Test and Review: The Microsoft Surface Laptop is Microsoft's first classic laptop. Heating and stability

Since ancient times it has become a custom that to fully enjoy technical innovations and other benefits of civilization in best prices only developed countries can. Developing people get everything in the last place, overpaying many times, but something does not reach at all.

I made a selection of several laptops that are not officially sold in our country, but certainly deserve attention.

Huawei Matebook X

Specifications:

• Processor: Intel® Core ™ i7-7500U / i5-7200U (7th generation processors)
• Graphics: Intel® HD Graphics 620
• Memory: 4/8 GB LPDDR3 / 256/512 GB SSD
• Screen: 13 inches, IPS LCD, 2160 x 1440 pixels, 200 ppi, aspect ratio 3: 2, brightness 350 nits, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• Battery: Lithium Polymer 41.4 W * h (5449 [email protected] V) (claimed 10 hours)
• Ports, Connectors and Sensors: Fingerprint Reader, Accelerometer, Light Sensor, Hall Sensor, 2 x USB 3.0 USB A, USB Type-C, VGA, Mini HDMI, 3.5 mm jack, IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac, 2.4 / 5 GHz 2 x 2 MIMO, Bluetooth 4.1
• Webcam: 720p
• Misc: keyboard backlight, 3 RAM slots, no memory card reader
• Dimensions: 286 x 211 x 12.5 mm, weight 1.05 kg
• Price: 750 USD

Recently, Huawei has been doing not only well, but remarkably: beautiful smartphones in different price ranges are rapidly appearing on the shelves, the Honor brand is shining brighter and brighter, and collaboration with Porsche Design is regularly released. And, apparently, Huawei, feeling that the ground under its feet is solid, decided to experiment, flex its muscles and make a laptop.

Looking at the snow-white box with laconic inscriptions, and the design of the laptop itself, we can confidently say: Huawei has not spied on anything and has created a truly original design. And don't believe someone who says that from a couple of meters you can be confused with Apple's MacBook. Absolutely impossible, because there is a bitten apple drawn on the lid, and here it is written in large letters HUAWEI.

Actually, with the dimensions similar to the MacBook, the Matebook X, due to the ultra-thin bezels, fit the 13-inch screen.

By the way, there is also the Matebook D, which, according to the company, is perceived in size as a 14-inch laptop, and itself has a screen of as much as 15.6 inches. This laptop will interest those who want more impressive graphics, there is NVIDIA GeForce 940MX Graphics with 2GB GDDR5. While the Matebook X has Intel's usual ultrabook graphics - HD Graphics 620.

A laptop from Huawei attracted me for a number of reasons, but one of the main ones is that just six months after the announcement, it can already be purchased for a modest $ 750 instead of the $ 1,100 originally announced. TO strengths laptop, I would take a good screen, covered with Gorilla Glass. The brightness is 350 nits, the screen resolution and color rendition are also at the level, and this laptop is quite capable of correcting a few photos, processing video. The laptop has a fingerprint scanner, a backlit keyboard, and the battery, judging by the tests, is enough for 7-8 hours of operation.

Separately, it should be noted that you can independently expand as HDD and RAM. The disadvantages include the fact that under load the laptop heats up quite a lot, which is due to its design with a passive cooling system, but thanks to this the laptop is silent. It's a bit strange that the screen was not made touch-sensitive, and I also don't like the lack of a memory card slot. The closest competitors are the MacBook, Asus Zenbook 3 and Dell XPS 13. However, with similar overall performance and time autonomous work Huawei's current market price is the most tempting.

Lg gram

Specifications:

• Processor: Intel® Core ™ i7-8550U 1.80GHz / 4.00GHz (8th generation processors)
• Graphics: Intel® UHD Graphics 620
• Memory: 16GB DDR4 2400MHz (8 GB x 2) / 1TB (512GB x 2) M.2 SSD
• Operating system: Windows 10 Home
• Screen: 15.6 inches, IPS LCD, FHD (1920 x 1080), 16: 9, 255 nits, touch
• Battery: Lithium Polymer 72 W * h (claimed 16.5 hours)
• Ports, connectors and sensors: fingerprint scanner, Wi-Fi 802.11 A / C (2X2), Bluetooth 4.1, HDMI, USB 3.0 Type-C, USB 3.0 x 3, microSD, 3.5 mm jack, RJ45 Ethernet (adapter via USB Type -C)
• Webcam: 720p
• Misc: Keyboard Backlight, 1.5W x 2 Sound, MIL-STD 810G, Nano Carbon and Magnesium Alloy
• Dimensions: 35.8 x 22.86 x 1.78 mm, weight 1095 grams
• Price: 1999.99 USD

LG has updated its Gram with eighth-generation processors. I must say right away that, according to tradition, LG has made a lineup with a margin: there are models with a screen from 12 to 15.6 inches, and the price tag is from $ 899. However, I decided to write about the most "juicy" model at the maximum cost. The laptop has several strengths that account for its impressive price tag. I don’t know whether you noticed or not, but the screen is 15.6 inches, and the weight is still “gram” - 1095 grams. If you are still wondering whether to be impressed or not, then I will add that there is 16 GB of RAM, 1 TB SSD drive, a powerful eighth generation i7 processor. At this point, you should whistle in surprise, since such characteristics are rarely found in a compact body, but further - even more surprising. Battery life is announced up to 16.5 hours. The 72Wh battery speaks for itself. And remember that the weight of the device is only a kilogram. And then LG, apparently freaked out and decided to go for broke, adding touch screen and protection according to MIL-STD 810G, allowing women to drop and even step on it in high-heeled shoes.

The laptop has 3 USB 3.0 ports, there is Type-C, HDMI and even an Ethernet adapter was made. We didn’t forget about the fingerprint scanner.

I believe that your inner toad is now in a quandary, because, without irony or sarcasm, LG has created something unique, but it costs $ 2,000, so you urgently need to justify why you won't buy a laptop. So, first, the Full HD resolution. Well, where have you seen this in 2018?

The second disadvantage is more significant: the screen brightness is only 255 nits. Theoretically, this is quite enough, but on the street, and just in a bright room, this may not be enough. Typical brightness is around 300 nits. The premium segment usually shines at 350-400 nits. Probably, for the sake of battery life, LG decided to "cut" the brightness, but it would be better left the choice for the user.

I believe that such a laptop is suitable for those who are often on the road and often have to work in adverse conditions away from the outlet. Long battery life and enhanced protection will come in handy in this case.

Xiaomi Mi Notebook Pro

Specifications:

• CPU: Intel Core i7-8550U Quad Core 1.8GHz up to 4.0GHz (8th Generation Processor)
• Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620, NVIDIA GeForce MX150 GPU, GDDR5 2GB
• Memory: 8/16 GB DDR4 RAM / 256GB SSD
• Operating system: Windows 10 Home
• Screen: 15.6 inches, Full HD, 16: 9, 300 nits, Gorilla Glass 3
• Battery: Li-Pol 60 W * h (declared up to 9 hours)
• Ports, connectors and sensors: Fingerprint reader, USB Type-C x 2, USB 3.0 x 2, HDMI, 3.5 mm jack, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1
• Webcam: 720p
• Other: there is a keyboard backlight, the system start time is 10 seconds, the sound is 2.5Wx2 (Harman tuning)
• Dimensions: 360.7 x 243.6 x 15.9 mm, weight 1.95 kg
• Price: from 57,000 rubles

Officially in Russia, the new device from Xiaomi is not yet on sale, but those who are not afraid of the Chinese Windows versions, can already purchase a laptop for a modest 57,000 rubles (with an i5 processor). Xiaomi, as always, is great - both the characteristics are pleasant, and the design, and even the price is good. Externally, the laptop looks quite premium, especially in a color that Apple calls Space Gray.

In short, it can be confused with a MacBook, as the colors, design and materials of the case are similar. Xiaomi, like Cupertino, made the RAM soldered on the board, so you are unlikely to be able to buy 8 GB and upgrade yourself, but there is room in the case for installing a second SSD disk... It's funny, but even the lettering on the bottom cover looks like Apple. On apple products you can find a note: “Designed by Apple in California. Assembled in China ". In the case of Xiaomi, the text reads: “Designed by Xiaomi in Beijing. Made in China ".

But, unlike Apple, the Chinese did not skimp on ports: 2 USB Type-C, 2 USB 3.0, full HDMI and a memory card slot. The keyboard is good too. Island type, 1.5 mm key travel, which is more than a MacBook, and is enough for comfortable typing. In the upper right corner of the touchpad, there is a fingerprint scanner, in which there is nothing remarkable.

The undoubted plus of the laptop is powerful and clear sound. Usually, the volume of the speakers in laptops is at the level of 1.5 - 2 watts, Xiaomi has generous with two speakers of 2.5 watts.

However, when creating a laptop, a number of compromises had to be made, showing that Xiaomi has not yet reached the heights of the engineering genius of Cupertino and that it is still not the best, but simply a good product... For example, I was surprised by the ventilation grilles on the lower metal cover. The speakers are also located there, so if you want to get the most out of the bright and loud sound tuned by Harman, then the laptop should be on a level surface. There are two graphs here. One is an integrated solution from Intel, the second is from NVIDIA with an impressive 2 GB of memory. In fact, however, the MX 150 is only about 2 times more powerful than the UHD 620. powerful games you will not play, but judging by the tests, in the same GTA 5 on pleasant settings, but not in Full HD, you can get 30 frames per second. And in general it is wonderful to play in WoT. Another compromise is keyboard backlighting. She has one mode of operation and one color (white).

In fact, one keyboard backlight mode is nonsense, which you will not pay attention to, but it is also a kind of indicator: they say, we are doing it based on the best solutions, but no frills. This is an example of Xiaomi philosophy. I didn't like the battery life too much. Depending on the settings, you will get from 5 to 7 hours. The general conclusion, however, is that the laptop is excellent.

Microsoft Surface Laptop

Specifications:

• Processor: Intel Core m3, i5 or i7 (7th generation processors)
• Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 615 (m3) / Intel HD Graphics 620 (i5) / Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 (i7)
• Storage: 4/8/16 GB / 128 GB - 1 TB SSD
• Operating system: Windows 10 S (upgradeable to Windows 10 Pro)
• Screen: 13.5 inches, 2256 x 1504 pixels, 3: 4, 201 ppi, touchscreen with Surface Pen support, Corning Gorilla Glass
• Battery: up to 14.5 hours of video playback
• Ports, connectors and sensors: ambient light sensor, Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 a / b / g / n, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 3.0, 3.5 mm jack, mini DisplayPort
• Webcam: 720p with Windows support Hello
• Other: Supports up to 2 4K UHD (@ 30Hz), no SD card slot
• Dimensions: 308.02 x 223.20 x 14.47 mm, weight 1.28 kg
• Price: from 799 USD

To be honest, the entire Surface line impresses me, both externally and with the filling. Sometimes, however, I do not like the price, but these are my personal shortcomings. I always look at Microsoft's troubles with Windows with affection. And now the corporation did not disappoint and "rolled out" Windows S. For those who do not know, I will explain that this is a new idea of ​​Redmond to create a safe environment. The "S" version only supports programs available in the Microsoft Store. Actually, this greatly increases the protection of the operating system from various viruses and Trojan horses. After all, easy installation of any software is both a plus and a minus of Windows. Now, even with a strong desire, you will not be able to install a new antivirus from the browser page, which found 100 critical errors on the computer in absentia. However, the sad side of the restrictions is the fact that only a scanty App Store is available, where, for example, there is no Google chrome... For this reason, I will have to use the Edge browser, which, despite my good attitude towards it, still has flaws. In any case, if you are confident in your abilities and know that you cannot poke around on everything on the Internet, then in a couple of minutes you can get rid of all restrictions and get a full-fledged Windows 10 Pro.

An initial laptop with an m3 processor and 4GB of RAM starts at $ 799. Adequate configuration on an i5, 8 GB RAM, 256 SSD will cost you $ 1,299. Most of all, the Surface Laptop reminds me of the MacBook Air. In my opinion, this is how Apple's laptop should have looked if the company had not abandoned this line.

Firstly, it has a wonderful screen with good resolution, which the Air lacks so much. The screen is touch-sensitive and supports pen operation. Separately, I note that I like that recently there has been a tendency to make laptops with an aspect ratio of 3: 4 and 3: 2. Secondly, the battery life here is "honest" 14.5 hours. Third, the laptop's performance is good enough for any task on the go. Fourth, the dimensions and weight are almost the same as those of the Air line. The disadvantages of the device include a rather meager set of ports, outdated versions of Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi only a / b / g / n. And it’s completely incomprehensible why they decided to abandon the memory card slot. If, when looking at the pictures, it seems to you that you see a connector where you can insert a memory card, then I will disappoint you. This is Surface Connect. Almost as useful as Windows S, except that it can't be converted into something useful in a couple of minutes.

To summarize, the new Surface Laptop is one of the best options if you want a lightweight, compact, stylish and powerful Windows device at a nice price.

Microsoft Surface Book 2

Specifications:

• Processor: Intel Core i7-8650U (quad-core) up to 4.20 GHz Max Turbo (8th generation processors)
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060, 6GB GDDR5
• Memory: 16GB LPDDR3 / up to 1TB SSD
• Operating system: Windows 10 Pro
• Screen: 15 inches, 3000 x 2000 pixels, 3: 2, 260 ppi, touch with support for Surface Pen
• Battery: Li-Pol 90 W * h (up to 17 hours of video playback)
• Ports, connectors and sensors: Wi-Fi: 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1, USB 3.0 x 2, USB Type-C, UHS-II SDXC card reader, 3.5 mm jack, light sensor, proximity, accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer
• Webcam: 5MP front camera with Windows Hello / 8MP main camera
• Misc: Supports Xbox Wireless, magnesium alloy body
• Dimensions: 343.00 x 251.00 x 15.00-23.00 mm, weight 1.9 kg including keyboard
• Price: from 2,499 USD

Another laptop from Microsoft in the Surface family. In terms of naming, the corporation from Redmond, of course, has problems: it is very easy to get confused where is the laptop, where is the tablet, where is the desktop computer.

Microsoft calls it a 2-in-1 device because you can unfasten the screen and play with a 15-inch tablet if you want.

I'll start off with a compliment, saying that Microsoft is a fast learner and has adopted Apple's tactic of cleverly orchestrating iPencil sales. I guess the entire "electronic" world was shocked when the apple company started selling a pencil for $ 100. Probably, there were many meetings where marketers were sneezed for nothing, and the main question was - is it really possible ?! It turns out that you can, so Microsoft, overwhelmed by such a discovery, decided not to get lost by releasing the Surface Pen for $ 99. An additional piquancy of the situation is given by the fact that the optimal configuration of the laptop has an impressive $ 3,299 on the price tag, and the "handle", which does not fit into the price, must be purchased separately.

In short, continuous innovation. I can't even imagine what kind of Microsoft and Windows fan you need to be to uncover your wallet, because it's hard to find a rational explanation for this price. Perhaps in the company at a certain stage, inspired by the actions of Apple and the desire to compensate for the spent on the burned out Windows Phone billions, they just decided to do the research and see what would happen if you put a cosmic price.

Cost aside, the device certainly deserves admiration, since it is to some extent an engineering masterpiece, both from the technical point of view and from the point of view of optimizing Windows for a particular device. No joke, judging by the first tests, the device with a 15-inch screen can play video for more than 20 hours, while browsing websites works for almost 16. If the laptop is fully loaded, the battery life will be about 7 hours. This is for real new level... For example, the recent favorite in terms of battery life Lenovo Yoga 920 in similar conditions lasted only 3.5 hours.

There is also nothing bad to say about performance. I don't think you need to introduce and explain the capabilities of the GeForce GTX 1060 with 6GB GDDR5 on board? For example, in the notorious Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, the laptop "knocked out" 40 frames per second in Full HD. While the same Yoga generally considered the attempt to launch the Deus Ex as a flat joke.

It seems Microsoft has made the perfect device. At least at a price of $ 3,300, he not only has to be like that, but he must also be able to predict the wishes of the owner, and in his free time he can do mining bitcoins just out of gratitude that he was bought. However, nothing of the kind. Firstly, for some reason no one thought that the same games could run crookedly due to the 3: 2 screen format. On the one hand, this is not Microsoft's fault, on the other - well, have you seen the price tag? Secondly, the battery of the device under heavy load can slowly discharge, even if connected to a charger. Thirdly, I did not find anything else and did not come up with anything, since the device had just come out. Well, maybe the speakers are a little louder ...

Samsung Notebook 9 Pro

Specifications:

• Processor: Intel® Core ™ i7-7500U, 2.7GHz - 3.5GHz (7th generation processors)
• Graphics: Radeon 540, GDDR5 2GB
• Memory: 16GB DDR4 / 256GB SSD
• Operating system: Windows 10 Home
• Screen: 15 inches, IPS LED, Full HD, 16: 9, 350 nits, touch with stylus support, rotates 360 degrees
• Battery: Li-ion 54 W * h, 3530 mA * h (declared up to 11.5 hours)
• Ports, connectors and sensors: USB Type-C, HDMI, microSD slot, 3.5 mm jack
• Webcam: 720p
• Miscellaneous: Sound 2 x 1.5W, Keyboard Backlit
• Dimensions: 34.72 x 23.9 x 1.7 mm, weight 1.71 kg
• Price: 1 299 USD

Unfortunately, at a certain stage of life, Samsung decided that there was no point in officially selling laptops in Russia. However, laptops are fairly easy to acquire in the gray market. The gadget from Samsung slightly stands out from the background of laptops from the selection, since, at first glance, there is nothing unique and striking in it, but, in my opinion, this is one of the most balanced in terms of price-performance-quality specimens. If you try to find a definition, then I would say "rational premium". The laptop has cool features, good performance, nice appearance, but he looks quiet and modest. Let's walk through the strengths. The screen is 15 inches with IPS technology, but not LCD, but LED, which definitely has a positive effect on battery life. Above average brightness - 350 nits. The screen can be opened up to 360 degrees, making a tablet out of a laptop.

Surprisingly, Samsung is holding on so far: the stylus is included in the kit for nothing. The laptop is made of a mix of plastic and aluminum and, of course, does not look so advantageous against the background of colleagues completely clad in armor. But here everything is utilitarian: the top cover is for protection, the bottom is made of plastic for weight and convenience. The video card of stars from the sky is not enough, but in the same Witcher or GTA 5 it is quite possible to play and brighten up the time. Battery life is 7-8 hours.

Samsung has got a kind of compromise. There is a proprietary stylus that works no worse, and according to some reviews, even better than its counterpart from Microsoft. Separately, I would like to note that Samsung was not too lazy to make a separate connector on the case, where the stylus can be hidden. By the way, guess who sells a very expensive laptop, but didn't think of it before?

The video card is at an acceptable level, and the battery life is not amazing, but it will not disappoint either. When visualized, the laptop appears to be a typical office clerk in a neat suit, doing a good job and not wanting to attract much attention. The disadvantages of this laptop can be attributed only to the insufficiently loud sound. This is doubly strange, considering that the Harman postscript is found, in my opinion, already everywhere where possible, except for the one who bought this Samsung... Well, it seems to me that in terms of battery life, Samsung, which controls so many technologies, could have invented something other than LED backlighting to get stable 10 hours of work.

Chromebook "and

ASUS Chromebook Flip C302CA

Specifications:

• Processor: Intel® Core ™ M 6Y75 Processor
• Memory: 4/8 GB / 32/64/128 GB
• Screen: 12.5 inches, LED, 16: 9, Full HD, touch
• Battery: Li-ion 39 W * h (declared up to 10 hours)
• Ports, connectors and sensors: USB Type-C x 2, microSD slot, 3.5 mm jack, Wi-Fi 802.11 AC, Bluetooth 4.0
• Webcam: 720p
• Other: keyboard backlit
• Dimensions: 304 x 210 x 13.7 mm, weight 1.2 kg
• Price: 499 USD

Samsung Chromebook Pro

Specifications:

• Processor: Intel® Core ™ m3 Processor 6Y30, 0.9GHz - 2.2GHz
• Graphics: Intel® HD Graphics 515
• Memory: 4GB LPDDR3 / 32GB
• Operating system: Chrome OS
• Screen: 12.3 inches, 2400 x 1600 dots, 3: 2, 400 nits, 360 degrees, touch, stylus support
• Battery: Li-ion 39 W * h (declared up to 9 hours)
• Ports, connectors and sensors: USB Type-C x 2, microSD slot, 3.5 mm jack, Wi-Fi 802.11 AC, Bluetooth 4.1
• Webcam: 720p
• Other: sound 2 x 1.5 W, protection against water spills on the keyboard 60 seconds
• Dimensions: 281 x 221 x 14 mm, weight 1.08 kg
• Price: 599 USD

Finally, I decided to take a couple of typical Chromebook models that interested me. In general, the devices are similar, as they have the same key feature - a 360-degree opening screen that turns the gadget into a tablet.

Samsung, which costs $ 100 more, added a stylus that later appeared in the Pixelbook.

However, in addition to the stylus, the Samsung laptop has a higher screen resolution, the backlight is 400 nits, there is protection against water spilled on the keyboard. In a word, they collected a number of little things that gave the moral right to raise the price tag. A couple of words about the prices of Chromebooks. At first glance, they are all similar in characteristics, but the most basic models sell for $ 200: they have poor screens and the build leaves much to be desired. At the top is the $ 999 Pixelbook, which has design and materials. But the laptop from Google did not even bother to consider, since I would rather agree that Microsoft installed an adequate price on their Surface than Google. In my opinion, $ 599 for a Samsung is the maximum amount you can pay for a Chromebook.

Unfortunately, Chromebooks have not taken root in Russia. Although, in my opinion, these are ideal devices for a number of users. Firstly, they are ideal for children if you want to have complete control over your child's computer activity. Access to the history of your Google account, the inability to catch a virus by installing an incomprehensible application from the network. Still, Google is more or less in control of the situation in its store. The second category for whom Chromebooks are suitable is elderly or simply undemanding users who surf the Internet, watch videos, communicate with family members via Skype or instant messengers.

For such people, a Chromebook is also ideal because it is almost impossible to break anything there by accidentally deleting it. And in general, the device is as simple as possible in terms of operation. And if you run into problems, you can always help by connecting remotely via Google Chrome. In general, the Chromebook will suit the typical normal user who knows to play on the PlayStation. If at the dawn of its appearance the Chromebook was extremely limited in software, now the Google Store offers a full range of necessary programs: there are office suites for every taste, simple and advanced photo and video editors, a whole scattering of browsers and video players. And games on Android have been pretty good lately.

Instead of a conclusion

In my opinion, the selection turned out to be quite interesting. Any of the laptops can be considered as bargain purchase- will delight both in performance and design. One of the most balanced solutions is Samsung. I also suggest that you pay attention to laptops on your own. of this manufacturer... There are interesting models under other numbers. For example, the seventh episode is also very good. I chose the most expensive laptop from LG, but the company offers a wide range, both in performance and screen size. All LG devices are not afraid of falls, they work for a long time and the weight is close to a kilogram. Huawei has made a beautiful and productive laptop, which is much more interesting in terms of price and quality than the same MacBook.

I would also like to highlight the Chromebooks, many of which can be purchased on ebay. In my opinion, these devices are underestimated. They are more than appropriate to use for certain categories of undemanding users. Let us know your opinion in the comments. Write, and what kind of laptop, not officially sold in Russia, would you like (indicate the approximate price right away). I will say to myself that my favorite is undoubtedly the expensive Surface Book 2, about which you can dream and not buy. I would choose Samsung or Surface Laptop for purchase. Both support a stylus, but Samsung has discrete graphics, while the Surface has better battery life.

In the spring of this year, a presentation of a professional notebook from MS took place, which is designed to perform a wide range of tasks.

Today to buy Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 is chosen by users who need a gadget on Windows based 10 without compromise on performance, ergonomics or usability.

The visual design is both laconic and simple, as it provides maximum convenience. The body is made of an aluminum alloy with the addition of a separate Alcantara material.

The surface is velvety to the touch and feels better than plastic or solid metal. Among gadgets based on the Win operating system, such a scrupulous approach is rare.

Main characteristics

Matrix with a diagonal of 13.5 "displays a picture in a resolution of 2256 × 1504, which corresponds to an aspect ratio of 3: 2 and looks impressive. Compared to the Pro version of the laptop, the changes are cosmetic in nature, but have a positive effect on the total cost of the product.

SRGB color rendition is in demand among artists, designers, photo processing specialists. The price of Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 ranges from $ 1,000 to $ 1,530, depending on the amount of memory and other characteristics.

The most important aspect is performance. Uses Intel Core i5-i7 microprocessors, working in tandem with an SSD and a fast RAM. Office packages, video editing in Full HD, sound editors - everything works at high speed.

Users who often type large amounts of text will appreciate the quality of the keyboard and touchpad. The latter is compatible with Windows Precision gestures used to scale windows.

An unusual decision by the manufacturer was the location of the speakers with Dolby support. They are located under the keyboard, which provides a resonant reflection of sound from the table surface. The result is a loud and rich sound with full frequency spectrum coverage. Autonomy - about 8 hours without recharging.

Microsoft continued to expand its laptop lineup this year with the Surface Laptop. Moreover, if other devices of the company are transformers, then the novelty has a traditional form factor for laptops. At the same time, Microsoft is positioning the Surface Laptop as a laptop for schoolchildren and students, as well as for those users who need a laptop for office work. Let's take a look at what features the device offers and whether it is worth considering for a purchase.

The Surface Laptop's bundle is minimal; only a charger with a detachable cable can be found in the box with the laptop.

But at least the charging block is not quite simple, it has a built-in USB connector, which allows you to directly connect other devices to it for charging.

Design and materials

The Surface Laptop is, without understatement, one of the most stylish laptops on the market.

The model is made in a minimalistic design with straight lines of the body, which are only slightly rounded at the corners, but at the same time they form sharp beveled edges.

The display is covered protective glass while the lid and bottom of the Surface Laptop are made of heavy-duty aluminum, while the area around the keyboard and between the keys themselves is covered in faux suede - Alcantara.

This material is patented and produced by the Italian company Alcantara SpA, it is very pleasant to the touch and relatively durable. In my experience of using the Alcantara Galaxy S8 case, I can say that if you do not set yourself the task of staining the fabric and making it unusable, then it is not so easy to do it during normal use. Alcantara has a rough, but at the same time, dense surface that does not allow moisture to pass through well, and the material itself does not burn. Nevertheless, it should be borne in mind that, like any fabric, Alcantara wears out and gets dirty, and although it can be washed and cleaned, it is not very convenient to do this in a laptop.

Overall, the Surface Laptop, while not the most practical case, is definitely one of the most stylish. Moreover, Microsoft took care of the colors, there are only four of them, but they all look very nice.

The Surface Laptop case measures 308.1 x 223.27 x 14.48 mm and weighs 1.25 kg.

The laptop turned out to be compact even for a 13-inch model, although it does not have minimal frames around the screen.

Connectors

In addition to the USB port on the unit charger, on the case of the Surface Laptop itself, there was only a proprietary charging port, one USB 3.0, mini DisplayPort and 3.5 headphone jack.

As you can see, the set of ports is minimal, and the laptop would not hurt at least one more USB port, as well as USB Type-C.

Display

13.5-inch touchscreen IPS screen a laptop with PixelSense technology has a resolution of 2256 × 1504 pixels and an aspect ratio of 3: 2. The latter, given that you spend most of your time on a laptop in a browser, looks like a good solution, and it's a pity that not all manufacturers use it.

The display itself provides good viewing angles and color reproduction. Its color gamut is slightly more than 100% sRGB, the temperature is at 6500K, but the gamma curve and backlight are slightly uneven.

Minimum brightness Surface display The laptop, according to our measurements, is 9 cd / m2, the maximum is 322 cd / m2, and the contrast is 1526: 1.

It's also important to note that the touchscreen on this laptop looks like sheer overkill. Considering the form factor, they are not as comfortable to use as the Surface Book and Surface Pro, and if Microsoft decided to remove the touch layer from the display, the Surface Laptop would not lose anything from it.

Platform and performance

We tested the Surface Laptop in the basic configuration with a 2-core Intel processor Core i5-7200U, clocked at 2.5 GHz (3.1 GHz in Turbo mode Boost), integrated Intel HD Graphics 620, 4GB LPDDR3-1866 RAM, and a 128GB SSD.

The processor performance in Surface Laptop is sufficient for most of the tasks that users of a compact laptop may encounter. At the same time, 4 GB of RAM is enough for comfortable work in a browser with a dozen open sites, with documents or with simple editor photos.

The performance of the integrated graphics is enough to draw the interface or play video in 2K without any problems, but if you want to play games, you will have to limit yourself to casual ones.

What I didn't like about the Surface Laptop's hardware platform was the speed of Toshiba's built-in 128GB SSD. Microsoft used a model that provides good read speed at 650 MB / s, but not very fast as for solid state drive, write speed - 130 MB / s.

Heating and stability

The processor in the Surface Laptop has a calculated thermal package of 15 W, and the laptop itself is equipped with a small fan, the holes for exhaust and air intake are at the same time on the back of the case, and the bottom of it is completely closed.

In the stability test of the AIDA64 system under maximum load, the temperature of the processor cores can briefly rise to 80 degrees Celsius, but when the cooling system is turned on, it drops to 55-57 degrees Celsius and remains at this level.

At the same time, there is no throttling, and the case becomes warm, but this does not cause discomfort. The fan runs very quietly, you can hardly hear it.

Operating system

By default, Surface Laptop is running Windows 10 S. While the S in a product name is often used to indicate improvements, this is not the case with Windows 10 S. On the contrary, a new version Microsoft's operating system is stripped down. The company conceived it as an OS for not very expensive laptops that can be used by schoolchildren and students. But given the $ 999 starting price of the Surface Laptop in the US, Windows 10 S looks very strange on this laptop. After all, it, for example, allows you to install applications only from Windows Store, does not allow to change Edge browser and even the search engine Bing.

Windows 10 S on Surface Laptop can be upgraded to Windows 10 Pro for free until December 31, 2017, and the company plans to charge a $ 50 upgrade fee in the future.

The update process itself is a little confusing, to start it, you need to download and open the exe-file of any program, after which the system will inform you that this can be done if it is updated to another version of Windows and immediately prompts you to do it.

The very idea of ​​limiting the installation of programs to the Windows Store only could have a right to life if there were all popular applications in the Microsoft store. But the irony is that even Office, at least in Ukraine, is not in the Windows Store.

All in all, Windows 10 S on the Surface Laptop looks like an outright crutch that could be tolerated if the laptop was offered at a more affordable price. But in this situation, it is better to immediately take the opportunity and upgrade to Windows 10 Pro for free. At the same time, the entire process of switching from one OS version to another takes only a few minutes.

Windows Hello

As with other Surface models, Microsoft's Surface Laptop uses multiple cameras, including infrared, to enable facial recognition to work. Windows system Hello, which allows you to quickly unlock your laptop.

It is worth noting that this functionality works very well, cameras quickly scan and recognize a face, while you can scan it with or without glasses, this will only improve the recognition speed. At the same time, the cameras in the Surface Laptop are able to determine the volume and cannot be fooled by photography.

Keyboard and touchpad

The Surface Laptop uses an island-style backlit keyboard.

The keys are located at a sufficient distance from each other and are pressed with a pleasant stroke. It is convenient to type on the laptop keyboard, it has a standard layout.

The touchpads Microsoft uses in its Surface models are the best in Windows laptops. The Surface Laptop has a rather large touchpad, it detects finger positioning very accurately, supports gestures and allows you to comfortably use the laptop without external peripherals.

Audio

The Realtek High Definition Audio Driver is responsible for sound reproduction in Surface Laptop, it is enough to listen to music or watch video on headphones even at medium volume.

The two external speakers are hidden under the keyboard, and it should be noted that they sound surprisingly voluminous and loud, which is not expected from a thin laptop.

Autonomy

The Surface Laptop's built-in 45.2 Wh battery should provide good battery life, at least Microsoft claims 14.5 hours of video playback. In the PCMark 8 Home test under load with a brightness of 200 cd / m2, the laptop lasted 6 hours.

Under average load and with active automatic display brightness control, you can expect 8 hours of operation. This is a good result as the Surface Laptop offers battery life for a typical workday.

Site score

Pros: design, nice colors, high-quality display, quiet cooling system, excellent keyboard and touchpad, clean Windows, fast Windows work Hello, external speaker sound quality, USB port on the charger box, autonomy

Minuses: 4 GB RAM base, SSD write speed, 1 enclosure USB, Windows 10 S

Output: Surface Laptop is a thin and light 13.5-inch laptop with interesting design in an aluminum casing with an Alcantara insert around the keyboard. The model has an excellent display, comfortable keyboard and touchpad, but not very high performance in the basic version, not very fast SSD on record and high cost, both for such a configuration. Other than that, it doesn't make any sense to stay with Windows 10 S. expensive laptop... Thus, in the basic configuration, the Surface Laptop may appeal to those users who choose a laptop for design rather than performance. It does look great on a desk, but there are more performance solutions for workloads at this price point. However, it should be noted that the older Surface Laptop versions are more interesting in terms of configuration and faster in terms of operating speed, but their cost is also higher.

The editors are grateful to the online store Reader.ua for providing the device for review.

Just a year and a half later, Microsoft released the Surface Laptop 2. As with the Surface Pro 6, there isn't much new, but the revamped processor and black color make this laptop even more attractive. However, it is not perfect, this version could be called Surface Laptop 1.5 rather than 2. And here's why.

About this review

This review uses a black version with 8GB of RAM, 256GB of internal memory and an Intel Core-i5 8250U processor, while the business version with Windows 10 Pro will cost you 114,990 rubles in our store. The cheapest - 95,000 rubles (only in platinum color), this version has a Core i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory. A more advanced model - Core i7, 16GB of RAM and 1TB of internal storage - will also go on sale soon. Available in Platinum, Black, Burgundy and Cobalt.

As with the Surface Pro 6, there are only two changes to the Surface Laptop 2:

• new 8th generation processors from Intel- from dual-core to quad-core for better performance. The new Surface Laptop 2 is a whopping 85% faster than its predecessor, thanks to the new Intel Core i5-8250U and Core i7-8650U processors. Also in the laptop, the cooling system has been updated to avoid overheating, while it works quite quietly.

• Black color- Surface Laptop 2 is now available in black, in addition to the other three that arrived in 2018.

Other minor changes include the ability to instantly turn on and log in using the WIndows Hello recognition engine, as well as improved SSD work.

No more Surface Laptop with Intel Core m3 processor for $ 799 with RAM and internal memory 4 GB and 128 GB respectively. Instead, a model with a quad-core Core i5 and the same amount of memory is available for $ 999 - quite a significant difference in price, but the performance is noticeably better.

Also, the model with Intel Graphics Iris Plus 640, as Intel discontinued such a GPU for the 8th Gen 15 watt processors. Instead, the Surface Laptop 2 now features Intel Graphics UHD 620. Due to the higher performance of the new quad-core processors, the manufacturer has also updated the cooling system - and heat pipes, and a cooler. It is now much quieter.

Among other things, Microsoft has moved Windows 10 S laptop to Windows 10 Home. Previously, users could switch from S mode to Pro for free, but now they need to pay $ 99 for an upgrade or choose the business version of the computer that comes with Windows license 10 Pro. At the same time, many applications from the manufacturer, including those needed for study, work only with the Pro version.

Surface Laptop 2 Specifications

Little has changed since last year, and nevertheless

Display	13.5-inch Pixel Sense 10-point multi-touch
Permission	2256 x 1504 (201ppi) aspect ratio 3: 2
Operating system	Windows 10 Home
CPU	8th Gen Intel Core i5-8250U or i7-8650U
Storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB SSD
RAM	8 GB or 16 GB LPDDR3
GPU	Intel Graphics UHD 620
Rear camera	absent
Front camera	720p Windows Hello facial recognition
Loudspeakers	Omnisonic speakers with Dolby Audio Premium
Ports	full-size USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort, headphone jack, Surface Connect
Sensors	light sensor
Keyboard	full-size, soft-touch, backlight thickness of buttons 1.5 mm
Security	TPM 2.0
Battery life	14.5 hours of use
Stylus	Surface Pen (not included)
The weight	i5 1.25 kg i7 1.28kg
Dimensions (edit)	308.02 mm x 223.27 mm x 0.57 14.47 mm

Dual-core processors swapped for quad-core i5 and i7 processors, a trend that emerged in 2017 when Intel launched the new Core i5-8250U and Core i7-8650U. They are part of the so-called Coffee Lake era, in contrast to the even newer and better Whiskey Lake, which are only now starting to appear in laptops. The big advantage of these processors is the drivers, they provide more uniform operation.

While the move to quad-cores may sound like a minor detail in words, the result is an incredible difference in power. Add to that a great battery and faster SSD performance, and you realize that the Surface Laptop 2 case is a story about an improvement rather than a complete change. It's a shame the Iris Plus 640 GPU is no longer available, but that's not Microsoft's fault. For the new quad-core processors, Intel does not yet offer anything better than the UHD 620, most likely due to the changed temperature limits. However, UHD 620 is a great option for most users.

Surface Laptop 2 design

Nothing has changed in design since the first generation of Surface Laptop.

Still a great aluminum body, sleek with no noticeable seams, screws or seams. Everything from the fan grill to the display looks perfectly symmetrical and flawless. Just like last year.

The only change is that the black color is now available. The matte finish of the Surface Laptop 2 is paired with Alcantara and black USB and other ports for a stylish look. This is a striking combination, and it turns out to be very difficult to choose between black and classic burgundy, which we also love incredibly. A fifth, pink version called "blush" is also available in China.

On the black version, fingerprints are visible much better than on lighter models, and you will have to wipe the case periodically. However, since the fabric is inside, most of the moisture will practically be absorbed.

Alcantara holds up quite well, although many worried that it might start to get greasy from prolonged use. However, spots are sometimes visible, mostly on platinum-colored models.

We did not run any tests, but, like the previous model, it is likely that the aluminum case is extremely susceptible to physical damage, such as scratches caused by metal objects.

Alas, the set of ports has not changed either. There is still USB-A and mini DisplayPort. Type-C with 3.1 support for charging, display and data transfer, unfortunately, did not appear, despite its presence on the budget Surface Go, which is rather strange for the end of 2018.

Surface Laptop 2 display

The display, although slightly changed, is still one of the best in its class. Surface Laptop 2 touchscreen PixelSense with a resolution of 2256 x 1504 (201 ppi). The resolution is slightly lower than the 12.5-inch Surface Pro 6 (2736 x 1824 (267 ppi)) and the 13.5-inch Surface Book 2 (3000 x 2000 (267 ppi)), but it's hard to see with the naked eye.

The bezel around the screen is thin. You can also use the Surface Pen with Surface Laptop 2, but this is more convenient for quickly signing documents or sketches than for full drawing. The display is great, but perhaps too shiny. It is grease resistant so it shouldn't be fingerprinted. According to Microsoft, this is the thinnest and lowest parallax LCD touchscreen available in a laptop to date.

Gorilla Glass 3 protects the screen from scratches, each display is calibrated to 100% sRGB profile. Our test results in 99% sRGB and 81% AdobeRGB. By comparison, the Surface Pro 6 scored 79% in the second case.

The brightness of the screen reaches 330 nits in the center, which is above average but below the Surface Pro 6's 470 nits.

Unfortunately, since the previous model, the screen has not been improved in contrast. The Surface Pro 6 has an enhanced brightness mode besides the sRGB profile, but here it does not.

Surface Laptop 2 keyboard and trackpad

The Surface Laptop 2 has a full-size keyboard with 1.5mm miniature keys (Surface Pro 6 has 1.3mm) and three backlighting modes. This is an amazing keyboard, especially considering the non-metallic keys, pleasant touch and soft Alcantara finish. Overall, the print experience is luxurious. A rarity for laptops.

Some say the keyboard is also quieter than it was that year, but on the original Surface Laptop it was incredibly quiet anyway, so there isn't much improvement here.

The huge track pad measuring 105mm x 70mm and covered with glass is also unchanged from last year. That's okay, because the Surface Laptop's trackpad is one of the best.

Surface Laptop 2 Sound

Speaker or microphone grids are nowhere to be seen, so the laptop looks very solid compared to anything else on the market. Microsoft has removed the speakers under the keyboard, which may seem like an odd move, but it works great. The sound is much better than the Surface Pro and Surface Book thanks to the acoustics. Due to the location of the speakers on the bottom of the laptop, the sound can resonate more, you may even feel it physically at a certain volume. The sound is clear, loud and clear. Thanks to support for Dolby Audio Premium and all sorts of improvements - volume, bass - it can be tailored to suit you.

In short, these are excellent speakers, and when combined with a large 3: 2 screen, you get a device for comfortable viewing of videos and other things.

Performance, heat, noise Surface Laptop 2

The original Surface Laptop was often complained about because of the SSD speed, which was completely out of step with the laptop's class and price.

Microsoft sorted out this problem, and in the new Surface Laptop 2, the built-in memory of which is 256 GB KBG30ZPZ256G from Toshiba, the read speed has almost tripled: from 486 mb / s to 1,500 mb / s. Write speed has also gone up from 244 MB / s to a much more manageable 811 MB / s.

However, these specs are still lower than most high-end laptops, but not bad enough. Faster speeds are to be expected from 512GB or 1TB models thanks to NAND technology.

Test results

CPU

Based on the benchmark results, the Core i5-8250U is performing just fine. Although according to data from one core, the Core i5 lags behind last year's i7, but not much. Multi-core speeds - 13,233 - surpassed the i7's 9.535 mark last year.

Device	CPU	One core	Multiple cores
Surface Laptop 2	i5-8250U	4,203	13,233
Surface Laptop	i5-7200U	3,725	7,523
Surface Laptop	i7-7660U	4,714	9,535
Surface Pro 6	i5-8250U	4,207	13,851
Surface Pro 5	i5-7300U	4,302	8,482
Surface Pro 5	i7-7660U	4,513	9,346
Surface Pro 4	i5-6300U	3,319	6,950
Dell XPS 13	i7-8550U	4,681	14,816

Sorry, check out the new Surface Laptop 2 with Core processor i7 we didn't have the option, however the Core i5-8250U works great and will suit most users.

GPU

Although Intel Graphics UHD 620 is not as powerful as the Iris Plus 640, due to its doubled graphics lanes - 48 versus 24 - it performed well on the Open CL benchmark, performing better than its predecessor.

Device	graphics processor	speed
Surface Laptop 2	UHD 620	35,473
Surface Laptop	HD 620	19,256
Surface Laptop	Iris 640	31,010
Surface Pro 6	UHD 620	36,283
Surface Pro 5	HD 620	20,688
Surface Pro 5	Iris 640	30,678
Surface Pro 4	HD 520	17,395
Surface Book	HD 520	18,197
Surface Book	GTX 965M	64,108
Surface Book 2	GTX 1060	138,758

SSD

With SSD speeds, the Surface line has never been very good. The results, as a rule, come out above average, but they do not pull to the top positions. In 2018, the situation has not changed, however, compared to last year's model, the Surface Laptop 2 has changed for the better. The speeds have tripled, which is extremely important for use.

With significantly improved processor and speed SSD laptop turns on instantly. The time it takes to turn on and recognize the face is much less than last year's model. Microsoft clearly worked on a whole bunch of little things, as well as the operating system and drivers, to achieve this effect, and it worked.

Although the Surface Laptop 2 does not yet pull on a gaming laptop, and it does not yet occupy the top positions in performance, thanks to all the improvements it is incredibly pleasant to use it.

Regarding heating and noise: the Core i5 model runs quietly and does not overheat. Even better than the first Surface Laptop. The fan practically did not turn on, and if it did, it was barely audible.

Temperature readings are comparable to last year's - 40 degrees maximum at the bottom of the laptop and 38 at the top after 10 minutes of intensive work. Warm, but not hot.

In simple games, the speed jumped from 32.4 frames per second to 40.1.

Surface Laptop 2 Battery

device	time
Surface Laptop 2 (i5)	6 hours 20 minutes
Surface Laptop (i5)	5 hours 7 minutes
Surface Pro 6 (i5)	5 hours 25 minutes
Surface Pro 5 (i5)	4 hours 30 minutes

As with the Surface Pro 6, the battery life on the Surafec Laptop 2 has been improved. Battery test, which includes intensive loading of the central and GPU a variety of repetitive tasks - using the Internet, gaming, photo editing, video chat - showed that the new model bypassed the original Surface Laptop by an hour.

These results are lower than the manufacturer's promised 14.5 hours, but with normal use the Surface Laptop 2 can last 8 hours or more, maybe 10 hours. Compared to the previous model, that's an hour longer.

Increased runtime, improved performance and a quiet cooler make Surface Laptop 2 a great laptop for both work and play.

Outcomes

One of the nicest, nicest, and most expensive laptops on the market, but it faces fierce competition.

If you take the Surface Pro, Microsoft has no particular competition here, everyone has similar devices, but much weaker than the perfected Surface Pro.

This is not the case with standard laptops. Dell, HP, Lenovo and even Huawei have shown that they can create outstanding devices in terms of hardware, with high performance, which will still look great. And all this at a much lower cost. So, it becomes difficult to advise Surface Laptop 2 when you can find more functional and cheaper equipment from competitors.

Perhaps the biggest problem is the absence USB-C ports... It seems silly to pay $ 2,700 for a laptop that does not support Thunderbolt 3. This makes it unwise to buy it - expensive, fewer features than other laptops, requires extreme care.

And yet we like it.

The tricky part is always explaining how enjoyable it is to use any device in the Surface line. The keyboard, trackpad, display, weight, build, colors, fast boot, smooth OS and cool design are all nearly perfect. Even just opening and closing this laptop is a pleasure. What can we say about the warm and soft Alcantara. While other laptops can do more for less, they are not as enjoyable to use.

A good move is to go for a Core i5 model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. It makes no sense to take a model based on the i7 processor if its power is not important to you. By colors: the best choice- black or burgundy, but cobalt and platinum look nice too.

4.5 out of 5

Microsoft has created a laptop that's more about art than functionality. Such a ratio is not to everyone's taste, but why not present such an option on the market? If something brings you pleasure and pleasing to the eye, this is already valuable. This is why we are in awe of the Surface Laptop 2, an amazing blend of art and technology for those who want a laptop in the classic sense of the word. Maybe this is unreasonable, but love is always like that, even if it seems that it could be better.

pros

• new powerful quad-core processor
• better SSD performance
• incredibly beautiful black color

Minuses

• no USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 support
• does not support 4G and LTE
• expensive

Microsoft Surface Laptop is a new addition to the line of the world famous American corporation. It was introduced at the same time as the Surface Pro 5 transforming computer, which transforms from a tablet to a laptop after plugging in a physical keyboard. In contrast, the Surface Laptop is a complete laptop with no transformation capability. However, it has many advantages of its own. In our Surface overview Laptop we appreciate the pros and cons of Microsoft's new device.

What is it?

At first glance, the Microsoft Surface Laptop is a kind of middle ground between the Surface Pro and the Surface Book, a more powerful convertible released a year ago. The Surface Laptop boasts a Gorilla Glass 3 screen, Windows Hello authentication, 7th Gen Intel processors and Windows 10 S. The Surface Laptop has a sleek touchscreen display that can be manipulated with your fingers or the proprietary Surface Pen.

One of the main exterior features of the Surface Laptop is its Alcantara-coated keyboard. Plus, the laptop can be purchased in one of four very cool colors. Another advantage announced at the Laptop presentation was battery life. It reaches 13 hours when the Wi-Fi module is on. Also among the significant features of the Surface Laptop is the sound system design. The laptop has no special cutouts for acoustics - the sound goes right through the keyboard.

Equipment

In addition to the laptop itself, the user will find only a charger in the packaging box. Surface Pen, a proprietary touch pen for Surface devices, not included with notebook and sold separately.

As an additional accessory, the manufacturer has released a proprietary Surface Arc Mouse. It can be chosen in one of the same beautiful colors that the laptop is offered in. The Wireless Surface Dial is also suitable for touchscreen use. It is also offered to be purchased separately.

Modifications

Microsoft Surface Laptop is offered in many modifications that differ in the type of processor (i5 or i7), the amount of RAM (4, 8 or 16 GB) and the size hard disk(128, 256, 512 GB or 1 TB). The buyer has a choice of 4 colors in which the laptop is offered: Platinum, Graphite Gold, Burgundy, Cobalt Blue.

The following modifications are available in our online store at the time of writing the review:

• Surface Laptop - 128GB / Intel Core i5 / 4GB RAM (Platinum Color)
• Surface Laptop - 256GB / Intel Core i5 / 8GB RAM (Platinum Color)
• Surface Laptop - 256GB / Intel Core i7 / 8GB RAM (Platinum Color)
• Surface Laptop - 512GB / Intel Core i7 / 16GB RAM (Platinum Color)
• Surface Laptop - 256GB / Intel Core i5 / 8GB RAM (Graphite Gold color)
• Surface Laptop - 256GB / Intel Core i5 / 8GB RAM (Burgundy color)
• Surface Laptop - 256GB / Intel Core i5 / 8GB RAM (Cobalt Blue)

We tested the Microsoft Surface Laptop with an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage in a Platinum color.

Design and construction features

Like previous Surface Pro and Surface Book models, the Surface Laptop is made of aluminum alloy. The weight of the novelty is only 1.25 kg. The laptop is just 100 grams heavier than the Surface Pro 4, and the same 100 grams lighter MacBook Pro 13 2016.

Ports and connectors are located on the side edges of the case. The power button is located on the keyboard. The screen is covered with Gorilla Glass 3. Moreover, the bezel around the display is practically absent - the glass occupies the entire surface.

Unlike the Surface Book convertible laptop, the Laptop does not have a hinge joint between the screen and the keyboard. You can flip the lid up to a maximum of a standard angle. In our opinion, this angle could be larger. But in general, this is not critical. The hinges between the screen and the keyboard look solid and lock well at any angle of the display.

The impressions of working with a laptop are extremely positive. Thin, compact and lightweight Laptop is convenient to carry with you and work with it in any situation: in the office, sitting in a chair with a laptop on your lap, or even lying in bed.

Alcantara

The "chip" of the Surface Laptop is the keyboard, covered with a velvety, very pleasant to the touch and in appearance coating - Alcantara. Its color matches each of the body color options. The advantages of its presence are that the laptop looks not only unusual, but also very stylish. No fingerprints are visible on Alcantara, and even at low ambient temperatures, the cold case will not cause inconvenience to your wrists.

Keyboard and touch pad

The laptop received a keyboard measuring 27.5 x 10 cm. It is equipped with a backlight with three levels of brightness. The key travel is very smooth and deep. No loud clicks are heard when pressing the keys. Typing on the keyboard is very convenient. In English-language articles, reviewers note the Surface Laptop's keyboard is more comfortable and has significantly longer key travel than the 2016 MacBook Pro 13.

The surface of the touchpad is made of glass. It measures 10.5 x 7 cm. The response is fast. The touchpad reacts very accurately to user actions - the cursor moves without delay and does not shake. The action buttons on the touchpad are pressed with dull clicks that are pleasant to the ear.

The Surface Laptop keyboard is an interesting combination of Alcantara finish, comfortable keys and a great-working touchpad. It can be clearly called one of the main advantages of a laptop.

Ports and wireless connections

Surface Laptop doesn't have many connectors on the case. There is a charger connector on one side, and a USB port, a headphone jack and a MiniDisplay port on the other.

Like other Surfaces, the Laptop has a fairly minimal set of connectors. In particular, there is no Thunderbolt 3 and USB Type-C port. But it is possible to additionally purchase a docking station that will allow you to connect many other devices to the Laptop.

The laptop has Bluetooth 4.0. Surface Laptop connects to the Internet via a Wi-Fi module, but none of the modifications has LTE support.

Screen

Surface Laptop has a 13.5-inch display. Display resolution 2256 x 1504. Pixel density ratio is 201 PPI. The screen has a protective coating made of Gorilla Glass. The display uses an aspect ratio of 3: 2, which makes the laptop well optimized for working with texts and photos. Panasonic VVX14T092N00, made using IPS technology, is used as a matrix.

The screen displays extremely bright and vivid colors, and texts are displayed in high definition. The display is very similar to that of the Surface Pro 4, which has received rave reviews from users. The two displays have nearly identical brightness and contrast ratio of 1000: 1. According to the manufacturer's assurances, the Surface Laptop's display matrix displays 100% of the sRGB color space. Compared to the MacBook Pro 13, the Surface Laptop has a slightly larger display (13.3 versus 13.5 inches). Considering that the Surface Laptop's screen is excellent in all other specifications, we can say that in the "battle of screens" the laptop from Microsoft clearly beats the model from Apple.

Windows S

The laptop runs on the Windows S operating system. During the presentation of new products in 2017, Microsoft emphasized the potential of its devices in education and professional activity. For example, in this version of the OS, features such as USB dongle and Microsoft Teams are available.

However, the Surface Laptop cannot be considered a device "sharpened" exclusively for schoolchildren and students. For those who value increased data security, the Surface Laptop is a great choice. The disadvantage of Windows S is that in this version of the OS you cannot install programs from installation files c extension exe, but only from the company store Windows applications Store. For example, even installing one of the popular browsers will be a problem. You won't be able to sync bookmarks either. Chrome, Firefox or Opera in this moment are not available in the Windows Store, so on Windows S you'll need to use Microsoft's Edge browser.

A high level of security can be attributed to the pluses of Windows S. As well as the speed of loading the operating system. Windows S takes less time to do this than Windows 10 Pro.

Free upgrade to Windows 10 Pro

If the cons of Windows S outweigh the pros for you, there's a quick and free upgrade to Windows 10 Pro. Upgrading and upgrading Surface Laptop to Windows 10 Pro will be available for free until 12/31/2017. After that date, you will need to pay $ 49 for the transition.

Russian language

The laptop supports Russian. Although the initial settings will have to be done on English language, after logging into Windows in the Control Panel, you can easily download the update that adds the Russian language. A Cyrillic keyboard layout will also be available.

Surface Laptops available in the ReaderONE online store have a high-quality engraving of Russian letters on the keyboard. The Russian keyboard layout is highlighted in the same way as the English letters.

Windows Hello function

The front camera of the laptop supports Windows Hello. This infrared camera enables facial recognition to unlock the laptop. This feature works extremely well. Upon entering Windows message on the screen asks you to look at the camera, after which, within literally one second, the camera recognizes whether you are the owner of the laptop. The camera in the Surface Laptop allows you to measure the volume, which means that it will not be fooled by the demonstration of the photo. Windows Hello is another proof of the Surface Laptop's high security and just convenient function that allows you not to enter a password every time you log in.

Performance

As we said, we tested the Surface Book with an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. This modification was tested by us using the PC Mark 8 package, designed to measure the performance of desktop PCs and laptops. PC Mark 8 enables multiple load scenarios. We present the test results in Home, Work and Creative modes.

As you can see from the benchmark results, the Surface Laptop i5 8GB 256GB consistently ranks at the top of its benchmark notebooks. Microsft laptop is not a top-end device in terms of hardware power, but it can definitely be called fast and efficient. personal computer for everyday work. The Surface Laptop showed the best results in the Creative scenario, which is exactly what assumes the test of daily work tasks: working in a web browser, editing photos and videos, working with Microsoft Office.

The Surface Book's processor is more than capable of running smoothly in a web browser with a dozen open tabs, with documents, photo and video editors. The performance of the video card is sufficient for high-quality rendering of the operating and system interface or video playback in resolution up to 2K. This can be judged from the test results using the 3D Mark 8 Sky Diver package.

Obviously, the Surface Laptop is not the leader when it comes to playing powerful 3D graphics or video processing in high definition 4K. The leader here is another model from Microsoft - the Surface Book with Performance Base transformable laptop. For these purposes, it is better to choose this model, which was released a year ago, and which we also reviewed. See Microsoft Surface Book with Performance Base (i7 16Gb 512Gb): Power to its fullest.

Cooling system

Surface Laptop uses a fan-cooled system. If you perform tasks on a laptop that do not require the use of large resources (editing tests, checking mail), then the fan does not turn on at all. At the same time, Surface Laptop runs almost silently. The cooler turns on when watching a video in good resolution or when working with websites. However, even in these situations, the laptop is fairly quiet.

In idle mode, the laptop does not heat up on either side, and as the load increases, the lower part heats up a little. This can be called one of the features of the Surface Laptop, as laptops usually heat up evenly on both sides. Perhaps this is due to the presence of an Alcantara coating on the keyboard, which does not allow heat to pass through. In addition, the case becomes hot when the battery is being charged. In general, the laptop gets a little warm, but not so much that it was impossible to hold it on your lap.

Sound

One of the unique solutions that has been applied to the Surface Laptop is the lack of slots for the speaker system. The sound of the speakers literally passes through the keyboard, thanks to the fact that the keyboard cover is not metal or plastic, but is made of premium suede - Alcantara. I must say that this has been implemented at an extremely high quality level. The laptop uses OmniSonic speakers. Their sound quality is very good, and the balance between high and low frequencies can be called optimal. When the volume is increased, the speakers do not wheeze, no sound distortions noticeable to the ear are observed. The original speaker system can be called one of the advantages of the Surface Laptop.

Autonomous work

Surface Laptop battery life varies depending on which mode you use your device. With the Wi-Fi module turned on and working on the Internet, the laptop will work for about 13 hours without the need to connect a charger. It must be said that this is longer than that of the Surface Book and MacBook Pro 13. In standby mode with the screen at minimum brightness, the Surface Laptop will last about 22 hours. The autonomy of the laptop was also measured by us using the PC Mark 8 package. Test results - in the screenshot:

Charging the laptop battery from zero to 100% takes about 2.5 hours. The duration of the battery life on one charge can also be attributed to the advantages of the laptop. With Surface Laptop, you can be away from electrical outlet actively working with a laptop on the internet.

Microsoft Surface Laptop vs. Apple MacBook Pro 13

Comparison of Microsoft Surface Laptop with MacBook laptops from Apple is logical, since in both cases we are dealing with models from the most reputable manufacturers of the computer market. MacBook Pro 13 is most similar to Surface Laptop.

Since Surface Laptop was developed and released quite recently, it has features that MacBook cannot boast of, for example, face login. Windows user Hello. Microsoft's laptop is offered in a variety of modifications. The MacBook does not have a touch screen, but the Surface Laptop has a touch screen, which can be convenient in some cases. The Surface Laptop has a slightly larger screen diagonal. Plus, the Surface Laptop looks like a more stylish choice, with four bold colors to complement your look with a truly stylish gadget, while the MacBook is available in just one case color. The Surface Book is also thinner, lighter and more portable than the MacBook Pro 13. In our opinion, Microsoft's Surface Laptop currently looks like a more modern choice, both in terms of technical parameters and design.

Conclusions:

Minuses:

• poor set of ports on the case;
• Windows S has a number of limitations (however, an update to Windows 10 Pro is available that removes these limitations);
• high price of top modifications.

Pros:

• original, thoughtful design;
• four attractive body colors;
• light weight, minimum size;
• excellent touch screen;
• high performance;
• long battery life;
• original, very comfortable keyboard with an excellent touchpad and Alcantara cover;
• high quality sound;
• Windows Hello function;
• a large selection of modifications.

At first glance, the Surface Laptop is a typical premium Windows Ultrabook. It's thin, lightweight and portable. However, only the Surface Laptop has an ultra-modern design and a unique, extremely comfortable Alcantara-coated keyboard. Surface Laptop has a choice of body colors. The laptop also boasts a luxurious screen, long battery life, and a wide range of modifications. The problem with Windows S, which allows you to install programs only from the branded Windows Store Store is easily solved by installing a free upgrade to Windows 10 Pro.

With the release of the Surface Laptop, Microsoft has moved into the mass-market device segment. While the Surface Book and Surface Pro are the "special" devices for designers and video professionals, the Surface Laptop is the true "mainstream" laptop. For those looking for a powerful, cutting edge portable laptop in an attractive design, but preferring Windows devices, the Surface Laptop looks like a great option, an ideal alternative to Apple laptops, according to ReaderONE.