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Microsoft Is Now Selling a Surface Laptop With An Intel Core m3 Processor For $799 (windowscentral.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the entry-level dept.

Microsoft has begun offering a lower specced Surface laptop running Windows 10 S and an Intel Core m3 processor. It's priced at $799, compared to the standard model's $999 price, and is only available in the platinum color configuration. Windows Central reports: The Intel Core m3 spec is paired with 4GB of RAM and 128GB Storage. This is definitely not a high-end model of the Surface Laptop, but it's still a premium one, with the same Alcantara fabric and high-quality display found on other Surface Laptop SKUs. Microsoft offers an Intel Core m3 model of the Surface Pro priced at $799 also, however that SKU doesn't come bundled with a keyboard or pen. At least with the Surface Laptop, you're getting a keyboard and trackpad in the box, so perhaps the Intel Core m3 Laptop is going to be the better choice for many. If you're looking for a straight laptop by Microsoft, that is. Some other specs include a 2256 x 1504 resolution display, Intel HD graphics 615, 720p webcam with Windows Hello face-authentication, Omnisonic speakers with Dolby Audio Premium, one full-size USB 3.0 port, Mini DisplayPort, headphone jack and Surface Connect port. The device measures in a 12.13 inches x 8.79 inches x 0.57 inches and weighs 2.76 pounds.

13 of 108 comments (clear)

  1. And this time... by nospam007 · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...the freezer is built-in.

  2. Ripoff? by Aquaseafoam · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Aren't m3's terrible CPUs? This looks like a complete ripoff when you can buy similarly spec'd laptops for less than 500.

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    09-F9-11-02-9D-74-E3-5B-D8-41-56-C5-63-56-88-C0
    1. Re:Ripoff? by chemish · · Score: 2

      No, the m3 processor seems to do just fine. I have the normal version (not locked down version of windows) and I like the device. Great battery life and very nice screen. I like the pen but some don't care about it so I like that it is a separate purchase. Overall has a nice feel to it since there isn't a bunch of flimsy plastic. Kind of a niche product though since it really is half way between a tablet and a laptop.

    2. Re:Ripoff? by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 2

      I'm fairly certain that that G4400 of yours doesn't eat just five watts of power, though. Of course there's a trade-off.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    3. Re:Ripoff? by darkain · · Score: 3, Interesting

      For comparison, I purchased a 12" "netbook" back in 2012 brand new for $300. Everything is very easily upgradable in it (1 screw opens the bottom door, allowing access to RAM, HDD, CPU). I pulled a pair of 4GB RAM sticks out of the dead laptop it was replacing, so it is running decently on 8GB now. It came with 320GB HDD, that I've considered replacing with a SSD. It also still has wired gigabit ethernet. It is only a dual-core Celeron CPU, but then again, looking at the M3? The performance isn't that very far off. So really, the only thing this new surface has over my now 6 year old netbook is USB3, a better screen, and DisplayPort instead of HDMI. That's it for more than 3x the cost. Oh also, my netbook was upgraded to Windows 10 Pro for free, so none of the limitations of Windows 10 S.

    4. Re:Ripoff? by thegarbz · · Score: 2

      similarly spec'd laptops for less than 500

      Including size, weight and form factor? If everyone is worried about specs per dollar then Microsoft wouldn't have pushed a single Surface unit, and Apple wouldn't exist. The Surface is in every way a premium form-over-performance device.

    5. Re: Ripoff? by Monster_user · · Score: 2

      Base specs between a Celeron and a Core M3 are similar, but I am very confident that the Core M3 can toast a similarly spec'd Celeron.

      For one, the Core M3 is hyper-threaded, so it has four threads. I'm sure your Celeron is only a dual thread. Those extra threads likely compensate for the Core M3 being slightly underpowered.

      Another thing is the Celeron's lack of cache and instruction sets. For tasks require a single core and raw clock speeds the two are about on par, for much anything else the Core M3 is very noticeably faster.

      The gimped RAM, HDD, and OS are bigger considerations. And the fact that the touch screen is not detachable to use as a tablet.

  3. What is the point? by Monster_user · · Score: 2

    What is the point? That Surface laptop is priced similarly to the entry level Surface Pro, but without any of the advantages. Is a traditional keyboard worth giving up the versatility of the Surface platform?

  4. I"m confused. by jwhyche · · Score: 2

    Is this a Intel or Microsoft AD?

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    I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
  5. Re:Expensive shit by guacamole · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It's neither good, nor a laptop.

    Have you actually tried to use this thing on your laps? The screen can't stand without the rear extension, but it remains fairly unstable on laps. The keyboard bends and feels like it was made from recycled Walmart plastics.

    The device cannot be a good tablet because it is thick and heavy. It's just not very comfortable to hold in hand, and there isn't a whole lot of tablet-centric Windows apps out there.

    Thing thing is a bad laptop and a bad tablet. Most of surface users would have done better if they bought a Lenovo Yoga laptop.

  6. Surface clones are killing them by PeeAitchPee · · Score: 2

    The problem for Microsoft is that, even though they *arguably* invented the segment, they're now getting squeezed out between the cheapo tablets that'll run real Windows, and the premium, enterprise-class Surface Pro killers from folks like Dell, Lenovo, and HP that are more powerful, modular, and secure. E.g., I have the latest HP X2 Elite G2 which fully loaded costs about what a top of the line Surface Pro 4 runs, but it's got 4G LTE, 16 GB of RAM, a high-end mobile i7 chip, a 1 TB SSD, and runs all of the above for about 10 hours on a single charge as well as just about any desktop I've ever owned. Someone else said it -- they're a software company, and three generations in, they're getting beaten by the real PC hardware companies.

    1. Re:Surface clones are killing them by drinkypoo · · Score: 2

      The problem for Microsoft is that, even though they *arguably* invented the segment,

      Fujitsu invented the ultrabook and Asus invented the sexy Windows tablet. Microsoft invented jack diddly, as usual.

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      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  7. Actually used a Surface for the first time... by aaarrrgggh · · Score: 2

    I was shocked at just how bad the performance of a relatively high-spec'd machine was, and all I was doing was adding a VPN configuration for it. I can't imagine making the performance WORSE!

    The classic argument on why an iPad makes a better tablet seems to apply. It reminds me of the first time I considered buying a Fujitsu ultralight notebook. Looks great, really light, crappy battery life, and extremely slow. Add in the fact that you have to buy desktop/laptop software licenses, and they really become a bad investment quickly.

    What am I missing here?