The laptop’s a solid all-around machine for Microsoft users seeking something great for both productivity and everyday play.

While Apple may have the first-party laptop market cornered with the MacBook lineup, Microsoft's Surface laptops have been steadily improving over the past few years, and are now an increasingly appealing option.

Unlike Apple, Microsoft has mostly stuck to software throughout its long history, but the iconic company behind the dominant Windows operating system has had a surprisingly successful run in the hardware market lately. Although its Windows smartphones didn ...