What is Microsoft Surface?
Microsoft Surface is a series of whiteboards and touchscreen Windows personal computers developed and designed by Microsoft.
It comprises four generations of 2-in-1 detachable notebooks, hybrid tablets, an all-in-one convertible desktop, and various accessories all with unique features.
The Microsoft Surface series features six main lines of devices:
- The Surface line of hybrid tablets, with optional detachable keyboard accessories, and optional stylus pen.
- The Surface Pro line of professional hybrid tablets, with similar, optional removable keyboard accessories and an optional stylus pen.
- The Surface Laptop – a notebook with a 13.5-inch touchscreen.
- The Surface Book – a notebook with a detachable tablet screen.
- The Surface Studio – a 28-inch all-in-one desktop with a stylus.
- The Surface Hub – a touch-screen whiteboard.
Microsoft offers four Surface device families within its portfolio comprising the Surface Pro, Surface Laptop, Surface Book, and Surface Studio.
The latest to launch is the Surface Book 2, the updated version of the Surface Book, which comes in 13-inch and 15-inch versions.
Surface Book 2 is more expensive than the Surface Laptop, and the Surface Laptop is Microsoft’s first Surface device that doesn’t convert into a tablet.
Surface Book 2 has an excellent touchscreen display though and while it’s not a great business PC it offers an above-average battery life and impressive build quality.
Surface Book 2 is a professional laptop with a ‘touchscreen’ which makes it stand out in the competition.
It’s bigger in size and much more expensive than the Surface Laptop, but Surface Book 2 offers more regarding performance.
Surface Book 2 vs. Surface Laptop? Which one Looks better
Now, we will see the difference between the Surface Book 2 and the Surface Laptop. We will differentiate between the two by their specifications. Here We Go:
Surface Laptop
| Dimensions | 308.1 x 223.27 x 14.48mm, from 1.25kg weight |
| Display | 13.5-inch, PixelSense display; 2256 x 1504 resolution (201ppi) |
| Connections | One USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort, Surface Connect, 3.5mm headphone jack |
| Battery | Up to 14.5 hours |
| Accessories | Surface Arc Mouse, Surface Dock, Surface Dial, Surface Pen |
Microsoft Surface Laptop (Base Model) features the Intel Core i5 processor, coupled with Intel HD Graphics 620, 128GB SSD Hard Drive, and 4GB of RAM which can be expanded up to the Intel Core i7 processor, Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, 1TB SSD Hard disk and 16GB of RAM.
It also has a front-facing camera, and it supports biometric sign-in with Windows Hello facial recognition.
The Surface Laptop user values the ability to work on the go and doesn’t need tonnes of computer power. However, this is not a business PC.
It’s a cross between a MacBook Air and a Chromebook, though it runs sandboxed Windows. The Surface Laptop doesn’t transform into a tablet, but it does have an excellent full touchscreen and a decent battery life.
Surface Book 2
| Dimensions | 312 x 232 x 13mm to 23 mm, from 1.53kg weight |
| Display | 13.5-inch, PixelSense display; 3000 x 2000 resolution (267ppi) |
| Connections | Two USB 3.0, One USB Type-C, Full-size SD card reader (SDXC), Mini DisplayPort, Surface Connect, 3.5mm headphone jack |
| Battery | Up to 17 hours |
| Accessories | Surface Pen, Surface Dial, Surface Dock |
The Surface Book 2 succeeds the original Surface Book, and it is a 2-in-1 convertible device that’s also a professional laptop, thanks to its solid base and a discrete GPU option.
It’s bigger than the Surface Laptop, but it offers more in the performance department.
The Surface Book 2 features the Intel Core i5 processor with dual-core performance, Intel HD Graphics 620, 256GB SSD, and 8GB of RAM, though this is configurable up to the Intel Core i7 processor with quad-core power, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 discrete GPU with 2GB GDDR5 graphics memory, 1TB of SSD and 16GB of RAM.
The top-end 15-inch model features GeForce GTX 1050 and 1060 graphics plus 1TB of SSD storage.
All models have Windows Hello face authentication, a 5-megapixel front camera, an 8-megapixel rear camera, dual microphones, and front-facing stereo speakers with Dolby Audio Premium.
The Surface Book 2 is a high-powered, touchscreen laptop that graphics professionals, in particular, will probably appreciate for work.
It’s the right Surface for anyone who needs a mobile workhouse that’ll last all day, though it isn’t cheap.
So, Should you buy the Surface Laptop or Surface Book 2?
Microsoft now has two premium laptops to choose from. One is the Surface Laptop that is Microsoft’s traditional laptop, and the other is, the Surface Book 2, the 2-in-1 laptop, i.e., it can also be converted into a tablet.
First and foremost thing, what do you need from a device? If you’re already considering a laptop-style device that can be slightly different from other laptops, well, In this case, you must go for the Surface Book 2.
Why? Well, the Surface Book 2 isn’t just a laptop, it can be a tablet too. It’s a 2-in-1 laptop, which turns into a 13.5-inch tablet with the help of a detachable screen and also has pen support.
This allows you to use it more comfortably as compared to the Surface Laptop.
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