When we first caught a glimpse of the Surface Laptop Ultra back in June, I was struck by how normal it seemed. Even though Microsoft claimed it was the most powerful Surface Laptop ever, it really looked like a straightforward MacBook Pro clone. After spending a bit of time with it today, I can confirm that remains the case. At the same time, it feels better than any other Windows laptop I've held before. And given its $2,599 starting price, it damn well better be.
There's nothing ostentatious about the Surface Laptop Ultra, but for the AI developers who want a powerful and portable system that can hold up to 128GB of RAM, it could be their dream machine. Its keyboard has just the right amount of tactile feedback, and its massive haptic touchpad feels smooth and responsive. It's a heavy machine, coming in under 4.5 pounds, but it's still lighter than Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Aidan Pinero, an AI researcher and Master's student at UCSC Silicon Valley, said he was excited to finally have a Windows system that could run large AI models. NVIDIA's graphical prowess also helps the Surface Laptop Ultra to be a capable gaming system. It ran Gears of War: E-Day smoothly at slightly more than 1080p, both on power and battery.
The Surface Laptop Ultra has all the ports you'd want, including a slightly offset USB-C connection for Microsoft's custom magnetic cable. The magnetic cable won't work with any other USB-C laptops, but you could flip it around on the Surface Laptop's power adapter to get a standard USB-C cable. This isn't really a system meant for average computer users.
Source: Engadget · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing