Review Student debt in the United States now stands at $1.2 trillion. In the UK outstanding student loans top £100 billion. Microsoft has made an fascinating contribution to the student debt crisis, by attempting to increase it.

Microsoft's recent hardware efforts prove two things. First, Windows devices can be built without compromise. Second, that Apple isn't the only company that can meld hardware and software together in harmony.

Lightweight design; Great keyboard; Excellent screen; Good speakers

Lack of ports; You'll want to upgrade from Windows 10 S; Rivals offer better value

The best looking Windows laptop you've ever seen; Good keyboard, trackpad, battery life, and performance; Windows Hello is stupid fast

Windows 10 S is not nearly enough for most people; A standard laptop isn't great for pen and touch; Cortana-led setup is obnoxious

I've talked to a number of people on the Surface team over the last few months, and the decision to hinder their beautiful new piece of hardware still boggles the mind. The Surface Laptop is really nice - in fact, it's quite possibly the best piece of hardware to carry the Surface name.

While aimed for students and the educational market, the Microsoft Surface Laptop is a solid, elegant and capable general purpose notebook PC that closely competes with Apple's MacBook Air segment.

Surface Laptop is the answer to many critics' prayers. But its not quite the machine everyone wanted Microsoft to make

Microsoft had been threatening to get into hardware in a big way for years - if only to demonstrate to PC makers how it should be done, after admonishing them for making dull devices.

For anyone who doesn't care about ports though and just wants to get down and type though, the Microsoft Surface Laptop is the obvious choice.

Excellent keyboard and trackpad; stunning screen; fast performance

Not enough ports; doesn't ship with a dock; Windows 10 S before the free upgrade

The Surface Laptop is great. In fact, it's probably the best all round notebook PC you'll find. But it's not perfect. It has a too few ports, which are remedied by a £190 dock, but lacking even just one USB-C port in 2017 seriously hurts the Surface Laptop's futureproofing.

really great keyboard; good trackpad; alcantara; stand-out design; USB-A port; great screen; great battery life; Windows Hello

no USB-C; no SD card reader; no fingerprint scanner; Windows 10 S (but free upgrade before 2018); limited configuration options

As Microsoft's first genuine rival to Apple's MacBooks, the Surface Laptop has a lot riding on it. Not only is the company's second notebook looking to take on Apple's recently-refreshed laptops, it's also tasked with launching the new version of the company's operating system, Windows 10 S.