How does Microsoft's new power laptop entrant differ in its portfolio fit? In my recent column on the iPad mini 6, I mentioned how Apple had put more product space between its smallest iPad and the baseline iPad by imbuing the former with characteristics of the iPad Air. And then, of course, there was that slight learning curve of the detaching mechanism. On the other hand, using the Surface Book display untethered meant losing access to the GPU. That means it's far more likely to be a desktop-bound device and precludes some on-the-go usage scenarios. Unlike the Surface Book, though, the Laptop Studio's display doesn't detach. And its 'pull-forward' design certainly evokes its namesake, the Surface Studio, whose long upgrade absence may indicate it is next in line for a replacement.

It offers the traditional clamshell looks and functionality of the Surface Laptop (or really any laptop) and the lay-almost-flat profile of the Surface Pro. (While Microsoft doesn't promote it, the screen of the Surface Laptop Studio can be flipped back away from the keyboard to create a presentation mode.)Īs Microsoft notes, the Laptop Studio borrows a little something from each of the other Surface family members. And, as with the Surface Book, Microsoft worked engineering magic with the product's internal wire management through the product's hinges to realize accelerated performance across its poses. Like the Surface Book, using it in its most slate-like state means losing access to the companion keyboard, although Bluetooth is always an option.

Microsoft carried over some elements of the Surface Book approach to the Laptop Studio - something to sit at the top of its mobile lineup and offer a better typing experience than the Surface Pro. Microsoft's lineup of Surface PCs now covers a wide range of hardware factors and price points - and every model is Windows 11-ready.

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