New Surface Laptop for Business 13-inch at $1,299 shows just how lost Microsoft is

Let’s face it, Microsoft Surface laptops have never represented the best value for money, but the new Surface Laptop for Business, 13-inch — yes, that’s its government name — really nails home how out of touch Microsoft is with reality. In a world where the MacBook Neo exists at just $599, why are we looking at a new Windows laptop with just 8GB RAM for $1,299 (~RM5,149)?

Windows on 8GB RAM? Seriously?

As we all know, Windows 11 is definitely far from the most RAM-efficient OS. Microsoft themselves are recommending at least 16GB RAM for Windows 11 systems. They even went as far as pitting Windows laptops against the MacBook Neo, claiming that Windows laptops offer more memory and better value. But here we are, they just announced a new Surface Laptop for Business with just 8GB RAM. For shame, Microsoft, for shame.

However, I would say that the biggest offender isn’t even just the insufficient memory. It’s the fact that it is intended for business users. Misinformed companies will get these laptops for their staff, only for them to suffer.  As a corporate slave myself, I know how bad it gets when IT just hands out laptops based on your position in the company, without actually knowing what you do. Yes, there’s a cost to the extended support that Microsoft offers for these enterprise-oriented Surface models, but how is anyone going to use 8GB RAM for an extended period of time in the first place?

For Microsoft to do this, knowing the Copilot+ requirements which they set themselves, as well as the RAM demands of Windows itself, is just downright disappointing, to the point that it’s almost laughably so. Yes, I know there’s a RAMpocalypse going on, but why is Microsoft wasting 8GB to make unusable e-waste, rather than putting it to better use in configurations that would actually work well?

Now, Microsoft will sell you a Surface Laptop for Business, 13-inch with 16GB RAM for $1,499 (~RM5,941), but I am still of the opinion that the 8GB variant should never have seen the light of day. Luckily, if you actually have the budget of around RM5,000, there are plenty of better options from other OEMs like the Zenbook A14 series from ASUS. Do better, Microsoft.