74 PCWorld JANUARY 2020REVIEWS MICROSOFT SURFACE LAPTOP 3 15-INCH (CORE i7)
Laptop 3 for Business page [go.pcworld.
com/sbus] claimed the device had a
miniDisplayPort; it doesn’t.)
Because Microsoft left the USB-A port
alone, you won’t have to worry about
connecting legacy USB hard drives, printers,
and other devices. But if you’re an existing
Surface owner who
bought a miniDP-to-
HDMI dongle, it’s
obsolete with the new
product line. So, too, is
Microsoft’s Surface
Connector-to-USB-C
dongle, or the much
cheaper ecosystem of
third-party chargers (go.
pcworld.com/thpt). But
there are literally dozens
of USB-C hubs to choose
from (go.pcworld.com/
chub), which offer much
cheaper I/O options
than the Surface Dock
(go.pcworld.com/d0ck).
Because it now sports
USB-C, you can charge
your Surface using a
USB-C charger, rather
than just the Surface
charger. The ubiquity of
Surface chargers has
been a Surface strength,
as one Surface chargerbasically fits all Surface devices. Still, there’s
even less of a chance now that you’ll be
without a plug in a pinch.
This Surface Laptop 3 adds quick
charging: up to 80 percent charge in an hour.
We’re told by Microsoft that quick charging
works across USB-C, though you’ll need theThe magnetic Surface Connector, a staple of the Surface line, is still
embedded in the right-hand side of the chassis and serves as an I/O
connection for the Surface Laptop 3 (Core i7).A USB-C port replaces miniDP in the latest iteration of the Surface Laptop,
the Surface Laptop 3 for Business.