Introduction
The Surface Studio is a gorgeous all-in-one PC with a huge 28-inch display, built-in battery, and clever new “Dial” input device. It’s a great machine for artists, designers, and other creative professionals. But is it worth the high price tag? And how does it compare to Apple’s iMac?
Here’s our Surface Studio review.
What is in the box
When you purchase a Surface Studio, you’ll find the following items in the box:
-Surface Studio base
-Surface Pen
-Power cord and AC power adapter
-Quick Start Guide
-Safety and warranty docs
Surface Studio – Design and build quality
The Surface Studio is one of the most impressive all-in-one PCs on the market, and its sleek, modern design is a big part of that. It’s built around a gorgeous 28-inch PixelSense display that supports touch and pen input, and it’s housed in an aluminum chassis that’s just 12.5mm thick at its thinnest point. That makes it about as thin as an iPhone 7 Plus, and it’s significantly lighter than other AIOs on the market, too.
Surface Studio – Specifications, performance and connectivity
The Surface Studio is a high-end all-in-one PC from Microsoft, announced at their October 2016 hardware event. It is designed for creativity, with a large 28″ PixelSense Display and support for the Surface Pen and Surface Dial. The Surface Studio also features high-end specs, with a 6th generation Intel Core i7 processor, 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage. It runs Windows 10 Pro out of the box.
connectivity options include 4 USB 3.0 ports, an SD card reader, Ethernet and Mini DisplayPort. The Surface Studio also has built-in WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0.
Surface Studio – Battery life
The Surface Studio is a all-in-one PC designed and produced by Microsoft. It was first announced at the Windows 10 event on October 26, 2016. It is the thinnest LCD monitor ever built at only 12.5 mm (0.49 inches). The Surface Studio uses a 28-inch PixelSense display with a resolution of 4500×3000 ( 192 PPI) and 10-point multi-touch support. The display can render up to 1.07 billion colors. It has an aspect ratio of 3:2 and can render messages up to 13″x19″. The Surface Studio’s display can tilt down to 20 degrees for use as a digital drafting table.
Surface Studio – Screen and audio quality
The Surface Studio’s screen is, in a word, gorgeous. It’s a 28-inch, PixelSense LCD with a resolution of 4500×3000 and support for 10-point multitouch. It also has extremely wide viewing angles — I could sit almost directly to the left or right of the screen and still see what was happening without any notable color distortion.
Surface Studio – Operating system and software
Windows 10 is the operating system for Surface Studio. Keep your Surface Studio up to date by downloading the latest Surface and Windows updates.
The pre-installed software on Surface Studio includes:
- Windows 10
- Office 365 trial
- OneNote
- Paint 3D
- Skype
- Xbox Console Companion app
Surface Studio – Ports, cameras and accessories
Ports, cameras and accessories
Surface Studio has a full-size SD™ card reader, a Mini DisplayPort, an Ethernet port, four USB 3.0 ports, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. It also has two cameras — a 5.0 megapixel camera for video calls and an 8.0 megapixel camera with autofocus that’s great for photos and 1080p video recording.
You can use the stereo microphones for Skype calls or to record audio. And when you need privacy, just close the integrated shutter.
Accessories
We’ve got a range of accessories to help you get the most out of your Surface Studio, including:
-The Surface Pen1 — with over 4,096 pressure points, it feels natural to write, draw or mark up documents in Office apps.1
-The new Surface Dial2 — press and hold to display a radial menu of tools that work with what you’re working on.2
-The Surface Ergonomic Keyboard3—with an enhanced key layout that promotes a natural wrist posture, it helps you type more comfortably.4
1 pen loop is included with purchase; additional loops sold separately in sizes small, medium and large
2 available only in certain markets; sold separately
3 available only in certain markets; sold separately 4 keyboard not backlit
Surface Studio – Price and availability
The Surface Studio 2 is available for purchase starting at $3,499. For more information, please visit: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/surface-studio-2/8Z6VBGDWWN4R?activetab=pivot%3Aoverviewtab.
The all-new Surface Studio 2 features a stunning 28” PixelSense Display with 13.5 million pixels of true-to-life color. Powered by the new 8th Generation Intel Core i7 processor, the thinnest LCD monitor ever built at only 12.5mm, and the fastest graphics with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ,the Surface Studio 2 is built for performance. The zen-like Zero Gravity Hinge lets you effortlessly tilt the display to draw or paint while the integrated Xbox Wireless Controller and improved Bluetooth radio mean you can easily connect your games and accessories. You’ll enjoy better than ever battery life too with up to 17 hours of video playback1 on a single charge.”
Surface Studio – Conclusion
The Surface Studio is a very impressive machine, and it’s clear that a lot of thought has gone into its design. The large screen and the quality of the display are both great, and the overall package is very well put together.
The biggest issue with the Surface Studio is the price. It’s not an inexpensive machine, and it’s likely that only a small number of people will be able to justify the cost. That said, if you’re in the market for a high-end all-in-one PC, the Surface Studio should definitely be on your list.