Unveiled at an event back in May, the Surface Laptop is the flagship device for Microsoft's Windows 10 S operating system, which is aimed at the educational market and more recently, firstline workers. With the new SKU, users can only install apps that come from the Store, so things like Chrome and Photoshop are out of the picture. Customers do have the option of a free upgrade to Windows 10 Pro until March.
It's also Microsoft's first standard clamshell laptop, with the Surface Book having a detachable display. The keyboard is covered in Alcantara fabric, and it comes in Burgundy, Cobalt Blue, Graphite Gold, and Platinum. I was sent the Platinum model, which is the standard Surface color that we're used to seeing (fun fact: the reason that Microsoft didn't do different colors on the Surface Pro is that it would have required a change in materials from magnesium to aluminum, adding 60g to the weight).
The model I received has a Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM, and 256GB SSD. That processor comes with Intel HD Graphics 620, whereas the Core i7 would have come with Iris Plus 640 graphics.
Ultimately, what I'm excited to find out about the Laptop is how well I'll do with Windows 10 S as a daily driver. How well will I handle being without Chrome and Photoshop? We'll find out over the next few weeks.
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