the bass drops.

But the Surface Laptop 4s speakers really shine with more well-balanced tracks, and when I threw on Muddy WatersFolk Singer I was delighted by how clearly the vocals rang out across the room without losing any of their warmth. When I walked down the hall or into an adjoining room I could still hear Waters beautiful voice perfectly, and if I didnt already know Id never have guessed the music was being piped out of someones laptop.

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Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio Performance

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is available in a few different configurations, however, unfortunately, the Surface Laptop Studio doesnt quite perform as well as it should for the price.

To be clear, in most day-to-day use, the Surface Laptop Studio performs fine. In a work day, which involves having Mail, Slack, and up to a few dozen Chrome tabs open, the device easily kept up. But in more demanding situations, it can start to suffer. The device features a 32W quad-core processor, not a six-core or eight-core processor like youll find on some other options in this price range. And, the graphics card is up to an RTX 3050 Ti, which is fine for most situations, but not the workhorse that some might want. The device isnt really built for gaming, though.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio Ports Image source: Christian de Looper for BGR

The base model of the laptop offers an 11th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, with 16GB of RAM and Intel Iris X graphics. It can be upgraded to offer an Intel Core i7 with 32GB of RAM and an RTX 3050 Ti graphics card. Our unit, however, is a little different its an enterprise model, which swaps the 3050Ti out for an RTX A2000. In total, our unit would cost a hefty $3,400, which is not cheap.

Benchmark results confirm the solid yet slightly underpowered performance. Our model scored the following results. Keep in mind, our RTX A2000-equipped model is not available to consumers.

Should I Buy The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio

Yes, if you want a creator-focused laptop and dont mind spending the cash.

Christian de Looper has been passionate about consumer technology since childhood, but didnt know writing about it could be a career until he started looking for online work during college. He was born in Canberra, Australia, and has lived in France, Minnesota, and now sunny Santa Cruz, California, where he test drives cars and puts every gadget he can get his hands on to the test.

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Microsoft Surface Pro 4 Review: Pen And New Type Cover

As usual the Surface Pro 3 come with a Surface Pen the digital stylus now comes in five colours and attaches magnetically which is a real boon. Thats not all though, as the new Pen has 1,024 levels of pressure and an eraser on the end which is much more like an actual rubber. Pressing and holding it activates Cortana which is handy while pressing it will open OneNote its a shame you cant reassign the functions.

Weve found the new model to be a lot better than its predecessor and the good news is that you can use it on the Surface Pro 3 if you like it just wont attach with the magnets. You can also buy different nibs but this pack is an extra and we dont have a price for it at the moment.

The Type Cover is an essential piece of the Surface Pro puzzle and theres a new model with various upgrades for the Pro 4. It still costs extra so youll need to add 109 to the overall cost if you want the full laptop-like experience.

Its been improved with more space between the keys and a 1.3mm travel for a better typing experience that we noticed immediately, and the trackpad is now glass backed and 40 percent bigger, too. Its smooth, responsive and a joy to use better than a lot you get on a full-size laptop.

We can hardly express how much better the new keyboard is and you really notice the improvement when you go back to the old model and struggle to even type your name.

Surface Laptop Studio Specs

Microsofts Surface Laptop Studio is available in a variety of configurations, ranging in price from about $1,600 on up to over $3,000. Essentially, youll have a choice between an 11th-gen Core i5 and Core i7 chip, specifically the H35 version that Intel launched this past spring. You can also choose from between 16GB and 32GB of RAM, as well as between 512GB, 1TB, and a whopping 2TB of SSD storage. Finally, the Core i7 models ship with Nvidias GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics, a moderately powerful raytracing-capable GPU for content creation and light gaming.

Keep in mind that one of the standout features that Microsoft s highlighting in the Surface Laptop Studioinkingrequires the separate purchase of a new Surface Slim Pen 2 , which can fit underneath the Surface Laptop Studio in a little receptacle. Selling the pen separately is by now a Surface tradition, though the Pen 2 feels like less of a prerequisite with the Studio than it does on the Surface Pro tablet lineup.

• Price: Starting at $1,599 $2,699 as reviewed

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Why Should College Students Consider The Microsoft Surface

• The touchscreen supports drawing, and the high-speed processor can handle complex equations.
• The device can also record, so students dont have to miss a word of their lectures.
• A USB-C port allows for quick charging and connections to other devices.
• The device advertises a typical 12-hour battery life, so it can offer students the all-day mobility they need.
• Microsoft says that the Surface Book can also serve as a pretty good gaming and streaming computer, so students can use it to relax and participate in online lessons too.

Agree To Continue: Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Laptop Studio And Go 3

Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it contracts that no one actually reads. Its impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But we started counting exactly how many times you have to hit agree to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people dont read and definitely cant negotiate.

The mandatory policies, for which agreement is required to use the laptop, are:

• A request for your language and keyboard layout
• Microsoft Software License terms and Manufacturers Limited Hardware Warranty and Agreement
• Add a Microsoft account

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Best Desktop: Surface Studio 2

Are you looking for a Surface PC that can live on your desktop? Microsoft’s only offering in this department is the Surface Studio 2, which is pretty old at this point. Still, it features an incredible design with a weightless hinge mechanism that allows you to turn its 28-inch display into a virtual draft board with touch and pen support.

On the inside, Surface Studio 2 features Intel 7th-Generation Core i5 and Core i7 processors, up to 2TB storage and 32GB RAM. It also comes configured with either an NVIDIA GTX 1060 or 1070 for graphics power. Around the back, we have 4x USB-A ports, 1x USB-C port, Gigabit Ethernet, a full-size SD card reader, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Even though the Surface Studio 2 is a couple of years old at this point, it still starts at an incredibly high $3,499 for the entry-level model. The highest-end model is even more expensive, so although the Surface Studio 2 is the best desktop PC Surface on the market today, there will likely be a new one coming shortly.

The Best Presidents’ Day 2022 Laptop And Tablet Deals: Save On Lenovo Hp Microsoft And More

Since early 2020, we’ve all been using our laptops and tablets a lot more than usual to connect to the outside world. From all the Zoom meetings and the hundreds of emails, your laptop or tablet might be overworked. Thankfully, Presidents’ Day weekend is the perfect time to replace your computing device.

Presidents’ Day isn’t until Feb. 21, but all the sales and discounts have already begun — after all, all the best Presidents’ Day deals start early. With spring cleaning and spring reorganization on the way, you might be ready to reap the benefits of this holiday’s discounts to revamp your bedroom or to treat yourself. Presidents’ Day is known for having standout deals on electronics, in particular laptops and tablets.

Maybe you’re looking for a sturdy tablet for your kids or a lightweight laptop for school. Perhaps you’re just on the hunt for a versatile 2-in-1 laptop that acts as both a laptop and a tablet. Regardless, Presidents’ Day is the perfect time to scour the internet for deals.

Sure, you could sleuth the web for your own deals, but that takes a lot of time. We’ve done all the search work for you. With deals like up to 66% off on Lenovo 2-in-1 laptops, there are deals to get excited about this Presidents’ Day. No matter what you need a laptop or tablet for, we’re sure you’ll find the perfect upgrade in ET’s round-up of the best Presidents’ Day deals on laptops and tablets.

Shop the best Presidents’ Day deals on laptops and tablets below.

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How Much Do They Cost

A Surface Laptop 3, at its cheapest configuration, costs $1,000. A Surface Laptop 4, has a price range of $1,000 to $2,400.

A Surface Pro 7 starts at $749 and ends at $2,300, and thats before you add a Type Cover, which can range in price from $130 to $160.

A Surface Pro X starts at $1,000 and ends at $1,800. But thats before you add a keyboard and a Surface Slim Pen, which cost $140 and $145, respectively.

Overall, the Surface Pro series has more affordable options, but if you buy one, youll still have to pay extra for accessories that are pretty much required if you want to take full advantage of these PCs.

Testing The Surface Laptop : Ryzen Performance For The Win

Performance from the Ryzen-equipped Surface Laptop 3 is slightly lacking, so it makes sense that Microsoft has focused nearly all of its Surface Laptop 4 updates on better computing performance. The Ryzen 7 4980U chip in our review unit features eight cores, 16 threads, and a base clock speed of 2.0GHz. This is a special Microsoft Edition Ryzen chip that you cant find on any other laptop. Its coupled with an integrated Radeon Graphics processor that has eight graphics cores of its own. While its a fourth-generation Ryzen part rather than the latest generation, its still plenty powerful. With so many cores and threads, the Surface Laptop 4 stacks up well against its similarly priced competitors on our benchmark charts. These include the LG Gram 17 and the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1, another 15-inch laptop, which features Intels relatively rare Iris Xe Max dedicated graphics solution.

For performance comparisons, Im also including the MacBook Pro 16-inch and the XPS 15. Those laptops are significantly more expensive than the Surface Laptop 4 and have more powerful components in the configurations we reviewed, so youd think they would perform better. Thats not necessarily the case, which is why Im including them here.

PCMark 8, meanwhile, has a Storage subtest that we use to assess the speed of the systems storage subsystem. Theres not a lot of variation here all of the laptops score very well thanks to their speedy SSDs.

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Smaller Laptop Smaller Price Tag

In the Surface brand, Go apparently means “smaller, lighter, and less expensive,” which is how this laptop compares to its larger sibling. It has the same build quality as the bigger members of the family, and body options include Platinum, Sandstone, and Ice Blue. All models include a 10th Generation Core i5 CPU and a 12.4-inch display with a native resolution of 1536 x 1024. Higher-priced models include a fingerprint reader integrated into the power button.

It uses the same Surface Connect port as other Surface models and also includes a USB Type-C port. You can use either option to connect the laptop to a desktop docking station.

The Surface Laptop Go is right for you if …

• You prefer the traditional laptop form factor but the Surface Laptop is too big, too expensive, or both.
• You’re willing to give up many of the premium features associated with other Surface models, including Windows Hello facial recognition and a backlit keyboard.

Pricing: As with the Surface Go devices, the $500 base configuration is a little underpowered, with only 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of eMMC storage, and no fingerprint reader. The 8GB configurations, with 128GB or 256GB of SSD storage, are a better long-term value at $700 and $900, respectively.