Microsoft announces low-cost Surface Laptop Go, refreshed Surface Pro X

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Microsoft announces low-cost Surface Laptop Go, refreshed Surface Pro X

Published

4 years ago

October 1, 2020

Microsoft unveiled two new Surface products through a virtual announcement Thursday that should prove to be exciting new additions to the company’s hardware line.

First up, the Redmond, Washington-based company unveiled its upgraded Surface Pro X sporting an enhanced SQ2 ARM-based processor. Along with the Pro X, Microsoft unveiled the exiting and affordable Surface Laptop Go.

If you’ve been paying attention at all to leaks over the last few months, neither of these products should come as a surprise. What’s more of a surprise is the lack of other new Surface Pro or Surface Laptop hardware, although perhaps we may see refreshes with these products at a later time.

Still, what we’ve got from Microsoft represents the company’s commitment to a PC for everybody. On the one hand is the Pro X, which I think represents the ARM-powered future of 2-in-1 computing, while on the other hand the Laptop Go boasts an affordable entry point for students or people who now find themselves working remotely and in need of a computer that won’t break the bank.

Surface Pro X comes in new colours with a new CPU

First, lets start with the refreshed Surface Pro X. Microsoft launched the first Pro X with its SQ1 processor in October 2019. I spent some time with the device and found it to be an exciting step forward for Surface, but with a few things still missing. The new, thinner design, bigger display and generally excellent hardware were strong points, while the ARM processor and some issues with app compatibility held the Pro X back.

Microsoft kept up with the excellent design, adding a new ‘Platinum’ colour option as well as three new ‘Signature Keyboard’ colours: ‘Platinum,’ ‘Ice Blue’ and ‘Poppy Red.’ Both the Pro X and keyboard will also remain available in the original ‘Matte Black’ colour.

The company boasts improved performance with the SQ2 processor as well as better battery life — up to 15 hours of “typical usage” to be exact. Beyond that, much of the hardware remains the same. The 13-inch, nearly edge-to-edge ‘PixelSense’ display returns with a 2880 x 1920 pixel resolution and 3:2 aspect ratio. Microsoft’s ‘Surface Slim Pen’ also makes a return and can still be stored in a slot on the keyboard that also wirelessly charges the pen.

However, the bigger question is whether anything will improve on the app front and, in short, it sounds like it will. Microsoft says that it will expand its support for running 64-bit x86 apps (also called x86-64 or sometimes x64) with emulation, which will roll out later this year. That’s a big improvement considering the original Surface Pro X couldn’t emulate x86-64 apps, which in some cases meant people had to emulate x86-32 versions of apps. While in practice that isn’t the end of the world, most Windows apps are 64-bit, so using 32-bit versions either wasn’t an option or meant using older versions of the app.

Hopefully, extending support for x86-64 emulation means wider support for apps on ARM-based devices like the Pro X, which would make it a more enticing option. It remains to be seen how much a difference this makes, but it’s something we’ll dig into more when we go hands-on with the second-gen Pro X.

The new Surface Pro X will cost $2,229.99 for the 256GB model and $2,649.99 for the 512GB model in Canada. The Signature Keyboard will cost $369.99. Further, the original Surface Pro X will remain available starting at $1,349.

Surface Laptop Go makes great typing affordable

Although the Surface Pro X is exciting because of where it’s taking Surface, the new Surface Laptop Go is a more interesting device. It seems like the Surface for the average person in a way that past options weren’t. Both the Surface Laptop line and Pro line were expensive, high-end portable computers, while the Surface Go was an affordable entry-level option that didn’t have much power.

The Surface Laptop Go hits that middle ground between the Go, which is barely powerful enough to get work done, and the much more expensive and capable Surface Laptop.

Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Go sports a 12.4-inch PixelSense touchscreen display with a 1536 x 1024 pixel resolution and a 3:2 aspect ratio. It’s powered by a 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G1 processor with Intel UHD graphics, comes with 4GB or 8GB of RAM and either 64GB of eMMC storage, or a 128GB or 256GB SSD.

Instead of a Windows Hello log-in camera like on other Surface products, the Laptop Go uses a fingerprint scanner embedded in the power button. It’s got Wi-Fi 6, up to 13 hours of battery life with “typical device usage” and fast charging. And of course it sports a similar keyboard to what’s available in the Surface Laptop line, which should make typing a great experience. There’s a lot more — you can view all the details on Microsoft’s website.

In short, the Surface Laptop Go looks like a decent laptop with lower-end specs in the right areas to bring down the price. It will start at $759.99 in Canada, a fair bit cheaper than the $1,149 starting price of a Surface Laptop 3. However, there will be other configurations priced at $959.99 and $1,229.99 as well for those who need more power.

While the lower-tier processor and reduced RAM will likely hamper performance for heavier tasks like photo or video editing, I imagine the Laptop Go will still be quite snappy for web browsing, note taking and other tasks. As such, it could be an ideal product for students, teachers or anyone working remotely, although we’ll have to wait for reviews to judge just how good an option the Laptop Go will be.

Finally, Microsoft announced several new accessories for Surface devices alongside the new computers. These include a new ‘Designer Compact Keyboard,’ ‘Microsoft Number Pad,’ a 4K wireless display adapter, ‘Microsoft Bluetooth Ergonomic Mouse’ and a new ‘Modern Mobile Mouse.’

Both the Surface Pro X and Surface Laptop Go will be available for pre-order starting October 1st and will be on sale starting October 13th. Those interested in learning more about the new Surface devices can check out all the details on Microsoft’s website.

Source:- MobileSyrup

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The Ultimate Recap of Sea Otter 2024 – Pinkbike.com

Published

6 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Harry Miller

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Vittoria Releases New Peyote & Mezcal XC Race Tires
Maxxis Team Spec Aspen ST Tire
New DT Swiss 240 DEG Hubs
Kali Protectives’ New Full Face Helmets
Industry Nine’s SOLiX M Hubs & Wheelsets
Michelin’s Aggressive New Wild Enduro Tires
Praxis’ New Flat Pedals, Stem, & Carbon Bottle Cage
Transmission Cage Upgrades from Kogel, Ceramicspeed, and Cascade Components
Randoms Round 1 – Sea Otter 2024
Madrone Cycles’ SRAM Eagle Repair Kits & Prototype Derailleur
Vorsprung’s New Telum Coil Shock
EXT’s Vaia Inverted DH Fork & Updated Coil Shocks
Randoms Round 2: New Tools, Goggles, Grips, Racks, & More – Sea Otter 2024
What’s New in Women’s MTB Apparel at Sea Otter 2024
Even More Randoms – Sea Otter 2024
Randoms Round 3: Dario’s Treasures
What’s New for the Kids at Sea Otter 2024
Deity Releases New Stems, Grips, & Pedals
Dario’s Final Sea Otter Randoms
Brian’s Randoms from Sea Otter 2024

Videos

With roots dating back to 1991, the Sea Otter Classic is one of the biggest biking events and tradeshows each year and brings together all sides of the biking industry from athletes to brands, spectators and consumers. Taking place in April in the sunny hills of Monterey, California, that means this event really feels like the official start to the biking season in North America. Christina Chappetta covers why it’s much different to an indoor European biking tradeshow, a World Cup racing weekend or even Crankworx mountain bike festival, in that it encompasses nearly ALL of the biking disciplines, including road cycling, enduro, downhill, dual slalom, XC, trials riding and more.

In the past fortnight, we have seen large amount of new tech releases. However, Sea Otter 2024 represents some of the first opportunities for many riders to see these things in the flesh, as well as take a deeper dive into what the product aims to do.
Welcome to a video summary from Day 2 of the Sea Otter Classic.
There are so many giveaways, interesting new products and colourful characters at Sea Otter Classic that it’s hard to stand out from the crowd. Ben Cathro takes a lap of the venue to find his favourites.

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Apple iPad Air 2024: Insider Makes Hasty U-Turn On New Feature – Forbes

Published

7 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Harry Miller

Well, that was quick. On May 18, a respected industry insider predicted a new display technology for the iPad Air that’s expected in the coming days—Apple just announced its latest special event.

The new 12.9-inch iPad Air, the report claimed, would have the same miniLED backlighting currently found on the larger iPad Pro, using the leftover inventory from the current Pro as that model switches to OLED. That was exciting news.

But now, Ross Young, the analyst who made the claim, has changed his mind. The new prediction, shared with paid subscribers only, is that the miniLED technology won’t be coming to the iPad Air, in either size.

While it made sense that the inventory could be maximized in this way, it now “makes sense” that it won’t.

Young says that while he’d heard from supply chain sources that it would, he’d now had contact from “even more supply chain sources” that it won’t.

And the reason this change of heart now makes sense is that this miniLED technology is expensive, so it would be surprising if it made it to the iPad Air, which is more affordable than the Pro.

That’s not quite all the analyst shared. He also said that there are now reports of a new iPad coming later in the year. This is a 12.9-inch iPad, with miniLED backlighting and it could arrive between October and December this year.

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This is intriguing. What could it be? Assuming that the iPad Pro and iPad Air are released in May, it’s extremely unlikely either will be updated later in the year. And if the iPad Air isn’t pricey enough for miniLED to be included, what tablet could Apple be introducing that is the same size as the bigger Pro, with a pricey screen tech, which would sit between the Air and the Pro, it seems?

Young is highly reliable, but this seems slightly preposterous to me. The only other iPad in the range due a refresh is the regular iPad (at 12.9-inches, the iPad mini is clearly out of the picture) and that doesn’t seem likely either.

It seems to me that any regular iPad will almost certainly have the same screen size as now, 10.9 inches. The regular iPad only grew to this size screen in the current generation, and Apple almost never changes designs after one iteration.

Perhaps things will become clearer as the year goes on.

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Woman who left beaten dad on floor for 2 days was 'overwhelmed' with his care, judge told – CBC.ca

Published

8 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Harry Miller

A Calgary woman who abused her sick, 77-year-old father was “overwhelmed” at the task of caring for him, a judge heard Wednesday at a sentencing hearing.

In January, Tara Picard, 52, pleaded guilty to charges of assault and failing to provide the necessaries of life after her father (whom CBC News is not naming) was found injured on a basement floor, where he’d been lying for two days.

On Wednesday, prosecutor Donna Spaner and defence lawyer Shaun Leochko asked the judge to allow Picard to serve her sentence in the community under conditions as part of a conditional sentence order.

Justice Indra Maharaj agreed to a two-year conditional sentence for Picard followed by a year of probation.

“There is no doubt she became overwhelmed,” said Spaner in her submissions. “There is no question Ms. Picard has remorse.”

Leochko told the judge that caring for her father “was really more than [Picard] could handle.”

Maharaj heard that Picard is Indigenous and was the victim of abuse growing up. She lives in a sober dorm-style facility and is working with a mental health and addictions navigator, according to Leochko.