The talked-about Microsoft event has come and gone and we are left with only one major piece of hardware announced along with a few software. Interestingly, Microsoft veered from its popular 2-in-1 form factor and created a traditional laptop. The company's latest offering, the Microsoft Surface Laptop, is actually its first ever laptop and it is seen as a direct competitor of Apple's MacBook and Google Chromebook.
Microsoft likes to be different. It introduced the concept of hybrid laptops with the Surface and Surface Pro. It then introduced a uniquely-designed hinge first seen in the Surface Book. Business Insider reported that Microsoft's Panos Panay explained the move to create the Surface Laptop as the company's answer to students' need for a laptop and not a tablet or a 2-in-1.
While the Surface Laptop offers no game-changing concepts, it still offers something unique. The inside of the Microsoft Surface Laptop, including the keyboard, is covered with Alcantara fabric. It is the same material that Microsoft used as a cover for its Surface Pro hybrid laptops as well as the Surface Book.
More importantly, Microsoft is offering something different along the software field. While the company went back to basics with its new hardware, it did integrate the new Windows 10 S in the said device. In short, Microsoft's game-changing product is not the laptop but what's inside it.
The new Windows 10 S is Microsoft's answer to the Chrome operating system. By creating its own OS, Microsoft is giving consumers particularly those in the field of education another option. As Forbes noted, both the Windows 10 S and the Surface Laptop were built mainly for the purpose of education while also penetrating a field that has been dominated by MacBooks and Chromebooks.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop has a clamshell design, an aluminum body, and a 13.5-inch PixelSense display. It is powered by Intel's 7th-gen CPUs. The laptop is extremely portable at 2.76 pounds and 14.5mm thickness. Microsoft also claims that the new laptop has a battery that lasts an impressive 14.5 hours
Right before the event, Microsoft was expected to unveil a new hardware that is primed for educational use and targeted at students. As it turned out, the Surface Laptop is a lot cheaper than the $1,200 Apple MacBook though its $999 price tag may still be a reach for some. The Microsoft Surface Laptop is now available for pre-order and will start shipping starting June 15.
