In 2012 the Surface RT was a mess because it couldn't run apps most people needed. It seems developers are working to add support for this platform more than ever before. The good news is that Microsoft is making far more progress than I thought on the Windows on Arm front. Those are prices I can only stomach if I know they'll work with everything. Even if you buy the entry-level $999 machine and just the keyboard, you're spending $1,138.99. Add in the keyboard and pencil and it costs $1,769.98 before tax. My review unit, for example, costs $1,499 with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of hard drive space. I love that it charges fast using the Surface Connect Port, connects to cellular networks anywhere I go, has a beautiful screen and generally works for pretty much everything I need, except my work VPN software.īut it's hard to recommend because it's so expensive and, if you buy one, you run the risk of not being able to run apps you might need for work or school.

The Surface Pro X is a gorgeous computer that's truly great to use. It's not perfect yet, but it's getting there. But, Microsoft has done a good job adding support for older apps. I've been a big critic of this approach in the past, since I really don't like having to think about whether an app is going to work on my computer or not. OK, so the elephant in the room: Windows 10 on Arm. And, if you want, you can use a USB-C charger instead of the included power brick, which is convenient for people like me who want to carry a single charger for multiple devices. I also love that it charges fully in just an hour - my MacBook Air takes about 3 hours to charge. It means you don't need to spend time typing in a long password.

The camera identifies my face and unlocks the computer right when I sit down, almost instantly, similar to how I unlock my iPhone and iPad.

Microsoft's Windows Hello, a facial recognition system that lets you unlock the computer, continues to impress me. This lets you connect to the internet when you don't have Wi-Fi. I added a T-Mobile SIM and had cellular connectivity in just seconds, something that you can't do with almost any other computer on the market. A small panel in the back opens up allowing you to swap in more storage or pop in a SIM card.

Microsoft sq1 review