This summary of the video was created by an AI. It might contain some inaccuracies.
00:00:00 – 00:15:16
The video presents an in-depth review of the Surface Pro 11, featuring two primary highlights: the innovative Snapdragon X Elite chip and Microsoft's new AI functionalities branded as CoPilot+. The presenter replaces their MacBook Air M3 with the Surface Pro 11 for a week, offering insights on its build quality, touchscreen OLED display, and unique components like the flex keyboard and slim pen.
Despite initial enthusiasm about its OLED screen and impressive multitasking performance, the presenter identifies several limitations with the Surface Pro 11. The AI features, such as the CoPilot+ and recall functions, are deemed overhyped and still in developmental stages. Performance metrics reveal the Surface Pro 11 as a strong contender, especially in multitasking, but it faces challenges with software running on ARM architecture, notably with emulation-required applications like Adobe Premiere Pro and in gaming scenarios.
Battery life stands out positively, lasting 12-14 hours for general use, though slightly behind the MacBook Air M3. The device's portability and design, highlighted by its 13-inch OLED touchscreen, make it suitable for mobile use, but issues with its lap usage and limited port availability necessitate a dock for a full desktop setup.
Ultimately, the presenter appreciates the Surface Pro 11's potential and portability but opts to return to the MacBook Air due to better application support and the underwhelming CoPilot+ feature. They regard the Surface Pro 11 as a significant step forward for Microsoft laptops and express optimism about its future iterations.
00:00:00
In this part of the video, the presenter discusses the hype around the new Surface Pro 11 laptops, emphasizing two key features: the Snapdragon X Elite chip and Microsoft’s new AI features branded as CoPilot+. The presenter decides to test the claims by replacing their MacBook Air M3 with the Surface Pro 11 for a week. They start by unboxing the device, noting its appealing sapphire blue color, sturdy build quality, and OLED display. They also examine the new flex keyboard and Surface slim pen, commenting on the keyboard’s haptic feedback and the slim pen’s lightweight but somewhat flimsy feel. Comparing the Surface Pro 11 to the MacBook Air, the presenter finds it smaller and slightly lighter, anticipating an interesting week of testing.
00:03:00
In this part of the video, the creator summarizes their initial experiences with a Surface Pro 11, highlighting the OLED screen’s impressive quality and recounting a frustrating, yet funny, 2-minute capture puzzle. After using the device for a week, they express their positive overall impression but introduce some reservations, particularly about the co-pilot AI features. They discuss their initial expectations versus reality upon testing the co-pilot, a local app for quick questions and generating code, and co-creator for AI-assisted drawing. They note its functionality can be hit-or-miss but useful in offline scenarios. Other co-pilot plus features include Windows Studio Effects for improving call quality and a live captions feature that translates 44 languages into English.
00:06:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the accuracy of translating dramatic Japanese words into English, noting a slight 1 to 2-second delay. They introduce the recall AI feature from Microsoft, which can retrieve files based on descriptions but has potential privacy concerns, although it can be toggled off. The speaker finds the AI features somewhat overhyped and not fully developed. However, the Surface Pro X Elite impresses with its performance, scoring 13,097 on the Geekbench 6 multicore test, surpassing the MacBook Air M3. Despite the MacBook’s superior single-core performance, the Surface Pro excels in multitasking, converting a 2 GB 4K video to 1080P in under a minute, showcasing its powerful capabilities.
00:09:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses various aspects of the Surface Pro 11, focusing on its performance, battery life, and design. The Surface Pro 11 shows significantly faster performance but faces limitations with software running natively on ARM architecture, including slower performance and battery drain for apps like Adobe Premiere Pro that run on emulation. Gaming is also a weak point due to compatibility and optimization issues. On the positive side, the device boasts impressive battery life, lasting 12 to 14 hours for general use. Compared to the M3 MacBook Air, it is only slightly behind in battery life.
The design of the Surface Pro 11 is highlighted as highly portable and versatile, with a 13-inch OLED touchscreen, making it excellent for mobility and tasks like note-taking with the surface slim pen. However, it struggles with lap usage due to not sitting flush. At a desk, it performs well with the Surface Pro Flex keyboard, which includes a slot for the slim pen and facilitates a comfortable setup resembling a traditional keyboard and monitor. The keyboard is backlit, and the touchpad is responsive, aiding in multitasking.
00:12:00
In this segment, the speaker discusses their experience with the Surface Pro after using it for a week as a replacement for their M3 MacBook Air. They highlight that the Surface Pro’s flex keyboard, while not as good as the MacBook’s, is still a solid 2-in-1 detachable keyboard with an impressive 40-hour battery life. The device includes a 10-megapixel rear camera, though it’s not particularly remarkable. A major drawback is its limited ports—only two USB-C ports—making a dock necessary for a full desktop setup, similar to the M3 MacBook Air.
The noteworthy feature is the new 13-inch OLED display, boasting 120 Hz, HDR, and Dolby Vision IQ, which the speaker finds superior to the MacBook Air’s liquid Retina Display. Despite their initial excitement, the speaker is disappointed with the “co-pilot plus” feature, finding it more marketing than useful. However, they are impressed by the Surface Pro’s portability, performance, and battery life, making it an excellent choice for on-the-go use, even outperforming many desktop PCs.
Ultimately, the speaker decides to switch back to their MacBook Air due to better support for their key work applications and the underwhelming co-pilot plus feature. They express optimism about the Surface Pro 11’s future improvements and consider it the best Surface yet, marking an exciting new era for Microsoft laptops.
00:15:00
In this part of the video, the presenter expresses gratitude to the viewers for watching and signs off by indicating they will see the audience in the next video. The segment concludes with background music.