Microsoft - Surface Laptop - 13" 2K Touchscreen - Snapdragon X Plus (8 core) 2026 - 8GB - 256GB Storage - Platinum

The hardware is really nice, and feels really premium to the touch. It has all the right ports for the basics, and it's more than enough for the average users. 2 type C USB 1 fill size USB 1 headphone jack (I'm surprised to see) The screen is amazing, and it really stands out. It's bright, vivid, had strong colors, looks great at pretty much any angle. The speaker volume is decent, nothing to write home about but they will do. They are loud enough for a quiet room, but beyond that you will need some headphones. The keyboard is where I see the most improvements over my last surface laptop, this one is much better. Travel and feedback is so smooth, it's incredibly how much better this feels. The space bar got a nice upgrade a well, and it had a nice response when using it. The click is nice. Windows software is always pretty solid, and very easy to understand if you're new to it. Stable and runs smoothly when navigating your apps or the web. All in all, I like it. Price might be the only thing that might stop some, but it's priced as most surface laptops have been lately.

Very nice, love the touch screen, great storage, fast, good for school

I have been looking at dipping my toe back into the Windows world for a bit now, as I have been a loyal Mac user for the past decade. I really didn’t know what to expect when giving Windows a try after ten years - but the Microsoft Surface delivers a pleasantly refreshing experience. There are two big things to me that make the Microsoft Surface 13 stand out from a seemingly endless crowd of Windows laptops - and that’s the premium build quality and the fact that Windows on ARM is going more mainstream. From a first impression, this laptop oozes quality. It’s got an anodized aluminum metal construction, a beautiful high gloss touch screen, a fantastic keyboard with great tactile feedback and a fingerprint sensor to streamline logging in and weighs in at around 2.5 pounds. It’s a pleasure to use for any length of time. The ARM processor is probably the most invisible yet valuable feature of this device. For decades, Windows PCs have been nearly synonymous with Intel and AMD x86 processors. There’s nothing wrong with x86 machines - and if you want to game or other intense processing tasks, go with a machine that has an Intel/AMD CPU. However, for most mainstream tasks that consume most of my computer usage, the ARM CPU shines - it’s quick, and most importantly it barely sips on the battery. Seriously, this laptop advertises all day battery life, and it delivers in that department. In the past with my Windows laptops, I was always tethered to a charger. I find myself leaving home with just the Surface, without even thinking about bringing a charger. With reduced power usage, it enables the laptop to be thinner, not run hot, and not endure the fan running when running multiple apps. As for app compatibility, all of my mainstream apps run just fine - web browsers of all sorts, Office applications, enterprise endpoint protection suites as well as VPN clients for when I have to do a little bit of work. You don't need to know the nuts and bolts; the important part is that Prism allows many traditional Windows applications to run transparently, even when they weren't written specifically for ARM. The display on this laptop is bright and does have a highly reflective surface - so using it in certain lighting conditions can cause some annoying reflections, but most of the time a slight adjustment to the angle of the display will resolve any major glare issues. The touch response on the display is fantastic - it’s accurate and fast, and whatever they coat the screen with minimizes the amount of fingerprints that remain on the display which is a major plus, as touch screens seem to always be fingerprint magnets. Connectivity is good, with two USB-C, one USB-A, and one 3.5mm headphone jack. I love that it charges with USB-C, as I just plug it in to the charging hub that the family uses for all of our devices and this thing charges right up. AI is everywhere these days, and of course this laptop is no exception. The indexing and search this has is fantastic. Logging into my Microsoft account syncs all of my data from Onedrive and I can search for passages in a document, keywords, describe a picture, really just about anything I can think of to describe what I’m thinking of and the integrated AI will far more often than not find it. I could go on and on about what I like about this device, but I will say that it’s the first Windows device in over a decade that I’ve used that has given me serious thought about making Windows my main operating system. If you’re looking for a lightweight computer to accomplish all of your daily tasks and provide a fun, fast, and long lasting computing experience, the new line of Surface laptops should be at the top of your list.

On first impressions this little 13” laptop is sleek and professional-looking. The aluminum finish laptop feels light and premium. The rubber feet are enough to keep in place and do not protrude that much out. The lid can be lifted with one hand for those who find that important. There is a decent port selection of USB-A, USB-C, and even a 3.5mm audio jack. It’s a bit annoying that the USB-C ports are all on one side. Also, keep in mind that these ports are not Thunderbolt 4, but are fast enough. I can connect a 4K monitor but an adapter or hub is needed. The track pad has good real state, and it is very responsive and clicks nicely. Microsoft has keyboards down to a science and they make you feel like you want to type. The screen is beautiful and while it is not super bright, the colors pop quite vibrantly. I prefer the 19:10 aspect ratio for surfing and documents viewing. Also, it is a touchscreen, and I find myself using it often. One thing to note, is that the screen is quite reflective and can be difficult to see in very light or sunny conditions. This is an entry level Surface Laptop that is meant to cover the bare minimums. Having said that, the Snapdragon X Plus chip is more powerful than expected. It is still smooth for more than just basic uses. Although it only has 8gb of RAM, I can tackle spreadsheets, presentations, documents, etc. -all while keeping several websites open (within reason), listening to music or watching videos. Since most of my workflow is saved in the cloud, the rather limited 256GB space does not bother me too much. Now, this is not a gaming laptop, nor does it pretend to be. However, I can still play some low-to-medium tier games such as retro and some online options. Having such a small SSD, I am glad that I can stream games with a good Wi-Fi connection and the Surface’s Wi-Fi 7. The speakers are just OK, as expected for a laptop of this size. Still, they are good enough if the need arises. That’s what headsets are for. The battery can last way more than a typical workday and features the very convenient fast-charging capability. This adds to its portability. Since MS is focusing on AI (as everyone in the industry), this laptop has a very capable NPU that handles AI locally, with little to no need to go to the cloud or web. Also, it is said that this is more secure. I mostly do basic stuff such as refining emails, asking mundane questions, and conduct searches. AI also helps in getting the best picture out of the 1080p camera, which is already very good to begin with. One nifty and entertaining thing I have been doing is creating images or messing with my pictures. As far as biometrics and security, the laptop offers a fingerprint reader with Windows Hello. It is very responsive and quick. Considering today’s prices for this type of tech, I believe this is a decent value overall. I would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for maximum portability and versatility, especially students and on-the-go productivity warriors.

The first thing you may notice about this laptop are the smooth lines. There are no visible seams or vents, and the entire thing is smooth milled aluminum. This represents a quality build ethos that is echoed throughout the device. Opening the lid continues this experience, as you’ll see the smooth, rounded edges and slim screen bezel. The system is light and thin, making it an easy travel companion. I’m running the “budget” version of the Surface Laptop, the 13.8”, 8 core, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB storage model. Yet, it is fast enough to keep up with my daily activities. Now, I’m not a gamer, and if you’re considering this system, neither are you. But, for browsing, watching movies, editing spreadsheets, and all the other things most of us do on our computers in a day, this is more than enough power. This version of the laptop does not have the infrared camera required for Windows Hello feature, instead relying on fingerprint, PIN, or password-based login. The display is clear with vivid colors, smooth transitions, and a fast refresh rate, but it could be a bit brighter. Sound quality is reasonable, although not exceptional, for a small laptop. Ports are two USB-C and one USD-A for legacy plug-ins. You will need an adaptor for HDMI or MicroSD card access. The full-sized, backlit keyboard is easy to type on and responsive to the touch. The trackpad operates smoothly and, like the rest of the system, feels well-crafted. The Snapdragon chipset does work as advertised with speed and long battery life. I can use it all day without worrying about having a charger, and Microsoft claims up to 20 hours of battery life (plus one-hour charging to extend this, or if you forget to plug it in overnight). Based on my experience with this system so far and my previous Snapdragon laptop, these estimates seem quite reasonable. A laptop that you can actually use all day without worrying about power is remarkable. Overall, this is an excellent mid-range laptop with excellent build quality, thoughtful design touches, enough power for most users’ daily tasks, long battery life, and easy usability.