Review: Microsoft Surface Pro 6

With Inna returning to Software Quality Assurance, I purchased the Microsoft Surface Pro 6 at Costco for $799 (Black Friday unique).

On powering on the laptop, I was impressed by how easy Microsoft made the whole experience. Voice-assisted Cortana led me through creating my accounts and applying all Windows 10 updates.

It was ready for use after I installed my old copy of Microsoft Office 2010 and Chrome browsers.

Advantages

• The 12.3" touch screen (2736 x 1824) is clear, bright, and highly responsive.
• The detachable keyboard with a trackpad is light and has an excellent critical response.
• The included Microsoft stylus is lovely and has a magnetic attachment to the tablet.
• The Costco $799 asking price with the Surface Pro, detachable keyboard, and stylus is very competitive.
• Intel 8th Generation Quad-Core i5-8250u is very fast and power-efficient (no fan is required)
• WiFi has AC support (for higher throughput)
• 13.5-hour battery life (all day)
• MicroSD Card Reader for expansion
• USB 3.0 port
• Very light - 1.7 lbs (compared to MacBook Pro Retina)

Disadvantages

• The 128 GB SSD is small and not expendable. However, the SD card slot can be used to add additional storage.
• Windows 10 Home (I was hoping for Windows 10 Professional)
• No USB-C ports (like my Macbook Pro)
• Ifixit rated it as 1/10 for repairability. It's not a laptop that can have RAM or SSD easily updated.