Windows Central Podcast: Are Microsoft's new Surface PCs too expensive?

Welcome to the Windows Central Podcast! In this special edition episode, Daniel Rubino and Zach Bowden dive deep into the massive new wave of Surface devices that Microsoft announced this week. While consumer versions are planned for later this summer, today it belongs to the all-new commercial portfolio.

We share three newly updated business devices:

Surface Laptop 8 (13.8 and 15-inch flagship)
13-inch Surface Laptop (intermediate choice)
Surface Pro 12 (13-inch flagship 2-in-1)

(And yes, we spend a few minutes laughing at how incredibly confusing Microsoft’s naming conventions are!)

In this episode:

Working with Surface Laptop 8

Daniel gives his first impressions of the new 13.8-inch Laptop 8, which, while retaining the nearly perfect exterior design of the last generation, packs some serious upgrades. We’re talking about the new Intel Core Ultra Series 3 “Panther Lake” X7 chip, the amazingly capable B390 GPU, and how quiet these fans stay under heavy load.

New Commercial Features

We’re also exploring features that business users will love, including:

Haptic Touchpad and Windows 11 Haptic Signals: Microsoft’s new API makes the digital world feel like touch when you close windows, close apps, or delete video graphics.

Electronic Privacy Screen: Daniel explains the technology behind the new electronic privacy screen option, which instantly reduces viewing angles when you press the F1 key to protect your sensitive data from over-the-shoulder peepers.

What’s Next for Business Pricing and Consumer Models

We wrap up the episode addressing the elephant in the room: price gouging. We discuss why these enterprise units are moving into $1,950+ territory, the reality of component pricing, and how Microsoft’s strategy compares to Apple and other PC OEMs. Plus, we’re excited to see what we can expect when the Snapdragon X2-powered consumer variants drop later this summer.