Microsoft has unveiled the next generation of Surface for Business devices, with three models of the Surface Laptop and a new 13in Surface Pro.

Each model will come with Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors, with the option to upgrade to the Intel Core Ultra X7. However, models featuring the Snapdragon X2 will also be available later in the year.

"Whether your teams are in the boardroom, at a customer site, or working from anywhere, these AI PCs are built to perform at the speed of business," Nancie Gaskill, vice president of Microsoft's Surface Business, wrote in a blog post.

The Intel Core Ultra Series 3 architecture promises significant improvements for the new business range. Indeed. Microsoft highlights a "meaningful" leap in graphics performance. Compared to the M5 MacBook Air, Microsoft says it offers up to 35% more graphics performance. It's also more than 90% faster in terms of performance compared to the 2022 Laptop 5. Though that is based on configurations with the Intel Core Ultra X7.

Surface Pro for Business

There is only one model of Surface Pro for Business, a 13in 2-in-1 with all the usual features and accessories. It starts at $1,949.99 and is already available in select markets. There's also a 5G option.

Microsoft's Pro model is for those who want the flexibility of a tablet, while still maintaining laptop-level performance. The downside here is that the various parts of it are sold separately. So the stylus and the adjustable stand and detachable keyboard – which allow users to switch between tablet, laptop, and presentation modes – are an extra cost.

Historically, this has been the most popular model within the Surface range and arguably one of the best business tablets available. Though at face value, there doesn't appear to be a significant change or update beyond more power and further AI capabilities.

"From analyzing complex information to presenting to customers or creating content on the go, the Intel Core Ultra Series 3 GPU enables work to move in real time, delivering the sustained, fluid performance leaders expect from a premium business PC, without compromising mobility, battery life or security," Gaskill wrote in the blog.

Surface Laptop for Business

There does appear to be more upgrades on the Sureface Laptop; Starting with an all-new 13in model, which is the most "portable" it has ever been, according to Microsoft. This is already available in select markets in 16GB and 24GB configurations – starting at $1,499 – though there will be an 8GB model available later in 2026 that's $200 cheaper ($1,2999).

More traditional 13.8in and 15in models are also available, though these are much more expensive, starting at $1,949.99. All models of Surface Laptop for Business will feature haptic touchpads and touchscreens, though there are additional features to opt for, such as an anti-glare display and an integrated privacy screen.

The new Snapdragon-powered Microsoft Surface Pro 12in is the smallest, lightest, and cheapest member of the Surface lineup. It doesn't directly replace the Surface Pro 11; that's the job of the new Surface Pro 13in. Indeed, in some ways, the Pro 12in is a step back in terms of specification from the 11 Pro, but then it's a lot cheaper.

The 256GB model costs £799, which is substantially less than the £1,049 Microsoft is currently asking for the entry-level Surface Pro 13in. The 512GB model costs £899, and the 1TB model, £1,049.

The keyboard and stylus are optional extras. The Pro 12 keyboard alone will set you back £149, while the keyboard and pen package is £249. If you want a 65W Surface-branded USB-C charger, that will be another £50.

Unlike the larger Surface Pro 13in, there is no choice of display, and no option to add cellular connectivity. With that new lower starting price, the Surface Pro 12in is now competition for tablets like the iPad Air, as well as more expensive 'professional' tablets like the iPad Pro and Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra. The target market, then, is people who want a tablet for casual use, but also a competent Windows device for more serious undertakings. That may have been what Microsoft wanted all along for its Surface slates, but with the new Surface Pro 12in, it has finally realized the ambition.

Microsoft Surface Pro 12in: Design

In terms of design, the Surface Pro 12in is a conventional and rather anonymous device with rounded edges, a back made from 100% recycled aluminum alloy, and the trademark Surface flush folding built-in kickstand. The platinum finish on our test machine is available with all three storage options, but the violet and ocean (more of a grey in our opinion) options are limited to the 512GB and 1TB models.

The bezel that surrounds the screen is a uniform 9mm, which, while not super-thin, is still narrow enough to lend the Surface Pro 12in a look of modernity alongside any of Apple's iPads. The top left edge is home to the power and volume controls, while on the right side are two 10Gbits/sec USB-C ports, which both support DP AltMode video output. On the bottom edge, there's a row of pogo pin contacts to connect to the keyboard.

We'd have preferred to see USB-C 4-spec ports, but wireless connectivity is up to date with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, both supported.

The eagle-eyed will notice that the Surface Pro 11's magnetic Surface Connect port and the small hatch to access the storage card are both missing. Given that the Surface Pro 11 lacked an audio jack and memory card slot, it came as no shock that the Surface Pro 12in also lacks them.

The tablet part of the Surface Pro 12in weighs 650g, though the keyboard and pen add 340g to the package. Even with the keyboard that makes the Pro 12in one of the lightest Windows 11 machines. By way of comparison, at 580g, the larger iPad Pro is lighter, and at 5.1mm compared to the Surface Pro 13's 7.8mm, it's thinner too. Those differences are borderline inconsequential, though, especially when you remember that the iPad doesn't have a built-in kickstand, which obviously adds to the weight and thickness of the Microsoft device.

The magnets in the base of the tablet that fix the keyboard to the tablet are very strong. Should you wish, you can pick the whole assembly up by the keyboard without the tablet coming adrift.

The kickstand, as is typical of Surface tablets, runs the full width of the tablet and can be adjusted to any position between near-vertical and near-flat. The hinge mechanism is smooth and solid, meaning it stays put until you deliberately change it. When not in use, the stand folds flush, so there are no issues with it flapping about when you are using the Surface Pro 12 as a conventional tablet.

For the Pro 12in, Microsoft has done away with the attractive Alcantra finish of the Surface Pro 13's keyboard, replacing it instead with a smooth, soft-touch rubberized finish. That said, the Pro 12in keyboard is £30 less.

There's a shallow magnetic trough in the back of the tablet to keep the Surface Slim Pen safe and sound, and charged, via inductive charging. This is a preferable layout to that used on the Surface Pro 13, where the pen rests in a trough at the top of the keyboard, because you don't need the keyboard to make use of it.

Microsoft Surface Pro 12in: Keyboard, touchpad, and webcam

The typing action on the detachable keyboard may be rather shallow, but it's crisp and well-damped. There's no option to increase the angle of the deck, but we didn't find hindered our typing speed. The keyboard also has a two-stage backlight.

At 105 x 50mm, the touchpad is on the small side, but it works perfectly, and the smooth surface is pleasant to the touch. Given how thin the keyboard is, the feel of the mechanical click-action is spot on, and it's quiet.

Microsoft's detachable Surface keyboards have long been a byword for excellence, and the new bespoke Surface Pro 12 keyboard is no exception, which, given it's also the cheapest Surface keyboard to date, is good to see.

The webcam is every bit as high-quality as we expected from a Microsoft Surface device. The FullHD video feed is bright and colorful, and you naturally get all of Microsoft's Studio special effects. The camera array also supports Windows Hello facial recognition.

The 10MP rear camera is, by comparison, a workaday affair that can't match the average mid-range smartphone camera. It doesn't even have any sort of flash. It can capture video at 4K and 30fps and 10MP still images, all of which look decent enough if shot in good light, but it still feels like it's been fitted as a box-ticking afterthought.

Microsoft Surface Pro 12in: Display

The Surface Pro 12-inch uses a 12-inch 2,196 x 1,464 IPS display with a pixel density of 220dpi. That can't match the 13-inch iPad Pro's 264dpi, but to the naked eye, the difference is impossible to notice.

Peak brightness registered at a healthy 430cd/m2, and there's coverage of 95% of the sRGB color space. The screen is usefully accurate when measured against the sRGB color standard with a Delta E variance of 1.3. Add the 90Hz refresh rate into the deal, and it's a great display for the price.

Microsoft is vague when it comes to what the screen is actually made of, describing the glass as "strengthened" without giving any brand names. A quick attack on it with a screwdriver had no adverse effects, so it should prove just as robust as a Gorilla Glass-covered phone screen.

Microsoft Surface Pro 12in: Specs and performance

The Surface Pro 12-inch is built around an 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100 CPU, the same as used in the Surface 13 Laptop. It delivers a nigh-on perfect combination of performance and efficiency. On paper, the old Surface 11 Pro, which used a 12-core Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100 processor, was more powerful, but the difference isn't something we noticed in everyday use.

In the Geekbench 6 CPU test, the Pro 12-inch scored 2,444 single-core and 10,876 multi-core, which is around 80% of what you'll get if you run the same benchmark on a 2024 M3 MacBook Air. Clearly, then, the Surface Pro 12in has more than enough performance to run everyday tasks tout de suite.

Graphics performance continues to be a bit of a letdown, now that both Intel and AMD have moved the game on with their latest integrated GPUs. That said, you don't buy a £799 Windows tablet to run CAD software or compile 4K video.

To return to our M3 MacBook Air comparison, the Surface Pro-inch scored 9,438 in the Geekbench 6 OpenCL test while the MacBook managed 30,529. Qualcomm needs to take a step forward with its next-generation Windows platform when it comes to raw graphics performance.

The Snapragon chipset also features a 45 TOPS NPU, which means the Surface Pro 12in carries Microsoft's Copilot+ accreditation. That in turn means you can run all the Windows local AI tools like generative fill in Paint and Recall screen capture.

Though the Surface Pro 12 is passively cooled with not a fan in sight, stress-testing revealed no thermal issues; the CPU and GPU ran at 100% utilization for several hours without the device getting more than warm to the touch.

Like the Surface 13 Laptop, the Surface Pro 12-inch uses UFS rather than SSD storage, so read and write speeds are quite slow. Average sequential read and write speeds of 2,300MB/s and 1,400MB/s are adequate, but no more.

Until the arrival of the Surface Pro 11, Windows tablets had always suffered when it came to battery life, but the new Surface Pro 12in has moved the game on. In our battery run-down test, the new Surface ran for 19 hours and 30 minutes, which is a superb performance.

Granted, it still can't match the Surface 13 Laptop's near-24-hour runtime, but that has a 50Wh battery while the Pro 12in makes do with 38Wh. The Pro 12in runs for longer than the basic 2025 iPad and the M4 iPad Pro 13, which is one heck of an accomplishment for a Windows tablet.

Microsoft Surface Pro 12: Is it worth it?

If all you want is something larger than your smartphone for watching Netflix or browsing the web, then an iPad or good Android tablet like the OnePlus Pad 3 still makes more sense because it's cheaper and runs an operating system designed for touch. But if you want a device that can do basic tablet stuff and function as a productivity device, then the new Surface Pro 12-inch is worth serious consideration.

The combination of strong performance, excellent battery life, a superb sound system, and a good display for under £800 (currently a lot under) is a hard combination to ignore. Granted, the price creeps up a bit when you add a keyboard and pen, and charger, but you will then have a tremendously useful, versatile, and compact Windows device.

Microsoft Surface Pro 12in specifications

Microsoft has launched new iterations of its Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 devices powered by Intel chips, targeting industry users with a premium price tag to match.

The laptops will feature Intel Core Ultra processors from the chipmaker’s latest generation Lunar Lake architecture that boasts improved AI performance and efficiency over Meteor Lake.

The Surface Laptop 7 will be available in the usual 13.8in and 15in models with the option of either Core 5 or 7 Ultra chips.

The base unit, starting at $1,499.99 ($500 above the Qualcomm version) will come with 16GB of RAM (configurable up to 32GB) and a 256GB SSD, with increased storage options available up to 1TB.

Like its Qualcomm predecessor, the Intel version features two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, the Surface Connect charging port, and a headphone jack, but does offer an improved USB A 3.2 port instead of the Qualcomm version’s USB A 3.1 option.

The business-focused Surface Laptop 7 will also feature an optional smart card reader in specific markets, useful for identity verification.

The Surface Pro 11, also starting $500 above its ARM-based predecessor at $1,499.99 , will also allow for a range of configurations using either the Core Ultra 5 or 7 chips, and up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.

The 13in screen will be available as an LCD or OLED panel, both options identical to those offered on the Qualcomm version.

Connectivity is exactly the same on the new Surface Pro 11, with two USB C Thunderbolt 4 ports and a Surface Connect charger, as well as a NFC reader to support security keys, but as with the previous version there is no 3.5mm headphone jack unfortunately.

Both the Surface Laptop 7 and Pro 11 will be available on 18 February 2025.

New Microsoft Surface range comes at a price

Microsoft is explicitly targeting enterprise users with its new Intel-powered Surface range, with both the Surface Laptop 7 and Pro 11 labeled ‘for business’ on Microsoft’s website.

This is reflected in the device’s hefty price tag, both priced $500 above than their Qualcomm-based counterparts, as well as business-focused the optional extras including a smart card reader on the Surface Laptop and a new USB 4 dock that will also be available on 18 February.

The Lunar Lake devices are aimed at providing businesses with efficient AI-oriented performance driven by their onboard NPUs, and are ready for what Microsoft is betting will be a new era of Copilot Plus devices used in the enterprise.

Microsoft says the Intel-powered Surface Laptop 7 will offer competitive battery life of up to 14 hours on its 15in model and 12 on its 13in variant, which is not far off the benchmark set by the Qualcomm version.

As Copilot+ PCs they will have access to Microsoft’s latest range of AI-enhanced features such as AI-powered universal search and the much maligned Recall feature.

These two new ‘Surface Copilot Plus PCs for Business’ will arrive just ahead of the end of support deadline for Windows 10, set for October 14th.With this in mind, Microsoft looks to be positioning the new range as the ideal upgrade for enterprises looking to make the switch to Windows 11.

Original review: Microsoft's Surface Pro 11 is big signal to businesses that Qualcomm's tech is ready for them. And not just because there isn't an Intel version. The latest model of Surface Pro needs you to ditch x86 and give ARM64 a try, which is easier now that Microsoft has solved most of the incompatibility issues of old.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11: Design

There's nothing about the physical design that immediately screams revolution. The body of the tablet is near-identical to that of the Surface Pro 9, while the weight is a couple of grams heavier.

The kickstand flips out to hold the screen up in a wide range of positions, from almost flat to nearly vertical, or you can always just use it like a tablet if you wish. It also hides a small flap that conceals the SSD compartment, allowing you to easily switch out the supplied storage for another 30mm M.2 NVMe SSD.

As with any tablet-style convertible, there's limited physical connectivity. Here you get two USB 4 Type-C ports, Microsoft's SurfaceConnect Port and that's it. This means you'll need a dock if you want a desktop setup or to connect to an external display, but that's hardly new with the Surface Pro line. And with USB 4, Bluetooth 5.4, and Wi-Fi 7 onboard, at least what connectivity you have is reasonably future-proof.

The Surface Pro 11's keyboard is compatible with the same Surface Pro signature keyboard as the Surface Pro 9, 8, and X, but also Microsoft's new Pro Flex keyboard. This one has a party trick, operating wirelessly from a distance as well as when physically connected through the magnetic lugs and strip. We had one with the Surface Pro 11 to test, and it's an excellent keyboard, making up for its relatively limited travel with a lovely fast and clicky feel.

Unlike most wireless keyboards for tablets, there's no need to charge it separately, either. It simply recharges while attached to the Surface Pro. And if the touchpad's on the small side, it's still very usable, even in apps that require some precision.

The keyboard also contains a hollow shape to house and charge Microsoft's Surface Pen, though we found it oddly tricky to get the flat-topped stylus out of its spot in a hurry. It's superb for notes, annotations, sketches, and doodles, and makes even more sense when using Copilot+ features like the Cocreator AI-enhanced drawing feature in the Paint app. Here you can squiggle out the basics of an illustration, and Copilot does its best to turn it into something vaguely artistic, or at least less risible, with the results growing more detailed and even photo-realistic as you push the Creativity slider to the right.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11: Display

Entry-level versions of the Surface Pro 11 feature a very good 2880 x 1920 resolution Pixel Flow IPS display with a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate. Move up to the mid-range versions, though, and you'll get what we have here: a stunning 1920p OLED display, with a one-million:1 contrast ratio and the same 120Hz dynamic refresh rate.

As usual, the combination of the high resolution and square aspect ratio makes it a great screen for getting things done, even if Windows' split-screen view gives you two side-by-side windows that are a little too thin to fit all you'd like of a document in without scaling down. But the vivid colors, high brightness levels, and HDR support make it even better for creative work, not to mention entertainment if you're traveling or away from home.

In tests, it's clear that this is the best screen Microsoft has so far put into a Surface device. It reaches brightness levels of 620.4cd/m2, has the perfect blacks and contrast we expect from OLED, and can display 99.9% of the sRGB gamut and 98.9% of DCI-P3. Color accuracy is so good with the display set to an sRGB profile that we recorded an average Delta E of just 0.78.

Audio doesn't let the sound down, either. The output from the speakers is almost supernaturally big and open given the slimness of the device. Meanwhile, put the sensitive microphones and 1440p webcam together with the new video and sound enhancements that come with Copilot+, and you have a great option for professional-looking and sounding video calls and meetings. It barely puts a foot wrong.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11: Performance

The real news with this Surface Pro, though, is performance. We've had time to test a few Qualcomm Snapdragon X laptops now, and each has impressed with its fantastic multi-core performance, which has given even Apple's M3 processors some competition. The Surface Pro 11 can't quite match the Asus Vivobook S15 on speed – we suspect due to power and thermal considerations – but it gets awfully close and sets new standards on what you can do for a tablet-style device.

The Snapdragon X1E80100/16GB configuration tested beats the Intel Core Ultra 7 based Asus Vivobook Pro 15 OLED on Geekbench 6 multi-core performance, with a score of 13134 to 12612, and comes close to the 13635 scored by the beefy Huawei MateBook X Pro. This also makes it significantly faster than the last-gen Intel Core i7 Surface Pro, which scored 1594 for single-core workloads and 6,090 for multi-core.

Meanwhile, its scores in the Cinebench 24 rendering benchmark – 104 for single-core and 802 for multi-core – put it roughly on a par with the HP Omnibook X, at 87 and 808, and not too far behind the Asus Zenbook S16 (112 and 877), with its new AMD Strix Point chip. There have always been performance compromises involved in using the Surface Pro rather than a conventional laptop, but they have never been as minor as they are now.

We're still evaluating AI benchmarks as new AI devices hit the market, but the Surface Pro 11's integrated NPU promised 45TOPs, making it one of the fastest around. GPUs are still more powerful in most scenarios, but these NPUs can handle local AI workloads while using much less power. Right now, most businesses won't find the AI features of Copilot+ PCs all that compelling, but more software is coming online, or incorporating GenAI features to speed-up workflows or add a little extra creativity to documents and presentations. The Surface Pro 11 will be well-equipped to support them.

What's more, the Surface Pro's battery life is better than it's ever been before. Looping video with the screen brightness set to 170cd/m2, the Surface Pro 11 kept running for 16 hours and 28 minutes before running out of puff. You'll easily have enough charge to work through the whole day, and you'll often have enough to make it through the next morning too. To put this in perspective, the old Surface Pro 9 ran dry in under nine hours.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11: Is it worth it?

Despite some misses, the Surface Pro has always had the makings of a great business device. More so than Apple's more creative-focused iPad Pro, the Surface Pro provides all the power of a laptop with the portability of a tablet, in a flexible 2-in-1 style.

Poor processing power and a lack of battery life have traditionally been the main sticking points with the Pro, but that has been largely rectified with the 11. The latest Surface Pro is faster than most mainstream laptops, and last significantly longer than previous models. Even going throughout a whole workday without needing a charge.

Sadly it isn't completely faultless; not every Windows application will run on ARM64 hardware (though that list is getting shorter). And the price is still extraordinarily high, almost one year after it was first released. The starting price is over $1,000 and that's before you add any bells and whistles... or even a stylus. That being said, this is the best Surface Pro to date.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11 specifications

Microsoft has been trying to lead a revolution in multi-function laptops for around a decade. When the first Surface RT arrived in 2012, it garnered a mixed reception but Microsoft persevered, and the Surface range has gone through numerous iterations resulting in the device we have here for review – the Surface Laptop Studio.

This is an unashamedly high-end portable, with a comprehensive hardware specification, a bevy of cutting-edge features, and a price to match. Is the Laptop Studio what the Microsoft Surface was always meant to be?

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio review: Design

The Microsoft Surface has always been about design. While no version has managed to outdo Apple on the aesthetic front, the Surface has instead focused on providing business functionality. In this case, that comes courtesy of an innovative dual-hinge mechanism, with a second hinge about halfway up the display, which allows the screen to pivot through a wider range of angles and positions.

In Stage mode, the bottom edge moves forward to sit just in front of the keyboard, where it rests securely in place to provide a perfect angle for desktop presentations in a meeting or watching movies while travelling.

Then there’s the tablet-style “Studio” mode, where the mid-screen hinge is entirely folded so the screen sits facing upwards on top of the keyboard. The touchscreen then comes fully into play, and you can add the optional Slim Pen 2 (£100 exc VAT) to draw and handwrite on the screen. This is arguably the most unique feature of the Surface Laptop Studio, and it performs it well, sitting comfortably in your hand and resting on your arm while you draw or write on the screen. The pen also sits magnetically in a ridge at the front of the notebook underneath. This is a very convenient system and provides wireless charging too.

Some detachables are top heavy, but the Surface Laptop Studio keeps all the electronics in the keyboard base, so the screen remains thin. However, it’s also quite heavy, tipping the scales at 1.82kg for the Core i7 version and 1.74kg for the Core i5 version and it’s nearly 2cm thick, so isn’t the perfect device to hold in tablet form for extended durations. The key thing is that it performs this mode well when you need it, without any compromise of regular keyboard-driven notebook abilities.

The Surface Laptop Studio shows how much the “transformer” idea has matured over the years. Where a lot of previous devices in this category have been jacks of all trades and masters of none, you could use the Surface Laptop Studio as a regular notebook without even realising it has other modes.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio review: Display

The Surface Laptop Studio’s display is 14.4in touchscreen offering a fast 120Hz refresh rate. It also has a resolution of 2,400 x 1,600, which goes along with the Surface range’s traditional 3:2 aspect ratio (designed to match a sheet of A4 paper), and the overall sense of the panel is crisp, detailed, and colourful.

However, while the screen delivers 100% of sRGB as you’d expect, it can only manage 82% of the DCI-P3 gamut, which is good but far from outstanding. The maximum Delta-E colour accuracy of 4.73 is also questionable, although the average of 1.14 means that in general the fidelity is very good, with a few aberrations. Maximum brightness is 440cd/m2, which is excellent for a laptop display. You will safely be able to dial the brightness quite far back from 100% and still enjoy considerable clarity. For graphics professionals, this isn’t as good a screen as the ASUS ProArt Studiobook Pro 16 OLED offers, but it’s great for a panel you can also write on.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio review: Keyboard and trackpad

The Surface Laptop Studio’s 14.4in screen and 3:2 aspect means there isn’t enough width on this laptop for a number pad, but the chiclet-style keyboard does have full sized keys. These provide a clearly discernible travel and are very comfortable to type on for extended periods. Microsoft also supplies an Adaptive Kit that you can use to add some ridged elements to select keys to make them easier to find without looking, although the F and J keys already have their habitual home ridges for touch typists.

The large trackpad sits in the middle of the wrist rest area, but with no keypad this places it almost directly below the space bar, so accidental brushing with the heel of your hand will be kept to a minimum. The touchpad is sensitive and highly usable, with a discernible click when pressed in any area. Of course, the Surface Laptop Studio also benefits from a touch screen, which is available whatever mode the notebook is in. With the use of the Slim Pen 2, you can write and draw with little noticeable lag. It’s not quite a Wacom tablet but for whiteboarding or annotating designs, it will work extremely well.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio review: Hardware and performance

There are two processor options for the Surface Laptop Studio – the Intel Core H35 i5-11300H or the i7-11370H, both of which are 35W 11th-gen quad-core chips - as well as either 16GB or 32GB of LPDDR4x RAM. The graphics options also vary with your processor choice; the Core i5 version only offers integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, but the i7 augments this with either NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti or Quadro RTX A2000 discrete graphics. Both offer 4GB of GDDR6 memory and 2,560 CUDA cores, but which one is a better fit for your workloads will come down to whether you need the Quadro’s more professional capabilities.

Our review model came with the Core i7 processor, the Quadro GPU and 32GB of RAM, along with a 1TB PCIe 3.0 SSD which delivered 3,520MB/sec reading and 3,145MB/sec writing with CrystalDiskMark 8. This is notably behind PCIe 4.0 drives, but will still provide fast operating system and application loading.

It feels odd to say that “quad-core isn’t enough” in a notebook, but in 2022, with several six- and eight-core mobile processor options available, this notebook does feel a little underpowered for a professionally-oriented system. The overall score in the IT Pro media benchmarks was just 129, way behind the ASUS ProArt Studiobook Pro 16 OLED or Dell XPS 17. The individual scores of 149 in image editing, 117 in video editing, and 130 in multi-tasking show how this system errs on the side of portability rather than power. This is further accentuated by the score of 1,939 in Maxon Cinebench R20 3D rendering – less than half what the ASUS and Dell notebooks could muster. You won’t want to be processing lengthy 3D animations on this notebook.

Similarly, the Quadro RTX A2000 graphics may be professional, but it’s not hugely potent, delivering 42.48 in SPECviewperf 2020 v1.0’s 3dsmax-07, although 148.31 in maya-06 is commendable. The score of 89.39 in solidworks-05 is also mediocre, but other CAD software shows why you would opt for Quadro rather than GeForce graphics, with 50.05 in catia-06, 70.55 in creo-03 and 148.31 in snx-04 all beating more powerful consumer GPUs. The snx-04 result shows that this will be a much better system for Siemens NX than any notebook with GeForce graphics.

In other words, while this notebook has plenty of performance for everyday applications, and enough for programming and coding, modest design and creative 3D use, it won’t be able to replace a more meaty notebook. You could do some photo or video editing or CAD work, but you’ll want to switch back to a more powerful system when not on the move.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio review: Battery life

Microsoft boasts some pretty impressive battery life figures for the Surface Laptop Studio. With the Core i5 option, it will allegedly last up to 19 hours of “typical device usage”, and 18 hours with the Core i7 version we had. Running our video playback battery test, the Surface Laptop Studio endured an impressive 16hrs 52mins, which is one of the longest we’ve seen, although the Asus ExpertBook B9450F and M1-based Apple MacBooks go longer. Considering that this notebook is very much aimed at being as useful as possible away from a desktop power supply, it hits the spot in this respect, easily achieving a long working day - or possibly two if you’re careful.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio review: Ports and features

Microsoft is following many other laptop manufacturers and mostly focusing on Thunderbolt 4 / USB C with the Surface Laptop Studio’s connectivity. You get two of these ports on the left, offering bandwidth aplenty for any kind of external device including monitors and even external GPUs. However, the lack of any other ports (bar a 3.5mm audio jack) is disappointing for a supposedly professional machine, especially one of this size. Even Apple has realised that workers cannot live on USB-C alone.

Naturally, you can purchase a USB C travel hub that adds wired LAN, HDMI, VGA and pass throughs for USB C and USB Type A. This will be essential if you want to use this laptop with a boardroom or classroom projection system, or when hot desking. One thing that is conspicuous by its absence, however, is any form of memory card reader.

Unsurprisingly, Microsoft continues to use its proprietary Surface Connect charger for power, rather than a more traditional USB C-based power adapter as seen on devices like the Dell XPS 17. This port can also be used with a docking solution that provides more inputs than the USB C-attached travel hub. Finally, as one of Microsoft's flagship devices, this machine is designed to show off Windows 11 to its maximum capacity.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio review: Verdict

After a slow start, the Microsoft Surface has truly come of age. The Surface Laptop Studio isn’t perfect, though; it’ll be a little underpowered for some professional software, and the top-of-the-range model we tested is expensive (although the entry-level version starts at £1,208 exc VAT). However, it makes the idea of a transforming multi-function device work extremely well.

It’s a competent notebook, excellent for watching movies or presenting on the move, and the Studio tablet mode is extremely usable too. If you need a system that can perform creative, pen-based design work as well as being great for everyday office tasks, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio can do both well. It’s not so just a jack of all trades, but pretty masterful at all of them too.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio specifications

The launch of a new first-party Microsoft device is usually cause for enthusiasm, but that's not always the case when it comes to the Surface range.

We were left underwhelmed by the Surface Pro 7+, which proved to be a minor upgrade on the Surface Pro 7. Faster, thanks to an 11th generation Core processor, but aside from 4G options it brought nothing to make the heart beat faster.

Thankfully, there is much more to say about the Surface Pro 8. While it sticks with 11th gen silicon, it now offers Thunderbolt 4, a bigger screen, and a significantly improved stylus, making it one of the better Windows laptops on the market.

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 review: Design

For the first time in what feels like several years, the design of Microsoft’s flagship ultraportable has been refreshed for this latest model. This new look includes more rounded edges, smaller screen bezels, and a generally sleeker (if slightly less distinctive) silhouette. The Surface Pro’s famous adjustable kickstand is still present and correct, and the machine looks as classy and boardroom-ready as it ever did.

It’s not necessarily a slimline model compared to its predecessor, however. Without the keyboard, the Surface Pro 8 weighs 891g and measures 9.3mm thick, which is in fact 0.6mm thicker and 107g heavier than before. This isn’t necessarily a problem though, and it’s still perfectly portable for taking between meetings or working on the go.

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 review: Display

Thanks to Microsoft’s bezel-shrinking chassis redesign, the Surface Pro 8’s screen is 11% larger than the previous generation, measuring 13in to 12.3in. There are more pixels to enjoy, too, with 2,880 x 1,920 against 2,736 x 1,824, and that results in a pixel density of 267ppi.

You can also switch to a 120Hz refresh rate rather than 60Hz. We didn’t notice much difference in standard Windows applications, but there is an obvious lift in games. You’ll need to manually change the setting in the Display window, but it’s worth visiting here to check out your options. For instance, you can switch between Vivid and sRGB colour profiles, switch off the screen’s adaptive brightness and activate the Adaptive Colour option; this changes the panel’s colour temperature based on the environment, which is better for reducing eye-fatigue but not always desirable.

For testing, we kept the Surface Pro 8 in its default Vivid option but switched off all the automatic options. It covered 99% of the sRGB colour gamut and 77% of the punchier DCI-P3 space, and the end result is a gorgeous image. It helps to have a contrast ratio of 1,350:1 and peak brightness of 432cd/m2, while accuracy is excellent with an average Delta E of 0.6.

Just be aware that it’s a glossy display, and despite the coating Microsoft adds to diffuse reflections from overhead lights, it’s not as office-friendly as a matte panel.

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 review: Keyboard, trackpad and Surface Pen

The Alcantara Signature Type Cover doesn’t offer much in the way of travel or cushioned feel, but is quietly effective and sensibly laid out. Whether you’re a hunt-and-pecker or a touch typist, you should be able to hit the same speed and accuracy as on a normal keyboard. It’s nice to see backlighting, with three levels to choose from, as this is frequently omitted from snap-on keyboards.

The glass-coated touchpad, however, is a little smaller than ideal at 100 x 57mm. If you have big hands, you may struggle to use any four-finger gestures, but we suspect this restriction won’t hinder many people.

Then we come to the Surface Slim Pen 2. This dinky little thing charges wirelessly while in its hiding place, nestled within the Signature Cover, and offers 4,096 pressure levels - theoretically enough for the most demanding digital artists.

There isn’t a friction coating on the screen, with Microsoft instead relying on haptics built into the pen. And, to our surprise, this works well. Drawing on-screen felt natural, with unerring accuracy, and it was a joy to use the Slim Pen 2 to annotate PDFs. It can’t match the true feel of pen against paper, but that’s asking too much.

Speaking of which, the fact that Microsoft charges £100 exc VAT for the Slim Pen 2 on its own means it makes far more sense to buy it as a bundle with the Type Cover for £217 exc VAT.

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 review: Specs and hardware

While we were underwhelmed by the Surface Pro 7+’s benchmark score of 91, the Surface Pro 8, provides the sort of performance bump we would expect with a new Microsoft device launch. Speed increased drastically to 118 in our benchmarks, probably since the device has a Core i7-1185G7, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD.

Despite this score, we wouldn’t necessarily call it a high-performance device. For example, it scored 5,108 in the Geekbench 5's multicore section of our testing, which is significantly behind the M1 MacBook Air’s score of 7,656. However, it competes fairly well against all other Windows ultraportables and we expect it to be a fairly speedy machine for a while when it comes to office-based tasks. Even though you might not consider it to be a rendering giant, it can deliver a good level of graphical performance for simple media tasks through Intel’s Iris XE graphics.

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 review: Battery life

You’ll be pleased to hear that despite the Surface Pro 8’s increased performance over its predecessor, this hasn’t been sacrificed for battery endurance. In our video-rundown trial, we recorded a result of 7hrs 16mins - that's compared to the Pro 7+'s 6hrs 40mins.

We also put it through PCMark’s light-use office test where it survived for a good result of 9hrs 45mins. However, changing the device to 120Hz will hit the battery quite a bit, with total run time dropping to 6hrs 54mins for the video-rundown test and 8hrs 27mins for the PCMark test.

We consider a running time score of greater than eight hours to be more or less ok, but that still leaves us thirsty for more, moreso if you consider the fact that this machine isn’t a thin or light tablet. It has space for a 51.5Wh battery thanks to its increased thickness. We feel that it could be even thicker or heavier to make room to house a bigger battery pack, especially considering that the Microsoft machine is already tricky to hold in one hand because of its weight. When it comes to its charging speed, it’s a little slow as it only supplies 50% charge in 40 minutes, despite the 65W Surface Connect charger being fairly compact.

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 review: Ports and features

You can also charge the Surface Pro via its two USB-C ports, which support USB 4 and Thunderbolt 4. Both standards are extremely welcome, opening up super-quick transfers and the ability to connect external displays - including up to three 10K monitors. The charger provides a USB-A port, which (along with a microSD slot) has been jettisoned from the main chassis in this redesign.

With no microSD card slot, your on-board storage is limited by what you choose at the time of order. The SSD is removable if you have a Torx Plus screwdriver to hand, but you can’t just shove in a third-party SSD as Microsoft says its own rSSDs (the “r” stands for removable) must be used.

This brings us to repairability as a whole, which is far from easy - although at least Microsoft provides a repair guide. You can access the machine’s innards, but we would head to an official repairer rather than attempt this ourselves.

It’s also why Microsoft needs to take a long hard look at the warranty it supplies with its commercial laptops. It’s great that this is advanced exchange, but the basic cover is only for a year. Upgrades are available, either through Microsoft or resellers, but we hope for more at the prices Microsoft charges.

We would steer clear of the cheapest Core i3 version, as that relies on older Intel HD graphics and includes a measly 128GB SSD. It provides a slightly more affordable entry point, but the first spec we would consider is the Core i5 with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, which costs £983 exc VAT.

The top specification is a Core i7 with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD for £2,116 exc VAT, but the configuration on test plots a sensible mid-course for £1,316 exc VAT. Note that all of those prices include Wi-Fi only (Wi-Fi 6, not the more advanced Wi-Fi 6E). And whilst it would have been great to see 5G, only 4G options are currently available, typically for around £100 extra.

Microsoft has long built excellent cameras into its Surface hardware, and the Surface Pro 8 is no exception. For Teams video calls, you’ll rely on the 5MP front-facing camera, which shoots smooth 1080p video at 30fps. It’s matched by a pair of highly effective Studio Mics, and in combination they make this a superb video conferencing tool.

If you need to take photos then switch to the rear 10MP camera, which includes autofocus for added sharpness. While it can’t match the advanced camera systems on flagship phones, there’s plenty of detail and rich colours. It can even extend to 4K video footage at 30fps, but you’ll notice the lack of optical image stabilisation.

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 review: Verdict

As always, the main question is whether or not the Surface Pro 8 is worth the price of admission. The answer boils down to how much you will use its undeniably attractive skills; it’s easy to rip off the keyboard and use this as a tablet, and the stylus works beautifully on that deluxe screen. Or, if you just want to use it as an ultra-portable laptop, it’s perfectly capable of filling that role.

Performance is strong enough to handle everything the average office-based employee will need to accomplish, although we do have our gripes. We wish the battery life was longer, especially bearing in mind its weight when used as a tablet, and come to that, we wish Windows 11 could hold a candle to iPadOS as a tablet operating system.

However, if you’re a Windows-based business and want maximum flexibility from your devices, then the Surface Pro 8 performs its multiple roles better than convertible rivals. The price sticks in the craw, especially considering the brief warranty and the meaty upsell for the keyboard and stylus, but there’s no arguing with the quality.

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 specifications

It seems that, much like climate change, remote working, and Love Island, mid-generation device upgrades are something that we’re just going to have to get used to. The smartphone industry has spent the past several years releasing slightly newer iterations of its devices with minor improvements in between its main flagships, and Microsoft is joining in now, too.

The Surface Pro 7+ is very much the equivalent of an s-model iPhone, aimed at providing a slightly better experience without needing all the bells and whistles of a full generational update. These improvements mainly take the form of a newer and more powerful processor, a removable SSD, and support for 4G connectivity - all of which will be most attractive to enterprise customers. Fittingly, it’s a business-only device, but just because it’s aimed at businesses doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll actually be clamouring to get their hands on it.

Microsoft Surface Pro 7+ review: Design

It uses an almost identical chassis as the original Surface Pro 7. That means the device is the same thickness (8.5mm) and six grams lighter (784g vs 790g) for the Core i7 model on test here (not including the TypeCover keyboard). It’s also got the same ports - the only real difference is the hatch providing access to the SSD, which we’ll discuss in greater detail below.

Unsurprisingly, it’s as visually appealing as we’ve come to expect from the Surface range, which remain some of the most attractive Windows devices on the market. Just like its predecessors, the Surface Pro 7+ is effortlessly functional in its design and elegant without needing flashy design flourishes.

Microsoft Surface Pro 7+ review: Display

Display quality has become another hallmark of the Surface range, and the 7+ does nothing to tarnish that legacy. It mimics the Pro 7 in this arena as well; its 12.3in panel features the same 2736 x 1824 resolution and racked up an identical 92% coverage rating of the sRGB colour gamut in our tests.

This score, combined with an outstanding Delta E rating of 1.1 and a measured contrast ratio of 1405:1, indicates that this panel is superbly accurate, making it ideally suited to colour-sensitive design and creative work. It’s a sterling display all over, rounded out by a luminous maximum brightness of 412cd/m2.

Microsoft Surface Pro 7+ review: TypeCover keyboard

By now, you’re probably sensing a pattern emerging here; the Surface Pro 7+ uses the same TypeCover keyboard as its predecessor, and really there isn’t much more to say. It’s still one of our favourite laptop typing experiences, with crisp action and a responsive, satisfying trackpad, as well as a plush Alcantara covering.

Its positive qualities remain unchanged, but sadly so do its flaws, with the biggest one being the fact that Microsoft continues to charge an additional £150 for the TypeCover. It’s an intrinsic part of the Surface Pro’s appeal, and selling it separately still feels like an unnecessary bit of gouging.

Microsoft Surface Pro 7+ review: Specs and performance

So far, so Surface Pro 7, but where the real changes have been made is under the hood (or in this case, kickstand). The 7+ has now been updated to run on Intel’s latest 11th-gen Tiger Lake processors, stepping up from the 10th-gen Ice Lake chips used in the previous model. It’s available in Core i3, i5 and i7 flavours, and with a maximum of 16GB of RAM - on test is the top-end variant, with a quad-core i7-1165G7 and the full 16GB RAM allocation.

The 7+ offers more than 2x faster performance compared to the Surface Pro 7, according to Microsoft. However, it didn’t quite live up to these promises in our benchmark tests. It managed an overall score of 91, which is an improvement of around a third compared to the earlier model and puts it about on par with the XPS 13 that Dell released in early 2020.

Looking at the individual test results was a little more revealing; in the image editing test, it soared ahead with a score of 135, while it lagged behind in the video and multi-tasking tests. This indicates that while this machine will perform capably enough when asked to handle strenuous multi-tasking or when running multi-threaded apps, where it really shines is single-core processing.

That’s a little disappointing. While strong single-threaded performance at the expense of multi-tasking may potentially be acceptable in a workstation, the Surface Pro is aimed at general-purpose users who will likely be bouncing between a number of different tasks and applications. Another point to note is that the rear of this device gets distinctly toasty when under load, and we measured CPU temperatures of around 50 degrees when running at full pelt. Fan noise is also noticeable, although not as disruptively loud as on some machines.

Still, the performance on show here isn’t bad, and you certainly won’t struggle with anything in a day-to-day context. It even handled video editing well. You’re also not likely to find better speeds in this form factor - at least, not until someone builds a Ryzen-powered equivalent.

Storage, meanwhile, is a notable feature. Not for the speed of the SSD itself, which is a rather middling affair - in the AS SSD benchmark, it notched up sequential read and write speeds of 1,849 MB/sec and 631 MB/sec respectively - but for the fact that the drive can now be accessed without sending the whole kit and caboodle back to base.

There’s a small hatch on the rear of the unit that can be popped open to reveal an M.2 2230 SSD which can be freely removed. Microsoft is at great pains to point out that the drive should only be removed by “a skilled technician following Microsoft instructions”, but it’s an extremely simple procedure that’s no more complicated than replacing the SSD in a standard desktop. All you’ll need is a 3IP Torx-Plus screwdriver, and you’re good to go.

Microsoft seems to be under the impression that the main reason to do this is to ensure that any data on it remains secure if the device needs to be serviced offsite, but we’re not sure we agree; replacing a failed drive or upgrading to a better model seems like it would be more applicable to most businesses. However, Microsoft doesn’t sell replacement SSD kits outside the US, and doesn’t support or validate any third-party SSDs for use in the device, so all told, this may be less useful than it initially appears.

Microsoft Surface Pro 7+ review: Battery life

Battery life is another area where Microsoft has supposedly made improvements over the Surface Pro 7, increasing the battery size from 46.5Wh to 50.4Wh and pairing that with software improvements to deliver up to 15 hours of charge.

That’s the claim, anyway. Sadly, in practise, we found that not only did the Surface Pro 7+ fail to deliver a full day’s usage before dying, but it’s also actually noticeably worse than the Surface Pro 7. In our battery tests, which involve playing a looped video in airplane mode with the screen brightness set to 170cd/m2, the Pro 7+ only lasted 6hrs 40mins. That’s 40mins short of what the Pro 7 achieved, and that’s without using the 4G connectivity that this machine sells itself on.

Real-world usage was a little better; from a full charge, the Surface Pro 7+ only lasted around six hours of moderate usage before giving up the ghost, and that number dropped to around three hours when seriously taxing the processor. The sole bright spot is the 65W fast-charging capability, which managed to restore around 50% of the device’s charge after an hour.

Microsoft Surface Pro 7+ review: Ports and features

As expected, there’s not much to mention in the way of additional features. The headline feature is the option for 4G connectivity, although it’s slightly disappointing that Microsoft didn’t push the boat out on a 5G-compatible modem, as this could have given the 7+ a greater appeal for those looking for portable productivity.

Aside from that, however, it’s largely the same as the Pro 7 - Wi-Fi 6 support, a USB-C and USB-A port, facial recognition via Windows Hello, 1.6W Dolby Atmos speakers and dual far-field microphones for videoconferencing. There’s also a microSD card slot for expanding the storage, although this is only available on the Wi-Fi version, rather than the 4G model.

It’s as robust a specification as ever, and although there’s little to set it apart from its predecessor, there’s nothing really missing either. Built-in mobile connectivity is a handy addition for those that need it, and the Surface Pro 7 + does everything it needs to.

Microsoft Surface Pro 7+ review: Verdict

Having taken stock of the changes Microsoft has made to the Surface Pro 7+, we’re really not sure why it merited launching as an entirely separate device. At its core, the only differences between this device and the Surface Pro 7 are a faster processor, a removable SSD and the option for mobile internet - none of which really feel like they’re worth all this fanfare.

The ‘improved’ chip, in particular, feels like a stumble; while it’s around a third faster than its predecessor overall, and significantly better for single-core tasks, this comes at the expense of battery life which feels like a rather grim calculus. The vanilla Surface Pro 7 didn’t exactly feel sluggish, and on balance we’d rather have the security of a bit of extra day-to-day longevity.

On paper, the Surface Pro 7+ makes for a better option than the regular model; it’s faster, with more serviceable components and greater flexibility thanks to its 4G capabilities. The poor battery life isn’t exactly ideal, but it’s almost balanced out by the speedy fast-charging. However, the Surface Pro 7 is more than a year old at this point, and there’s a good chance you can pick one up for significantly cheaper than the cost of an equivalent 7+.

In fact, at the time of writing, Microsoft’s own business storefront is selling a Surface Pro 7 bundle for more than £300 cheaper than the combined cost of a Pro 7+ and the essential TypeCover keyboard. While the newer version sports a couple of improvements, they’re not enough to make it that much more appealing than its older sibling.

Microsoft Surface Pro 7+ specifications

The launch of a larger Surface Laptop 3 should be cause for celebration - last year’s Surface Laptop 2 was a fine ultraportable, and the prospect of an updated successor with more screen space to work with was, initially, a very exciting one.

After some time with the Surface Laptop 3 15in, however, it’s hard not to come away disappointed. While succeeding and even excelling on core aspects like build quality and, yes, the display, Microsoft’s decision to fit all 15in configurations with an AMD Ryzen chip instead of sticking with the 13.5in Surface Laptop 3’s Intel Ice Lake CPUs proves to be a grave error.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15in review: Design

First, here’s something that the bigger Surface Laptop 3 gets right. Outwardly, it is literally an upsized take on the 13.5in model, which means the same neatly angled shape and the same tough-but-classy magnesium alloy construction. You can choose between a plain metal finish or with hydrophobic Alcantara fabric around the keyboard; to our eyes, the former looks more grown-up, especially on the matte black version we were sent.

It measures a modest 339.5x244x14.7mm, so is only a hair thicker than the 13.5in model, and its 1.5kg weight is easily manageable. There’s a likeable straightforwardness to this design: it’s not overly flashy, but it is as handsome and portable as you’d want from a laptop this expensive.

The speakers are great too. In fact, they’re easily among the best laptop speakers of any we’ve used, which admittedly isn’t saying much - they’re still light on bass - but the relative thickness of the sound is instantly noticeable. As is the lack of sibilance when the volume is cranked up, which can be pushed to surprising heights.

What’s more, because the sound is emitted from behind the keyboard, there’s no difference in sound depending on what surface the Surface is on. That should please anyone who’s muffled underside-mounted speakers with their legs.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15in review: Display

Surface Laptops have always benefited from high-spec, touch-enabled displays, and the Surface Laptop 3 15in might well have the best one yet. It has the same, tall 3:2 aspect ratio as the rest of the family, but with a bit of extra height and width - so it’s better than ever for reading long documents or working with multiple windows. 2,496x1,664 is a weird-sounding resolution, but here it’s more than enough to keep everything looking pin-sharp.

Content producers will also be pleased with how well the screen performs on a more technical level. Peak brightness reaches a high 399cd/m2, and by covering 97.4% of the SRGB gamut, colours look handsomely rich. The highlight, though, is colour accuracy: we measured an average delta-E of just 0.66, low enough to qualify the Surface Laptop 3 for professional photo and video editing.

The only weakness is the reflectiveness of the screen’s glossy finish, but the high brightness helps keep things readable.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15in review: Keyboard and trackpad

Despite upsizing, the keyboard and trackpad are exactly the same as on the 13.5in model. Again, that’s no real issue, because both are brilliant. Key sizing and spacing are perfectly judged, and the slight concave shape of the keycaps - a new addition for the 3rd generation - creates a more natural feel. Travel is on the shallow size but still sufficient, and the switch mechanisms are crisp and responsive.

The trackpad is smooth and fast, too. The lack of a size increase doesn’t matter as it’s already pretty spacious, and the diving board-style button switches have a pleasantly substantial feel to them.

Of course, you can also use the touchscreen for inputs. It’s not as vital as it would be in a convertible, but it works well enough if you’re inclined.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15in review: Specs and performance

The biggest internal difference between the 15in and 13.5in models is that while the latter all use 10th-gen Intel Ice Lake chips, all 15in variants are powered by AMD Ryzen processors. Our model, for instance, is built around the quad-core Ryzen 5 3580U - a Surface Laptop exclusive, no less. It’s backed up by 16GB of RAM, integrated Vega 9 graphics and a 256GB SSD, making it the second-highest spec available after the sole Ryzen 7 3780U option (£1,708 excluding VAT).

Sadly, our 4K benchmarks suggest the bigger laptop has got the shorter end of the stick. Its overall score of 92 fails to even match the 102 scored by the 13.5in Surface Laptop 3 we tested; that has an ostensibly higher-end CPU, the Intel Core i7-1065G7, but costs £125 less. It’s also downright embarrassed by the Dell XPS 15 9570 from 2018, which managed 178.

The Surface Laptop 3 15in also underwhelmed in GeekBench 4, scoring 3,934 in the single-core test and 11,386 in the multicore test. Again, its smaller, cheaper sibling performed better, scoring 5,517 and 18,492 respectively.

At least the NVMe SSD produced a decent 1,511MB/sec read speed in the AS SSD benchmark, although its 498MB/sec write speed is well below the NVMe platform’s capabilities.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15in review: Battery

We’ve repeatedly seen Ryzen-powered laptops suffer from shorter-than-expected battery life, and the Surface Laptop 3 15in is unfortunately another to add to the list. There are less enduring laptops, to be fair, but its 7hr 34mins result in our video rundown test is still something of a letdown. The 13.5in version managed 8h 10m, and although the XPS 15 only lasted 7h 15m, it had a much thirstier 4K screen to account for.

You might be able to squeak through a full shift without visiting the mains, but you’d need to lower the screen brightness and be frugal with wireless use.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15in review: Ports and features

Speaking of wireless, the Ryzen chip doesn’t just confer mediocre performance and suspect battery life: it also doesn’t support 802.11ax, also known as Wi-Fi 6, so you won’t be able to take advantage of the new standard’s faster speeds. Most galling of all is that the Intel chips within the 13.5in models do support 802.11ax, so you’d be literally paying more for less.

Conversely, there’s exact parity on physical ports: one full-size USB 3.1 port, one USB-C port and a headphone jack. This is hardly a generous bounty, but the inclusion of USB-C is one significant upgrade on the Surface Laptop 2: because it can carry video, data and power all at once, it’s a lot more versatile than the mini DisplayPort it replaces, even if it’s not full-fat Thunderbolt 3.

Features-wise, Windows 10 Pro provides all the usual security and IT management tools business users should be used to - Bitlocker encryption being a particular highlight - and although there’s no fingerprint sensor, you’re not without biometrics. The Windows Hello camera nestled in the top bezel makes for a quick and convenient alternative to passwords, via facial recognition.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15in review: Verdict

The Surface Laptop 3 15in is often fantastic; it’s finely crafted and comfortable to use, and that screen is one of the best in its class. However, that also makes it hurt harder when it settles for less in the performance and connectivity departments.

On that note, much of what is good about the Surface Laptop 3 15in can be had in the 13.5in version for less money - and if it’s power you’re after, the XPS 15 remains a good choice even years after launch. That leaves the 15in model as a laptop that dabbles in greatness, but ultimately doesn’t make for a very compelling purchase.

The Surface Pro 7 is in the unenviable position of having a large weight of expectations to shoulder. Not only does it have to reinvigorate the Surface Pro range after last year's somewhat disappointing entry, it's also waving the flag for Intel's 10nm Ice Lake chips as one of the first mainstream devices to carry them.

More importantly, it's also fending off competition from a resurgent Apple, and a host of other challengers. In short, there's a lot riding on the Surface Pro 7 to succeed.

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 review: Design

Microsoft evidently hit on a winning formula with the design of the Surface Pro range, and it has remained largely unchanged for the past several years. The Surface Pro 7 does not break with this tradition, and you may struggle to tell this device apart from its predecessor by looks alone. There's one key difference in terms of the available ports - which we'll talk more about later - but beyond that, it sports the same smooth planes and sharp angles that have defined the Surface Pro for years.

It's practically identical in terms of size and weight, too. It's 8.3mm thick with a weight of 775g (or 790g for the Core i7 version), which sounds nice and lightweight, but bear in mind that this doesn't take the TypeCover into account. With that included it goes up to around 1kg in weight and roughly 13mm thick - not exactly bloated, but not as featherweight as it appears.

Still, that's a relatively small gripe and, on balance, the Surface Pro 7 is still one of the best-designed 2-in-1s on the market. It looks sleek, professional and distinctive, and it's portable enough to be convenient without sacrificing any of its reliability or functionality.

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 review: Display

There's not much to say about the Pro 7's screen; it's still a 12.3in panel with a 2,736 x 1,824 resolution, so not much has changed on the technical front. However, the same was true of the Surface Pro 6, and that display still managed to score slightly worse than its predecessor for visual quality.

Happily, this trend has been reversed. While a 92% coverage of the sRGB colour gamut doesn't quite match the lofty heights of the 2017 Surface Pro, it's an improvement over the 88% achieved by the Surface Pro 6.

By default, the display is set to an 'enhanced mode' which attempts to mimic the DCI-P3 colour gamut, but we swiftly switch this off as it didn't really have much impact. By and large, it's a great machine for media editing - although we did notice some intermittent issues where the contrast would suddenly drop. Otherwise, it's every bit as polished as we've come to expect from the Surface line.

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 review: Keyboard and trackpad

Again, there's very little to say here that we haven't said about the Surface Pro 6's TypeCover and Surface Pen accessories, as they haven't changed particularly. Both still offer an excellent experience; the Pen is fantastically sensitive for detailed graphics work and the keyboard - including 1.3mm travel distance - is the most satisfying typing experience we've seen on a 2-in-1 to date.

The biggest change is that the Pen and TypeCover are now available in a range of additional colours, including 'Poppy Red', 'Ice Blue' and 'Light Charcoal'. The new red accessories are particularly eye-catching, and they're all backwards-compatible with previous Surface devices.

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 review: Specs and performance

Elements like the TypeCover keyboard and the display may not have changed all that much, but the real updates here are under the hood. The Surface Pro 7 uses Intel's newest 10th-generation Ice Lake processors, which are among the first models to be built with Intel's 10nm fabrication process.

The Pro 7 comes with either a Core i3, Core i5 or Core i7 chip, and we were expecting the arrival of Intel's long-awaited 10nm offering to herald better performance, improved battery life, or ideally both. Unfortunately, we were disappointed on all counts.

In addition to 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, our review unit was fitted with a quad-core Intel Core i7-1065G7 - the most powerful configuration available. Despite this, an overall score of 68 in our benchmark tests showed that its performance was nearly identical to the Core i5 Surface Pro 6. In fact, the new Surface Pro 7 is less than 15% more powerful than the 2017 model, which isn't exactly impressive.

That said, it's not a slow machine. Indeed, the performance is more than capable of seeing you through the workday, and it's sophisticated enough to cope with both intense multitasking and multi-threaded applications. The addition of Ice Lake's 'Iris Plus' integrated graphics also means it'll chew through video and media jobs better than ever before.

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 review: Battery

We'd be prepared to stomach a negligible (or nonexistent) boost in performance if it meant that Microsoft was able to optimise power efficiency and squeeze more juice out of the battery, but it hasn't managed to do that either.

In our tests, the Surface Pro 7 lasted 7hrs 20mins, which isn't as good as some of the other ultraportables we've tested this year, such as the Huawei Matebook X Pro with its 9hrs 14mins battery life. It's also more than half an hour worse than the Surface Pro 6's score, despite the supposedly more efficient chip. This is particularly galling; the Surface Pro's performance was arguably as good as it needed to be already, but that battery life isn't as good as its primary competitor, the iPad Pro - and it's now even worse.

Microsoft has at least added fast-charging capability to the Surface Pro 7, which promises 80% battery after just an hour on charge. Thanks to the inclusion of USB-C, it can also charge while connected to an external display.

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 review: Ports and features

Yes, you read that correctly; Microsoft has finally joined the rest of us in the modern world and added a USB-C port to its flagship hybrid. It's not Thunderbolt-3 compatible, which means slightly slower data transfer speeds, but you'll still get power, data and display.

Gratifyingly, the USB-A port has also made the transition, so you won't have to faff around with adapters for the sake of plugging in peripherals. The Mini DisplayPort has been given the old heave-ho, but it's hardly much of a loss at this point.

The new Surface also sports a brand new pair of far-field 'Studio Mics', which Microsoft says are designed specifically for video conferencing, picking up and isolating vocal patterns while minimising background noise. Elsewhere, the usual suite of expected features are here - including support for Windows Hello, Surface Pen and Surface Dial - as well as support for 802.11ax-compatible Wi-Fi 6 technology.

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 review: Verdict

After spending some time with the Surface Pro 7, we find ourselves somewhat conflicted. On one hand, it's not as impressive a technical showing as we were expecting; the new Ice Lake chip barely managed to match the Core i5 processor from last year's Surface Pro 6, and the battery life was similarly lacklustre. Aside from the increased graphical grunt brought by the new graphics chip, there's scant improvement from the 2017 model in terms of raw performance.

On the other hand, the 2017 model was an incredibly impressive device, and the primary complaint we had with both it and its predecessor was the lack of USB-C support. With that having been addressed, does it matter that there haven't been many advances in other areas?

The short answer is yes. Apple has made great strides in making the iPad more business-friendly thanks to things like iPadOS, a file browser and a desktop-style dock, and although it can't run many full-fat business applications, it'll handle SaaS apps like a champ. If you need to run Windows, either for reasons of compatibility or familiarity, then there are a number of alternative devices which will be able to match the Surface Pro 7 on price and performance, if not on looks or software features.

Despite all this, though, the latest Surface Pro is still an outstanding device. Performance is more than adequate, it's got the most attractive form-factor going, and it's the best showcase for the power of Windows 10. It's a great machine - it just doesn't stand out amongst the competition as much as it used to.

Microsoft has built up quite a range of hardware over the last few years, and one of its best creations has been the Surface Laptop family – a series of slim, straightforward laptops that easily outperform the MacBook Air and even challenge Dell’s seductive XPS 13.

Now the third-generation models are here, in both the familiar 13in size and new 15in models. They look just as sleek and simple as their predecessors, but they boast a few nifty new features and upgrades.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13in review: Design

The Surface Laptop look has always been somewhat minimalist, characterised by clean lines with few showy flourishes. The aesthetic borrows a certain amount from the Apple MacBook Pro, although the Alcantara fabric that surrounds the keyboard provides a distinctive design touch.

That philosophy hasn’t changed in the third generation, and indeed there’s very little visible difference between the new 13in models and older ones. However, Microsoft is offering a new sandstone finish (which we’d say is somewhere between bronze and rose gold), and if you pick a 13in model in either this or the standard black colourway then it’ll now come with a machined aluminium finish in place of the Alcantara.

At the same time, the burgundy option has been ditched – a shame, in our view – so if you still want the fabric surround then you’ll have to make do with either Cobalt Blue or regular grey.

Whichever you choose, the Surface Laptop looks as swish as ever, and is just as portable as its predecessor, with functionally identical dimensions and weight. At 1.3kg, it’s not the lightest laptop we’ve ever tested, but it’s not at all burdensome to carry around all day.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13in review: Display

At first glance you might not notice anything new about the screen on the 13in Surface Laptop 3. It’s the same size as the one on the Surface Laptop 2, with the same resolution of 2256 x 1504 (which translates to a pixel density of 201ppi) – and of course it still supports 10-point multitouch.

However, the panel is a new model which, Microsoft proudly declares, offers better contrast, brightness and viewing angles than to the previous model. This is all true, but the benefit isn’t really significant. We measured a peak luminance of 364cd/m², meaning the Surface Laptop 3 is just over 5% brighter, while contrast is improved by just 1%.

Colour reproduction is only marginally improved too, with the Surface Laptop covering 97.5% of the sRGB colour space – although to get the best results you’ll want to switch off the “enhanced” colour mode, which is on by default and tries (poorly) to emulate a DCI-P3 panel.

While it’s hard to get excited about these improvements, it’s important to remember that the Surface Laptop 2’s screen was already as good as you could ask from a business machine. You won’t have any complaints about the bright, punchy display on the Surface Laptop 3.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13in review: Keyboard and trackpad

Perhaps the biggest change to the physical design of the Surface Laptop 3 is the expanded trackpad. It’s around 20% larger than on previous models, giving you greater freedom to swipe your finger around. While not revolutionary, it’s a definite quality-of-life improvement, and happily the pad itself is as smooth and responsive as last year’s model.

The keyboard, meanwhile, looks exactly the same as ever, and typing still feels crisp and responsive, with firm feedback and a pleasant clicky feeling to the keys. The travel distance has been reduced from 1.5mm to 1.3mm, but you have to be really looking for the difference to notice it. In all, as with previous models, it’s a keyboard you can happily work at all day.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13in review: Specs and hardware

While the external changes to the Surface Laptop 3 are quite subtle, the internal hardware gets a more thorough revamp. Microsoft has made some pretty bold claims about performance, promising twice the speed of its predecessor and three times that of the MacBook Air (although this isn’t much of a boast, since the Air uses an ultra-lightweight Y-series CPU).

This increased power comes courtesy of Intel’s newest 10nm Ice Lake processors. As with the second-generation models, you’ll get the choice of Core i5 and Core i7 variants, using either the i5-1035G7 with 8GB of RAM, or the i7-1065G7 with 16GB.

In our testing, the difference between these two configurations was stark; while the Core i7 model clocked up a meaty overall score of 104 – as we’d expect from a 10th-gen processor with adequate cooling – the Core i5 model managed an overall result of just 64. We were expecting a little more oomph out of it, despite the fact that it’s a Core i5, and to put it in perspective, the Surface Laptop 2’s Core i5 chip scored 20 points higher.

That’s disappointing, but it also throws the Surface Pro 7’s result into sharp relief – that only achieved four more points than the Core i5 Laptop 3, despite having an i7 chip. In practical terms, both configurations of the Surface Laptop 3 will be plenty powerful for day-to-day tasks and even some light photo editing, but anything more strenuous and the Core i5 will start to creak a little. If you’re wanting a machine that can handle slightly more demanding workloads, it’s worth splashing out on the Core i7.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13in review: Battery

Thankfully, battery life is one area where there have been a few unequivocal improvements. A score of 8hrs 48mins for the Core i5 model in our battery tests is more than an hour and a half better than its predecessor, and we’re gratified to see that the Core i7’s battery life is only half an hour shorter.

The inclusion of proper a USB-C port means that you’re no longer shackled to the proprietary charging cable, but there are advantages to lugging it around. The main benefit is that fast-charging is now on offer, and Microsoft claims that just one hour of charging will see the machine back at 80% power.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13in review: Ports and features

Aside from the fancy new processors, the biggest change with the Surface Laptop 3 (and indeed all of Microsoft’s newly-announced products) is the addition of one of fans’ most commonly-requested features: a USB C port.

Microsoft is very late to the game in this regard, and both previous Surface Laptops have made do with a USB A and a mini Displayport, but the company has finally gotten with the times and replaced the latter with a proper USB C 3.1 Gen 2 port, supporting power, data and display output. There’s no Thunderbolt 3 support, sadly, but hey – baby steps, right?

What there is support for, however, is Wi-Fi 6, which should mean you’re future-proofed for the upcoming generation of wireless routers. Another business-friendly feature is the twin ‘Studio’ microphones which, combined with the ‘Omnisonic’ speakers, have been designed for better video and conference calls.

Last but not least: the most intriguing new feature is that, according to the manufacturer, the Surface Laptop 3 is ‘modular’. This sounds a lot fancier than it actually is – in reality, it just means that the device is user-repairable – but it’s still an absolutely fascinating move. The four rubber feet on the underside of the laptop pop off to reveal screw holes, which can be undone to allow the keyboard to be removed, providing access the internal components.

The SSD, in particular, is fitted to be easily replaceable, and the whole thing has been designed to be more serviceable and repairable. It should be noted, however, that this is explicitly aimed at enterprise clients; the process requires special tools and instructions, which will only be provided to authorised entities like approved technicians and partners. Still, for large enterprises, this will be a welcome feature that puts Microsoft in a much better position to take on enterprise-friendly vendors like Fujitsu and Dell.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13in review: Verdict

Despite a handful of shortcomings, the Surface Laptop 2 was one of our favourite devices of last year, thanks to a sleek design and capable performance. The third entry in the series has addressed the main niggles that we had, and aside from lacklustre performance in the Core i5 model, there’s really not much at all to complain about.

As far as do-it-all business laptops go, the Surface Laptop 3 is one of the better examples we’ve seen. Portable, well-built and decently powerful at the top end, the Surface Laptop has surpassed the MacBook Air and is now on track to challenge the MacBook Pro.

Spare a thought for the poor Surface Pro 7; once the crown jewel of Microsoft's first-party hardware, the launch of the latest iteration has been somewhat overshadowed by news of the long-rumoured 'Surface phone', a foldable tablet and a Snapdragon-powered Surface Pro.

There are some very good reasons why you should be paying attention to the surface Pro 7, however. Not only has it fixed one of the range's biggest and most glaring issues, it's also beefed up its performance capabilities with some seriously promising internal hardware. It's available to pre-order now and hitting shelves 22 October, with a starting price of $749 - so what does it have in store?

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 hands-on review: Design

Microsoft evidently hit on a winning formula with the design of the Surface Pro range, and it has remained largely unchanged for the past several years. The Surface Pro 7 does not break with this tradition, and you may struggle to tell this device apart from its predecessor by looks alone. There's one key difference in terms of the available ports - which we'll talk more about later - but beyond that, it sports the same smooth planes and sharp angles that have defined the Surface Pro for years.

It's practically identical in terms of size and weight, too. It's 8.3mm thick with a weight of 775g (or 790g for the Core i7 version), which sounds nice and lightweight, but bear in mind that this doesn't take the TypeCover into account. With that included it goes up to around 1kg in weight and roughly 13mm thick - not exactly bloated, but not as featherweight as it appears.

Still, that's a relatively small gripe and on balance, the Surface Pro 7 is still one of the best-designed 2-in-1s on the market. It looks sleek, professional and distinctive, and it's portable enough to be convenient without sacrificing any of its reliability or functionality.

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 hands-on review: Display

There's not much to say about Pro 7's screen; it's still a 12.3in panel with a 2,736 x 1,824 resolution, so not much appears to have changed on the technical front. However, the same was true of the Surface Pro 6, and that display still managed to score slightly worse than its predecessor for visual quality.

The display has traditionally been a high point of Microsoft's Surface devices, so hopefully the company has managed to address this with the Pro 7. Initial impressions are good - brightness, clarity and colour representation all look strong - but it's difficult to say for sure without properly testing the display with a colourimeter.

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 hands-on review: TypeCover keyboard and Surface Pen

Again, there's very little to say here that we haven't said about the Surface Pro 6's TypeCover and Surface Pen accessories, as they don't appear to have changed particularly. Both still offer an excellent experience; the Pen is fantastically sensitive for detailed graphics work and the keyboard - including 1.3mm travel distance - is the most satisfying typing experience we've seen on a 2-in-1 to date.

The biggest change is that the Pen and TypeCover are now available in a range of additional colours, including 'Poppy Red', 'Ice Blue' and 'Light Charcoal'. The new red accessories are particularly eye-catching, and they're all backwards-compatible with previous Surface devices.

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 hands-on review: Specs and hardware

Last year's Surface Pro bumped the processor from dual-core to quad-core, but the newest model looks set to offer another significant change. That's because it will come with Intel's latest 10th-gen Ice Lake processors - the first of its new 10nm range. That promises a fairly major speed boost, and although it's hard to know exactly how much, we're expecting it to be very snappy indeed.

The Surface Pro 7 will come in Core i3, i5 and i7 variants, and the version we tried featured an quad-core Intel Core i7-1065G7 chip. It's rather gratifying to see the Core i3 configuration added back in, after the previous generation saw the removal of the more budget-friendly Core m3 option.

It's not confirmed what the specific impact of shifting to 10nm will be, but Microsoft is claiming 2x better graphics performance from the i7 variant - thanks in part to its Iris Plus integrated graphics. Unlike the other models, the i7 is fan-cooled, but we'll have to wait and see whether that's enough to combat potential throttling issues.

RAM allocations range from 4GB to 16GB of 3,733MHz LPDDR4 memory, with between 128GB and 1TB of SSD storage. Unfortunately, it's hard to get a true sense of how performant the Pro 7 is based on the limited time we had with the device, but as one of the first real tastes of Intel's long-awaited 10nm chips, there's a significant weight of expectation on its shoulders.

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 hands-on review: Ports and features

A new generation of Intel silicon is certainly exciting, but in truth, we're at least as excited about the other major change - the one that we alluded to earlier. That's right, Microsoft has finally joined the rest of us in the year 2019 and added USB-C to the Surface range. Replacing the old (and somewhat obsolete) Mini DisplayPort connector, the Pro 7 now has a USB-C 3.1 Gen2 connector, while also gratifyingly keeping the full-size USB-A port as well.

The USB-C port doesn't support Thunderbolt 3, sadly - Microsoft is still steering customers towards its proprietary Surface-branded docking stations for high-speed data transfer - but it does provide the full gamut of power, data and display transfer capabilities. This is a huge feature for businesses in particular, enabling agile working and hot-desking scenarios as well as allowing for increased consolidation of peripherals and connectors. The previous Surface got a well-deserved dressing-down for omitting USB-C, so it's gratifying to see Microsoft finally coming to its senses.

Elsewhere, there are two new 'Studio Mics' - a pair of far-field microphones designed to hone in on speech while eliminating background noise, for the purposes of improving the quality of things like video calls. Again, this will be a bigger relief to business users than anyone else. Improved stylus support has also been introduced to Office 365 alongside the Surface Pro 7, allowing users to write directly into Excel spreadsheets and edit word documents via inked notations - but these aren't necessarily specific to the Pro 7.

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 hands-on review: Early verdict

In many ways, the Surface Pro 7 feels like an indication that Microsoft has reached the limits of what it can do with the traditional Surface Pro design. While Intel's 10th-gen processors could offer a substantial performance boost, outside of the internal hardware, the iterative changes are getting smaller and less impactful with each successive generation. With the introduction of USB-C, Microsoft has fixed the Surface Pro's only real flaw, which begs the question - where is there to go?

The newly-announced Surface Neo and Surface Pro X may provide some clue as to the answer, but while the Surface Pro 7 may represent the culmination of Microsoft's flagship range, it still looks like an outstanding piece of hardware. It will have to prove its mettle in our benchmarks before we can say for certain, but ba

We’re currently living in something of a topsy turvy time. If you need more evidence of that, look no further than the fact that Apple is now the company making predictable, safe laptops while Microsoft is experimenting with bold new ideas. The latest of these is the Surface Pro X - a first-party Microsoft Surface device that’s powered not by Intel, but by a Qualcomm-produced ARM processor.

This may sound like madness, but there’s method to it. The Pro X is designed to take advantage of 4G connectivity and uses a Qualcomm chip in order to maintain strong battery life while it does so. The rub, however, is that it can’t run the full gamut of x86 Windows apps.

Microsoft Surface Pro X review: Design

The design of the Pro X is immediately familiar; it's essentially just a more rounded (and thinner) version of the well-established Surface Pro design. It's attractive enough, although a little dull-looking compared to the regular Surface Pro. The round edges look much more generic than the distinctive angles and lines of the Pro's frame, and while matte black is a safe, professional colour, making it the only option is a shame when the rest of the range is so vibrant.

It's also amazingly petite, weighing just 774g (sans keyboard) and measuring 7.3mm thick. That's very portable indeed (if not quite as portable as the Acer Swift 7) but it may also have its downsides. A chassis that thin leaves little room for cooling, for example, and it does have a tendency to get a little toasty if you push it too hard.

The super-thin bezels are an interesting choice, too. Microsoft has boasted that it's crammed a 13in display into a 12in form factor, but in doing so, it's dramatically reduced the size of the screen bezels. The generally-accepted wisdom with any touch-centric device is that thicker bezels are an acceptable (or even desirable) trade-off in exchange for not accidentally pressing stuff with your thumb whenever you hold it like a tablet, but it's hard to deny that it does look good. In fact, for all its ‘safe’ design, it does exude an air of premium quality.

Using it in tablet mode, it didn't feel like we could get quite as comfortable a grip without obscuring the screen as on previous devices, but that's not necessarily a deal-breaker since we generally find ourselves using Surface devices in laptop mode 90% of the time anyway. One thing that was a little more annoying is that we found it harder than usual to get the necessary purchase to open up the hinge.

Microsoft Surface Pro X review: Display

If you do want to use it as a tablet, however, you won't be disappointed. As previously mentioned, it's a 13in panel and unsurprisingly, it's sporting the Surface range's standard 3:2 aspect ratio, along with a highly commendable resolution of 2880 x 1920 - higher than the Surface Laptop 3, along with most other ultraportables on the market. It's crisp, sharp, bright and, as our testing revealed, it lives up to the exceedingly high standard set by previous Surface devices.

A brightness of 425cd/m2 is up there with the best laptops - better than the Surface Pro 7, for example, but a little behind the outstanding 538cd/m2 registered by the outstanding Dell XPS 13 2-in-1. Its 91.7% coverage of the sRGB colour gamut and 1,394:1 contrast ratio further demonstrate its bonafides - but as with the Surface Pro 7, be sure to change the slightly wonky ‘enhanced’ colour profile to sRGB in the display settings.

By the looks of Microsoft’s marketing, the Pro X is primarily being sold as a business device, but artists and designers will be relieved to hear that - in terms of display fidelity, at any rate - it’s just as well-equipped for creative work like the rest of its stablemates.

Microsoft Surface Pro X review: TypeCover keyboard and Surface Pen

What more is there to say about Microsoft’s TypeCover keyboard that we haven’t said already? It’s the best removable keyboard around (and up there with the best overall), and this iteration doesn’t change anything about the core experience - although the Alcantara covering doesn’t feel as plush as we remember previous keyboards feeling. It's almost identical to the old one, with a single glaring exception - it now has a space hollowed out of it to house the all-new, slimmed-down Surface Pen. The new pen is nestled just at the top of the keyboard, in the strip that magnetically connects to the front of the screen in order to tilt the keyboard slightly.

It's a great idea; we've been crying out for a better, more efficient way to take the Surface Pen with us while we're out and about, and this is a solid option. The pen also charges whenever it magnetically clips into the slot, and it will be fully backwards-compatible with previous surfaces, complete with the digital eraser on the other end of the pen.

The new housing is convenient for transporting the pen and solves the problem of the Surface Pen coming detached from its magnetic slot on the side of the regular Surface Pro (which you can still use here if you prefer). On the other hand, removing the stylus from its slot involves detaching it from the screen, removing the pen and reattaching the keyboard, which is a little awkward.

After a short adjustment period, the pen itself isn’t too uncomfortable to use; the slimmed-down design is slightly less intuitive to hold, but the technology behind it is as smooth and fluid as ever.

Microsoft Surface Pro X review: Specs and performance

It's all well and good talking about the accessories, but everyone knows that it's what's inside that counts - and nowhere is this more accurate than with the Pro X. This is the first Surface device to be built using Qualcomm Snapdragon hardware, but Microsoft has done more than simply sticking a Snapdragon 855 in it and calling it a day.

Instead, it's co-engineered an entirely new hardware platform specifically for the Pro X, which it's calling the 'Microsoft SQ1' chipset. The rub is that this is an ARM chip - which is an issue for compatibility, as it means it won’t natively run any applications built for Intel chips (which means basically all of them). To get around this issue, Microsoft has built an emulation engine allowing the Pro X to run 32-bit Windows applications.

We were expecting a severely spotty performance from these emulated 32-bit apps, but we have to admit that we were pleasantly surprised. It’s not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but Adobe’s latest Photoshop software ran with only occasional complaints. We experienced intermittent crashes - an issue that we also found with Chrome tabs - but aside from that, the performance was better than we’d expected.

The crashes are far from ideal, and the compatibility issue is still a problem even outside of this. For example, there are some apps that simply aren’t available as either an ARM or a 32-bit Windows version - so the Pro X won’t be able to run them at all. One case in point is Adobe’s Lightroom and Premiere Pro applications.

Elsewhere, there's an Adreno 685 iGPU and either 8GB or 16GB of RAM. Our review unit came with 16GB, and it powered the Pro X to an unexpectedly capable result in our benchmark tests. In the Geekbench 5 tests, the Pro X racked up single and multi-core results of 736 and 2,891 - less than 10% behind the Core i7 Surface Pro 7. In other words, it’s got the raw horsepower to cope with even demanding business workloads, assuming the software can support it.

We did, however, have one weird issue where the tablet’s gyroscope kept getting confused and briefly activating its autorotate function for a split second, locking us out of whatever we were doing - it’s not a massive issue - but it was frequent and disrupting enough to be annoying.

Microsoft Surface Pro X review: Battery

Microsoft has focused on power-efficiency with the SQ1 chipset, and the goal of the device is to provide ‘all-day connectivity’. Thankfully, this goal has pretty much been achieved, as evidenced by its score of 9hrs 3mins in our battery tests. That’s better than the Pro 7 by some two hours and strong enough to stand up against any other Windows ultraportable.

It also shares the same fast-charging features as the rest of the new Surface devices, offering a 70% increase in battery levels after just an hour's charging. Like most of the range, it charges via Microsoft’s proprietary Surface Connector, but thanks to its USB-C ports (which we’ll cover in more detail shortly), it also charges when attached to an external monitor or docking station, which is very handy indeed.

Microsoft Surface Pro X review: Ports and features

As with all of Microsoft's latest Surface products, the Pro X is sporting a USB-C port - two of them, in fact, making up for the fact that the slimmer chassis means no full-size USB-A port. Sadly, this is just USB-C 3.2 Gen2 rather than Thunderbolt 3, but they will provide power, data and display, including up to two external 4K displays running at 60Hz.

The other notable selling-point for the Pro X - and arguably its whole raison-d'etre - is its LTE Advanced connectivity support, for 'always on' connectivity. It's somewhat surprising that Microsoft hasn't attempted to climb aboard the 5G bandwagon with this device, but we can see why it might want to err on the side of caution, given that an ARM-based laptop is already a sizeable gamble in and of itself.

Thankfully, that gamble has paid off. The LTE connectivity works well; when using it, we barely noticed a difference in speed or stability compared to our usual wired connection, and the battery life easily lasted us through an entire day of pretty much exclusive LTE connectivity. However, it's worth remembering that this will require a separate data contract, so many individuals or smaller businesses may be better off sticking with WiFi unless they're willing to shell out for additional mobile data plans.

Naturally, it also supports facial recognition via Windows Hello, as well as twin far-field Studio Mics for enhanced video calling and collaboration. The latter is particularly useful for business users who spend a lot of their time on conference calls or conducting remote meetings and works well for picking up clear audio while filtering out background noise.

Microsoft Surface Pro X review: Verdict

The Surface Pro X seemed at first like a slightly mad prospect; a Windows device that could only run certain apps felt far too close to the bad old days of Windows RT, and the spectre of compatibility issues looms large. However, this isn’t nearly as much of a problem in reality as we anticipated. Sure, there are some apps which aren’t available at all but, barring a few intermittent stability hiccups, our experience was untroubled by performance woes.

There’s a lot to like about the Pro X, too; it’s sleek, it’s lightweight, and the 4G optimisation makes it absolute perfection for on-the-go working. In the time we spent with it, we lamented having to put it down to use another machine.

The elephant in the room, however, is that there’s simply not that much reason to accept the few compromises it asks of us. The Acer Swift 7 offers a comparably lightweight package, while the Surface Pro 7 isn’t any less technically accomplished (outside of a less impressive battery life) - and given that the only real gamechanger the Pro X has on its side is strong 4G support, the potential compatibility trade-off is a hard sell for all but the most hyper-mobile of users.

All told, while Microsoft’s Surface Pro X is undoubtedly an impressive feat of engineering - and hopefully the start of a very promising sub-category - it’s too compromised to earn anything more than a half-hearted endorsement as a cutting-edge curio.

Microsoft Surface Pro X specifications

Microsoft has crossed two items off Surface fans' wish lists, with the news that not only is it finally launching a Surface smartphone, but the device will also be foldable. The announcement was made at an event in New York City as part of Microsoft's annual slate of Surface updates, and followed the reveal of the Surface Pro 7, Surface Laptop 3 and the long-rumoured ARM-based Surface Pro variant.

The new phone is being dubbed the 'Surface Duo', and is accompanied by a larger foldable tablet the 'Surface Neo'. The devices are part of a new wave of foldable tech, including the Huawei Mate X, the Samsung Galaxy Fold and a prototype foldable laptop from Lenovo. Unlike most of the foldable devices we've seen thus far, however, they feature two separate screens connected by a hinge, rather than a single panel which folds in the middle. This, Microsoft says, is for the sake of versatility, but it may help the units last longer than devices like the Galaxy Fold, which has been plagued by early reports of defects affecting the folding panel.

The Duo marks the first time Microsoft has dabbled in the smartphone arena since the demise of the ill-fated Lumia range, although rumours that the company was imminently about to launch a Surface Phone have persisted for several years. Rather than resurrecting the defunct Windows Phone operating system, however, Microsoft has opted to partner with Google to launch the Duo, and the device will come with stock Android, albeit tweaked somewhat to accommodate a dual-screen setup.

Its larger compatriot, the Surface Neo, is halfway between a foldable laptop and a foldable tablet. Unlike the Duo, it's running Windows 10 specifically Windows 10X, a new fork of the operating system designed specifically to run on dual-screen devices. When you've got an app open on one screen, for example, the next app you fire up will be opened on the other screen. Just like using multiple monitors in regular Windows, it'll also be super easy to snap applications between screens, or to spread them across both.

However, because there's a gap between the two displays, apps will have to be customised to make the most of this with separate things on each panel, rather than just dynamically scaling. The same issue will presumably apply to Android apps on the Duo. For this reason, Microsoft is aiming to get the Neo into developers' hands early next year and while it hasn't specified when Duo developer units will be available, it seems likely that this will also be part of the same window.

Weighing 655g and measuring just 6.3mm thick, the Neo is a surprisingly svelte device. Each screen measures 9in across the diagonal and the hinge rotates through 360 degrees, meaning you can use it in all the same forms as, say, the HP EliteBook X360. In practical terms, it looks to be roughly the size of an iPad Mini when folded, but akin to one of the larger iPad Pros when opened out a form-factor that we've been crying out for since we first clapped eyes on the Galaxy Fold.

That's an impressive loadout, but it looks just as impressive under the hood. The Neo uses a specially-designed Intel Lakefield processor along with an "11th-gen" graphics chip and while we won't know how well it stacks up until we can get one in the lab, this certainly bodes well for the Neo's general performance.

Make no mistake, this isn't a throwaway device designed for little more than Netflix and Twitter: Microsoft is marketing it as a fully-fledged productivity tool. The most crucial aspect of this is the Bluetooth keyboard that accompanies the Neo; when it's in clamshell mode, this accessory is as wide as one of the screens and roughly half the height.

When in this configuration, placing the keyboard over the bottom screen will automatically transform the uncovered portion, either into a touchpad if the keyboard is placed at the top, or a space for text suggestions, emojis and GIF responses if placed at the bottom. You can also snap videos to this space, leaving your main screen free to concentrate on doing other things while you keep something else on in the background.

Microsoft is calling this clever feature the "Wonder Bar" and it's one that offers a great deal of potential for imaginative developers to play around with. The keyboard itself looks good too, with a decent amount of spacing despite the small size. Unfortunately, it looks like it may be too big to comfortably be used with the Duo.

Microsoft hasn't shared too many details around the Duo's specifications, but we do know that each screen measures 5.6in across the diagonal, and will presumably be at least as light and thin as the Neo, if not more so. It's also said to use a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, but by the time it actually hits shelves, that processor is likely to be a last-gen model. This may raise somemconcern, given the amount of pixels it'll have to push around.

In fact, Microsoft hasn't revealed much about the Duo at all, but we can assume that it will share some of the Neo's key features. For example, we already know that both devices will support the new Surface Slim Pen (launched alongside the Surface Pro X) and it's therefore a safe bet that they'll support older generations of Pen as well. Whether you'll be able to magnetically attach to the back of the Duo for charging, as you can with the Neo, remains to be seen.

The Neo is also coated with Corning Gorilla Glass front and back for added protection, so presumably the Duo is as well although Microsoft says that the design should protect the screen in case of drops, assuming the device is closed. Windows Hello support via facial recognition is also incredibly likely for both devices, as it's been a mainstay of the Surface line for many years now.

Both devices are still under development and are slated for release at the end of next year. Prices are currently unknown, but early adopters can reasonably expect to pay well in excess of 1,000 based on market trends.

Elsewhere, Microsoft also launched a set of Surface Earbuds as a companion to last year's Surface Headphones. The headphones themselves are fairly unremarkable, save for a neat integration with Powerpoint that allows wearers to use the earphones' touch controls to progress through a slide deck. You can also use the headphones to provide real-time caption dictation for presentations via voice recognition, although this isn't unique to the new earbuds. The Surface Earbuds will be available in time for Christmas, and will cost $249 (no UK price has yet been announced).

No mention was made off the Surface Book, Surface Go or Surface Studio, however, all of which could arguably benefit from a hardware refresh if nothing else. It could be that Microsoft is saving these devices for another event in Spring, or possibly it's just concentrating on its other lines for the time being.

The market for the best business tablets has exploded over the last 12 months, with great options available from the likes of Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft. But, looking beyond the mainstream players, there is a world of wonderful alternatives and innovative new variations, such as E-ink tablets, which offer the feel of pencil and paper in a digital format.

Mixing the best bits of a laptop with the capabilities of a smartphone, the tablet is a fantastic option for your workers, particularly in this age of hybrid work, where more flexible and portable devices are in demand. Over the last 12 months, ITPro has tested and reviewed some of the best business tablets around to help you make an informed choice ahead of your next hardware refresh.

What to look for

When choosing a business tablet, it’s important to consider what specific roles or functions it’s going to be used for, as this will influence what features you will need to look for and the level of performance you’ll require.

Apple, Samsung and Huawei often use their own first-party silicon to power their devices, but you’ll also find tablets with third-party processors. Qualcomm Snapdragon chips are almost always the most reliable of these, while the MediaTek processors often found in cheaper devices are usually best avoided if you need top performance. For organisations that want a device they can give to front-line workers to host specific business apps, however, these cheaper devices may be a cost-effective solution.

Due to their mobile nature, it’s also worth thinking about the connectivity of your device. Opting for a tablet with support for the latest Wi-Fi 6 or 6E standard will future-proof your device and allow it to make the most of business-grade wireless infrastructure. If you’re offering devices to mobile workers who need access to mobile broadband when out on the road, then it’s advisable to pick a 5G-enabled model over a device that’s limited to 4G for similar reasons.

Best business tablets 2026

The Pro model of iPad has been around for a decade, and its initial aim was to provide a laptop-like experience in tablet form. However, it's only now with the M5 model that we get close to that. From the CPU to the keyboard quality, the iPad Pro is a bona fide business machine that we felt comfortable using as a full work device.

One of its best features is the magnetic keyboard, which includes a sturdy stand. Many tablets let themselves down when it comes to cases and keyboards, but the iPad excels with an easy-to-adjust case and a neat set of keys. It may not be 'MacBook Pro quality,' but we found the tablet keyboard to have plenty of travel, a nice muffled clack, and a very responsive trackpad.

Add the stylus, and you have arguably the best tablet around. In fact, the stylus is probably the star of the show – particularly if you are into illustration. It's smooth and glides across the screen. And the thickness of the pen itself is comfortable in the hand. It doesn't replicate the feel of pen on paper, but instead makes digital drawing a worthy alternative.

However, for business use, arguably the most interesting feature of the M5 iPad is its ridiculously long battery life. In our looped video test, the Pro lasted 18hrs and 12mins, longer than both the Samsung Galaxy S11 Ultra and the OnePlus Pad 3.

Read our full Apple iPad Pro review for more information.

Value for money, a large screen, super accessories... the OnePlus Pad 3 is, in our view, the pound-for-pound champion of the tablet world – and certainly the best Android tablet available. It's big, it's fast, it lasts long, and it's relatively cheap. There is no other model on the market that can beat the Pad 3 across all those metrics. It is a stone-cold killer.

It's superbly designed, with a neatly rounded frame and a cool navy blue finish. The in-display camera is unobtrusive, the shiny OnePlus logo is understated, and the overall look is professional. Add the Folio case and the all-black stylus, and you have a strikingly beautiful work machine.

The stylus, too, is one of the best; smooth on screen, highly responsive, and easy to connect to the main tablet (magnetically connects and charges at the top). While it can't replicate the feeling of pencil on paper like the Remarkable or the Huawei MatePad, it is already a great stylus to draw and doodle with.

And, the OnePlus Pad 3 has a decent mixture of standard and quietly useful AI tools. You can use the one-device AI to have text read out in a dull voice; it will send you to sleep, there doesn't seem to be any options for changing the voice, but it is pretty easy to do for web content or news apps. All in all, a solid business tablet.

Read our full OnePlus Pad 3 review here

Arguably the most business-focused device on the list, the Surface Pro is a surefire hit for those who want Windows on a tablet. The latest Surface Pro (number 11) is faster than most mainstream laptops, and has a longer battery life than previous Surface models (16hrs, 28mins). It even went through a whole workday without needing a charge.

The Surface's signature keyboard has also been upgraded for the 11, with a new party trick; it can operate wirelessly from a distance, enabling more flexible options for your workspace. It also charges while attached to the tablet portion of the Surface Pro. And, despite some limited travel, the keyboard has a lovely, fast, and clicky feel.

Read our full Microsoft Surface Pro 11 review here

A lot of work has gone into Huawei's Harmony operating system, and that is very apparent in its MatePad range of tablets – we reviewed the MatePad 11.5 S model and were very impressed with the quality of its interface and app store.

Admittedly, there are plenty of things you will ignore, and it isn't an exact replacement for your beloved Google apps, but there are lots of new apps to really love. Plenty of which are great business-centric tools.

One of these apps is GoPaint, Huawei's alternative to Procreate or Android's Sketchbook app. Matched with its PaperMatte display and innovative M-Pen, GoPaint is a brilliant, fully stocked illustration tool that we couldn't fault.

It is worth thinking about the stylus when it comes to tablets, and the M-Pen is a cut above the rest. You get that pencil-on-paper feel, it's very responsive, connects easily to the tablet, and feels great in the hand. What's more, it has extra controls, such as a pop-up to change functions and a button on the top to open different apps – brilliant extra functions just a click away.

Read our full Huawei MatePad 11.5 S review here

E-Ink tablets exploded onto the scene in 2023, promising the feel of real pencil on paper in a digital form. ITPro has been testing devices from Kindle to the Supernote, but it's the Remarkable Paper Pro, and its gorgeous color-ink screen, that has made it onto the best list.

It isn't a tablet in the traditional sense; you can browse the web, there are no apps, there are no ways to buy anything, and that means there are no distractions, which is one of Remarkable's main selling points. You can shut yourself off from the world and focus on your work.

The 11.8in screen uses 'gallery' display technology that uses color pigments to mimic ink being moved around. The colors are not vibrant, as such, they're more akin to newspaper print. And there is a slight lag compared to Kaleido displays. When you draw in color, there will also be a flash, almost like lightning in an old video game, where the screen registers the new color or erases unwanted scribbles. This is how the display refreshes, and it does so to add the new input. It is a joy to use; a perfect digital tablet for distraction-free thinking/doodling.

Read our full Remarkable Paper Pro 2 review here

You pay a hefty price for the latest Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 tablet and its wondrous AI features. But there is a cheaper option -- the Galaxy Tab S10 FE (fan edition). You pay a lot less, and only really compromise on size and a small drop in performance.

Samsung's One UI is arguably the most polished version of Android tablet OS, and that is highlighted well in the smaller version of its Galaxy Tab S10 -- the FE is a perfect example of downsizing your premium hardware into a budget offering. Here, AI features are in easy reach, and the S-Pen performance is just as good as it is on the original models.

There are plenty of options for affordable tablets for business, particularly from Lenovo and OnePlus, but the Galaxy Tab S10 FE is a winner in our eyes – a superior option for business users.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review here

FAQs

What is a business tablet?

Tablets are traditionally consumer-focused devices that offer users a smartphone-like experience on a larger screen. But with a few accessories and some clever apps, they can be used as main drivers for work. Whether that's as a lightweight laptop alternative with a keyboard or a digital drawing pad for creatives.

Business tablets mostly provide flexibility with mobile data and easy Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing workers to do their jobs on the go. They can be used in data centers to monitor systems or as part of a presentation. In essence, the business tablet is a standard tablet – just with extra tools and software to make it compatible for you and your organization.

Should I consider an E-ink tablet?

'E-ink' is short for 'electronic ink', and it is used in several new tablets that offer more paper-like drawing capabilities. These tablets, such as the Amazon Kindle Scribe and the Supernote, are essentially e-readers that can be used for note-taking with mostly gray screens.

Some newer models, such as the Remarkable Paper Pro (see above) offer color options, though these are far more limited than what one would find on a traditional tablet. But the technology is evolving fast, and they are a great option for note-takers and journalers.

Can a tablet replace a laptop?

The answer to this is very much dependent on what your business does. If you need lots of processing power, RAM, and storage space, then the answer is a resounding no. But if you need something more flexible, with the ability to connect to the internet from seemingly anywhere, then a tablet can replace your laptop.

The Surface Pro range is generally among the most reliable families of machines out there, producing devices that are slim, attractive and speedy. The operative word in that sentence, however, is generally'. We stress this because the Surface Pro 6 is something of an anomaly, in that it's functionally identical to last year's Surface Pro - which we're going to refer to as the Surface Pro 5 for the remainder of this review, because if Microsoft isn't going to stick to it's own naming conventions then neither are we.

Microsoft Surface Pro 6 review: Design

When we say that the Surface Pro 6 is almost identical to the Surface Pro 5, we mean it as it has exactly the same chassis as last year's model. Microsoft may have replaced some of the internal components, but it's simply wrapped them in a pre-existing shell.

This means that not only can you kiss goodbye to any hopes of Microsoft adding the oft-requested support for USB-C, the Surface Pro 6 also has the exact same dimensions as its predecessor. The Pro 6 weighs in at either 770g or 784g depending on whether you go for the Core i5 or Core i7 model.

This initially sounds attractively light, but remember that the Type Cover keyboard adds a hefty 310g, pushing the full package to just over 1kg - a somewhat less appealing prospect. It's a similar story with the thickness; the machine itself is rather slim at 8.5mm, but factor in the Type Cover and that increases to 13.5mm - hardly chunky, but not as svelte as we'd like. It's still portable enough not to cause any hassle when taking it out and about and it's lighter than most other laptops and hybrids, but it's now lagging behind the very slimmest and lightest devices.

Other details like the fully-adjustable kickstand and the magnetic holder for the Surface Pen are also functionally identical to last year's model. The only exterior difference is that the Surface Pro 6 now comes in black, for the first time since the Surface Pro 2 back in 2013. While this is a relatively minor change, we do have to admit that the matte-black finish does look absolutely stunning, and this year's Surface Pro is the best-looking entry in the series yet.

Microsoft Surface Pro 6 review: Display

As with the exterior, the Surface Pro 6's screen has seen scant improvement over the previous model. The technical specs are still virtually identical - a 12.3in display with a 2,736 x 1,824 resolution and a 3:2 aspect ratio - but according to our tests, the screen's quality has actually gotten a little bit worse compared to the previous generation.

A measured brightness of 416cd/m2 is slightly down on last year's Surface Pro 5, while a contrast ratio of 1308:1, an sRGB colour gamut coverage of 88.6% and an average Delta E colour accuracy rating of of 1.16 are all similarly less impressive than the Pro 6's predecessor. Compare that to the near-flawless display on the most recent iPad Pro, and it starts to look less attractive for graphic designers and illustrators.

We should stress that this is still an excellent screen, and absolutely capable enough for colour-accurate photo and video editing. It's certainly unlikely to disappoint. However, it must be said that the display on the Surface Pro 6 is, objectively speaking, just a little bit worse than the previous generation.

Microsoft Surface Pro 6 review: Keyboard and Trackpad

We're huge fans of the Type Cover keyboard that goes with the Surface Pro 6, but that shouldn't come as any surprise - it's the same one that accompanied the Surface Pro 5, which we also loved. Unlike many of the other components that have been carried over from last year's Pro, the keyboard hasn't particularly aged, and it still feels smooth and responsive with crisp typing action and a smooth, accurate trackpad.

Our biggest complaint with the Type Cover is the same as it has been for the last several years, and that's that Microsoft still insists on selling it as an additional extra, pushing the Surface Pro's price up by an extra 125.

Microsoft may argue that many customers don't need the Type Cover keyboard, but we're still extremely sceptical about this; without the keyboard, the Surface Pro loses a big chunk of its versatility, leaving you with little more than a very expensive and very overpowered Windows tablet. We wish Microsoft would just bite the bullet and include the Type Cover's keyboard in the Surface Pro's price.

Microsoft Surface Pro 6 review: Specs and hardware

The one area where the Surface Pro 6 has received an upgrade over its predecessor is in the hardware department, which is a good job, as it's the one place where a yearly refresh is pretty much essential. Microsoft has now axed the lowest-tier configurations, removing the 4GB Core m3 option. This gives the Surface Pro 6 a more expensive entry-point, but thankfully budget-conscious buyers can now pick up the excellent Surface Go for Surface-style functionality at a more affordable price.

The new Surface Pro 6 comes with either a Core i5-8350U or a Core i7-8650U (both of which are quad-core processors, as opposed to last year's dual-core models), coupled with either 8GB or 16GB of RAM and SSD capacities from 128GB up to 1TB. We reviewed the Core i5 version with 8GB of RAM - a meaty enough specification, and it proved to be suitably handy in our benchmark tests. In fact, it equalled the Surface Book 2's overall score of 75 in our tests, despite the fact that the Surface Book 2 was using a Core i7 chip rather than a Core i5. That's less impressive than the Dell XPS 13's score of 96 - but then, there are few ultraportables to match the XPS 13's lofty heights.

Scores of 4,019 and 12,647 for the Geekbench single and multi-core tests further indicate that performance is about on par with what we'd expect from a laptop of this specification, and we experienced no issues with it, aside from one isolated instance where the Surface started lagging alarmingly. Aside from that, however, it was as performant and powerful as befits a flagship Surface Pro.

Microsoft Surface Pro 6: Battery life

Battery life was a highlight of last year's Surface Pro, which managed to marry a rather impressive level of performance of 11hrs 33mins in our tests. This year's offering is a marked disappointment compared to those lofty heights, though - according to our battery benchmark, the newest Surface Pro is more than two-and-a-half hours worse off than its predecessor, with a somewhat average score of 8hrs 49mins.

What makes this even more frustrating is that Microsoft still hasn't added USB-C connectivity to its best-known device (which we'll air further grievances on below), so you're forced to recharge with Microsoft's proprietary adaptor. Now that USB-C has become the norm, we're used to laptops automatically charging while they're connected to an external monitor, and there were several times where we were caught short with a low battery because we'd forgotten to plug in the Surface Pro 6's dedicated charging adaptor.

Part of the reason behind the Surface Pro 6's lacklustre battery life is that the model on test uses a Core i5 processor, which is less power-efficient than a Core i7 chip, but a score of under nine hours is still disappointing for a device this expensive. It'll probably get you through an average working day, but we wouldn't advise leaving home without the power brick.

Microsoft Surface Pro 6: Ports and features

As expected, the Surface Pro 6 has a MicroSD card reader built in, which will be most useful for expanding the storage beyond the initial allocation. There's also biometric logic via windows Hello's facial recognition, which remains one of the most consistently satisfying Windows features to use.

Unsurprisingly, support for the Surface Dial and Surface Pen is included. Both devices work well, and are smooth and intuitive to use - although how much mileage you get out of them will largely depend on your own creative talent.

There is one large problem, however, that sticks out about this machine.

The Surface Pro 6 is still using the same port configuration as its predecessor - a mini DisplayPort for external video and one USB 3.0 port for peripherals - and frankly, it's just not good enough. The lack of USB-C support is, at this stage, a substantial black mark against the Surface Pro 6.

This wasn't a deal-breaker a few years ago, but since then the industry has moved on. USB-C devices allow us to plug in one cable and have immediate access to an external monitor, mouse, keyboard, wired network and power supply. When it's time to duck into a meeting or to head out for the night, we just unplug one cable and slip the device into our bag.

By shunning USB-C, the Surface Pro 6 has made itself less flexible, less mobile and less convenient than other devices. In fact, it's less versatile than the Surface Go - Microsoft's cheap-and-cheerful budget Surface, because the cheaper device uses USB-C for charging and connectivity.

Microsoft Surface Pro 6: Verdict

We're not as enamoured by the Surface Pro 6 as we were by its predecessor. Part of this is because it's effectively the same device in many ways - it would be more accurate to call it the Surface Pro 5.5, rather than 6. It's got the same chassis, which means no real gains in portability and no USB-C support, which remains the Surface Pro's biggest Achilles heel.

On the other hand, even though it hasn't made much progress beyond the Surface Pro 5, the new model is still an excellent hybrid, and the best 2-in-1 Windows device of 2018. It's still one of the most portable laptops going, it's got enough power to see you through a range of demanding tasks, and the new black finish looks utterly stunning.

We can't honestly recommend it though. The aforementioned lack of USB-C support, a somewhat underwhelming battery life and a lack of new features mean that if you're in the market for a Surface device, last year's Surface Pro 5 is still better value, offering basically the same package for around 150 less. Alternatively, you could wait for next year's model, which is rumoured to feature a substantial redesign including (joy of joys) a USB-C port.

Update: The Surface Laptop 2 is now here.

The Surface Laptop now has a sequel. Announced in October, the Surface Laptop 2 doesn't offer a great deal more than extra performance, with the 4GB configuration no longer available, and with the Kaby Lake chips replaced by Coffee Lake versions.

As our sister site Expert Reviews points out, this may be a touch disappointing but does give the new version a real edge over its predecessor in most performance areas. In its 4K media benchmark tests, the new version scored 84 to the old model's 49. That still leaves it a little behind the latest Dell XPS 13 (96) but a way ahead of the newest Asus Zenbook 13 (75).

Unfortunately, it does seem to move backwards in the battery stakes. While the first version of the Surface Laptop lasted ten hours and 42 minutes in our tests, the newer edition drops dramatically to seven hours and seven minutes.

Given the older version now starts at 540.83 (excl. VAT) compared to the new one's 815.83, you may still consider the original to be the best option.

The original review continues below

Microsoft is today as much as hardware company as it is a software one, having made some truly impressive devices across a range of device categories.

Perhaps chief among these are its market-leading 2-in-1s that form the Surface Pro range, or its more capable Surface Book, both of which deliver a mix of outstanding performance and luxury, which forms an incredibly versatile package.

While these devices have targeted the popular convertible market, the Redmond-based company has also taken a stab at revamping the traditional laptop. This mid-range, non-convertible device is built for those users that don't necessarily need the power of a Surface Book, or want to pay the high entry price, but want Microsoft's new Surface design style.

Being a mid-range device, its specs deliver enough power for the everyday business user, with a host of productivity features, built on Microsoft's lightweight Windows 10 S operating system -- something of a rival to Google's ChromeOS.

The Surface Laptop has been available for some time now, so we want to ask whether Microsoft's next-generation laptop has managed to stay relevant in a market that's increasingly moving towards 2-in-1s, or whether it's a dud that will soon be consigned to history.

Design

Although Microsoft may not be as well-known as Apple when it comes to making beautiful laptops and devices, the company has really taken a step in the right direction over the last few years, focusing on form as well as functionality. No device is as much of a testament to this as its Surface range of computers, with the Surface Laptop at the top of the beauty scale. We would go as far to say it's the best-looking Microsoft-manufactured laptop we've ever seen.

As the Surface laptop sits right in the middle of the Surface Pro and the Surface Book, it's appropriate that its design is a hybrid between the two. It takes on a clamshell design, just like a traditional laptop, but with the keyboard almost identical to the Surface Pro's TypeCover keyboard.

The finish is a classy matte magnesium finish (yes, it's very similar to the MacBook range of aluminium casings) with smooth feathered edges. Although the 3mm lid adds a bit to its bulk (perhaps some would view unnecessarily to such a level), it does need to be slightly thicker than others in the same bracket because it's, of course, a touchscreen display.

This does mean it's not as skinny as the lighter-weight Surface Book, but it is a little lighter than the more heavyweight Surface Pro. Its thickness is 14mm and it weighs 1.2kg - 300g more than the comparable 12in MacBook. Some of this bulk is due to the touchscreen - a feature not included in the MacBook Pro or Air for that matter.

Another minor (but noteworthy) point is that the Surface Laptop has a beautiful hinge action, opening smoothly and effortlessly. This may seem like a trivial point, but you would be surprised how many notebooks get this wrong, requiring a little bit of effort to actually prise apart.

The Surface Laptop offers a greater degree of portability than the Surface Book, whilst still retaining a clamshell form-factor. However, it's worth remembering the Surface Pro's TypeCover is an absolutely excellent keyboard, so opting for the Surface Pro over the Surface Laptop really isn't much of a compromise on that front.

It is totally gorgeous though. If you're looking for something that's going to make the Apple crowd eat their words about the MacBook's superior design values, this might finally be the machine to do it: the Surface Laptop is an absolute beauty to behold.

Keyboard and trackpad

Microsoft has used the newest version of its Surface Pro TypeCover's design in the Surface Laptop, which brings a tactile, soft-touch and water-resistant Alcantara coating to the device. It's a welcome addition to a full-sized laptop, as until now it was only available on the company's 2-in-1 Surface range. In fact, its predecessor as shipped with the Surface Pro 4 was one of our favourite ever keyboards.

Since it was first launched on the market in 2015, Microsoft has largely stuck to the same formula with its TypeCover and the version featured in the Surface Laptop is no different, save for a little extra space and one small change to the key-switch design, which are both bonuses for usability.

In conclusion, we don't have any complaints about the Surface Laptop's keyboard and trackpad design -- in fact, it's a dream to use, with excellent responsiveness. We would even go as far to say it's one of the best keyboards we've ever used on a Windows machine and only narrowly misses out on the accolade of being our favourite keyboard overall, which falls to the MacBook Pro's unbeatable keyboard.

Display

Microsoft's Surface Laptop packs in the same PixelSense touchscreen technology Microsoft uses in all of its devices, which offers a decent resolution of 2256 x 1504 rather than the QHD resolution you'd expect from such a device.

What is even stranger is the aspect ratio of the Surface Laptop. Rather than packing in a 16:9-sized display, the Surface Laptop's screen is a little squarer, with its 3:2 aspect ratio. Although this theoretically means you'll see more detail on the screen, it also means you'll see some rather unsightly black bars running along the top and bottom of the screen if you're watching a widescreen video.

Apart from that, it's definitely an excellent display - the brightness isn't as powerful as it could be and lighter colours are sometimes washed out, but the colour accuracy is great and the contrast ratio is fantastic; images are packed with detail and crisp. It will do justice to any films you choose to view on it and it's more than capable of carrying out photo editing.

Specs and performance

When the Surface Laptop first launched, it was packing a very capable set of specifications indeed, including Core i5 and Core i7 versions of Intel's 7th-generation Kaby Lake processors and 4GB, 8GB or 16GB of RAM. At the time, these were pretty cutting-edge specs, but they've now been surpassed by Intel's newer 8th-generation chips.

For example, the Surface Laptop's score of 49 in our benchmark tests - while more than enough to content with the meatiest of ultrabooks at the time - is now lagging behind mid-range notebooks from the likes of Acer, thanks to the power of their Coffee Lake CPUs. The Laptop is still plenty powerful enough to cope with the moderate to heavy workloads, but you'll get more bang for your buck with a newer chip.

Battery life is always a crucial concern for ultrabooks, and the Surface Laptop still acquits itself capably here, racking up a score of 10hrs 42mins in our battery benchmarks. This is on par with other business-grade notebooks like the Dell XPS 13 and the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon, so we have no complaints at all on that score. It also uses Microsoft's Surface Connect charging standard, ensuring that it's compatible with the power adapters of virtually all of the company's previous devices.

Software

Now we come to the part that's made the Surface Laptop such a controversial machine - Windows 10 S. According to Microsoft, Windows 10 S is designed for security and performance, but the headline feature is that it only permits the installation of Windows Store apps.

Windows 10 S proved to be a controversial and largely unpopular proposition when it first launched, with many users baulking at the idea of only having access to Windows Store's relatively meagre catalogue of software.

Thankfully, you can upgrade from Windows 10 S to Windows 10 Pro (and it'll soon be a separate mode that you can toggle on and off), but it's easy to see why some people aren't relishing the thought of only being able to use Windows apps. The Windows Store, it must be said, does not exactly have a shining pedigree, and has come under frequent criticism for the selection and quality of available apps.

However, the fact that Windows 10 S only runs Windows Store apps may not be the deal-breaker it initially appears to be. Microsoft is making a concerted effort to improve its storefront, announcing a number of new features at its Build 2017 event to make it easier for developers to get their apps onto it. In theory, this means that we should start to see an improvement in the Windows Store going forward.

Aside from this though, there's also the fact that the vast majority of apps also have web-based versions that can be run in Microsoft's Edge browser. Workflow tools, document suites and even enterprise software like CRM and ERP packages can all be run as web apps, meaning that many business users won't even need to install any apps aside from the default software included with Windows 10 S.

It's also worth bearing in mind that 10 S is still a variant of Windows 10 Pro - which means that you'll still have access to a sizable chunk of Microsoft's enterprise features. This includes access to Windows 10's mobile device management features, Bitlocker encryption, Windows Update for Business and Windows Store for Business, as well as Azure AD domain join and enterprise state roaming with Azure AD.

Ports and features

Unfortunately, ports are an area in which the Surface Laptop seriously falls down. Like the Surface Pro, it's only got one full-size USB 3.0 port and one Mini DisplayPort - but USB-C is nowhere to be found.

It's an incredibly frustrating omission; not only is USB-C an excellent enabler of flexible and agile working models, it's also critical for future-proofing your device, as more and more manufacturers move to using USB-C as their primary form of connection.

It's a real shame, and the Surface Laptop definitely suffers for not having USB-C, particularly in comparison with other, cheaper ultrabooks which do feature it. Of course, Microsoft will be offering a dock with USB-C support, which connects via the Surface Laptop's power adaptor - but that's an additional cost on top of an already rather pricey device.

Elsewhere, there are other features commonly found in Microsoft's premium devices. It includes support for Windows Hello's facial recognition, the Surface Pen and even the Surface Dial - although you can't use it on the screen in the same way as with the Surface Studio.

Verdict

Microsoft has made some slightly baffling decisions with the Surface Laptop. Debuting Windows 10 S - an operating system that would be most at home on a low-budget Chromebook rival - on what is otherwise a top-notch ultrabook is an odd choice, as is spurning the incredible versatility of the USB-C standard.

Get past these hiccups, however, and you'll find that the Surface Laptop is a truly excellent device. It's not blowing you away with any new, fancy features, but what it is doing is delivering one of the most solid, well put-together notebook experiences you can get, with an absolutely superb keyboard, gorgeous design values and a satisfyingly premium feel.

It's showing its age a little in the performance department, and there are more powerful options available that offer better value for money. Truth be told though, none of them really offer as pleasing a package as the Surface Laptop. It may not be the quickest or most versatile, but as ultrabooks go, the Surface Laptop is one of the most attractive around.

Pictures: IT Pro

This review, written by Adam Shepherd, was originally published in August 2017, but has been subsequently updated, most recently in November 2018

Verdict

As a first stab at a proper lightweight notebook, the Surface Studio is a capable and accomplished offering. It's held back slightly by the omission of USB-C connectivity and the decision to ship it with Windows 10 S, but it's otherwise an absolutely superb device.

Microsoft has unveiled an update to its flagship range of Surface devices, with a new Surface Pro, Surface Laptop and Surface Studio.

After ditching the numerical designation with last year's Surface Pro, Microsoft has brought it back again with the new Surface Pro 6. The new device is little more than a hardware refresh - it now features a speedier 8th-gen Intel processor and a new matte-black colour option. Aside from that, it's effectively the same device as last year's Surface Pro.

The only other difference is that the Surface Pro 6 starts with a Core i5 and 8GB of RAM as the base option, while the bottom-tier Core m3 4GB RAM configuration has been axed. Microsoft is presumably intending for the recently-released Surface Go to fill the slot the m3 Surface Pro previously occupied.

The Surface Laptop also got a successor, in the form of the Surface Laptop 2. As with the Pro 6, the changes here are largely cosmetic; it's using a Coffee Lake chip rather than Kaby Lake, there's no 4GB configuration any more, and it now comes in black.

Apart from the new colour option, the physical design of both devices remains unchanged - which means no USB-C ports. Fans have decried the omission, which is something that IT Pro criticised when we reviewed the devices' predecessors.

Microsoft also unveiled a successor to the Surface Studio, Microsoft's monster all-in-one for creatives. However, while Microsoft claims that it's the 'fastest Surface ever', the new device uses a last-generation Kaby Lake chip - a Core i7-7820HQ, to be precise, with four cores and a 2.9GHz base clock speed.

It also claims up to 50% faster graphics performance, with two new GPU options in the form of an Nvidia GTX 1060 or 1070, with 6GB and 8GB of graphics memory respectively. The screen itself has also seen an upgrade, with almost 40% greater brightness and an improved contrast ratio.

Also unveiled alongside the new devices was a new accessory - Surface Headphones, with touch controls, active noise cancelling and Cortana support from four beam-forming microphones.

UK customers can pick up the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Laptop 2 starting from 16 October, with the Surface Studio 2 arriving at some point in 2019. The Surface Pro 6 starts from 879 for the entry-level Core i5 model and maxes out with the 1TB, Core i7 configuration for 2,149, while the second-generation Surface Laptop starts at 979 for the i5 variant and goes all the way up to 2,529 for the top-spec i7 version. The Studio 2, meanwhile, retails for a whopping $3,500 starting price, and is likely to cost a similar amount in the UK.

Apple has always been fairly consistent in its design of the iPad, landing on a hit format early on that has remained popular with fans. However, with the launch of the iPad Pro, Apple was keen to demonstrate that its humble tablet is capable of much more than browsing the internet and watching videos - that it has the potential to evolve from a companion device into a genuine laptop replacement.

With Apple having recently refreshed the iPad Pro range, we decided to put that claim to the test, pitting its 10.5in model head-to-head against another device gunning to replace your laptop, Microsoft's similarly refreshed Surface Pro.

Microsoft's fifth-generation Surface Pro is the most refined yet, having trimmed away most of the fat of the old models and made noticeable improvements to battery life and the detachable keyboard.

With both devices vying for the same thing - an audience that wants the functionality of a laptop paired with the portability and flexibility of a tablet - which one will come out on top?

Design

With the refreshed iPad Pro range, Apple is clearly attempting to attract the attention of business users while trying to take on the Microsoft Surface. Overall, the iPad Pro sports the same design DNA as other Apple tablets: there's the iconic home button, a curved frame as well as front and rear cameras.

However, by getting rid of some of the bezel found on the 9.7-inch model, the firm has been able to kit out the tablet with a larger 10.5-inch display. Compared to its predecessor, the screen's frame is only 10mm taller and 2mm wider. And with a weight of 469g, the tablet is slightly lighter, too. We reckon it's more comfortable to hold, as a result.

In comparison, the Surface Pro is far thicker and heavier than the 10.5-inch iPad. Because of this, you're going to find it harder to carry around. The Surface Pro has dimensions of 292x201x9mm, while the iPad Pro comes in at 250x174x6mm. As for weight, Microsoft's offering is 786g. Plus, without curves, the Surface Pro looks a lot chunkier than its main rival.

That being said, the Surface Pro doesn't fully disappoint. If you've got documents you need to access, or if you want to watch a film, you'll be happy with its built-in kickstand. Solid in design, the stand provides enough strength to hold the tablet in place, and without notches, movement is always smooth. You only need one hand to adjust it, as well. With the iPad, you have to rely on a detachable keyboard.

These are pretty hefty tablets, so a built-in stand does make a lot of sense. Microsoft has definitely trumped Apple in this respect. A physical stand not only makes using a keyboard more convenient, but a tablet that stands on its own also looks more appealing. Unfortunately, you have to rely on a fiddly - and somewhat weak - cover to prop up the iPad Pro.

Verdict: Surface Pro

Display

As is to be expected with Apple products, the iPad Pro boasts an excellent screen, offering superb viewing angles and an impressive 96% coverage of the sRGB colour gamut. The LED backlit Retina display features a 2,224 x 1,668 resolution, with an impressive max brightness of 528cd/m2 and an excellent contrast ratio.

Apple's trump card is the ability to set the display to 120Hz and have it automatically adjust refresh rates depending on the capabilities of the app running. It's a wonderful addition that not only makes the screen feel far smoother and more responsive, but helps to significantly reduce eye strain.

The Surface Pro's screen is similarly impressive, again offering wide viewing angles and an only marginally lower performance output to the iPad Pro. It does have a noticeably lower contrast ratio to the iPad, and side-by-side it can't quite match the deep blacks and bright whites of Apple's tablet.

The biggest issue is that Windows 10 does not scale particularly well with higher resolutions. With many installed applications, including suites like Adobe, we frequently encountered text that was blurry or difficult to read, or objects that were too small. This was even the case with some Windows menus, like the device manager screen. Sadly this requires no small amount of tweaking to Windows 10 display settings, and even then it is an unreliable fix.

Verdict: iPad Pro 10.5

Stylus

Microsoft Surface Pen has been given a beefy upgrade with the refresh, now boasting 4,096 levels of pressure. Although it feels thicker than the previous Pen, its magnet for attaching to the Surface Pro has been significantly strengthened. While we can't really say how good it is for artists, the combination of the stylus and PixelSense display, along with superb palm detection and accuracy, make this one of the best writing experiences we've had with a tablet.

The iPad Pro's stylus is similarly impressive, able to take advantage of a rich suite of design apps available through iOS. It is also superbly accurate and responsive, and now shines with the ProMotion 120Hz display of the iPad Pro.

The biggest issue here is that for both machines, an optional pen adds nothing to the laptop experience, particularly at 99 each. While they both perform admirably, they don't allow for the finesse that artists or designers will want, and without a reliable means to store them, they will most likely get in the way.

Verdict: iPad Pro 10.5

Keyboard

For devices that are wanting to convince you to ditch your laptop, it's baffling that both sell a keyboard separately. What is particularly jarring are the asking prices - 124.99 for the basic Surface type cover and 159 for the iPad Pro's.

With this annoyance aside, their potential as a laptop replacement hinges on the performance of the keyboard, and fortunately both devices provide compelling detachable type covers.

The iPad Pro opts for a keyboard that doubles as a traditional tablet case, and, as mentioned above, is needed to prop the screen up. It is covered in a tough fabric that is easy to clean and robust enough to be weather resistant, though feels a little strange when you first use it and may require some getting used to.

Attached to the cover is a full low profile Querty keyboard, which due to some nice key spacing and decent travel time makes typing an absolute breeze. The issue is that it's a fairly unremarkable board at 159, and in fact has a number of issues that make it seem heavily overpriced. It only has one screen angle, which is too laid back for our liking, making typing overly difficult if you don't have access to a table. It also lacks a touchpad, which is somewhat of an oversight, and no backlighting.

These limitations are accentuated next to the Surface Pro type cover, which is the product of years of trial and error. The keyboard is essentially identical to the Surface Pro 4's excellent type cover, only now with soft Alcantara covering as a standard. The board itself is thicker and sturdier than the iPad's. It also has an excellent track pad that takes advantage of Microsoft's Precision Touchpad software for an incredibly smooth experience.

While both devices opt for a magnetic strip for attaching a keyboard, the Surface Pro attaches in a way that angles the keyboard up so that you have an elevated surface from which to type. It's a lovely piece of design that makes typing a more comfortable experience, akin to traditional laptops and keyboards.

Like other laptops within this price range, the Surface keyboard is also backlit with some beautiful white LEDs, whereas this is missing on the iPad's board. Not only does this make it possible to type in the dark, but it also adds that extra lick of luxury. There's also a range of colours available, whereas the iPad's keyboard is only available in black.

Verdict: Surface Pro 4

Specs & hardware

Before looking at numbers, let's take a look at the what specs are on offer. Following this year's refresh, the iPad range is now packing a beefy six-core A10X processor clocked at 2.36GHz, although three of those are high performance cores and do most of the heavy lifting. You have the choice of 64GB, 256GB and 512GB storage, and the standard options of WiFi or WiFi+4G. All models come with 4GB of RAM.

The Surface Pro range continues to offer a variety of specifications to suit most needs, making the iPad Pro selection feel rather limited. At the low end you have the choice of the Intel Core m3 model with 4GB of RAM, or more powerful Core i5 and i7 models, each with an increasing amount of RAM. At the very top end is a Core i7 clocked at 4GHz, with 16GB RAM and 1TB of storage.

While the last generation A9 was no slouch, we were still staggered by the performance of the A10X in our benchmarks, scoring 9380 in our multicore tests and 3,930 for single core. That's almost double the performance of the iPad 9.7, and more importantly, smashes the 5,342 multicore score of the Core m3 Surface Pro. It also manages to beat the Core i5 model (7,544), meaning the iPad Pro is roughly on par with the top end Surface Pro.

That's not the whole story however, as the generous amount of RAM afforded by some Surface Pro models means that it is far more suited to multitasking, making it an attractive device for business users.

In terms of desktop benchmarks, the top end Surface Pro scored 60 overall, which is decent for a mobile processor and far ahead of similar 2-in-1s such as Dell's XPS 13 convertible.

The iPad Pro's monster A10X processor is scarily good, and is more than a match for the Surface Pro's Intel chips. Yet in everyday use cases, the Surface Pro is the better multi-tasker and far better suited to running demanding apps.

Verdict: Surface Pro

Battery

The iPad Pro is also incredibly power efficient given that staggering performance output, managing just shy of 13 hours in our benchmark tests. The Surface Pro meanwhile managed a similarly impressive 11 hours 30 minutes, which is a substantial improvement over the Surface Pro 4.

In this respect there is very little between the two devices. The iPad managed to last longer overall, however both devices are more than capable of supporting a full day's work away from a power socket.

Verdict: iPad Pro

Features & OS

Setting aside their looks and hardware, the biggest difference between the two devices is their operating system. The Surface Pro contains Windows 10 Pro, a fully fledged desktop OS. Previously, the iPad had iOS 10 but this has been upgraded to iOS 11 - it's a leading mobile operating system but it can't compete in the laptop environment.

This will, obviously, have a huge impact on what tasks you'll be carrying out. You can expect to have the same exact experience with the Surface Pro as you would with a traditional Windows PC or laptop. The iPad, on the other hand, simply can't provide the same utility as macOS.

The iPad does have some noteworthy qualities, however, such as the inclusion of a 'Split View', which helps enormously with multitasking, and it has access to a good-sized library of third-party apps. Despite this, due to its 10.5in screen size, there isn't enough space for the device to scale each app with a 50/50 split. Instead, apps will rather annoyingly appear as a 75/25 split or vice versa, which is a little frustrating - the iPad 12.9 is capable of the 50/50 split.

The launch of iOS 11 has substantially improved the capabilities of the iPad as a business device, including an app switcher, drag and drop content sharing, improved document scanning and new Siri functions. You can read more about iOS 11 here but it's definitely a step toward bringing the mobile OS more in line with its macOS counterpart.

The Surface Pro wins this round - only just - purely because iOS 11 lags a little behind Windows 10 Pro in terms of functionality on these devices.

Verdict: Surface Pro

Price

Both devices have a range of price options available depending on the configuration you want. The iPad Pro starts at 619 for the WiFi only 64GB model, rising to 709 for 256GB and 889 for 512GB. For the 4G+WiFi model expect to pay 749, 839, and 1,019 respectively. The only difference between the models is the storage on offer.

However, the Surface Pro offers a range of customisable specifications outside of storage that result in a much wider spread of prices. The cheapest model is available for 799, offering an Intel Core m3 with 128GB SSD and 4GB RAM. There are also two i5 versions, one with an i5 processor, 128GB SSD and 4GB RAM for 979, with the other offering a 256GB SSD and 8GB RAM for 1,249. The top end i7 models range from 1,549 to 2,699, depending on the internals.

More choice is always a good thing, and it's nice to see Microsoft allowing customers to pick precisely what they need. For the iPad to offer only a choice of storage sizes and colours feels far too limiting, particularly as a device looking to pick up a discerning business audience.

Final verdict: Surface Pro

While both devices are great in their own right, only the Surface Pro is capable providing that all-round hybrid experience that customers want from a laptop replacement.

The iPad remains first and foremost an Apple tablet, a device capable of performing perfectly well without optional extras. It has an excellent screen, great build quality, and a healthy selection of apps. However, the inclusion of a keyboard provides only a quasi-laptop experience, which is handicapped by its mobile OS. It has the power, but little to back it up.

Compare that to the Surface Pro, with which a keyboard becomes a necessity to get the most from the device. That excellent type-cover offers the sort of typing experience you would expect from a top-end ultrabook, and at a desk you will soon forget you are using a tablet sat on its side. And with the potential for some serious hardware configurations, backed up by a full Windows 10 experience, it is by far the better option for replacing a laptop.

Verdict

While both devices offer compelling cases as laptop replacements, only with the Surface Pro do you get a complete package that is worth the asking price, but is more likely to be a device you would use exclusively. The iPad, while admittedly powerful, can't compete against the full Windows 10 desktop experience, or the excellent detachable keyboard offered by the Surface Pro.

The Department for Education's (DfE) has freed workers from their desks and upskilled internal IT staff with a mobile working strategy delivered at pace over 18 months.

With an office move on the horizon and two data centre contracts nearing the end of their lives, CTO Adrian Tucker set about modernising the DfE's "ageing" technology stack as quickly as possible.

"We had robust systems but they were ageing and becoming old-fashioned," Tucker tells IT Pro. DfE "needed to move on into the future" from its reliance on data centres, and its Office 2010-running Windows 7 thin client devices meant staff couldn't work away from their desks. BlackBerrys enabled workers to access email on the go, but couldn't open PDFs, meaning staff were unable to feedback on policy documents when they were outside of the office.

"Whilst it wasn't archaic, it was restrictive and a lot of the elements of it were going end of life, so we had a choice," says Tucker. "We could've dealt with the immediacy of the London move and just moved a single data centre and left it at that, or we had the opportunity to pitch for the total transformation of IT."

Tucker's vision of a mobile, cloud-first workforce fitted in with the Government Digital Service's digital agenda for Whitehall, but what was unusual was the pace at which the DfE planned to enact this change. "Even Microsoft at the time raised their eyebrows," admits Tucker.

But he wanted staff to get used to mobile working before the building move - in the new premises, space will be at a premium. Redmond was one of DfE's key strategic partners, and along with replacing the BlackBerrys with Android devices, DfE decided to roll out Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 devices over introducing Windows 10 thin clients, because of the extra mobility.

With devices that double as laptops and tablets, "there was no bad choice", according to Tucker, while people could switch between the Book and Pro 4 nine months after choosing one if they wanted to.

Adrian Tucker (courtesy of DfE)

Within just seven weeks, Microsoft and Tucker's IT team had rolled out 3,500 of the devices, with "floorwalkers" dressed in bright orange patrolling the floors to step in and help users.

"That gives you a sense of the pace wrapped around the entire programme," he says. All 5,000 DfE and education agency staff now have their chosen device and print much less, because they can take their documents with them on the Wi-Fi enabled devices.

Tucker explains: "With a device you can take with you, with an annotation pen, people just don't need to print. When they're in meetings it's not a static copy it's [a] live [document], their email's still coming in, they can have discussions with their team in a meeting to get answers, it just makes the whole flow of business much stronger."

Windows 10

The new Surfaces also meant DfE migrated from Windows 7 to Windows 10, but while Tucker admits to some minor upgrade issues, he says it went more smoothly than he expected.

"Clearly you have to get used to a different look and feel, but we certainly didn't see a significant spike [in support requests] around the jump," he says. "It was more about 'where are things'. You get that in the early days and part of the reason we had the orange-vested floorwalkers was so that people were on the ground instead of having to ring a call desk. They were there to answer things, silly things like 'how do you shut it down'."

Deploying Office 365 to support collaboration

Bringing Windows 10 into the workplace has allowed the DfE to exploit other technologies, like Microsoft's cloud suite. For example, with OneNote, previous meeting minutes are quickly searchable, as opposed to the old paper copies that "tended to go straight into the confidential wastebin", says Tucker.

"We're now bringing in a lot more around Skype for Business and Power BI tools for our analysts and really starting to exploit OneDrive and that whole collaboration piece," he adds. Teams around the UK can work on the same document in real-time, without a continuous stream of emails or various versions of the same file.

Tucker is also looking at bringing in collaborative messaging tools, like Microsoft Teams, although no tender process has yet been started.

Azure over AWS

Picture credit: Bigstock

Speaking of tenders, the DfE looked at both Microsoft's Azure platform and Amazon Web Services (AWS) among others, but picked Azure for a variety of reasons, including the fact it underpins some of the products the DfE is using, like OneDrive.

"It's also about that whole cloud operations piece about making sure it's optimal, and having the ability move ... so we're not stuck in one particular product," Tucker adds. "It was about the support we were getting around the whole package.

"The way it all joined up together and because we had engineered this partnership [with Microsoft] it was a good fit for us and commercially it worked out to be the right thing."

Tucker and his 150 IT staff are now migrating the last applications out of the ageing data centres and preparing to move their core services into the cloud.

"We're looking at [where to move them]," Tucker says, saying they could move into Crown Hosting, a joint venture between the Cabinet Office and Ark Data Centres around cloud co-location, or a holding pen for applications that need redeveloping for the cloud.

Using partners to upskill IT staff

Picture credit: Bigstock

Microsoft remains a key supplier, and others helped with the device rollout, moving applications into the cloud, as well as in network and telephony and hosting.

But while they all played an essential part, Tucker says he didn't want suppliers who would install everything and disappear, but partners who could help his 150 permanent IT staff learn how to manage these new technologies.

"We recognised at the beginning that we wouldn't have all the skills we needed to fo transformation at this pace," he says. He had skilled data centre staff but not people who knew Windows 10 inside out or the cloud technologies DfE had started to use.

Tucker says he didn't want the suppliers to finish the project, walk out the door, and DfE be stuck the first time a problem occurred. As a result of the time partners spent working alongside the IT staff, he has now built an internal cloud operations team and a security operations team at a time when permanent technology talent is hard to find and harder to keep.

"That was about creating internal skill to monitor the performance of the cloud, the security of the cloud and have that capability in-house rather than taking that as a service," he explains. "When you have a team of people who are maturing in their ability to both operate a cloud environment but also a very different security environment, you end up with that capacity in house that you can control."

Main image: courtesy of DfE

A new trailer for Alien: Covenant has sparked rumours that the Surface Pro 5 might ship with AMD's new Rzyen family of processors, in addition to Intel's Kaby Lake chips.

Details about the as-yet unconfirmed successor to Microsoft's critically-acclaimed Surface Pro 4 are currently thin on the ground, but a new theory has suggested that the company may release an AMD-based variant as well as the expected Intel versions.

The rumour stems from a promotional video released for upcoming sci-fi thriller Alien: Covenant. The video, sponsored by AMD, shows the creation of 'Walter', an android played by Michael Fassbender.

It features a prominently-branded AMD chip being used as his brain, with one of the doctors using a device that looks suspiciously like a thinner, sleeker Surface Pro model. The video and campaign carry the tagline "intelligence powered by AMD".

While it is possible that Microsoft and AMD are simply providing separate sponsorship, fans have speculated that this could mean that the forthcoming Surface Pro devices could feature both Intel and AMD chips.

Microsoft's first-party devices have previously carried exclusively Intel chips, but this could be about to change. The company's new Ryzen line has thus far undercut Intel's equivalent chips in terms of price, and although they lag slightly behind in single-core performance, their multi-core efficiency actually outstrips Intel's competing models. Given that the Surface Pro line is specifically geared towards multi-tasking and productivity, this could prove a very attractive proposition for Microsoft.

Microsoft is widely expected to unveil the Surface Pro 5, potentially alongside other Surface-branded devices, in April this year. This would coincide with the release of the Windows 10 Creators Update. Tying the two launches together would allow Microsoft to use the Surface Pro 5 to showcase the latest version of its operating system - a tactic the company has used in the past.

Dell has agreed to sell Microsoft's Surface Pro alongside its own rival devices, as Redmond prepares to drive business adoption of its flagship tablet and Windows 10 operating system.

The Surface Enterprise Initiative will see Dell sell Surface Pros alongside its own Venue 8 and Venue 11 tablets in the US and Canada from October.

The hardware manufacturer will offer additional services on top of the tablet, including up to four years of Dell Hardware Warranty, ProSupport covering accidental damage and Configuration and Deployment Services.

Under the initiative, Microsoft has also teamed up with HP, Avanade and Accenture to offer Windows 10 on more machines, though details of these partnerships are currently thin on the ground.

Yusuf Mehdi, corporate VP of the Windows and devices group at Microsoft, said in ablog post: "Our largest global customers have told us they want to buy Surface from one partner, in one transaction and have devices deployed all over the world.

"Today's expanded partnership with Dellrepresents a bold step forward as we marry amazing devices, such as Surface Pro, with enterprise-class service and support."

Microsoft will rely on Dell's network of stores across the US and Canada to boost uptake of the Surface Pro range at a time when tablet sales are flagging, with analyst house IDC predicting in January that Windows 10 won't help tablet sales until late 2016.

Gartner predicted just eight per cent tablet growth for 2015, after two years of double digit growth, partly because people replace these devices less frequently than they do their smartphones.

Later in the year, Dell will start to sell the devices through Dell.com/Work, with the partnership applying to 28 other locations from early 2016.

The news comes as Apple is rumoured to launch the iPad Pro, an enterprise-focused version of its consumer tablet, later today,which it may sell through its existing business partnership with IBM.

The Surface tablet line is "here to stay" as a business device, Microsoft has confirmed in a blog post.

Redmond reassured its customers the Surface Pro tablet line is sticking around by stressing the tech giant will continue to provide ongoing support for users, as it tries to position the device as a laptop replacement.

As the post, written by Brian Hall, states: "Most businesses are buying Surface when their employees need a laptop and want to avoid having to buy and carry an iPad too. Surface Pro 3 serves as a full-powered business PC and a tablet, making for happy employees as well as happy CIOs and CFOs. One device means less to buy, deploy, manage and secure."

Microsoft issued the blog post in an attempt to quell speculation that Redmond may not support the device in the long-term, fuelled by the disappearance of its rumoured Surface Mini, and the lack of a third generation RT-based Surface.

Crucially, the blog stated the hardware that comes hand-in-hand with the device, such as the docking station and keyboard cover, will also be compatible with future Surface models.

This may allay fears of companies wishing to invest in the Surface but worried about compatibility issues later down the line.

This was a problem with the transition between the Surface Pro 2 and Surface Pro 3, with much of the accompanying hardware and accessories immediately outdated following the release.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is quoted as saying: "With Microsoft Surface Pro 3 we are now offering an enterprise-class device that can deliver great end user productivity. Microsoft is putting its full and sustained support behind the ongoing Surface program as one of a number of great hardware choices for businesses large and small."

I have had a Surface Pro for a couple of months now and despite the fact that I had to go through a mind bogglingly torturous procurement process, I'm more than pleased with the outcome. It's the only device to date that delivered all of my laptop features in a smaller and lighter form factor - so much so that it allowed me to hand back my Lenovo within two days of having set up my new tablet. Admittedly I exclusively use Windows 7 as I find the MS store and Metro half-baked and not well integrated.

All that aside, I'm rather excited about the upgrades in the Pro 2. It addresses many of the issues I have with my current tablet including longer battery life, a backlit keyboard (glad they replaced the design genius who thought it was a good idea to make the Pro 1 keyboard from industrial carpeting), a two stage kickstand, a proper docking device and the fact that it ships with Windows 8.1.

The big wins for me are definitely the kickstand, which now allows you to work off your lap instead of a perfectly height-aligned desk, and the purpose-built docking station. USB docks are one of those things you can make-do with if you have to, but they are a long way off of providing a seamless, user friendly experience.

I haven't really had major technical or functional issues with the first generation Pro. Indeed, its benefits far outweighed the niggles of the Beta version. The Pro 2 will go a long way to prove that Microsoft can actually make a device that is one of, if not the best business and consumer tablet on the market. I really hope that they have learnt from the sales and fulfilment debacle that was the original Surface Pro and unblock my account so I can buy the new device.

Josko Grljevic, IS director, thetrainline.com

Microsoft has failed thus far to truly emulate the tablet experience on the Windows platform. As such, I doubt a price reduction will significantly reverse the trend. They need to do more work developing the solution.

I do hope they crack it, since the combination of the productivity benefits of a native Microsoft platform combined with the tablet experience would be very attractive to our lawyers.

Nathan Hayes, IT director, Osborne Clarke

The Surface Pro 2 has a new operating system, same size and format with updated guts and the promise of a better battery life. I don't see it being major competitor to the existing Surface Pro early adopters, but it may be enough to convince corporate IT departments to put their faith into Windows 8 and the Microsoft tablet form factor. I see that Delta has just taken the plunge, so it will be interesting to see who else follows their lead.

The price looks attractive at the face level when compared to standard corporate IT offerings albeit without the longevity of a standard three-year warranty that the likes of Dell have touted to buyers as extra insurance. But for Microsoft to get the lion's share of the market, the price has to be worked on still further to compete in the iPad sector in my view.

The feedback from any of my cynical IT colleagues that have taken the time to get to grips with Windows 8 vagaries on the Surface Platform has been extremely positive. There is no doubt a learning curve but within a few days the response on "what's it like" moves from luke-warm to avid admiration and love for the device Microsoft may have something here!

Steve Harvey, director of middleware,Reed Elsevier

That means its main competitor is the iPad, which is cheaper and has a longer battery life. Yes, if we used the Surface Pro, we could do some clever things in terms of system design, as our whole infrastructure would be based on the same architecture. However, does that warrant the additional cost? probably not.

[In terms of pricing], for us, it's a big thing. Suddenly it puts it into a price bracket we would consider. We're looking at providing devices for our staff to use at our events and we had completely discounted the RT because of it's price and relatively poor battery life in comparison with the iPad.

At this price point, we can live with the battery life. Because it's a windows 8 product, it means we will be able to easily program apps directly for it and will greatly improve the systems we can make available for our users. The price drop will, for us, make a big change to our decision making process.

Liam Quinn, IT director, Richmond Events

Microsoft's foray into the tablet market with their surface products is proving interesting. It's not been successful with them having to reduce the prices of the devices and take a $900 write down charge in their accounts.

The question is why aren't these devices successful? The answer I suspect isn't wholly technical or price related. It's image related. Microsoft has never really been a "cool" company. Yes, it is loved by legions of techies and has fabulous but perhaps captive adoption in businesses, but it is not "loved" by the average person on the street. Without an emotional connection the Surface family of products won't sell to consumers in the vast numbers that Microsoft desires.

Technically while the Surface isn't a bad product, it is by no means a great product. But really, it doesn't actually matter, it is competing against a king of products (iPad), built as a result of care about how people do things, superb design and engineering and let's not forget a wildly effective and efficient supply chain. Without that supply chain I suspect the iPad would cost considerably more than it does.

Thus the barrier to entry in this space is incredibly high and right now Microsoft isn't up to the job. To compete on even terms with Apple at the high end in this space you'd have to produce a product is significantly better than the iPad and you'd have to have brand loyalty from public consumers as opposed to business consumers. To compete against Android-based products at lower price points you'd have to have a nimble and light product and public consumer loyalty. Right now, Microsoft is not able to compete on these criteria.

Microsoft is selling an expensive technical product with features and functions but nobody really cares because it's been done already and most of all there is no "love" for this product in the consumer market space and there may never be any love for it.

Fundamentally, Microsoft builds products for business. However "business" products (hardware and software) are now being heavily driven by the influences of innovation in consumer markets. I can't help but wonder if Microsoft had placed the development of their tablet line under the guidance of the XBox team and brand would things have been different?

Philip Van Enis, IT director, Bidwells

Microsoft announced its successors to the Surface range, but the firm has made only incremental upgrades to the products.

The first generation of devices failed to gain traction, but has the Redmond-based firm made enough improvements to turn things around?

The Surface Pro 2

Aimed at business users, the original Surface Pro was delayed for six months and even when it arrive it felt unfinished. Although it packed some innovative hardware, there were a few criticisms levelled at it including the inflexibility of the kickstand and poor battery life. Microsoft has addressed these, but it's still playing catch-up with its OEM partners, as well as Apple and Android.

The kickstand on the original only tilted out to 22 degrees and was a nightmare to use on anything other than a table. Microsoft has addressed this by introducing a dual-angle system, which should make the device more comfortable to use on your lap.

Surface Pro 2: Key specs

Intel i5 Haswell processors

Up to 8GB RAM and 512GB storage

Power Cover

USB 3.0

60% longer battery life

Microsoft claims that battery life has been improved by 60 per cent over the original tablet. This may seem staggering, but battery life on the predecessor was atrocious - we strugged to get to the five hour mark in our tests. It's Intel that should take most of the plaudits here, as the Haswell chips will make all the difference to longevity here.

Another feature introduced is the Power Cover, which includes a 30wH battery. This will help users to power through the day. But it's not going to be available until 2014, and pricing is unknown. It's another example of something which should have been included with the original product.

It's the value added services where Microsoft needs to make a play if it wants to challenge the popularity of the iOS and Android device. The firm is offering 200GB of free SkyDrive storage for two years, and free Skype calling to landlines in over 60 countries for one year.

However, Microsoft's failure to include accessories such as the Touch, Type or Power Cover in the asking price - which starts at a steep 720 - is why this product will probably fail. Users are going to have to fork out at least another 100 just to get the productivity benefits. When there are a range of Ultrabooks with equivalent or better specs, and which are upgradeable, it's hard to see why any IT admin would choose to deploy the Surface in their place.

Surface 2

Despite the original Surface proving to be monumental failure and burning a $900million hole in Microsoft's pocket, the Surface RT has been refreshed.

The hardware specifications were never the problem on the original RT they were high-end and Surface 2 improves on these further. The 10.6in ClearType Full display is now full HD and the cameras are beefed up to 3.5-megapixel on the front camera and 5-megapixels on the rear camera.

Ironically for a firm that's built its business on software Microsoft managed to launch the most disappointing OS in 2012 Windows RT. This was an attempt to mimic the iOS and Android platform, which backfired horribly.

The negatives of the Surface RT far outweighed the positives. Microsoft had to embarrassingly include a desktop mode, the sole purpose of which was to open Office applications because the team had not developed a Metro app to deadline. The desktop couldn't run any other legacy apps due to the use of ARM chips instead of x86 architecture.

The Windows Store debuted with a 10,000 apps, but most were faff and the OS even lacked Microsoft's own applications, such as the Outlook RT app on launch. This rendered the productivity functionality to almost nil.

Microsoft appears to have improved the software side significantly with Windows RT 8.1 featuring unified search and multitasking, but the OS may never recover from the lame start. Panos Panay, vice president of Surface, touted the inclusion of 100,000 apps in the Windows Store - but most of these are not going to be quality apps.

Can Microsoft float to the Surface of the market?

Despite Panay's enthusiastic presentation, the answer appears to be negative. The Android and iOS ecosystem have an almost unassailable advantage over Windows RT. It's hard to see the Surface 2 ever being more than a niche product, particularly as it brings none of the benefits of full Windows.

Whilst the Surface Pro offers considerably more functionality and is likely to provide high-end performance, we can't really see this being a successful business device either. The starting price of 720 and the inability to upgrade components is likely to render this dead-in-the-water.

Microsoft's battle to court tablet buyers with its Surface line of devices has been interesting to watch, with its pricing and go-to-market strategy leaving many observers bemused.

The software giant was first criticised for launching the range in October 2012 with the Surface RT, an ARM-based tablet that can only run a limited array of apps and doesn't feature the full-blown Windows 8 OS.

Microsoft proffered the more business-focused, x86-based Surface Pro as an alternative, but it took ages to be released. And, when it finally went on sale in February 2013, it came with an eye-watering 700-plus price tag.

The pricing strategy saw Microsoft asking users to cough up 400 for the 32GB of the Surface RT or 479 for the 64GB version and perhaps unsurprisingly - prompted calls for the vendor to slash the cost or face becoming another tablet market also ran.

Companies intent on deploying the devices were also forced to shun their incumbent B2B IT suppliers, as the Surface was only available to buy directly from Microsoft or from John Lewis and PC World.

This limited distribution strategy has been widely criticised by the firm's tranche of reseller partners, who have helped the firm rake in billions of dollars in software sales over the years.

It was even cited by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer as one of the reasons why Surface sales had failed to set the world alight during its first few months on the market.

Sadly, the situation didn't improve in the months that followed, with Microsoft having to stomach a $900 million write down on its unsold Surface RT inventory back in July.

To its credit, Microsoft has sought to address both these areas in recent weeks, by cutting the price of the Surface RT in the UK and the Surface Pro in other markets. It also set out plans last week to open up its Surface distribution channel to a wide array of B2B suppliers.

But that hasn't stopped the firm coming under fire for the time it took to act on both these issues, given that the analyst community has been airing its misgivings about the firm's Surface pricing and distribution strategy since its launch.

Question time

It's unlikely that an answer to this will be forthcoming from the guys and gals at Redmond anytime soon, but I've got my own theories about the rationale behind Microsoft's Surface strategy.

Many of these hinge on the fact that PC making isn't something Microsoft has done before, having traditionally leant on its OEM partners such as Dell, HP, Lenovo to provide the hardware needed to run its Windows operating system and Office productivity suite on.

Perhaps Microsoft underestimated how much of a challenge going it alone in the tablet space would be. This might go some way to explaining why the release of the Surface RT and Pro was staggered across the globe, and why the firm has kept such a tight rein on its distribution.

During an interview with IT Pro back in July, Microsoft waxed lyrical about the Ultrabook-like pretentions of the Surface Pro, in response to a question about where it was coming from with the pricing for it.

And whilst Microsoft may have been tipping it as an Ultrabook challenger, all the public sees is a tablet and thanks to the 700-plus asking price a pretty expensive one at that.

As for the Surface RT, if we've learnt anything from the BlackBerry Playbook and HP TouchPad debacles of recent years, PC buyers are only prepared to pay top whack for one type of tablet and that seems to be the iPad.

Microsoft has already heavily hinted that refreshed versions of the Surface RT and Pro are likely to be released next year, which might come as a surprise to some, given the grief it's had with its first generation of devices.

Hopefully, by the time the next set of devices drop, the firm will have taken stock of the criticism its first foray into the tablet market has garnered and tweak its go-to-market strategy accordingly.

Especially as much of the groundwork for their launch will have already have been done, particularly where its distribution network is concerned.

If it can get the pricing of the devices to be a little more agreeable, Microsoft might finally have a true iPad challenger on its hands.

Microsoft is to start selling its Surface devices via resellers to business customers.

A pilot programme has been launched that will see selected channel partners sell the struggling tablets to commercial, educational and public sector firms.

Those tasked with selling the devices are Computacenter, CCS Media, Insight, Kelway, Misco, Phoenix Software, SCC, Softcat and SoftwareONE. Microsoft said more partners would be brought on board in the coming weeks.

Prior to this announcement, Surface devices were only available in the UK through Microsoft directly or retailers PC World and John Lewis.

Partners in the programme will provide extended warranty and accidental damage cover. In addition, they'll offer a variety of value-added services to the Surface family such as asset tagging, custom imaging, kitting, onsite service and support, device recycling and data protection.

"The addition of these authorised resellers greatly expands the reach of the Microsoft devices-and-services strategy, extending the company's family of devices enabled by cloud services to more organisations," said Peter King, director of devices, small, medium enterprises and partners group at Microsoft UK.

"We look forward to working closely with these partners to better serve their commercial customers. As we move quickly into future phases of this programme, we will activate more partners in more markets to sell Surface devices."

Microsoft began selling the Surface via the channel in the US in July and has also expanded the programme to resellers in Canada and elsewhere in Europe.

As reported by IT Pro last month, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has admitted the firm committed to manufacturing too many Surface RT tablets, as he tried to explain the firm's recent $900 million write-down.

Investors are also suing the company over what they claim are "false and misleading" statements about Surface RT tablet sales.

Check out our sister title Channel Pro's interview with Peter King for more details about the new reseller initiative.

Microsoft has cut the price of the Surface Pro by $100 in several markets, but UK buyers will still have to pay full whack for the time being.

The Surface Pro pricing promotion is operating in the US, Canada, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan until 29 August, and has seen the price of the 64GB model fall to $799. The 128GB version, meanwhile, is retailing at $899.

IT Pro contacted Microsoft to ask about the likelihood of the Surface Pro price promotion being extended to the UK, but was told the company has "nothing further to share" on the topic at the moment.

The software giant announced a 30 per cent price cut for the Surface RT tablet last month, which resulted in the device retailing at 279.99 and 359 in the UK for the 32GB and 64GB versions of the device, respectively.

At the time, a Microsoft spokesperson said the drop in price was designed to help the firm capitalise on the success of similar promotions in other parts of the world.

"We've been seeing great success with pricing and cover promotions over the past several months on the Surface RT in the US and other markets," the spokesperson said.

Over the past few months, Microsoft has been heavily discounting the products at its developer and user conferences, prompting many attendees to queue for several hours to snap one up.

It has been suggested the price cuts are part of Microsoft's plan to clear out its product inventory ahead of the launch of the Surface 2.

This is a theory that has gathered momentum following the disclosure of a slide at the vendor's Worldwide Partner Conference in July, which suggested the firm is gearing up for a refresh of its tablet line in 2014.

News of the latest price cut will no doubt delight the analyst community, who have repeatedly hit out at Microsoft's pricing strategy for the tablets.

IDC warned Microsoft earlier this year that the high cost of the Surface RT could stop the device being a success.

Fellow analyst Canalys also name checked the device during its second quarter tablet market report, claiming even with the Surface RT price cut in place the device is still too expensive for many.

Speaking to IT Pro, Clive Longbottom, service director at market watcher Quocirca, said the Surface's problem is that it is not attractive enough to warrant its iPad-like price tag.

"Microsoft has found itself in a position of needing to try and get the Windows 8 touch experience out there, and to try and get some better percentage points of the market, particularly against Android," he explained.

"Offloading the RT and Pro may seem like the only way to do this, but it will mean heavily undercutting its OEM device partners. And, unless Microsoft can give them the Windows 8 licenses for their devices free of charge, many will decide to go down the Android route."

*This article was published on 05 August, and updated on the same day to included Microsoft's response to the story.*

Microsoft has slashed the price of its Surface RT tablet by around 30 per cent in the UK, with the 32GB device now selling for 279.99.

The software giant has reduced the price of both the 32GB and 64GB versions of the tablet by around 120, with the latter now retailing at 359.

Users that plump for a 32GB Surface RT/Touch Cover bundle will need to stump up 359 or 439 to get the 64 GB tablet included instead.

At the time of writing, the Surface Pro was still retailing on the Microsoft online store at full price.

A Microsoft spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal the price cut will help the firm capitalise on the success of similar pricing promotions in other parts of the world.

"We've been seeing great success with pricing and cover promotions over the past several months on Surface RT in the US and other markets," the spokesperson said.

"People who buy Surface love Surface, and we're excited about all those additional people out sharing their excitement for Surface with other people."

Over the last couple of months, Microsoft has been offering significant discounts on the tablets at its developer and user conferences, with many queuing for several hours to snap one up.

This is on the back of criticism about the firm's Surface pricing strategy, which prompted market watcher IDC to warn Microsoft earlier this year that the high cost of the Surface RT could stop the device being a success.

News of the price cuts are sure to fuel speculation Microsoft is trying to jumpstart sales for the device, which the firm's CEO Steve Ballmer admitted back in November had been "modest" since its release on 26 October.

According to a slide displayed during a keynote presentation at the firm's Worldwide Partner Conference last week, Microsoft is reportedly gearing up for a refresh of the Surface RT and Pro devices in the coming months.

Microsoft has belatedly released the Surface Pro in the UK, seven months after the launch of Windows 8. But with a plethora of devices from established OEMs such as Dell and Lenovo available, is it wise to invest in a hybrid made by a firm with no pedigree in hardware?

Ultrabook or Tablet?

Positioned as an Ultrabook which can be transformed into a tablet, the Surface Pro sounds like the ideal device on paper. It's powered by a meaty Intel Core i5 dual-core processor pegged at 1.7GHz, has 110GB of usable storage space, a beautiful screen and the build quality is good.

However, there is one core design flaw.

The Pro has the same kickstand found on the Surface RT. You pop this out when using the tablet on a flat surface so it doesn't fall over. The hinge is not adjustable, which is annoying. But when in the office, you can connect the device to a larger monitor using the built-in miniDisplay port.

The real problems starts when you want to use the device on the move. If you're at an event or on the train and need to use the tablet on your lap, the Surface Pro is awkward to use. When using the Surface during a press conference I spent the first 10 minutes worrying it was going to tip off my lap and cartwheel onto the floor. Every keystroke resulted in the 910g chassis wobbling and after a few minutes, when the fear of falling subsided, another problem emerged.

Use the Pro on your lap for any prolonged amount of time and you'll find the kickstand digs into your thighs and starts to cause discomfort. This is quickly alleviated by re-adjusting the position, but then you'll have to start the balancing act again. It's a tiresome process and I was craving an Ultrabook by the time my two hour event finished. I was even envious of the person on my right who had his iPad slotted into the keyboard dock and was happily tapping away.

Keyboard

Microsoft doesn't supply a keyboard with the Pro, so you'll need to purchase one separately.

There are two choices. The Touch Cover (99) or the Type Cover (109) which aims to provide a traditional typing experience. Both function as a screen protector when the device is not in use.

Adjusting to the cramped conditions of the Pro keyboards takes a while, especially if you're used to a large laptop or keyboard. The letters on the Type Cover are well laid out, but the arrow and enter keys are condensed and can be hard to hit. The Touch Cover takes longer to get used to as the keys are pressure sensitive and there is no give.

The trackpad is inadequate. It's a measly 66mm x 34mm so there's not much room to operate and it can be sticky too. The ability to tap the touchscreen does alleviate some of the shortcomings of the trackpad and you can also plug in a Bluetooth mouse in the office.

Performance and Ports

One of the few positives of the Surface Pro is performance. The Core i5 Ivy Bridge dual-core processor is clocked at 1.7GHz and back up by 4GB of RAM.

The use of Intel chips means the full-fat edition of Windows 8 Pro is re-loaded. This allows users to install and run legacy applications out-of-the-box, something the Surface RT cannot do. You've also got access to the Live Tile interface and the Windows Store, so you can download any applications, TV shows, films and music.

In our real-world benchmarks test, the Pro scored a solid 0.6 blowing competitors like the Dell Latitude 10 (0.22) and ThinkPad 2 (0.17) out of the water. This puts the Surface up there with Ultrabook performance and it should be able to run taxing applications and a multi-monitor setup.

The device does get hot when it's being pushed to its limits, and the fan kicks in.

Microsoft has kitted out the Pro with a handful of useful ports - the USB 3 connection allows you to add in a peripheral, and storage can be boosted through the micro SDXC card slot. As mentioned, the microDisplay port allows you to sync up to a monitor.

In the absence of an Ethernet jack, the primary method to connect to the web is through Wi-Fi. The Pro supports 802.11a/b/g/n connectivity. Bluetooth 4 is built-in allowing you to communicate with a variety of devices and peripherals.

Display and Pen

The Surface Pro packs a 10.6in display with a full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution. The screen is the same size as Surface RT, but the Pro has over one million more pixels sized into it.

Microsoft has used its ClearType display technology, which make colours jump out of the screen. The Pro's got a maximum brightness of 446 cd/m2, just shy of the 448cd/m2 acheived by the rival Dell Latitude 10. It's one of the sharpest displays we've seen on a non-Apple tablet and this makes the Surface Pro ideal for flipping through magazines or watching HD movies.

A stylus is include with the Pro in an attempt to attract business users. This can be useful for editing document and charts and for those who want to use the Surface Pro for design purposes.

Microsoft claims the device is able to recognise 1,024 levels of pressure, but you're not going to feel this. There's a slight delay in between writing something on screen and it appearing, but we're talking milliseconds.

There were reports the pen was not functioning correctly with applications such as Photoshop. Microsoft has upgraded a pressure API to fix this issue.

It's surprising the free One Note app is not pre-installed on the Pro, as this is ideal for jotting down notes and sketches with the stylus.

One of the main concerns is the pen will be lost. When it's not being used, the pen clips into the magnetic charging dock on the right-hand side of the device. When you charge your device, you have no choice but to unclip the pen, and this is the time when it's most likely to get lost.

Devices such as the Lenovo ThinkPad 2 have a special dock where the pen can be housed at all times, and Microsoft should have done the same.

IT admins need devices to be easily serviceable and upgradeable. After all businesses want devices to not only have high-performance but provide longevity.

Microsoft has chosen to take the same route as its arch-rival Apple and completely lockdown component access in the Pro. For a device that is marketed as a business tool, this is a fatal move.

Teardown website iFixit gave the Pro a reparability score of just 1/10, the lowest of any mainstream Windows and Apple device.

A comprehensive teardown revealed Microsoft doesn't want you removing or replacing any key components. The battery and display are tightly fitted with glue, and iFixit warns that if you try and remove the SSD there's a good chance you'll kill the device completely. There are total of 90 screws inside too so putting everything back where you found it isn't straightforward.

Battery life

The Core i5 chip and the HD display are capable of burning through the battery on the Pro, so all-day battery life is not expected or claimed by Microsoft. You'll get five hours out of the device at a push, with the brightness turned down and Wi-Fi used sparingly.

The battery life is similar to the Ultrabooks on the market, but the catch is that business-orientated devices let you swap out the battery. As mentioned this isn't possible with the Surface Pro.

There are reports suggesting Microsoft may introduce a thicker Type cover with a built-in battery to boost the longevity of the device, but nothing has been confirmed.

Pricing

The Surface Pro is priced at an eye-watering 720 (64GB) and this is without the touch and type cover. If you want the 128GB edition, this is going to set you back 800. This is just not competitive, especially when OEM devices such as the ThinkPad 2 are available for 700.

Details about wide-scale deployment for UK enterprises are missing at this time, but Microsoft is likely to sell it at a cheaper price in bulk.

Overall

Is it possible to recommend this device for widespread rollouts? The answer is a resounding no. The Surface Pro is a valiant attempt at making a high-end machine, but ultimately it fails as a hybrid.

It's too small to be an Ultrabook replacement, and too heavy and power hungry to be an all-day tablet companion.

The cost and lack of serviceability are two major factors why this cannot be recommended for a business deployment. Coupled with the lack of pre-installed software (you only get an Office trial), there is nothing here that makes the Surface Pro unique, except the kickstand.

If you really want a Windows 8 tablet, the best we've come across so far is the Dell Latitude 10 tablet. This delivers the best balance between performance, serviceability and design.

For pure multimedia consumption, the iPad range is still the king because of the vast content empire stored in iTunes.

Verdict

The Surface Pro fails to live up to expectations. Despite the HD screen and solid performance, it's weak when it comes to portability and doesn't do enough to stand out from OEM competitors.

Processor: Intel Core i5 1.7GHz

RAM: 4GB DDR3

Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4000

Display: 10.6in 1,920 x 1,080

Storage: 128GB SSD

Connectivity: Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy technology

Ports: 1 x USB 3, micro SDXC card reader, mini-DisplayPort, proprietory chargers

Dimensions: 274 x 173 x 13.5mm (WxDxH)

WEIGHT: 910g

OS: Windows 8 Pro 64-bit

Warrenty: 1-year limited hardware warranty

Microsoft's Surface Pro pricing strategy is likely to mean the device will have a similar fate as BlackBerry's maligned Playbook tablet.

The software giant confirmed earlier today the Surface Pro will be available to buy in the UK from 23 May, with the 64GB model setting buyers back 719, while the 128GB version will cost 799.

The device will be available to buy directly from Microsoft online or via a select group of still-to-be confirmed retailers, as part of the product's consumer launch.

The Surface Pro's relatively high pricing has raised a few eyebrows within the industry, but the company has defended the move claiming it offers tablet buyers the same experience as using a "full-sized" PC.

Speaking to IT Pro, Ian Moulster, product manager at Microsoft, explained: "If you're looking for a full PC that can do all the things that a full PC can do but can also act as a tablet, that's the Surface Pro.

"If you're comparing it [to other PCs], you would have to compare it to the Ultrabook-type devices that are out there," he said.

To back this up, Moulster said the Surface Pro runs the full version of Windows 8, is powered by a third generation Intel Core i5 processor, boasts 4GB of RAM and a micro SD slot that can be used to boost its internal storage.

However, Jeremy Davies, CEO and co-founder of market watcher Context, said the pricing strategy could cost Microsoft sales in the long run.

"It [has echoes of the] BlackBerry Playbook, which tried to trade off the company's good name, like Microsoft is here, but it was launched at a price that was stupid," Davies told IT Pro.

"In the end they had millions of the damn things flying around and the only way they could get rid of them was to drop the price substantially," he added.

Pricing it upIt's not the first time Microsoft's Surface go to market strategy has come under fire, as fellow market watcher IDC urged the vendor to cut the price of the device back in February.

As reported by IT Pro at the time, IDC said the average selling price of the Surface range will need to come down if Microsoft wants to achieve a higher volume of sales.

Speaking to IT Pro, Andy Trish, managing director of Microsoft reseller NCI Technologies, said the build quality and performance of the product would have to be pretty special to justify its high price tag.

"They've put a lot of investment in the Surface, which I understand was in development for three years," he said.

"If they sell a million, that's a lot of investment they've ploughed into it to sell that amount of machines.

"As a product, it would have to be outstanding to be able to sell it at that price compared to their competitors," added Trish.

Microsoft is remaining tight-lipped about the prospect of a separate B2B marketing push around the product, which has been marketed as the more business-friendly of the two Surface tablets.

Several Microsoft resellers IT Pro has spoken to claim to have received little information from the firm about how the device will be sold within the B2B market.

"It's difficult to see where exactly Microsoft is trying to position this[from a pricing and marketing perspective]," said Context's Davies.

"It's going to be battling against higher end, high-spec, more established devices, such as the MacBook Air, which is a completely different kettle of fish.

"In terms of business use, it's going to be compared with some pretty nifty Ultrabook equipment coming out from the likes of Dell and Lenovomade by people who really know how to make hardware," he added.

Release date woesThe time it's taken Microsoft to rollout the device to the UK may have also put the product on the backfoot over here, given that it was released in the US and Canada back in February.

Microsoft's Moulster told IT Pro the release strategy was embarked on to ensure it could keep up with demand for the product.

"We were trying to make sure we were able to make those experiences [for users] as good as possible, and could meet the demand and do it in a way that people could buy the devices when they want them," he added.

But, in a world where the likes of Samsung and Apple usually push out their big product releases to the UK within a month of their launch, Davies said consumers and businesses will have expected something similar from Microsoft.

"It's like that famous Marlon Brando line from On The Waterfront. 'I could have been a contender'. That sums it up for me," said Davies.

"That's what Microsoft will be saying about the Surface in the years to come."

Microsoft has announced that its Surface Pro tablet will launch "before the end of May" in 19 countries including the UK.

The firm's tablet running the full blown version of Windows 8 is currently available in just three regions - the US, Canada, and China.

Microsoft Surface RT tablet, meanwhile, shipped on the same day the Windows 8 operating system was launched 26 October. Sales of this tablet with the cutdown OS have been disappointing, with Microsoft failing to release official figures.

However, Brian Hall, general manager of Microsoft Surface, remains positive, claiming Microsoft wanted to make sure the stock was in place to fulfil orders.

"To those of you who have pressed for information please understand that before making these announcements we make sure that we have the volume of devices in place and alignment with our retail partners to do each launch well," he said in the Surface blog.

Hall claimed that Microsoft's biggest challenge has been keeping the 128GB Surface Pro in stock.

"We've worked hard to increase availability, and most retail partners in the U.S. and Canada as well as the Microsoft Store now have the 128 GB product consistently in stock," he added.

"Looking forward to sharing Surface with more folks around the world."

Resellers who spoke to IT Pro at the beginning of March claimed that businesses were getting frustrated with Microsoft and that interest in the Surface Pro is likely to have all-but died once it is released.

Salman Chaudhry, a mobile computing analyst at market watcher Context, went one step further claiming the device would be an "an absolute rip-off" and users would be better off sticking to products made by OEMs.

Microsoft's radio silence over the UK release of the Surface Pro is prompting business users to investigate competing tablets, as anticipation for the device begins to wane.

Despite announcing the US release date and pricing for the device in January, the software giant has remained tight-lipped about when UK business users will be able to get their hands on one.

The tablet will be powered by an Intel Core i5 processor, and is available as a 64GB or 128GB model.

Unlike the Surface RT, whose release coincided with the worldwide rollout of Windows 8 in October, the Surface Pro will be able to run Windows 7 and 8 desktop applications.

IT Pro asked Microsoft this week (on 07 February, when this article was originally published) for clarification around the device's UK release, but were told the company has "nothing to share on Surface Pro storage or UK availability at this time."

Sources in the B2B Microsoft distribution and reseller channel have also told IT Pro of their frustration at being kept in the dark.

A source from a major UK IT distributor said Microsoft began prepping his firm for the release of the Surface Pro at the start of January, but the trail has now gone cold.

"We've received no further marketing materials, pricing or anything, which is strange considering how much they were pushing it to us at the start of the year," our source said.

A Microsoft reseller, who also asked not to be named, said end users are also getting tired of not knowing when the device will drop.

"We're getting a lot of questions about it from customers but we are having to tell them the same thing we were a couple of months ago, and it's getting to a point where customers are getting tired of asking and us telling them we don't know anything," our source said.

"Everyone's in limbo at the minute, with people holding off on other devices until there is definite word on the Surface Pro," they added.

The lack of information being fed through the Microsoft sales channel is perhaps unsurprising, given the company decided to bypass them and sell the Surface RT direct through its online store and selected retailers.

Selling it

The firm's go-to-market strategy with the Surface RT has been blamed for the device's lacklustre sales, with analyst firm IDC reporting last week that just 900,000 of the devices had been sold since launch.

As a result, many industry watchers expected the firm to re-jig its sales strategy and open it up to its B2B channel, especially as the Surface Pro has been billed as a more business-orientated device than the RT.

On the upside, this has reportedly prompted more end users to investigate other Windows 8 tablet hybrids and touchscreen devices, according to our sources, such as the HP Elite Pad 9000 and the Lenovo Twist.

Interest in both these devices has markedly increased since details of the Surface Pro's US pricing was announced, several people IT Pro spoke to over the course of this article remarked.

Salman Chaudhry, mobile computing analyst at market watcher Context, said based on the US pricing the Surface Pro could end up setting back UK buyers anywhere between 800 and 1,100.

"It is going to be an absolute rip-off...and the OEMs have been wise to that, which is why Lenovo and HP have started touting their devices with better average selling prices, better terms and greater transparency about what users will get for their money," he told IT Pro.

"We think the channel, consumers and businesses will shun the Surface Pro, largely because of price point, but also because of lack of engagement on Microsoft's part."

Updated: In a blog post yesterday, Microsoft announced the next tranche of countries where its Surface RT device will be released. They include Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore and Taiwan.

The company also updated UK PC buyers about when they can expect to get their hands on the Surface Pro.

Sadly, no concrete release date or pricing details were divulged, as the software giant simply stated the device wil launch in the UK within the "coming months".

*This story was originally published on 7 February, and updated on 1 March to reflect new information about product's likely release.

Microsoft has promised PC buyers that its hotly anticipated Surface Pro tablet will be available to buy in the UK soon, but stopped short of confirming a final release or pre-order date.

Despite announcing the US release date and pricing for the device last month, the software giant has remained tight-lipped about when UK business users will be able to get their hands on one.

The tablet will be powered by an Intel Core i5 processor, and is available as a 64GB or 128GB model.

Unlike the Surface RT, whose release coincided with the worldwide rollout of Windows 8 in October, the Surface Pro will be able to run Windows 7 and 8 desktop applications.

Microsoft made the announcement in a post on its Surface blog earlier today, where it listed the second phase of countries where Surface RT will be rolled out next. They include Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore and Taiwan.

The post also states the Surface Pro will be launching in the UK, as well as Australia, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, and New Zealand "in the coming months".

It also shed some light on some of the supply challenges Microsoft has faced while trying to push out its own-brand hardware to multiple geographies.

"We are focused on meeting demand in current markets for Surface Pro and are working super hard to get new inventory into retail but recognise demand exists in other countries as well," the post stated.

"We are committed to working with our retail partners to ensure we are delivering a great experience in the above mentioned countries for our customers."

The software giant's radio silence over the UK release of the Surface Pro has reportedly been a regular source of frustration for IT directors, with industry watchers claiming many have held off buying other brands of Windows 8 tablets until firm details about when it will drop has been announced.

Even so, Microsoft's announcement is likely to further frustrate, rather than soothe, them.

Updated: The Surface Pro has been crowned the least repairable tablet by tech site iFixit, who earlier this month gave the device a repairability score of one out of ten.

The IT repair site ranked a number of devices based on how easy they are to take apart and replace their components, with Microsoft's RT device bagging a score of four out of ten.

Microsoft's arch-rival Apple didn't fare much better, with several versions of the iPad scoring two out of ten, because of the build quality of their touchscreens.

Meanwhile, tablets from the likes of Samsung and Amazon scored higher, while the Dell XPS 10 bagged the top score overall with a repairability score of nine out of ten.

*This story was originally published on 28 February.

The US tech press have given Microsoft's new Surface Pro tablet largely negative reviews, casting a shadow over the software group's hopes to take a bite out of Apple's iPad sales.

The latest Surface runs on an Intel chip and features the full Windows 8 Pro operating system, which Microsoft hopes will make the device attractive to people who want to produce as well as consume material.

It also hopes to appeal to businesses who want to give employees lightweight, mobile machines that fit easily into their technology and security infrastructure.

It's too big, too fat, and too reliant on its power cable to be a competitive tablet.

The "Surface with Windows 8 Pro", is released in the US later this week, while a UK release for the device has still not been announced.

The Surface Pro is thicker, heavier and several hundred dollars more expensive than the first Surface RT, which runs on an ARM-designed chip and is not compatible with old Microsoft programs.

Available in 64 and 128 gigabyte versions, both with wifi-only connectivity, the Surface Pro starts at $899, excluding a $120-plus keyboard. That is $200 more expensive than a comparable iPad and closer in price to the 64 GB MacBook Air laptop at $999.

Microsoft has said the device is the first to bring a full operating system to the tablet format without compromising quality. But reviewers found the device uncomfortably stranded between a tablet and a PC, with many compromises.

"It ran all the software I threw at it - both the new type and the old desktop type - speedily and well," wrote Walt Mossberg on the All Things D tech blog.

"But the Pro has some significant downsides, especially as a tablet ... It's too hefty and costly and power-hungry to best the leading tablet, Apple's full-size iPad."

Mossberg said the Surface lasted less than four hours on his standard battery test, half the performance of an iPad. He also expressed concerns about the usable memory on the 64 GB version.

Steve Kovach, writing for Business Insider, praised the specifications on the new Surface, but not the experience as a whole.

"The Surface Pro has some impressive hardware specs for such a unique form factor. It can go toe-to-toe with any other thin and light laptop," he wrote.

"(But) you can't rest the Surface Pro comfortably on your lap without it flopping around. You can't adjust the angle of the screen when it's propped on a table with the built-in kickstand," Kovach added.

"You need to spend at least another $100 to get the full laptop-like experience with one of the special keyboard covers. At 10 inches, the screen feels a bit small for traditional desktop computing.

"The cheapest model only has 23 GB of free storage, so you'll have to buy a separate memory card because you'll definitely need more than that."

David Pierce, writing on The Verge tech news site, singled out the high quality of the screen, quick startup time, the USB port on the charging hub and pressure-sensitive stylus.

But he criticised the lack of Microsoft's Office suite of applications - which have to be purchased separately - and its general awkwardness.

"Even a well-executed Surface still doesn't work for me, and I'd bet it doesn't work for most other people either," Pierce wrote.

"It's really tough to use on anything but a desk, and the wide, 16:9 aspect ratio pretty severely limits its usefulness as a tablet anyway," Pierce added.

"It's too big, too fat, and too reliant on its power cable to be a competitive tablet, and it's too immutable to do everything a laptop needs to do. In its quest to be both, the Surface is really neither."

The new Windows 8 system is off to a "solid" start and should get a boost in sales over the next few months as new touch-screen devices hit the market, Microsoft has claimed.

The flagship product of the world's largest software company, launched on 26 October, has not set the technology world on fire. By early January, it had sold more than 60 million units, on par with the release of Windows 7 three years before.

"We're only just getting started, there's a lot yet to come," said Tami Reller, chief financial officer of the Windows unit, in an interview at Microsoft's campus near Seattle.

This is a solid start and we have a lot of reasons to be optimistic.

"Touch laptops and convertibles, we're really just starting to see these and over the next couple of selling seasons we'll have them across all form factors and all price ranges."

Reller highlighted new tablets from Acer and lightweight laptops from HP as machines capable of grabbing a share in a mobile computing market dominated by Apple's iPad and Google's Android.

She thinks new devices will answer demand for Windows 8 that was thwarted over the Christmas period by the scarcity of the most popular machines, partly caused by constrained supply of touch-screen components.

"At holiday there were certain devices that were limited in their volume. We sold out of a lot of the most interesting things," said Reller.

Scratch the Surface

Microsoft has still not revealed the number of Surface tablets it sold since the device's launch alongside Windows 8, but research firm IDC last week put it at 900,000. That is much lower than analysts' initial estimates and a fraction of the 23 million iPads Apple sold last quarter.

The second of two Surface devices launches this weekend in the US, running on an Intel chip and capable of running all legacy Windows programs, which might appeal more to businesses.

"You launch Excel and you can just see things fly," said Reller, who has been using a Surface Pro for the last two weeks.

A Forrester Research survey published on Monday showed that only 2 percent of "information workers" around the world are using Windows tablets for work, but 32 per cent indicated they would like one for their next work tablet, which could translate into 200 million sales of Surface and other Windows tablets.

One selling point of the Surface Pro is a full suite of Office applications, which means Microsoft can market the tablet as a fully functional PC. Microsoft has not released Office for the iPad, although many expect it will eventually.

Microsoft spent hundreds of millions of dollars promoting Windows 8 and Surface last quarter, but some in the PC industry have complained privately that Microsoft has not done enough to train sales people or educate consumers on the new range of devices running Windows 8.

"I think we can do better and we'll work with them (retailers) to do better," said Reller. "That's not a criticism of our retailers. But we are definitely going to do more at retail to make that experience better."

Overall, Reller was happy with progress in the 90 days or so since Windows 8 launch.

"This is a solid start. But we are just getting started," she said. "We have a lot of reasons to be optimistic."

Apple has announced that its 128GB iPad will start shipping on 5 February, with the device set to offer more storage at a cheaper price than the equivalent version of Microsoft's forthcoming Surface Pro.

Cupertino claims its iPad will have double the storage of the 64GB edition, which currently ships with 57GB of usable space.

A quick calculation suggests the 128GB iPad should have somewhere in the region of 114GB usable space.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has confirmed that its 128GB Surface Pro, which ships with the fully featured Windows 8 OS, will have 83GB of usable space out-of-the-box. This is due to the Windows 8 OS, built-in apps and a recovery partition taking up a third of the space.

The 128GB model starts at $799, making the iOS device $200 cheaper than the Surface Pro.

Users will be able to create a USB and delete the recovery partition to boost the Surface Pro's storage and will also be able to plug in external storage via the USB or microSD card slots, something that is not possible with the iPad.

The only way to bolster storage on the iPad is to use the cloud or transfer data to another machine.

In terms of pricing, the Apple device could attract business users as there is a steep price difference between the 128GB iPad and Surface Pro.

The Wi-Fi only 128GB iPad will start at 639 inc VAT (532.50 ex VAT). This rises to 739 (615.83 ex VAT) if users require a 4G connection.

UK pricing for the Surface Pro hasn't been released yet, but US pricing suggests the Windows 8 device will be more expensive in the UK.

The 64GB Surface Pro will start at $899 (64GB) and the 128GB model will cost $999. In comparison the 64GB iPad costs $699 and the 128GB model starts at $799, making the iOS device $200 cheaper.

It remains to be seen if the ability to boost storage and use legacy apps on the Windows 8 device will be able to sway to business users towards the Microsoft product.

The Surface Windows 8 Pro tablet will go on sale in the US and Canada on 9 February, but Microsoft has stopped short of revealing when UK buyers will get their hands on the device.

The Surface Windows 8 Pro will be available to buy from this date via the Microsoft online and retail stores, as well as Staples and Best Buy in the US.

The tablet will be powered by an Intel Core i5 processor, and is available as a 64GB or 128GB model.

Unlike the Surface RT, whose release coincided with the worldwide rollout of Windows 8 in October, the Surface Pro will be able to run Windows 7 and 8 desktop applications.

We are seeing so much interest in the Surface Pro, if we can't sell it to customers, there could be trouble ahead.

It will also feature a pen-like implement, which will allow users to edit documents and navigate their way round the device using the touchscreen.

The US starting price for the Surface Pro is $899, while the Surface RT retails at around $499. UK availability and pricing is yet to be announced.

According to Microsoft industry watchers, the Surface Pro could provide a shot in the arm for Windows 8 adoption in the enterprise, as interest in the device from business users has reportedly been growing since the RT version dropped last October.

Therefore, the lack of UK pricing and availability details is sure to be frustrating for some, while the firm's network of B2B resellers are also waiting with baited breath to see if they will get to sell the tablet.

Previously, the Surface RT was placed off limits to Microsoft's channel partners, as the software giant opted to sell it directly or through a select number of high street retailers.

Shortly afterwards, Microsoft's limited distribution of the device came under fire, after Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer suggested the sales strategy was partly to blame for the "modest" number of sales it clocked up.

In a blog post, Richard Gibbons, software manager at Microsoft reseller Bechtle Direct, said the software giant should seriously consider selling the device through its reseller network.

"[We] are seeing so much interest in this device that, if we are left unable to fulfil this for our customers, it will be perhaps the biggest run-in Microsoft has ever had with its partners," he stated.

Consumer sales of Windows-powered personal computers fell 21 per cent overall last month, indicating a lackluster debut for Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system.

Many in the industry said Windows 8 might revive slack PC sales, but a report by NPD Group, which tracks computer sales weekly using data supplied by retailers, dampened those hopes.

Since the launch of Windows 8 on October 26, Windows laptop sales are down 24 per cent.

On the same day, Microsoft announced pricing for its latest device designed to break Apple's stranglehold on the tablet and lightweight laptop market. It is offering the Surface tablet running the full version of Windows 8 from $899, pitching it somewhere between Apple's latest iPad and MacBook Air laptop.

Since the launch of Windows 8 on October 26, Windows laptop sales are down 24 per cent, while desktop sales are down 9 percent compared with the same period last year, making an overall 21 percent dip, NPD Group said.

Usually, a Microsoft release boosts PC sales because many consumers hold off purchases for several months so they can obtain the latest software immediately.

If the NPD's sales trends are borne out over the rest of the holiday shopping season, it would be a huge disappointment for Microsoft and PC makers such as Dell, HP and Lenovo.

"After just four weeks on the market, it's still early to place blame on Windows 8 for the ongoing weakness in the PC market," said Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD. "We still have the whole holiday selling season ahead of us, but clearly Windows 8 did not prove to be the impetus for a sales turnaround some had hoped for."

NPD's data neither includes Microsoft's first Surface tablet, which is only available in its own stores, nor takes account of sales of PCs to businesses, which has recently been a much stronger market.

Microsoft's first Surface tablet runs a version of Windows called RT, created to work on the low-power chips designed by ARM, which dominate smartphones and tablets but are incompatible with old Windows applications.

A larger, heavier tablet -- officially called 'Surface with Windows 8 Pro' -- will be on sale from January, running on an Intel Corp chip that works with all Microsoft's Windows and Office applications.

Microsoft said on Thursday it would price the new Surface at $899 for a 64GB version and $999 for a 128GB version. That does not include the optional cover, which doubles as a keyboard, costing $120 to $130.

The company describes the wifi-only device as "a full PC and a tablet". It is priced above Apple's 64GB wifi-only iPad at $699 and at the low end of Apple's MacBook Air line of lightweight laptops which start at $999.

The Intel-based Surface is thicker and heavier than both the iPad and Surface running Windows RT, but at 2 lbs (0.9 kg) is lighter than the MacBook Air.

Since Microsoft introduced Windows 8, it has accounted for only 58 percent of Windows computing device unit sales, compared to the 83 percent Windows 7 accounted for at the same point after its launch in 2009, NPD said. That was partly caused by poor back-to-school sales that left many Windows 7 PCs on retailers' shelves, NPD said.

One patch of light for Microsoft is strong sales of touchscreen Windows 8 laptops, which accounted for 6 percent of Windows laptop sales, according to NPD.

It is still unclear how successful Microsoft's Windows 8 will be in the long term. The touch-optimized, tablet-friendly system was designed to appeal to younger users with a colorful, app-based interface, but has confused some traditional Windows customers more used to keyboard and mouse commands. Beneath the new interface design, it does not offer any radical new computing power.

On Monday, a top Windows executive said Microsoft had sold 40 million Windows 8 licenses in the month since the launch. That is ahead of Windows 7 at the same stage, but it was not clear how many of those were pre-orders, discounted upgrades, or bulk sales to PC makers.

According to tech research firm StatCounter, about 1 percent of the world's 1.5 billion or so personal computers - making a total of around 15 million - are actually running Windows 8.