Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio

With all the attention given to the new MacBooks powered by Apple’s custom silicon, Microsoft needed to make a statement. With the Surface Laptop Studio, it did so. Easily the most intriguing release in the latest batch of Surface products, the Laptop Studio has a unique semi-detachable screen that is a dream for artists. Where the Surface Book could act as a standalone tablet that docked to become a full laptop, the Surface Studio’s display separates from the back panel and tilts forward like an easel. This way, you can position the screen at a similar angle to a drafting table or push it down further into tablet mode. If you want to share your creation with those around you, the lid flips backward until the screen faces outward.

It all works better than you might expect and gives a sizable group of laptop buyers—artists, graphic designers, and handwritten note-takers—a compelling reason to veer away from Apple. Granted, the Surface Laptop Studio is heavy, not as powerful as the new MacBook models, and costs a small fortune ($1,600 to start). We also won’t give Microsoft a pass for releasing what might be the best laptop for stylus users without including the Slim Pen 2 (*slaps forehead*). Regardless, the Surface Laptop Studio is an excellent all-around laptop, one that caters to a specific segment of consumers better than any other. —Phillip Tracy