Microsoft Surface Laptop 2: A once-great laptop now is merely good

Time has caught up to Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 2. We loved it in its first iteration—what Microsoft now calls the Surface Laptop (1st Gen), and the low-cost clamshell remains a superb, optimized laptop for students and workers on the go. But while the Surface Laptop 2 has basically stood still, the competition has chimed in with their own progressive offerings. As our review shows, the 13-inch Surface Laptop 2 is still a solid laptop, but design choices made a year ago look a bit tired now.

The Surface Laptop is nearly identical to its predecessor in all three dimensions, the rated battery life, and even weight. In addition to the color, Microsoft has moved from a 7th-gen to an 8th-gen Core microprocessor, and the company has thankfully eliminated the 4GB memory option that was available in the first generation. Gone, too, is Windows 10 in S Mode, now replaced with Windows 10 Home. There aren’t any low-power Qualcomm or Intel Pentium-based options, and Microsoft hasn’t announced an LTE option—but those weren’t available on the first device, either.

BASIC SPECS AND BUYING ADVICE

As you may recall from our hands-on with the , Microsoft is selling both the , and the more generic . The Business model begins at $1,199, versus $999 for consumers—quite a jump, especially since