This may be partly my fault. Last year, when I reviewed Microsoft's 13.5-inch Surface Book 3, I complained about the outdated design. My biggest gripes about the Surface Book 2 (which has been my favorite Surface Book 2 for many years) had not been addressed. I was disappointed that Microsoft had not yet figured out how the detachable could be used for fun or new purposes. This form factor could be dead.
I love the Surface Book, and I am a strong defender of it. I wouldn't consider any other driver my primary driver. I hoped and prayed that my words would lead to Microsoft releasing a thinner, sleeker, and better Surface Book 4. They would be a catalyst for Microsoft to push the full-sized, detachable workstation, which is a form factor that only Microsoft has ever master, to new heights.
Microsoft seems to have done the exact opposite. It appears that the Surface Book line is no longer available. Instead, Microsoft has released the Surface Laptop Studio. This product is being marketed as a revolutionary innovation by Microsoft, but it is actually, as anyone who closely monitors PC releases, a step backward from the innovative space into territory that is more familiar to the laptop industry.
Microsoft has decided to get rid of the Surface Book form factor.
Surface Laptop Studio has a 360-degree hinge. The bottom edge houses a stylus. The device can be used as a regular clamshell. The display can be pulled forward and placed above the touchpad in a tent-like position (which Microsoft calls stage mode). You can also flip the display over the hinge and use it as a tablet. These are the three positions that the hinge cannot hold the screen in.
Microsoft now wants to make this the next step in the Book line. It will be a new form factor. The Studio is the result of years of Surface innovation in hinges, display and silicon. Microsofts vice president for devices spoke highly of it. Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, stated that the company was creating an entirely new category for laptops.
If you are as keen as me to follow the laptop market, it is hard not look at this device and say, "Oh boy, another one of those."
To catch everyone up: This isn't a unique or new design. ThinkPads did something similar in 1994. To pull out a modern example, HPs have been making these for several years. Its 2021 Elite Folio, which is basically the same thing, is covered in leather. The stylus is also included in the laptop, though it is located in a more convenient spot just above its keyboard. HP declined to comment on Surface Laptop Studio.
Acer, the small and obscure laptop manufacturer, was making a similar form factor in 2013. It also has a gaming laptop, which is kind of like this. There are a variety of creator-oriented workstations available. ConceptD Ezel, which is a more advanced version of the design, has more powerful components. Acer pointed this out to me when I contacted them for comment. The screen can be placed at any angle you like. You can either float it above the deck at an infinite angle, reverse-clamshell it with the screen facing away (but still perpendicular) to the keyboard, or place it in any other position.
The Laptop Studio cannot even make a case for these laptops as a cost-savings option. The base model, which includes a Core i5, 16GB of RAM and 256GB storage, is $1599.99. The stylus and charger add $164.98. A comparable Elite Folio (stylus not included) is currently on sale for $1,416, while a ConceptD 3Ezel (stylus and Core i7) is available for $1,499.99. The Elite Folio and ConceptD are very good laptops. They have excellent touchpads and keyboards. These premium laptops are designed for the wealthy. The Elite Folio is literally covered with leather.
There are many Surface Pro clones available that can be used in a similar way to the direct competitors. The Surface Book and the new Surface Laptop Studio are completely different to the Surface Pro. They are full-sized laptops with chips in the base and optional discrete GPUs. Surface Pros, on the other hand, are Windows tablets that can be attached a keyboard or kickstand. However, I believe the case for a Surface Book is stronger than that for a Surface Laptop Studio.
The Surface Laptop Studio is a fantastic device but it's not the first laptop in its category.
Think about it. The Surface Laptop Studio only allows for three positions. However, a Surface Pro or ThinkPad X12 Detachable with a Surface Pro can fit in any of those positions. You can use it as a clamshell tablet or a laptop. The keyboard can be detached but the kickstand will remain up.
The Surface Laptop Studio is a fantastic device but it's not the first laptop in its category.
That's fine! To be compelling, a laptop does not have to be new. The Studio has many advantages over Acers and HPs. It is more powerful than the Folio's Snapdragon chip-powered processor. It has a screen with a higher resolution than the Folio, and perhaps even more important.
I'm still not convinced this laptop will appeal to the same audience as either of these devices. Both of them target very specific audiences that are well-suited for this type of convertible form factor. The Surface Pro could be more successful in converting people, particularly those who need a bigger screen than the tablets. However, those who want more real estate will have to pay a little more. As of writing, the ThinkPad X12Detachable is $300 cheaper than this laptop. Even with the cost of the type cover, the Surface Pro 8 is a little cheaper. Laptop Studios may not offer the extra screen that is worth the cost.
The bigger screen means a heavier body. Both of the detachable devices with their keyboards on are almost a pound lighter that the Studio, which is also a bit heavier than the Surface Book.
My best guess is that Surface Laptop Studio appeals to those who are already fans of Surface Book. This is the part that I am most attached to, even though it seems like a small group. While the Surface Book had many good points, I paid a lot for the innovation. It was a remarkable device, and Microsoft was the only company to make it. It fulfilled a unique set of needs that no other laptop could match. In the years that I have owned a Surface Book, I've thought about switching to an XPS or Spectre many times. But I couldn't do it. I loved the detachable screen.
The Surface Book was not perfect. It was something, and it was different in a crowded market where laptops are so competitive.
