Surface Book 2 has been designed around the new software features and hardware ecosystem also being debuted today. The third new Surface device to launch this year, the laptop continues where the original Surface Book left off. Microsoft launched the detachable in 2015, before the more conventional Surface Laptop arrived this year.
As with the 2017 Surface Pro, the new Surface Book is an incremental upgrade. The design and form factor are almost unchanged, although Microsoft has split the line into 13-inch and 15-inch variants. Primarily, the company has focused on the internals though, aiming to create a device aimed at professionals who demand maximum computing power.
Microsoft Surface Book 2
Microsoft
The Surface Book 2 comes with Intel’s 8th-generation Coffee Lake processors and NVIDIA GeForce graphics options. Microsoft claimed the battery life is up to 70 percent longer than Apple’s latest MacBook Pro at up to 17 hours of video playback.
This hardware is put to work in some of the new Windows 10 features. Microsoft’s specifically focusing on Windows Mixed Reality, its new ecosystem of consumer VR headsets launching with the Fall Creators Update today. Surface Book 2 is designed to offer mixed reality experiences at Microsoft’s “Ultra” standard, including 90 frames-per-second performance in VR games and apps.
Microsoft Surface Book 2
Microsoft
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Aside from mixed reality, the device continues to convey Microsoft’s focus on creating premium devices for professional users. The company said Surface Book’s detachable “clipboard” form factor and powerful internals offer tablet, laptop and desktop experiences within a single package.
“Surface Book 2 removes the barrier between the desktop and the laptop by giving mobile professionals the power of a desktop, the versatility of a tablet, and the freedom of a light and thin laptop in one beautifully designed device,” said Microsoft. “Whether you’re a developer, a digital artist, a designer, or an accountant, you can bring your ideas to life anywhere, because Surface Book 2 is a portable powerhouse.”
Microsoft Surface Book 2
Microsoft
Surface Book 2 will be available for pre-order from November 9 with deliveries starting on November 16. Pricing starts at $1,499 for the lowest-end 13-inch model, stretching above $3,000 for the highest-spec 15-inch devices.
This positions Surface Book at the top of the Surface range, with Surface Pro still the “standard” device for regular consumers and Surface Laptop a more conventional laptop offering. The introduction of Laptop has allowed Microsoft to refocus Book on outright performance, giving the company three distinct devices aimed at different categories of consumer.
