14 DAY TRIAL // The Surface Book is the latest (and possibly the last) member of the Surface family that receives an upgrade this year, with Microsoft officially announcing the second-generation model today that introduces a bunch of welcome upgrades.
First and foremost, it’s worth noting that there are only subtle differences in terms of design, so the signature hinge is still there, which is quite a good thing for those who liked this feature. For everyone else, there’s the Surface Laptop launched earlier this year which comes with a more traditional laptop form factor.
But the biggest news today is the introduction of a 15-inch version. Specifically aimed at users who wanted the comfort of a laptop mixed with the hardware capabilities of the Surface Book, the new version comes with specs that clearly give the MacBook a good run for its money.
The 15-inch display has a resolution of 3240x2160 pixels with 260 PPI and it is powered in the top configuration by the eight-generation Intel quad-core i7-8650U chip running at 4.2 GHz in max turbo mode. The CPU is paired with 16GB of RAM and Microsoft is selling the device in with 3 different storage options ranging in between 256GB and 1TB SSD.
The 15-inch Surface Book 2 is great for gaming, as it’s equipped with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 with 6GB graphic memory, but it’s also super-portable and handy for office use as it tips the scales at 4.2 pounds (1.9 kg).
The 13-inch Surface Book 2
The 13-inch Surface Book 2 comes with a 13.5-inch display with 3000x2000 pixel resolution and 267 PPI, and the base model is powered by the seventh-generation dual-core i5 processor with 8GB RAM. The top-of-the-line configuration, however, is powered by the same chip as the 15-inch sibling with 16GB and the same storage options.
This time, the graphics card is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 with 6GB graphic memory, which is available for all models except for the base one, and the weight is 3.62 pounds (1.64 kg).
Both versions come with a 2 USB-A and 1 USB-C port, but also with the Surface connect port, SD card slot, headphone jack, and Bluetooth 4.1. A Windows Hello camera is also available, and so is a backlit keyboard with 1.55mm travel.
The Surface Book 2 will go on sale on November 16 with pricing starting at $1499 for the 13-inch version and at $2499 for the 15-inch configuration. The pre-order program kicks off on November 9.
