Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 REVIEW - Better than MacBook Pro!?

[@Thetechchap]

Hey Chaps! Would you take a Surface Studio or a MacBook Pro?

[@saturnotaku]

I would take the Surface without the screen gimmick. MacBook otherwise.

[@m-stat9]

Macbook Pro. Still the best overall device (MiniLED/HDR, 120Hz, insane speakers, mics, webcam, ports, cooling, no noise, no bloatware, build quality, resell value, great CPU, good GPU, killer battery life, MacOS...)

[@Kysen10]

macbook easily. Better battery, screen and performance. Windows laptops cant be charging macbook prices without being significantly better.

[@avnertouitou3778]

I wish android tablets could compete against this laptops and mac books

[@SaysMiracle]

MacBook Pro '14'

[@xali2008]

Microsoft is doing the same pricing as Apple but I think they forgot one tiny thing; the reason Apple can skin its customers is there is no alternative MacOS laptop. but in Windows World, there are plenty of options at different prices.

[@liam4184]

Also the fact that their laptops are better than anyone elses in many ways. Windows charging apple prices for something that isn't even that good is madness.

[@Yunghamz]

You're right that windows have no business setting these prices but there are alternatives to this year's macbook pro, they are the 2021 and 2022 macbook pros.

[@RockChampEnglish]

I switch to MacBook Air, because it's both cheap and powerful, and fatless, and superb battery life, and ... it's not hot when I run games with crossover, Ryujinx... Windows laptops can be as powerful, but not as cheap nor silence.

[@chromaticvisuelle]

Framework laptop ❤

[@chromaticvisuelle]

Its because its a tablet AND a laptop, so marketing thought lets charge people as much as a laptop and a tablet. Not sure its a good idea.

[@carlwheezer1544]

£2469 for a 4050 laptop is insane, especially if you're a 3D Artist, might as well save money and get last gen 3080ti laptop (i got one with an oled screen for £1700)

[@NerdyNomadJohn]

Which one?

[@keerthan7558]

ikr that's an rtx 4080 laptop money , even considering the premium build and complex hinge it should atleast have an rtx 4070 running at 80W and cpu at 50-70W constant. It has less ports than a MacBook pro lmao , never thought i would say that for a windows PC

[@bradavon]

You need to view this in what it offers over regular laptops and just like Apple you're paying for the brand. Which your laptop doesn't have either. You be the judge if that's worth it.

[@bradavon]

​@@keerthan7558MacBooks can't do this. You need to view this in what it offers over regular laptops and just like Apple you're paying for the brand.

[@carlwheezer1544]

@@NerdyNomadJohn MSI Raider GE67HX

[@OliverMay1]

As much as I love Surface devices (I have a Surface Pro8 and love it!) they are silly money for what you get and are now on the verge of making Apple look like a bargain in comparison. As a photographer who uses Windows I'll be sticking with XPS for my main workhorse laptop (I know these aren't cheap either, but you get much more for your money compared to Surface, and the screen is absolutely stunning!)

[@itspossible2015]

I'm obsessed with my Surface Pro(s) too - been using since Pro 3, then 4 for many years, and now 7+. Finally about to get an upgrade that's kinda forced b/c the 8GB RAM is starting to really be a bottleneck. My natural choice would be SP 9 with 16GB and i7, but that price is eyewatering! I've been a Surface Pro for-life guy simply on account of its ultraportability + quasi-tablet-in-a-laptop capability. I never thought I'd even consider another line of PCs. But now I'm starting to feel like Windows has slight, annoying bugs that keep propping up and am seeing some incredible deals for M1 or M2 Macbook Pros (the 14 inchers) which offer mind boggling performance, scorching efficiency, and a seamless software integration with my iPhone. Very hard decision, but for the first time ever I'm leaning Macbook. If only Surface Pro had the all-day battery life of even a Macbook Air (10 hours solid), then for the comparable cost, I'd never want anything else...

[@mathiaskeulen]

The macbook pro that compares is almost 1000 € more expensive. How is that a bargain if it's almost 30% more expensive than the surface studio laptop 2? At least, those are the prices here in Europe. Then if I want the touch screen, I also need a 1000 € iPad Pro, which next to the need for 2 devices I'm then down €2000 extra.

[@danilocorreia5104]

I bought one of those last month, and God, I love it! I don’t know why people are complaining about battery life. It lasts me a whole day of web browsing and coding. The only thing that truly kills the battery life is doing a lot of online meetings (Google Meets, Teams, and Zoom).

[@rebeccaw9656]

Why are you comparing it with a Mac book pro, when the market for this device is those looking for a two-in-one? There are other two-in-one devices to compare this with. MacBook Pro users would need an additional iPad Pro to get comparison pen use…

[@limbitsafe6620]

because of performance

[@damienlobb85]

It absolutely blows my mind that they didn't offer an AMD model. Much better battery life and better integrated graphics making the base model more appealing.

[@chromaticvisuelle]

So true, a 7840u would be awesome

[@marlo8850]

or wait for the intel Ultra CPUs. They should have learned from their pricing mistakes as well, theres a reason why their surface tablets are so popular.

[@bryanights]

I think its because amd doesnt support Thunderbolt

[@CowenGittens]

Everyone is complaining about the price. But the price is kinda justified. There's no other laptop like that with those specs

[@arjunsuresh29]

I think with the Surface studio you're paying not just for the specs but also for the unique form factor it has to offer. In that dept. there isn't any product that could compare to the studio.

[@marlo8850]

there is, the acer Concept 7d ezel is a bit larger but has way more performance with the exact same screen functions, theres also the HP Elite Folio which has way better battery life due to it having a snapdragon with windows for arm. The asus ROG flow Z13 can also fill this role while not having an ezel screen and can be optioned with a Ryzen CPU giving you decent battery life.

[@a-nus]

​@@marlo8850the use case for things like this are digital artists and such, neither of the laptops you mentioned are decent options in that regard

[@christianr.5868]

⁠@@marlo8850the concept d7 ezel is impossible to find, the hp elite folio uses the much slower 8 gen 2 snapdragon making it much less viable. And the rog flow z13 has a worse stylus that isn’t viable for artists. The d7 ezel is the one I’d go for if it were actually available to buy

[@francute2u]

got microsoft surface and early this year i've upgraded to macbook pro max. prices are similar but one thing that i dont like about surface is the battery life. the reason why i get portable is the battery life and surface pro lasts only for 2-4 hours (advertised upto 15 hours) while my macbook pro lasts around 10-18 hours (advertised 22 hours).

[@LightOtt]

Not sure if there are any laptops that can go beyond 10 hours and having a nice display not that 1920x1080 . I am still looking...

[@qud3913]

​@@LightOttMacbooks

[@LightOtt]

Sorry, meant windows laptop.....@@qud3913

[@GoofieNewfie]

I hate MAC, like REALLY hate MAC's, I have one, but I can't deny, the battery in the Surface is far too small. Intel isn't as efficient. Meteor Lake 2 days away, maybe that'll change things.

[@LightOtt]

​@@GoofieNewfiefor my development work. Windows laptop is the only option.

[@AndreiKovalev1]

When windows becomes a premium priced OS. Because I don't see how you can make those prices seem reasonable with that hardware - especially the battery life.

[@nmartins1972]

I love surface products. I have Two surface laptops (4 and 5), and my daughter has the surface pro 8 wich she uses to take notes in college. Amazing devices. Macbooks are powerful laptops but they are limited in productivity because not all the software is compatible and not having touchscreen its a drawback for me.

[@ThomassEvo]

Just got the laptop 5 and holy shit this battery life is ass. 12th Gen. Also meh the track pad is great. Quality of the aluminum chassis is in par with Mac. Just wish the battery lasted more than 3 hours... 🤣 At 50% brightness and on Eco mode.

[@samclark3879]

I have the original and after two years still love the machine.

[@damienlobb85]

I think its worth pointing out how much better this could be in the areas you talked about its cons if it had an AMD variant. Recently the AMD and Intel framework laptops were compared, alongside an M2 Macbook, and the AMD laptop was not only able to keep up with the Mac, while having similar battery, it also didn't lose performance unplugged, unlike the Intel based laptop. Hmmm..... Food for thought?

[@GabrielFFontes]

It seems like newer AMD laptops have USB4 and would be compatible with Thunderbolt docks...is that correct? Not having thunderbolt is a dealbreaker on laptops, IMO.

[@justiziero]

@@GabrielFFontes Why do you need thunderbolt 4 having usb 4?

[@marlo8850]

@@GabrielFFontes if the thunderbolt docks support usb4

[@mindrover777]

Really? Which laptop model

[@aaryan_wagh125]

I've had such great time with the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 1 as a uni student

[@juliao8015]

do you still recommend it? What laptop do you have now?

[@clipboard8038]

Is it usable for note taking like hand written note

[@aaryan_wagh125]

@@juliao8015 I'm still using it, and it's going as it was on day one. I've used it for some video editing, note taking at uni lectures, programming and gaming and i have to say the performance is highly satisfactory. I use it for around 6-7 hours everyday but i do need to charge it in between.

[@aaryan_wagh125]

@@clipboard8038 yes it's perfect, i use it mainly for lectures and planning the future and not drawing

[@Desgeneratico]

Two comments: - Nobody thinking of buying a windows Surface laptop would consider a IOS one. - Macbooks are ALSO laptops, so don´t use the word laptop only to refer to windows computers.

[@jessel.8697]

You are partially incorrect about the SLS2 upgradability. The SSD in the SLS2 is actually user upgradable and it is fairly easy to do so. The only catch is that you must purchase a kit from Microsoft to replace the cosmetic bottom bezel ring and rubber feet in order to return your laptop to its original cosmetic state.

[@Thetechchap]

Oh that’s good to know, thank you

[@istvan.design]

Good to know that it's available, I bet with a heatgun and some experience you can dissasemble the laptop without needing the kit.

[@obvinpro]

Y'all praise MagSafe but hate surface connect. Life is wonderful, isn't it? If I'm looking to buy surface laptop studio, I wouldn't cross buying it with MacBook. I need the pen, the form factor and NVIDIA GPU for actual WORK. Surface Laptop Studio is like MacBook and iPad in one unibody.

[@miles_tails0511]

I played touchscreen rhythm games on the laptop studio 2, it feels like an iPad! I also edit videos, photos, some AAA gaming. My favorite setup is a large external monitor + laptop on a stand in tent mode. The smaller but closer laptop monitor really feels more immersive as a secondary screen

[@BeautifuLakesStreamsBiologists]

I have a surface book 2 that is perfect for my field work. This laptop studio has left people who work in remote field locations out in the dark with the HEAVY total weight that can no longer have the tablet removed. My next move will be a more modest 16 or 32gig 2-in-1 that can utilize an external graphics card. That saves a couple pounds in my field jacket. The other killer is the current price to replace the battery in my unit is $800. That's half the replacement cost of the computer.

[@Twosplinters]

Bring back the surface book. I have the business version of the OG and the surface book 2 business and they're still running strong with my husband and I using them daily. Detachable screens, awesome useful ports, dual batteries, no overheating, 32gb ram + Nvidia graphics (yeah they're old but they still work lol) Still running smooth with good battery life even with Windows 11 pro on board. Microsoft really needs to bring these back.

[@bryans8656]

Before I made the move to Apple land my laptops were Surface brand (the original Surface Book and Surface Pro). They were very well built, and if I were in the market for another Windows laptop the Studio would be on my short list.

[@marlo8850]

you apple guys have more money than brain and apparently no access to power outlets with how much you praise the battery life

[@EnochGitongaKimathi]

My favorite Surface from Microsoft is still the Surface Book. I'm hoping that one day we will get a SOC that is both highly performant and efficient as a standalone tablet and ridiculously when docked to the keyboard using Thunderbolt 5 instead of the proprietary Surface Connect Port. I would love to see what Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite can do in a Surface.

[@Tigerex966]

Snap dragon in a year or two are the rumors.

[@marlo8850]

you already have AMDs Ryzen when they add thunderbolt to their mobile chips to connect to the keyboard part.

[@jimkorovessis5255]

Excellent and thorough review. I really appreciate your review objectivity, having used both surface and Mac machines - this feature of your reviews primarily keeps me coming back to them. A small correction @ 4:43, the SSD is fairly easily upgraded, based on what I've seen on KZbin, though I haven't done the upgrade myself. Everything else seems to be solidly soldered in. Totally agree with your points on the superior competitiveness of Apple's latest offerings. Again, high quality, helpful review. Thank you.

[@-jg9pi]

Just so you know the 64gb m3 max spec you compared to costs very close to 5k here in europe. The Studio with 4060 is 3200 by comparison. The 4050 with 32gb is 2200 which is a very good deal in my opinion if you compare it to ugly and huge gaming machines or macbook pro that costs also 2200 with 18gb ram and 512 ssd compared to the 1TB I really don't see a problem with the pricing. Yes you get more powerful gpus for the price but typically everything else is worse when you do. The MacBook in the same price range has a worse gpu, ram and storage typically.

[@MrKar18]

Microsoft pricing is such that they don't want to compete with OEMs who are their partners. So they only build premium products with that extra pricing by purpose. For business users it might be okay to spend as that's usually their target from Surface Business segment.

[@invisible-world-ch7yd]

Exactly! Why would Microsoft make them competitively priced like other windows laptop? which would eventually hurt them in long term. Though I understand the laptop is not good overall but I don't get it why is everyone so fixated with comparing it with macBook when it is not even the same product. Does it have touch or easel form factor? Or is that functionality only available if you buy a MacBook with an iPad or a wacom. Why not compare it with Rog Flow X or Acer Concept D? Why not talk about whether windows is total shit or is it well optimised for this than other laptops in market?

[@m-stat9]

Macbook Pro wins for me. Still the best overall device (MiniLED/HDR, 120Hz, insane speakers, mics, webcam, ports, cooling, no noise, no bloatware, build quality, resell value, great CPU, good GPU, killer battery life, MacOS...). Windows and Shi(n)tel, no thanks :D

[@iegor9951]

100%

[@jamiermathlin]

When you consider the price and spec of this Surface, plus all the points you raise, and the fact that it will be worthless after 3 years, and a 14" M3 Max 36GB RAM and 1 TB SSD Macbook Pro is cheaper ! even if you do not take into account the residual value, who on earth would buy this ? The world seems to have gone mad, windows and Intel are on a slippery slope at the moment !

[@user-yf4co5in7d]

why would Microsoft put a bloat ware in their own pc line?

[@timvlogtv512]

The surface laptop studio 2 with the i7,4050,16, and 512 is only $2200 in canada

[@obvinpro]

It will be interesting to see the Laptop Studio 3 with OLED screen and Snapdragon X-Elite next year, but I would still choose the model NVIDIA GPU tho.

[@theone2678]

Do you know if theyre going to do it

[@obvinpro]

@@theone2678 Of course, they will

[@GoofieNewfie]

@@theone2678 the change to meteor lake Intel alone with make it smaller, lighter, cooler, faster and last longer. It is going to be a significant upgrade for once from Intel.

[@theone2678]

@GoofieNewfie so the meteor lake is abandoning number scheme like 13th name like so no 14th . Which means a new architecture now. So no simple improvements but like whole change in configuration

[@wombatcoaching]

Think you forgot to mention that the Apple devices do not have a touch screen. Having had Surface Pro devices since the start I could not go back to a non touch screen laptops or waste my time with the Mac OS which is not that intuitive.

[@GuyRobertKernisant]

We have really been trying to force the 2 in 1 form factor. I don't know why they haven't also worked on seamless connectivity between a tablet and Windows laptop. So you even have an upgrade path. Start with the slim laptop or thicker if you want a dedicated graphic card. Then the tablet could be used as a 2nd screen which also supports stylus input and wouldn't be heavy in tablet mode... It's 2 screens so most likely pretty expensive, but I see this more marketable then the simply very expensive version as the first instinct is to compare to a Macbook Pro.

[@marlo8850]

the problem was already solved with the surface book 3, it has a detachable keyboard which stores another battery and a dedicated GPU.

[@haithamelmaleh1138]

If you want that form factor, this is the best option

[@Promikes]

ehh.... you're right... who is working there? i dont understand MICROSOFT!! 1) 14th gen (for battery) 2) OLED (for battery / quality) 3) Lower price (for expansion in market) 4) Thunderbolt 5 (for eGPU without bandwidth limitation) or OcuLink (would just awesome) thats all - perfect all arounder with Samsung deep integrations to compensate mobile platform lack... Samsung phone, samsung tab + microsoft laptop, it would be possible, if they was not that dumb out there, they should fire many biomaterial...

[@mzeeshan]

Great informative video as always. But my curiosity makes me more interested in that cool table with beautiful patterns in the sand with RGB lights (5:32). Would you be kind enough to make a video about it or share the information on how and where to get one in UK please?

[@Thetechchap]

It’s a Sisyphus kinetic art table 👍

[@mzeeshan]

@@Thetechchap Thank you so much!

[@tasaramarega1038]

The tech chap video editing is insanely good!

[@veasnanoeun235]

Being a PC without upgradeable parts is a complete rip off. What is this even marketing, compared to an M1 MacBook that cost less than $1000, it has poor touch pad, poor battery life, poor microphone, overexpose camera, running hot af

[@cadenchurchill4296]

MacBook all the way for me. Used Windows for nearly my whole life and only recently moved to macOS with the M1 Air. Honestly probably wouldn’t have made the switch if it weren’t for Apple silicon.

[@madcatter972]

Actually the fact that the screen is NOT an OLED is a plus for me. I have had 4 laptops develop burn in within a year for 2 of them & 18mths for the other 2. That is in spite of having setting to prevent this as much as possible (background set to change every minute, taskbar hidden, desktop icons hidden, screen set to turn off after only a few mins of being idle etc etc). Also colour accuracy goes out of the window & right across town with any sort of adjustment to brightness. I'm sticking to a quality IPS in future. Looks interesting. The MacBook is a better buy but I personally prefer a Windows OS. Thanks for your review!

[@lars2894]

OLED's color accuracy is far superior to IPS. Burn-in is a myth and the brightness issue you're referring to has been fixed years ago.

[@madcatter972]

@@lars2894 actually I do have burn in. You do you and I'll do me.

[@latifazhar]

Thanks for an insightful video. Many users want the FULL functionality of Microsoft 365 which Microsoft knivingly took away from MacBook/iPad and web editions. I love Mac’s hardware and it’s impeccable finish but when it comes to explore Microsoft 365 to its full potential such as Powerpoint and Execl, that I’m a big user of, the Mac software edition does let me down. So there’s a compromise to make. Perhaps you could consider such use case in evaluating the products in the future, please.

[@marlo8850]

if macbooks came with windows id buy them, but hell no I dont want the ball and chain that is mac os on my ankles

[@4n0n7m0us3]

Shame that Windows calls back home so much. Would love to hear how it behaves with SteamOS, Pop OS, or mint.

[@guillemboigues86]

Hello! First of all, great video! Do you think this is a good model for engineer students (use frequently excel, word, Good Notes...), or they can use another laptop without so much emphasis on designing and gaming? If so, which one? Thanks!

[@lonz0_0]

Man, windows laptops are making it really hard not to switch to Mac 😢

[@verynameboi4121]

what?

[@m-stat9]

what 'what'?@@verynameboi4121

[@lonz0_0]

@@verynameboi4121 windows laptops being meh is making it hard to not switch over to macbooks

[@ExultantTJ]

I can't tell if it was sarcasm or if you actually meant it.

[@Fluxzone90]

​@@ExultantTJhonestly me too. This is an insanely good product. Can't imagine choosing macOS and a standard formfactor over this.

[@Tigerex966]

Love that screen versitality, would be nice if Apple had a touch screen and pen support and usba. Price is ouch😮 Glad they started at 16gb instead if 8gb.

[@marlo8850]

Apple does not want their macbooks to compete with its Ipads

[@marwansummakieh1933]

can you do a comparison between this and the Samsung book3 ultra

[@Tigerex966]

Are you sure about the SSD not being replaceable? As Microsoft does allow it in some of if their machines because enterprise businesses insisted on removable ssd for security by removing and destroying the ssd when these go off lease before selling to protect company data from the new buyer rebuilding the data .?

[@eurobratx]

When you made the performance to Apple comparison did you leave it on recommended settings or did you switch it to performance mode? I have heard that performance under the recommended settings is hampered, but switching to performance mode it gets a lot closer to macs. You get this if you want a touch screen and ability to write on the screen, alongside a decent graphics card for gaming and creating, it is hard to find a good setup.

[@marlo8850]

and if you know what youre doing you get the Acer Concept 7D ezel

[@MrDucatiV4]

For additional base pad size on this laptop, they should have dropped in a 100watt battery. All that extra space wasted. Sweet device but the battery life is trash. 2-5hours of daily use is terrible.

[@nestafofana3860]

Which portable 2 in 1 Windows 11 would you suggest for creatives that are better than the studio 2?

[@michaelsalcedo2563]

Wait for the new surface pro 10, allegedly the new screen and qualcom chip seem insane, for less than 2k u prolly can get something crazy powerful making surface studio not worth it unless they drop price a LOT

[@adamfilipowicz9260]

@@michaelsalcedo2563you can’t run adobe apps on an arm processor

[@chonghongyi5935]

Look forward to the new surface laptop studio 3 with Snapdragon x elite.

[@Grey16462]

How is the sound like, compare to the MacBook Pro, the first studio sound was not that great. Thanks

[@scottdpeterstv]

Skip this if you have the money and get the Asus Zenbook Pro 16X with a 4080 for $3200! Way better value for creatives, better internals, build quality, screen and still has styllus support. I would also get the Asus Flow x16 over the SLS2.

[@scottdpeterstv]

What do I win?! Lol

[@scottdpeterstv]

Are you kidding?!

[@TrevorDennis100]

How doable is it to integrate a MBP with a Windows desktop system? Can I save files in the Mac and open them in Windows? I imagine a .JPG is a .JPG regardless of what device created it. The thing is, I came here to learn about the Surface Studio, but now I am wondering about getting an MBP. It's a good job I am not in a rush as this is going to take some thinking about. Will there be Mac versions of the plugins I use? I know, for sure, that Lazy Nezumi Pro will never run on a Mac.

[@RizwanParmarJi]

I really like the design how the display turns into a flat canvas. But if this same design gets thinner with snapdragon chip, I ammmmm sold! I really like it but it's toooo thick and inefficient.

[@theTomRadziwill]

They should make a other Surface Book with minor tweaks (build in kickstand for the Display). I love the Design :O

[@hdtube7]

Have you got a new camera? image quality in this video is insanely good

[@Thetechchap]

Nope, same A7Siii. Thank you though!

[@jaughnekow]

​@@Thetechchapwhat do you recommend is the best budget Sony camera? Only for photography?

[@avnertouitou3778]

I wish android tablets could compete against powerful laptops like this one

[@alexissherrill5624]

Does the Surface Laptop Studio run Steam well?

[@laser4887]

Imagine..... A microsoft sls.... with a good AMD Chip... and a fat 100Wh battery..... just imagine.

[@mrtomhallett]

The fact there is no back lot keyboard or no on top speaker grill is a huge let down…it’s 2024….back lit and on top speaker grills should be the standard

[@Cballin]

I love and prefer windows but they will never be able to be better than a macbook pro until they have processors and battery life that can compare to the M class processors. Hoping we see lots of new laptops with the Qualcomm oryen processors.

[@awdadwadwad1723]

I had 1st version and end up returning it. Battery life was fucking awful, speakers were ok, but no match against Macbook Pro, the same goes for the the screen. What tipped me over besides battery was touchpad though. Windows touchpads are so freaking bad compared to macbooks, this is almost different galaxies. Two finger scrolling never feels good. I tried with every possible registry hack I could find, but nope. And all this for price of MBP? What’s the point lol.

[@FCVojo]

Hello. How it works with Meta Quest 3 ? with RTX 4060 in Surface Studio 2 ?

[@youspinspan]

I really like your videos for many years now, I rarely comment but I did today because of the cat 😻

[@bradavon]

MacBooks can't do this. You need to view this in what it offers over regular laptops and just like Apple you're paying for the brand.

[@explore.chill.frankie]

For around the same price, I could buy a Macbook Air 2 and an Asus Flow X13 for all my creator and gaming needs with enough money to spare.

[@hernan5253]

I really don’t understand the comparison with a Mac Pro. This is a 2 in 1, the Mac is not. (BTW, I also own a Mac to run Logic Pro). In other words, a better comparison would be a Mac + an iPad vs the surface Studio. If you are not thinking of using the tablet mode, there are better and cheaper choices. I was disappointed to hear that “there are better 2 in 1 choices” but you don’t say which ones.

[@YananoBere]

Really lovely review. One of the best tbf. I think however, that the benchmarks were not done in the highest performance mode (which is why it throttled heavily). The scores should be higher than the M2 pro.

[@Noodles.FreeUkraine]

Gotta say, I still miss the Surface Book with the detachable tablet. That thing had awesome battery life. Unfortunately, they just had to swap designs entirely, instead of improving upon what they had-as Microsoft always does. Never address problems, always pull a sideways switcheroo. Bummer. That's also why I won't consider any of their hardware products any longer, I want a manufacturer with reliable long-term strategies, not a software company playing whack-a-mole with their hardware. Thanks, but no, thanks.

[@low_perspective]

I own an SLS 1 and wanted to upgrade on the SLS 2, but the display response time, which is even worse than that of the SLS1, stopped me and sent it back. The noises from the coils on top. I have now bought the Asus Zenbook Pro 16x instead, with OLED pen input and I9 with 4080 for the same money and I am waiting for the SLS 3.

[@GoofieNewfie]

I'm a huge Surface fan, and have had a few. Plus I'm in IT and we give out a ton for our users. I have been on a Surface Book since late 2015. Yes, 2015. Why? because they never came out with anything else better but eventually I had to upgrade. That thing was a tank, solid, still works, just getting a little long in the tooth and the battery isn't what it used to be. Granted the 7 yr old battery is still lasting as long as my new brand new Studio 2 with a 4050. Yes, and that is pathetic. So after living with it for a month now let me share this. Cost wise, it's expensive, so get a educational discount or something. The new aluminum material vs the old magnesium is a massive step backwards. The first 30 mins of use it was covered in finger prints and looked older than my Book. It get s HOT when plugged in and gaming so just forget it. Gaming on battery, forget it entirely, 45 mins tops on battery. I am in battery saver mode, 60 hz, indexing turned off, 20% screen brightness, BT turned off and every tweak I can do to squeeze 5 hrs out of this thing and all I do all day is remote desktop into another machine with maybe a browser open on the laptop itself in the background. I never had to be so paranoid of leaving apps open or make so many massive tweaks on my Book and that also had a Nvidia gpu and lasted 10+ hours in balanced mode (win10) Plus the speakers, while they sound great, you can hear electrical static and interference in them ALL THE TIME. It sounds like a old hard drive chugging away. Even in Recommended mode, it will get warm on your lap. They did vent the heat out the sides too, vs the Book which was all around the screen so heat was never an issue on the book around your hands unless charging. But as you put in on your lap, maybe rest it on the arm of a sofa and your leg, you don't have to worry about fans on the bottom being covered like 99% of most laptops thank god, but you do have to worry about the sides of the laptop getting blocked by your leg, arm, blanket etc. The screen is a gimmick, and I can't see any reason why I would ever use it in tent mode and tablet mode this thing is just too heavy. If you don't draw, you don't need this, and I don't try. Bottom line, outside of performance, this form factor is a step down from the Book in every single way. I want a Book 4.

[@GoofieNewfie]

on another note it is amazing how no other brand can come out with a Quality made laptop, be it solid aluminum or magnesium like the Surface and Mac's. Any Asus, HP, Razor, Lenovo I pick up feels like cheap junk. I hate my MAC, because I hate Apple and their ecosystem, but I can't deny, they make a solid unit, and it kills me to say it, there isn't a Windows laptop that competes. Maybe Meteor lake will fix that.

[@amihosseinsharifzadeh2833]

combination of the SLS and Zenbook Duo 2024 , with Surface pro kickstand quality, would make a perfect laptop for max productivity I hope Microsoft listen that ! and of Couse with lower price!

[@LightOtt]

The short battery life is definitely a deal breaker.

[@jerb6817]

Everytime Apple products get a spec bump the internet goes “this is so disappointing.” Everytime almost every other product ever gets a spec bump but is still basically the same product “this is a worthwhile spec bump.”

[@justinolson9336]

What Intel to M1 does to a mf

[@aerohydra3849]

I think part of the reason is that Apple always does events even for spec bumps that a lot of people watch which makes it feel like they’re constantly touting the “next best thing”. Most other laptop manufacturers just quietly release the next generation which makes it feel less in your face.

[@jerb6817]

@@aerohydra3849 that’s a fair point. Apple does tend to overhype their upgrades but I guess I’m used to it so I kind of expect that. It is annoying on Apples part for sure.

[@bjd3707]

Great review. I have a gen one SLS and I'm very happy, but you have to really love the form factor. If you could care less than what's the point. The TB4 ports come in handy and I can confirm the sound and overall look and feel is great. Hopefully MS get some competition with some laptops exactly like this one from other competitors. Side note - I could never invest in an Apple device, more like a prison than an ecosystem.

[@FlorinMC]

I don't understand why people complain about the price when an iPad Pro cost £2499 and with the pencil and magic keyboard cost £3017 for a fu..... tablet. 😢 That's more than an iMac 27" 5K with i7, 16 GB ram, 1tb ssd keyboard and mouse! Apple philosophy and Apple fan boys! 😂

[@FlorinMC]

By the way you put that MBP 14" M3 Max 64gb ram on cinebench 2024, but you forgot to told us the price £4000! That's double the price 😂😂😂

[@yancyhammondjr]

What would you recommend for Online business and Sports betting?

[@pierreder1368]

I would never change to a Mac based on any of the things mentioned here. There are several other laptops with Windows that are extremely useful for creators, or just anyone, really. Apple products are great, but not as useful as a lot of Windows computers out there. Some programs (apps) cant still run on Macs and you can only find them for Windows; you need dongles for your Mac, and theyre simply not as versatile as Windows computers.

[@prameethmaduwantha1458]

Watching each and every video of yours. From Sri Lanka❤

[@RockChampEnglish]

um....with battery life in mind, MacBook Air is the best thing you can buy now, regardless of how much the laptop is.

[@jmwashko]

I’m an all Apple guy (currently a Mac Mini and big iPad Pro) headed into an executive MBA program that is highly recommending a PC for their software and I am strongly considering a Surface Laptop Studio 2. I think the convertible nature will make marking up case studies and all that a breeze and give me a lot of flexibility. Thoughts? Had a 12.9” iPad Pro all through my technical graduate degrees and loved it for notes and reading, and this seems like the best of both worlds.

[@yolandasofianaldalazo6239]

No really. It’s a very nice machine but it will be too heavy to use as a tablet mode. Although I think a touch screen is a very nice feature to have. Battery is its weakest part.

[@hartdr8074]

The most usable build for this is the one with 32GB RAM and 4060 8GB Vram... the problem is that it costs around over $3,000 USD... might as well get an Asus Flow Z13 4070 Acronym version with that price.

[@-jg9pi]

the acronym version costs 3.4k where I live.. that's with 32gb ram the studio with 64gb but a 4060 costs a little less. 32gb 4050 costs around 2.4k here... i don't know it sounds like a pretty good deal to me, especially for artists who commute or like to work in coffee shops.

[@truth-12345.]

I wish they also have versions with numpad because this is perfect for software engineers and game developers.

[@ak_hoops]

Had to delete my comment, it's like besides the touch and adjustability of the screen, Microsoft didn't even want to try for creatives. Micro SD is baffling, not hitting more of the color spaces is saddening, but most of the price is crazy, especially once you need a dGPU which most creative work needs.

[@steveheksen4554]

Dude I love ur eyes but you messed up the grading here :D they look turquoise

[@AzVfL]

Why is there sometimes a yellow line across the display border ?

[@Kog_media]

Can you please check performance again with Linux Mint Cinnamon or Zorin OS?

[@justiziero]

I think this device would be great with an ARM processor, like the future Snapdragon X Elite, with a better efficiency so, better battery life. About the GPU, we will see what happens with this chipset, but maybe it would be enough at least for editing some 4K videos and make some drawing. With USB 4 you could connect an external GPU with a better performance if you want. I would change then: - Processor (newer and more efficient, AMD or Qualcomm). - Reduce screen bezzels to it´s minimum and put the webcam under the display like on smartphones to get advantage of the reduced bezzels and have more screen. - Change the bottom/base to a unibody and full squared base like a Macbook instead of having that kind of stair/angle, it would have more space for a bigger battery. - Put the smart pen inside the body or on a side, not underneath. I think people is afraid of losing the pen if they don´t see it and is not fixed to the body. - Make a modular device like Framework devices. I know this is the most difficult (almost impossible) even more from Microsoft, but maybe changing their mind or maybe even Framework or other manufacturer making a similar device with modular components to change them, reduce the waste if something is broken and just replace it, and get updated for a long period of time.

[@marlo8850]

all your points except for the framework and camera one are reasonable and have already been executed on the HP Elite Folio and it only costs 800 bucks

[@justiziero]

@@marlo8850 what hp elite folio do you mean? do you have a link? most of reviews are from 1 year or 2 years ago, thanks

[@TheEditorify]

I would get a thinkpad and install linux instead of a surface laptop or a macbook

[@marcinb.8664]

I have a Surface Laptop Studio 1 and a Surface Book 3 15'. Also, before, I had a MacBook Pro. I'll never buy a Surface again. They went in the right direction with the Book 3, and now they've gone back to some weird idea of a small screen and cheap finishes. It might be nice to use for a few days, but after that, the screen is definitely too small. The construction feels so cheap, and the graphics card (RTX) has a small memory. I don't even believe in the next gen.

[@josephpiskac2781]

However you are shooting your image looks really great. The blue eyes and skin tones very sensational. I would be interested in the hardware if you have time to respond.?

[@elitetteh]

Shooting with Sony A7Siii

[@FierceSleepingDog]

I love my Surface Book 2. I'll replace it with the Surface Laptop Studio 2 after significant price decreases.

[@xaratemplate]

Man that looks like something apple could have done with macbook ipad meshed together.

[@asideofthings2526]

Asus has OLED laptops with touchscreen and RTX graphics for around 1000USD and also 90wh batteries in there… But the build is still interesting of this MS device….

[@_CharlieHarper]

... do I hear laughter? It is quite distant, all right, but it definitely comes from the Cupertino side.

[@rugambabenjamin6094]

You should try an Acer ConceptD 7 Ezel, It's a way better version of the Surface Laptop Studio. it's amazing.

[@eastworld5974]

How is this thing for using AutoCAD ? Any one here help please

[@jamiermathlin]

Strange world when Apple is starting to look cheaper than this type of Windows machine .... In fact a 14" Macbook Pro M3 Max 36GB Ram and 1 TB SSD is cheaper !!! But remember the Mac will still be worth 40-50% of its original value at 3 years old, where as the windows machine will most likely not be worth anything. So if you change your laptop every three years, the Mac is about half the cost !! crasy....

[@Havanu81]

That resolution is quite low, isn't it? I mean a regular 16:10 screen is 2560x1600, and for this kind of money I expect a more pixel dense OLED or miniled instead of a regular LED screen which feels quite dated in 2023. I'll take the faster Asus Zenbook Pro 14 for 500€ less instead any day.

[@NateT3]

The problem with Surface laptops is that they're running Windows. Windows is not optimized for laptops and the performance impact is big on the performance side and battery life.

[@FIVESTRZ]

I want so bad to swap to the Surface but I can't justify selling the M2 only to have lower battery life.

[@Thetechchap]

Yep don’t do that!