SURFACE LAPTOP IS A WINNER,
It’s not perfect, but students (and others) surely will find it makes the grade
Microsoft will be awfully pleased to learn that the burgundy Surface Laptop sitting on a table in my house tickled the fancy of just the type of consumer the company would like to attract: my 13-year-old daughter Sydney, a middle-schooler.
“Can I have it?” she asked upon noticing the $999 (on up) notebook for the first time, excellent news for Microsoft since it trotted out Surface Laptop last month at a press event squarely focused on educational markets.
Indeed, I expect the computer to pose a strong challenge to Google’s Chromebook and Apple’s various MacBooks in the classroom, especially if teachers and students embrace the new streamlined version of Windows 10 called Windows 10 S. More on that in a moment.
For now, some observations on the laptop:
HANDSOME HARDWARE When it comes to the hardware, Microsoft aced the test, though I’m grading on a bit of a curve if only because I’d have preferred the emerging USB-C connector rather than the proprietary connector Microsoft uses for its power adapter. (To be fair, most Apple notebooks use a proprietary adapter as well.) It also lacks an SD card slot.
You might consider spending $1,299 for a system with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, double the capacities of the base unit and the configuration I tested. You can configure even higherpriced systems. So this is not an inexpensive computer, a possible drawback.
Still, Surface Laptop ranks among the best-looking laptops I’ve seen and of equal importance is a pleasure to use. The trackpad is smooth, and the keyboard I typed on to write this column had the right touch-feely key “travel.” Trackpad and keyboard are surrounded by a suede-like, Italian Alcantara fabric found in luxury sports cars. I felt comfortable resting my palm and wrists on it while I typed. An intern in my office wondered if it would stain or scratch. I couldn’t seem to scratch it, and Microsoft says you can wipe it clean.
The computer runs seventhgeneration Intel Core processors, has speakers that sound loud and crisp and boasts an inviting 13.5inch touch-display, framed by narrow bezels. Though constructed of solid aluminum, Surface Laptop is MacBook Air-thin and weighs only 2.75 pounds.
I didn’t run a formal battery test so I can’t vouch for Microsoft’s claim of 14.5 hours of battery life. I never fretted much about battery life during my onand-off usage over several days.
WINDOWS 10 S, SECURE, STREAMLINED, RESTRICTIVE The hardware represents only half the story. As the first computer to run Windows 10 S, there are important considerations to keep in mind. As with the browser-based Chrome OS, Windows 10 S is a security-focused version of Microsoft’s venerable operating system. It bears a striking resemblance to Windows 10 Professional and Windows 10 Home, with a Start button and familiar colorful square and rectangular tiles. The voice- or text-driven Cortana will engage you in conversation, including when you first turn on the computer to set it up. Example: “Your keyboard is set to the United States. Want to stick with that?”
As with Chromebooks, Windows 10 S almost instantly wakes from sleep mode. And I was even able to log into Windows from a cold boot (meaning the machine was turned completely off ) by having it recognize my face using the Windows Hello feature in just 15 seconds. This Hello feature, available on certain other Windows 10 computers, worked reliably during my tests.
But there are key differences between Windows 10 S and the Pro or Home version, the biggest of which is that the only apps you can run (aside from what’s preinstalled) are those made available inside the Windows Store. It boils down to security. According to Microsoft, each available app runs in a “container” to prevent it from messing with other apps or the computer. Windows Defender software runs by default to protect the system from malware; you can find other anti-virus software in the Windows Store.
You get Microsoft’s own Office apps (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, OneNote), and between now and Oct. 15 Microsoft is throwing in a free one-year subscription to Office 365. You get 1 TB of cloud storage for a year.
Other available apps include Autodesk Sketchbook, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Hulu, Instagram, Netflix, Pandora, Slack, Twitter and Photoshop Elements (though not the more professional grade Photoshop). iTunes and Spotify are said to be coming but not available yet.
Among others missing, with no such promise of any imminent arrival: the Chrome, Firefox and Safari Web browsers. Microsoft directs you to its own Edge browser and the default Bing search engine. If like most of us you prefer Google search, you can still get there via Google.com.
Fortunately all is not lost for people who want Quicken or other apps they need or want that won’t or haven’t yet made it to the Windows Store. It involves switching to Windows 10 Pro, but only take this step if you’re certain you don’t want to revert to Windows 10 S. This bit of surgery cannot be reversed. The normal cost to switch to Windows 10 Professional is $49, but the fee is waived for education customers, accessibility customers or those who purchased a device greater than $799. In other words, Surface Laptop buyers qualify.