Indeed, Acer is still making such devices like its ConceptD Ezel series.īut Microsoft is the first to do it this way and at such a premium level. The concept isn't new as Acer first tried it with the Aspire R7 in 2013 and VAIO in 2014 with the VAIO Duo 13.
I think it's an ingenious, functional layout and makes this PC unlike any other in the world.įor the first time, Microsoft is using a pull-it-forward display in a Surface PC.
That stepped design gives some extra grip points when grabbing the laptop, and the larger front lip lets the Surface Slim Pen 2 magnetically stick while being completely flush and out of the way. It reminds me a bit of Xbox One S, which also has a similar stepped design.įew have wondered if that base would detract from use in the lap or cause it to be unbalanced. But peeking underneath it is altogether distinct with a curious pedestal-base and aggressive venting. When opened, the rounded corners and edges lend themselves to an Apple MacBook Pro. To my eyes, it continues the "Brutalist design" aesthetics with a hint of Dieter Ram's minimalism we've seen in other Surface products.
The overall look of Surface Laptop Studio is distinct. It all adds up to an incredible machine despite a few odd choices and early rough edges. Everything is more premium with unique features like a 120Hz display, haptic pen and touchpad, quad-audio, a distinctive design, and balance between all the components. However, unlike those PCs this is a Surface. This time, the Microsoft trick is that new pull-it-forward display, one Acer and Sony VAIO, have been dabbling in for years. It's a bigger, heavier, and indeed, a more powerful PC compared to Surface Laptop 4. Surface Laptop Studio is the spiritual successor to Surface Book and, and in many ways, feels just like it did. The idea seemed ingenious, almost too good, and yet years later, the idea has fizzled as people questioned its practicality and tradeoffs in performance. With its never-before-done detachable display, later iterations of Surface Book delivered the power of a modest workstation but the flexibility of a tablet PC when required. In 2015, Microsoft introduced the Surface Book in one of the most noteworthy product reveals ever.