Microsoft Surface Book REVIEW: First Off It's Super-Duper Expensive So Get Ready!
Microsoft has worked its magic on aesthetics, and it appears to get a lot right, but at a stupid price tag.
The Surface Book has been out for a year now, but this is the first real update of the design.
The processor is the same as before, so what has really changed?
First off there has been an upgrade of the graphics card to an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M, and secondly a much bigger battery thats been upgraded from 52Wh to 61Wh.
The Surface Book itself is cast from a crafted slab of pale magnesium silver which is grey in colour, but it looks exceedingly like plastic. It just doesn't look like a top end niche product crafted from a sheet of metal.
At at price of £2249/$2750, this is the first negative you encounter. The display feels a little bit wobbly too, but nothing too unstable. I do love the folds of the fulcrum hinges of the Book as you close it.
Touch the undocking button on the top right, and the undocking procedure allows you to release the tablet section. Once that's done, you can wander off with the tablet part.
So, what is the final Surface Book verdict?
This Book cum tablet is a very slick with excellent hardware (i7 -6600 U processor) and graphics card as stated earlier.
Not much has changed since the first generational device, and all changes just appear to be incremental.
I would say that it's the perfect Windows laptop, but there are still some features lacking that stand out; like lack of a Thunderbolt 3 ports and better battery life for the tablet part of the device.
The price is also crippling too, as there are much better offers elsewhere like the 13 inch MacBook Pro at £999/$1200. I seriously think your better off looking elsewhere.
P.S. There are plenty of people who don't really care about the cost. Think of it in the same category as a high end phone or a pair of expensive shoes. The point is to look good and the hinge is visually distinctive showing that you have money to spare.
This post has been ranked within the top 25 most undervalued posts in the first half of Nov 13. We estimate that this post is undervalued by $10.25 as compared to a scenario in which every voter had an equal say.
See the full rankings and details in The Daily Tribune: Nov 13 - Part I. You can also read about some of our methodology, data analysis and technical details in our initial post.
If you are the author and would prefer not to receive these comments, simply reply "Stop" to this comment.
What a beauty, what I present my friend @mindhunter, congratulations
I can't see many people getting one of these for their Xmas!!
Way to pricey for me :)
Mad price innit!! I wonder how many they'll sell??
Doubt anyone would be that stupid...
I was not impressed. The un-attaching of the screen is cumbersome and apparently still plagued by a delay when you hit the button, but that aside, it's just flat out awkward. Re-attaching is better, but if you are clumsy or otherwise challenged like I am, you might find that tearing the kit apart is more trouble than it's worth to do. So, I'll just keep my rMBP thank you.
I agree with you - the tablet section also feels a little flimsy too.
:(
I just do not have enough for a wallet full of happiness in life.
It's expensive alright, very expensive!
Thank you so much for this review, I've been looking at them and the Pro 4 trying to decide if i can justify the Book. Looks like I cannot. :)
Go Pro 4 110%!!! :)