The Microsoft Surface combines a notebook and tablet in one device. If you’re looking for an affordable alternative to Microsoft’s top-of-the-line, check out these five options.
Tablet notebooks are very popular. The combination of tablet and laptop makes devices such as the Microsoft Surface popular gadgets for leisure and work. Users appreciate the versatility and flexibility of the hybrid. The Microsoft Surface Pro 7 stands out in this product category because of its price and performance. However, the high costs often speak against a purchase.
Looking for a cheaper alternative to Microsoft’s Surface? Before you buy, make sure it’s not a hinged laptop. This form of processing allows the laptop to be bent so that the screen can be used like a tablet, but the keyboard and tablet cannot be separated. An important feature of an authentic Surface alternative is that the tablet and notebook can be completely detached from one another. We show you five options for the original from Microsoft.
1. Lenovo Ideapad Duet Chromebook
The Ideapad Duet Chromebook from Lenovo is ideal as a Surface alternative. With the hybrid notebook, you can easily switch between tablet and laptop. The keyboard can be easily attached to the tablet. There is also a front and rear camera, which allows you to take photos from different perspectives. The Lenovo tablet runs on Chrome OS and is said to have up to ten hours of battery life.
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2. Acer Switch 5
The Acer Switch 5 comes close to Microsoft’s Surface Book at an affordable price. You can easily separate the screen and keyboard using a magnetic mechanism. The price-performance ratio is also right. The processing of the tablet notebook from Acer is of high quality and switching between notebook and tablet is easy. It is ideal for mobile work and flexible use, such as writing emails or streaming films and series. The Acer Switch 5 can be supplemented with a practical pen, so you have the option of adding handwritten notes to PDFs or drawing on the tablet.
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3. Samsung Galaxy Book
The Samsung Galaxy Book is not the cheapest Surface alternative, but it convinces with the combination of tablet and notebook. The Galaxy Notebook’s keyboard snaps onto the screen quickly and easily. If you would like to add handwritten notes or use the tablet to draw, you can use the included S Pen. Unlike what you are used to from Samsung, the Galaxy Book does not run on Android, but on the Windows operating system.
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4. Hyrican ENWO Pad Tablet
The Hyrican ENWO Pad is an interesting surface alternative. What makes the tablet special is its ARM processor and the fact that it runs Windows 10. As a reminder: Apple is also using this type of computing core in its new MacBooks. It has a different command structure than traditional Intel or AMD processors. The eight-core processor doesn’t make gamers happy, but Microsoft’s Surface devices don’t do that either.
The battery life of the Hyrican ENWO Pad is impressive. According to the manufacturer, it lasts up to 15 hours. Its display extends over a diagonal of 31.24 centimeters (12.3 inches) and has a 4K resolution. Nice: The tablet connects to the LTE network with the appropriate contract and SIM card. Unfortunately, it only has one USB-C port. If you want to connect other USB devices or a screen to the tablet, you need a corresponding dongle.
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5. Apple iPad Air 2020
The Apple iPad Air is more of a tablet than a convertible. It only becomes with the Apple Magic Keyboard, which you have to buy separately. With it, the tablet from Apple is a veritable, albeit expensive, alternative to the Microsoft Surface. It is only suitable for buyers who have already found a home in the Apple universe. Contact book, notes and work documents, pictures and passwords are automatically synchronized via iCloud if you have activated the function. You can draw and write on the iPad Air 2020 with the second-generation Apple Pencil. You also have to buy it separately.
The tablet has one flaw: the smallest version of the iPad Air only has 64 gigabytes of memory. That’s still tight even if you only use the tablet for work. The next larger version has 256 gigabytes of internal storage. You should reach for this one. In contrast, the Liquid Retina Display is one of the best the tablet market has to offer. With a runtime of up to ten hours, the battery is also convincing and the A14 bionic chip offers enough power for the next few years. The chip is on par with the processor of the iPad Pro.
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The right Surface alternative
You have to decide individually which tablet PC is the right choice for you. The five models presented are both tablets and some PCs. This makes them flexible devices for work and leisure. Plan more or less money depending on how you want to use it and the equipment.
Surface alternative with hinge
If you settle for a Surface alternative that isn’t exactly the same as the original, you can opt for a hinged convertible. The keyboard of the devices cannot be removed, but it can be rotated onto the back of the display or used as a stand. This is practical if you often travel by train and want to watch a film with your laptop, but the table is too small to set up the computer properly.
A cheap representative of this type is the HP 14-dw1210ng. The convertible’s performance is easily sufficient for undemanding office work with Microsoft Office. The HP 14-dw1210ng therefore makes pupils and students happy. The device is quite undersized for demanding games. Nice: Thanks to the HDMI connection, you can connect the convertible to the television via cable in your free time and enjoy series on the big screen. The 256 gigabyte SSD also stores a lot of e-books if you want to use the hybrid laptop and tablet for reading.
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