If you thought only Apple could do premium laptops right, you’ll have to think again. Microsoft has just released its first ever laptop, the Surface Book, and it’s a beauty.
The Surface Book has a 13.5 inch screen, a glass trackpad, backlit keyboard, magnesium body and most importantly: a detachable screen. Impressively, Microsoft has fit in everything except for the dedicated GPU within that display and with the touch of a button on the side of the device, it turns into a tablet.
It can also be used as a convertible much like the Lenovo Yoga series courtesy of the hinge which Microsoft calls a ‘dynamic fulcrum’.
The Surface Book offers ‘the perfect typing experience’ according to Microsoft. The keys are backlit and have deep travel (1.6mm) so you get more satisfying tactile feedback. To top it off, it’s almost silent. When you’re in tablet mode, you can use the signature Surface Pen Stylus.
In terms of specifications, you get the latest generation of Intel CPUs paired with NVIDIA GPUs. A quiet keyboard, 12 hour battery life and Microsoft’s claim that it’s the ‘fastest 13 inch laptop ever made’ mean that we have something interesting on our hands.
It’s very clear that the Surface Book is going to be a high end premium device that competes with the Macbook Pro and the top tier offerings from other vendors. Based purely on first impressions, Microsoft has done a lot of things right from the premium feel to a detachable touch screen and dedicated graphics in a very slim and light chassis.
Most people in the tech community loved the later iterations of the Surface with the only request being for a stronger laptop experience. With the Surface Book, we have it.
As you might have expected, this all doesn’t come cheap. The Surface Book starts at $1499 and goes all the way up to $2699. Here are the detailed prices:
It will be interesting to see how other vendors react to the Surface Book. Microsoft faced tough opposition from its hardware partners when it announced the Surface tablet and the new laptop going for the premium customers won’t be an easy sell.
Regardless, it’s an excellent addition to the choice pool for customers. If you need a versatile laptop on-the-go, it jumps to the top of devices to consider alongside Apple’s Macbooks and other premium offerings by the likes of Asus, HP, Lenovo and Dell.
