Microsoft Surface Laptop With Windows 10 S: Our first take

At $999, the cost of Microsoft’s rarified new laptop may upset more students than it helps educate.

“Societal change requires more than technology.” That statement makes sense, of course, but it’s an odd sentiment to hear from Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft – a company that does nothing but build and sell technology.

“I’m here today as a heretic,” he said Tuesday, at a special event in New York City to unveil the company’s massive education push. It involves more than just tech, of course. “We’re under no illusion that technology alone is the answer to transforming education,” he said, noting that parents and teachers and society are key to empowering kids and improving education overall.

But putting the right tools in the hands of parents and kids remains important, even if it’s not all that’s important. To that end, has Microsoft unveiled the new Surface Laptop, its first traditional laptop, and its first aimed directly at students. Well, students with a thousand bucks to blow on a new laptop, anyway.

Innovation, design, and features

The Surface is a showcase for innovation and premium design, but in some ways, the new Laptop is a departure from that. Take the Surface Book, for example, which looks like a book from the side, thanks to a unique hinge that unrolls as you open the device. Although the hinge on the new Laptop is nice, it’s downright conventional compared to the Book. The screen does open smoothly, but it’s a far simpler piece of engineering.

“Societal change requires more than technology.”

There’s also no kickstand to prop up the screen because the Laptop is, well, a laptop. It doesn’t convert in to a tablet. Having used several generations of Pro, I had a mixed relationship with the kickstand; yes, it was neat, and yes, it was beautifully engineered. But I never sat on an airplane and used it comfortably.

It’s safe to say the Laptop is the most conservative Surface device yet. Conservative doesn’t mean bad, of course, just…less revolutionary. That said, the Laptop is really, really nice. It has a 13.5-inch screen, with a 3:2 aspect ratio and 2,256 x 1,504 resolution (that works out to 201 pixels per inch). It looks gorgeous. Past Surface displays have proven top-notch, especially on the Surface Studio, and the new Laptop is no different.

The Surface Laptop is light, at 2.76 pounds, and feels very slim. The keyboard has a suede-like Alcantara material covering the top of it, which isn’t as soft under the palms and wrists as it might appear, but was pleasing enough, especially compared to the plastic or metal you’re used to feeling. Just don’t spill a drink on it. The key action felt decent too; there’s 1.5 mm of travel, which was plenty to my fingers.

Adam Balkin/Digital Trends

Adam Balkin/Digital Trends

Adam Balkin/Digital Trends

Adam Balkin/Digital Trends

There aren’t many ports to speak of. On the right side is the proprietary charging port, the same one Microsoft has used in earlier Surface models. On the right there’s a USB Type A port, rather than the more modern, double-sided Type C connectors you’ll find on phones like the Google Pixel XL and the Samsung Galaxy S8. That’s just annoying, and doesn’t really seem like a future-proofing plan. It’s my one big complaint when it comes to hardware.

Windows 10 S – short for silly?

So, let’s talk software for a second.

The Surface laptop ships with Windows 10 S, a new version of the OS designed specifically for schools and education. It’s optimized for speed, Microsoft says. What does that mean? Think about this scenario. Imagine you’re the IT manager at Ridgewood High. You’ve bought several hundred laptops, and each classroom has a cage where students pull laptops upon walking into class. The odds are good they won’t get the same one each time, meaning opening the laptop is a first-boot scenario. And with ordinary Windows 10, that can take up to 40 seconds. Win 10 S does it in 10 seconds.

In my brief time with the Surface Laptop, I confirmed that the wake time is like lightning. Close the cover, let the laptop sleep, and it’s on and ready to roll before you’ve finished lifting the screen to start working. That’s a great experience.

The sacrifice made for speed is application support, however. Windows 10 S limits the apps you can install to those in the Windows Store, and while there are some, there certainly isn’t a raft of them. This is either a crucial limitation or a big relief, depending on where you sit. As the owner of a laptop, you’ll hate it. (“Why can’t I install this app again? Everyone else I know can!”) As a school administrator who can prevent students from installing stuff they find on the Interwebs, this could seem like a godsend.

As an ordinary human being who has installed countless apps from countless websites, this seems like a hindrance to me. I’m not a student, of course, and Microsoft has made an allowance for that. For just $49 (with a limited-time free upgrade offer), you can convert from Windows 10 S to Windows 10 Pro, and unlock all the goodness of everything you’re used to – meaning this laptop might be a great one for ordinary folks willing to go through that upgrade process.

Is the price right? That depends

The cost of the Surface Laptop with Windows 10 S is the real concern here. At a starting price of $999, it’s hardly a cheap laptop to compete with Chromebooks. Microsoft’s partners will supply those, with Win 10 S products starting as cheaply as $189. But what are you getting for $999? Yes, it has top-of-the-line hardware, and yes, it’s incredibly thin and light, and genuinely well built. That’s great – yet also irrelevant, if students simply can’t afford it.

Microsoft spent a good portion of its reveal presentation comparing the Surface Laptop to Apple’s line of notebooks, and the numbers all skew towards the Surface product, which is thinner, lighter, and faster than Apple’s. But the MacBook never claimed to be ideal for your 15-year-old. I’ve seen what kids do to things. It isn’t pretty, and the cost of this rarified PC may upset more students than it helps educate.

Outside of the education space, though, Microsoft may have a hit on its hands. The Surface lineup has been synonymous with high quality, and the new Laptop is no departure there. Anyone considering an Apple product would do well to look at it, and think about the value being offered here. You might learn a thing or two.

Highs

• Premium look and feel
• Inviting fabric interior
• Fast as lightning, especially at boot
• Gorgeous display

Lows

• No USB Type-C? You’re kidding
• Runs Windows 10 S by default