All the news from today’s big Microsoft Surface laptop event – The Verge

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 vs. Pro 8: what’s the difference?

2021-09-29T15:19:36-04:00

The Pro 8 offers Thunderbolt 4 support, a 120Hz display, a better camera, more storage, and more.

During its recent Surface event, Microsoft launched the largest upgrade of its flagship Intel-powered Surface Pro lineup in years: the Surface Pro 8. The new 2-in-1 machine boasts a 120Hz display, Thunderbolt 4 support, and new processors, but all of those improvements come at a cost - literally. Whereas the Surface Pro 7 starts at $549.99, the Surface Pro 8 starts at $1,099.99, meaning it's nearly double the price. And that's also before you factor in the cost of Microsoft's new stylus and detachable keyboard, two add-ons that are more like necessities if you intend to use the 2-in-1 as advertised.

With all that said, is it worth upgrading …

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Windows 10 S: everything you need to know about Microsoft’s Chrome OS competitor

2017-05-03T11:16:41-04:00

Microsoft launched its latest version of Windows 10 yesterday, Windows 10 S. It's designed for education and to take on Chromebooks and Chrome OS. Just like Google's own OS, Windows 10 S is fairly locked down in places and you'll only be able to run apps from the Windows Store. Microsoft explained some aspects of Windows 10 S onstage yesterday, but there's a lot more to this new version. Here's everything you need to know.

Only Windows Store apps will work

The biggest change to Windows 10 S is that it's locked to only work with Windows Store apps. That means you'll need to find apps in the Store to download and install them, and many desktop …

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Microsoft CEO: our next phones may not look like phones

2017-05-03T09:19:00-04:00

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella | Photo by Amelia Krales / The Verge

Microsoft hasn't launched a new Windows phone for more than a year now. As Windows Phone market share has shrunk below 1 percent, Microsoft has been busy gutting its phone business and restructuring. That's resulted in $7.6 billion being written off from the Nokia phone business acquisition, and thousands of job losses. Microsoft said recently that it plans to finalize its phone restructuring by the end of June, but it's still not clear what the company is ultimately planning for Windows 10 Mobile.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella believes Microsoft will still make phones. In a podcast interview (spotted by Softpedia) for Marketplace's make me s …

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Microsoft’s prototype Surface Laptop included two USB-C ports

2017-05-03T07:47:18-04:00

Microsoft launched its Surface Laptop yesterday, but it surprisingly omitted the use of USB Type-C ports. Microsoft has opted for a mini DisplayPort and its traditional Surface connector instead. Codenamed Lynx, Microsoft's Surface Laptop went through a number of final prototype iterations, including models with two USB-C ports. Microsoft accidentally revealed one of these prototypes during a promotional Surface marketing video on YouTube.

At Microsoft's event in New York yesterday, I asked designers why there was no USB-C ports on the Surface Laptop. The responses all pointed to a lack of maturity in USB-C with power and cable issues, and …

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Windows 10 S won’t let you change the default browser or switch to Google search

2017-05-02T21:29:02-04:00

Microsoft introduced its Chrome OS competitor, Windows 10 S, at a special event in New York City today. The software maker was quick to reveal only Windows Store apps will run on Windows 10 S, and Windows chief Terry Myerson even revealed the new OS "will run any browser in the Windows Store." While it's true Windows 10 S can run any browser from the Store, Microsoft is restricting users from altering the default browser on this new OS.

In a FAQ for Windows 10 S, Microsoft admits "you are able to download another browser that might be available from the Windows Store, but Microsoft Edge will remain the default if, for example, you open an . …

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Windows 10 S is going to confuse people

2017-05-02T15:03:19-04:00

Earlier today, Microsoft held an event to reintroduce itself to teachers and students as a company providing innovative and compelling education products. The event promised to be narrowly focused on a large-scale market where price and ease of use trumped more frivolous considerations like design elegance, but Microsoft couldn't help itself and also introduced the gorgeous new Surface Laptop. The connecting link between Microsoft's suite of educational tools and the premium Surface Laptop? Windows 10 S, the operating system at the heart of both.

The dual role played by Windows 10 S at today's event might pose problems for Microsoft down th …

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Window 10 S devices can be upgraded to Windows 10 Pro for $49

2017-05-02T13:09:02-04:00

Microsoft's latest operation system, Windows 10 S, is designed for the education market with a variety of supported devices starting at $189. (PC makers like Acer and HP started advertising their Windows 10 S laptops shortly after the official announcement.) Those who aren't in the education market but want to try out these devices anyway, Microsoft says you'll be able to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro for $49.

The $49 will be a one-time fee, and once you've upgraded to Windows 10 Pro you won't be able to return to Windows 10 S. Students, teachers, and school administrators can upgrade the Surface Laptop for free, but only until the end of 2017. …

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HP and Acer announce Windows 10 S computers for $299

2017-05-02T12:48:15-04:00

HP and Acer are the first two hardware partners to announce laptops running Windows 10 S, the new locked-down version of Windows meant for schools.

The two companies are announcing cheaper versions of existing laptops, with pretty much everything identical except for the operating system. Both will sell for $299.

HP's laptop is a new version of the ProBook x360 Education Edition, a rugged laptop with an 11.6-inch, 1366 x 768 display, Intel Celeron processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. The laptop typically sells for $329 or more with full Windows 10, but it's on sale right now for $299, so it's not clear how great a deal this Windows …

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Microsoft’s Surface Laptop video features a slowed-down cover of the Grease soundtrack

2017-05-02T11:48:18-04:00

Microsoft just announced the Surface Laptop, and, as is tradition in the tech industry, the announcement was accompanied by a fancy "making of" video unveiling the device by showcasing the various (stylized) parts of the manufacturing process. The video is pretty cool, but I'm here to talk about the soundtrack: a bizarrely slowed-down (and slightly creepy) cover of "You're the One That I Want" from the finale of Grease.

Look, I get what Microsoft was going for here. The company is hoping that, just like Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson, you will similarly recognize a new Surface Laptop as "the one that you want." The fact that lines like "the po …

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Minecraft: Education Edition is getting a Code Builder tool to help teach coding skills

2017-05-02T10:47:00-04:00

Microsoft announced a new code-builder addition to Minecraft: Education Edition, meant to help students learn coding skills through the popular game. The tool, which enters beta today for teachers and students at qualifying schools, allows players to use learn-to-code tools like MakeCode, Scratch, and Tynker to interact with the game.

In-game, the coding is represented by an actual helper robot that players will be able to code commands into. In the demo shown off onstage, using simple strings of commands in Tynker, the robot was able to be programmed to dig a pit to find water, but Microsoft notes that the potential extends as far as your …

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