Microsoft
In Debugger. More on Medium.
This year’s refresh is focused on internals, so it’s what’s on the inside that counts
For the last few years, Microsoft has been on a tear building some of the best laptops on the market alongside the most exciting developer tools available. For the last few weeks, I’ve been testing the company’s new 15-inch Surface Laptop 4, which is no exception.
From the outside, the Surface Laptop 4 looks and feels similar to the previous generation of laptops; it’s ultra-thin at 14.7 mm with a tall 3:2 display and comes in a slick set of colors to choose from as well as metal or Alcantara fabric finishes.
But this year’s refresh is focused on internals…
It’s a great all-day computer as long as it natively runs the apps you want to use
When Microsoft debuted the Surface Pro X in late 2019, its chip made it an anomaly. The computer, a radical redesign of the Surface Pro, featured an ARM-based processor (the SQ1) instead of a chip from Intel.
At the time, it seemed like a flight of fancy or perhaps a simple warning shot for Intel that indicated the company was actively flirting with the idea of ARM-based processors.
Microsoft is all-in on ARM processors, and it’s serious about continuing to invest in them — which may spell trouble for Intel’s x86-based processors in the long run.
Just don’t get the base model
Microsoft’s latest device, the Surface Laptop Go, is a modern netbook done right.
As soon as you put your eyes on a Surface Laptop Go, you’ll get Chromebook vibes. It’s ultra-light at 1.1kg, tiny enough to throw in a bag at 15mm thick, and it sports a 12.4” touch screen. …
I’m a big fan of the tech explainers that Sarvesh Mathi writes on Medium. He explained the magic of airplane Wi-Fi (back when we used to fly on planes), introduced…
Earlier this week in Debugger, columnist Owen Williams pointed out that the future of device ownership may be subscription services: Why buy an Xbox for $500 when you can spread the cost into small chunks over a series of two years?
In a more recent piece on our sibling publication Marker, James Surowiecki illustrates exactly how far Microsoft is willing to go to support this model, dropping $7.5 billion to acquire ZeniMax Media (owner of Bethesda Game Studios, the company behind Doom and the Elder Scrolls series) in large part to bolster its nascent Game Pass service.
As Surowiecki explains…
It’s more than just another Galaxy Fold
Imagine carrying a perfect little gadget inside your pocket that unfolds just like a real book. That’s the upcoming Surface Duo from Microsoft.
Unlike other phones with folding displays, the Surface Duo uses two separate 5.6-inch displays joined together by a 360-degree hinge. I want you to forget your Kindle, your iPad, and, if I dare say it, your paperbacks for a minute and just look at the Duo. There’s something satisfying about watching the device unfold into the perfect angle to fit precisely like a book in your palm. …
