The 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 3 is powered by a quad-core 10th-generation Intel Ice Lake processor, which Microsoft says is twice as powerful as the chip in the Surface Laptop 2 and three times more powerful than the chip that drives the MacBook Air. What are the new features in the Surface Laptop 3?

More must-read Microsoft-related coverage (TechRepublic on Flipboard).

Microsoft's Surface Laptop 3: What business pros need to know.

Surface Laptop 3: Microsoft announced a laptop 3x more powerful than MacBook Air (CNET).

The new laptops are also available at Amazon and other third-party vendors. Both models are currently available at Microsoft retail stores and via Microsoft's website. The Surface Laptop 3 comes in two flavors: A 13.5-inch model with a price tag that starts at $999 and a 15-inch model starting at $1,199. The Surface Laptop 3 is the third generation of Microsoft's midrange Apple MacBook challenger, following the original Surface Laptop in 2017 and the Surface Laptop 2 in 2018. SEE: All of TechRepublic's cheat sheets and smart person's guides What is the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3? This article is also available as a download, Cheat sheet: Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 (free PDF). This guide will describe the details of the new Surface Laptop 3, and it will be updated on a regular basis as new information becomes available. Announced at Microsoft's Surface event on October 2, 2019, the Surface Laptop 3 also aims to outshine its two predecessors with beefier specs and more versatile features as well as a choice of a 13.5-inch or 15-inch screen.

Microsoft's Surface Laptop 3 is a thin, lightweight, midrange Windows PC designed to compete with rival devices such as the Apple MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.

Surface pro 3 microphone jack