Microsoft has made some slightly baffling decisions with the Surface Laptop. Debuting Windows 10 S - an operating system that would be most at home on a low-budget Chromebook rival - on what is otherwise a top-notch ultrabook is an odd choice, as is spurning the incredible versatility of the USB-C...

Fantastic keyboard; Excellent design

Screen isn't quite as good as the Surface Pro; Disappointing port allocation; Expensive

With that annoyance dealt with, we can focus solely on the Surface Laptop's capabilities as a standard Windows 10 laptop and in that regard, it's a very positive outlook. Not only is this a gorgeous machine to look at, but it's also a highly practical machine that's ideally suited to life on campus...

Gorgeous design; Stellar performance; Excellent battery life

Windows 10 S leaves a lot to be desired; Disappointing screen

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 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

The Microsoft Surface Laptop is an excellent laptop although, like everything Microsoft makes these days, very slightly quirky. I've only had this laptop for about 12 hours, so consider these initial thoughts rather than a final verdict.

Generally stunning design; Slick; fast operation; Excellent screen and speakers

Windows 10 S is quite limiting; Fabric palm rest seems a design flourish too far

I bought Microsoft laptop about 3 months ago. It came with Windows S and at that time there was an option to upgrade for free to Windows 10 Pro. With Windows S I was not even able to download the desktop version of Microsoft Office 365 from my Microsoft account.

Purchase this laptop online with the HN recommendation function Did exactly what I wanted and more

I bought one yesterday and it was the best laptop I have ever owned I'm so annoyed sometimes when people say they want a mac over this amazing laptop and the red colour really stands out

Extreme build quality and very powerful laptop for the price. The slim and sleek design is perfect to carry around and as a daily. Pretty impressed with battery backup too. The inside keyboard surface seems a bit under quality compared to the overall build.

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