Best Tech of 2017 So Far

Microsoft Surface Laptop

Microsoft Surface Laptop

Microsoft’s new Surface Laptop is a first for the Windows maker: a conventional laptop that runs a stripped-down but more battery-efficient operating system called Windows 10 S. The company is aiming the $999 Surface Laptop at the educational set, but it’s bound to go toe-to-toe with Apple’s entry-level MacBook Air as well. Other hardware makers, meanwhile, will offer Windows 10 S on far cheaper devices that will compete with Google’s Chromebooks. Together, the Surface Laptop and the new version of Windows show Microsoft is willing to mix things up in the notebook world—to consumers’ benefit.