Microsoft's new Surface Pro 6 is a capable machine for a great price, but it's missing a single feature that's a deal breaker (MSFT)

For existing Surface Pro aficionados, there isn't much here to tell you about.

There's a new matte black color option that looks great but will cost you a little extra. The most exciting update is the enticing performance bump that comes from Intel's eighth-generation Core i5 and Core i7 chips, which come with more cores than previous models.

For those new to the Surface Pro or laptop/tablet hybrids with detachable keyboards, you're getting a proven formula of light weight and the option of a tablet, all in a device that doesn't compromise too much of a traditional laptop design.

But the Surface Pro 6 is missing something that could affect you now or later, and it's a major deal breaker in my books: There's no USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 port.

Check out the Surface Pro 6, and why no USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 port is a deal breaker:

The Surface Pro 6 will feel familiar to existing Surface Pro users, and it's a slight adjustment for regular laptop users.

Surface Pro users will find the Surface Pro 6 completely familiar with its design, kickstand, and the Type Cover keyboard that flexes when it's on your lap.

For regular laptop users, it'll be a slight adjustment. Instead of adjusting the display's angle on a hinge, you'll be adjusting the kickstand's angle on a table or your lap. It's not uncomfortable, but, despite its portability, it does require more space wherever you lay it down because the kickstand needs to extend outwards for wider viewing angles.

That might be a problem in tight spaces, like a small desk or an economy plane seat with a small tray, where you might not be able to extend the kickstand very far. But I haven't yet faced any problems with that.

But the kickstand design does give you great versatility in viewing angles in general. You can angle the display almost flat against a surface, or completely flat with the kickstand tucked in flush against the Surface Pro 6.

Using the Type Cover as a platform or removing it altogether is great for using the device like a tablet.

One of the main draws of getting a Surface Pro tablet/laptop hybrid is that you can, indeed, use it like a tablet. I have to say, as new Surface Pro user, it's been pretty great to use the Type Cover as a platform or set it aside altogether at times, like when I'm getting comfortable for a long YouTube video.

Let's just say I get the allure of a hybrid like the Surface Pro 6, especially when there's so little compromise in design and performance against a regular laptop design.

The Surface Pro 6 handles everything I need it to do.

Microsoft sent me the eighth-generation Core i5 Surface Pro 6 model with 8 GB of RAM, and it handily chews through my workflow, which mostly involves the Chrome web browser with up to 20 open tabs, the Slack office messaging app, and some light photo editing on Adobe Photoshop Elements.

Using Intel's eighth generation of chips is perhaps the biggest upgrade here, as you now get four cores versus the two that came with older generations of Intel's laptop chips in older, pre-2018 laptops. Those extra cores make a difference by handling your daily workflow more comfortably, as well as any tasks that need a little more oomph. It also means the Surface Pro 6 could last longer, too.

There's also a Core i7 model with 16 GB of RAM available, which can likely handle more intensive tasks with smoother and faster performance.

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