Performance: Overall this laptop's performance was only fair, well below that of many models but still good enough for routine tasks like email, word processing and web browsing. Compared to other tested laptops, performance was okay but on the slow side for common tasks such as web browsing or video conferencing. You would notice this most when opening up applications. Speed was adequate when composing documents, working on data spreadsheets, and other productivity tasks, and it was slow for manipulating images, editing videos, and calculating simulations.
Battery Life and Weight: This laptop is a fair choice for traveling. Battery life lasted 12.75 hours in a light load of web browsing tests, and 9 hours in a heavier load of 4K video playback tests. Results were notably longer than many similar laptops, under a workload of mixed use. At 2.6 lbs, weight was typical for a laptop of this size category.
Ease of Use: Some features of the keyboard, touchpad, and labeling, were well-designed, and were comfortable or convenient to use. The keyboard has large keys and was comfortably sized. Its high contrast letters were easy to read, and the backlighting can be useful in dark rooms. The touchpad was uncomfortably small, providing less space for gestures than most others tested. The keyboard can be detached, allowing the screen to be used like a tablet. The touchscreen is smooth enough for fast swipes, and fingerprints clean off easily. Testers liked the sturdy build of the chassis.
Display: The display quality was very good overall. Colors were near-accurate, and mostly realistic and natural looking. The display has a wide viewing angle, especially important if more than one person needs to see the screen at a time, say, for a video or presentation.
Useful features and attributes on this model include: Laptop detaches from the keyboard for use as a touchscreen tablet. The spacious [1] plenty of room for storing your music, photos, and movies. You can connect common external devices such as hard drives using USB4 Gen 3x2 (40 Gbps) for maximum performance. This laptop supports DisplayPort over USB-C for connecting to a TV or monitor.
Downsides: There is no memory-card reader, so you'll need to buy an external reader or connect your digital camera directly to this laptop to transfer photos. It lacks any full-sized USB-A ports, so you will need an adapter if you have accessories that require this USB type. Based on results of a CR member survey, Microsoft laptops of a similar price to this model stood out as being meaningfully worse than typical for experiencing certain problem areas such as unresponsive or too sensitive keyboards.
