Surface Laptop: Why The Windows 10 S MacBook Clone May Struggle - Price, Specs & More

Surface Laptop stole the show at Microsoft’s recent education event, but something feels off about this Windows 10 S Notebook. Facing stiff competition from the MacBook Pro, here’s why we think this 2017 product may fail.

1) That Darn OS: The Surface Laptop can be configured with some pretty beefy productivity specs, but all that hardware seems pointless when it’s ultimately hamstrung by the restrictions of Windows 10 S. In case you haven’t heard, Windows 10 S is a new version of Windows that blocks all app installs outside the Microsoft Store. It’s a variation meant to prioritize speed and security above all else.

While users will be able to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro for free this year, the eventual fee is $50 without a valid student account. Windows 10 S not only makes the Surface Laptop more difficult to use but also more expensive. These problems simply don’t exist with a MacBook. All major applications are being made for OS X, and the platform is still very secure. There are no upgrade fees either. The MacBook experience is uncommonly unfettered compared to the Laptop.

2) High Prices: Yes MacBooks are in some ways more expensive than ever, but that’s still no excuse for the Surface Laptop’s starting cost of $999. Looking at the specs, it’s no secret that just about every manufacturer on the planet makes something a lot cheaper with similar innards. The build quality may not be as premium, but, unless you’re really careless, just about any notebook will endure the same routine the Surface Laptop is designed for.

Microsoft is a company that can wield a pretty big stick if it wants to, so it would’ve been nice to see them take a bigger loss to truly undercut the competition. Realistically, it seems like a fairly similar product could have been put on shelves for $700 or less. That price for a pure Windows experience would have been far more enticing when stacked against a MacBook.

3) No dGPU Options: MacBooks have been popular amongst students in general, but they’ve gained the most momentum from those seeking careers in creative, tech-heavy fields. For those people, Apple offers some options with NVIDIA GPUs. Whether you’re creating art, playing games or developing code you need some extra power to get those tasks done.

The Surface Laptop, however, appears to have no configurations with a discreet GPU at this time. That may change, but for now it seems like a huge miss. A Surface Book could fill that void, but these days it seems uncertain how long that product line will last. The Laptop is a pricey product creators can do very little with, and that’s a shame.

4) Lack Of Ports: Apple is often scolded for the lack of expansion ports on its products, but the Surface Laptop has even fewer than the MacBook Pro. As it stands, you’re basically getting standard USB 3.0 and mini DisplayPort. By contrast, even the low-end MacBook Pro’s come with two USB-C ports as well as USB 3.1.

Connectivity still matters, and if the Surface Laptop intends to sell in the same price range as a MacBook Pro, it needs to offer the same collection of ports. With the competition so stiff, it’s amazing that USB-C is not here.

5) It Complicates The Product Line: Between the Surface Laptop, Surface Pro and Surface Book, it’s starting to get to the point where there’s too much product out there. Especially when compared to a high-profile product like the Surface Pro, it’s unclear why the Surface Laptop even exists.

Right now, it's possible to buy a Surface Pro 4 with comparable specs to the baseline Surface Laptop for $150 less without the OS hassle. You’ll get closer to cost parity with the suggested purchase of a Type Cover, but the main point still stands. At the end of the day, the Surface Pro is just about as mobile and power efficient as this new product. It’s a slightly different experience but still more than serviceable. The Surface Pro has more momentum than any other Microsoft PC hardware. The Laptop just dilutes that messaging.

The Surface Laptop is available for pre-order now and ships June 15.

Do you think the Surface Laptop can compete against the MacBook Pro? Are its specs and price to your liking? Tell us in the comments section!