Microsoft Says Its New Surface Book 2 is Twice as Powerful as Latest MacBook Pro

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Microsoft today introduced the Surface Book 2, the second generation of its high-end notebook and tablet hybrid.

surface book 2 duo
The new Surface Book 2 is equipped with Intel's latest eighth-generation Core processors, up to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 graphics, up to 16GB of RAM, and up to 17 hours of battery life based on video playback.

Microsoft says those tech specs make the Surface Book 2 up to five times more powerful than the original Surface Book, and twice as powerful as the latest MacBook Pro, but it didn't specify which configurations.

surface book 2 vs macbook pro
Microsoft's comparisons to its primary competitor didn't end there. On its website, it said the Surface Book 2 has 70 percent more battery life than the latest MacBook Pro, which lasts up to 10 hours on a single charge.

The new Surface Book 2 is available with a 13.5-inch or 15-inch display that can be detached from the keyboard and used as a tablet. The display can also be folded or reattached in Studio Mode or View Mode.

Microsoft added that the Surface Book 2 has 45 percent more pixels than the latest MacBook Pro. The 15-inch model has a resolution of 3240x2160 pixels, good for 267 PPI, while the 15-inch MacBook Pro is 2880x1800 and 220 PPI.

The notebook is equipped with two USB 3.1 ports, one USB-C port, a full-size SD card slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It also has a proprietary SurfaceConnect port that allows a Surface Dock to be connected.

surface book 2 side view
Surface Dock, available separately for $199, has two Mini DisplayPorts, one Gigabit Ethernet port, four USB 3.0 ports, and one audio out port.

As a Windows PC, the Surface Book 2 will be compatible with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update released today.

Surface Book 2 starts at $1,499 for the 13.5-inch model with a Core i5 processor, Intel HD Graphics 620, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage. More powerful 13.5-inch configurations are available for up to $2,999.


The 15-inch model starts at $2,499 with a Core i7 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 graphics, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage. More powerful 15-inch configurations are available for up to $3,299.

Surface Book 2 pre-orders begin November 9 on Microsoft's website and at its retail stores in the United States and select other countries. Deliveries will begin when the device launches November 16.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro 16"
Tags: Microsoft, Surface Book
Buyer's Guide: 16" MacBook Pro (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: MacBook Pro

Top Rated Comments

Luap Avatar
Luap
48 months ago
But you still have to run a dogs breakfast of an OS on it.
Score: 178 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ma2k5 Avatar
Ma2k5
48 months ago
But you still have to run a dogs breakfast of an OS on it.
I find it amusing how someone could treat Windows as such as POS OS, when it's powering so many businesses (particularly financial services) responsible for trillions upon trillions.

The OS isn't that complicated, or rubbish - and let's not pretend macOS is some kind of perfect OS either.
Score: 99 Votes (Like | Disagree)
littyboy Avatar
littyboy
48 months ago
But you still have to run a dogs breakfast of an OS on it.
Windows has come a long way. It's a lot better than what people think.
Score: 78 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Scott6666 Avatar
Scott6666
48 months ago
Looks to me like the same price as their MBP counterparts. Does that mean we can stop bitching about Apple's prices being too high?
Score: 62 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Santabean2000 Avatar
Santabean2000
48 months ago
Sounds awesome. But it runs Windows...

[Actually, Windows isn't half too bad these days o_O]
Score: 60 Votes (Like | Disagree)
prowlmedia Avatar
prowlmedia
48 months ago
Thankfully, they got rid of that stupid accordion looking hinge.
You mean that hinge in the first photo?
Score: 51 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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