Microsoft’s first laptop is like nothing you’ve seen before
''If the Surface Pro is the tablet that can replace your laptop, the Surface Book is the laptop that can replace your tablet.''
SAME LOOK, NEW TRICKS
The Surface Book sets itself apart with its dynamic fulcrum hinge, which makes it possible to detach the display to use as a tablet. It folds into a rounded edge, just like the spine of a novel, using a mechanism that’s similar to a metal watch band. As it curls, it leaves a quarter inch gap between the screen and keyboard at the hinge when closed. It’s an odd look, and it means loose items can wedge between the screen and keys to pose a scratch hazard.
But the strange hinge has a purpose. It lets Microsoft make the keyboard dock lighter, with the hinge acting as stability for the heavier tablet. It also helps the screen sit a little further away from the user in laptop mode, without having to extend the footprint. That means a smaller computer that feels larger once it’s actually in use, and improves the perceived fidelity of the display in laptop mode.
The dock mechanism holds the tablet half in place with “muscle wire,” a cable that expands and contracts when a current is applied to it. While the button was a minor annoyance at first, it became second nature quickly, and worked even when the system was turned off or asleep. It’s also not prone to failing. I was only able to cause an issue once by intentionally lifting one side and leaving the other engaged. It complained for a moment, then released the latch again – no big deal.
Ok, enough about the hinge. What about the rest of the system? It’s built from matte silver magnesium, which is durable and light. It may not be everyone’s style, but the Book’s build quality is supreme. There are no panel gaps to speak of, and no matter how the Book is handled, it feels tough and sturdy. The Book’s design can compete with the best in the business.
PORTS ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN
Connectivity is basically nonexistent on the tablet portion of the Surface Book. The only exceptions are a 3.5mm audio output in the top right corner of the device, which isn’t a great location, as it leaves cords dangling over the keyboard when headphones are attached, and an unadvertised power port on the bottom. We also found the port a little too snug, so plugging a device in, or removing it, means playing tug-of-war with the device.
The Surface Book’s 2-in-1 mechanism is the best that I’ve put hands on yet.
The base of the laptop serves up the connections you’d normally expect from a laptop. On the left side, there are two USB 3.0 ports next to the SD cardSLOT
. Around the right is Mini-DisplayPort and Microsoft’s new power plug. That’s almost the exact set of connections the X1 Yoga and XPS 13 offer, with an important omission: Type-C.
. Around the right is Mini-DisplayPort and Microsoft’s new power plug. That’s almost the exact set of connections the X1 Yoga and XPS 13 offer, with an important omission: Type-C.
USB Type-C, common on competitors, is not found here. The Surface Book has a similar connection layout to the X1 Yoga in that sense. While some may long for the new standard, others will find the individual connections more pertinent, at least until more Type-C accessories roll out. The XPS 13 is the best of both worlds, with the same connections as the Book, but a Type-C plug instead of a dedicated video connection.
The power plug has a few nice features, in that it’s both reversible and magnetic. However, plugging it in can be a bit awkward when the Book is lying flat on a desk, although it’s not as bad as the Vaio’s awkwardly loose power connection. The centerSLOT for the dock connection doubles as a power connection when in tablet form, and is placed well for holding the tablet without getting in the way, but the fact that this works isn’t included in any of the documentation.
for the dock connection doubles as a power connection when in tablet form, and is placed well for holding the tablet without getting in the way, but the fact that this works isn’t included in any of the documentation.TOUCH IS BACK, BABY
The stars of the Surface Book are the touchscreen and stylus, and Microsoft has clearly learned some important lessons from the earlier Surface products. The redesigned pencil feels sturdy, and begs to be used for every task.
Bill Roberson/Digital Trends
The screen can “see” the pen’s tip from as far as half an inch off its surface, so clicking and tapping on objects is simple and responsive. The value of that becomes clear as soon as the pen is picked up. Writing on the screen or drawing in an app is a naturally smooth, flowing experience. While a stylus is often depicted as a tool for artists, it also makes Windows easier to use as a tablet. The operating system still includes fine-grain fonts and icons that are hard to hit with a fingertip.
When you put down the pen, and start using the touchpad, you’ll be just as pleased. It’s big and wide, with a smooth glass touch surface that reads gestures and movements while ignoring light touches deftly. Clicking the integrated buttons offers up a solid action without too much travel, and assuming tap-to-click is off, there won’t be any accidental clicks here.
The keyboard is less compelling. The keys have a distinct, rounded edge to them, with a tall, soft touch. There’s a lot of travel, which leads to them feeling a bit stiff or chalky out of the box, but after some use the feeling fades. A white backlight illuminates the symbol on each key, but depending on the angle, it doesn’t provide full coverage under each letter. Worse, in brightly lit rooms or outside, the backlight makes the keys harder to see. The light matches the chassis color, making the letters blend in. Turning the backlight off actually improves visibility.
THE BOOK’S COVER
The Surface Book’s 13.5-inch 3,000 x 2,000 PixelSense display is unusual because of its 3:2 aspect ratio, which means the screen is taller than usual, relative to its width, than a typical 16:9 laptop. In a way, it’s a blast from the past, as many systems sold a decade ago used the similar 4:3 ratio. Going with 3:2 means that movies will be displayed with significant black bars across the top and bottom, but it’s a better choice for working with documents and productivity apps, as most display data vertically. Adding width doesn’t let the user see more of a Word document, but adding height does.
Of course, there’s more to the display than the aspect ratio. With a maximum brightness of 355 lux, it falls short of only a few of the brightest screens tested, a group that includes the Surface Pro 4.
It’s able to display 91 percent of the sRGB scale, and 70 percent of the AdobeRGB scale – just five percent behind the X1 Yoga – while obtaining an average color difference of 1.05 deltaE. The human eye can only detect a difference of more than one, so the Book is close to perfection. The XPS 13 has a deltaE of almost 2, while both the X1 and Vaio fall below 1.5 without reaching the Book’s stellar marks in other areas.
The redesigned pencil feels sturdy and begs to be touched and used for any task.
The display also achieved an outstanding contrast level of 1440:1, the best we’ve ever recorded from a laptop — with the exception of the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro S’s OLED display — and almost twice its next best competitor, the Vaio. Dark scenes in movies look deep and true, even with the brightness turned up. Vivid colors pop, but stay consistent once they’re on screen. While the modest color gamut takes away from the Book’s performance, it’s an excellent display overall, and a good choice for work or play.
Loud, pleasing speakers are embedded in the outside of the tablet half. There’s a little bit of distortion at maximum volume, but luckily it’s loud enough at half that to fill a medium sized room with sound.
PERFORMANCE
Under the hood our Surface Book review unit boasted the Intel Core i7-6600U, a dual-core chip with a base clock of 2.6GHz, and a Boost clock of 3.4GHz, backed by 16GB of RAM. It also had a 512GB PCIe solid state drive and the optional discrete graphics chip, courtesy of Nvidia.
Both the Core i5 and Core i7 Surface Book beat Microsoft’s goal of overtaking the Apple MacBook 13, and even manage to pull ahead of newer Skylake laptops like the XPS 13 with a Core i5. The XPS 13 with a Core i7 isn’t even that far ahead of the Core i5 Surface Book.
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