These are both optional add-ons-the Surface Pro Signature Cover costs ~ $144 and the Surface Pen runs $100. Microsoft also sent us its Surface Pro Signature Type Cover, a special edition keyboard cover that comes in a 'Platinum' color scheme and is advertised as the company's ' most luxurious' variant, and a Surface Pen, also in Platinum. Our model (1796) has an MSRP of $1,299 and comes configured with a Core i5-7300U processor based on Intel's 7th generation Core Kaby Lake architecture, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of fast NVMe solid state storage that taps into the PCI-Express bus for speedy file transfers. There are six main SKUs in the Surface Pro (2017) line-up, starting with an Intel Core m3 model priced at $799 and going on up to a Core i7 configuration that costs $2,699. It is the culmination of hits, misses and refinements throughout the years, and while this newest version does not introduce any revolutionary changes, it features a handful of improvements-longer battery life, a more flexible kickstand, etc.-that keeps it in the discussion as arguably the best hybrid mobile device available. The newest version of the Surface Pro is the best implementation yet of what many consider to be the top detachable on the market right now. Would Microsoft really abandon a category of computing that it essentially created? Hey, anything can happen in the ever-changing realm of technology, but we would be very surprised if Microsoft pivoted away from the 2-in-1 category that they're doing so well in currently. Lenovo COO Gianfranco Lanci backed his assessment during a subsequent Q&A session, saying Microsoft might even abandon its Surface business a bit earlier. During the EMEA Canalys Channels Forum in Venice, Canalys CEO Steve Brazier pointed to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella being a software guy who is more interested in the cloud than hardware. It was really more of a prediction than a rumor. A rumor emerged suggesting Microsoft would phase out its Surface line within the next couple of years.

A funny thing happened as we were evaluating the latest iteration of Microsoft's Surface Pro, a now iconic 2-in-1 that the company describes as ' the most versatile laptop,' despite its tablet-first design.

Surface pro model 1796 i5