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Microsoft's Surface Laptop arrives on June 15th for $999

Pre-orders start today, but you'll have to pay more for fancier colors.

Microsoft

If you like the Surface Laptop and its combination of portability with upscale design, you can do something about it very quickly. Microsoft is taking pre-orders for the Surface Laptop today ahead of its release on June 15th. Prices start at a relatively reasonable $999 for a platinum-colored model, although you definitely won't get a monster machine for the money: that base machine includes a Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM (really, in 2017?) and a 128GB solid-state drive. You're clearly paying for the 13.5-inch touchscreen more than you are the underlying performance.

We don't have full pricing available as of this writing, but there will be a higher-end Core i5 model with 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and the full range of color options (burgundy, blue, gold and platinum). And if you just have to get a Core i7, you'll have the choice of two platinum-hued models: one with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, and an all-out version with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. And don't forget, the Surface Laptop runs Windows 10 S out of the box. You may be shelling out for an upgrade to full Windows 10 (it's free in 2017, $49 afterward) if you want to run apps beyond those in the Windows Store.

Much like other Surface PCs, then, this is still a premium system -- you're just paying less than you would for a Surface Book. That's not necessarily a problem if you're interested in the touch technology or the craftsmanship, but there are definitely lower-cost options if you're just looking for a reasonably fast and eye-pleasing ultraportable.

Check out all the news from the MicrosoftEDU event here.