Scratching The Surface Of Microsoft’s New Ultraportables

Source: Ars Technica Scratching The Surface Of Microsoft’s New Ultraportables

The Tension Has Been Broken

Microsoft have released their new generation of Surface ultraportables, with a variety of new models for you to peruse.  There is an ARM based model, a new version that will replace the Surface Book as well as the return of the much lambasted dual screen version of the Surface.  Microsoft also updated their pen, the Slim Pen 2 now has a button on the flat side of the Pen instead of the narrow side, but remains compatible with previous Surface models and depending on the Surface you use it with, has haptics to replicate the feel of pen on paper. Ars Technica takes a deep dive into the various models, or you can get a brief overview of five of the new Surfaces if you keep reading.

The Surface Pro 8 did indeed see an increase in screen size as the rumours suggested it would, with a 13″ 2880×1920 display with a peak 120Hz refresh rate; though it is apparently set to 60Hz by default.  The size and shape are the same as the Surface X Pro from back in 2019, if you have ever laid hands on one.  The model Ars Technica saw has a Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage, with a cost of $1,100 for the Surface Pro 8, without keyboard nor Pen.

The Surface Go 3 remains almost the same as the previous model, with the same peripheral plugs and 10.5″ 1920×1280 display.  It also remains at the bare minimum for hardware, the 4GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage just meets the minimum specs for Windows 11, thankfully it does have new processors to chose from.  You can opt for a dual core Pentium Gold 6500Y or quad core Core i3-10100Y, both of which are large improvements over the previous model.

The Surface Laptop Studio is a brand new member, more of a traditional laptop with a screen capable of being moved over top of the keyboard if you are so inclined.  The screen is not removable, which may turn off some Surface fans, but as with the Surface Book it replaces, the Laptop Studio will ship with a lower end NVIDIA GPU.  Depending on the SKU you chose you will have either an 11th Gen Intel Core i5 or i7 processor and between 256GB to 2TB of local storage.

Last is Microsoft’s second attempt at the dual screen Surface Duo which forgoes a keyboard completely to instead offer two touchscreens.  This model is powered by a Snapdragon 888, with 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage; running Android just like it’s predecessor.  The two OLED screens are 5.8″ in size, with a resolution of 1892×1344 and a peak 90Hz refresh rate.  The redesigned spine has the ability to display tiny notifications, handy but nowhere near the size of other foldable devices.  There is also a very Nokia like camera bulge on one side, to house the 12MP main sensor, 12MP telephoto, and 16MP ultrawide cameras.

The Surface Pro 8 got a major update today, but the biggest reveal was the all-new Surface Laptop Studio, a high-end convertible with dedicated graphics that provides a step-up in speed from the regular Surface Laptop.

Video News

About The Author

Jeremy Hellstrom

Call it K7M.com, AMDMB.com, or PC Perspective, Jeremy has been hanging out and then working with the gang here for years. Apart from the front page you might find him on the BOINC Forums or possibly the Fraggin' Frogs if he has the time.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Latest Podcasts

Archive & Timeline

Previous 12 months
Explore: All The Years!