REVIEW: Microsoft's scratching the surface with its new laptop

The Microsoft Surface Laptop starts at Dh4,199.

Put it alongside an Apple MacBook and you'll clearly see what Microsoft is aiming for.
The US tech giant has finally brought its Surface Laptop to the UAE, and with the looks of it, it's a serious challenger to its peers in the high-powered computing area. And it's also Microsoft's first attempt at an 'actual' laptop.
The unit sent to us was the highest-specced in the field - an Intel Core i7-7660U brain with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. No wonder I had no problems going through and about my day using it; it's just so buttery-smooth that there's really nothing to complain about when it comes to performance. The 13.5-inch PixelSense screen is beautiful and bright, but it doesn't go all the way or even 180 degrees (about 120, I suppose). One more thing I like about it is that from its closed position, you don't have to worry about the entire machine going up if you lift and open the screen. There's also a camera that allows you to unlock the laptop with Windows Hello face recognition, which works out pretty well.
As far aesthetics go, it has a nice, clean finish all around courtesy of a full aluminium body. However, the keyboard's keys and trackpad are made of plastic, which pretty much takes a little bit of sheen off it. Making up for it, however, is something from Italy: an Alcantara fabric adorns the keyboard, so it does feel really smooth on your wrists. It may, however, invite unwanted micro-dust - but don't worry, a damp cloth is all you need to clean it up.
For all its power, the Surface Laptop has a candidate for 'Beef of the Review': there are only four ports - USB 3.0, mini-HDMI and 3.5mm audio on the left, and the SurfaceConnect port on the right. Noticeably absent is a USB Type-C port, which is pretty much the way forward nowadays. Here's a reason why there's a lack of more USB ports: Microsoft would want you to experience its Surface Dock, in which you can hook up more peripherals. Two things about this though: it comes as a separate accessory and still doesn't have USB Type-C. And since I'm user that most of the time requires more ports on the fly, yeah, this doesn't sit well with me.
Out of the box, the Surface Laptop comes with Windows 10 S (though this review unit already has 10 Pro). Sounds new? Well, it's basically a version of 10 that works only with Microsoft Store apps. Meaning, for example, you can't use any other browser than Edge (which is a pretty robust one - unless you want the continuity of your stuff on others like Chrome), or some anti-virus apps. Bing is also your only search engine. The solution? Upgrade to (and pay for) Windows 10 Pro. Once you do this, however, there's no reverting back to S; you're stuck. Sounds like 'S' means 'stuck' to me.
Good news: Microsoft recently announced that it will be creating an 'S Mode'; it will come enabled with a new Windows 10 or Windows 10 Pro install. Yes.
Battery, meanwhile, is listed as lasting up to 14.5 hours of video playback, better than the MacBook Pro's 10 hours but slightly below the 16 hours listed for the HP Spectre x360. During my standard one-hour YouTube video test at full brightness, it shaved off 11 per cent of battery - not bad at all.
 
AND SO...
This machine is yummy. The Microsoft Surface Laptop ticks all the boxes for your computing needs. And, as a bonus, its starting price is quite cheaper compared to that of the latest Surface Pro. The only real sticking point here is that it comes with Windows 10 S, which limits its capabilities until you upgrade. Nice first attempt, Microsoft. Now it's time for more (ports; oops, sorry, couldn't help it).
 
THE LOWDOWN