But "technically" doesn't always translate to real life. Technically, it should handle the most common stuff like web browsers and productivity apps just fine.
#MICROSOFT PRO X PRO#
Still, reviewers (including myself) still need to test the limits of the Surface Pro X and its fancy new ARM chip, including performance and how it affects common apps. The next best thing if you're looking for more performance while maintaing ultra-portability is the Surface Pro 7. If you want performance, you can get a more powerful laptop running on an Intel chip for around $1,000, but that laptop would surely have less battery life, too. The more traditional Intel-powered Surface Pro 7, for comparison, starts at $750.
#MICROSOFT PRO X FULL#
If I were you, I'd wait for the reviews before ordering one.įor $1,000, it's clear you're paying for the slim design and ultra-portability of the Surface Pro X, as well as its versatility as a full Windows 10 machine with a long 13-hour battery life. You can pre-order the Surface Pro X today starting at $1,000, but there are still a bunch of unknowns, especially around how much the Pro X can handle with its special ARM chip. However, it seems reasonable to assume that while it may not be great for anything intensive, like competitive "Fortnite" or hardcore Adobe Illustrator work, it'll probably be just fine for Microsoft Office, Facebook, and maybe even "Minecraft." I didn't have enough time to put the Surface Pro X through its paces to see how that affects a normal workflow, so I can't comment on that supposed limitation right now. There's some concern that the Surface Pro X's ARM chip can only run low-powered version of apps (32 bit versus 64 bit). As a result, that means less battery life than you'd find on a mobile device. The custom ARM chip that Qualcomm is making for the Surface Pro X, called the Microsoft SQ1, soaks up more power to deliver computer-like performance rather than smartphone-like performance. But that expectation comes from ARM chips that are designed for mobile devices like smartphones and tablets.
It's a full laptop, capable of running any Windows software.Īdmittedly, 13 hours seemed a little low at first blush -some industry-watchers were expecting something closer to 20 hours from ARM chips.
#MICROSOFT PRO X FULL VERSION#
And keep in mind that the Surface Pro X is running the full version of the Windows 10 operating system. Microsoft boasts a 13-hour battery life during "typical device usage" - two and a half hours more than the Surface Pro 7, and three hours more than Apple claims for its 13-inch iPad Pro. It's the first time a Microsoft laptop is using an ARM-based chip, rather than an Intel processor. In English, it means the Surface Pro X will handily do what most people do on their laptops while offering long battery life. It's a chip made by mobile chipmaker Qualcomm, and it's based on the so-called ARM architecture. The Surface Pro X runs on a special chip that gives it impressive battery life, especially for a device that runs a full operating system and desktop apps.
Otherwise, things like mice, keyboards, and headphones can all be wireless. None of this should matter that much on an ultra-portable device, just as long as you're not planning on connecting a lot of extra devices with cables. Otherwise, adding USB-C ports without Thunderbolt 3 seems like a misstep. Surely Microsoft knows something I don't. How many devices that you recently bought come with USB-C to USB-C cables? In my experience, very few. But most devices that use USB-C in some shape or form still come with a cable that fits regular USB ports. I suppose you could use Microsoft's proprietary Surface Dock accessory to connect to external accessories and devices, and even monitors. They don't charge the Surface Pro X and they can't connect to Thunderbolt 3 docks that let you connect to a variety of accessories and peripherals.Įven new accessories and peripherals aren't fully adopting USB-C.
In fact, without Thunderbolt 3, it's unclear what regular USB-C ports can offer. USB-C ports don't support Thunderbolt 3 for connecting to docks.