Microsoft unveiled a wide range of devices today that represent "the next chapter," of devices designed for Windows 10. As well as the highly anticipated Surface Pro 4 tablet, Microsoft surprised us with a 2-in-1 called the Surface Book. This is very similar, in form, to the popular ASUS Transformer, and newer Acer Aspire Switch and Toshiba Click.
Surface Pro 4
Microsoft's Surface Pro 4 has advanced in all the ways that most users would desire. It's boasted to be "thinner, lighter and faster," than any previous generation of Surface tablet. According to Microsoft it's up to 30 per cent faster than the Surface Pro 3. The larger screen fits into a thinner device that has the same footprint as the previous Surface Pro 3.
- Uses processors from the Intel Skylake family, including Core i5, i7 chips
- M3: Intel HD graphics 515, i5: Intel HD graphics 520, i7: Intel Iris graphics
- Up to 16GB of memory
- Up to 1TB of storage
- 12.3-inch PixelSense display boasting 5 million pixels (2736 x 1824), 267ppi, Gorilla Glass 4, 10 point multi-touch
- 8MP rear camera, 5MP front facing camera
- Stereo Dolby speakers
- 292.10mm x 201.42mm x 8.45mm
- Up to 9 hours battery life
- Weighs about 780g depending upon processor choice
- Redesigned "laptop class" keyboard that is thinner, with greater key separation but compatible with existing keyboards, integrates a 40 per cent larger trackpad
- Stylus with interchangeable tips, parallax correction, palm detection and over 1,000 levels of pressure sensitivity, all-year battery life, available in five colours
The new keyboard has an integrated fingerprint reader (US only). Pre-orders start tomorrow (that's the 7th October), with orders fulfilled and general retail availability from 26th October onwards. Pricing starts at $899.
Surface Book
Microsoft headlines the Surface Book as "the ultimate laptop," and goes as far as claiming this is the "fastest 13-inch laptop ever made anywhere on any planet". As I mentioned in the intro, it uses the now familiar click-in type mechanism to switch between traditional clamshell laptop and tablet modes. The dynamic fulcrum hinge looks pretty unique in its segmented concertina like movement. Like the similar form laptops mentioned in the intro you can attach the screen back-to-front for so-called presentation and tent modes.
- Uses processors from the Intel Skylake family, including Core i5, i7 chips
- i5: Intel HD graphics 520, i5/i7: Nvidia GeForce GPU
- Up to 16GB on memory
- Up to 1TB of storage
- 13.5-inch PixelSense Display with 6 million pixels (3000 x 2000) and 267 dpi, 10 point multi-touch
- Nvidia GeForce GPU with GDDR5 memory
- 8MP rear camera, 5MP front facing camera
- 2x USB 3.0, full sized SD card slot
- Stereo Dolby speakers
- 5-point multi-touch trackpad with backlit keyboard with 1.6mm key travel
- Magnesium alloy construction
- Screen attaches and detaches using innovative 'muscle wire' lock
- The thinnest and lightest Core i7 2-in-1 (weighs 1.5Kg including keyboard)
- 312.3mm x 232.1mm x 13.0 - 22.8mm
- Surface pen and touchscreen input
- Battery life up to 12 hours
Pre-orders start tomorrow (that's the 7th October), with orders fulfilled and general retail availability from 26th October onwards. Pricing starts at $1,499 for the 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Core i5, Intel HD graphics version, going up to $2,699 for a model with 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD and an Nvidia GPU.
Are HEXUS readers impressed by Microsoft's latest Surface Pro and its first ever laptop, the Surface Book?
