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Surface Laptop: Is Microsoft Ready to Eat Apple's School Lunch?

Microsoft has gone all in on hardware. This approach worked for Apple, but can the Surface Laptop replace the MacBook Air in people's hearts and minds?

May 3, 2017
Microsoft Surface Laptop

For years, the Apple MacBook Air has been one of the most desirable computers in homes and on school campuses. Various iterations have won multiple PCMag Editors' Choice awards for ultraportable laptops. The the 13-inch version hasn't been updated since 2015, and that has incoming students and their parents looking at alternatives like the Microsoft Surface Laptop.

Opinions Earlier this month, it was rumored that the Surface Laptop would be a Chromebook killer, going after the education market with low-priced units. What we actually got was a third-party Windows 10 S laptop from traditional PC manufacturers like Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Samsung, and Toshiba. They certainly have the same specs as Chromebooks, including 1,366-by-768-resolution screens, Intel Celeron processors, 4GB of RAM, and a 64GB of eMMC flash memory storage. Priced around $299 with the centrally administered Windows 10 S operating system, these are obviously the systems aimed at supplanting Chromebooks in schools.

The Surface Laptop starts at $999, and comes with more robust components like an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, up to 16GB RAM, up to 512GB SSD storage, and an option to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro for free. Along with its 13.5-inch screen and comfortable keyboard, these specs line up closer to the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch than any Chromebook.

The 12-inch MacBook is Apple's cheapest up-to-date laptop, but at $1,299 for a system with 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, and a lower-powered Intel Core m3 processor, it's simply not in the same sweet spot as the 2015 MacBook Air. We also dinged the MacBook for having only a single USB-C port for charging and data transfer duties and an uncomfortable keyboard. A Surface Laptop with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD has the same $1,299 price tag, but with a much more powerful Core i5 processor.

As a result, we see the Surface Laptop in the same enviable position as the now-venerable MacBook Air: an aspirational laptop that's reasonably priced, with enough power to do day-to-day tasks quickly with minimum fuss. We have yet to test it in PC Labs, but from its specs, it will likely be a good choice for your high school or college student.

Unless Apple releases a true MacBook Air replacement this year, I foresee lecture halls for the class of 2021 displaying many shiny Surface logos on their laptop lids, gradually equaling or even replacing Apple logos as graduation approaches.

MicrosoftEDU Event in NYC: May 2, 2017
PCMag Logo MicrosoftEDU Event in NYC: May 2, 2017

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About Joel Santo Domingo

Lead Analyst

Joel Santo Domingo joined PC Magazine in 2000, after 7 years of IT work for companies large and small. His background includes managing mobile, desktop and network infrastructure on both the Macintosh and Windows platforms. Joel is proof that you can escape the retail grind: he wore a yellow polo shirt early in his tech career. Along the way Joel earned a BA in English Literature and an MBA in Information Technology from Rutgers University. He is responsible for overseeing PC Labs testing, as well as formulating new test methodologies for the PC Hardware team. Along with his team, Joel won the ASBPE Northeast Region Gold award of Excellence for Technical Articles in 2005. Joel cut his tech teeth on the Atari 2600, TRS-80, and the Mac Plus. He’s built countless DIY systems, including a deconstructed “desktop” PC nailed to a wall and a DIY laptop. He’s played with most consumer electronics technologies, but the two he’d most like to own next are a Salamander broiler and a BMW E39 M5.

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