-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Microsoft Surface Book : A laptop being made - $1499, Oct 26th
- Thread starter wachie
- Start date
- Status
Well... Okay then. :|
Dang. *sigh*
My hesitation was and still is that I don't know which model to get.
GAHGAGHAGKHALGHL so much money
How much mileage do you think this laptop will get? Can I expect to use it for 4–6 years maybe?
So are there any other laptops that are doing what the SB is doing?
How did you manage that?
How did you manage that?
Weirdly on Windows Weekly they were discussing it and didn't seem to see the point. That said, I suspect they were taking a narrow view of the launch. ie. Would someone want to buy a base model, and then upgrade to the dGPU later? While still a viable question IMO, I can see an argument that it would be a pretty niche situation. Why not just wait an extra month or two to save up for the one you want?
Where this becomes an important question is longer term. If, like Surface Pro, this is going to be an annual or bi-annual update cycle ... would they then offer the (presumably) updated dGPU base separately for owners of the previous model. I would certainly hope so. Unfortunately that sort of longer term question is not something MS likes to answer in general.
I suspect they will do this - it makes sense both logically, and matches how they're handling Surface upgrades
The Abominable Snowman
Member
I would've been beyond happy with just a 950m. If it's indeed based on the 960m, color me impressed. Guess I'll start saving.
1GB doesn't bother me tooo much. Narrower fov should fix any issue. And with 980s coming to laptops now, you can invest in one of those instead for enthusiast gaming.
1GB doesn't bother me tooo much. Narrower fov should fix any issue. And with 980s coming to laptops now, you can invest in one of those instead for enthusiast gaming.
Vinsanity.
Member
Who is he and why would he know?
sorry I thought he worked for MS but apparently not!
Jesus, Greg.
Was able to play with one today at the MS store. Beautiful piece of hardware, coming from someone who has been unable to be satisfied with any Windows OEM and been running native Windows on my rMBP for 2 years now. It really does feel like a premium product, the keyboard part has no flex, and the keyboard itself I would rate about a 9/10 if a MBP were rated 10/10. It definitely is a bit top heavier than any other laptop you'll have used. The tablet portion is also very very light and I can see myself using both laptop and tablet mode equally.
Kibbles
Member
Forbes impressions are weird. Why are they comparing it to a iPad Pro when even the Surface Pro 4 outclasses it? I really don't see the appeal and why people keep bringing up the iPad Pro when talking about these devices. iOS can't compete with full windows and the devices are totally different... >_>
http://www.forbes.com/sites/brookec...ook-still-a-tablet-with-a-great-big-keyboard/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/brookec...ook-still-a-tablet-with-a-great-big-keyboard/
The Microsoft Surface Book is a big, brawny tablet with a massive weight-balancing keyboard.
That’s my singular impression after trying out Microsoft’s newest take on the tablet-laptop hybrid. But maybe most importantly it has solved the No.1 problem plaguing past Surface products: it can be used in your lap, just like a laptop.
Tablet vs. laptop: Needless to say, I tried typing with the Surface Book in my lap and indeed it behaved like a laptop. That’s no small design feat with a 13.5-inch display that itself weighs 1.6 pounds (replete with electronics behind the screen). The whole package weighs over 3.3 pounds. Microsoft’s “dynamic fulcrum hinge” does a good job of keeping things steady: poke or press on the screen and it won’t lose its balance and tip over backward (that’s why a kickstand is sine qua non for the other Surface products). But, overall, it still feels like a tablet with a keyboard accessory. That said, the tablet itself (sans keyboard) is the best Microsoft has made yet. Detached from the keyboard base, it’s remarkably light for its size and the 6-million-pixel display is stunning.
Keyboard base: This is one roomy keyboard. It’s the largest keyboard I’ve ever seen on a hybrid. I could type rapidly on it almost immediately. That’s a good sign. The trackpad is also spacious (Sorry, I’m running out of adjectives). The upshot: be prepared for a keyboard that’s very different than Surface tablet keyboards to date.
iPad Pro rival? The Surface Book will surely be compared by reviewers, consumers, and businesses to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. I haven’t had a chance to use the iPad Pro yet but I can say that in corporate accounts across America the Surface Book will offer stiff competition to any large-screen tablet or hybrid rival. Of course, Windows 10 vs. iOS and Intel vs. Apple A series chips also comes into play. But consumers, I think, will have a hard time warming to the Surface Book due to its starting price: $1,499 — and have an easier time with the the iPad Pro, which starts at $799 plus $129 for Apple’s Smart Keyboard.
Yeah why would it be compared to an iPad Pro? Microsoft directly stated that it is designed to rival the Macbook Pro. The Surface Pro line is designed to rival iPads.
TurtleSnatcher
Member
This Forbes guy went into a Microsoft store like half of us and is posting impressions as if he had one to use for personal use.
The freaking picture is from the MS Store display next to a phone...
The freaking picture is from the MS Store display next to a phone...
The Abominable Snowman
Member
Its hard to tell. I have a cardboard sign thats painted like a gift box that says "Fabulous" hanging from the ceiling in front of a giant indoor glass panel in my home too...
Probably because of the tablet?
A lot of Forbes contributor articles are garbage, they let almost anyone post stuff on the site.
BeforeU
Oft hope is born when all is forlorn.
Even Surface pro is targeted towards MacBook Air. Not iPad Pro
Man are all Forbes Articles this fucking bad? Read the whole thing and it was like a hhighschool students preview of a product he has no knowledge about.
Forbes really shouldn't be given the time of day, they're literally just a glorified blog site by this point.
Why did he compare against the Surface Book? Because the Surface Pro 4 is actually cheaper than the iPad Pro:
$900 SP4 m3 128GB + $130 Type Cover = $1,030
$950 iPad Pro 128GB + $170 Smart Keyboard + $100 Apple Pencil = $1,220
Why did he compare against the Surface Book? Because the Surface Pro 4 is actually cheaper than the iPad Pro:
$900 SP4 m3 128GB + $130 Type Cover = $1,030
$950 iPad Pro 128GB + $170 Smart Keyboard + $100 Apple Pencil = $1,220
It's my impression that Forbes had like 90% of their budget cut a few years ago but people still pay attention to them because of the brand name. I see on my FB feed all the time stupid top 10 lists and then they have these terrible bloggers releasing uninformed "articles."
I honestly think iPad Pro look like an amazing product for the right person, but the article got everything wrong.
I honestly think iPad Pro look like an amazing product for the right person, but the article got everything wrong.
LeeRoyBrown
Banned
$4200 Australian.
These guys are taking the fucking piss with that price.
For the price. It is absolutely not the best Laptop ever made.
It's a joke.
These guys are taking the fucking piss with that price.
For the price. It is absolutely not the best Laptop ever made.
It's a joke.
TimeEffect
Member
is this a good replacement for very light tablet use?
my mom only really wants a tablet but to just take pics and use for light apps like piano reading.
my mom only really wants a tablet but to just take pics and use for light apps like piano reading.
BeforeU
Oft hope is born when all is forlorn.
No. Get a tablet or entry level Surface Pro 4. With M3/4GB/128GB
This is powerful machine, not meant to be used as tablet only. Infact its designed as a laptop first then tablet.
I would recommend a Surface Pro in that case...the Surface Book is really a laptop, not a tablet.
it might not be the most powerful but I think it's the most unique laptop ever. Build quality of a MacBook Pro, you can use it like a traditional laptop and also it's basically an iPad Pro but with full Windows 10 if you detach the screen.
I can't decide if I want to get this or get a higher spec'd Surface Pro 4 or XPS 13 for the same price as the base Surface Book. All I will really use it for is web browsing, MS Office stuff, note taking at work (SB and SP4 pen usage). Maybe indie games that aren't demanding or older games I missed on PC (would Witcher 1 run ok on i5/8GB ram?).
The thought of giving my mom a tablet that runs windows is making me nervous already.
Get her a simple Nexus tablet or iPad mini, for your own sake.
Just get her an iPad mini.
She'll just waste the tech inside a Surface just for light tablet use.
your usage sounds light enough that you would be fine with either the base SP4 or SB. So just decide if $900 or $1500 is what you want to spend. Is it worth $600 extra to have a laptop form factor and tablet form factor? Screw the Dell, Surface is the future.
I definitely think I prefer the idea of laptop first/tablet second (SB) vs. tablet first/laptop second (SP4). But yeah that's a big price difference in the base models.
I'll be coming over from a 2011 MBP. I haven't ever owned a Windows laptop, actually.
……forgetit
Member
What strange impressions. The Surface book is a Laptop first and a tablet a far second. The Surface pro 4 is the real iPad pro competitor, hell some would argue it's going against the regular Surface 3. The surface book is in the same weight category as the Macbook Pro.
for what it's worth, I've been a Mac user for 10 years and just bought a SP3 this past summer. I love it so much. I would feel totally comfortable switching over to Windows 10 as my only computer.
I actually decided though to keep my 15" MBP, sell my SP3 and get the base SP4 for digital illustration.
Netherscourge
Banned
Yuck, 1GB of VRAM...
Is that for all the dGPU models?
Does the $2700 Surface book also have 1GB GDDR5 ram? Or does that have more RAM?
BeforeU
Oft hope is born when all is forlorn.
Only 1 dGPU option. Its actually a lot better than high end MacBook Pro dGPU
sooperkool
Member
It costs about the same as a MBP, all you would have to do is ask. I could get any laptop that I wanted within budget and that is like 2500ish.
I am excited about the switch. I actually just went ahead and placed a pre-order for i5/128GB SurfaceBook on Amazon. I may decide to cancel it and wait for some reviews/impressions, but why not.
Open for pre-orders in the US store again but it's shipping in 5-6 weeks (late Nov, early Dec):
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Surface-Book/productID.325716000
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Surface-Book/productID.325716000
BeforeU
Oft hope is born when all is forlorn.
Good. "sold out" pre order item is fucking dumb. You always push the date back. And ramp up your production. This is how Apple does it too.
LordOfChaos
Member
Checking them both off here (370X for MBP) does show a huge difference. Almost double in some benchmarks. Though with half the VRAM.
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Graphics-Cards-Benchmark-List.844.0.html
I think at the resolutions you'd be using with these mobile GPUs 1GB may be ok for now so double the performance with half the VRAM may be worth it (you're still not running 3000x2000 on native, but 1500x1000 probably), but 2 would definitely be nice to feel comfortable about the next two years at least.
This also makes it even weirder for me that Apple used this ancient GCN 1.0 part with such low perf/watt, when something like what Microsoft used would fit in the power draw with double the performance. I think the only thing is AMD cutting razor thin margin deals. It's also pretty crappy of Apple to cite an up to 70% gaming (some people found that much in compute, but not gaming) improvement over the 750M when it turned out to be 5-15% if that.
http://arstechnica.com/apple/2015/0...e-2015-15-inch-retina-macbook-pro-reviewed/2/
I almost couldn't believe it, usually Apples "up to" numbers are optimistic but somewhat realistic, if they say 70 I assume 50, but going from 70 to 5 is crazy.
Dont let this happen.
soxinthebox
Member
What is it with old people using tablets for photos...
LordOfChaos
Member
Seems way overkill for that. 1500 dollars for taking pictures and reading music? I'd look at the Surface not-pro 3 (500 dollars) or iPad Mini maybe.
The Faceless Master
Member
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/productID.325716000
1TB version up now for pre-order
1TB version up now for pre-order
This is good advice. I got my mom a Surface, only to replace it with an iPad mini. iPads are by far the best option in terms of pure tablets. Only get your mom a Surface device if she wants to replace her laptop.
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
- Locked