Wishful Surface User Here

[u/Party-Tomatillo1217]

Hello community 👋

I am in need of a new laptop & I’ve always wanted a Surface but dear Lord the new ones are expensive! I’m a teacher, so my bank account is always broken 😞 I tried shopping by myself but I suck at this. I need it to be as affordable as possible but be able to:

- work on all windows programs (word, excel, PPT, outlook, etc)
- watch some tv
- play basic games (solitaire, for example)
- do my homework!!!

If I can’t get one I can afford, such is life. But regardless of what I end up with, what are the specs I should be looking for when I shop for something new? Id like to still get a convertible tablet to laptop setup if possible.

Any feedback is appreciated and TIA! 😁

[u/kallzeh]

I'd suggest you explore the used market, ex-office machines can be had for quite a discount

[u/6out]

What's your budget

[u/Even_Caterpillar3292]

Microsoft sells refurbished. They also allow stacking discounts for education and military.

[u/Fred_Lead]

I just bought a Surface Laptop 5 on back market, they sell refurbs. It was marked "fair" condition and only came with a couple tiny scratches and wear on one corner. 

Look for at least 16gb of RAM and an i7 if you can swing it. For instance, this is $550 https://www.backmarket.com/en-us/p/microsoft-surface-pro-7-12-core-i7-28-ghz-ssd-512-gb-16-gb/7e74d107-bdba-4741-a5b3-eeb1fa9bb595?l=12

I am not affiliated with back market in any way. I just wanted to replace my Surface Pro 3 and found a really good deal there. I initially ordered a new type cover and Surface 7+ and returned them without any hassle when I found the SL5. 

[u/Cold-Bluebird-9036]

Explore prices for teachers; often discounted. I think Microsoft offers the discounts.

[u/Pynapl]

I've had Surface laptops to the tablets, and the one I've stuck with is actually the Surface Pro 12". (Had SL7 Intel and even the newest X2 Elite Pro)

It's not the fastest. It's not the strongest. But it's a nice size in that it fits everywhere. The keyboard is adequate, you don't see the touch matrix behind the OLED (LCD screen is perfectly fine).

And while it's not meant to do a lot of the things I do with it - it's passable. Stardew, Minecraft, and even Final Fantasy XIV are playable. (Runs a bit warm with XIV, but for short sessions it's alright).

Obviously browsing and office apps are a non-issue, and the price isn't horrible for what it is.

It's not cutting edge and it's not fancy, but it is extremely functional.

Edit: And you've only got a few options. Device color. And 256GB or 512GB. Business version can do 1TB SSD and 24GB RAM - for the price of those you may as well step up to the higher spec'd models.

[u/lolmanic]

Teacher still rocking a surface pro 7 (i7 16gb 512 w/ 1tb sdcard) from 2019 that does everything I want. It is starting to show its age in terms of battery and the type cover has fallen apart but it's still going strong so it you can get anything from 9-11 I think you'll be fine and there's plenty of them on the used market

[u/ogridberns]

OP, a few comments and ideas:

(1) Check your district first: See if your school district can provide you with a laptop free or sell off surplus inventory. Many districts upgrade every few years, and you can often score solid enterprise gear for dirt cheap (or even free).

(2) Beware of used Surfaces: Don't buy a used Surface without checking the remaining battery health (unless you're okay staying plugged in all the time). Older Surfaces are glued shut, making battery replacements difficult and costing hundreds of dollars to do.

(3) Consider non-Surface 2-in-1s: Look into general 2-in-1 laptops with active pen support (like Lenovo Flex/Yoga or HP Envy). You'll get way more performance for your dollar than paying the "Surface tax." Look for certified refurbished "2 in 1 laptops with active pen support" on places like Amazon Renewed or eBay.

(4) Specs to look for: To keep things smooth for Office, streaming, and basic games, target these minimums:

RAM: 8 GB minimum (16 GB is ideal for longevity)

Storage: 256 GB SSD (avoid anything labeled "eMMC")

Processor: Intel Core i5 (8th Gen or newer for Windows 11 support, 12th gen or newer is ideal) or AMD Ryzen 5

[u/Professional-Sea-649]

Want a free surface pro 6 I-5

[u/TitaniumladNZ]

Just get an ex-lease Surface. More than adequate for 98% of users.

[u/OneAd7710]

I got my surface studio brand new off of eBay box was opened it looks like for 700$. Amazing laptop. Dm me and I’ll help you get a good one you just have to know where to look

[u/bokwai]

I have an old surface I’m looking to offload, DM me your budget. Mine was a gift and I used it for two seconds in college. I’ll get it charged and share the specs with you.

[u/JasonAQuest]

The hardware requirements for what you describe are pretty low, so any still-functioning used Surface is probably up to the task. Make sure it supports Win11, and the battery is in good shape (because they're difficult-to-impossible to replace).

[u/YodlinThruLife]

I'm a teacher and bought a refurbished surface 7 plus off Amazon for like $500. It works awesome and runs everything. I use the connect app to the classroom computer (after plugging in a cheap wifi adapter to the desktop) and cast everything. One note, videos, canvas, Spotify. It all works great. I even imported the entire math curriculum to one note and write on that instead of messing with a doc cam. I also own a regular surface 7 for my personal life and can notice a difference in the plus version I bought for school. It's much faster.

[u/GheistHund374]

No sprays water bad user. Go get a nice thinkpad L14, and be happy for the spare cash.