Best answer: Microsoft Precision touchpads use a standardized set of drivers that offer a consistent, smooth, and accurate pointing experience. Although Precision drivers first appeared in the Surface Pro 2 and have since been used in every Surface device, many laptop manufacturers beyond Microsoft also take advantage of the drivers to deliver the best possible pointing.
- Notebook Surface: Surface Laptop 2 (From $999 at Microsoft)
- Premium Ultrabook: Dell XPS 13 9380 (From $900 at Dell)
Why are Microsoft's Precision drivers preferred?
Back in the Windows 8.1 and Surface Pro 2 days, Apple was kicking everyone else's butts with its touchpad experience. There really wasn't much competition between iMac and Windows laptops (at least in the touchpad game), so Microsoft decided it was time to create a set of drivers that would deliver a standardized experience across its Surface devices.
Precision touchpads include drivers and gestures that are upgraded with Windows 10 feature updates, and altogether offer consistent and smooth pointing that is accurate and responsive. If you've ever used a touchpad with Synaptics or Elan drivers (two common competitors) and quickly switched over to laptop with a Precision touchpad, the difference is noticeable.
Microsoft doesn't seem to differentiate between the physical hardware of the touchpad, which is why we see plenty of laptops in the Precision touchpad category despite considerable differences in size and materials. You might find a budget laptop with a small plastic touchpad alongside a premium Ultrabook with an enormous glass touchpad, and both are using Precision drivers. This ultimately gives third-party manufacturers like Dell, Lenovo, Samsung, Acer, and Razer a lot of flexibility when designing machines.
With a Precision touchpad, you get the full gamut of Windows 10 gestures, including multi-finger taps and swipes for shortcuts to everything from prompting Cortana to quickly switching between windows. You can also go quite deep when it comes to customizing Precision touchpad settings if the stock settings aren't acceptable.
Can you install Precision drivers on a non-Precision touchpad?
If you have a laptop that uses Synaptics or Elan drivers — commonly found on HP and budget laptops from various other manufacturers — and want to switch over to Precision, there is a way to do it, though it's understandably not a foolproof process.
We've created a guide that will walk you through the entire process, but know that Windows 10 updates have caused the process to not work as well as it once did. If it doesn't work, the solution is to buy a laptop that comes with Precision drivers straight from the factory.
If you're curious whether or not your laptop is using Precision drivers, there's a simple way to check just by following these steps.
- Right-click the Start button.
Click Settings.
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- Click Devices.
Click Touchpad.
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At the top of the window, you should see a note that says "Your PC has a precision touchpad" if indeed it's using Microsoft's drivers.
What laptops come standard with Precision drivers?
Until Microsoft makes a decision concerning mandatory Precision drivers in all Windows 10 laptops, the market can be confusing. HP's business lineup of EliteBooks, for example, uses Precision drivers, while the consumer side, including the impressive HP Spectre 13t, uses Synaptics drivers.
You can be assured that all Surface devices use Precision drivers, but if you're shopping elsewhere, be sure to double-check the touchpad before making a final decision. Our ever-growing collection of laptop reviews is a great place to start.
Best Windows laptop in 2019
Surface Laptop 2
A notebook for everyone
With a slim, light chassis available in four colors, the Surface Laptop 2 has the portability and performance needed to get through a day's work. It has a high-resolution touchscreen with 3:2 aspect ratio, battery life that lasts through a workday, and it comes standard with a Precision touchpad.
If you're looking for a Surface device that's well-rounded when it comes to usage and price, the Surface Laptop 2 is an ideal choice. It's powerful, has a high-quality build, and the touch display is among the best out there.
High-end alternative
Dell XPS 13 9380
Beautiful build, great performance, competitive price
Dell's XPS 13 is arguably the best 13-inch Ultrabook out there, thanks to a stunning 13.3-inch display, tons of configuration options, and powerful hardware including 8th Gen Intel Core processors (CPU). It's also slim and light and has a comfortable keyboard, as well as a large touchpad using Precision drivers.
Dell's XPS 13 9380 is an excellent alternative to the Surface Laptop 2 for those who want to steer clear of Microsoft's lineup. It's still a classic notebook, but there are plenty of configuration options, including non-touch and 4K displays, as well as Thunderbolt 3 ports.