Microsoft’s Surface line of notebook and desktop PCs is known for its stunning design, innovative form factors, and excellent input options and Windows 10 integration that make them great options for creative and productivity tasks. At the same time, Surface is also notorious for another of its attributes — price. Surface prices range from the very low end of the premium segment well into the stratosphere.
That has likely cut into Surface sales, which were basically flat in Microsoft’s second quarter 2018 earnings report in spite of the release of the new Surface Laptop and Surface Book 2. It’s possible that pricing impacted those results, and perhaps in response, Microsoft has introduced two new versions of those machines aimed at making them affordable to more users.
First up is the Surface Laptop, which has added a new low-end seventh-generation Intel Core m3 CPU to the mix. When configured with 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD, which are the only options, the notebook now comes in at $800. That’s a full $200 down from the previous entry-level offering of a Core i5, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB SSD, offering some significant savings for a reduction in overall performance. You’ll be somewhat limited in pizzazz, however, as Microsoft is only offering this configuration in one color, Platinum.
Next is the Surface Book 2 13.5-inch model, which previously started out at $1,500 for its entry level configuration with a seventh-generation Core i5, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, and integrated Intel HD Graphics only. Now, you can configure the entry-level model with a 128GB SSD and spend only $1,200, an even more significant savings of $300. You’ll be limited in storage, but you could also add in a MicroSD card to expand storage if things get too tight. In the meantime, you’ll enjoy the same pop-off and extremely high-quality display, class-leading pen, and excellent keyboard and touchpad.
We’ll note that there are other notebooks and 2-in-1s that you can buy for these kinds of prices. However, if you want the unique good looks of the Surface Laptop or the unparalleled flexibility of the Surface Book 2, then at least now you can buy into either line for a price that won’t make your bank account cry.