20 Best Laptop With Microsoft Office Installed (2023 Updated)

I think the Microsoft Surface series has gotten a lot of criticism over the years. Microsoft didn’t know how to launch this series. But now, they’re getting close to cornering both the Windows tablet and laptop markets.

Below are a few things you need to know before buying this. It should be obvious but consumer electronics, especially laptops, are going fast. If you’re considering buying this (I hate to say this) but I’d suggest buying it now rather than saving up your money.

It’s your money but at the same time, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is completely gone in a couple of months. I also wouldn’t suggest buying through aftermarket, scalper prices. When you buy this you’re only getting the screen with a charging brick.

That’s it. No keyboard, no pen, no SD card, nothing else. This is one of many criticisms the Surface series launched with years ago. Unfortunately, Microsoft isn’t lowering their prices and including what I would consider necessary accessories you’re forced to spend extra money on.

In saying that, buy the Surface keyboard, an SD card to expand the storage, and, if you think you need it, the surface pen. I would say, get the keyboard first and wait on the other items. SD Card Storage thankfully is inexpensive these days so that shouldn’t be an issue.

I’d also get an adapter of some kind to expand the I/O. You can find third-party I/O expansion adapters, specifically for this device, that will give you wired ethernet, HDMI out, extra SD card slots, and extra USB-C and USB-A slots.

I haven’t stress tested the battery but a large, external battery probably wouldn’t hurt either. Overall, I wanted a laptop/tablet combo that could handle all the Microsoft-based software I’m throwing at it – below $1,000.

It has full Windows 10 and, besides high-ending gaming, basically does what all my other Windows PCs do. Sure, I’m excited for more powerful, lighter, and thinner future versions; but Microsoft should really make these cheaper and include the keyboard and pen.

I wanted to love this. I had heard awesome things about it when I was looking into tablets and things for drawing. As far as the way it ran when it was working and not heating up, it wasn’t terrible.

I purchased the Surface pen with it and the stability and smoothness of the pen was fantastic. It functioned with the drawing programs. But my largest concern was that it heated up WAY past where it should have and often.

The first time was when I was setting it up. It heated up so bad when trying to simply set it up that it froze completely and tried to auto turn off, but couldn’t seem to unfreeze itself and I had to put a fan on it for fear of it not turning back on if it got any hotter.

Despite the first bad impression, After I managed to cool it down and get it set up, I tried it out to see how it would do over the return period. It seemed like it couldn’t handle things well, especially when you get towards a lower battery.

Not only did it continue to heat up, the screen got very flickery when the battery was lower. When charging, it heats up a lot as well and you definitely can’t use it while it’s charging. Overall, had high hopes and they were dashed really quickly.

After giving it a chance, it wasn’t worth worrying constantly about overheating, so I returned it. I plan on getting an ipad pro instead because of some of my artist friend’s recommendations and good experiences.

I bought my surface after reading many rave reviews and using one in person. I switched from an iPad to this for school, wishing for a more PC like experience while maintaining pen support. And I don’t want to be a part of the Apple universe.

My initial experience was decent, though the pen is mediocre compared to Apple (but that was expected). It did what I needed it to do. However, I had trouble soon with my screen randomly shutting off, and its performance was lacking, beyond other PCs of its type (I switched from an ASUS zenbook with core i5 and similar specs, but my ASUS ran much better.

Fewer bugs, smoother, and faster). I chatted with a tech support agent at Best Buy and downloaded a firmware update, which helped a little. However, 10 months in, my Surface randomly decided not to power on.

Not a charging issue. In talking with Geek Squad, this is not uncommon on Microsoft devices. They couldn’t take it back for me though because Microsoft has tied their hands and I don’t have Geek Squad coverage.

So then I discovered Microsoft has no support line. No live chat, no phone line, nothing. My only option is to send it in under warranty, never talk to anyone about its problems, and I’ll get sent a refurbished one or my own fixed, even though I don’t want it back! My experience with Best Buy has been amazing.

My experience with microsoft has been terrible. Maybe I got a lemon, and maybe the Surface will work for you, but I will never buy another Microsoft device again until they fix their tech support process.

As such, I cannot recommend this. Go for a different laptop with tablet mode (clunkier, but they work well. my wife is happy with her HP envy), or go for Apple I guess. Thanks for reading!.

Microsoft released the 1st Gen Surface Pro X in 2019. I was intrigued by the sleek new fanless design, sharp PixelSense display, always-on connectivity, Slim Pen, and battery life so I bought one. However, I found the device to be too cumbersome based on all the software incompatibility issues at the time.

Fast forward a bit and we now have the 2021 model. I’m surprised that very little on the hardware has changed. In fact, it is the exact chip I previously had which is a bit disappointing when you consider the amazing power and efficiency Apple has accomplished with its M1 ARM processors recently.

This new version basically denotes that it comes with Windows 11, as most of everything else remains unchanged. One change I would have expected is an upgrade to 5G but instead cellular functionality was removed from the base model entirely.

Huh? With a mobile-class CPU and the LTE option, the Surface Pro X made a lot more sense for more people. Yes, they’ve knocked the price down a bit for this omission, but with so little changes the price should have come down naturally without making any concessions.

Having mobile-like always-on cellular connectivity in such a compact package was a fair compromise to the app compatibility and performance issues you might encounter. To make matters worse, since the chip has not been updated for this year you are stuck with Wifi 5 when other premium tablets have moved on to Wifi 6.

As far as the physical device itself, the Pro X is still sleek and certainly premium, but this same design has now been adopted by the Surface Pro 8 lineup which is a much more powerful tablet. The Surface Pro 8 also got a 120hz display option which is missing here.

Despite these downsides we do now have Windows 11, which greatly improves but doesn’t completely solve the app compatibility problem. The Qualcomm designed Microsoft SQ1 System on a Chip (SoC) in this tablet is basically what you would find in an Android phone – just supercharged a bit.

Applications that are built for the ARM64 architecture are going to perform at their best, while Intel-based applications (x86 or x86_64) will have to be emulated, which results in slower performance and chews more battery.

For example, if you like to use Google Chrome as your default browser, you may be disappointed to know they do not currently offer a version of it compiled for ARM. Windows 11 will emulate it and for the most part it’ll look, feel, and behave just like Chrome but the pre-installed Microsoft Edge is going to outperform it every time because it is a native ARM app.

Despite all that said, there’s still a lot that you CAN do with this machine. Apps that work great on mobile phones will work nicely here provided the developers have created a version for ARM. Minecraft works wonderfully on this device even though this isn’t a gaming machine.

On the flip side, the Epic Games Store will not run at all. This is how life is with the Surface Pro X. You are completely reliant on the developers of your favorite apps to support the Windows on Arm platform.

Microsoft has made some great advancements here such as making ARM applications and dev kits more accessible for developers, their own apps like Office and Teams compatible, and convincing heavy hitters such as Adobe to make their apps like Photoshop native.

However, there’s always the risk the app you want to run can only be emulated and you may find it to feel sluggish or slow, or not run at all. At the time of this review you need to be on a Windows Insider Preview beta build to run Android apps (from the Amazon Appstore) and there are very few available, but I can verify it does work and will likely get better over time.

Battery life will vary greatly depending on what you are doing. The Snapdragon is most efficient when running native ARM apps that are compiled for Windows. If you’re using Microsoft Edge and Office you will likely see very close to the advertised 15 hours.

However, if you are using ANY 32-bit or 64-bit Intel apps the battery life will suffer as these applications have to be emulated. It’s great that you can charge it via USB-C and in fact I haven’t even removed the Surface charger out of the box.

Pros Premium, Sleek 2-in-1 Major improvements with Windows 11 on ARM Windows Hello Completely Quiet (Fanless) USB-C and charging support 13” “PixelSense” display at 2880×1920 Resolution Upgradeable Storage (only supports M.

2 2230 PCIe) Kickstand Very good Rear and Front Cameras Cons Not a super powerful device – two year old chip Need to purchase the keyboard and pen separately LTE card slot not available in this version No headphone jack No 120hz No Wifi 6 Overall – I still really like the Surface Pro X.

It is a great tablet that works fine for anyone who wants something lightweight to use for notes, web browsing, streaming, reading, listening to music, etc. It doesn’t have a fan, it doesn’t get hot.

However, now being two years old I don’t feel it is a great value considering the quirks you may encounter with the ARM architecture and the lack of LTE/5G. It’s too close in price to the Surface Pro 8, which is more powerful and now shares the same design.

I still recommend it but can’t help but feel that next years iteration is going to be the huge 2nd gen upgrade I was hoping for.

If I were a high school or college student, if I were starting out in my career and needed a good workhorse laptop that I could trust to do my daily work, or if I was looking to replace an older, clunkier, heavier laptop, this would be my computer of choice.

The Surface Pro series has been a welcome addition to our family: my son’s first school computer was a Surface Pro 7 and it was so versatile that it’s the device we all lean on a bit in our house for different things.

The new Surface Pro 8, especially in combination with the keyboard with slim pen is almost the perfect computer/tablet combo. I say almost perfect because the kickstand is still the thing that gives me the most grief and most utility at the same time.

Don’t let that stop you. just saying that if you arrive at the Surface Pro 8 without having seen/felt/tested it at Best Buy first, and your expectations are that it’s going to sit nicely on your lap as you bingewatch your favorite show on the couch – you’re going to have a bit of a wakeup.

On a desk or lap desk, hands-down, it’s an amazing experience. You can shift it, adjust it, etc. angles less than 90-degrees are a bit trickier because there’s no hinged keyboard — this is most noticeable when your kiddos get squirmy during homeschool and the whole thing slams shut – so there’s still something to be desired there.

As an aside: this is something of a forced dichotomy in the Microsoft Surface family. The Surface Book is detachable but too heavy to be a serious tablet, and there’s nothing to do with the base/keyboard when detached, and also presents an awkward profile when closed.

The Surface Laptop doesn’t have a rear-facing camera, so despite solving the hinge issue, you still lose functionality. anyone with kids in hybrid (virtual at home/part-time homeschool) recognizes the need for a rear-facing camera for turning in assignments.

What’s really clear is that Microsoft has done a TON of work to provide very specific markets with very specific tools and very specific workflows and when your workflow and functionality needs line up with the device, it’s magical.

The Surface Pro 8 is super light, charges very quickly, and seems to have decent battery life even while video conferencing at high brightness. The thunderbolt ports are a nice addition. The screen is very bright and clear, the built-in speakers are clear and deliver good range on music and shows or even just your Zoom chat with David from HR.

The bezels are very thin for a laptop of this size, to the point where accessing the slim pen sometimes triggers the touchscreen – though this is mostly an affect of big fingers. The touchscreen is accurate and responsive (especially when in notes mode with the slim pen), and taking notes is a pure joy (yes, even compared to an iPad Pro + Apple Pen setup).

Make no mistake, though: you absolutely want the keyboard and pen. As a tablet, it’s a fine device, but it really shines with a keyboard attached. While 256GB of storage is nowhere near enough to tackle serious projects and surely requires augmentation from external drives, 16GB of memory seems to serve this particular setup well and the Intel Evo i7 delivers when it comes to games (I tested using Minecraft Dungeons).

The Windows 11 experience is zippy launching any of the big Office365 suite products. Audio editing in Reaper seemed to work really well and the Adobe suite ran as expected. My previous experience with the pen + touchscreen combo inside Illustrator on the Surface Book was matched here: it’s every bit as delightful to design/draw directly on the Surface Pro (though depending on how MUCH or how LONG you need to draw, you may want the non-slim version of the pen).

OneNote really lives up to its potential here. On the software front: Windows 11 + Office365 + OneDrive (or if you prefer, Dropbox) is just so slick. Everything about getting stuff done on the Surface Pro 8 is optimized.

Within 15 minutes of unboxing, I had my entire productivity suite ready to roll and everything I needed ready to go to do serious work. The new features for gridding out your desktop (that is: you move an app window to one edge and Windows pops up with options for how to lay out the other open apps) and even just hovering over the “Maximize” button giving you options to segment your screen.

I just love it. The redesigned Windows menu will be familiar enough to folks coming from iOS and the functionalities that Windows gives you with the Windows key combos are wonderful timesavers. Having a built-in copy/paste history is a godsend, screenshots, settings, dictation, search.

so many useful things at the press of two keys. Overall: I’ve gleefully added the Surface Pro 8 to my tech lineup. It’s a versatile, useful device that screams productivity, and thanks to the advent of the slim pen and keyboard combo, adding the creativity in is a joyful experience.

It’s rare that (outside of a maxed out, fully LED-kitted gaming machine) a computer can inspire joy, but Microsoft may have hit the winning combo here of great software, powerful hardware, great physical form, and useful accessories all in one device.

Bottom Line: The Surface Laptop Go 2 is well-suited for students and mobile professional who want a capable device in a small, thin, and light laptop design. Review: Out of the box, the laptop has a ‘premium’ look and feel with its mostly metal casing (the bottom is a plastic composite).

Although the keys are slightly smaller than full size, the keyboard offers a comfortable typing experience with good key travel. The power button also houses a fingerprint scanner, which reads quickly and accurately.

Touch input, both on the trackpad and touch screen, is smooth, fast, and fluid. Overall, it feels really well-made. Performance-wise, the machine offers capable specs (i5, 8GB RAM, 256 SSD) in an ultra-portable, sub-13” design.

Office apps and internet browsing are fast and responsive, and there’s enough processing power to do some light work in more demanding apps like Photoshop. Microsoft did make some compromises, however, to meet its target audience and price point.

The laptop has a headphone jack, USB-A, and USB-C port (the latter can be used for charging), and a proprietary charging port on the right. I do wish it had a built in HDMI port, since I often need to connect to projectors for work.

Although I find images and video look fine, Microsoft went with a non-standard, non-HD resolution for the 12. 4” screen (1536 x 1024 @ 148 PPI). Given the pixel density and screen size, small text looks blurry/fuzzy depending on the typeface.

The screen also does not get very bright even at max setting, which makes it difficult to use outdoors on a bright day. The speaker output is louder than I expected, but they very much sound like laptop speakers.

Last, the webcam is adequate but not great. Regardless of lighting, the image tends to looks grainy (or too soft with some digital correction) on Zoom calls, although Microsoft did a decent job tweaking the low light ISP so that you’re actually still visible in those instances.

Overall, the Surface Laptop Go 2 is a good choice for students and business professionals looking for an ultra-portable laptop.

We have owned much more expensive versions of the Microsoft Surface laptop line and have always been satisfied with the quality, durability and performance. This Surface Laptop Go 2 was appealing to us due to its size, weight and price point.

Our primary goal was to have something smaller than the standard 15” laptop with minimal weight for portability when we travel or do business locally. With a 12. 4” PixelSense display and a weight under 2 ½ pounds the Go 2 really meets our requirements.

The sage color is very nice and Microsoft offers additional choices in platinum, sandstone and ice blue. The Go 2 is quick and easy to set up. The fingerprint power button is a nice feature for quick access.

I find the touchscreen to be very nice and an added convenience. A Surface pen is not included, but I’d think that it would work with one nicely. The keyboard has a comfortable feel and doesn’t seem cramped by any means for this size laptop.

For our purposes the USB-A and USB-C ports, plus the headphone jack are perfectly adequate; especially since there is a dedicated charging port. We’ve not run into any issues as of yet with battery life and Microsoft states it will charge 80% within one hour.

At this price point and size for a Microsoft Surface it shouldn’t be surprising that you’re not getting FHD, but the display is crisp enough to get the job done. I like the looks of dark mode and tend to use that more often than not.

Even the differences in build material seem to be done rather well with the aluminum top and other plastic components that don’t come off as cheap or lacking. The feel and sturdiness of the laptop actually feels quite nice and expected for a Surface product.

I think this Go 2 fits a need for those looking for a light weight, smaller version of the Surface line that doesn’t impact the pocketbook to the extent of their pricier models. Having said this, I’d still defer to this particular model and not get the lower end of this Go 2 line with lower specifications and capabilities.

In summary, I think Microsoft has done a good job of offering a nice build at a good value.

I write this review as an AVID microsoft fan, and old DOS guy. I picked up this laptop for audio and video editing, amongst other routing productivity tasks. This computer has beautiful graphics, I like a lot of Windows 11’s new features.

The speakers are great, the battery life has been surprising to me. I changed the setting to battery saver after 50% depleted, I have been very pleased with its battery life. To be honest, the most important thing to me with any tech purchase is that there are no bugs, I hate bugs.

I had an old iPhone 11 that had plagued me for years with issues, and I will never look at tech the same way. Bugs that shouldn’t be there, and that you grow accustomed to, I hate those bugs. This computer has a few.

Bluetooth range sucks, I walk into my adjacent living room, it starts disconnecting (I use airpods pro). I have an hp envy work laptop that lets me go all the way out to my driveway or backyard shed before fluttering.

The aesthetics/design of the laptop is great, but when I pick the laptop up by a corner of the base/keyboard, with one hand, it eerily creeks and sounds like the joists in a 100-year-old house. I understand the lightweight, yet extremely durable casing materials are to blame, and serve their purpose respectively, but this is something I can’t quite get over.

Also video playback has at least a 5 second lag when paused for over 15-20 seconds. I think this may only be with Bluetooth, but is extremely frustrating when trying to flip between an instructional video and the application (as I am perfecting my Adobe Premiere skills).

I think I fell into the trap of a computer that had all the aesthetics going on, but really lacks functionality and testing. Also, no thunderbolt ports even with the intel CPU is disappointing. I will say, that unless Microsoft concentrate on the testing and functionality a little bit more, I will probably be turning to other manufactures for future laptops.

Don’t get any of these MIcrosoft surface devices unless you’re only intending it for light usage and you need a touch-screen device. Stay away from these if you intend to use them for processing-intensive work.

POOR BUILD. They maybe thin and look pretty, but are very poorly built and tend to overheat. I got a brand new Surface Laptop 4 that gives me mild electric shocks every time it’s plugged in, and I Googled how to fix it and it turns out it’s a known issue with most surface devices (and Microsoft Customer service itself acknowledged it), and I just have to live with it.

It also regularly emits a buzzing static sound from its body and it’s as distracting as having a wasp flying around your ear. None of the other laptops I’ve worked with have this issue. MEDIOCRE PERFORMANCE Not very fast performance either despite having i5 and 8GB RAM.

My 4-yr old HP laptop with the same specs still outperforms it, especially during multitasking. Most people at work also have brand new surface devices because it’s what our company gives us, and the complaints about device performance are endless.

NOT ENOUGH PORTS A lot of my colleagues had to buy separate docks and monitor cables to make it work with their current setup at home because come on, who has a monitor with a USB-C connecting cable? Everyone has HDMI and this device has no HDMI port! To make matters worse, it only has one USB port, and if you connect a mouse to that, you can’t connect anything else.

BATTERY SUCKS 17 hours? Maybe 17 hours of typing on notepad while not connected to the internet. I’d consider myself lucky if I get 6 hours worth of work done when I’m using this unplugged. But I can’t use it when it’s plugged because I get mild electric shocks.

The Lenovo laptop I had in my previous workplace easily gives me 10 hours of battery doing the same things I do on Surface, and my HP laptop gives me 8. Maybe because those laptops don’t have a touchscreen, but really, what can you do with a touchscreen that you can’t do with a mouse and a regular screen? CONCLUSION : Get yourselves a proper laptop and don’t waste your money on a Surface if you’re planning to use this as your main work device.

First off – I love my new Surface Pro 8 preloaded with Windows 11 which I have had for about 45 days so far. I prefer the 16×9 aspect ratio of the Surface Pro 2 for watching movies and such. However, the Surface Pro 8 extra screen height is nice for some applications – most notably TurboTax which always required me to scroll down on the Surface Pro 2.

I do not care that the power switch is located on the side and I’m forever accidentally turning it off when I’m watching a movie or reading while holding the device. It seems like power switchon the Surface Pro 2 was in a better location! I did get the keyboard with the pen although I wish I would have got the keyboard with the fingerprint scanner – which for some reason is only available in black.

I went two Best Buy to look at the Surface tablets and they were out of them and so I had them order me one to be shipped to my place. It was too late once I noticed they ordered the wrong color and since it took so long to receive I just kept it! After all, my Surface Pro 2 was on its last legs – and the battery would barely hold the charge.

I typically buy a higher-end model and use it adjust daily and keep it for several years. If you are like me and coming from a Surface Pro 2 – you will see that it is a nice upgrade. All in all I wish this was a 4K resolution screen with a 16×9 aspect ratio and the power button not located on the sides where it can be easily powered off when you are using it while laying down or on your lap! Seems like I am always turning it off when I’m trying to steady the computer on my lap.

I really love how thin the new computer is compared to my old! The i7 processor has plenty of speed, ram and storage to last me for years to come! Good luck with your purchase, I know you will enjoy it just as much as I do!.

Well, lets say that this is a perfectly designed tablet laptop hybrid if you like overpaying for branding and if you like that everything you need to be fully functional as a laptop will cost extra and is not in the box Folio covers, stylus and or mouse, proprietary power supply, too few usb ports and no HDMI so you will have to have a USB hub and an adapter for USB C to HDMI or whatever display type connection you’ll need as those are absent from this device.

I had this for about 5 days and returned it as I paid around $1900 and when I got home it was just far too much for the price when looking at all the things I would in time have to replace over its lifespan which would not be cheap.

This is Microsofts response at trying to compete with high end Apple devices which I feel they have only done in price point and propriety. Huge Fail for MS. High End specs a larger screen more inputs and allowing for 3rd party accessories would appeal to a much larger customer base.

I mean lets face it there are few devices they we continue to use beyond two years because tech moves too fast and you don’t want to be left in the dirt or simply they get broken. The company that one day creates products to benefit people instead of themselves by trickling out slightly upgraded devices every 6 months to a year will surpass the earnings of both companies combined.

A company that releases products with every advanced technology known to man versus trying to wow us with an extra camera lens and pretending the iteration of whatever brand or device can now see through walls or make you an onlyfans star, lol.

I hope these tech giants fall soon and also that someone else picks up where Fry’s Electronics left off. *cries a little*.

I was so excited when the Surface pro 8 came out, I ordered it within a couple of weeks of it’s release. My God was that a dumb idea. TLDR, great produce but, occasional audio cracking and rare screen blacking out for a few seconds but audio still plays.

First I want to say I absolutely love the device, I love the surface pen and the type cover. I am one where most of my issues with past computers have been keyboards, so I am in love with the whole idea of instead of sending it off to God knows where I can just run and get a new type cover.

The pen really makes not taking and writing a breeze. I’m in education so it really helps demonstrate problems to students. The screen is bright, battery lasts, it doesn’t get too hot, you really have to intentionally try to overwork the processor.

The surface pro 8 itself is a fantastic machine. Let’s address the issues that my guess is because I bought this too early. Granted these issues are rare, not overly detremental to using said device, but are not something you’d expect from a 2k device.

There’s a rare and occasional audio crackle or pop, use to be a lot more but I’ve switched browers for videos and it seemed to cut it down, but it still happens. Occasionally now too the screen will go black for like 10 seconds, but audio will still play.

Bottom line I love my surface pro 8. I just think that there are two problems that shouldn’t be happening on a $2,000 device. I regret not returing for a new model, but frankly at the time it seemed like too much effort when the problems weren’t continious.

Plus didn’t know if the new one would have the same issue. Still annoying though.

Wow. I had to say this because tablets these days are a dime a dozen and the Surface Pro X demonstrates why a number of tablets have found their way into a junk drawer never to be seen again. It really is a myriad of products in one that fits a flexible style of use.

If you are like me, I have a laptop, a smartphone, a tablet, a different tablet, and other various products that only do only one thing well but promise to be so much more. Since I don’t game on a PC, professionally edit photos or videos, or need a computer to manage multimedia devices, the Surface Pro does everything I need quickly, efficiently, and looks good doing it.

This definitely bridges the gap between a smartphone and a PC so well, that I don’t feel the need to even have a laptop anymore. When needed, it handles the office duties in an ergonomic package then quickly transitions into a binge or browse tablet that goes anywhere, sets up comfortably in a bed, couch, or chair, and looks very classy doing it all.

The built in stand has the perfect amount of resistance for multiple setup options and disappears seamlessly when not needed. I love that with other smart products, I can start something on the surface, transition to doing it on the PC or TV, then have it back on the Surface if desired.

The compatibility was an awesome surprise that makes me feel like I finally purchased a product that will last more than a couple years and still be useable for many more. The touch screen, smart pen option, and the keyboard make it adaptable and a joy to use when sometimes you want to zoom quickly, but not have to type on a screen keyboard.

It is built well, doesn’t have any area that looks or feels like sacrifices were made to cut costs, and is extremely user friendly. We have spent the past 15 years getting devices for this or that while the clutter and inconvenience piles up.

I can’t wait to find more uses in my life to consolidate to this device and start feeling like technology doesn’t need to be a mix/match of devices all with different charging cables and cords. While I will say, the power cord has a new connection I’ve never seen, I don’t mind because I will be getting rid of so many others it will be well worth it.

Do yourself a favor and pick up a Surface Pro, try out a friend or relatives, or go online and take some time to really explore everything this product has to offer because I don’t think you will be disappointed anytime soon!!.

While there has been a lot of iteration in the Surface Pro line, there haven’t been any substantial changes since the Surface Pro 3. With the Surface Pro 8 and the release of Windows 11 – Microsoft has made some long-awaited hardware improvements and software refinements that make it a formidable productivity and creativity package.

PROS: – Thunderbolt 4 (Finally!) – Refined hardware – 120 Hz screen CONS: – No MicroSDXC card reader – Speakers are decent Design + Screen The biggest changes you’ll notice are the design changes. We’ll talk more about the ports later, for now focusing on aesthetics.

If you’ve owned a Surface product previously than you will be familiar with the fit and finish that these products have. The chassis is a single piece of machined anodized aluminum save for the kickstand which is its own solid piece.

Taking a design cue from the Surface Pro X, the Pro 8 now has substantially more rounded edges which makes it much more comfortable to hold in your hands. In terms of looks the next notable change will be when you turn it on.

The smaller bezels on the left and the right make the experience that much more immersive, though they’ve left the bezels thicker on the top for the front facing camera and Windows Hello system – more on this later.

The new 13” screen fits in the same profile thanks to the smaller bezels and it’s now 120 Hz, so animations are buttery smooth touch inputs feel that much more responsive. They maintain the same 3:2 aspect ratio which is a crowd favorite in terms of maximizing the screen area for productivity.

Hardware + Performance From a port perspective, the Surface line has followed a theme of just enough. Though there are some major additions here and some slight drawbacks from the 7 here. First, the bad news – there is no longer a MicroSDXC card reader on the Pro line.

I loved having this flexibility because it meant I could pack light when shooting GoPro or Drone footage on the go. The good news is if you were previously using the SD to expand your storage, Microsoft has done themselves (and you) one better.

Under the kickstand on the back of the Surface Pro 8 is a small door which hides the replaceable SSD, so if you found that you were needing more space you could easily upgrade. The major news here is the introduction of Thunderbolt 4 to the Surface Pro line.

This has been a long-requested feature from the community, and it brings a host of new capabilities to the tablet PC. It’s now feasible to utilize external GPUs and a host of other thunderbolt 4 docks and monitors which makes the Surface Pro 8 that much more attractive to ‘pro’sumers.

The Surface Pro 8 retains the headphone jack, which still a nice to have. For power and docking Microsoft continues to utilize their proprietary Surface Connect port, so if you have a Surface Dock 2 you’ll be able to still utilize it here.

The connector attached magnetically, so if you every trip over your charging cable, you’ll be reassured that your Surface doesn’t go flying with it. The Surface Pro 8 isn’t a hardcore gaming machine, but it could be passible with an external GPU.

What it excels at is productivity and creativity. It’s a capable machine for all you favorite Adobe apps and casual video editing. While my model only had 16 GB of RAM, you can get up 32 GB putting it in line with other high-end machines.

The processor is a quad-core i7-1185G7 with active cooling putting on the high end as far as mobile processors for this formfactor go. The fan means that you won’t experience any thermal throttling as you work through your tasks.

At the end of the day, the Surface Pro 8 will exceed your expectations, especially for those that want the thin and light design. Cameras + Microphones + Speakers Microsoft’s intention to make the Surface Pro 8 a well-rounded device, which includes productivity and meetings as much as it does being an outlet and canvas for creativity.

The front facing camera provides an above average video conferencing experience that is clear and well balanced, and the microphones do a good job capturing your voice and isolating it from distant background noise, however you will notice people talking or music if it’s playing in the same room.

The rear facing camera is likewise also productivity focused – it’s great for capturing and digitizing documents, but you’re better off pulling out your phone if you need more serious photos. The speakers feature Dolby Atmos certification and while they won’t win any awards for quality, they did provide an immersive single viewer experience for my latest Netflix binge.

Like you would expect for the formfactor, highs and mids were present and clear, but the low end is practically non-existent. Keyboard + Pen In terms of essential Surface Pro accessories, you’ll want to look at the Signature Keyboard and Surface Slim Pen 2.

The keyboard sets the standard in the detachable category with its clicky backlit keys and good key travel. The new keyboard is sturdier ensuring that you can type fast and in any environment. Like previous models it magnetically attaches to the edge and then again to the front of the device for an extra rigid typing surface (pun not intended).

This practically eliminates the bottom bezel making for a very sleek computer when you’re typing away. The trackpad is a good size and realistically is probably as big as it can be without compromising the size and spacing of the keys.

The Surface pen has long been a staple of the device, and it been further integrated in the Pro 8. For starters, it tucks away nicely (and charges!) in the keyboard cover which magnetically tucks towards the chin of the display.

This makes it much harder to lose or get knocked off. It also means that when the keyboard is flipped to the back, the pen is revealed right below the screen making it very accessible in a mode where you might be using the pen more.

The pen is an iterative improvement on the previous slim design. The new unit is more tapered making it more comfortable to hold and features a subtle vibration when you’re drawing. This paired with the higher screen refresh rate makes writing and drawing feel more natural than ever.

The tip features 4096 levels of pressure, flipping it around the pen functions as an eraser so you don’t loose your flow by having to manually select different tools. Windows 11 What’s good hardware without good software? Windows 11 is Microsoft’s successor to Windows 10 and continues to improve on a lot of the changes that 10 started.

From a UI design language perspective Windows 11 feels even more cohesive. Applications now have slightly rounded corners and an updated appearance with modern animations and sounds. The change that I immediately recognized is the center aligned taskbar and Start menu.

The new taskbar and Start menu are a radical departure from even Windows 10. Apps you use the most can live on the taskbar while secondary apps and recently opened files live in the start menu. Additionally, when you snap windows side-by-side Windows 11 keeps track of this and Groups them so that you can hop between groups of Windows, helpful for switching tasks.

You can also do the same with multiple desktops, which you can name to keep track of. Windows 11 brings out the best of the Surface devices. Removing the keyboard or folding it back enlarges icons and makes everything more touch friendly, and applications like the whiteboard app take advantage of the vibration feature in the pen as well as the 120 Hz refresh rate.

One of the biggest and most used applications finally got the makeover it deserved. File Explorer in Windows 11 has a refreshed interface and new icons and functions that streamline certain tasks though the icons and lack of text does take some getting used to.

Overall, I found it to be very functional and clean, but that clean design does come with some temporary drawbacks as people relearn the interface. Search also plays a more prominent role in Windows 11.

Cortana has been almost entirely removed, so the voice assistant aspect is gone. But search does a great job of helping you search apps, documents, and the web from one central place. Back from Windows 7 is a new widgets pane which I always found very useful.

This new desktop addition provides a central place for common information like weather, news, sports, photos, and stocks that you are watching. It’s relatively limited to Microsoft only widgets now, but I’m hoping in the future to see it opened to third parties.

Overall Windows 11 in my opinion is a welcomed update as it pairs nicely with the Surface Pro 8 hardware. The modernized graphics and refreshed application UIs help streamline typical tasks and should ultimately benefit most users.

I got this for my programming job to be able to work remotely and at the office. I also got it’s keyboard. I had the slim pen 1 and it is magnetically held and charged by the keyboard. The surface pro is of highest quality.

The chasis is solid metal. The screen is extremely bright with near perfect viewing angles. The battery life will last about 8-10 hours with light web use or watching YouTube at 50% brightness or lower.

The hard drive is removable. The face ID works well and along with the encryption built into windows I feel that my data is safe even if device is lost or stolen. It weighs almost nothing and I barely notice the fan turn on.

With heavy usage the battery does drain. The processor is extremely fast. The solid state drive is fast with almost no loading times. I bought this for software development and visual studio runs perfectly with no lag.

I like how I have the keyboard tucks way the slim pen at all times. I bought a 13″ sleeve and the entire package is extremely light. Best buy had $300 off so it convinced me to purchase it. A week later they further reduced the price for me as their website had another $30 off, so I brought in my receipt and had them price match it.

The speakers are the best speakers on a laptop I have ever heard. They are 2 watt speakers and have some oomph and are super clear. I only wish that there were more ports, especially USB A, as I still need those, so purchased adapters for now.

What I don’t like is windows 11. I did not realize it is not a finished OS compared to windows 10 and forces MS One Drive for the desktop.

Do not buy this laptop for Engineering school. I bought this laptop when I started college and have gone through 3 of them. (My first would randomly die during exams. I was told the hard drive was faulty.

The next had a small crack and had to be completely replaced. ) I am in my senior fall now and the battery has become bloated and is expanding out the bottom. I tried calling customer service and was hung up on twice.

Geek Squad refuses to work on these laptops because they are too hard to get into. I chatted with Microsoft just to be offered a replacement for $600. It has been a really disheartening and frustrating experience.

I am a broke college kid now forced to buy a new laptop, which will be the 4th in my college career. I highly recommend getting a gaming laptop. All my friends who bought cheaper more powerful gaming laptops have had no problems running heavy software.

My dad got this computer for me when my last one crashed right before the pandemic threw us into online school and this incredibly expensive piece of junk has made an incredibly hard last few years of screens so much harder.

I have already had multiple replacements through the warranty yet the problems have not changed. I cannot use Photoshop or premiere without it crashing, it frequently rejects my hard drive in the middle of my work for no reason, half of the time I turn it on it crashes and gives me a blue screen reset before it even gets on, and it frequently thinks the screen is detached when it isn’t, all when the computer is sitting still on my desk.

Trying to get my work done on this over priced piece of junk while my dad is still paying it off has brought so many tears of frustration. Please do yourself a favor and avoid Microsoft and their useless customer service at all costs.

I chose a Surface book because of the strong graphics performance. I am an Interior Design student that uses softwares like Revit, SketchUp, and Enscape, heavy on graphics. I LOVED the Surface book 2 and never had problems but I accidentally ruined mine with water damage.

I needed a replacement fast because of finals week and the only available was the surface book 3. Same performance except for confusion on the system Intel driver and the NVIDIA driver. I have had at least 10 occasions in the 4 months that I have had it that my computer does not recognize the NVIDIA.

Both standard and high performance default to the Intel driver and my programs won’t run with it. SO FRUSTRATING. Still haven’t been able to solve the issue. If you are using this computer for graphics display, get the Book 2, NOT 3!!!.

The Surface Book (1) with Performance Base has been an absolutely excellent purchase so far. With the the Surface Book 2 already out and Surface Book 3 rumors circling, the price of the original Surface Book is much more reasonable.

Despite being a couple years old, it still runs excellently. I’ve thrown a couple of “older” games at it, like Fallout New Vegas, and it handles them well enough for my liking. You’re not going to get Ultra graphics out of the Surface Book, but it’s satisfactory.

The screen resolution is absolutely gorgeous though; the text looks ultra sharp. I’m a big fan. For other work tasks like programming, statistical software (e. g. SPSS), etc. , the Surface Book really shines for me.

I highly recommend getting highest RAM and SDD you can find. It’s extremely convenient to not worry about storage space and RAM usage as you install and run a lot of bulky Windows programs on the thing.

I’ve got a couple versions of Visual Studio installed, and it’s almost like it’s not putting a dent in the storage. I don’t use the “gimmicky” features too much. The Surface Pen works nicely, when I need it, which is very, very rare.

The pen is sleek and convenient in its own right though. I also don’t convert it to a tablet often because I rely on the Performance Base’s GPU quite a lot, but the touch screen definitely has its perks.

I’m still surprised that Apple doesn’t even seem inclined to add a touch screen. It’s not *essential*, but it really is a nice feature. Speaking of Apple, one of the big pros for having been a big Apple fan for a long time was being able to use hardware specifically designed for the software, but with the Surface Book, I’d say that MS has finally got me convinced to stay with them for a while.

Windows is still not my favorite OS, but given the affordability and power of this device, I can imagine myself sticking with the Surface Book lineup for quite a while.

I recently changed jobs and had to give my last surfacebook back; within a week Id ordered a replacement – this is a pretty solid laptop, good spec and the keyboard/dock adds an extra battery – even as a non-new machine this is running unplugged up to 12 hours.

My only gripes: – doesnt have the kickstand that the surface pro has, so the tablet on its own doesnt stand up. – no USB port or other ports on the tablet itself, so anything thats wired is tied to the dock.

Bonus points for: – Wireless screen sharing to my surface pro, allowing both with touchscreen input. Makes for good presentation/ magic demos.

I bought my surface pro 7 about 15 months ago and am mostly very pleased with it. I also bought the pen and keyboard to go with it, glad I did and am pleased with them as well. I use mine in both tablet and laptop configurations and am not disappointed with either.

The reason it is only 4 stars is because of a couple of caveats. the battery doesn’t last a long as I would like and sometimes the system temporarily locks up. as far as the battery goes, I only get about 8 hours out of it, which isn’t bad but I would like to see it hit the 12 hour mark, although to be fair I usually don’t let it go bellow 20 percent.

That said, it does charge fast, 20 percent to full less than 2 hours. Then there is the lockup problem, and it is common with these. The system will freeze up periodically, usually it is only temporary and will last for up to 15 seconds before resuming normal operations.

Occasionally it will stay frozen and you have to hold the start button until it restarts. there are plenty of articles online dealing with how to remedy this problem, although it seems to have gotten better after upgrading to Windows 11.

Other than that I absolutely love my Surface pro 7, it has a beautiful screen that is vivid, clear, and bright. It is quick and responsive, and the pen, sold separately, is accurate and responsive as well.

Even with these two drawbacks I would still recommend this to my friends or family.

This is the second Surface pro that I’ve owned. The first was a Surface pro X. I love these units for multiple reasons, one of them being that they are a real full on computer not just a tablet. As far as functionality, the pro 7 works the same as the X model, with just a few subtle differences… the 7 has an intel processor vs the X uses a Qualcomm cellular processor.

In rare occasions the Qualcomm will not support certain apps, I ran into this problem when trying to use it for a Cad program. I have noticed that the 7 seems to have less battery life than the X, likely due to the larger processor.

I love having the pen/pencil to go with it! Makes it soooo nice for many activities! The screen is excellent quality, very crisp and clear. The touchscreen is extremely responsive and accurate. The only inconveniences worth mentioning is that you only have a USB and USB-C ports built in.

So if you need to expand memory, it will be rather clunky to use a thumb drive or other external memory device. I do wish it had a built in SD port. But, if you buy it with more on board memory, you can eliminate that potential inconvenience.

Over all I love this unit! And I would definitely recommend it to everyone!.