Microsoft’s big press event in New York today revealed a slew of new hardware, including its first laptop, the Microsoft Surface Book.
Microsoft Surface Book
The Surface Book is a 13.5in, 267ppi laptop with prices starting at $1499. This is a device with difference though – the screen can be removed so it can be used as a tablet, or flipped over to cover the keyboard. The body, of machined magnesium, has a premium look and feel.
Inside the Surface Book are the latest Intel Core i5 or i7 processors, coupled to an Nvidia GeForce GPU with GDDR5. However, interestingly the GPU is in the base, which means when the keyboard is detached your graphics power will be much more constrained. Clearly, this is a machine meant to be used as a laptop first and foremost, with occasional use as a tablet.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=XVfOe5mFbAE
Surface Book isn’t cheap, however. The lowest-cost version is $1499, with 8GB RAM and a 128GB SSD. There are four other models in the range, going up to a whopping $2699 for an i7, 512GB storage and 16GB RAM.
Microsoft Surface Book specs
Operating System |
Windows 10 Pro |
Exterior |
Dimensions: Laptop: 9.14 x 12.3 x 0.51-0.90 inches (232.1 x 312.3 x 13.0-22.8 mm) Tablet only: 8.67 x 12.3 x 0.30 inches (220.2 x 312.3 x 7.7 mm)
Weight: Laptop: Non-GPU: 3.34 lbs. (1515 g), GPU: 3.48 lbs. (1579 g) Tablet only: 1.6 lbs. (726 g)
Mechanical features: Magnesium body, Dynamic Fulcrum Hinge, One-button Muscle Wire detach mechanism Color: Silver Physical clipboard buttons: power, volume |
Storage |
Solid-state drive (SSD) PCIe 3.0: 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB1 |
Display |
Screen: 13.5-inch PixelSense™ Display Resolution: 3000×2000 (267 ppi) Contrast ratio: 1800:1 Aspect ratio: 3:2 100 percent sRGB color, individually calibrated Touch: 10-point multitouch |
CPU |
6th Generation Intel® Core™ i5 or Core™ i7 |
Graphics |
Intel® HD graphics 520 and optional NVIDIA® GeForce® Graphics Processor with dedicated 1GB GDDR5 high-speed memory |
Memory |
8 GB or 16 GB RAM |
Keyboard & Trackpad |
Full-size, integrated backlit keyboard with 1.6mm key travel
Precision trackpad with glass laminated trackpad (7,350 sq. mm) Five-finger contact recognition with full Windows 10 support Subpixel resolution |
Security |
TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security |
Pen |
Surface Pen 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity Magnetic storage |
Network |
802.11ac 2×2 MIMO Wi-Fi wireless networking; IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible Bluetooth 4.0 LE wireless technology |
Battery |
Up to 12 hours battery life for video playback3 |
Cameras |
Windows Hello5 face-authentication camera (front-facing) 8.0MP rear-facing auto-focus camera, with 1080p HD camera 5.0MP front-facing 1080p HD camera |
Audio |
Dual microphones, front- and rear-facing Front-facing stereo speakers with Dolby® audio |
Ports |
Two full-size USB 3.0 Full-size SD™ card reader (UHS-II performance) Surface Connect for power and docking (base and clipboard) Stereo headphones/microphone jack Mini DisplayPort |
Sensors |
Ambient light sensor Accelerometer Gyroscope Magnetometer |
Power supply |
36W power supply with USB charging port 65W power supply with USB charging port (discrete GPU SKU) |
In the box |
Surface Book Surface Pen Power supply Quick Start Guide Safety and warranty documents |
Warranty |
One-year limited hardware warranty6 |
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