The Surface Studio
When Microsoft recently announced their first official PC, the Surface Studio, it pretty much broke the internet. Despite some glaring issues with the overall product, the PC itself looks to shatter all sorts of previously-determined benchmarks.
Created for creators
The Surface Studio is a machine designed from the ground up for creativity. Its 28-inch, 4500×3000 megapixel touchscreen—the thinnest commercially developed screen in existence—looks almost pitiful without a design interface or an artist’s illustrator up and running. This computer is undoubtedly intended for those working in a very expressive, three-dimensional medium.
Let’s get this out of the way early on: yes, you can game on the Surface Studio. But that certainly isn’t the most cost-effective use for a machine that can render 3D models or self-portraits in the blink of an eye. The Studio is a platform for dead-serious developers and creators, and while Microsoft’s intent surely wasn’t to alienate any niche of the PC world, there are cheaper options that would better fit a gamer’s agenda.
But at what cost?
As always, there is a huge downside to Microsoft’s most recent baby, and this time it’s the price.
I’ve blasted Apple in the past for having ridiculously overpriced entry-level computers, wherein my point was been centered around an equal but cheaper PC’s availability.
It appears I’ll be eating my words since the Surface Studio’s entry-level model clocks in at $2999—and that’s not including the signature Surface Dial, which will add another $99 or so to your bill.
Of course, if you want a more powerful version of the Surface Studio, the price scales dramatically, with the top-of-the-line version topping out at a whopping $4199. See also: less than my current net worth.
Spec breakdown
The baseline Surface Studio comes with a sixth-generation Intel Core i5 processor, a terabyte of hard drive space, eight gigabytes of RAM, and a GeForce GTX 965M 2 GB graphics card. Spending the extra $1200 nets you an i7, an extra terabyte, 32 gigabytes of RAM, and a GTX 980M 4 GB graphics card, with the middle-entry Surface Studio coming in somewhere in between.
Dear Apple
You can expect a hefty array of USB ports and various slots for all of your external devices, and Microsoft appears to have installed a couple of high-definition cameras for your convenience.
And, yes, there is a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack.
The Microsoft Surface Studio is currently pre-ordered through “early 2017,” but keep an eye out for this beauty of a beast in your local electronic retail stores just in case.
#SurfaceStudio
