Inside Microsoft's Testing Lab for Its Surface Laptops

Before Microsoft releases a new Surface laptop to the public, the company puts each device through extensive testing inside a dedicated facility on its Redmond, Washington campus.

The testing takes place in a windowless, warehouse-like lab where engineers use robots to repeatedly press buttons and test other physical components thousands of times.

Simulating real-world conditions

The lab also uses large antennas to bombard devices with radio waves, part of a broader effort to simulate real-world conditions and interference that the laptops might encounter after release.

The testing process is designed to catch durability and performance issues before devices reach customers, reflecting the scale of engineering effort behind Microsoft's push to compete with rivals such as Apple's MacBook Pro line.

Specific details about the full range of tests conducted at the facility, including pass or fail thresholds or additional testing methods, were not disclosed.