Microsoft releases a new impressive desktop, that can make the most loyal Apple fan sell his Mac and buy Surface Studio. But one must decide quickly. As announced, Surface Studio will be available “in limited quantities” this holiday for $2,999, $3,499, or $4,199 in the US, depending on hardware options. The UK prices are not available yet.
Surface Studio is a 28-inch all-in-one touchscreen desktop. Microsoft claim it is world’s thinnest LCD monitor ever built. The thickness of it is only 12.5mm. We have to admit, that space is used very efficiently. Instead of going for a widescreen, 16:9, it has 3:2 aspect ratio. That means the work area of the screen with the 28-inch diagonal is greater that if it was with a widescreen. The display outputs 13.5 million pixels (192 pixels per inch), which is 63 percent more than an average 4K TV.
However, the most notable feature of Surface Studio is the hinge. It allows for the display to be adjusted to a 20-degree orientation that’s convenient for drawing or marking up Word documents. The desktop is powered by Intel’s 6th generation processors and Nvidia GTX 980M GPU in the premium model (965M in the lower-priced configurations).
Photographers, designers, and video editors will find support for expanded colour output. This is a critical factor for professionals in the field. However, some professional artists found it disappointing. Even though Microsoft supplies additional tools, such as Surface Pen and Surface Dial, touch capabilities need some improvement. Surface Studio registered Surface Pen before it even touches the screen. When drawing at a fast pace, it results in “hooks” in the beginning of the lines. This is unacceptable for a professional artist. Sadly, pressure sensitivity cannot be compared to a professional drawing tablet too.