Certainly one of my favourite options of the Floor Professional eleventh Version was the power to make use of the keyboard when not bodily linked to the machine, which was useful in varied conditions. The Floor Professional 12 loses this function. The keyboard now not has a devoted slot to retailer the Floor Slim Pen, although it will possibly nonetheless magnetize (and wirelessly cost) to the again of the pill.
A couple of different downgrades to the Floor Professional 12: It has a 1080p front-facing webcam quite than a 1440p webcam, and slower ports. There are solely two USB-C ports, they usually’re USB-C 3.2 as an alternative of USB4. Maybe essentially the most disappointing function, nevertheless, is the shortage of repairability. The Floor Professional eleventh Version made strides on this space, letting you entry the internals simply and improve the storage through the microSD card slot, even incomes an 8/10 iFixit rating. The Floor Professional 12 undoes this development, as an alternative choosing a sealed-up chassis and soldered elements. That is doubtless as a result of it’s fanless, however having a microSD slot would have a minimum of helped.
Apples and Oranges
{Photograph}: Luke Larsen
Perhaps it’s not honest to solely evaluate the Floor Professional 12 to the bigger mannequin. In spite of everything, it nonetheless compares favorably to the iPad Professional 11-inch, which is considerably dearer. We must also have in mind the comparability to the Floor Go 4, which got here out in 2023. The cheaper 10.5-inch mannequin appears to be defunct, that means the Floor Professional 12 takes its place in some ways. Whereas the Floor Go 4 had a a lot decrease beginning worth, these configurations have been fairly underpowered, beginning with simply 8 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. Once you line up the configurations, there’s solely a $30 distinction between the Floor Go 4 and the Floor Professional 12 at launch. As a result of Microsoft wants to make sure that its Floor gadgets are Copilot+ PCs, these lower-tier configurations have been minimize.
There’s quite a bit to love in regards to the machine by itself. You gained’t discover a slicker 2-in-1, exterior maybe the iPad Professional 11-inch. The design is impeccable, and the keyboard and touchpad really feel nice to make use of. The palm rests are plastic and now not Alcantara material, although they really feel snug and inflexible. In comparison with the iPad, it’s nonetheless fairly inexpensive, even with the extra $70 energy provide.
However right here’s what it comes right down to: So long as the Floor Professional eleventh Version is bought for $799 at Greatest Purchase or one other retailer, you can purchase that as an alternative. It has quicker efficiency, a higher-refresh-rate display, extra ports, and a greater webcam, and it’s much more serviceable. And sure, that one comes with the ability provide included. The 12-inch does have it beat in portability, however till we see the pricing state of affairs change, the bigger sibling is the one to purchase.
