Richard Humphreys |
Microsoft’s Surface Book 2 is available to buy online and in retail stores across the UK today.
This second iteration of the device, which can be used as a laptop or tablet by connecting or detaching the keyboard, has up to five times the graphics performance of the original Surface Book, is twice as powerful as the new MacBook Pro and features up to 17 hours of battery life.
“Surface Book 2 removes the barrier between the desktop and the laptop by giving mobile professionals the power of a desktop, the versatility of a tablet, and the freedom of a light and thin laptop in one beautifully designed device,” said Panos Panay, corporate vice president of Microsoft Devices. “Whether you’re a developer, a digital artist, a designer, or an accountant, you can bring your ideas to life anywhere, because Surface Book 2 is a portable powerhouse. We made no compromises building the most powerful Surface laptop ever.”
Featuring 8th Gen Intel Core processors and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 and 1060 graphics options, the Surface Book 2 can be used to run professional software as well as popular games. It comes in two sizes – a 13-inch model weighing just 3.38 pounds, and a 15-inch model that weighs 4.2 pounds.
“The 15-inch version delivers almost seven million pixels – 45% more than the MacBook Pro – giving artists and professionals alike amazing pixel density on an even larger creative canvas,” Panay said. “When you detach [the keyboard] to sketch an idea or watch a video, the Surface Book 2 turns into the world’s thinnest and lightest 8th Gen Intel Core i7 PC, giving customers a powerful portable studio for those who want a single, device that can follow you from concept to sketch to creation.”
Panay unveiled the device for the first time in the UK at Microsoft’s Future Decoded conference in London last month. “Look at how the workplace is changing – how people work every day is changing, where they work is changing,” Panay said during his keynote speech. “In just three years, 50% of the global workforce will be mobile. It’s up to us to create an entirely new world of work for them, and we have to do it simply.
“The Surface Book 2 is every part of Microsoft coming together.”