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Is the Microsoft Surface a tablet or a laptop? What to know
Microsoft
Looking for a new 2-in-1 PC or laptop? The Microsoft Surface lineup offers powerful, versatile mobile devices and notebook computers that combine the utility of a laptop with the portability of a tablet and then some, with a variety of options to choose from. Known for their responsive touchscreens and Surface Pen that goes with them, Surfaces are the best option for anyone who needs to draft documents, write articles, take notes, stream TV shows or movies, or just browse online. Which form factor you purchase will ultimately depend on your needs, but every model can do just about anything you need.
With flexible kickstands and detachable keyboards, Surfaces also let you work comfortably at a desk or on the go. Similar to Apple’s selection of iPad tablets, Microsoft’s adaptable PCs are great portable tech for a wide range of users. No matter what you need, there’s a Surface computer that can make your life easier.
But you’ve got to know what you need and want out of a new mobile computer first. Not sure which Surface you should pick up? That’s where we come in. Here’s everything you need to know about the Microsoft Surface line and what each 2024 model can do.
Microsoft Surface models
What is a Microsoft Surface?
The Microsoft Surface line is company’s take on mobile computers and tablets. Just as companies like Apple offers laptops and iPads, Microsoft has developed an inventory of specialized computers, tablets, and laptops.
Surface devices are known for their high-quality build, sleek design, and versatility as well as their very responsive touchscreens. They usually run on Windows and are well-integrated with other Microsoft services and software. They’re a great choice if you’re already in the Microsoft ecosystem or if you’re looking for devices that offer a bit more than your typical laptops or tablets.
What kinds of Microsoft Surface models are there?
The Microsoft Surface lineup features a few models, each aimed at specific users. Here’s a quick rundown of the key models as of 2024:
- Surface Pro: These are Microsoft’s flagship 2-in-1 devices, merging a tablet and laptop. They have detachable keyboards and work with the Surface Pen stylus, making them great for creative types who need some power and versatility. The latest Surface Pro 9 rocks top-tier processors and great-looking high-res PixelSense displays.
- Surface Laptop: For those who just need a straightforward laptop, the Surface Laptop line has you covered with a selection of slim and light clamshell models. For instance, the Surface Laptop 5 sports a cool aluminum body and comes loaded with speedy specs.
- Surface Go 2 and Surface Go 3: These lightweight 10-inch devices are made for portability and affordability. Students and busy folks on the move can handle everyday tasks with the scaled-down Surface Go.
- Surface Studio 2+: This all-in-one PC is geared toward creative work and users who demand more from their computers. It’s also the priciest option right now, which makes sense — these models are usually put to work for a variety of more demanding processes, like video editing, rendering, or other multimedia tasks.
Whether you need a tablet, laptop, portable studio or full desktop replacement, the Surface family likely has a device that fits your lifestyle.
What is a Surface Pen and does every Surface support it?
The Surface Pen is a stylus designed by Microsoft specifically for use with its Surface devices, like Apple’s Apple Pencil. You use it with your Surface’s touchscreen. It offers features like pressure sensitivity, tilt support, and buttons that can be customized for different shortcuts and functions. The Surface Pen is particularly useful for note-taking, drawing, and using your device’s touchscreen without having to use your hands to do so.
If you plan on taking handwritten notes, creating art, or doing other precise tasks like video editing, a Surface Pen can definitely be a must have. However, for general things like reading Reddit, checking your email, or watching videos, a Surface Pen isn’t a necessity.
Most of the later Surface devices support the Surface Pen, including the Surface Pro series, Surface Laptop Studio, and Surface Go series. However, the level of functionality and features supported by the Pen can vary depending on the specific model and generation of your device. It’s always a good idea to check the compatibility of the Surface Pen with your specific Surface model before you lock in a purchase.
Are Microsoft Surface devices good for gaming?
In a word, no. Microsoft Surface devices can handle some seriously demanding tasks, but they aren’t targeted at gamers. Performance usually depends on the model and its hardware, though. Models with more powerful processors and dedicated graphics cards can handle a variety of games reasonably well. But they usually aren’t suitable for the most demanding games, which require high-end graphics capabilities and advanced cooling systems. Those things are typically found in dedicated gaming laptops and PCs.
Yes, Surface devices do feature high-resolution displays and crystal-clear sound, but those features are more attuned for watching TV and movies or listening to music as well as productivity. While most Surface devices can handle casual gaming, they might not be the optimal choice for serious gamers looking for the highest performance possible. So if you’re planning on keeping up with all the newest releases on your Steam profile, a portable gaming PC like the Valve Steam Deck or Asus ROG Ally would be a better choice.
Best Microsoft Surface models
Microsoft Surface Pro 9
Microsoft
Display Size: 13-inch touchscreen | Display Resolution: 2,880 x 1,920 pixels | Display Type: PixelSense Flow | Processor: 12th Gen Intel Core i5-1235U (CPU), but other options are available; Intel Iris Xe (GPU) | Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB | Average Battery Life: Up to 15.5 hours | Operating System: Windows 11 | Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.2 0.037 inches | Weight: 1.94 pounds | Ports: 2x USB Type-C, Surface Connect port, Surface Type Cover port | Stylus Included: Optional | Keyboard/Cover Included: Optional
The new Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is the ultimate 2-in-1, merging a tablet and laptop into one slick package. Keeping the classic Surface design, it sports a handy kickstand and attachable keyboard for flexibility. Though it looks similar to the Surface Pro 8, inside it’s rocking some solid upgrades.
Powering the Pro 9 are 12th-gen Intel processors, so it flies through tasks and crushes productivity. A 5G model with a Qualcomm chip is also available if you need connectivity on the go. So whether you just need a daily driver or heavy-duty performance, the Pro 9 has an option for you.
The 2880 x 1920 touchscreen looks crystal clear, with a 3:2 ratio that’s perfect for getting everyday work done. You can equip it with a 120Hz refresh rate for buttery smooth visuals, though this impacts battery life. It packs two USB-C ports, magnetic charging, and a 1080p webcam with Windows Hello for security. One change though, from the previous model: The microSD slot got cut from the earlier options in the series, so if that’s a dealbreaker, it’s certainly something to consider.
Otherwise, the Surface Pro 9 keeps the versatility and power of the lineup while amping up performance. It’s built for users who need a tablet and laptop in one adaptable package, and of course it looks absolutely fantastic, too. This is definitely an attractive device.
Microsoft Surface Go 3
Microsoft
Display Size: 10.5-inch touchscreen | Display Resolution: 1,920 x 1,280 pixels | Display Type: PixelSense | Processor: Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y / Intel Core i3-10100Y | Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB | Average Battery Life: Up to 11 hours | Operating System: Windows 11 Home | Dimensions: 9.65 x 6.9 x 0.33 inches | Weight: 1.2 pounds | Ports: 1 x USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack, 1 x Surface Connect port, MicroSDXC card reader | Stylus Included: No, optional | Keyboard/Cover Included: No, optional
The Microsoft Surface Go 3 is a great pick if you want a super portable 2-in-1 tablet on a budget. As the smallest and most affordable Surface, the 10.5-inch Go 3 is ideal for basic tasks and people who like compact gadgets. It runs on slower Intel chips, so it won’t blaze through heavy-duty tasks a la the larger, pricier Surfaces. But it handles everyday jobs just fine.
With Windows 11, the Go 3’s touchscreen is more enjoyable compared to the previous model, even though battery life took a bit of a hit. Where the Go 3 really shines is with the Surface Pen for taking notes and drawing. That makes it perfect for students or anyone who needs to get work done on the go. Add the Type Cover keyboard (sold separately), and it transforms into a surprisingly capable little laptop-tablet hybrid.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
Microsoft
Display Size: 14.4-inch touchscreen | Display Resolution: 2,400 x 1,600 pixels | Display Type: PixelSense Flow | Processor: Intel Core i7-13700H | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 (60W) or NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation | Storage: 1TB or 2TB SSD | Average Battery Life: Up to 8.5 hours | Operating System: Windows 11 Home | Dimensions: 9.84 x 13.63 x 2.4 inches | Weight: 1.2 pounds | Ports: 2 USB-C 4.0 ports with Thunderbolt 4, 1 USB-A port, headphone jack, Surface Connect for docking and charging | Stylus Included: No, optional
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is a powerful machine for professionals and creatives who need top-notch performance and versatility. Or anyone who’s looking for a computer that can meet any of their needs. This model is a great do-it-all pick.
It packs an Intel Core i7-13700H processor on board, an upgrade from its predecessor. That means it’ll crush number-crunching, data analysis, 3D modeling — you name it. As far as GPUs go, it offers a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 for tackling graphics-heavy applications, which makes it a more than capable machine for gaming if you so desire — even if that isn’t what it was technically made for.
The 14.4-inch touch display is crisp and vibrant, which means it’s great for visual work or just spending time browsing with its high refresh rate. And the Surface Pen experience is as responsive as ever for drawing and notes, if you happen to have purchased one separately.
With all these features and what this Surface laptop is capable of, you’ve got to expect a bit of a hefty price tag, though. If that isn’t an issue, you’ll be pleased with everything your new device can do for you, even if you could shop around for something a bit cheaper.
CBS News
Flooding in Central Europe blamed for 24 deaths as EU promises $11 billion in emergency repair funding
Warsaw, Poland — European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday pledged billions of euros in aid for Central European countries that suffered enormous damage to infrastructure and housing during the massive flooding that has so far claimed 24 lives in the region. Von der Leyen paid a quick visit to a flood-damaged area in southeast Poland and met with heads of the governments of the affected countries — Poland, Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
She said funds will be made available quickly for infrastructure repair from the EU’s solidarity fund, as well as 10 billion euros ($11 billion) from what is called the cohesion fund — for the most urgent repairs. In a special approach, no co-financing will be required from these countries for the money to be released.
“Here we say it’s 100% European money, no co-financing,” von der Leyen told a news briefing. “These are extraordinary times, and extraordinary times need extraordinary measures.”
Marton Monus/REUTERS
Meanwhile, a massive flood wave threatened new areas and heavy rains also caused flooding and forced the evacuation of some 1,000 people in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. In Central Europe, the receding waters revealed the scale of the destruction caused by exceptionally heavy rains that began a week ago.
Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakušan said one more person was reported killed on Thursday in the country’s hard-hit northeast, bringing the death toll there to five. There were also seven deaths each in Poland and Romania, and five in Austria — with the overall death toll now at 24.
Authorities deployed troops to help. In the northeast Czech Republic, soldiers joined firefighters and other emergency crews to help with the recovery efforts. Army helicopters distributed humanitarian aid while soldiers were building temporary bridges in place of those that were swept away.
Some 400 people remained evacuated from the homes in the regional capital of Ostrava. In the southwest, the level of the Luznice River reached an extreme high but the evacuation of 1,000 people in the town of Veseli nad Luznici was not necessary for the moment, officials said.
Getty
Cleanup efforts were underway in Austria, where flooding washed away roads and led to landslides and bridge damage. Firefighters and soldiers pumped water and mud out of houses and disposed of damaged furniture, broadcaster ORF quoted fire department spokesperson Klaus Stebal as saying.
The governor of Lower Austria province, Johanna Mikl-Leitner, said reconstruction was expected to take years, according to the Austria Press Agency.
The Vienna public transport company has had to pump almost 1 million liters (260,000 gallons) of water since last weekend. Ten towns and areas were still inaccessible on Thursday, APA reported.
In Hungary, flood waters continued to rise as authorities closed roads and rail stations. Ferries along the Danube River halted.
ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP/Getty
In the capital, Budapest, water spilled over the city’s lower quays and threatened to reach tram and metro lines. Some transport services were suspended. Remarkable images showed the water of the Danube creeping up perilously close to the ground floor of Hungary’s Parliament building, which sits directly on its bank.
Further upriver, in a region known as the Danube Bend, homes and restaurants near the riverbanks were inundated.
Nearly 6,000 professionals, including members of Hungary’s water authority and military, were mobilized, and prison inmates were involved in filling sandbags, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said at a news conference Thursday.
The Danube stood at over 25 feet, approaching the 29.2-foot record set during major flooding in 2013.
In southwestern Poland, the high waters reached the city of Wroclaw and an extended wave was expected to take many hours, even days to pass, exerting pressure on the embankments.
The water level on the Oder River just before Wroclaw was 21 feet, some 6.5 feet above alarm levels but still lower compared to the disastrous flooding in 1997.
Kacper Pempel/REUTERS
In the two most-affected towns, Stronie Slaskie and Ladek-Zdroj, tap water and power were restored, said Gen. Michal Kamieniecki, who was put in charge of the recovery operations there after an emotional appeal to Prime Minister Donald Tusk for help the day before by a young woman identified only as Katarzyna.
As concerns mounted, Tusk invited von der Leyen to Wroclaw to see the situation first hand. Government leaders from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria were also there.
In Italy, rivers flooded in the provinces of Ravenna, Bologna and Forlì-Cesena, as local mayors asked people to stay on the upper floors or leave their houses. Those areas were hit by devastating floods in 2023, when more than 20 rivers overflowed, killing 17 people.
Italy’s vice minister for transport and infrastructure, Galeazzo Bignami, said Thursday that two people were reported missing in Bagnocavallo, in Ravenna province.
At least 800 residents in Ravenna and almost 200 in Bologna province spent the night in shelters, schools and sports centers. Trains were suspended and schools closed while residents were advised to avoid travel.
At least eight firefighters were hurt when a fire truck crashed on a freeway near Irvine, California, Thursday night, authorities said.
The Orange County Fire Authority truck overturned on State Route 241 at about 6:50 p.m. local time in the Portola Springs area near State Route 133, according to California Highway Patrol.
A ladder in the roadway caused the fire truck and another vehicle in front of it to swerve, highway patrol said, and the truck collided with a nearby guard rail and overturned. It did not appear that any other vehicles were involved.
Initially, highway patrol reported that 12 firefighters were injured, but late downgraded that to eight. Six suffered serious injuries and two minor injuries, highway patrol said.
KCAL News
Helicopters landed on the highway, which is a toll road, and airlifted the victims to area hospitals.
CHP officers issued a five-hour closure of the freeway’s northbound lanes shortly after the crash.
Video from the collision site showed the crashed vehicle with an “Orange County Fire Authority Santiago Hand Crew” decal. Highway patrol said the firefighters had been battling the massive Airport Fire prior to the crash.
This is a developing story. Check back for more details.
CBS News
Trump rails against Jewish Americans who don’t vote for him in speech focused on antisemitism
Washington, D.C. — Former President Donald Trump criticized Jewish Americans who don’t vote for him in speeches aimed at addressing antisemitism Thursday night in Washington D.C., while claiming that if he is not elected in November, Israel would be “eradicated.”
“If I don’t win this election, and the Jewish people would really have a lot to do with that if that happens, because at 40%, that means 60% of the people are voting for the enemy,” Trump said.
Trump made the comments during a small event focused on addressing antisemitism with Dr. Miriam Adelson, a prominent Republican Party donor and the widow of late casino magnate Sheldon Adelson.
“With all I’ve done for Israel, I received only 24% of the Jewish vote,” Trump said.
Trump later repeated the comment regarding the polls during remarks at the Israeli-American Council National Summit, which was gathering to commemorate the nearing one-year mark of the October 7 attack.
“You should have your head examined, because it will face an unceasing, bloody war to obliterate the Jewish state and drive Jews out of the Holy Land,” Trump said about Jewish Americans who vote for Democrats. He claimed at his first stop that Democrats have a “hold” or “curse” on Jewish voters.
“It’s only because of the Democrat hold or curse on you. You can’t let this happen. 40% is not acceptable, because we have an election to win,” Trump said.
Trump told the ballroom full of Israeli-Americans tonight that Israel will face “total annihilation” if Vice President Kamala Harris is elected.
“Rockets will rain down from above until the Iron Dome has been exhausted,” Trump said.
CBS News has reached out to the Harris campaign for comment.
The former president also recognized the Israelis still held hostage by Hamas, vowing to “get them out” if he wins the presidency in November. Family members of victims of the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas were among the crowd.
“Somehow it’s going to work out. We’re going to get it to work out,” Trump said.
The twin speeches come as Trump tries to court Jewish American voters who may have become disaffected with factions of the Democratic Party over the Biden administration’s handling of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
An April 2024 Pew Research survey found that 69% of registered Jewish voters defined themselves as Democrats, while 29% said that they consider themselves Republicans, but Trump grew his support among Jewish voters in the first two presidential elections he ran in, an Associated Press survey found.
“Honestly, I went from 25 to 29 [percent support], and based on what I did, and based on my love of- the same love that you have, I should be at 100. I should be at 100,” Trump said Thursday.
Flooding in Central Europe blamed for 24 deaths as EU promises $11 billion in emergency repair funding
8 firefighters injured in fire truck rollover on Southern California freeway
Trump rails against Jewish Americans who don’t vote for him in speech focused on antisemitism
Flooding in Central Europe blamed for 24 deaths as EU promises $11 billion in emergency repair funding
8 firefighters injured in fire truck rollover on Southern California freeway