Today’s Microsoft big event launched “Windows 10 S” (Windows RT reborn in the shadow of ChromeOS), and a brand new Surface Laptop that comes with Windows 10 S out of the box (but upgreable to Windows 10 PRO for $$$). The Surface Laptop is going after the MacBooks, with prices starting at $999 and pre-orders and custom configurations available at the official Microsoft Store. It is expected to begin shipping mid-June 2017.
Customization is in the processor (i5 or i7), RAM (4GB to 16GB), on-board storage (128GB to 512GB SSD), graphics card (Intel HD 620 or Iris Plus 640) and color (four options). Some of the options are interlinked, so you can’t get every combination. It is also compatible with some of the Surface accessories, making it more of a system play if you are already part of the Surface ecosystem (Surface Dial, Surface Dock, etc).
The screen is a 13.5-inch with 2256 x 1504 (201 PPI) resolution, a 3:2, with Gorilla Glass. It is compatible with the Surface Pen, however a Surface Pen is NOT included, despite the $1000 starting price 🙁 It has a full size USB 3.0 port, but not SD card reader built-in. With a renewed focus on education, it will be interesting to see whether Adobe and other photo/imaging software companies will be more motivated to put more of their software in the Windows store. Battery life promises up to 14.5 hours of video playback. It can connect to a 4K monitor using the built-in Mini Display Port.
So there are some things going for it in terms of photography-related use. It’s obviously not a mobile workstation, but for people who need a sleek and modern-looking laptop with a long battery life and access to the Surface ecosystem, this might be of interest (as long as the software options work out for your needs).
If you need some semi-funny (maybe) entertainment, I was live-tweeting / live-trolling the announcement on Twitter 🙂
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