A thousand strangers teamed up to make this amazing $1,500 alternative to the Microsoft Surface Pro (MSFT)

By: Business Insider

December 13, 2017 at 14:57 PM EST

Caroline Cakebread/Business Insider

Meet the Eve V (pronounced "Eve Vee") — a combination laptop/tablet hybrid, powered by Windows 10. It looks very much like Microsoft's excellent Surface Pro.

But there's something a little different about the Eve V, which comes out of an Intel-backed Finnish startup.

Every aspect of the Eve V, from the design to the processor to the keyboard cover material, was decided with full and complete input from Eve's community of fans. Over a thousand people contributed their feedback to how the Eve V should be built, resulting in a device that — theoretically — meets the exacting needs of the most demanding users.

Even Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella asked for an Eve V to play around with, after the Eve crowdfunding campaign caught his eye.

I've been using the Eve V for a week, and I can say this: The Eve community should be proud. While there are a few spots where the wisdom of the crowd didn't quite come through, the Eve V is an outstanding first effort, with lots to recommend it, even when compared against Microsoft's own Surface Pro.

Here's the skinny on Eve V's crowdsourced computer:

The Eve V is a tablet/laptop two-in-one, running Windows 10. In principle, it's a lot like the Microsoft Surface Pro.Caroline Cakebread/Business Insider

That means you can yank the keyboard off, and use it like a big ol' tablet. It even comes with a stylus for taking notes.Caroline Cakebread/Business Insider

Here's the Eve V...Eve

...and here's the Surface Pro. Same idea.Microsoft

The Eve V is being sold in batches to superfans. Eve says that by making small batches sold directly to customers they don't have to keep inventory on hand, which means savings they can pass on to customers.Eve

The Eve V is offered in various configurations, from $799 all the way up to a tip-top of the line $1999 model. And it comes with a stylus and the keyboard — accessories that will cost you an additional $99 and $159, respectively, with the Surface Pro.

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