Some Xeon-based systems support server-style error correcting code (ECC) memory, which can detect and fix single-bit memory errors. ECC DRAM is a mainstay in applications such as financial or scientific computing, where even the slightest internal data corruption cannot be permitted. That said, a requirement for ECC RAM is outside the mainstream for most ISV apps.GPU and Display. As with gaming laptops, all but a handful of mobile workstations draw on the speed and strength of a dedicated or discrete graphics adapter rather than the integrated graphics built into the CPU. Nvidia's professional mobile graphics are found under the Quadro brand, just as AMD's are called Radeon Pro (formerly FirePro).
Though built to optimize different operations, mobile workstation GPUs give nothing away to consumer or gaming GPUs like Nvidia's GeForce line. In fact, Nvidia's professional mobile flagship at this writing, the VR-ready Quadro P5000, has more display memory (16GB versus 12GB) than the company's top desktop gaming card, the Titan Xp.A couple of mobile workstations that emphasize light weight and portability have 14-inch screens, but most measure either 15.6 or 17.3 inches diagonally. Some vendors offer both full-size and thin-and-light 15.6-inch models (the Lenovo ThinkPad P51 versus P51s, for example, or HP ZBook 15 G4 versus ZBook Studio G4), the latter trading expandability for easy transport. Full HD or 1080p (1,920x1,080) resolution is a minimum, with 4K (3,840x2,160) resolution a popular choice for graphics or animation work with room for on-screen toolbars and menus—or for 4K video editing.
Color management—making sure that what you see on screen exactly matches a finished product—is often important for the kinds of tasks expected of a high-end mobile workstation. Screens such as HP's factory-calibrated DreamColor displays come with software that lets you choose the Internet's sRGB, print's Adobe RGB, or cinema's DCI P3 palettes or color spaces. Some Lenovo systems go further by having Pantone color calibrators on board: You select a white point (typically D65 for photography or D50 for prepress and graphic design) and gamma (tone response) value, then close the lid, which puts the screen against a palm-rest sensor. A few seconds later, an audible tone indicates that the calibrator has done its work.
Storage and Extras. Mobile workstation owners work with massive data files, so mobile workstations need ample storage. That typically means one or two M.2 solid-state drives teamed with one or two hard drives, totaling as much as 3TB or 4TB (at least for larger 17.3-inch models, which will have more room in the chassis for such a spread).For still more storage capacity, nowadays we don't consider a workstation worthy of the name unless it has at least one Thunderbolt 3 port for high-speed connection to external drives and RAID arrays, as well as single or multiple high-resolution displays. If Thunderbolt 3's daisy-chaining connectivity is too much of an investment for you, a growing number of desktop docking stations use the technology to provide one-plug access to ports aplenty.
Finally, take note of the touch pad located in the palm rest south of the space bar. Many CAD and other workstation apps make use of three mouse buttons, so it's worth checking to see whether a system has a middle button instead of only the usual two.As we mentioned earlier on, HP, Dell, and Lenovo are the big dogs in the mobile workstation market. Don't confuse the companies' high-end business systems with workstations; although the term "workstation" has a generic meaning, and a simple connotation of a "PC for work," in the professional applications world it has a very specific meaning along the lines we've discussed: a high-end Core or Xeon CPU, a workstation-class Quadro or Radeon Pro graphics chipset, and ISV certification. As a result, you'll want to look specifically at the three vendors' ZBook (HP), Precision (Dell), and ThinkPad P (Lenovo) selections when comparison shopping. One other player, MSI, has also made modest inroads into mobile workstations with its MSI W series laptops; take a look at them as well.
Note that almost all workstation machines are traditional clamshells, but HP and Lenovo have experimented with workstation convertibles with their ZBook X2 (a detachable-screen model) and ThinkPad Yoga P40 (rotating 2-in-1) models, respectively. These are both worth checking out, as well, in the event that their unique-among-workstation designs mesh with what you do.Don't need quite as much power as these workstation beasts deliver? Also check out our roundup of the top business laptops and our overall roundup of the best laptops.When the Surface Laptop was released a year ago, it immediately struck me as the Microsoft-built computer I’d been waiting for. You see, I’ve always admired the design of all of Microsoft’s Surface products, but at the same time felt that they weren’t exactly for me. The keyboard cover on the Surface Pro is just too crappy to write blog posts on; the SurfaceBook, while impressively designed with its fancy detachable hinge mechanism, is simply too bulky a machine for me to port around everywhere; and as for the Surface Studio—I don’t even know what the hell I would do with it besides play a very expensive game of touchscreen tic-tac-toe.
But lo, the Surface Laptop at a glance seemed downright practical. It’s an attractive laptop in a lightweight package with solid guts and a reasonable price tag. It’s got some of that Surface design flourish without any frills that make the device impractical.After spending a year with the model that now costs $1000 (7th-generation i5, 8GB of RAM, 128GB storage), I’m still mostly enamored. There’s a lot that makes it a delight to use: A shimmering display, a lovely keyboard, sturdy build quality, and fantastic battery life. It gets 11 hours and 10 minutes when streaming a video at a specified brightness of 200 nits. That makes it one of the longest lasting laptops we’ve tested. Compared to similarly spec’d premium 2-1 machines from Dell and Lenovo, the laptop is very satisfying. Even when those laptops might get you just a little more power for your dollar.
When the laptop first launched, it shipped with Microsoft’s “light” Windows 10S operating system that only runs apps downloaded from the Microsoft Store. Microsoft offered free upgrades to regular Windows 10, but I decided to give 10S a shot, just to see if it was possible to get away with using only approved apps. As a computer user, I don’t have super high-powered demands. All I really need is Adobe Photoshop Elements, Spotify, Slack, and a web browser. The first three are available from the Microsoft Store, which is great. What is not great is being forced to use Microsoft Edge. While it’s not as terrible as Internet Explorer was, it doesn’t have the expandability afforded by the vast library of Chrome Extensions and Firefox Add-ons. Moreover, lots of websites just don’t play nice with the browser—many of the tools in Gizmodo’s publishing platform, Kinja, wouldn’t work in Edge, so I was forced to abandon the experiment.
Since launching last year, Microsoft has pulled back on Windows 10S in favor of something called Windows 10 in S mode, a walled garden mode where you can only use apps from the Windows store, but which you can also turn off for free. Not being charged for the full Windows experience is a good thing, but S Mode’s persistence also implies that Microsoft is not ready to give up on its little walled garden experiment. That’s worth noting because, as the company reportedly gears up to launch some rumored new devices, possibly even a phone one day, we might see Microsoft push the concept again.With my Surface Laptop running regular Windows now, my only big remaining complaint is that the device does not wear age well at all, physically speaking. The laptop’s aluminum finish almost never looks totally clean—it’s almost like the company was looking for a worn feel. I don’t totally hate it, but sometimes it looks a little more beat up than it really is. I’m also a little disgusted by what’s become of the cloth (“Alcantara”) keyboard. It’s filthy. And I’m not even that gross of a human. After a year there are big stains where the oils of my hands have gradually discolored the fabric. I love that Microsoft has made always bold design choices for its Surface devices, but the cloth keyboard has proven wrong-headed. It makes my otherwise beautiful device feel less than premium.
I do have other quibbles: Like our perennial complaint about the use of a proprietary Surface charger rather than USB-C. Though we fully expect the next wave of Surface devices to embrace the future in this regard.If it wasn’t for the Alcantara disgustingness, I would 100-percent buy a Surface Laptop if I needed a new computer tomorrow. It’s almost perfect and a great value for all its perks. But that gross palmrest might leave me looking to another machine. If you can suffer it then go for it, otherwise hope they fix it for the next generation.You can easily get a 2-in-1 for under $1,000, but how low can you go? At $699.99, the 13-inch Acer Spin 5 easily undercuts competitors on price while still offering a bright display and a comfortable keyboard, as well an 8th Gen Intel Core i5 CPU. But there are also some trade-offs, including poor battery life and plenty of bloatware. However, if you can live with those drawbacks, you'll find lots of value.
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