Microsoft Unveils Surface Laptop 2 and Surface Pro 6 (venturebeat.com)

Microsoft said Tuesday it was refreshing the Surface Laptop and Surface Pro lineups with new models that offer updated specs and a black color option. The price tags have changed slightly: the Surface Laptop 2 starts at $999 (same as the Surface Laptop) while the Surface Pro 6 starts at $899 (up $100 from its predecessor). From a report: Both devices come with 8th-generation Intel Core processors (upgradeable all the way up to quad-core) and start at 128GB of SSD storage (upgradable to 1TB). The Surface Laptop 2 starts at 8GB of RAM (upgradeable to 16GB) while the Surface Pro 6 still comes with 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB of RAM. Panos Panay, head of engineering for all of Microsoft's devices, said the Surface Laptop 2 is 85 percent faster than the original Surface Laptop. He also mentioned that the screen features more than 3.4 million pixels, a 1,500:1 contrast ratio, and happens to be the lightest touchscreen panel on the market. Panay said the Surface Pro 6 is 67 percent more powerful than its predecessor (which oddly enough was just called Surface Pro). Surface Pro 6 still gets 13.5 hours of battery life, weighs 1.7 pounds, and has a 267ppi screen with "the highest contrast ratio" Microsoft has ever delivered.

Comments

Re:Nothing new here.

[b0s0z0ku]

Well, downgraded is the new upgrade. After all, Daddy Nadella doesn't want us using local procession power and storage, only the "cloud." Dumb terminals with a GUI are the new modern.

Article Source

[RickyShade]

This venturebeat website is incredibly annoying.

Sweet

[110010001000]

More hardware that people won't buy. $1000 laptops with 8 GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Welcome to 2018.

Re:Sweet

[b0s0z0ku]

Yep. Just picked up a refurb Dell 7240(?) with this kind of spec for $275. Perfect condition, upgradeable RAM and storage, removable battery, not sealed junk like MS and Crapple.

Re:Sweet

[Anonymous Coward]

Except a 7240 does not have 16GB of RAM and has a Haswell processor. So it's only similar in specs if you're a dumbass. Also the 7240 when lauched was more expensive then what is being sold here. Comparing the price of a refurbed, 4.5 year old product to something new is dumb as fuck.

Re:Sweet

[b0s0z0ku]

Haswell at least has drivers for Win 7. It's also fast enough for 99% of work and supports 16GB of RAM (it's upgradeable, not sealed trash). Comparing price is valid if a refurb does the same fuckin thing as a Smurface.

Re:Sweet

[Misagon]

What counts is not how old something is but how much you can yet get out of it.

With multiple USB-A ports and a keyboard that does not suck, I think also I would be more productive and less frustrated with that four-year old Dell than with a MS Surface.

And BTW, the Dell can be upgraded to 16 GB RAM because it takes DDR3 SODIMM's, whereas you can not upgrade four-year old MS Surface which is glued together and has soldered-in RAM.

Re:Sweet

[b0s0z0ku]

This. For a different example, in many ways, a early 2000s or late 90s Camry is a better car than the latest overweight cutie-utie or SUV sold today.

Re:Sweet

[thegarbz]

As someone who ditched a Dell 4 years ago for a Surface Pro 3, I have been far more productive carrying around a device with this form factor and connection options than I ever was with an old chunky heavy laptop that spent a lot of time at home rather than on the road with me.

If you're buying a Surface Pro as a small workstation you're an idiot.
If you're comparing it to a full feature laptop then you likewise significantly missed the point. I suggest you scroll down further in the anouncment since there's a product more suitable to your needs.

Re:Sweet

[fyzikapan]

Some people just like high quality screens, decent keyboards, and non-shit touchpads.

It's not about getting less. Your average office worker isn't going to notice 8 GB of RAM vs 16. They sure as hell will notice when the screen is only viewable from straight on, the touchpad isn't responsive, and the keyboard is a mushy mess, though.

Re:Nothing new here.

[b0s0z0ku]

Processing. (damn autocorrect)

Re:*YAWN* at Smurface

[b0s0z0ku]

I use computers for productive purposes -- I use Windows 7 and Linux. My data is mine, not to be shared and cared with Microsoft, Apple, Google or anyone else on the "clown."

67%

[jetkust]

Is the processor 67% more powerful or was he talking about the kickstand?

Re:*YAWN* at Smurface

[rickb928]

Actually, my favorite game works terrifically on my Surface Pro 3. And my Surface Pro 3 works very well thank you.

Yeah, it's a great game.

Re:Next week's announcements:

[rickb928]

Oh wow. Like iPhone XS etc...

No USB-C in 2018.

[Jahoda]

Instead dependent on the totally proprietary surface dock port, and over priced surface dock.

Have you ever managed a fleet of surfaces with bad ports? I do, and that's why we're replacing out surface books at this organization with laptops that use, you know, industry standards.

Re:Doesn't matter how great if they have Windows 1

[Jahoda]

I won't consider them.

Well, bad news for you then, because Microsoft, Dell, HP, Acer, Asus, and Lenovo don't give a shit what you do or don't consider. This is what we use when we want support for NVMe and a host of other mandatory technologies here in almost-2019.

Phantom touches & dead zones

[ReneR]

Did I recently mention the common N-Trig touchscreen phantom touches and dead zone problem? https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Re:Just attractive monikers for CEO's

[b0s0z0ku]

This being said, at least they're not USB-C only like Apple. Putting eveything on USB-C is insane. And the magnetic charger is better than a fragile-ass USB-C cord or a barrel connector that can pull a computer off a table.

Re:*YAWN* at Smurface

[b0s0z0ku]

Because the hardware is sealed, unrepairable, environmentally irresponsible shit designed to be tossed out if it breaks, making more e-waste. Fuck any company that promotes this model.

"Mandatory technologies" NOT available on Linux?

[mykepredko]

Wow.

I'll still stick with Linux.

No USB-C

[xeoron]

I am surprised they are still not opting for at least 1 port now that Intel is licensing the tech for free to people.

Re: "Mandatory technologies" NOT available on Linu

[nnull]

Hurrr durrr ok. I do work on Linux and so does my entire facility. Even my laptop is Linux.

Re:*YAWN* at Smurface

[exomondo]

So load ubuntu on a surface?

I think that's probably one of the more interesting things here, for all the years and years of paranoia and fear-mongering posts here about how Microsoft is the devil and will use SecureBoot to lock out alternative operating systems not only has that not happened but even now at the 6th generation of Microsoft's own hardware you can still disable SecureBoot and install Linux. Not only did the conspiracy theories not come to pass with OEMs but it didn't even happen with Microsoft's own Surface devices.

Re:Doesn't matter how great if they have Windows 1

[exomondo]

I won't consider them.

This is still one of the biggest problems for Linux, no matter how easy it is to install the general populace is still made up of people like you that can't comprehend installing a different operating system or not using the system as it came out of the box.

Re:Just attractive monikers for CEO's

[jezwel]

Its like buying a really nice Italian sports car with a 1.5 liter turbo in it. Yeah it looks nice, but that's about it.

I dunno, there's some pretty potent beasts out there with an engine like what you're talking about.

But yes, Surface devices for our org are purely for people that get hand held IT support anyway, the rest of us plebs make do with something a lot more capable but less shiny...

Re:*YAWN* at Smurface

[thegarbz]

All I see is small, sleek, nicely finished, and incredibly light allowing me to carry it anywhere without thought.

So rather than fuck the company, fuck me instead. I as the end user promote this model.

Re:*YAWN* at Smurface

[thegarbz]

or go home.

That's a great idea. I'll need to go home and get the Thinkbrick because it's so heavy I didn't bother carrying it with me in the first place.

meh..

[lusid1]

16gb of RAM max? 2011 just won't go away.