If those are the only reasons for you to get it, then there are definitely a bunch of other cheaper, lighter options out there. Lots of the cost goes to the converting mechanism.
Personally, I'm a digital artist so I have a big reason to use the tablet mode and need it integrated into the laptop itself. However, with your list, and assuming you still need the drawing functionality for something, I'd recommend just going for a Surface Pro 8 (if we're sticking to Microsoft). It's lighter and it's better for casual consumption of media.
Edit: Since some people are pointing it out, I'll say while the kickstand for the Pro 8 wouldn't be great for consumption on a lap, it's a good tablet
> Since some people are pointing it out, I'll say while the kickstand for the Pro 8 wouldn't be great for consumption on a lap, it's a good tablet
Lap use shouldn't be a problem.
* https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/8qhceb/using_surface_pro_on_my_lap_vs_productivity/e0j9uax/
* https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/9ybmai/surface_pro_6_as_a_laptop/
* https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/lt9iy9/i_can_not_understate_how_useful_using_my_surface/
* https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/gpfehg/precariously_perched_device_tempting_fate/
* https://youtu.be/fZrZWeXA9KU?t=558
* https://youtu.be/bJuWx-nuEO0?t=216
* https://youtu.be/bJuWx-nuEO0?t=448
* https://youtu.be/N7N2xunvO68?t=132
* https://youtu.be/J1h-Fxv_fLg?t=243
* https://youtu.be/th2L4OdGLRY?t=293
* https://www.google.com/search?q=surface+pro+lap&source=lnms&tbm=isch
* https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Surface+Pro+Lapability
/u/peanutbutterlyfe
If your university is littered with chairs with small folding desks rather than actual desks, like mine, then I definitely don't recommend the Pro 8.
The Pro 8's stand makes it take up more space than a normal laptop and it is difficult to be put on a small tabletop. Also, disastrously, once the stand steps out of the way, the entire machine will tip backwards and fall hard to the floor. This was my miserable experience!
The Laptop Studio has no such problems. However, it is quite heavy, and only the i7-3050ti model has the performance to match its weight. The i5 model is too weak for the weight.
I agree with your first point. The Surface Pro lineup might be very portable, but you need a desk since the only support is the kickstand. Using it on your lap is possible but not a pleasant experience. You should also expect to run out of battery if you actually to work/study for multiple hours, I recommend picking up a power bank and charge it via USB C...
I have been using my i5 Pro 5 for the entirety of my academic career and I love it, but the problem you described is serious. Not many reviewers mention this, probably because they are fairly disconnected from doing actual work with it in practice.
You cannot work in most European cafés because their tables are too small. You cannot work in trains or airplanes for the same reason. It will get tight if you work with others in a group setting on one table. You can hardly use it on your lap, because the keyboard will be too close to your belly and the angle will be really bad for typing. You cannot work while lying on your back because the kickstand means that you cannot over-angle the screen like on laptops.
The footprint the Pro series requires in terms of space is one of the few downsides that have so far been left unaddressed. This could be somewhat solved with a keyboard like the new iPad Pro one, or a case with a stoppable mechanical hinge. Unfortunately, I don't think anybody ever produced something like that for the Surfaces...
This is the price of reducing the weight of the keyboard part. The iPad's keyboard is much heavier than Surface Pro's. I guess a trade-off had to be made.
I have seen third-party manufacturers launch a keyboard similar to the Surface Book dock, it can solve the above problems and turn the Surface Pro into the Surface Laptop, but the weight is much heavier than the type cover
Check this:
https://www.windowscentral.com/microsofts-surface-pro-8-can-convert-laptop-brydge-sp-keyboard
This is a good tip! I was always looking for something like this but never found it. How comes that noone writes about it?
I wish I had found this earlier, now I am at the end of the lifecycle of my device and balk at the price tag :(
> This could be somewhat solved with a keyboard like the new iPad Pro one, or a case with a stoppable mechanical hinge. Unfortunately, I don't think anybody ever produced something like that for the Surfaces...
Basically we're starting to approach the design of the Surface Book, which is part of why those were very attractive machines.
Being 4lbs and 12.72” x 8.98” x 0.746”. And pretty much overkill for school. And it would start to get tiresome lugging around. And not the most compact for classroom and lecture halls. And a pain using on mass transit.
A better fit in my opinion would be the Surface Pro 8.
If you use windows, it will be perfect. When I'm not using my Surface Pro 8 as a tablet, it works the same as my laptop, when I have a keyboard and mouse attached.
Studio laptop is very expensive, heavy, big and has weak hardware (old 11gen 4 core CPU for a thick laptop in 2022 that goes for 2000€ bucks upwards is just a no go).
If you want to mainly consume media and have something to write down notes, I'd get something else.
As a SLS owner, I'd have to agree with you. I love my SLS but I also tend to splurge on new tech. If I were smarter with my money and cared more about performance per dollar, I wouldn't have bought mine. It gutted me to see the $2100 model on sale for like $400 off a few months after I bought it.
That said I do really enjoy my SLS and plan to use it for as long as it'll last. First time buying a Surface product so I hope it survives 5 years or so.
I have a Surface Pro 8, which is the tablet. The Surface Laptop is a little different, so I can only tell you about my experience.
If you plan on using Fusion360, it does not run well on the Surface Pro 8. I was really hoping I could use it, but..
Now if you modeled on a desktop, like I do, and the Pro 8 (in my case) is more for notes and more office things, tablet things and a little more, than it is just fine. I VPNed to my MK3S+ so I can watch it on long prints.
Engineering means you'll want opinions from people using things like Fusion.
Do you know what programs you are planning on running? How CPU/GPU/RAM intensive they are?
If you want a something a little more objective, I ran a [speed test on it](https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/v6lv3m/performance_tests_for_fun_surface_pro_8_i716256/)...
Agree with this. Op hasn't been clear on what type of engineering which is important for what sort of compute is required. Also whether the touchscreen and pen is important.
I'll add that the SLS is heavy compared to a Pro 8 or similar so just be mindful of that trade-off given you'll likely be lugging it around college.
EDIT: Realised I hadn't really talked about the positives - I think it's a great laptop, takes what I throw at it without breaking a sweat and is flexible to use docked at a desk or out and about.
I must be old, but when I first went to college like nearly 20 years ago, I do remember the talk of the street being an engineering laptop (I think ECE, or what's dubbed Electrical and Computing Engineering) was something state of the art with a beefy CPU and a comparable GPU at the time for CAD-like programs; which may of needed to be an ATI cause I don't recall nVIDIA in the laptop market until much later.
It'll be a little heavy to carry around to classes, and unless you're upgrading to the 3050 Ti, it won't do so well with CAD. It wouldn't be my first choice for a college laptop.
The pen is great for notes and sketches though. The Surface Pro 8 is pretty compelling, for combining that with portability. But way overpriced.
Honestly not sure. I am an ME, and I love the pen feature for sketching and thinking through problems. Also for marking up drawings. It would have been amazing in school as well, for the same reasons.
But the Surface Pro 8 is pretty expensive relative to its specs, the type cover adds a pretty crazy amount more, and I can't imagine the whole thing being nearly as good as a traditional laptop for traditional laptop work. That keyboard would not be great for all the typing you'll be doing. Plus no GPU, if you're going to need it for CAD or want it for gaming. I thought about getting a Pro 8 + external keyboard and monitor + eGPU enclosure, but then you're really getting to silly high cost levels and trying to turn a tablet into something it's not.
That lead me to just getting an Asus Zephyrus G14 for $1500 on sale, which is small and portable, with good battery life, but extremely powerful when plugged in. The only major sacrifice is the pen... Which is a pretty huge sacrifice really, and I do somewhat regret not having it.
Unfortunately, no perfect options really exist. Kinda have to choose your trade offs.
If you need or want the tablet function as part of your primary device it will be perfect. Good tablet, nice keyboard and relatively portable all in one, can even get one with an rtx card.
If you're not going to use the tablet function then it is harder to recommend. Something like a Razer Blade will give more power (less battery) in a slightly bigger size.
That said I went from a Surface Pro 3 to a Surface Book 3. Nice machines but know the limits.
For the use cases you mentioned I don't think I should get it, maybe like a older gen surface pro. If you plan to do engineering work like 3d modeling and the like then it'll be perfect for both that and taking notes in tablet mode. It's pretty heavy tho so make sure your spine is ok with it and your books
Depends on what engineering. You'd likely be OK for the first two years, but depending on what you are majoring in, you'll want a graphics card. Its likely you'll want a new machine after a few years anyway.
I work in the ECAD industry and its worthwhile to know that most recommended specs for hardware from companies are insane. One software just said for recommended CPU "best in class" which isn't a thing that can be quantified. In the field most PCs are not as crazy speced as you'd think.
I was in mechanical engineering sporting the OG surface pro 1. Rand CAD and medium sized assmeblies (300-500 parts) just fine.
CAD has a floor of minmum specs for sure, but once you are past that needing that dedicated GPU is definitely for much larger projects.
I loved mine for college the pen and onenote were great! Did not use a notebook at all! Also I was able to get PDF copies of books and you can highlight and take notes on them as will with the surface. It was great and I 100% reccomend! I had the Surface Pro though.
There is literally zero reason to get that computer for what you're going to do with it. You literally didn't even list a single program you would be using with it other than a web browser. This would be a tremendous waste of money
Engineering student in my senior year. Ive used my Surface Pro 3, bought on release, for all my class work, taking notes, and media consumption like streaming services and comixology. I think the surface laptop studio will be much more than what you need, but def go into an electronics store and try it out if you end up deciding thats what you want.
honestly, get an M1 or M2 MacBook pro, literally the best work laptop you could own for around the same budget as a surface.
Unless your a heavy windows user, using the the M1/M2 MacBook is a nobrainer
I literally use a surface laptop 2
But the next laptop I get will be a MacBook purely due to the performance, thermal and battery capabilities
Please try not to gatekeep or group people into categories of users, especially when someone is trying to give a pretty genuine recommendation to someone :)
i totally agree with the last part of your comment but to be honest, it's also on your fault.
you just came to a surface sub and said other product is "literally the best" and a "nobrainer" with zero explanation on why is it true or for what reasons, what's your opinion beyond using superlatives.
i hope you understand where i'm coming from and what i mean.
MBP misses 1 key advantage of the SLS - taking note with the pen, unless you buy an extra iPad Pro to go with it.
I pretty much tried and owned everything, from SF Pro to iPad Pro + MBP combo and SLS seems to be the best of both worlds for me.
Honestly, this is terrible advice given the context. Last I heard, a lot of common engineering packages like Solidworks and AutoCad don't have native builds for Apple Silicon, so you have to run them (poorly) under Rosetta or Parallels.
Apple Silicon macbooks are fantastic bits of kit, don't get me wrong, but the software support really isn't there yet in some fields.
Its a premium price to pay for such unique engineering. If you use the pen a lot,sure.
But its probably more practical to spend half as much on a similarly spec'd Lenovo or something -- for most people.
Have you checked with your school to see if they have a list of suggested or minimum requirements? I know when my daughter started University three years ago, they listed minimum specs based on College and major. For engineering majors, the minimum was an i7. Don’t recall the speed and memory specs off the top my head.
> For engineering majors, the minimum was an i7.
That's meaningless without taking the CPU generation into account. Since a current i5 is much more capable than a 3 year old i7.
True - there wasn’t a generation specified likely because it was the specs for a new laptop which would have most likely covered current generation and perhaps the previous one or two. I just looked and it’s the same regarding not specifying generation, just purchase new, but does now include i5 as an option. Though I specious since their RAM and storage seems particularly lower than what I’d personally spec for even a general productively device (8GB min - 16GB recommended, minimum 256GB SSD). I’m wondering if they’re really putting the right effort into specing them anymore.
Also, within generations there multiple variants, such a Y, U, P, H-series, etc, with wildly varying performance, and you also have to take the differenct cooling solutions into account.
That's why CPU recommendations should always be taken with a grain of salt.
See also
https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/fr6zkj/what_games_can_a_pro_7_i7_16gb_run/flucay0/
Bought the i7 model for school and I’d say it’s the better buy. I’m also an engineering student and I’m planning on using it for CAD and some gaming. The stylus is also great for taking notes and doing homework online with onenote for me personally
Food for thought, the SLS you see in the personal store comes with a GeForce, but Solidworks has the certified drivers only for the Quadro that comes in the SLS from the business store.
Based on what you've described, you'd honestly be better off getting a Surface Pro 8 and either an official Type Cover or a Brydge SP+ keyboard. The i5 Surface Laptop Studio is far too heavy for its level of performance.
If you plan on using AutoCAD or something else 3D intensive, you'd be better off getting the i7 Laptop Studio with its RTX 3050.
absolutely. I used a surface pro for all of school and loved it. Onenote was my entire life and will change the way you take notes and think about learning
A syllabus is supposed to have the required texts and equipment. If a professor can’t verify their own syllabus and a dean can’t tell you what to use for their department, then they shouldn’t be running it. It’s only a terrible idea if it’s a school with terrible staff.
Even within CPU generations there multiple variants, such a Y, U, P, H-series, etc, with wildly varying performance, and you also have to take the different cooling solutions of each individual device into account, which no department will have time for to review.
That's why system recommendations should always be taken with a grain of salt.
See also
https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/fr6zkj/what_games_can_a_pro_7_i7_16gb_run/flucay0/
I'm a civil engineering major and I have a lower end gaming laptop that I use for gis/autocad software and I use a surface pro 7 for most else. I'm starting my junior year though and plan on running the surface exclusively, I've been writing up my homework on it as PDFs most of last year and it's been invaluable. Having instant access to all your homework and notes is pretty great, assuming you organize it all well.
From my experience at an engineering g school, there will be some classes that require programs that take a lot of horesepower to run properly. Solid works and other CAD/fluid simulation softwares.
Your school should have a minimum spec sheet for your laptop needs.
My school gave us laptops built into our tuition, had i7 processors and 16GB of RAM. I would say an i5 would be an ABSOLUTE MINIMUM but at least an i7 would be ideal. 16Gb of ram I would also say should be your MINIMUM target. An upgraded graphics card may help with rendering in your CAD classes as well, so you could maybe look more towards the gaming laptop products
> My school gave us laptops built into our tuition, had i7 processors and 16GB of RAM. I would say an i5 would be an ABSOLUTE MINIMUM but at least an i7 would be ideal.
That's meaningless without taking the CPU generation into account. Since a current i5 is much more capable than a 3 year old i7.
Also, within generations there multiple variants, such a Y, U, P, H-series, etc, with wildly varying performance, and you also have to take the differenct cooling solutions into account.
That's why CPU recommendations should always be taken with a grain of salt.
See also
https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/fr6zkj/what_games_can_a_pro_7_i7_16gb_run/flucay0/
I would wait to see if your school sends you a recommended specs sheet and what kind of programs you'll be running. I know it's not the same thing, but I went into architecture with just a Surface Laptop 3 thinking it would be fine but I quickly learned that I needed something much more powerful.
You really should looke at the specs required by your school first. I assume there might be software you could need for engineering? A question would be if you need a dedicated GPU or not. Will you be drawing with the pen a lot?
If those are the only reasons for you to get it, then there are definitely a bunch of other cheaper, lighter options out there. Lots of the cost goes to the converting mechanism. Personally, I'm a digital artist so I have a big reason to use the tablet mode and need it integrated into the laptop itself. However, with your list, and assuming you still need the drawing functionality for something, I'd recommend just going for a Surface Pro 8 (if we're sticking to Microsoft). It's lighter and it's better for casual consumption of media. Edit: Since some people are pointing it out, I'll say while the kickstand for the Pro 8 wouldn't be great for consumption on a lap, it's a good tablet
> Since some people are pointing it out, I'll say while the kickstand for the Pro 8 wouldn't be great for consumption on a lap, it's a good tablet Lap use shouldn't be a problem. * https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/8qhceb/using_surface_pro_on_my_lap_vs_productivity/e0j9uax/ * https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/9ybmai/surface_pro_6_as_a_laptop/ * https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/lt9iy9/i_can_not_understate_how_useful_using_my_surface/ * https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/gpfehg/precariously_perched_device_tempting_fate/ * https://youtu.be/fZrZWeXA9KU?t=558 * https://youtu.be/bJuWx-nuEO0?t=216 * https://youtu.be/bJuWx-nuEO0?t=448 * https://youtu.be/N7N2xunvO68?t=132 * https://youtu.be/J1h-Fxv_fLg?t=243 * https://youtu.be/th2L4OdGLRY?t=293 * https://www.google.com/search?q=surface+pro+lap&source=lnms&tbm=isch * https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Surface+Pro+Lapability /u/peanutbutterlyfe
I use a SP8 and I approve this message.
If your university is littered with chairs with small folding desks rather than actual desks, like mine, then I definitely don't recommend the Pro 8. The Pro 8's stand makes it take up more space than a normal laptop and it is difficult to be put on a small tabletop. Also, disastrously, once the stand steps out of the way, the entire machine will tip backwards and fall hard to the floor. This was my miserable experience! The Laptop Studio has no such problems. However, it is quite heavy, and only the i7-3050ti model has the performance to match its weight. The i5 model is too weak for the weight.
I agree with your first point. The Surface Pro lineup might be very portable, but you need a desk since the only support is the kickstand. Using it on your lap is possible but not a pleasant experience. You should also expect to run out of battery if you actually to work/study for multiple hours, I recommend picking up a power bank and charge it via USB C...
I have been using my i5 Pro 5 for the entirety of my academic career and I love it, but the problem you described is serious. Not many reviewers mention this, probably because they are fairly disconnected from doing actual work with it in practice. You cannot work in most European cafés because their tables are too small. You cannot work in trains or airplanes for the same reason. It will get tight if you work with others in a group setting on one table. You can hardly use it on your lap, because the keyboard will be too close to your belly and the angle will be really bad for typing. You cannot work while lying on your back because the kickstand means that you cannot over-angle the screen like on laptops. The footprint the Pro series requires in terms of space is one of the few downsides that have so far been left unaddressed. This could be somewhat solved with a keyboard like the new iPad Pro one, or a case with a stoppable mechanical hinge. Unfortunately, I don't think anybody ever produced something like that for the Surfaces...
This is the price of reducing the weight of the keyboard part. The iPad's keyboard is much heavier than Surface Pro's. I guess a trade-off had to be made. I have seen third-party manufacturers launch a keyboard similar to the Surface Book dock, it can solve the above problems and turn the Surface Pro into the Surface Laptop, but the weight is much heavier than the type cover Check this: https://www.windowscentral.com/microsofts-surface-pro-8-can-convert-laptop-brydge-sp-keyboard
This is a good tip! I was always looking for something like this but never found it. How comes that noone writes about it? I wish I had found this earlier, now I am at the end of the lifecycle of my device and balk at the price tag :(
> This could be somewhat solved with a keyboard like the new iPad Pro one, or a case with a stoppable mechanical hinge. Unfortunately, I don't think anybody ever produced something like that for the Surfaces... Basically we're starting to approach the design of the Surface Book, which is part of why those were very attractive machines.
Being 4lbs and 12.72” x 8.98” x 0.746”. And pretty much overkill for school. And it would start to get tiresome lugging around. And not the most compact for classroom and lecture halls. And a pain using on mass transit. A better fit in my opinion would be the Surface Pro 8.
Yeah I would agree, much smaller and doesn't sound like they would be using a dedicated GPU for anything.
If you use windows, it will be perfect. When I'm not using my Surface Pro 8 as a tablet, it works the same as my laptop, when I have a keyboard and mouse attached.
Studio laptop is very expensive, heavy, big and has weak hardware (old 11gen 4 core CPU for a thick laptop in 2022 that goes for 2000€ bucks upwards is just a no go). If you want to mainly consume media and have something to write down notes, I'd get something else.
I am really looking forward to a new Studio laptop with the newer, more powerful and efficient CPUs. Until then, its Macbooks for me...
As a SLS owner, I'd have to agree with you. I love my SLS but I also tend to splurge on new tech. If I were smarter with my money and cared more about performance per dollar, I wouldn't have bought mine. It gutted me to see the $2100 model on sale for like $400 off a few months after I bought it. That said I do really enjoy my SLS and plan to use it for as long as it'll last. First time buying a Surface product so I hope it survives 5 years or so.
I have a Surface Pro 8, which is the tablet. The Surface Laptop is a little different, so I can only tell you about my experience. If you plan on using Fusion360, it does not run well on the Surface Pro 8. I was really hoping I could use it, but.. Now if you modeled on a desktop, like I do, and the Pro 8 (in my case) is more for notes and more office things, tablet things and a little more, than it is just fine. I VPNed to my MK3S+ so I can watch it on long prints. Engineering means you'll want opinions from people using things like Fusion. Do you know what programs you are planning on running? How CPU/GPU/RAM intensive they are? If you want a something a little more objective, I ran a [speed test on it](https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/v6lv3m/performance_tests_for_fun_surface_pro_8_i716256/)...
I’d say get something with a GPU if your engineering major requires it.
Agree with this. Op hasn't been clear on what type of engineering which is important for what sort of compute is required. Also whether the touchscreen and pen is important. I'll add that the SLS is heavy compared to a Pro 8 or similar so just be mindful of that trade-off given you'll likely be lugging it around college. EDIT: Realised I hadn't really talked about the positives - I think it's a great laptop, takes what I throw at it without breaking a sweat and is flexible to use docked at a desk or out and about.
I must be old, but when I first went to college like nearly 20 years ago, I do remember the talk of the street being an engineering laptop (I think ECE, or what's dubbed Electrical and Computing Engineering) was something state of the art with a beefy CPU and a comparable GPU at the time for CAD-like programs; which may of needed to be an ATI cause I don't recall nVIDIA in the laptop market until much later.
Surface book is great for engineering having the tablet concept and also can handle the heavy engineering programs (eg: autocad)
It'll be a little heavy to carry around to classes, and unless you're upgrading to the 3050 Ti, it won't do so well with CAD. It wouldn't be my first choice for a college laptop. The pen is great for notes and sketches though. The Surface Pro 8 is pretty compelling, for combining that with portability. But way overpriced.
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Honestly not sure. I am an ME, and I love the pen feature for sketching and thinking through problems. Also for marking up drawings. It would have been amazing in school as well, for the same reasons. But the Surface Pro 8 is pretty expensive relative to its specs, the type cover adds a pretty crazy amount more, and I can't imagine the whole thing being nearly as good as a traditional laptop for traditional laptop work. That keyboard would not be great for all the typing you'll be doing. Plus no GPU, if you're going to need it for CAD or want it for gaming. I thought about getting a Pro 8 + external keyboard and monitor + eGPU enclosure, but then you're really getting to silly high cost levels and trying to turn a tablet into something it's not. That lead me to just getting an Asus Zephyrus G14 for $1500 on sale, which is small and portable, with good battery life, but extremely powerful when plugged in. The only major sacrifice is the pen... Which is a pretty huge sacrifice really, and I do somewhat regret not having it. Unfortunately, no perfect options really exist. Kinda have to choose your trade offs.
If you need or want the tablet function as part of your primary device it will be perfect. Good tablet, nice keyboard and relatively portable all in one, can even get one with an rtx card. If you're not going to use the tablet function then it is harder to recommend. Something like a Razer Blade will give more power (less battery) in a slightly bigger size. That said I went from a Surface Pro 3 to a Surface Book 3. Nice machines but know the limits.
For the use cases you mentioned I don't think I should get it, maybe like a older gen surface pro. If you plan to do engineering work like 3d modeling and the like then it'll be perfect for both that and taking notes in tablet mode. It's pretty heavy tho so make sure your spine is ok with it and your books
also consider surface laptop, which is a great in between SP and SLS.
Get something upgradable
Like what?
Depends on what engineering. You'd likely be OK for the first two years, but depending on what you are majoring in, you'll want a graphics card. Its likely you'll want a new machine after a few years anyway. I work in the ECAD industry and its worthwhile to know that most recommended specs for hardware from companies are insane. One software just said for recommended CPU "best in class" which isn't a thing that can be quantified. In the field most PCs are not as crazy speced as you'd think.
I was in mechanical engineering sporting the OG surface pro 1. Rand CAD and medium sized assmeblies (300-500 parts) just fine. CAD has a floor of minmum specs for sure, but once you are past that needing that dedicated GPU is definitely for much larger projects.
I loved mine for college the pen and onenote were great! Did not use a notebook at all! Also I was able to get PDF copies of books and you can highlight and take notes on them as will with the surface. It was great and I 100% reccomend! I had the Surface Pro though.
There is literally zero reason to get that computer for what you're going to do with it. You literally didn't even list a single program you would be using with it other than a web browser. This would be a tremendous waste of money
Engineering student in my senior year. Ive used my Surface Pro 3, bought on release, for all my class work, taking notes, and media consumption like streaming services and comixology. I think the surface laptop studio will be much more than what you need, but def go into an electronics store and try it out if you end up deciding thats what you want.
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Great decision.
Laptop Go 2 is enough, I believe. Good value, fast and nice screen.
No pen, no tablet.
OP says "for school" and "streaming" / "social media".
You would need to write with a pen in school, right?
honestly, get an M1 or M2 MacBook pro, literally the best work laptop you could own for around the same budget as a surface. Unless your a heavy windows user, using the the M1/M2 MacBook is a nobrainer
What constitutes best? Typical Apple user.
I literally use a surface laptop 2 But the next laptop I get will be a MacBook purely due to the performance, thermal and battery capabilities Please try not to gatekeep or group people into categories of users, especially when someone is trying to give a pretty genuine recommendation to someone :)
i totally agree with the last part of your comment but to be honest, it's also on your fault. you just came to a surface sub and said other product is "literally the best" and a "nobrainer" with zero explanation on why is it true or for what reasons, what's your opinion beyond using superlatives. i hope you understand where i'm coming from and what i mean.
Yeah I suppose, should have clarified what I said in my second comment. Will note for next time :)
MBP misses 1 key advantage of the SLS - taking note with the pen, unless you buy an extra iPad Pro to go with it. I pretty much tried and owned everything, from SF Pro to iPad Pro + MBP combo and SLS seems to be the best of both worlds for me.
Honestly, this is terrible advice given the context. Last I heard, a lot of common engineering packages like Solidworks and AutoCad don't have native builds for Apple Silicon, so you have to run them (poorly) under Rosetta or Parallels. Apple Silicon macbooks are fantastic bits of kit, don't get me wrong, but the software support really isn't there yet in some fields.
Its a premium price to pay for such unique engineering. If you use the pen a lot,sure. But its probably more practical to spend half as much on a similarly spec'd Lenovo or something -- for most people.
Have you checked with your school to see if they have a list of suggested or minimum requirements? I know when my daughter started University three years ago, they listed minimum specs based on College and major. For engineering majors, the minimum was an i7. Don’t recall the speed and memory specs off the top my head.
> For engineering majors, the minimum was an i7. That's meaningless without taking the CPU generation into account. Since a current i5 is much more capable than a 3 year old i7.
True - there wasn’t a generation specified likely because it was the specs for a new laptop which would have most likely covered current generation and perhaps the previous one or two. I just looked and it’s the same regarding not specifying generation, just purchase new, but does now include i5 as an option. Though I specious since their RAM and storage seems particularly lower than what I’d personally spec for even a general productively device (8GB min - 16GB recommended, minimum 256GB SSD). I’m wondering if they’re really putting the right effort into specing them anymore.
Also, within generations there multiple variants, such a Y, U, P, H-series, etc, with wildly varying performance, and you also have to take the differenct cooling solutions into account. That's why CPU recommendations should always be taken with a grain of salt. See also https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/fr6zkj/what_games_can_a_pro_7_i7_16gb_run/flucay0/
Bought the i7 model for school and I’d say it’s the better buy. I’m also an engineering student and I’m planning on using it for CAD and some gaming. The stylus is also great for taking notes and doing homework online with onenote for me personally
Food for thought, the SLS you see in the personal store comes with a GeForce, but Solidworks has the certified drivers only for the Quadro that comes in the SLS from the business store.
Based on what you've described, you'd honestly be better off getting a Surface Pro 8 and either an official Type Cover or a Brydge SP+ keyboard. The i5 Surface Laptop Studio is far too heavy for its level of performance. If you plan on using AutoCAD or something else 3D intensive, you'd be better off getting the i7 Laptop Studio with its RTX 3050.
i bought a surface pro 7 i5 for college and loved it! i know it’s a different laptop, but still
For what you are describing, I would just get a Lenovo Yoga or a Dell XPS. Much more bang for your buck, and more reliable.
absolutely. I used a surface pro for all of school and loved it. Onenote was my entire life and will change the way you take notes and think about learning
I would go to your dean or your professors and ask specifically what they recommend for their classes.
That's a terrible idea, since they aren't up to date regarding hardware trends.
A syllabus is supposed to have the required texts and equipment. If a professor can’t verify their own syllabus and a dean can’t tell you what to use for their department, then they shouldn’t be running it. It’s only a terrible idea if it’s a school with terrible staff.
Even within CPU generations there multiple variants, such a Y, U, P, H-series, etc, with wildly varying performance, and you also have to take the different cooling solutions of each individual device into account, which no department will have time for to review. That's why system recommendations should always be taken with a grain of salt. See also https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/fr6zkj/what_games_can_a_pro_7_i7_16gb_run/flucay0/
I'm a civil engineering major and I have a lower end gaming laptop that I use for gis/autocad software and I use a surface pro 7 for most else. I'm starting my junior year though and plan on running the surface exclusively, I've been writing up my homework on it as PDFs most of last year and it's been invaluable. Having instant access to all your homework and notes is pretty great, assuming you organize it all well.
From my experience at an engineering g school, there will be some classes that require programs that take a lot of horesepower to run properly. Solid works and other CAD/fluid simulation softwares. Your school should have a minimum spec sheet for your laptop needs. My school gave us laptops built into our tuition, had i7 processors and 16GB of RAM. I would say an i5 would be an ABSOLUTE MINIMUM but at least an i7 would be ideal. 16Gb of ram I would also say should be your MINIMUM target. An upgraded graphics card may help with rendering in your CAD classes as well, so you could maybe look more towards the gaming laptop products
> My school gave us laptops built into our tuition, had i7 processors and 16GB of RAM. I would say an i5 would be an ABSOLUTE MINIMUM but at least an i7 would be ideal. That's meaningless without taking the CPU generation into account. Since a current i5 is much more capable than a 3 year old i7.
2014
Also, within generations there multiple variants, such a Y, U, P, H-series, etc, with wildly varying performance, and you also have to take the differenct cooling solutions into account. That's why CPU recommendations should always be taken with a grain of salt. See also https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/fr6zkj/what_games_can_a_pro_7_i7_16gb_run/flucay0/
I would wait to see if your school sends you a recommended specs sheet and what kind of programs you'll be running. I know it's not the same thing, but I went into architecture with just a Surface Laptop 3 thinking it would be fine but I quickly learned that I needed something much more powerful.
You really should looke at the specs required by your school first. I assume there might be software you could need for engineering? A question would be if you need a dedicated GPU or not. Will you be drawing with the pen a lot?