Although Microsoft is first and foremost a software company (a fact made obvious by the ubiquitous Windows OS), the brand has nonetheless established an impressive presence in the PC hardware market in the last decade thanks to its excellent Surface computers. These premium Windows laptops and 2-in-1 tablets usually come with price tags to match their high quality, but there are always Surface Laptop deals if you know where to look — and you’ve just found them. We’ve already smoked out all the best Surface Laptop deals and listed them below, followed by a handy guide to help you pick the right one.
If you’re also interested in the Surface Pro line of Windows-powered tablets and 2-in-1s, then head on over to our Surface Pro deals roundup as well.
Best Microsoft Surface Laptop deals
Microsoft Surface Pro vs. Surface Laptop
If you’re torn between purchasing a Microsoft Surface Laptop and a Microsoft Surface Pro 2-in-1 tablet, look to your applications. The Surface Laptop and Surface Pro are each available with a range of options including CPUs, memory, storage, and, in the case of the Surface Laptop, display sizes. Both machines are solidly built despite their thin cases and light weights. As high-end computing devices, the Microsoft Surface alternatives include impressive design characteristics as well as functional competency.
The greatest differences between the Microsoft Surface Laptop and the Surface Pro are due to their respective designs. The Surface Laptop is indeed a laptop computer and as such the focus is on providing everything travelers and homebodies alike need for computing. The Surface Pro, on the other hand, is best considered a premium tablet with scads of power but a primary focus on portability. As our reviewer wrote in the Microsoft Surface Pro X review, the Pro X is “absurdly thin and light.”
The Pro X functions as a standalone tablet and also works with a pen, the Microsoft Surface Slim Pen. There’s also a combination keyboard and cover called a Type Cover. Unfortunately, the Type Cover and Slim Pen are not standard with all Surface Pro X models. You can buy both input devices separately or bundled with a Surface Pro X, but the designed-in independence from keyboards and external pointing devices underscores the Surface Pro X’s essential tablet identity.
One easy way to choose between the two Microsoft Surface models is to consider which format you are currently using or which you are most comfortable with. If you’re a laptop veteran, especially if you rarely use a touch screen even if you have one, you might find it awkward, at least at first, to use a machine rooted in tablet design. If, on the other hand, you already prefer to use tablets over conventional laptops, and all else being equal, lean toward a Microsoft Surface Pro for your next machine.
At the recent Microsoft Event, they announced new versions of both products. Preorder the Surface Laptop Studio or the Surface Pro 8 today.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
The new Surface Laptop Studio was recently announced at Microsoft’s fall Surface event. At first glance it looks like any old 14-inch laptop, but in reality it’s a Surface like we’ve never seen before. The main feature that sets it apart is the “Stage Mode.” In a unique take on the 2-in-1 laptop that only Surface could provide, the screen pulls forward in front of the keyboard to prop it up like the classic Surface tablet. Think of it as a Surface Pro and a Surface Laptop combined.
But the Surface Laptop Studio goes further than that, taking full advantage of the added space a built-in keyboard provides. The new Surface Studio is the most powerful Surface to date, with a 35-watt chip in its Core i7-11370H processor. The display features 2400 x 1600 resolution and an impressive 120Hz refresh rate. It’s a machine built for designers, gamers, students and working professionals.
Best Microsoft Surface Laptop alternatives
If you’re not inclined to buy a Microsoft hardware product, there are a number of top-rated Microsoft Surface Laptop alternatives. The first model that most will think of is the always-excellent Dell XPS thin and light notebook. In the original Dell XPS 15 review, we said “the XPS 15 is the PC every laptop wishes it could be.” That was a few years ago and the XPS 15 and larger XPS 17 have only gotten better.
Look to the HP Envy laptop for another high-performance lightweight laptop. In the HP Envy 15 review, we said it “delivers top-notch performance at a dazzling price.” Battery life and an expansive stood out in the LG Gram 16 Review, which we called “almost unbelievably light.”
If you’re looking for value in a lightweight portable, consider the Asus ZenBook. In the Asus ZenBook 13 US333FA review we referred to it as “all the laptop you’ll need.”
Apple fans who like what they see in the Microsoft Surface Laptop but don’t want to leave the Apple fold should check out the MacBook Air. The Apple MacBook Air M1 review summarized it a “fast, fanless, and fantastic.”
So, you can also check out the best laptop deals we track regularly to find additional alternative choices to the Microsoft Surface Laptop.
