The Best Alternatives to The Microsoft Surface Pro
With the hefty prices of the Microsoft Surface, it’s no wonder that affordable alternatives are highly sought after. The diversity of touchscreen/tablet-style/2-in-1 laptops may make it difficult to choose which one is right for you, so that’s why we decided to help you in that process with this guide of excellent alternatives to the Microsoft Surface Pro 6, 7 and 8. We’ll go over many advantages and disadvantages that will help you make the best decision for your needs.
Is The Microsoft Surface Pro worth it?
There is no doubt that the Microsoft Surface is a premium product. From its very responsive and accurate touch screen, to its sleek and slim form factor. Its ability to have a full desktop operating system in such an efficient package with excellent performance are a few of the key aspects that the Surface excels at. Additionally, the Microsoft Surface Pro’s are also known for their removable keyboard/trackpad option which makes them even more portable by having the ability to transform into a tablet.
Starting at $899, the latest Microsoft Surface Pro 8 packs a powerful punch in the tech specs department. It’s powered by an 11th Gen Quad-Core Intel i5 or i7 CPU with Intel Iris X graphics. You can have an 8GB model, or go as high as 32GB of RAM for memory intensive applications. The SSD storage ranges from 128GB all the way up to 1TB. Its display has been upgraded from 12.3″ seen in the previous generations to a full 13″ 2880 x 1920 10-point Multitouch display. The front camera remains at 5MP but the main camera got a boost from 8MP to 10MP. Connectivity is robust containing 2 x USB C ports with USB 4 / Thunderbolt 4, a 3.5mm headset jack and Surface Connect. Wireless technology includes Bluetooth 5.1 and WiFi 6. All of that, with 16 hours of typical use battery life, while weighing in at a hair under 2lbs.
Benefits of the 2-in-1 Tablet + Laptop Design
2-in-1 Laptops
Advantages:
Aside from the obvious price advantage, the next most notable benefit to the 2-in-1 laptop design over the Surface Pro is that they come with a keyboard/trackpad. They do not need to be purchased separately at a costly premium. Another thing to note is that 2-in-1 Laptop/Tablets can be had with a larger screen than the 13″ offering of the Microsoft Surface Pro. Some 2-in-1’s can be lighter as well.
Disadvantages:
Most, if not all 2-in-1’s do not have a detachable keyboard, but they can be folded back out of the way behind the screen. Although some may see this as a disadvantage, this feature makes 2-in-1 laptops very attractive. Another thing to note is that it isn’t typical to find a 2-in-1 laptop/tablet that can match the battery life of the Surface Pro 8.
Business Laptops
Advantages:
Cost of Business Laptops are typically lower than your average 2-in-1 Laptop/Tablet, but there is good reason for that. Most business laptops do not have a touchscreen, stylus or the ability to fold away the keyboard to transform into a tablet. The other advantage is that since most business laptops tend to be on the larger side, they will have larger batteries which will typically yield better battery life.
Disadvantages:
Business laptops are more likely to be heavier and bulkier. Many require their own carrying bag/case. This is where a smaller/lighter Surface Pro or 2-in-1 Laptop/Tablet become more practical. Both the Surface Pro and the 2-in-1 Laptop/Tablet designs can easily replace a Laptop.
If you’re looking to rent the Surface tablet, see our tablet rentals. We carry many different models of the Microsoft Surface Pro.
Prefer to rent a business laptop or 2-in-1? Check out our laptop rentals.
What’s comparable to a Microsoft Surface?
So you’re looking for the best Surface Pro 8 alternative? Take a look below as we compare some of the standard specs and prices on what you can get instead of a Surface Pro 7 or 8. Most, if not all of these 2-in-1 laptop/tablet alternatives would be better in many ways over the older Surface Pro 6.
| Processor | Memory | Storage SSD | Screen | Battery Life | Weight | Price | |
| HP Spectre X360 | Intel i5 | 8GB | 256GB | 13.3″ 1920 x 1080 | ~18hrs | ~2.8lbs | $699 |
| HP Pavilion X360 | Intel i5 | 8GB | 256GB | 14″ 1920 x 1080 | ~8hrs | ~3.5lbs | $639 |
| Lenovo Yoga 6 | AMD Ryzen 5 | 8GB | 256GB | 13.3″ 1920 x 1200 | ~19hrs | ~3lbs | $759 |
| Lenovo Yoga 7i | Intel i5 | 8GB | 256GB | 15.6″ 1920 x 1080 | ~14hrs | 3.2lbs | $769 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet | Intel i7 | 8GB | 256GB | 13″ 3000 x 2000 | ~9.5hrs | ~2lbs | $949 |
| Dell Inspiron 7000 | Intel i5 | 8GB | 256GB | 13.3″ 1920 x 1080 | ~5hrs | 2.7lbs | $649 |
| Surface Pro 8 | Intel i5 | 8GB | 256GB | 13″ 2880 x 1920 | ~16hrs | ~2lbs | $999 |
HP Spectre/Pavilion X360 vs. Microsoft Surface Pro 8
The HP 2-in-1’s are a great alternative at a very competitive price. They can easily be spec’d up with Intel i7 CPU’s, more RAM, and more storage. The Pavilion X360 has a 14″ screen so it will be on the heavier side in comparison to the Spectre X360. These HP’s tend to be on the heavier side of the 2-in-1 alternatives. The X360 however, has one of the best battery life specs on this chart which is very impressive considering that battery life is one of the things that the Surface Pro is known for.
Lenovo Yoga 6/7i vs. Microsoft Surface Pro 8
The Lenovo Yoga 2-in-1’s have been getting quite some attention, and it’s not hard to see why. One can go with a 13.3″ screen, or even a 15.6″ screen. Another detail to note is that the Yoga 6 has the latest AMD Ryzen 5 hexacore CPU which has been touted as a very power efficient CPU. This is why this model not only beats the Surface Pro in battery life, but it is at the top of the charts.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet vs. Microsoft Surface Pro 8
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet is an excellent alternative for someone looking to match or surpass the pixel density of the Surface Pro screen. Because of its form factor and screen specs, one can say that this is a cheaper version of the Surface Pro. These typically pack strong processors with a very premium laptop frame. With a weight at just under 2lb without the keyboard, it may be the lightest one we’ve compared, however, the downside is that it hasn’t shown to have the best battery life.
Dell Inspiron 7000 2-in-1 vs. Microsoft Surface Pro 8
One of the more competitively priced alternatives is the Dell Inspiron 7000. Tipping the scale at just under 3lbs, one would expect this to have better battery life than it does, but that doesn’t mean it can’t hold its weight against the Surface pro when it comes to performance per dollar.
Conclusion
Now that we’ve covered the pros and cons of the Microsoft Surface Pro, 2-in-1 Laptop/Tablets and Business Laptops, we hope that you’ll be more confident in making your next decision with your equipment needs for your upcoming projects and events.
Whether you want longer battery life, a lighter laptop to carry, or you just want better bang for your buck… we got you covered.
Let HTR take out the guess work for you by contacting us with your next project equipment needs. We always have bulk rental discounts available for many different size projects that you may have in your pipeline. Need to rent equipment in a hurry? No worries! With warehouses at each end of the country, you can rest assured that we can get your equipment to you when you want it.
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