Hate having to enter a password to sign into your PC? A feature in Windows 10 called Windows Hello lets you use biometric sensors to recognize your face or fingerprint, giving you enterprise-level security without having to remember a password. Not all Windows 10 PCs are ready to work with Windows Hello, but here are four of CNET’s favorites that do.
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Microsoft Surface Pro 4
Product Review: https://www.cnet.com/products/microsoft-surface-pro-4/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 4.0 stars out of 5 (Excellent)
The good: The Surface Pro 4 fits a larger screen with a higher resolution into a slightly slimmer body than last year’s model. The pen and keyboard cover are also improved, and this is one of the first mobile systems shipping with Intel’s latest processors.
The bad: Microsoft still refuses to include the Type Cover keyboard by default, forcing a separate purchase. Battery life still isn’t enough for a full day.
The cost: $538.99 to $899.00
The bottom line: A host of small refinements cements the Surface Pro 4’s position as the best-in-class Windows tablet — so long as you’re prepared to pay extra for the required keyboard cover accessory.
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HP EliteBook x360
Product Review: https://www.cnet.com/products/hp-elitebook-x360-2017/review/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 4.0 stars out of 5 (Excellent)
The good: Solid construction and powerful components inside being a relatively slim and light body. Includes useful ports missing from many similar systems. Fantastic battery life.
The bad: Audio is tuned for conference calls, but poor for music and movies. The remote management app was hard to set up and lost its connection. It’s a professional laptop, so you’re paying pro-level prices.
The cost: $1,599.00
The bottom line: HP’s EliteBook x360 is a pricey professional hybrid that has crossover appeal for anyone looking for useful features and a great design.
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Microsoft Surface Studio
Product Review: https://www.cnet.com/products/microsoft-surface-studio/review/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 4.0 stars out of 5 (Excellent)
The good: The Surface Studio has a fantastic 28-inch screen with excellent color, mounted on smooth hinges that fold down to an artist-friendly angle. The excellent Surface Pen stylus returns and the new Surface Dial shows promise. Every model has good-to-great dedicated graphics hardware.
The bad: Surface Studio is extremely expensive, and doesn’t include the flashy Dial accessory by default. It skips newer graphics chips that support VR hardware. Support for the Dial is limited right now, and even compatible programs don’t always use it in a practical way. A couple of front-mounted USB ports or a Thunderbolt connection would’ve been nice.
The cost: $3,499.00 to $3,699.99
The bottom line: Microsoft’s ambitious love letter to creative professionals is the touchscreen iMac of your dreams — albeit crazy expensive and running Windows.
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Dell XPS 15 (2017)
Product Review: https://www.cnet.com/products/dell-xps-15-2017/review/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 4.0 stars out of 5 (Excellent)
The good: The Dell XPS 15 has a beautiful, high-resolution and accurate broad-gamut display, and it incorporates the Nvidia GTX 1050 gaming GPU, which raises playtime performance in general-purpose laptops.
The bad: The webcam is in a terrible location at the bottom of the display, and the fan can get loud.
The cost: $1,699.99
The bottom line: Powerful with a great screen, the Dell XPS 15 delivers solid gaming and affordable mobile workstation-class performance in a relatively compact package.
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The following CNET staff contributed to this story: Section Editor Dan Ackerman, Senior Editor Lori Grunin and Senior Editor Laura K. Cucullu. For more reviews of personal technology products, please visit www.cnet.com.
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