Microsoft’s back with a brand new, ultra-refined Surface Pro machine. Just don’t call it the Surface Pro 5, though, because that ain’t its name; no, this bad boy is known simply as “Surface Pro”.

Like all Surface machines before it, the Surface Pro is a hybrid machine, meaning it is perfectly at home acting as either a laptop, with conventional keyboard and trackpad, or a tablet. It also supports a stylus too.

“With Surface Pro we created a new category and challenged the status quo of the laptop,” said Panos Panay, corporate vice president, Microsoft Devices. “With every release since we have continued to push boundaries — redefining the ultimate laptop with Surface Book and making the classic laptop feel fresh again with Surface Laptop. With the introduction of the new Surface Pro we are once again advancing the category by delivering the versatility of a powerhouse laptop and a mobile creative studio in one thin, lightweight device.”

Microsoft says the Surface Pro is the “most versatile laptop” ever; though, interestingly Microsoft seems to be distancing itself from the term “tablet” – guess that’s because the tablet space is pretty much dead right now.

“Surface Pro continues the iconic look and feel of previous Surface Pros,” said Microsoft, “but has been completely redesigned from the inside out. We’ve optimized every millimeter, with over 800 new custom parts and used 99% of the space inside the device – to give people exactly what they need to work and create anytime, anywhere."

50% More Battery Life Than Surface Pro 4

Microsoft says the Surface Pro has around 50% more battery life than the outgoing Surface Pro 4. That’s a rather alarming increase, so we’ll take that claim with a pinch of salt for the time being.

What’s kind of odd about the Surface Pro’s marketing push is that it is advertised as a laptop but is actually sold as a tablet – you HAVE to buy the keyboard to turn it into an ACTUAL laptop.

And that keyboard don’t come cheap, either. You’re looking at $129 for the Type Cover and an additional $50 for the Microsoft Surface Pen. All told, you’re looking at an extra $200 in order to get a true laptop experience from the Surface Pro which, obviously, is kind of misleading.

Still... the new Type Cover sounds pretty epic. 

"The new Surface Pro Signature Type Cover delivers a high-quality scissor mechanism and 1.3 mm of key travel for faster and more accurate typing. A full-size glass trackpad with five-finger multi-touch capabilities allows for ultimate precision, and the entire keyboard is wrapped in soft yet durable Alcantara material, creating a comfortable palm rest and beautiful aesthetic."

“This is a powerhouse laptop with 2.5 times more computing performance than the Surface Pro 3,” added Microsoft, “and 1.7 times the compute of iPad Pro.

It added: “The improved Surface Pro hinge has a full 165-degree range of motion, letting you immerse yourself in ‘Studio Mode’, an angle inspired by the Surface Studio, perfect for writing, sketching, and drawing on the go.”

Beat The iPad Pro – At ALL COSTS

Reading through Microsoft’s official marketing materials for the Surface Pro, I kind of get the impression that Microsoft has something of an inferiority complex. All it seems to want to do is say how much better the Surface Pro is than the iPad Pro – and that’s fine.

But over and OVER and OVER AGAIN kind of makes you look a bit, well… pathetic. Sorry, but it’s true. And, for the record: the Surface Pro – and Surface Pro 4 – are better than the iPad Pro. It’s just kind of unbecoming to constantly hammer home the point.

As I said: it just looks a bit desperate.

And that's just silly when you consider that the Surface Pro line of machines are some of the best in the business. I personally love them and cannot wait to get my hands on this new one, which, by the way, is now up for pre-order.

Surface Pro Specs & Features

The Surface Pro will retail for $799.99 and it gets an official release date on June 15.