Customer Ratings & Reviews

Unpacking: What's in the box: Laptop, power cord, quick start guide. Well packaged, safe from bumps. First impression: On first impression, the laptop is very sleek and light-weight at 2.8 pounds and measuring just 12.1 x 8.8 x 0.6 inches. I got the Sandstone color and it looks great. The touch-pad is a big 4.5 x 3 inches. The keyboard is regular-sized and easy to type on. It doesn’t have the compressed keyboard that you sometimes find on smaller laptops. That’s a big plus for me. The feel of the computer on the wrist while typing is comfortable. My only complaint upon first impression is that there are not enough ports. Only a USB-A, USB-C, and a headphone jack are available. At least one more USB-A port would be a big improvement. Also, there is no SD card reader port, which can be easily remedied by using a card reader. Both are minor complaints because work-around remedies are cheap and easy by using either adapters or a USB hub/splitter. Testing the advertised standouts: • Dolby Atmos® Audio: The theater-like Dolby Atmos audio performed well as long as I didn’t use Firefox. While streaming a movie, the sound would stop after just a few seconds in Firefox. I was using Sling to stream a movie so I got out of the movie and then resumed it and the sound came back on for just a few seconds, then went mute again. After trying this several times, I switched to another browser: MS Edge and it worked fine. Since I prefer Firefox, I wasn’t happy about this issue. However, after doing some research, it appears that this is a known Firefox issue and not a MS Surface issue. There are some patches available that are supposed to fix this, but I didn’t try them yet. Using MS Edge, I watched movies and listened to music on the laptop and thought the sound quality was excellent. When listening to quality music, I noticed the balance of the bass tones and was pleased with the sound. Later, I tested with Internet Explorer and Chrome and the audio was fine. • Sleek, ultra-thin design: I loved the weight and sleek design. I have to agree with this stand out! This is a huge deal for me. I love to travel and this will be a wonderful change for my carry-on bag! • More speed, 70% faster: The speed seemed fine to me, but I don’t really have the ability to test this because I don’t have the other devices with which to compare the speed. • Significantly longer battery life: Although advertised at 19 hours, the battery life lasted 13 hours the first day and 15 hours the next day. It all depends on what you are doing on it. The 15 hr day included watching 2 movies, listening to music, working on documents and spreadsheets, browsing the Internet, and getting on social media. The 13 hour day was about the same (including streaming two movies) except I spent more time during the evening on the laptop. Both days, I started with a fully charged battery and kept the laptop on constantly and didn’t let it go into sleep mode or hibernation. I kept the screen bright. I would say that this laptop would definitely stay charged during a full 9 hour office day with constant use. Still an impressive amount of time! Other features: • The 3:2 display aspect ratio is excellent for office work, making more of my spreadsheets and documents visible. The size of the display was still large enough to also enjoy the movies and videos I watched. • Magnetic Surface Connector for charging: I love this connector. First of all, because it is magnetic, it is so easy to connect. Secondly, the 90 degree angle of the cord makes me feel that the cord will last for a very long time because it won’t be getting bent constantly. Although, I will probably just charge the laptop at night and use the battery during the day, I did keep it plugged in the first day. The cord came unattached once when I was moving the laptop from my lap to a table and not noticing that the cord was getting caught on something, so you’ll need to watch that. I really like that the cord came unattached instead of it getting bent and pulled on. That should make it last much longer. I may never need to replace it at all. • The touch screen worked great and responded quickly. There was no lag time at all that I noticed. I was pleased with the response. • Web cam – I didn’t attend any meetings or use Skype or Zoom during my testing of this laptop, but I did switch the web cam on and found the image quality to be very good. Bottom line: If you are looking for a laptop requiring a lot of storage for image files and numerous ports for peripherals, this probably isn’t the one for you, but if you want a laptop for basic office work (spreadsheets, documents, etc.) or Internet browsing, and social media use, this laptop definitely fits the bill. Its powerhouse battery, sleek design, and light weight make it ideal for most users. The 512GB hard drive and 8mb memory should be plenty large enough to handle your needs. You can easily put it in your backpack and carry it around with you; then take it out at a coffee house, office, meeting room, airport, plane, living room, etc. and feel assured that you will have enough battery to last for a long time.

When I look for a computer, my number one thing on the list is speed. Microsoft Surface 4 is the best computer I've owned so far. Start up and shutdown is so fast. Updates are done fast. Internet loading of content is fast. The colors of the screen display are so beautiful. The weight of it is light. The only thing there is only one usb port. But that can be easily remedy. Over all great laptop ever.

It only has 1 usb port which is inconvienang for it to be a mobile type laptop. Backlit keyboard is far from being lit at all almost other than that I like it battery left isn’t that great either

I’ve only had my current laptop for four years, but the screen is cracked, the speakers don’t always work consistently, the components are fast becoming outdated, and it weighs a ton. I realize it was time that I replaced it with something smaller, lighter and state of the art. Enter Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 - 13.5” Touch-Screen – Intel Core i5 - 8GB Memory - 512GB Solid State Drive. As I am not an IT expert or self-pronounced tech geek, I’ll spare you from reading another review that lists all the tech and design specs, and instead offer you this link from Microsoft https://youtu.be/Z3N3u6NyWSY if you want more of those details. The review I offer will be from the perspective of an ordinary user. I often travel with my laptop and having a long battery life without needing a charging station is exactly what I was looking for. The solid state drive is critical to process information quickly as well as booting up and powering down without having to wait long. I always know it is time to replace a computer when I can get a cup of coffee in the time the laptop boots up. The Surface 4 laptop doesn’t run hot, even after extended use, including work by day and watching videos by night. That means no loud fan kicking on either. The Surface 4 has a touchscreen, but it does not fold back 360 degrees like a convertible nor does the keyboard detach. To my chagrin, the laptop did not come with a full-size active pen ($82 Microsoft Surface pen), storage for the pen or a protective sleeve like my HP Spectre x360. But since this isn’t a 2-in-1 laptop, perhaps I can’t complain. The 3:2 aspect ratio offers 18% more viewing pleasure than the typical 16x9 laptop screen. I see the difference when I am opening multiple files side-by-side on the screen. The Surface 4 has thicker bezels than my HP, but it is almost two times lighter, weighing in at a mere 2.8 pounds. Security is simple with facial recognition via Windows Hello, but I haven’t activated it yet. The quick password is sufficient at this time. I listen to Spotify and stream videos frequently and the OmniSonic stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos® provides great sound. I run virtual fitness classes and use the high-fidelity music mode in Zoom with original sound. I was using my 1-year-old work computer but switched up and used the Surface 4 for my last class. The person who does the sound check with me said the sound from the Surface 4 was of noticeably better quality. I am eager to try out the dual far-field studio mics for Teams calls. In the past, my voice has echoed off the walls in my office making it difficult for people to hear me clearly. I liked the size and feel of the full-size, backlit keyboard, palm rest and touchpad. I am glad to have the all-aluminum chassis versus the soft-touch fabric. As it is, the Sandstone keyboard is very light and a little challenging to distinguish the lettering easily in bright light. The 720p HD front-facing webcam wasn’t as sharp as I had expected, but I use a Logitech C930e 1080 HD for the virtual classes I teach on Zoom so that wasn’t an issue. The graphics are very clear and the Zoom video of me was so vivid, it looked like something from a television show on an HD channel. No surprise, the resolution on the 13.5” screen is 2256x1504, so very sharp! As a mouse user addict, I was petrified to get a laptop with so few ports. However, it was not as much of a major adjustment as I had expected it would be. My previous laptop only had a USB-C, a Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.0, an SD reader and an HDMI port. The Surface 4 has 1 full-size USB 3.2 Gen 2, 1 USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, a headset jack and Surface Connect. At first not having an HDMI port made me shy away from this laptop, but then I figured I could use a 4-Port USB Type-C Hub with the Surface Connect port to connect to the webcam and mixer and other USB 3.0 connections. Plus, I can connect wirelessly to most peripherals (monitor, mouse, etc.). Am I worrying needlessly about the magnetic charging piece breaking when trekking it with me everywhere? I wish I was able to choose a 4/5 out of 5 for the rating. Since I can't, let me express what an excellent laptop this is and override the rating here in the text. I encourage you to consider this laptop when looking to purchase a new one. I’ll miss my previous laptop, but I wholeheartedly embrace the Surface 4 laptop. I am looking forward to making some new memories together.

As soon as I unboxed the Surface Laptop 4, I was impressed by the slim form factor. Given how compact and portable this computer is, I wasn’t sure it would be powerful enough to keep up. I’m happy to say that whether I’m dealing with too many work spreadsheets at once (each with too many statistical and calculation functions), editing videos of the kiddo into grandparent-pleasing montages, or taking my stress out on bad guys in video games, this machine has kept up with me. The battery life is also very impressive. Every situation is different, and I haven’t done extensive testing or determined the exact number of hours I can get… but there was at least one occasion where I left the power adapter at home by accident and was happily surprised that I made it through the day without running out of juice. Design wise, it’s clear that Microsoft wanted something that stands out. The lines are very sleek, and everything just fits together nicely and feels well built. The trackpad and touchscreen are both quite responsive, and the keyboard is comfortable to use. It's a small thing, but as someone who uses the function keys (F1, F2, F3, etc.) as originally intended, I really that the Fn key on the Surface Laptop 4 works as a toggle. That is, tap once to activate the original use of the F keys, tap again to switch to the alternate uses (like brightness, volume, etc.). The Fn key even has a small light to indicate which mode its on. One important note is that the ultra-compact form factor comes at the expense of external ports. This machine has just the Surface power connector, USB-A port, USB-C port, a headset jack. Nothing else. I really would have liked to have an SD card reader built in. On the upside, the USB-C port supports video out and power delivery. Overall, this is a compact yet powerful laptop that feels solidly assembled and thoughtfully designed. I’m enjoying it quite a bit.

I was not impressed with the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4. Looks good, sleek and the matte black is visually appealing. Dislike the lack of ports and the laptop seem to run slow and very laggy. Returned.

I bought the surface laptop on the day of its launch with high hopes. I opted for the Intel Core i5 (Yes, I am paying the Intel tax and Ryzen has gotten better). Before you think about buying this laptop, please answer, What am I getting for the price? You don't have thunderbolts or extra ports, ram is 8GB and non-upgradable. The product finishing isn't amazing, nor is the battery in real-world usage. I absolutely regret getting it and I predict, this product is going to fail, just like the surface buds.

No issues so far. Wish it had more than 1 USB port.

Upgraded from a competing brand's 13.5" laptop that was about 2 years old and was similarly priced at the time. The specs for the new Surface 4 Laptop weren't a huge upgrade over the existing computer, but the way it makes use of the operating system and the build quality blow the other computer out of the water. I'll go into more detail below but the bottom line is that this is a great computer for getting work done. First, let me say, the build quality is outstanding. You can feel it when you pick this up out of the box and opening and closing the lid are smooth as silk. The keyboard offers great response and travel with a soft feeling, and the touchpad is satisfying large which allows you a large range of motion on the mouse without having to lift your finger and start over. The screen is beautiful and if using the touchscreen, very fluid and responsive. I tested with several types of movies and shows, and the screen did not disappoint. It's slightly above HD but not 4K. Also, I don't know what kind of magic Microsoft spun with the speakers, but the sound comes out of the keyboard and it is above average for a laptop in my opinion. Maybe that's because I'm used to downward firing speakers on laptops, and usually I use headphones anyway, but I was seriously impressed with the sound when no speakers are visible. Given the screen ratio and internals on the Surface 4, it's not going to be your choice for a gaming computer. Yes, it will be just fine for some casual gaming that doesn't require heavy specs, but it's not going to appeal to the gamer crowd or people who do heavy video editing, nor is it intended to. It is a perfect machine for people who do lots of email, web browsing, spreadsheets and power points. It maximizes the use of the Windows system and Microsoft 365, as you would expect for a Microsoft branded laptop. If those are your needs, this is compact enough to easily carry, durable enough that I wouldn't worry about it in my luggage or a backpack, and the battery life is top notch. On a full charge, I've gone over 13 hours of use before getting under 10% and plugging in. Granted, high screen brightness and tasks that require a lot of processing power will determine your battery results. My only complaint, and it's not a huge one, is the lack of ports. The computer has one USB-C port and one USB-A port. That is it. On the other side is the proprietary charging port for Microsofts magnetic charging cable, which is awesome in itself. It sits flush against the computer at a 90 degree and if you bump it, it doesn't bend, it just detaches. The charging brick does have it's own USB-A port; however, it's only for charging a tablet or phone and has no data transfer capability. So again, if you're looking for a laptop to connect to a TV via HDMI, you'll have to find another solution or an adapter. With all the streaming sticks, smart tv's and game systems that most people use anyway for streaming, this isn't as much of a deal breaker as it was a few years ago. Overall, this laptop takes all the best features of the last few Surface laptops and offers well rounded improvements. The color, Sandstone, is almost like a rose gold or copper type of color and really stands out. It's a nice change from all the black computers that show fingerprints and dust non-stop. The shiny windows logo on the lid is subtle but a nice design touch at the same time. The software is buttery smooth and performs most tasks with no delay or hiccups. I do not recommend it for heavy gamers, people who do lots of graphic design or want to make it the hub of their entertainment setup. However, I strongly recommend it for students and people who need to do lots of spreadsheets, presentations and documents, along with every day tasks. It has Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0, both of which were fast and quick to connect. Between the build quality, battery life and smooth operating system, this is a great all around device that also looks great.

Love it. The only complaint is that it only has one USB port.

As far as looks go, the surface laptop 4 is one of the nicest looking computers out there and has a nice sleek, sturdy finish, even with all the different color options there is a variety to choose from. Its microsofts answer to the macbook air and if you are windows person i would think this is the right computer for you. I tested out the sandstone i5, 8gb, 512gb model and it is one of the best computers ive had. Light weight and easy to carry around. Touchscreen works really great on it and you get a lot of clarity and full hd with the screen. Keyboard looks nice and is backlit, but no number pad is a turnoff if you are used to that numbers on the right hand side. Super fast with 512GB SSD and lots of room to store all your info. I will never use a standard hard drive again after using SSD. Battery life is fantastic and will get you throughout the day, the lack of ports on the computer is concerning as they want to push you to buy the docking station. Price point is kind of high for similar specs with competitors but you will usually get good quality with Microsoft products. Microsoft brings the heat with the newest Surface 4 Laptop! I would definitely recommend this computer for all people in school, work or casual every day use.