We've had 10 long years of Surface tablets, laptops, PCs, and phones. The product line is in a completely different place than it was when the Surface RT was first announced in 2012. In fact, the first Surface RT is considered by many to be a huge failure, leading to an almost billion dollar write-down before the Surface 2 was even announced.

So, that got us wondering, what have been the highs and lows of the Surface line over the last 10 years? Surface RT wasn't the only low point for the Surface brand, but there's also been great moments from other Surface devices that stand out above the rest. Here's our roundup of Surface products that we think mark the highest, lowest and mixed points of the Surface brand.

Surface RT: Low

It all started with the Surface RT, which ended up being a monumental failure for Microsoft at the time. With a $900 million write down not a year after launch, Microsoft bet big on the wrong product, but was it the software or hardware that let down this device?

Surface RT is the product that started it all for Microsoft. It’s the device that laid the foundation for the Surface Pro we have today. At the time, both the hardware and software were lacking. The 2-in-1 hadn’t yet proven itself, and the Windows RT platform was destined for failure from the beginning.

But the hardware did show promise. The product was praised for its incredible magnesium design, tight fit and finish, and super thin chassis. The kickstand was likened to that of a “luxury car door” and the colorful Type Cover accessories that launched alongside it made the device feel personal and productive.

But ergonomically, Microsoft hadn't yet nailed the fundamentals. Surface RT spawned the term "lapability," which was introduced because the Surface RT's kickstand and type cover design lead to an unstable typing experience when sitting the device on your lap to use as a laptop.

The Surface Pro that was announced alongside the Surface RT was a thicker and heavier alternative, with poor battery life and a much higher price tag. It was a "less-sexy" version of the Surface RT, but because it ran full Windows 8 and was compatible with all Windows apps, it was the device of choice for most people.

Microsoft only released one more ARM-based Windows RT product, that being the Surface 2 a year later in 2013. After that, the company switched to x86 with the Surface 3, and wouldn't return to the ARM architecture until Surface Pro X in 2019.

Surface Pro 3: High

It’s widely agreed that the Surface form factor didn’t hit its stride until the launch of the Surface Pro 3 in 2014. This was the first big design change for the product line, shifting from a 16:9 display and two-stage kickstand to a much larger 3:2 display and friction-hinge that allowed for positioning at any angle.

This was the point where for many, the Surface Pro form factor became a viable Windows PC. Before this, the Surface Pro line was a thick tablet with poor battery life that was too small to truly use as a laptop. The Surface Pro 3’s larger 12.-inch display, paired with improvements to the kickstand and keyboard cover propelled Surface from failure to success, and fixed most of the lapability issues that plagued the first few Surface devices.

In fact, this design would prove so popular amongst users that Microsoft ended up keeping its design with minimal changes for 7 whole years, right up to the Surface Pro 7+ which launched in January 2021. It certainly stood the testament of time. Compared to the Surface Pro 1 and Surface Pro 2, it was thin, light, portable, and much more fun to use.

As mentioned, Microsoft would make minor tweaks to this design over the next 7 years. The Surface Pro 4, which launched a year later in 2015, increased its display size by 0.3-inches and introduced Windows Hello facial recognition, something we take for granted on the Surface line today.

Then, with the Surface Pro 5, which launched two years later in 2017 (and was simply dubbed "Surface Pro" at the time) debuted with slightly rounded edges on the chassis. The final major change made to this Surface Pro design was the inclusion of a removable SSD with the Surface Pro 7+. 

Ultimately, this design was a winner for Microsoft and the Surface line as a whole. One could say the success of Surface Pro 3 is a big reason why Microsoft is still shipping new Surface products every year, and expanding its portfolio with new form factors too. Surface Pro is the money-maker, and it started with the Surface Pro 3.

Surface Book: Mixed

The Surface Book is a hard one to rank. To many, it’s one of Microsoft’s more unique and exciting products to date. When it was announced, it was unveiled in a way that built hype like no other product I’ve seen.

It was revealed as a laptop, and was demoed on stage as a laptop. But at the very end of the presentation, Microsoft decided to drop a “one more thing” moment and pull the screen away from the keyboard base. It’s a tablet too?! Just magical.

But the launch of the Surface Book was anything but smooth. The product launched with severe firmware issues thanks to the buggy launch of Intel’s Skylake chips, which led to overheating, thermal throttling, and battery draining even when the Surface Book was “off” in a bag.

Microsoft had much more success with the Surface Book 2, but it became clear soon after that this design was going to limit the kind of power Microsoft could put into it. Surface Book never shipped with more than an Ultrabook class processor, because the design and thermals simply wouldn’t allow for it.

As a result, power users looking for a Surface that had more guts in the CPU department were forced to look elsewhere, as the Surface Book couldn’t deliver that kind of power at a sustainable rate. The product design was flawed from the beginning. A cool concept no doubt, but it wasn’t able to deliver the level of power many customers expected from a flagship Surface laptop.

This came to a head with the Surface Book 3, which received mixed reviews from people who wanted a true laptop workstation, but were let down by the anemic laptop-class CPU. 

Surface Book was a beautiful product, but was flawed from a design perspective, as it was thermally limited and didn't pack enough oomph for the power users it was designed for.

Surface Studio: High

Surface Studio is an interesting one. It’s a one-of-a-kind PC for sure. You still cannot find an all-in-one on the market that offers what the Surface Studio offers from a form factor and design perspective. It has a beautiful 28-inch touchscreen display, a clean design, the ability to move between upright and drafting positions, and supports pen too. 

It’s a beautiful product that I'd go so far to say is Microsoft's best looking Surface to date, but it's one that I wish Microsoft would iterate on further with future versions. It has the potential to be great, but each one has launched with semi-outdated specs so far.

Surface Studio 1 launched with a 6th-generation laptop processor, which just didn’t have the guts to deliver true flagship AiO power. The Surface Studio 2 launched a couple of years later with an outdated 7th-generation laptop chip, which again, wasn’t enough for power users looking for a flagship desktop PC from Microsoft.

I'm marking the Surface Studio as a high because it truly is a one-of-a-kind product, and I'm still using a Surface Studio 2 to this day, even with its very aged CPU and GPU. 

The next Surface Studio needs to launch with a beefier CPU, modern GPU options, and most importantly, the ability to use its displays with other devices. That would prolong the shelf life of this beautiful panel.

Surface Laptop: High

By 2017, Microsoft had been shipping 2-in-1 PCs for a handful of years, but there's was a huge chunk of the PC market that simply doesn't want a 2-in-1 computer. Some prefer a traditional clamshell style laptop, and Microsoft delivered just that with the Surface Laptop.

The Surface Laptop is an interesting product for the Surface line, as it’s the only Microsoft PC that isn’t trying to push a unique form factor experience. It’s a literal laptop, competing head-to-head with the likes of a MacBook Air or Dell XPS 13. Its only unique aspect is that it can be configured with an Alcantara keyboard deck, something I haven’t seen offered on any other laptop to date.

It also launched with Windows 10 in S mode, a failed attempt at locking down the Windows platform to the Microsoft Store. Luckily, you could switch out of S mode with ease.

Surface Laptop's design was so iconic, Microsoft continues to use it to this day with the Surface Laptop 4. The only notable design change in the last five years is with the keyboard deck, where Microsoft introduced metal keyboard deck options alongside Alcantara with the Surface Laptop 3. It also increased the size of the trackpad, and launched a 15-inch version. 

Some would look at the Surface Laptop and consider it a "low" for the Surface line, as it doesn't try to be unique like other Surface products are. But, I'd argue it's a high because it marked the moment that the Surface brand became solidified as more than just an experiment. This is a product line that's here to stay, and I feel the Surface Laptop marked that moment for Microsoft.

Surface Pro X: Mixed

Surface Pro X was a glimpse of the future for the Surface Pro line. At the time of its announcement in 2019, the Surface Pro had been rocking the same design for five years, and critics were getting a little tired of it. So, with the Surface Pro X, Microsoft unveiled an all-new design that offered a preview of what's to come for the main Surface Pro line from a design perspective.

It was super thin, light, and featured a larger 13-inch display and new Type Cover and Pen accessories built specifically for this new design. Externally, it was a much nicer looking Surface Pro, but it was what's on the inside that drops this product down from a "high" to a mixed.

Surface Pro X was powered by a custom Snapdragon 8cx processor, known as the SQ1. It was Microsoft's first custom ARM processor with built-in LTE, but it came at the cost of performance. Surface Pro X launched with Windows 10 on ARM, which ran most apps in an emulation later, and was completely incompatible with x64 applications.

Surface Pro X was a mixed bag because it was a beautiful product that was held back by the infancy of its silicon and platform. Today, Windows on ARM is in a much better place, with support for x64 apps and upcoming more powerful chips that will runs apps in emulation with better performance. 

In fact, I'd go so far to say the Surface Pro X launched as a low, but has transformed itself into a high thanks to Windows 11, and is only going to get better later this year with the launch of a new Surface Pro X with updated silicon. 

Surface Duo: Mixed

Ah, yes. The Surface Duo. Interestingly, the launch of this product went similarly to that of the Surface Book. It was unveiled on stage to much fanfare as a “one more thing” moment, but when it actually hit store shelves, buyers realized this product was not ready for prime time.

The Surface Duo was plagued with very buggy software right out of the gate, and it would take Microsoft more than 12 months to get the device to a point where one would consider it stable enough for everyday use.

Surface Duo 2 came along and fixed many of the original Surface Duo’s shortcomings, including better cameras and displays, 5G, a flagship processor, and NFC. I’ve been using a Surface Duo 2 as my primary phone since it launched, and I absolutely love it.

Just like the Surface Pro X, the Surface Duo line shipped as a low, but has transformed into a high for the Surface brand. It’s a great product that I'd be happy to recommend to any tech fans looking to try something new to replace their smartphone. 

Surface Neo: Low

Surface Neo was announced right alongside the Surface Duo, except the Surface Neo never actually shipped. There’s probably good reason for that, but this is certainly a low point for the brand, as it’s an example of Microsoft failing to deliver a product that it thought it could make. Going so far as to announce it to the world, only to cancel those plans just half a year later doesn't look very good.

Microsoft could still ship the Surface Neo at some point, but it definitely won't be shipping with the dedicated version of Windows they announced alongside it. Windows 10X was designed for dual-screen PCs in mind, but that OS was scrapped in favor of Windows 11, and the dual-screen PC idea was put on ice.

I have a feeling Microsoft would like the world to forget the Surface Neo even happened.

Surface Laptop Studio: High

The Surface Laptop Studio is Microsoft’s attempt at fixing the Surface Book. It was designed by the Surface Book team, and is the replacement to the Surface Book line. In almost every regard, it fixes the big issues that the Surface Book had. It has a beefier CPU, a better GPU, good battery, and a high-refresh rate screen.

It still maintains that 2-in-1 convertible functionality, albeit not as a detachable display. The Surface Laptop Studio’s display can be pulled forward into a Studio mode, which allows for use of the pen when required, but without sacrificing on thermals or CPU power.

While there’s something to be said about the design of the Surface Book, the Surface Laptop Studio is the better product from a functionality perspective.

What do you think?

So those are our picks for high and low moments throughout the Surface line's lifecycle. It's been a rollercoaster for sure, but that's what makes Surface so fun. A lot of what Microsoft puts out into the world is experimental and new, so there's bound to be teething issues along the way. But often enough, the company is able to ship great products that really do push the boundaries in design and form factor.

Here's to the next 10 years of Surface! 

Your Microsoft Surface Book 2 is a fantastic Ultrabook as is, but a few accessories could make your life easier. Whether you're looking for a new way to play games, a little protection for the body, or some new headphones, these are the best accessories for Surface Book and Surface Book 2.

If we're picking some accessories

All of the above accessories can complement your Surface Book or Surface Book 2, but if we're picking a few to get started, stick with the Surface Pen for an excellent inking experience. You'll be able to use it with just the tablet or while connected as a complete laptop, and its 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt support offer a natural feel.

To add some storage to the Surface Book 2 without risk of seeing your SD card damaged, the BaseQI microSD adapter can be used. You pop a microSD card into the adapter before inserting it into the side of the Surface Book 2, where it sits flush. It's practical, it's affordable, and it's the best way to add some space to a laptop that's not easily upgraded.

What you need to know

• Several Surface devices just received their May 2021 firmware update.
• These include the Surface Laptop Go, Surface Book, and Book 3.
• The changes are minor and mostly pertain to stability and security fixes.

May 2021's firmware update for the Surface Book, Surface Book 3, and Surface Laptop Go is here. It's nothing exciting; just an assortment of minor stability and security tweaks, as well as some pedestrian tweaks such as improved battery reporting for the Surface Laptop Go. Here are some of the patch logs for each:

Surface Book 3

• 27.21.14.6140: Addresses display flicker issues and improve graphics stability (display adapters).
• 22.30.0.11: Addresses critical security vulnerabilities and improves connection stability (network adapters).
• 6.1.137.0: Improves stability when connected to an external display via Surface Dock 2.

Surface Book

• 1.62.321.1: Addresses security updates and improves system stability (software component).
• 92.3681.768.0: Addresses security updates and improves system stability (firmware).

Surface Laptop Go

• 8.16.140.0: Improves USB 2.0 stability and device reliability (firmware).
• 9.54.139.0: Improves device stability by addressing critical bugcheck (hub driver).

The full firmware logs can be found in the embedded links up above. And if you're not already an owner of one of these products (in which case, what brought you here?) and you want to learn more about the devices, check out our reviews, such as our Surface Book 3 review.

What you need to know

• A Microsoft Surface Book allegedly stopped a bullet that was shot through an apartment floor.
• An image shows what appears to be a bullet hole going through the trackpad and into the screen.
• Some question the legitimacy of the story.

The Surface Book 3 is Microsoft's thickest mobile Surface device. It's apparently so thick that it managed to stop a bullet. A viral tweet appeared on October 10, 2020 that appears to show a bullet hole going through a Surface Book. Twitter user Aaron shared the image, which garnered quite a bit of attention over the weekend. According to Aaron, the Surface Book "saved [his] life."

Aaron states that someone shot a bullet through an apartment floor and that the bullet was stopped by a Surface Book. The story seems hard to believe, but crazier things have happened.

Without seeing the apartment building in question and the exact scene of the incident, it's difficult to discern how feasible the story is.

Aaron also shared an image of a bed that was also allegedly affected by the gunshot.

Whether a Surface Book really stopped a bullet is uncertain, but we're fairly certain that a Chromebook couldn't block a bullet.

What do you think of the story? Do you think a Surface Book really stopped a bullet? Let us know in the comments below. Also, please do not test if the Surface Book is bulletproof. Doing so could result in serious injury or death.

What you need to know

• New firmware updates are available for a handful of Surface devices today.
• The latest updates cover Surface Book, Surface Book 2, Surface Pro 5, and Surface Pro 6.
• All of the updates are focused on security and reliability, and they're available now via Windows Update.

Microsoft released another set of firmware updates for a handful of Surface devices today. Included in these updates are the first- and second-generation Surface Books, along with Surface Pro 5 and Surface Pro 6. While there's nothing major included here, there are updates related to reliability and stability across the board.

If you're using a Surface Book or Surface Book 2, you'll see similar updates related to the NVIDIA display adapter. Here's a look:

Meanwhile, the update for the Surface Pro 5 brings improvements for battery smart charging reliability.

Finally, if you're using a Surface Pro 6, you'll see a pair of updates related to the battery and stability during hibernation.

All of these updates are available to download now via Windows Update for devices that are running Windows 10 version 1903 or newer.

What you need to know

• A Microsoft patent shows a design for a laptop featuring an additional drawing space.
• The patent includes designs with an inking space next to the trackpad and on the back of the detachable keyboard.
• As with all patents, these designs may never be used in a device.

A new patent by Microsoft shows off a potential Surface Book featuring additional inking spaces (via WindowsUnited). The patent includes designs with a digital inking space next to the trackpad and on the back of the detachable keyboard. The device illustrated in the patent appears similar to a Surface Book.

Patent number WO 2019/231647 A1 was filed on May 13, 2019 but was only published today. Its summary describes how the additional inking spaces could work,

The patent includes two different ways to incorporate an inking space. First, as shown in the image above, a laptop could have a dedicated inking space next to the trackpad. Second, as shown in the image below, the inking space could be housed on the back of a detachable keyboard. This second option would provide more space to use for inking but could affect a laptop's durability.

As with all patents, these designs might never be used in a product. They do illustrate that Microsoft is trying to think of new ways to maximize the utility of devices.

What you need to know

• Some Surface users can't connect to 5GHz networks following a recent update.
• The Surface Laptop, Surface Book, and Surface Pro 5th Gen seem to be affected by the issue.
• The update that seems to have caused the issue was supposed to improve Wi-Fi.

Several Surface users have reported that they can no longer connect to 5GHz networks following a recent update. Users on a Microsoft Answers forum and a Reddit thread say they've run into the issue (via Windows Latest). The Surface Laptop, Surface Book, and Surface Pro 5th Gen are reportedly affected.

According to both posts, a user updated their Wi-Fi driver to "Marvell Semiconductor, Inc. – Net – 15.68.17013.110." Following the update, they couldn't connect to 5GHz networks on their Surface Book. Uninstalling the driver seemed to fix the issue and reinstalling the update seems to cause it again. Other users have chimed in saying they face the same issue on their Surface devices, including the Surface Laptop, Surface Book, and Surface Pro 5th Gen.

The extent of the issue is not yet determined. It seems to only affect a subset of Surface users, even on affected devices. Microsoft has not issued a response to the issue at time of publication.

Our favorite Surface accessories from Microsoft

Every one of these valuable Surface accessories is Windows Central Approved and guaranteed to please.

Surface Precision Mouse ($77 at Amazon)

The Surface Precision Mouse is not only one of favorite Surface accessories, it's one of our favorite mice for any PC. It's packed with valuable features and customizable buttons. Its scrolling and tracking are seamless and spot-on. And it's rechargeable so you never have to buy new batteries for it.

Surface Pen (From $72 at Amazon)

Every Surface owner needs this Pen. Period. It supports 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, tilt support for shading density, and enjoys supremely low latency. When paired with a Surface PC, the potential is endless. And it comes in a bunch of cool colors.

Surface Dock ($136 at Amazon)

With two Mini DisplayPorts, four USB-A 3.0 ports, an Ethernet port, and a 3.5mm audio jack, this dock gives you the ports you need to stay connected to all your favorite devices. Plus, it easily turns your Surface into a desktop power hub. We highly recommend it.

What you need to know

• June 2019 firmware updates are available for the Surface Book and Surface Laptop.
• The update "resolves potential security vulnerabilities."
• The update is rolling out to devices on Windows 10 version 1803 or greater.

Firmware updates are available for the Surface Book 2, Surface Book, Surface Laptop 2, and Surface Laptop (via WindowsBlogItalia). The June 2019 set of updates has a short changelog that's virtually identical across all of the devices receiving it.

• Surface Book 2- 389.2706.768.0 resolves potential security vulnerabilities, including Microsoft security advisory 190013.
• Surface Book- 91.2706.768.0 resolves potential security vulnerabilities, including Microsoft security advisory 190013.
• Surface Laptop 2- 137.2706.768.0 resolves potential security vulnerabilities, including Microsoft security advisory 190013.
• Surface Laptop- 137.2706.768.0 resolves potential security vulnerabilities, including Microsoft security advisory 190013."

You can always check Microsoft's Surface update history page to stay up to date on all of the updates available for every Surface device.

Portable (and affordable) power accessories we love

Each and every one of these charging gadgets will keep your favorite gear and gadgets going for longer, and none of them costs more than $30.

VisionTek 8,000 mAh micro-USB power bank ($13 at Dell)

This compact dual-output powerbank can speedily recharge any and all your devices, thanks to a two-amp "fast charge feature," using its micro-USB out port. Its simple design includes an LED indicator, and it costs about as much as a single ticket to the movies.

Panasonic eneloop AA batteries (From $13 at Dell)

Panasonic's rechargeable batteries are among the best available, and just a couple of them will keep your favorite remote, mice or other peripherals powered up when you need them. They're also eco. And the company's affordable charger fits and charges both AA and AAA batteries at the same time.

Belkin Qi Wireless Charging Pad ($30 at Dell)

This unobtrusive Qi wireless charging pad looks good (and kind of like a UFO …) and easily charges all your Qi-compatible device up to 5W. Its LED indicator lights up when you're charging. And it costs just $30.

Why use a screen protector?

Screen protectors are an incredibly valuable tool in any laptop owner's arsenal because they keep your device's display safe from things like scratches, smudges, and even keyboard prints. When your laptop also has a touchscreen, it's even more important to protect against fingerprint smudges. This is great because most modern laptops cost a pretty penny, and it would be unfortunate for yours to be damaged.

There are two different kinds of screen protectors: plastic and tempered glass. Plastic protectors can be scratched themselves and don't fully cover your screen, but they're cheaper. Tempered glass screen protectors are significantly more resistant to damage and can cover your display fully, but this extra quality also means a higher price. We still recommend tempered glass protectors over plastic ones since it's unlikely you'll ever need to replace them and also because they offer more protection.

How do screen protectors work with touchscreens?

If you're worried about a good screen protector impacting your ability to use the touchscreen on laptops like the Surface Book and Surface Book 2, don't be. While it's true that you won't get perfect functionality as you would without a protector, the decrease in sensitivity is so small that it's hardly noticeable. This is especially true if you're using a Surface Pen for inking.

What are some great Surface Book screen protectors?

If you own a Surface Book device and are curious about which screen protector to choose, our top picks are the MEGOO protector and the Spigen protector.

The MEGOO screen protector is an excellent product for Surface Book devices for multiple reasons. One of them is that it uses a special type of adhesive glue to attach to the screen that effectively pushes out air bubbles, which are annoyances that many screen protector customers struggle to deal with on their own. In addition, the tempered glass used with the MEGOO is of the 9H variety, which is the cream of the crop when it comes to protective capabilities. Lastly, the protector has cutouts for Surface Book's camera, microphone, and speakers, which ensures you won't lose any productivity by using it.

If you've mastered the art of manual air bubble removal, it may be worth it to save a few dollars and opt for the Spigen screen protector instead. The Spigen protector matches the MEGOO protector in most ways: both products use the same 9H glass, have similar cutouts, and fully cover the display of Surface Book devices, but the Spigen lacks the special type of adhesive that the MEGOO protector has and thus its more difficult to handle air bubbles when attaching the Spigen. If that's something you don't mind working around, though, there's no reason not to go with the Spigen protector.

Why use screen protectors?

Screen protectors are incredibly important tools to have because they, as the name suggests, keep your device's display safe from scratches, smudges, and other forms of damage that can occur when your laptop is in a bag with other objects or when you're attempting to wipe something off of the screen. Without them, there's a good chance that you could ruin the display of the laptop you've spent tons of money on, and nobody wants that.

There are two kinds of screen protectors available: plastic and tempered glass. Plastic ones are cheaper, are prone to scratching themselves, and don't cover the entire screen. Tempered glass protectors are extremely scratch resistant and are capable of fully covering your display, but they cost a little more. In general, we recommend using tempered glass over plastic, though both are better than having a naked screen.

The rest of this article suggests our favorite Surface Book and Surface Book 2 screen protectors, so if you don't have that type of laptop, make sure to look up what the top picks are for your device. Because just about every laptop has a slightly different display, you'll need to make sure that you buy the right protector for your notebook PC. A good place to start is by searching Amazon for the name of your PC and "screen protector." MEGOO and Spigen are brands we trust.

What are some great Surface Book screen protectors?

One of the best tempered glass screen protectors available for the Surface Book and Surface Book 2 is the MEGOO screen protector. It uses a special type of adhesive glue that effectively pushes air bubbles out during installation, and the tempered glass is the 9H hardness variety, which is the best in the business for protection. In addition, the protector has cutouts for the camera, speakers, and microphone on your Surface Book device. Lastly, the MEGOO screen protector is fitted with oleophobic coating, which heavily reduces the smudging effect your skin's oil can cause.

If you want to save a few dollars, another fantastic choice is the Spigen screen protector. Like the MEGOO, the Spigen protector uses 9H glass for maximum protection and also has cutouts for the Surface Book's camera, speakers, and microphone. It has a similar oleophobic coating, and there's an option for the 15-inch variety of Surface Book that only costs a dollar more than the standard price of $16. The catch with the Spigen is that it doesn't eliminate air bubbles during installation nearly as well as the MEGOO protector does, so the installation will be much harder.

Toast has made a name for itself with excellent wood skins for Surfaces, MacBooks, and laptops from a wide range of other manufacturers, but it's expanding its horizons with a new stylish material for Surface Book owners: leather. If you can justify the price tag, Toast is now offering $100 leather covers for the whole range of Surface Books, including the original and the Surface Book 2.

In all, there are ten colors to choose from, ranging from a standard scotch finish to more adventurous options like yellow and pink. There are even two metallic finishes to pick from if you're feeling particularly bold.

The $100 price nets you a cover for the rear of the display, but you can also add a hinge cover for an extra $20. a bottom cover and trackpad surround are also available for $60 and $30, respectively. On top of those options, you can add a custom design or custom etched text for $30 and $5, respectively.

In other words, things can get expensive real fast if you want to go all out.

See at Toast

Microsoft recently began rolling out a new round of firmware fixes for the original Surface Book, following those released for several of its Surface siblings over the past month. Overall, the updates focus largely on system stability, but there's also a single update centered on improving graphics performance for devices with discrete GPUs. Also tagging along are two security fixes for issues related to Spectre and Meltdown (via Neowin).

Here's a rundown of all of what's new:

• Intel(R) AVStream Camera 2500 v30.15063.6.6082 improves system stability.
• Intel(R) CSI2 Host Controller v30.15063.6.6082 improves system stability.
• Intel(R) Display Audio v10.25.0.8 improves system stability.
• Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 v24.20.100.6136 improves system stability.
• Intel(R) Imaging Signal Processor 2500 v30.15063.6.6082 improves system stability.
• Intel(R) Management Engine Interface v11.7.0.1057 improves system stability.
• Intel(R) Precise Touch Device v1.2.0.100 improves system stability.
• Intel(R) Serial IO 12C Host Controller v30.100.1725.1 improves system stability.
• Intel(R) Smart Sound Technology (Intel(R) SST) Audio Controller v9.21.0.3347 improves system stability.
• Intel(R) Smart Sound Technology (Intel(R) SST) OED v9.21.0.3347 improves system stability.
• Microsoft Camera Front v30.15063.6.6082 improves system stability.
• Microsoft Camera Rear v30.15063.6.6082 improves system stability.
• Microsoft Control Logic v30.15063.6.6082 improves system stability.
• Microsoft IR Camera Front v30.15063.6.6082 improves system stability.
• NVIDIA GeForce GPU v23.21.13.9140 improves graphics performance.
• Surface Management Engine Firmware v11.8.50.3448 improves system stability.
• Surface UEFI Firmware v91.2289.769.0 resolves potential security vulnerabilities, including Microsoft Security Advisory 180012 and 180013

These updates are only available for Surface Books running the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update or later. If you're still sticking with your original Surface Book, you should be able to pick up these firmware releases now via Windows Update. You can also manually download and install the updates through Microsoft's Download Center.

Newer hardware is always going to be more expensive than previous generations, but usually comes rocking benefits like additional support, more powerful components to name but two advantages. That said, it's usually possible to locate some deals on older generations, including the Surface Book. While the newer Surface Book 2 features better integrated and discrete GPU options, newer processor, and even better battery life is it worth paying out more?

Community member zachthebomb13 is wondering just that ahead of making a purchase decision.

Personally, I'd lean towards the original Surface Book if you're more conscious about pricing and have a strict budget or simply do not rate an additional bump in performance to be worth around $80, taking a slight hit on storage and the GPU. Otherwise, the Surface Book 2 is a more powerful and recent Windows 10 PC, making it a compelling choice. There's no wrong choice since both the Surface Book and Surface Book 2 are excellent machines.

Like zachthebomb13, I'm interested to know which you'd choose so head to our forum and join the conversation.

From the forum: i7 Surface Book or i5 Surface Book 2

Mac and Windows have been a rivalry dating back decades, most famously encapsulated by Apple's somewhat amusing Mac versus PC commercials. It was always said that Windows PCs are built for spreadsheets, can break easily, aren't supported well enough by manufacturers and do not offer a consistent experience. Apple Macs, on the other hand, simply work out the box. Some of this was actually true back in the Windows XP and Vista days, but times have changed and so has Windows.

Microsoft now produces sleek, aluminum-based portable PCs that offer immense performance in a gorgeous form factor, the same goes for vendors like ASUS and HP. The OS has evolved too, offering advanced features like ink and pen support, touch-friendly operation, and even more immersive gaming. I'm going to run through a few reasons why you should at least consider upgrading to a Windows 10-based notebook.

• Related: Surface Pro impressions from a recovering Mac addict
• Switching from Mac to a Windows PC: 10 tips to ease your tech transition

Windows 10

Microsoft has come a long way with Windows over the years. XP was the golden years, Vista brought issues, 7 fixed said problems and 8 completely changed the OS for the worse. Now we have Windows 10, skipping 9 entirely, and things are better than ever. The OS — when installing on an SSD — is blazing fast, especially when booting and waking up from hibernation. It's also super stable.

The OS comes rocking a number of features, including support for Virtual Reality (like macOS) and Windows Mixed Reality — the latter allowing you to bring the desktop experience to life with a compatible headset, running Windows apps in a virtual home. Security has also been improved by Microsoft with Windows 10 and Defender has become quite the package. While it remains true that more vulnerabilities are present for Microsoft's OS, Mac owners aren't safe.

It's an incredibly versitile OS, running on tablets, laptops and powerful desktops. That means it has many usabilitty features ready to go.

An issue with Windows is the design and lack of consistency, mainly in context menus and how software looks. Microsoft is working to address this with the Fluent Design System, which is gradually being rolled out. This will help tie everything together in a sleek-looking package. But until then, you'll have to deal with a few visual issues that wouldn't be experienced with macOS.

Windows 10 isn't perfect, nothing really is, but Microsoft is making strides while Apple seems to be crawling.

Get all your apps

Microsoft added a Store in Windows 8 to allow consumers to purchase and download apps from a centralized location. This allowed for the release of Windows 10 S that restricts access to just the store for installing software, but keeps costs low and improves security for the education sector.

While the store itself may not be perfect (it's far from it), it does mean that macOS users who rely on the App Store can find a replacement and won't need to run through countless installation wizards. Gone are the days when you need to roll out CDs and install ugly software.

Gorgeous on the Surface

Should you be looking to replace an aging MacBook and don't wish to fork out the extra cost introduced in the latest generation, Microsoft has some amazing looking devices. The Surface family of portable PCs include tablets, 2-in-1s, and laptops. The Surface Book is one of our favorite PCs, which offers the best of tablet and notebook worlds. It really is a killer machine.

Purchasing a Windows 10-powered PC from Microsoft (and partner products at the Microsoft Store) will ensure you deal with no bloatware. A clean installation of Windows 10 ready for software and apps to be downloaded and a device that not only sports premium materials like an Apple product but can at times cost a little less while sporting better components. Then you have the Surface Studio, which is a beast for creative individuals.

Attractive third-party hardware

If the Surface line from Microsoft isn't quite what you're looking for, there are a collection of partnered manufacturers who also release Windows 10-powered PCs. Laptops specifically used to come as bulky black slabs that looked horrific when placed next to the MacBook for the day, but vendors like ASUS, Acer, HP and Dell have really stepped up their game to offer some compelling products. Take the stunning XPS 13 laptop as a perfect example of this.

You could even go all out and not purchase an Ultrabook but a machine built for intense workloads. you'd be hard-pressed to find a MacBook that could match something like the MSI GS83VR in raw performance. It has two (yes, two) GTX 1080 GPUs running in SLI, costing around $5,000.

Vendors use different touchpads, keyboards, screens, materials and more. You may prefer the keyboard of a Dell laptop than that of an MSI notebook. The beauty of choice means you can purchase a Windows 10 PC that best matches your requirements, meaning you'll be less likely to endure issues that affect all machines, like that problem MacBook owners are experiencing with the keyboard of more recent MacBook models.

Making all kinds of savings

With Windows 10, there are some serious savings to be had. If you're not after a powerful notebook or PC, nor do you require fancy features like an IR camera that can scan your face and log into Windows or an expensive Core i7 processor, there are some more affordable devices running Microsoft's OS. There are some great little devices that cost you less than $300.

The MacBook can be purchased with an Intel Core m3 processor for a whopping $1,299. The Surface Pro from Microsoft costs just $799 and features the same processor, amount of storage and RAM. It's also made of aluminum. For $1,299 you could upgrade to a Surface Pro model that comes with an Intel Core i5 CPU, 256GB SSD and 8GB RAM, or the HP Omen 15 gaming laptop with an Intel Core i7 CPU, 16GB RAM, GTX 1060 GPU, and a 2TB HDD.

Get your game on

Gaming on macOS was being pushed by Apple a few years ago but it seems the steam has run out in the engine. Oculus Rift still isn't officially supporting Apple's computers but Windows users can enjoy a number of VR-ready titles available on the store. The same goes for normal gaming, which continues to take place on Windows.

Most gamers use Windows to play titles on and developers don't develop games with macOS in mind. This likely won't change because in order to get a Mac computer with enough power, you're looking at well into the thousands. You can build a $700 PC and run The Witcher 3 without issue.

Build your own

You can build really cool-looking Windows 10 PCs. That alone is awesome enough. Not only can you use a computer but you'll learn how to build one, troubleshoot and make upgrades as more powerful components are released. You... can't build your own Mac.

Your reasons

Made the switch from macOS to Windows 10? Let us know what made you upgrade in the comments.

With the Surface Book 2 on the market, Microsoft's original Surface Book may not be the hotshot it once was, but that makes it a prime target for some solid deals. If you don't need the latest and greatest, you can currently pick up a Surface Book from Woot for as low as $849.

You won't be able to pick up whatever configuration you want, but Woot does have two models on hand. The Intel Core i5 version with 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM is available for $849.99. Meanwhile, the Core i7 model with 256GB of storage, 8GB of RAM, and discrete graphics fetches $949.99. Both models are "factory reconditioned," which means it was returned and "restored to fully working condition by the original manufacturer or a certified partner.

If you're willing to go with a reconditioned item, that's not a bad deal considering each model would fetch around double when they were new. The deal is limited and is set to last through the end of the day on February 27 "or until sold out," Woot says.

See at Woot

Both the original Surface Book and the new Surface Pro are getting some fresh firmware updates today. These are the first set of Surface updates to roll out since January's Spectre and Meltdown fixes, and while none of the updates are quite as major, they do brings system stability improvements.

Here's a look at what's new for Surface Book:

• Surface Embedded Controller Firmware - Firmware - 90.2098.256.0 improves system stability.
• Surface Integration – System device - 1.1.339.1 improves battery stability.

As for the Surface Pro, the Microsoft is actually rolling out two updates, each of which brings the same set of stability fixes, but varies in version number based on whether you're using the standard Surface Pro or Surface Pro with LTE Advanced. Here's what's new:

• Surface Pro LTE Advanced (Model 1807): Surface System Aggregator Firmware – Firmware - 233.2102.1.0 improves system stability.
• Surface Pro (Model 1796): Surface System Aggregator Firmware – Firmware - 233.2099.256.0 improves system stability.

If you own the Surface Book or Surface Pro, these updates should be rolling out or available now via Windows Update.

Just after the recent Meltdown and Spectre processor vulnerabilities were disclosed last week, Microsoft revealed that it would issue a set of Surface firmware updates to mitigate against the attacks, in addition to its general emergency update for all Windows users. Those firmware updates are now ready and rolling out over Windows Update for a range of surface devices.

Dated January 10, the updates are now rolling out to the Surface Book 2, Surface Laptop, Surface Studio, Surface Book, and Surface Pro 4, according to the Surface Update History tracker. Each round of updates includes a firmware tweak to "resolve potential security vulnerabilities, including Microsoft security advisory 180002," which addresses the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities.

In addition to that particular security issue, the original Surface Book has received an extended range of firmware updates. Here's a look at what's included:

• Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 – Display adapters - 22.20.16.4811 improves Direct X 12 and power performance.
• Surface Management Engine – Firmware - 11.7.4.3330 improves reliability and resolves potential security vulnerabilities, including Microsoft security advisory 170012.
• Surface System Aggregator – Firmware - 90.1837.256.0 improves reliability and resolves potential security vulnerabilities, including Microsoft security advisory 170012.
• Surface dTPM (IFX) – Firmware - 5.62.3126.2 improves reliability and resolves potential security vulnerabilities, including Microsoft security advisory 170012.
• Surface UEFI – Firmware - 91.1926.768.0 improves reliability and resolves potential security vulnerabilities, including Microsoft security advisories 170012 & 180002.
• Intel(R) Display Audio – Sound, video and game controller - 10.22.1.102 improves audio stability.
• Intel(R) Management Engine Interface - System - 11.7.0.1040 improves system stability.

Microsoft's advisory stated that the Surface Pro 3, new Surface Pro, and Surface Pro with LTE Advanced would receive updates as well. They're not currently documented on the Surface Update History page, but they'll presumably be updated soon as well.

Microsoft has already issued an emergency update to Windows users in response to the Meltdown and Spectre exploits that were disclosed this week, but the company has now announced dedicated firmware updates for Surface devices as well.

The UEFI updates will be available for the following eight Surface models running the Windows 10 Creators Update or Fall Creators Update, according to Microsoft:

• Surface Pro 3
• Surface Pro 4
• Surface Book
• Surface Studio
• Surface Pro Model 1796
• Surface Laptop
• Surface Pro with LTE Advanced
• Surface Book 2

As for Surface Hub, Microsoft believes that the chances of these vulnerabilities working against it are "significantly reduced" because of its security features. The company says it will continue to monitor threats to Surface Hub and act accordingly, however.

As of this writing, it doesn't appear that the firmware updates are being distributed to everyone over Windows Update. We have, however, been able to secure what appears to be the update with a Surface Book 2 on the Release Preview Insider ring. Insiders in the Fast and Slow rings should be able to grab the update as well. Otherwise, we'd expect the updates to start rolling out for everyone in relatively short order.

For more on Meltdown and Spectre, check out our recent coverage of the disclosure, as well as the latest response from Intel.

After recently shipping the first batch of firmware updates to its new Surface Pro with LTE, Microsoft is rolling out another set of updates for more Surface devices. Next on deck are updates for the Surface Pro 4, Surface Book, and Surface Studio. Here's a look at all of what's new for each device (via Neowin).

Surface Pro 4

• Intel(R) Precise Touch Device – Human Interface Devices - 2.0.99 improves multi-touch and pen connectivity when the device wakes from sleep.
• Surface Embedded Controller Firmware - Firmware - 103.1791.258.0 improves system reliability.
• Surface Management Engine - Firmware - 11.7.4.3330 resolves potential security vulnerability, including bulletin 170012.
• Surface System Aggregator Firmware – Firmware - 103.1837.257.0 resolves potential security vulnerability, including bulletin 170012.
• Surface UEFI – Firmware - 108.1866.769.0 resolves potential security vulnerability, including bulletin 170012.
• Surface dTPM (IFX) – Firmware - 5.62.3126.2 resolves potential security vulnerability, including bulletin 170012.
• Intel(R) Management Engine Interface – System device - 11.7.0.1040 required for UEFI update, and improves recovery from Connected Standby.
• Surface Integration – System devices - 1.0.171.1 improves system reliability.

Surface Book

• Intel(R) Precise Touch Device – Human Interface Devices - 2.0.99 improves multi-touch and pen connectivity when the device wakes from sleep.
• Intel(R) Smart Sound (SST) Audio Bus – System devices - 09.21.00.2853 improves video performance in some applications.
• Intel(R) Smart Sound Technology (SST) OED– System devices - 09.21.00.2853 improves video performance in some applications.
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX – Display adapter - 23.21.13.8808 improves device graphics performance.
• Realtek High Definition Audio(SST) - Sound, video, and GC - 6.0.1.8242 improves Cortana speech recognition.
• Surface NVM Express Controller – Storage Controllers - 11.0.0.1 improves storage performance.
• Surface DTX – System devices - 2.27.136.0 improves system stability.

Surface Studio

• Surface Management Engine - Firmware - 11.7.4.3330 resolves potential security vulnerability, including bulletin 170012.
• Surface UEFI – Firmware - 118.1866.770.0 resolves potential security vulnerability, including bulletin 170012.
• Surface dTPM (IFX) – Firmware - 5.62.3126.2 resolves potential security vulnerability, including bulletin 170012.
• Intel(R) Management Engine Interface – System device - 11.7.0.1040 required for UEFI update, and improves recovery from Connected Standby.

If you own any of the Surface devices mentioned, you should be able to grab these updates via Windows Update now.

Microsoft unveiled the Surface Book 2 at a press event in October 2017. A sequel to Microsoft's ground-breaking 2-in-1 convertible laptop was never in doubt, but many had expected it to arrive a little later, and few expected the spec bump Microsoft baked into it.

The biggest pitfall with the original Surface Book wasn't the design, it wasn't driver issues, and nor was it a form factor problem ‒ it was those damn specs.

The original Surface Book was a stunning laptop, but that's all it was. With its paltry dual-core processor and its NVIDIA 940M 2GB dedicated GPU (d-GPU), it was hard to get real work out of it. Despite being unveiled with video-editing capabilities, programming, and even gaming, as usable features, in practice, it wasn't so hot.

While we haven't reviewed the new Book 2 just yet, I have high hopes that the changes Microsoft made will rectify every issue I had with the Surface Book, as it beckons me back after my switch to a Razer Blade 14. The Surface Book 2 almost feels as though it was designed for me. This is why.

See Surface Book 2 at Microsoft Store

Surface Book 2 tech talk

First, let's breakdown the primary differences between the Surface Book 2 and OG Surface Book range. Here are the specs, as listed by Microsoft.

Switching to Razer

I listed both the Surface Book 2 13-inch and 15-inch model specs above, alongside the 2015's Surface Book configurations to illustrate why I'm talking specifically about the 15-inch model here. Across the board, the Surface Book 2 is a gargantuan upgrade from the previous version. The design of the Surface Book remains largely the same, but the exciting parts are on the inside.

The biggest drawback of 2015's Surface Book is the dual-core processor, which simply isn't good enough for heavy lifting and working with taxing programs.

Yes, I did edit video on my 2015 Surface Book. I even played some light games on it, but for the most part, the sluggishness was a constant bottleneck..

Finally, earlier this year, I upgraded to a Razer Blade 14-inch model, which comes with quad-core processing and a beefy GTX 1060 GPU. The differences between that laptop and my old Surface Book are night and day, at least when it comes to more intensive tasks. I wrote about how I switched to Team Razer and didn't look back. For the most part it was true, but there was a ton of little things I began missing about the Surface Book form factor.

A return to Surface

I managed to "accidentally" break my Razer Blade, in a haphazard attempt to clean some keys. That's one of the things that began annoying me about the Razer Blade versus the Surface Book: the color. The black aluminium used on the Razer Blade is a dust and fingerprint magnet, and even though I'm pretty obsessive about cleaning my hands, you just can't avoid getting smudges and dust all over this thing. It requires constant cleaning, whereas the Surface Book's magnesium veneer is pretty much impervious to ugly smudges.

Then there was more practical things to consider, I simply began missing touch and Windows Ink. I don't draw often, but I like having the option. To achieve similar functionality on my Razer Blade I'd have to purchase a separate drawing tablet, which defeats the usability and convenience you'll find in a Surface Book or Surface Pro.

As much as I love the Razer Blade as a workhorse and PC gaming laptop that ditches the gaudy designs of some other gaming laptops out there, I yearned for the versatility of Surface. I wanted the taller 3:2 aspect ratio, which is far friendlier when you're doing lots of work with websites. I missed tent mode configuration for travel on trains and on flights. I miss the unique, stunning design that raises eyebrows in equal amounts of awe and perplexity, and most of all, I missed the Surface Pen, for signing documents, doodling, and hobby art.

But, the weak specs just made the original Surface Book impractical for me and many others doing professional Adobe Creative Cloud work, either in graphics or editing. I compromised on that versatility and inspiring design to switch to Razer's beastly 2017 quad-core Blade 14 inch, just to do basic work tasks that the Surface Book simply couldn't handle. Recording Xbox footage with a capture card? Forget it. Streaming to Mixer? Not a chance. Editing 4K Xbox One X videos? Sure, if you want to wait until the heat death of the universe for the rendering to finish.

Then, Microsoft's Corporate Vice President of Devices, Panos Panay, unveiled the Surface Book 2, delivering what sounds like, it could be, the ultimate laptop.

It's all in the details

The displays on Surface devices are simply stunning, but they almost teased you with their inability to play games, or edit 4K videos or even photographs competently with their dual-core restrictions. The Surface Book 2 fixes all of that, with quad-core processing, and a GTX 1050 or 1060 d-GPU. It's effectively a Surface Book with Razer Blade internals, making it my dream device.

The 15-inch model, which I'm aiming to purchase (after saving money for several months... ), not only sports those powerful innards, but it also supports the latest innovations in Surface inking tech, reducing latency via a dedicated display co-processor. Not only is tilt supported now, but also the intriguing Surface Dial, which seems like a convenient option for artists using the device in canvas mode.

Additionally, Microsoft claims that it will ensure the cooling on the Surface Book 2 will keep it both frosty and quiet during heavy loads, which is not something I can claim of the Razer Blade. I've had the opportunity to hear the Surface Book 2 for myself, and it seems incredibly quiet, but I'm eager to find out what our Executive Editor Daniel Rubino finds when we eventually review it. The Razer Blade can sound like a jet engine running even mid-range games or when exporting Adobe Premier video.

I've watched this video about 30 times. Yes, I'm weird.

Speaking of gaming, the Surface Book 2 15-inch model comes with Xbox Wireless, which means connectivity with compatible headsets and controllers without Bluetooth or annoying USB dongles. You simply connect your Xbox controller directly, and play some games. Seriously, it's almost like they built the thing for me.

Surface Book 2 is not for everyone — but it is for me

Are all of these extra details worth the quite honestly insane price tag on this thing? I think they are. As long as it doesn't overheat, explode, or suffer from any other unforeseen unpleasantries, the cost will be worth while simply because there won't be any other device out there to match it. The Surface Book 2 won't be for everyone, but it perfectly lines up with my desire for gaming, hobby inking and art work, and heavy-duty editing and graphics work, all with a collection of other gorgeous details.

I can't tell you how excited I am for the Surface Book 2. At this point, I can only hope it delivers.

See Surface Book 2 at Microsoft Store

The new Surface Book 2 rocks the latest "Kaby Lake" i7 processors, USB-C (finally), and a badass GTX 1050 GPU, putting it on par with some of the best 13.5-inch laptops out there. Speaking of which, the Surface Book 2 comes in two flavors this time around: a 13.5-inch version and a 15-inch model with more powerful specs.

Here's a look at how much of a bump you'll get with the new 13-inch model versus the original Surface Book, which launched in 2015.

Microsoft Surface Book 2 full tech specs and FAQ

See at Microsoft

Surface Book 2 (13.5-inch model) vs. Surface Book

Surface Book comparison conclusion

As you can see, the Surface Book 2 dominates the original Surface Book across the board, with more powerful processors, a beefy 1050 GTX GPU, and even a quad-core option. Microsoft also put the Surface Book 2 through a round of refinements and tweaks. The "screen wobble" between the base and the detachable tablet screen has been reduced. The balance on the fulcrum hinge has been improved, allowing for one-handed opening. The Core i5 model without the dedicated GPU (dGPU) is completely fanless, and the dGPU model only has a fan in the base. The battery life has been significantly boosted, and there are other additions such as USB-C and improved key travel.

All of these design refinements carry across to the verifiably insane, no-compromises Surface Book 2 15-inch model as well, which sports a GTX 1060 with 6GB of VRAM and a quad-core i7 GPU atop a stunning 15-inch display.

Preorders of the Surface Book 2 are now available, starting at $1,499. For a more detailed look at the Surface Book 2 devices, hit the link below.

See at Microsoft

Surface Book 2: 13.5 and 15-inch models detailed

Updated November 9, 2017: We checked our spec list and republished this post as soon as Surface Book 2 preorders became available.

If you're using a Surface Pro 4 or Surface Book, you'll want to check for some updates. Microsoft has started rolling out a fresh batch of firmware updates to both devices, largely focused on increasing camera stability.

Here's a look at all of what's new, according to Microsofts Surface Update History:

Surface Pro 4

• Surface Embedded Controller Firmware – Firmware: 103.1791.258.0 Improves device reliability.
• Intel(R) AVStream Camera 2500 – Sound, video and GC: 30.15063.10999.4731 Improves camera stability.
• Microsoft Camera Front – System device: 30.15063.10999.4731 Improves camera stability.
• Microsoft Camera IR Front – System device: 30.15063.10999.4731 Improves camera stability.
• Intel(R) Control Logic – System device: 30.15063.10999.4731 Improves camera stability.
• Intel(R) CSI2 Host Controller – System device: 30.15063.10999.4731 Improves camera stability.
• Intel(R) Imaging Signal Processor 2500 – System device: 30.15063.10999.4731 Improves camera stability.
• Microsoft Camera Rear – System device: 30.15063.10999.4731 Improves camera stability.
• Surface Camera Windows Hello – System device: 1.0.85.1 Improves camera stability.
• Surface Integration – System device: 1.0.170.0 Improves device reliability.

Surface Book

• Intel(R) AVStream Camera 2500 – Sound, video and GC: 30.15063.10999.4731 Improves camera stability.
• Microsoft Camera Front – System device: 30.15063.10999.4731 Improves camera stability.
• Microsoft Camera IR Front – System device: 30.15063.10999.4731 Improves camera stability.
• Intel(R) Control Logic – System device: 30.15063.10999.4731 Improves camera stability.
• Intel(R) CSI2 Host Controller – System device: 30.15063.10999.4731 Improves camera stability.
• Intel(R) Imaging Signal Processor 2500 – System device: 30.15063.10999.4731 Improves camera stability.
• Microsoft Camera Rear – System device: 30.15063.10999.4731 Improves camera stability.
• Surface Camera Windows Hello – System device: 1.0.85.1 Improves camera stability.

The updates for both devices are tagged with an October 11 release date, so it's possible that they've already hit your device. If you're using a Surface Pro 4 or Surface Book, you can check for these updates manually now via Windows Update.

Thanks for the tip, Akinzekeel!

Having already brought its lock-making expertise to the Surface Pro recently, Kensington is now doing the same for the Surface Book. The company has taken the wraps off of a new Locking Bracket for Surface Book, which, like its Surface Pro sibling, will help keep the device secure.

If you have a reason to keep a Surface Book locked down, Kensington's custom locking bracket i worth a look. Attaching to the bottom of the Surface Book's screen, the locking bracket is meant to be as non-invasive as possible without sacrificing security, Kensington says. That's backed up with a steel-reinforced security bar and an anti-ick 5mm keying system.

The Kensington Locking Bracket for Surface Book will be available in three flavors: Master Keyed, Supervisor Keyed, and Standard Keyed. Each will be available soon for $59.99 directly from Kensington.

See at Kensington{.cta .shop}

Microsoft has launched new hardware on two occasions already this year, with the Surface Laptop being announced at a special Windows 10 event back in May, and the new Surface Pro being announced in China later that very same month. Now, we're it appears Microsoft is planning a third Surface keynote at Future Decoded in London in October.

Microsoft has revealed to The Verge that Panos Panay will be present at Future Decoded next month in London, likely to announce new Surface hardware that has been rumored for some time. Microsoft is widely expected to unveil a new Surface Book, a device well overdue for a refresh being almost two years old.

We may also see Microsoft announce the availability of the Surface Pro LTE, a SKU that Microsoft said back in May would be coming later this year. The event may also see Microsoft show off new third party devices from hardware makers launching new Windows 10 on ARM devices, which appears to still be on track for launching this Fall. It's not clear if Microsoft is planning to launch its own ARM hardware this year, however.

If you're someone who has been waiting for a Surface Book refresh, the wait may soon be over. No matter where or when it happens, WIndows Central will be on the ground to cover all the news as it happens, so stay tuned to Windows Central for that and more. Are you interested in a Surface Book 2? Let us know in the comments!

If you're in the market for a new Windows laptop, you're liking holding off until later this year to see what Microsoft has planned for its next generation Surface Book, unofficially known as the Surface Book 2. We don't really know much about the second generation Surface Book at this point, but Intel may have given us a first clue.

In Intel's recent promotion video for its new 8th Gen Core processors, the video appears to feature a never-before-seen black edition of the Microsoft Surface Book. There's no doubt about it, it's a Microsoft Surface Book — in black. Could this be a sign of things to come?

I did ask Microsoft about this, and they declined to comment. This is par for the course when it comes to talking about unannounced products, but if the Surface Book in Intel's video was nothing, then surely Microsoft could have said that, right?

Of course, it's entirely likely that Intel is using a custom render of the Surface Book, in which they simply decided to coat the device in black. Or, perhaps Intel knows something we don't and is giving us a little tease. We can only speculate at this time.

Regardless, the black Surface Book in Intel's new promo video looks cool as hell. In fact, it makes me want a stealth black Surface Book right now. We've still got a few months to wait before we officially know what Microsoft has planned for its next Surface Book, with rumors suggesting Microsoft is looking to hold another hardware event in October this year.

The reason Consumer Reports took Microsoft and Surface to task was a significantly higher rate of breakage during the first couple of years of ownership, according to Reuters. Consumer Reports based its assessment on responses from 90,000 tablet and laptop owners and estimated that a full quarter of all Surface owners would experience some sort of problem with their PCs within two years of purchase. The most common issues with the Microsoft devices were reportedly frequent freezes, unexpected shutdowns, and touchscreen problems.

However, Microsoft quickly responded, saying it disagrees with the conclusion. Microsoft also said "its return and support rates differ significantly" than Consumer Reports' findings, Reuters says.

For what it's worth, Windows Central has a very active set of community forums based on the Surface lineup, and though we see posts regarding hardware issues and concerns about Surfaces, we have not seen constant complaints about Surface reliability. And a few months ago, J.D. Power, another trusted product recommendations company, released some very different findings.

Of course, that does not mean a problem doesn't exist.

Either way, the Consumer Reports findings are very bad news for Microsoft, because many people, especially those who aren't particularly tech savvy and who look to the most well-known names for product recommendations, rely heavily on Consumer Reports when making purchase decisions. It's going to be tough for the Surface lineup to come away from this without a major scar on its reputation.

What's worse: Apple's computers ranked highest in reliability in the study, according to Reuters.

When it comes to protecting your new Surface Laptop, Surface Pro, or Surface Book you can go a few ways – cheap, with questionable longevity or expensive and quality. WaterField falls into the latter category as they are handmade in San Francisco, often being made to order.

I've reviewed WaterField's Dash Sleeve, Outback Solo and I own the Field Muzetto bag. Now, the company has a brand-new one that is very exciting: Bolt Crossbody. Here is my review.

Bolt Crossbody – Fit and style

The WaterField Bolt Crossbody comes in three sizes including small, medium, and large. I grabbed the large version, which takes the Surface Laptop, Surface Book with Performance Base, Razer Blade, and it can even fit the Dell XPS 15. For Surface Pro owners, the medium size will do if you want a snugger fit.

Bolt Crossbody is what I would consider a day bag plus some. Whereas the excellent Brenthaven Collins Vertical Messenger Bag is ideal for a few hours the Bolt Crossbody lets you pack significantly more without turning into a full duffle bag. You can pack this for a few days with an Xbox controller, AC power plug, your laptop, tablet, phone, magazines, travel info, pens and more. Or, you can just put a Surface in it and use it for the day. The point is you get more flexibility with the Bolt Crossbody.

The Bolt Crossbody is similar to the Field Muzetto bag, but I like it better for a few reasons. The top pocket is zipper versus the Field Muzetto's flap. The Muzetto's flap is convenient, but your PC could slide out when the bag is laying down, which makes me nervous. There are also more pockets – both large and small – with the Bolt Crossbody.

For pockets, there is one large compartment that opens from the top. Within there you have a slot for your laptop or 2-in-1 – that area is padded on both sides too to protect the upper and lower areas of the device. There is the central area, where you could technically fit a second laptop but would most likely hold your AC charger or even an Xbox controller - if you're like me - and still, have room to spare. Along the inner-outside pocket, you have a deep, universal pocket and two pen holders.

The outside of the bag has another pocket that looks like it buttons but is held by a strong magnet. That pocket could hold an 8-inch tablet or a magazine, with a smaller pocket for your smartphone. That smartphone pocket is larger too holding my massive HP Elite x3 with protective cover.

The back of the Bolt Crossbody has a sixth compartment that zip closes. It is big enough to fit multiple large-sized magazines, travel documents or anything else that can lay flat.

For carrying, there is a shoulder strap with adjustable D-rings allowing for maneuverability. There is also an excellent "grab handle" on the back, which I adore. The Field Muzetto is missing this making it cumbersome to grab when laying on the seat next to me. Now, I can grab the Bolt Crossbody and since everything is zipped not have to worry about my items spilling out.

Materials and quality

WaterField is a well-known premium brand for bag making. You buy it once and keep it for a decade or more, and they can even fix your bag if something did tear. I have never had an issue with their bags, and you can go read customer testimony or their reviews. In fact, the Bolt Crossbody currently has a five out of five-star rating from 17 reviews.

For the Bolt Crossbody there are multiple options for materials:

• Waxed canvas – Basically, this is the traditional leather bag in three trims including Chocolate, Grizzly, or Black leather.
• Black Ballistic – This is a very thick and sturdy nylon with the same three Chocolate, Grizzly, or Black leather trims as options.

Both styles are water resistant and very durable. The one I tested here is Black Ballistic with Grizzly Leather trim as I think it gives an excellent contrast.

The inside is a gold cloth, which is an interesting choice. WaterField chose this so that it was "bright" on the inside versus a traditional brown or black. That decision means items at the bottom of the bag contrast and is easier to see. I like it a lot.

The zippers are sturdy, worked well and never jammed. They all have a leather grab on them too for easy finding.

While wearing the bag, I could access all the compartment and slots without having to remove it. I appreciate that at airports or trade events when I don't feel comfortable taking the cross body bag off for security reasons.

The Bolt Crossbody can be worn – as its name implies – across your body, or just over the shoulder. I prefer the former style as it can sit against my hip and not bounce a lot.

Expensive, but worth it

I won't beat around the bush the Bolt Crossbody is very expensive. It starts at $199 for the small and goes up to $219 for the large. That is quite a price jump from the typical $20 to $60 range people spend for a laptop bag.

Nonetheless, WaterField makes these in small batches right here in the US with premium materials and well-thought-out designs. These are the kind of bags you buy once and keep for a very long time. Since the large style fits even up to a Dell XPS 15 if you move on from a Surface to something else the bag retains its value.

Personally, I've been trying to move to buying American-made, higher-quality items as I get older instead of lower-cost things I can throw away. Of course, not everyone can afford a WaterField bag, which is understandable too.

Out of all the bags I own so far, the Bolt Crossbody is now my favorite. While the Brenthaven Collins is a lovely day bag, that latch has worn a bit over time, and the quality of the Bolt Crossbody blows it away. I also feel I can pack more into the Bolt Crossbody like an AC charger, Xbox controller, a few smartphones, and even another PC without feeling like it is overpacked. Alternatively, I can just use it for the Surface Laptop, my phone, and a mouse without feeling like I'm carrying too much bag for the job.

See at WaterField Designs

Microsoft always has some weird ways of doing things. The Windows 10 OS and app situation is in a transition phase going from Win32 to UWP, but not all things are converted yet, and some apps are buried on Microsoft's site – the exact thing the Store is supposed to solve.

If you use Microsoft mice or keyboards like the new Surface Arc Mouse you will want to get the Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center app. It's free and adds some key features to this – and other – mice and keyboards.

What is Mouse and Keyboard Center?

Think of the Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center as advanced settings for some Microsoft-branded peripherals. It's a classic Windows app that comes in 32- and 64-bit versions (most of you will opt for 64-bit).

Unfortunately, if you are running Windows 10 S like on the new Surface Laptop, you cannot download and install this Microsoft app. As to when Microsoft decides to port it over to Windows 10 natively, or, use the Desktop Bridge to put it in the Windows Store is unclear.

In Windows 10 users can find many of the mouse options under Settings > Devices > Mouse. These settings include primary button assignment, how many lines to scroll, and how the mouse wheel scrolls.

Some mice – like Microsoft's new Surface Arc Mouse – have additional abilities like enabling "Scroll inactive windows when I hover over them," which is not found with other mice.

Review – Microsoft Surface Arc Mouse

The Mouse and Keyboard Center, however, adds even more options to Microsoft mice that many users will appreciate. You don't even need to be a power user to leverage these.

What can Mouse and Keyboard Center do?

After running the install for the Mouse and Keyboard Center, the app should automatically recognize a supported mouse or keyboard. Interestingly, the new Surface Ergonomic Keyboard is not yet supported, but the older Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard does work.

There is even a massive list of all the Microsoft peripherals that do work with the Mouse and Keyboard Center:

Which devices are supported by Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center?

As examples, I'll demonstrate a few of the advanced features this app can accomplish with two Microsoft Surface mice – the new Surface Arc Mouse and the older Arc Touch Mouse Surface Edition (SE).

Download Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center

There is also a UWP version the Windows Store, but it does not yet support the new Surface Arc Mouse, but it does support the older Arc Touch Bluetooth Mouse and Arc Touch Mouse SE making it less interesting (or useful).

Download Arc Touch app from the Windows Store

Surface Arc Mouse features

The Mouse and Keyboard Center was updated recently to support the new Surface Arc Mouse. Under the Surface Arc Mouse, a user can now control things like:

• Reverse scrolling option for vertical and horizontal scrolling.
• Three-finger click.
• Scroll sensitivity.
• Disable smooth scroll mode.

The three-finger tap is not found in the default Windows 10 Settings. It's a whole new function that you would never know about without running the Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center.

While not quite the same as Windows 10 Gestures found with Precision Trackpads, it does let you assign your favorite task, such as:

• Add new desktop.
• Previous desktop.
• Next desktop.
• Snap Window left/right/down.
• Search/Cortana.
• Show Action Center.
• Show/hide desktop.
• Reveal Task View.

Those are important options for users and is something the older Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse SE cannot do. To use them the user just taps their three fingers on the top of the Arc Mouse.

Another ability of the new Surface Arc Mouse is to identify programs that don't scroll correctly. According to Microsoft, this is what that feature does:

Certainly, those are some fantastic features that many new owners will want to leverage if buying the new Surface Arc Mouse or Microsoft Arc Mouse.

Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse SE features

Regarding the older Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse SE, one of the biggest issues people had with that peripheral is the simulated scroll wheel via the touch strip. The Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse SE makes noise and even vibrates a little when scrolling and some people just do not care for it. Using the Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center, you can control the volume/vibration of that feature or disable it altogether.

While there is no three-finger tap for the Arc Touch Mouse SE, there is a middle tap for the touch strip that does the same thing. Users can opt to enable Windows Start, Open Action Center, Open Cortana, and much more found under "view all commands."

Unfortunately, there are not any advanced scrolling options similar to what the new Surface Arc Mouse contains.

• See Surface Arc Mouse at Microsoft
• See Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse SE

Wrap Up – Get this app

I only covered two of Microsoft's many mice that they sell in this article, but the Mouse and Keyboard Center works with a massive amount of Microsoft's offerings.

Overall, the Mouse and Keyboard Center is one of those hard to find apps you may never know about but is hard to live without once you do. Just adding the three-finger tap function to the new Surface Arc Mouse can dramatically change what you think of it. Likewise, for those scrolling features and options.

It would be good for Microsoft to get the Mouse and Keyboard Center into the Windows Store at some point, or at least prompt users to download the app once a compatible device is paired. Even better would be to build these features into Windows 10 itself, but all good things take time.

As pointed out in comments, there is the UWP app Arc Touch Bluetooth Mouse , but it only supports the older Arc Touch Bluetooth Mouse and Arc Touch Mouse SE peripherals and not the newer Surface Arc Mouse (2017) yet.

For now, get the Mouse and Keyboard Center and unleash the power of your Microsoft hardware.

Download Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center

Microsoft has kicked off the back to school season with a set of deals at the Microsoft Store. Running from now through September 17, the sale includes deals on Surface Pro 4, Xbox One S, and more. Aside from straight discounts, Microsoft is also throwing in some extras with certain purchases.

Here's a look at some of the offers available now:

• Get a Surface Pro 4 and a black type cover for $999, $899 for students.
• Save up to $150 on Surface Book
• Get a 3-month Groove Music membership with any Surface purchase
• Free Intel Software Starter Pack with "eligible PCs" (including Dell XPS 15, Dell XPS 13, HP Spectre x360, and Lenovo Yoga 910.
• Save $20 on select Xbox One S 500GB bundles

In addition to the outlined deals, Microsoft points out that students, along with education staff, can always take advantage of a 10 percent discount across the Microsoft Store. It's worth noting that, while the sale is set to run through September 17, some deals will end earlier. In particular, Microsoft says, the Surface Book sale ends July 15, while the Xbox One S offer will end on August 30. Meanwhile, the Surface Pro 4 bundle offer will last a little longer, ending on September 19.

See at the Microsoft Store

If you're looking to save a bit of change on a new Surface, the UK Microsoft Store has extended some pretty solid deals on both the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book. Specifically, you can shave up to £490 off of the Surface Pro 4, and to £665 off the Surface Book, depending on which model you choose (via Neowin).

Here's a look at the savings on each Surface Pro 4 in the sale:

• 128GB / Intel Core m3 - 4GB RAM (No Pen) - £635 (was £749)
• 128GB / Intel Core i5 - 4GB RAM - £719 (was £949)
• 256GB / Intel Core i5 - 8GB RAM - £917 (was £1,099)
• 256GB / Intel Core i7 - 8GB RAM - £1,099 (was £1,369)
• 256GB / Intel Core i7 - 16GB RAM - £1,230 (was £1,549)
• 512GB / Intel Core i7 - 16GB RAM - £1,529 (was £1,899)
• 1TB / Intel Core i7 - 16GB RAM - £1,869 (was £2,359)

If the Surface Book is more your style, the options are fewer, but there are still some good discounts available. Here's a look:

• 256GB / Intel Core i7 - 8GB RAM / dGPU - £1,619 (was £1,999)
• 512GB / Intel Core i7 - 16GB RAM / dGPU - £2,024 (was £2,399)
• 1TB / Intel Core i7 - 16GB RAM / dGPU - £2,384 (was £3,049)

While they're not the newest and hottest Surfaces on the block, the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book are still worth looking at when you can secure a discount. Each deal is set to run through July 31, so you've got some time to make up your mind.

• See Surface Pro 4 at the Microsoft Store UK
• See Surface Book at the Microsoft Store UK

Microsoft's new $99 Surface Pen is a steep upgrade from the previous iteration that costs $59 (and which is still available. There are quite a few enhancements that may justify the cost for new Surface Pro owners. But for older Surface devices, the value is not too clear.

Here is what owners of previous Surface devices should expect with the all-new Surface Pen.

What's new?

The new Surface Pen brings significant changes. Here are the key features being advertised or that we noticed.

1. Pressure levels

The new Pen has 4,096 pressure levels, up from 1,024 levels of the previous Pen. The new Surface Pen is simply more sensitive than the last one. While there can be a debate about how significant this advance is, artists and professional inkers prefer more sensitive pens. Higher levels of pressure allow for greater shading or increased detail when drawing. In fact, Wacom's new Intuos Pro Paper Edition tablet features 8,192 levels of pressure – but that device is not a PC, and there is such thing as diminishing returns. For note takers, higher pressure levels make the stylus feel more natural.

2. Decreased latency

Latency is the time between when the pen tip hits the display, and digital ink begins to flow. If you draw or write quickly, you will see a visible gap between the pen tip and the digital ink, almost like the ink is trying to catch up to the pen. Real pens have zero latency, which is why they feel natural. The entire digital inking market has been trying to reduce latency to simulate real pens accurately. The new Surface Pen drops latency down to just 21 milliseconds from the previous 40 milliseconds. That is a significant decrease when you consider the display refresh, OS, and apps by default cause 16 milliseconds of latency.

3. Tilt support

If you took a real pencil and turned the tip on its side you could use it to "shade." That fanning of the graphite creates a different experience than just writing with the tip. Digital pens should do this. too, but simulating it on a PC is not easy – after all, it's just plastic on glass and the computer does not "know" the difference. The new Surface Pen supports this feature, as well, thanks to advanced hardware.

4. Lower initial activation force

Initial activation force (IAF) refers to the amount of pressure needed for a pen to trigger an inking event on the PC – the lower, the better. A similar real-world analogy is how a Sharpie marker can lightly brush against an object and leave a mark versus a pencil. With the new Surface Pen, the IAF is down to around nine grams, making it more sensitive than the last version.

Besides the big technical changes with the new Surface Pen, there are subtle physical changes as well. There is no longer a shirt clip, for example, which some people won't like. The single button is also now visually and physically distinct from the magnetic strip. The LED pairing light is also now green instead of white, so there's that (detalil is detail!).

Otherwise, the new and old Surface Pens look similar, weigh the same, and take the same single AAAA battery, that should last the same amount of time.

What can the new Surface Pen do on older Surface PCs?

Unfortunately, not all legacy Surfaces get all of these improvements. Here is what Microsoft told me when I asked about the new Pen and older Surfaces:

• Devices that (eventually will) support new Surface Pen enhancements: Surface 3, Surface Pro 3, Surface Pro 4, Surface Book, Surface Laptop, and Surface Studio.
• Pressure levels: All the devices mentioned above will see improvements "up to" 4,096 levels.
• IAF: All devices mentioned above will see "fine-tuning" of IAF.
• Improved latency: All devices mentioned above will see improved latency.

While these advances are coming, they are not here today – at least not completely. In my usage of the new Surface Pen on the Surface Studio and Surface Pro 4, I noticed an overall increased sensitivity and reduced IAF – there is just less effort needed to use the Surface Pen. That experience is like the new Wacom Bamboo Ink pen, which is a cheaper alternative to the Surface Pen.

However, I did not see any appreciable improvement in latency on the Surface Studio. That is very likely because the Surface Studio – like other Surface devices – still needs a firmware update to optimize the drivers.

Seeing as Surface Studio and the new Surface Pro share the same upgraded Pixelsense accelerator chip, I expect parity between those two devices at some point for all of these features.

Tilt support and shading is a different story. We may only see a few of the newer Surfaces get tilt support with the Surface Pen "later this year" through a software update. Tilt support is already enabled on the new Surface Pro, but it is not yet clear which older Surface devices will also join the tilt club.

Why all the confusion?

Microsoft has at times been vague about the details of the new Surface Pen, and the feature set is apparently spread out across devices. My educated hunch is that Microsoft is going to push a driver update for the new Surface Pen in the next few months, but because it is still being worked on the company does not want to commit to specifics. They know this new Pen can do more, but just how much more on older hardware is currently fuzzy.

"Improved latency" is great, but the new Surface Pro and Surface Studio have a new Pixelsense accelerator that lets them achieve 21-millisecond latency. Improved latency on older hardware likely means between 40 milliseconds for Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book and 21 milliseconds.

The same rationale applies for IAF, which will be "fine-tuned," and the levels of pressure, which may increase "up to" 4,096. These are improvements, but it remains to be seen just how much so. So you shouldn't think the new Surface Pen is as good on older Surfaces as the new Surface Pro 2017.

Bottom line: Wait ... for now

If you are on an older Surface, getting the new Surface Pen is a mixed bag for now, and it's best to wait. (The Surface Pro 1 and Pro 2 used completely different pen tech, so they won't see any such improvements.)

The best days of the new Surface Pen are still ahead. When Microsoft releases its new Pen driver and firmware, you will see even more improvements enabled on older Surface hardware. That does not mean the $99 is still worth it, but that is a personal decision you will need to make.

See at Microsoft Store

I'm an avid Surface Book user. It's my main laptop that I take everywhere with me. It's been my main laptop since it came to the UK in early 2016, and I've been using it every since. I absolutely love my Surface Book, more so than any other laptop I've ever used. Yesterday, however, my new Surface Laptop arrived.

Here are my first impressions.

The Laptop

I've been pretty open about my thoughts on the Surface Book. But I don't love everything about it. I dislike the hinge when closed because it makes the laptop feel thicker than it actually is. I also dislike how heavy it is compared to other Ultrabooks, and above all, I dislike how top-heavy the Surface Book is. Apart from those three things, the Surface Book is basically perfect.

I've been using the Surface Laptop for about a day at this point, and it looks like Microsoft has fixed those three issues I had with the Surface Book. It's not top heavy, which is great for "lapability." It doesn't have that silly hinge design, meaning it's super thin when closed, and it's also not as heavy as the Surface Book, which is another bonus, especially considering I travel everywhere with my laptop.

So, from the get-go, Microsoft appears to have fixed the problems I had with the Surface Book. Literally all of them. I'm not an avid pen user, and I almost never detach the screen on my Surface Book, so the Surface Laptop missing this capability is a non-issue for me. I will admit, however, I prefer the cold aluminum base on the Surface Book compared to the Surface Laptop's new Alcantara base.

I don't dislike the Alcantara. In fact, I think it looks incredible. I just don't particularly like how it feels. I much prefer the premium metal over fabric. I've only had the Laptop for a day, so I can't really comment on whether the Alcantara stains. So far it's held up tremendously well, but I'm not exactly messy when around my laptop.

Of course, the Surface Laptop also comes bundled with Windows 10 S, which I haven't hung around with for too long yet. I could get by with Windows 10 S, but I'd much rather have the freedom to install programs from outside the Store if I ever need to. The upgrade to Windows 10 Pro is free until the end of the year, so I took advantage of that straight away.

My Surface Laptop is the Intel Core i5 with 8GB Ram and 256GB Storage. My Surface Book is also the Intel Core i5 with 8GB RAM, but the Book only came with 128GB storage at that spec configuration. The Laptop is rocking an Intel chip Kaby Lake over Skylake, and it is incredibly fast waking up from sleep and logging in with Windows Hello. In fact, it's much faster than my Surface Book.

The Kaby Lake chips also improve sleep, so when listening to music I can close the lid, have the Laptop go into "sleep" mode, but continue to play music. This is similar to how tablets or phones work. I'm not sure how useful this will be on a laptop, but it's good to have nonetheless.

The Surface Laptop has a slightly lower-resolution screen compared to the Surface Book — 2256 x 1504 versus 3000 x 2000 on the Book. Side by side, I can notice a slight difference. However, when using the Laptop on its own, it's almost like there's no difference. The screen is crisp and clear, and bright too. I much prefer the screen on the Surface Laptop, because it looks crisp and clear while also benefitting from longer battery thanks to the lower-resolution.

Both Surface Book and Surface Laptop speakers are tremendous, with the Surface Laptop coming out on top with louder and "bass-ier" sounding speakers. On the Laptop, the speakers are hidden under the keyboard, which I don't particularly mind apart from one small thing: When listening to music loud, it vibrates the keyboard, which makes your fingers feel all funny.

Final impressions

Microsoft's Surface Laptop may be my new go-to laptop. I'm going to continue using it over the next few days and weeks to really get a feel for it before I make any final decisions. Moving away from my Surface Book will be a big deal because I really love it.

That said, the Laptop fixes all the complaints I had about the Surface Book, and that is a very good start.

See Surface Laptop at Microsoft

On May 2, 2017, Microsoft introduced a new addition to its family of first-party hardware, the Surface Laptop. Unlike the Surface Pro, Book and Studio, the Surface Laptop does not create a new category, however.

How Surface changed Microsoft forever

It doesn't have a removable display like the Pro or Book, nor can the screen be positioned at a 20-degree angle for a drafting-table effect like the Studio. It's just a laptop. A premium laptop, yes, but a laptop nonetheless. Microsoft's Devices Chief Panos Panay asserted during its introduction, however, that this laptop redefines the category.

He claimed his team built the optimal combination of design, feature set, battery life and more, making the Surface Laptop the most balanced laptop on the market. It is this premium laptop that Microsoft is pitting against the preferred laptops among college students, Apple's MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.

Surface Laptop vs. MacBook: It isn't all about specs

Microsoft's challenge will be communicating the passion that went into creating the Surface Laptop. Panay's team of engineers who poured their passion into crafting every detail of the Surface Laptop is not the team that will market it to consumers, however. Microsoft's marketing team has the daunting responsibility of persuading Apple-loving college students to buy a laptop from a company their uncool parents, perhaps, grew up loving.

Undoing and replacing the student-MacBook relationship, with a student-Surface Laptop relationship, will require a long campaign and tremendous resources.

It will (or should), therefore, span many quarters and must integrate the passion, not just the specs, the Surface team put into the product.

Panay's passion

No one knows a product better than its creator. When that creator can also verbally express the merits and features of that product with the same passion that went into making it, an audience feels it. During his introduction of the Surface Laptop, Panay did just that and explained how his passion began with lessons he learned from his father, as seen starting at the 1:02:10 in the video below:

We see the fruit of these lessons in Panay's persistence and attention to detail that brought Surface from a billion dollar loss to an industry-inspiring, category-creating, billion dollar business.

Panay added that his team puts its heart and soul into every single detail, from the tiniest hinge to the creation of a product category to every small bit being aligned with a pixel on the screen.

He also said, "It's not all the details and parts that make these devices great, but it's all the passion that the people making these products put into them. It's that same passion that we want you to feel when you're using our products."

Is Microsoft's marketing team 'feeling' Panos?

Will Microsoft's marketing team put "Panay-level" passion into persuading students to use the Surface Laptop over a MacBook? It'll have to if consumers are to "feel" the passion that went into making the product.

Sadly, Microsoft's commitment to products and its marketing efforts have been inconsistent at best. Xbox and Bing received continued support even in extremely competitive spaces. Conversely, the Kin which was dropped after 48 days, Zune which was dumped after five years, and Windows phones, which lacked the comprehensive support of consistent, aggressive marketing and efforts to ensure broad distribution, have all been allowed to flounder.

Thankfully, Microsoft's Surface devices have risen to represent the company in the way Windows as an OS and Office for productivity have for years. Consequently, Surface receives more consistent marketing support from Microsoft than some less esteemed products. The Surface Laptop, therefore, should get the necessary support from Microsoft.

Microsoft must convey emotion in Surface Laptop marketing

Convincing 17-year-old to 20-year-old college students to give up "cool" MacBooks for laptops from a company whose efforts have focused primarily on the enterprise is a lofty goal for Microsoft.

As with many successful products, there's both an emotional and social aspect that contributes to MacBook's success, beyond its specs and capabilities. For college students, MacBooks are the socially endorsed laptop. As an Apple product, it benefits from the intangible value that makes virtually anything Apple brings to market a media sensation and the bar to which the rest of the industry is compared. Like it or not this is the reality Microsoft is up against.

Marketing that doesn't connect emotionally with the intended audience and that focuses only on the very balanced and competitive specs of the Surface Laptop will likely fail. Panay's passion-laden presentation of the Surface Laptop is the combination of emotion and information I believe Microsoft's marketing message will need.

This war won't be won in a day

As with any "war," Microsoft won't win college students with just one commercial during one fiscal quarter. It must be committed to what may amount to years of "battles" as it attempts to wrest from Apple what Apple is determined to retain.

For instance, Apple introduced updated specs for the MacBook and MacBook Air at WWDC 2017. Those updated specs already alter Microsoft's recent claim that Surface Laptop is 50 percent faster than MacBook and MacBook Air.

Given the swiftly evolving tech industry, a spec race cannot be Microsoft's marketing focus. The Surface Laptop is a challenger to Apple's beloved incumbent. Understanding that it's just the first of many iterations, Microsoft's marketing must have the stamina to strive over time to build an emotional connection with students by conveying the passion that went into the product.

The challenge of Windows 10 S

Added to introducing a new product, communicating its specs, and passionately building an emotional connection with students, Microsoft has the challenge of explaining Windows 10 S.

The Surface Laptop runs the newest version of Windows which is more secure but runs only Windows Store apps. Classic Win32 programs like Chrome won't run on this device without a $50 (temporarily free) upgrade to Windows 10 Pro.

Microsoft must manage consumer expectation of Windows 10 S

The potential for angering unaware consumers who take a chance on the Surface Laptop is real. Microsoft must be proactive and comprehensive in its messaging to avoid alienating members of the very market it's trying to win.

Is Microsoft up to the challenge?

Will the marketing message do the product and the Surface team's efforts justice?

Some enthusiasts argue that Panay should market products. That's a longshot, but perhaps snippets of his presentation could be incorporated in some of the Surface Laptop television ads. "Normal consumers" would then feel what we techies feel when we hear the Surface's creator talk about the product. That's one way to ensure the passion that has gone into the product is integrated into the marketing.

Whatever Microsoft does, it must be persistent, creative, passionate and above all, ready. Apple's marketing prowess is unmatched. Rest assured that the marketing juggernaut won't sit idly by as Microsoft makes a play for MacBook-using college students.

The war is on.

Also Read:

With Windows 10 S and Surface Laptop, Microsoft takes aim at Apple and Google

For decades, Microsoft has dominated personal computing on the desktop in businesses and homes. Its closest rival was Apple, which for more than 30 years strove to reach a mere 10 percent of the PC space. With the advent of the smartphone, both Apple and Google were instrumental in shifting many personal computing tasks to a mobile and app-based platform.

As the dominant players in the smartphone space, this shift resulted in the positioning of Apple's and Google's broader ecosystems in front of millions of users.

Consequently, Apple's and Google's desktop alternatives to Microsoft's PC hegemony have been embraced by users. To Microsoft's dismay, many college students seem to prefer MacBooks over Windows laptops. And schools, particularly in the U.S., have increasingly adopted Chromebooks and the accompanying products and services Google provides.

To stop this progression into its personal computing space Microsoft is positioning the Surface Laptop for college students and the app-based Windows 10 S, along with affordable OEM laptops, for primary and secondary school-aged students. Will it work?

First strike, the Google advantage

Google has had great success in the U.S. education sector with Chromebook deployments and the implementation of Google for Education. Many IT professionals find that managing lightweight Chromebooks, which essentially employ a web-based OS, is far simpler than managing Windows-based devices.

School districts also find the associated costs of Chromebooks (often $149) are less than Windows laptops. Furthermore, because Chrome OS, (the OS on Chromebooks) is web-based, deploying updates, and protecting against viruses has also been a benefit of a Google environment.

Educators have the ability to easily manage multiple Chromebooks within the classroom, as well.

Many of these same benefits have been reasons a growing number of small businesses have embraced Chromebooks and Google's free web-based services. Gmail, Google Docs, Google Drive and other Google services are becoming more relevant tools in both schools and small businesses.

Google Expeditions, an implementation of the low-cost Google Cardboard VR option, has even been used to broaden student's experiences, as seen in the video below.

For Microsoft to adequately combat Google's strengthening position in the education sector it needed to address:

• Hardware costs.
• Device manageability.
• System integrity (protection against viruses and malware).
• Ease of deployment.

With Windows 10 S, a host of tools and OEM partnerships, Microsoft has created a comprehensive education solution that it hopes will be a sufficient to defer Google's thrust into the education sector.

Microsoft empire strikes back

Low-cost PCs have always existed. So resting the success of reclaiming ground lost in the education space only on reasonably priced hardware would not suffice. Microsoft needed a platform that low-cost hardware would run on and would also provide benefits in manageability, system integrity and ease of deployment. Windows 10 S, the app-based Windows OS that allows only Store apps (Win32 apps can be accessed via a $49 upgrade to Windows 10 Pro) is the company's offensive and defensive parry to Google's strategy to gain the next generation of users.

Hardware costs and OEM partners

Microsoft announced that this fall Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Samsung, Toshiba and Fujitsu will launch Windows 10 S devices starting at $189. This is a benefit to both schools and families. These affordable devices are comparable to what school districts would be paying for Chromebooks. Furthermore, families who like to provide their children with the tools they use in school may purchase these devices for home just as they have with Chromebooks.

Manageability

The ability to manage devices is essential to device maintenance as well as to how educators use them in classrooms. Windows chief Terry Myerson demonstrated that with the "Set Up My Schools PC" tool, a USB stick key could be used to configure a PC from any state in seconds. He reported that one school set up 600 PCs with 30 USB sticks in one day. The ability to set up devices with such a level of simplicity was a needed advancement for Microsoft to compete with Google and Chromebooks.

Set up a classroom in an hour.

Myerson also shared that Intune, Microsoft's enterprise-class management tool, has been customized for schools as Intune for Education. With Intune for Education, an administrator can manage the attributes of any device connected to the system. He could turn the camera off for all devices in a particular school for instance. Intune for Education has been made available to administrators worldwide.

The ability to manage devices with this degree of specificity over a broad range is another area in which Microsoft needed to compete with Google's education solution.

Intune for Education.

Logging into devices could hamper productivity and efficiency within a classroom. Myerson demonstrated that a student could log into a device for the first time in 15 seconds and each subsequent login to the system would take just five seconds. This should help Microsoft's solution better compete with Google's.

Finally, Myerson shared that because Windows S runs only secure Store apps, Windows 10 S PCs will have the same performance on the last day as they do on the first. This improved device integrity and security is another area that makes Microsoft's solution a better competitor to Google's. Microsoft has made Windows 10 S free for all schools that are currently using genuine Windows Pro.

Best in class

Microsoft also introduced solutions that improve collaboration and enhance the learning experience.

Office 365 for Education, and Teams

Microsoft Office for Education and Microsoft Teams are meant to enable modern classroom collaboration, content creation, personalized learning and encourage creativity. Google's collaborative tools have been a strong point for the company's education play. Microsoft may have introduced a viable alternative.

Mixed Reality

Mixed Reality is considered by many to be the next paradigm shift in personal computing. Microsoft's HoloLens creator and futurist Alex Kipman declared the smartphone dead in anticipation of a coming mixed reality device that will do away with many of our screens.

As a leader in mixed reality Microsoft provides a platform for many VR devices. Microsoft also created HoloLens, a tetherless, wearable Windows 10 computer that superimposes holograms in the wearer's field of view.

Microsoft has positioned Hololens in various industries including the U.S. military and NASA. The company's now bringing that technology to schools to help students learn by experiencing interactive content via mixed reality opposed to only reading it in a book.

Inking and Edge

Windows Ink allows users to write directly on the screen and in various apps. The Edge Browser also takes advantage of this feature. Students can save tabs that they've used for research and write notes directly on those pages, and then share them. This natural way of interacting with technology is an edge Microsoft has over Google's solution.

Myerson said that Microsoft's education solution was inspired by students, runs rich applications, is easy to manage and setup, and that Windows S devices have the same performance on the last day as on the first. Will this be enough to stop Google's assimilation of the education sector? Time will tell.

Students love Windows Ink.

Surface Laptop

Microsoft also addressed college students as a strike against Apple. Whereas Google has assimilated school systems and made headway with low-end Chromebooks, Apple has appealed to college students with the MacBook. As a thin, light, and attractively designed device with good power consumption, the MacBook is an attractive laptop for students.

Microsoft claims the Surface Laptop strikes the best balance between all the features users look for in a laptop.

Besides the specs, the Surface brand may make the Surface Laptop an appealing option. Microsoft's Surface team, led by Devices Chief Panos Panay, has succeeded in building an industry-respected brand around the Surface. Quality, design and category creation are its hallmarks.

Though the Surface Laptop forgoes the detachable display common to the Surface and Surface Book, Panay says the Surface Laptop, running Windows 10 S, is resetting the laptop category.

Inspiring a new class of laptops

As an aspirational device, we can expect OEM partners to build similar devices to this $999 Surface that will also target college students. As a range of laptops that will certainly come with an equally varied price range, Microsoft is hoping the Surface Laptop and inspired OEM devices will appeal to MacBook owners, just as the Surface Studio has done with Apple's creatives.

Furthermore, given the tepid reception of the touch strip-enhanced MacBooks Apple introduced earlier this year, the Surface Laptop with its touch screen and attractive design may appeal to disappointed MacBook users. Inking, mixed reality and 3D Paint may also make the Surface Laptop and future Windows 10 S options more appealing to MacBook users.

One downside is that some users may find the app-focused nature of Windows S limiting even with a full Universal Windows Platform (UWP) version of Office. The prompt to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro for $49 may be off-putting to some who may not have been aware of the new OS's limits.

All said, Microsoft has gone on the offensive to defend its position in education and on the desktop. But will all of this be enough? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Related reading:

The truth about the new iPad ads, Microsoft Surface and Windows

How the Surface changed Microsoft forever

Getting in touch with creators: How Microsoft is courting Apple's Creators

Microsoft's reimagining the PC for creators heralds a new generation of PC

Microsoft is rolling out its second batch of firmware updates for the Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 this month. According to the release notes posted to the Surface Update History page, the updates are only available for Surfaces with the Creators Update installed, and they include fixes for video playback and Cortana speech recognition.

Here's a look at what's new for each Surface:

Surface Pro 4:

• Intel(R) Smart Sound Technology(Intel(R) SST) Audio Controller in System devices - 09.21.00.2102 improve video playback on installed apps while offline.
• Intel(R) Smart Sound Technology (Intel(R) SST) OED in System devices - 09.21.00.2102 improve video playback on installed apps while offline.

Surface Book:

• Realtek High Definition Audio(SST) in Sound, video, and gc's - 6.0.1.7895 improves Cortana speech recognition.
• Intel(R) Smart Sound Technology(Intel(R) SST) Audio Controller in System devices - 09.21.00.2102 improve video playback on installed apps while offline.
• Intel(R) Smart Sound Technology (Intel(R) SST) OED in System devices - 09.21.00.2102 improve video playback on installed apps while offline.

If you own a Surface Book or Pro 4 and have the Creators Update installed already, you should be able to grab these firmware releases via Windows Update now.

Protecting your Surface Book is of vital importance. It's your go-everywhere PC, and that steep price tag means dropping it is not an option.

Thankfully, UAG is here to help Surface owners. UAG's new rugged ICE case for the Surface Book and Surface Book Performance Base is not cheap, but it's worth the investment.

Here's my review of it and why someone like me, who technically doesn't really need such a rugged case, still prefers to leave it on all the time.

Features and design

The UAG case for Surface Book comes in two pieces, and both are very light. One piece is for the top of the Surface (the display half) and the other is for the keyboard and battery combo. Made from high impact resistant rubber, the edge of the UAG is well protected.

The same stiff rubber also completely covers the Surface Book's "Dynamic Fulcrum" hinge, which is vital. It flexes slightly allowing you to "peel" the cover around the edges of the Surface.

The back of the display and bottom of the Surface Book have a clear, hard acrylic plastic that counts as the "armor shell." Various faux cutouts look like gaps, but that's just the design. The clear acrylic covers 100 percent of the Surface top and bottom.

There are two flaps, what UAG calls "lock securely," that effortlessly keep your Surface Book from accidentally opening. They are rubber latches, but they require no work from the user to secure. Likewise, the bottom half has an elastic that goes around the Surface fulcrum hinge as an added safety measure.

There are vent cutouts on the sides to allow the thermal cooling of the Surface Book and for access to the headphone jack. The rear camera also has a cutout.

The UAG has no water protection, so all ports are still exposed, with no rubber flaps to latch.

You can still detach the Surface Clipboard from the dock (keyboard base) and use it as a tablet with the UAG intact. The only caveat is that placing it back into the base requires a little finesse with the rubber hinge guard, because it acts as protection for the dock's connectors. That means you need to push back the hinge guard and then place the Surface Clipboard in place. It's not a big deal but is a small tradeoff for not having the sensitive connectors of the dock exposed.

You can also reattach the Surface Clipboard to the Dock in so-called "drawing mode" (reversed) with the UAG case on. However, there will be a gap and some flex due to the case. While it works, it's not quite as flush as without the UAG case.

In my testing, I found no limitations in using the case with the Surface Book except in draw mode, as noted. Nothing was blocked, and no features are unavailable when using it. The only sacrifice – which is evident – is that you are making the Surface Book slightly thicker.

Overall, the design of the UAG case for Surface Book is impressive. Everything is aligned perfectly with the ports, camera and venting, with no apparent miscalculations during design.

No tools necessary for installation

Setup for the UAG Surface Book cover is very easy. There is a printed instruction sheet included, but it is relatively self-explanatory.

First, you detach the Surface Clipboard (top half) from the Surface Dock (lower half). The Clipboard then slips top-first into the cover. Make sure the top of the Surface Clipboard touches the top of the inside case to ensure port and vent alignment. Press down on the sides from top to bottom to lock into place.

Then you repeat the same for the Surface Dock.

It's a tight fit, so you'll want to install the case with the Surface components preferably on a table to give it some resistance.

Removing the UAG case is relatively easy. You just peel back the corners and wiggle it out. While you can occasionally take the case off, it's easier just to leave it in place. Frequently removing it can cause accidental scratches to the Surface due to the rigid plastic. And the more you take it off, the greater the chance you will begin to warp some of the tight-fitting molding, resulting in a looser fit over time.

My only advice is being aware that dust, hair and other bits can get between the Surface Book and the acrylic part of the UAG case. If you're not careful, the top of your Surface Book could have unsightly detritus visible and locked into place until you clean it. The more you take it on and off, the more likely such a situation will happen, which can bother some fastidious owners.

Nifty Surface Pen holder

Perhaps the most surprising addition to the UAG case for Surface Book is the clever Surface Pen holder.

The receptacle sits on top of the display, right in the middle. You just click the pen down into the pre-cut slot, and you are ready to go. Two rubber grips tightly hold it in place.

This was a very smart move by UAG. It tells me the company gets the Surface Book as a product, and I was pleasantly surprised by having it there.

MIL-SPEC tested

A recent trend in modern and premium technology, whether it's phones or laptops, is testing against MIL-STD 810G. That standard is a series of tests designed by the military for equipment, and it sets a baseline for development by companies who want to create rugged products.

The UAG case for Surface Book meets MIL-STD 810G 516.6, which is a "shock test" – the dropping kind, not the electric. I won't go into the 38 pages of 810G 516.6, but you can get a primer on it here if you're interested.

I purposefully did not drop my $3,200 Surface Book for this review, so I will have to take UAG's word that it will withstand such shock. The company has been around for years, and it makes nothing but these types of cases for premium hardware.

If you need a rugged Surface Book case, this is a must buy

Most of us probably envision a Surface Book being used in a fancy coffee shop or boardroom, but there is no reason why those "out in the field" cannot make use of its many features. The idea of taking such an expensive computer outside into a rock quarry, construction work area, or while camping likely gives most people pause. With the UAG case for Surface Book, however, most of that concern goes away.

While the cover is not a substitute for a Panasonic ToughBook, it is significantly cheaper at just $79 for the regular Surface Book cover and $89 for the Performance Base edition. (Both can also found for $10 less on Amazon). Spending less than $100 to protect a $3,000 laptop seems more than fair.

• Review: Microsoft Surface Book with Performance Base
• Best Accessories for the Microsoft Surface Book

I really like the UAG case a lot. Working from home or during the occasional travel, I don't need this case, but I just like having it. The Surface Book feels more resilient with it, and it's fun to grab because it now has more grip. I also think it looks great, giving the Surface Book a more "industrial" appearance.

With the UAG case on your Surface Book, you can now take your prized "ultimate laptop" to the rougher parts of the world, worry-free. That's well worth the price.

• See UAG rugged case for Surface Book
• See UAG rugged case for Surface Book with Performance Base

Pros:

• Meets military drop-test standards.
• Makes it easier to grip Surface Book.
• Simple to install.
• Quality Surface Pen holder.
• Looks nice.

Cons:

• Can trap dust and dirt.
• Its not meant to be taken off and on frequently.

Another new batch of firmware updates is now available for the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book. According to the release notes posted to the Surface update history page, both devices have picked up minor stability improvements and bug fixes.

Both sets of release notes actually include the same changes, which you can check out below:

Update: As noted in the comments, these updates are only available if you've installed the Creators Update.

• Surface driver update for Surface System Aggregator - Resolves screen brightness issue when devices comes out of sleep.
• Intel Corporation driver update for Intel(R) Precise Touch Device - Improves system stability.
• Surface driver update for Surface Integration - Adjusts system Hibernation defaults.

So far at least, the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book appear to be the only Surface devices to have picked up an update this month. If you own either, you should be able to grab these new firmware releases from Windows Update now.

From the ashes of Windows RT rose a generation of convertible PCs, from HP, Dell, and Microsoft itself, with its increasingly popular Surface line.

I've written about my Surface usage before, journeying from light vector design and web development on my Surface Pro 1 and 2, up to light video editing and blogging on my Surface Pro 3. After seeing Daniel Rubino's Surface Book at a meeting once, I instantly fell in love, and switched over to that form factor, my first real foray with a "real" laptop device.

However, as my aspirations and responsibilities grew, it increasingly became apparent that the Surface Book simply wasn't powerful enough for large video editing projects, live broadcasting, and even high-intensity multi-tasking. I've now switched to a Razer Blade, and haven't once looked back.

Who is the Surface Book really for?

You might think it's a bit of an odd comparison to make, between the Surface Book and the Razer Blade, and you'd be right. Both devices are fundamentally different in their form factor, features, and target markets. It's also important to note that the Razer Blade I'm using has updated internals, sporting Intel's 7th generation Kaby Lake chipset, versus the Surface Book's 6th-gen Skylake chip. Even when you consider the recently refreshed Surface Book with Performance Base, the 'Book is due for a deeper update.

Naturally, Razer is a gaming brand through and through, but increasingly, professionals of all walks of life are looking into the Razer line, for their build quality, mobility, and their high-concentration of powerful internals. In the Surface Book's reveal, Microsoft also stressed these features, showing off Adobe CC, and even Gears of War Ultimate Edition to demonstrate its graphical chops. I feel at least, superficially (and financially), the Surface Book and Razer Blade have some overlap.

The biggest point of divergence between my Razer Blade and Surface Book is the touch screen. My FHD Razer Blade doesn't have one, but even the touch-screen sporting QHD model lacks the Surface Book's capability to split into a tablet, flip into tent mode, and function as a drawing platform.

The Surface Book's physical versatility naturally trounces the Razer Blade, which uses a standard, non-detachable clamshell form factor. It has been fun flipping the Surface Book into tent mode to watch a movie on a plane, or laying it out flat to make use of that gorgeous, pressure-sensitive inking display, but I simply don't do these things often enough.

Given the Razer Blade and Surface Book's comparable price point, I think it's safe to say that the only real benefit you will get from choosing the Surface Book over the 'Blade is the inking capabilities. I love drawing, but I simply don't have as much time to commit to it as I'd like, which neuters one of the Surface Book's core differentiators for me.

If you're not a digital artist, either professionally or as a hobby, the Surface Book simply isn't worth the price of admission. There are plenty of more powerful, and often cheaper, options out there that will offer way more bang for your buck. And even then, I could purchase a USB drawing tablet to hook in to the Razer Blade if I did want to retrieve that functionality.

The Surface Book is second to none when it comes to build quality, but the gap is nowhere near as big as it used to be, and unless you're an artist, you're sacrificing a lot of power for modest gains. The Surface Book does beat the Razer Blade in other areas, however.

My Razer Blade vs. my Surface Book

There are various models of both Surface Book and Razer Blade. Both go up to 1TB storage, the Razer Blade also comes with a QHD option with a touch screen, and the Surface Book also has a Performance Base option with a beefier GPU and battery. But for the sake of this comparison, here are the specs I'm working with.

More: Razer Blade (2016) vs. Razer Blade (2017) in depth

On displays

The Surface Book beats the Razer Blade for display, even though I do like the Razer Blade's anti-glare matte screen. Higher resolution and pixel density on the Surface Book will naturally beat out the Razer Blade, but I also feel like the peak brightness and colors are better on the Surface Book as well.

Daniel Rubino is a big fan of the Surface Book's 3:2 aspect ratio, but I find myself preferring the Razer Blade's 16:9. It's not often you can find games that support the Surface Book's aspect ratio naturally, and it's far nicer when videos fill up the entire display, I find. It's subjective, but it all matters when you're choosing a device.

I've seen a lot of criticism leveraged against the Razer Blade's bezels, which are quite a bit thicker than similar contemporary devices out there. Honestly, though, they don't really bother me. There's clearly work to be done here, but when you're immersed in work or play, you're not really looking at the edge of the screen. And I'll take a top-mounted webcam over the Dell XPS's low-angle solution any day.

I do miss the ability to ink, though. Even though I didn't do it very often, I used to be a passionate sketcher. Hopefully, some kind of Surface Mini or Phone will arrive to scratch that itch in the future, but until then, I've put my pen in a drawer.

On power

This is just no contest. The Razer Blade obliterates the Surface Book into dust, owing to a beefy GTX 1060 GPU and a quad-core processor configuration. On paper, the Kaby Lake CPU only offers modest gains over the Surface Book's Skylake, but the delta between quad-core and dual-core cannot possibly be understated.

Even simple tasks like web browsing, launching programs, running several apps side-by-side, and general OS smoothness, the Razer Blade provides a far superior Windows experience than the Surface Book.

Editing and exporting 1080p video for our YouTube channel is a far more pleasant experience on the cheaper Razer Blade than it is on the Surface Book. Adobe Premier CC runs far smoother, and I can still multi-task across other programs without worrying about how it will impact my project. Timeline playback was often very laggy on my Surface Book, but it's not the case on my Razer Blade, which makes work tasks far more efficient and speedy. All those extra minutes add up fast.

The Surface Book was never marketed as a gaming device, but it should be obvious which device is better for play. The GTX 1060 not only puts the Razer Blade far ahead of the Surface Book's 940MX, but it's also VR and Windows Mixed Reality ready, giving it a degree of future-proofing. You can play all modern games on the Razer Blade, and if the games are well optimized, they'll also look and run better than on the PS4 and Xbox One as well.

Despite the Razer Blade being listed with a higher capacity battery, I have found the Surface Book generally outlasts it. This is with both Windows' battery saver turned on, and with Razer Synaptics software set to power saving mode. The Surface Book in low-power mode will generally give me around 8-10 hours of battery life, which is amazing if you tend to move around a lot. The Blade on the other hand gives me around 5-6, which represents the biggest trade-off for those beefy internals.

On features

The Surface Book holds its own in a few areas, of course. I've already talked about inking, and the Surface Book's 2-in-1 versatility, but both of these (at least for me) are infrequent situational benefits that don't edge the Razer Blade's more traditional clamshell format. However, the Surface Book and Razer Blade both have trade offs and different design choices worth highlighting.

Even if you went for the touch-screen option with the QHD Razer Blade model, if you wanted inking, you'd need to buy an external USB tablet. Professional artists often seem to prefer this input method anyway, but I prefer the experience of putting pen to screen, instantly seeing my pencil strokes.

Additionally, the Surface Book has a full SD card slot, while the Razer Blade doesn't. This is where I wish the Razer Blade had figured out a way to add one in, as someone who takes a lot of photographs, but it's easily solved with a USB adapter.

Speaking of adapters, this is one aspect that truly shines on the Razer Blade. The Razer Blade comes with a USB-C + Thunderbolt 3 port, another wonderful forward-facing design choice that opens up versatility we might not get in the Surface line until the next generation.

In theory, I could strap in a Razer Core and a GTX 1080ti GPU to transform this laptop into a beastly gaming PC, leveraging the 40GB of data transfer provided by the Thunderbolt port. You have to expect that the Surface Book 2 or Surface Pro 5 will also sport this functionality, but as of writing, none of them do.

On quality and design

When it comes to build quality, design, and materials, there are some important considerations to make. The Surface Book sports a metallic VaporMg chassis, while Razer opts for black machined aluminum. While I appreciate a black laptop aesthetically, in practice, the Blade is a fingerprint and dust magnet. You will be wiping this thing far, far more than the Surface Book, which is a tad annoying.

Both device feels incredibly solid, dense, and high-quality, sporting premium materials and design conventions that easily earn their place in this price bracket.

When it comes to dimensions and weight, the Blade is a little bulkier, but it's barely noticeable in practical terms. I also appreciate the fact I can open the Razer Blade with one hand, which beats the Surface Book's fulcrum hinge and notoriously wobbly 2-in-1 connector. Also the Razer Blade has far louder, far clearer speakers than the Surface Book, which is a boost for casual media consumption on the go.

One area that the Surface Book has the Razer Blade firmly trounced is the trackpad. The Surface Book's precision pointer is just superior in every respect. I find myself accidentally palming the Razer Blade's trackpad far too frequently while typing, and the way the pointer accelerates and decelerates just feels awkward compared to the Surface Book's, even after several attempts at tweaking. Still, the Razer Blade's trackpad does the job, it simply isn't as good as Microsoft's own solution.

Final thoughts

Ultimately, the final decision will rest upon what you need these devices for, but I don't think anyone should be picking up at Surface Book at that price point unless they want the inking features.

I still love the Surface Book, but there are tons of devices out there that beat it on power and price point, and with the Razer Blade, even build quality is getting matched.

I feel as though the Surface line was always intended to be an example to be led, rather than the de-facto best solution for any Windows user. I can imagine Dell, HP, and other powerful OEMs wouldn't be particularly happy if the Surface Book could beat all of these devices on price, power, quality and price. The Surface Book's price point just makes it prohibitive for all but a small subset of users.

Still, there's something to be said for the Surface Book's gorgeous design, display, and unique versatility, but when it comes to pretty much every Windows feature outside of inking, you're better off picking up a Razer Blade HD or QHD.

• Surface Book at Microsoft Store
• Razer Blade (2017) at Microsoft Store

It was a super busy last week, with Microsoft confirming April 11 as the general availability day for the Creators Update, along with bringing the Surface Book Performance Base to new markets. We also talk about the new WhartonBrooks Windows Phone, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and more on this weeks show!

Help us make this show the best Microsoft podcast in the world. Tell your friends, share it on social media using the hashtag #wcpodcast, and give us a five-star rating wherever you download your podcasts! Thank you so much for listening!

We've got two options for you, either the video podcast or the audio podcast, both featuring the same content.

Show Notes

• 1:40: Windows 10 Creators Update PC
• 9:20: Windows 10 Creators Update Mobile
• 19:40 Surface Book Performance Base new markets
• 32:00 WhartonBrooks Windows Phone
• 41:46 Microsoft Galaxy S8
• 1:10:10 Lyft app for Windows 10/Mobile

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Hosts

• Daniel Rubino
• Zac Bowden

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Send in your comments, questions, and feedback to:

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Alongside a firm date for the Windows 10 Creator's Update release today, Microsoft has some good news for Surface fans around the world. In particular, Surface Book with Performance Base is coming to 13 new markets, while Surface Studio and Surface Dial will be headed to 3 new countries.

Starting today, the Surface Book with Performance Base is up for pre-order in the following markets ahead of an April 20 launch:

• Austria
• China
• Denmark
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Hong Kong
• Japan
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• UK

As for the Surface Studio, it's now up for pre-order in Australia, Canada and New Zealand with the same April 20 release date.

Finally, with the release date for the Creators Update in sight, Microsoft has some updates on what it will bring to its biggest member of the Surface family, Surface Hub:

Microsoft promises we'll hear more about what the Creators Update has in store for Surface Hub before it starts rolling out on April 11.

See at Microsoft

Months after becoming available in the U.S., Microsoft is finally bringing the upgraded Surface Book with Performance Base to the UK on April 20.

It's up for pre-order right now at the Microsoft Store with prices starting at £2,249 for the 256GB model. Pricing tops out at £3,149 for the 16GB RAM, 1TB storage option.

The biggest difference is of course the upgraded GPU in the base which gives the Surface Book more video power and even makes it capable of some solid on-the-go gaming. Deliveries will hit doorsteps on April 20, so if you've been waiting (not so) patiently for this, hit the link below and get your order on.

See at Microsoft

It was about a year ago that I picked up my very own Surface Book. It had just launched in the UK, and at the time I didn't really have any money saved to shell out for a super spec'd out model of Microsoft's first laptop. I had two options: be patient and wait until I had the money for a high-end Surface Book, or shell out for the lowest-end Surface Book right away. I did the latter because I have no patience.

The lowest-end model that I purchased is rocking an Intel Core i5, with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. It's by no means a powerhouse, but at the time I didn't care. I was just happy to be part of the Surface Book family, experiencing that incredible craftsmanship coming from the Surface engineering team. I was a big fan of the Surface Pro 4, but I much preferred the Surface Book form factor.

It's been an entire year since then, which I think is plenty long enough to get used to and familiar with a device. I've been using the Surface Book as my primary laptop for basically 98 percent of that year, so it's been used enough to be considered old. How has it held up throughout the year? And is it still worth it? I've had many people ask me to do a follow-up post detailing my Surface Book experience, so here it is.

Surface Book hardware and design

The Surface Book is an incredibly beautiful device. It's a unique looking laptop, and that's a good thing. At first, the oddly shaped hinge wasn't something that I was a fan of, but after a few weeks of using the Surface Book it grew on me. At first, I was worried that it'd allow dust and other things to get caught between the screen and keyboard when closed, but the reality is that just doesn't happen.

What has happened, however, is over time my Surface Book became slightly bent. This is an odd issue that not many people appear to have suffered from, but about six months into using my Surface Book, I noticed that the screen no longer laid flush on a flat surface. It's almost as if someone stood or sat on the Surface Book while it was closed, causing the magnesium chassis to bend slightly. (I didn't, I promise.)

What I believe may have caused it is stacking one or two other laptops on top of it. I often get a lot of laptops and devices in for review, and sometimes to save space I just pile a few of them on top of each other. This usually isn't much of an issue, but I wasn't thinking about the Surface Book's odd hinge, where the screen doesn't sit flush with the base, meaning weight can push down onto it and allow it to bend slightly. It's an unfortunate design flaw, but one that not many people will encounter.

At first, the slight bend was just a cosmetic issue and didn't hinder my use of the device, but over the last few weeks I've been noticing some oddities with the touch screen. I believe it's due to the bend, but the touch digitizer keeps seeing touch input in places I'm not actually touching. Sometimes it'll happen randomly when typing away, other times it'll happen whenever I'm interacting with the touch screen. It doesn't happen all the time, but I've noticed this odd behavior more than once.

I've also noticed a few dents here and there, likely from accidently bashing my bag on things when traveling or dropping my phone onto it. They're not incredibly noticeable, but they are there. These dents don't hinder usability or performance in any way and are just cosmetic. Everything else is working perfectly fine. The hinge itself still performs great and hasn't lost any stiffness. The detach mechanism still works fine. Even the keyboard and trackpad have held up incredibly well, which is great news.

Performance

Since I got the low-end Surface Book, I was worried that performance would be an issue. At first, I was pleasantly surprised at how well the Surface Book handled itself under heavy load. The Intel Core i5 Skylake CPU along with 8GB of RAM handled most of the tasks I threw at it without any issues, but it wasn't good at every single thing I hoped I'd be able to do.

As my Surface Book doesn't have a dedicated GPU, doing screen recordings for software build videos is essentially a no-go without dropping the screen resolution dramatically, and even then you can't guarantee a smooth 60 frames per second (FPS) recording. What's more, it's basically impossible to edit any video in Premiere Pro over 4K, but luckily most of the video editing I do is with 1080p video.

Handling 1080p video is much better, but it isn't perfect. As this is an i5 with 8GB of RAM, you're definitely going to want to not be multitasking when editing any kind of video. Otherwise, you'll notice some slow-downs. What's more, rendering time is not fast at all. In short, if I ever need to do any video editing, I always opt for a more powerful laptop or my desktop instead of my Surface Book. This isn't an issue you'll encounter with the higher-end Surface Book models, and definitely not with the Performance Base.

So who is this low-end Surface Book model for? It's for people who don't do much creativity work. It can handle Photoshop and other drawing apps, but it won't handle video editing or 3D animation programs all that well. For most of my usage scenarios, the low-end Surface Book does absolutely fine. I'm a writer, so usually the most I'm doing at any given time is typing up a document in Word while browsing the web with a few tabs in Edge and listening to Music. I often have OneDrive doing file syncs in the background and Slack running minimized.

For people using their laptop like that, the low-end Surface Book is perfect. It's a great device for "work" and an even better one for people like students, who won't demand a lot from their laptops anyway.

I have noticed that some websites like TweetDeck cause Edge to hang and crash often on the low-end Surface Book, especially when using Edge with multiple tabs. However, that's more due to the fact that TweetDeck is a poorly optimized web page, and most other websites are handled just fine with the low-end Surface Book.

You can do some light gaming on the Surface Book i5, but I mean seriously light gaming. Unless you enjoy playing AAA titles at the lowest possible resolution and low-quality settings, I wouldn't recommend trying to play any serious games on the low-end Surface Book. It can handle games such as Halo: Spartan Assult and GTA: San Andreas fine, but anything that requires pushing the graphics card is just not going to run well.

Surface Book final thoughts

So how has the Surface Book held up over the last year? Admirably. Sure, there were times in which I wish I had opted for the more powerful Surface Book, and if I were given the chance again I'd absolutely wait until I had the money to grab the high-end model. But for most of what I do, the low-end model has held up incredibly well.

It held up less well hardware-wise but not to the point in which the Surface Book doesn't work. A few dents here, a bend or so there, and the touch digitizer is a little finicky, but everything still works. I've still got a few weeks left on my hardware warranty, so I'll likely be able to trade in my Book for a new one if the touch-digitizer issue continues to act up.

I don't use the Surface Pen at all, and that's likely because I'm not really someone who needs the pen to get my work done. I'm not an artist or an animator, and I knew that when purchasing the Surface Book. Admittedly, the Surface Book is still a one-of-a-kind device when it comes to that 2-in-1 laptop with a pen form-factor, and the Surface Book arguably does pen-integration the best.

The question I keep asking myself: "Do I recommend the Surface Book in 2017?" I don't think so. That's not because the Surface Book is bad, because it isn't. If you're a pen user, the Surface Book is probably a great option for you. I'm almost certain the high-end model will be able to get done whatever task you need it to, but I'm just not sure I can recommend a year-old device, with an Intel SkyLake CPU, for the price you still have to pay for it. The Surface Books haven't really come down in price all that much since they launched, meaning you're essentially paying for a SkyLake laptop as if it were brand new on the market.

For example, the top-end, non-performance-base Surface Book costs around $3,200. That's an incredibly pricey laptop. That top-end Surface Book gives you an Intel Core i7 SkyLake dual-core CPU with 16GB of RAM and a 1TB storage drive. Meanwhile, Dell is selling the XPS 15, with an Intel Core i7 Kaby Lake quad-core CPU with 32GB RAM and 1TB Storage for around $2,500. That's a $700 difference for a generation-old device, and a less-powerful one at that.

It's the same story even at the low-end of the spectrum. Here in the UK, I paid £1,299 for my Surface Book with an Intel Core i5 SkyLake, 8GB RAM and 128GB Storage. For slightly less than that price, I can get a Dell XPS 13 with an Intel Core i5 Kaby Lake, 8GB RAM and 256GB Storage. You get more performance and storage, and a higher-resolution (4K) screen too.

So, I can't recommend the Surface Book right now, especially at the prices Microsoft continues to sell it. If prices came down a bit, I'd definitely reconsider. When Microsoft releases the Surface Book 2, I'm sure these prices will be justifiable again, but until then, I'd buy something else. If you don't care about my opinion on the matter, you can check out the Surface Book at Microsoft's website.

The Surface Book is one of the most powerful devices of its type on the market. Its 2-in-1 configuration gives it unprecedented versatility for inking, casual tablet use, and high-end productivity. To accomplish this, Microsoft squeezed a NVIDIA discrete GPU into the base, which benchmarks at around the same levels as the 940M GPU.

The Surface Book is certainly no powerhouse for gaming. If that's what you're after, you might want to check out the Razer lineup. That said, the Surface Book also isn't a total pushover.

With Halo Wars 2 and Resident Evil 7 recently hitting Xbox Play Anywhere on the Windows 10 Store, I figured I'd test them on my Surface Book to answer a burning question: Just how well will they run?

Surface Book specs

It's important to stress that the Surface Book really isn't marketed as a gaming device. Its Maxwell-based custom GPU is designed to power things such as Adobe Premier and Photoshop, as well as other less-intensive productivity tasks. Still, Microsoft demonstrated Gears of War running on the Surface Book during the device's reveal, giving the impression that it can at least do some gaming. We also previously examined Gears of War, Killer Instinct, and Overwatch, as well as some classic gaming benchmarks, on this Surface Book.

The full specs on my Surface Book:

• OS: Windows 10 Pro 64-bit.
• CPU: Intel Core i7-6600U dual-core at 2.60 GHz.
• RAM: 16GB dual-channel DDR3 .
• d-GPU: 1GB Nvidia GeForce (custom, 940M-level).
• Storage: 512 GB SSD.

See at Microsoft Store

Halo Wars 2 on Surface Book

Halo Wars 2 is a real-time strategy game set in the Halo universe, built by 343i and Creative Assembly. The game runs incredibly well on Xbox One, with crisp, detailed visuals and impressive particle and lighting effects, powering its sci-fi warfare spectacles.

Real-time strategy games (RTS) can become incredibly intensive, hardware-wise, due to the amount of units on screen. The bigger the battle, the bigger the load on the hardware, and even on Xbox One, that can lead to lost frames.

Constrained by the Surface Book, Halo Wars 2 does indeed struggle. I first attempted to play the game on higher settings, targeting a HD 1080p resolution with either medium or high settings for things such as textures and shadows. Naturally, this didn't go so well.

After hitting "Continue" after loading my campaign save, I was greeted by an old friend that I haven't seen in quite a long time:

After booting my Surface Book back up, I waited a little while longer after seeing the "Continue" message pop-up, and I was able to finally get into the game. As you can see, on higher settings, Halo Wars 2 is completely unplayable on the Surface Book, rocking an impressively unimpressive five to eight frames per second (FPS).

So I knocked the resolution down to 720p, the lowest it can go, while leaving some of the particle and lighting effects intact, with some anti-aliasing thrown in for good measure. It's still not what I'd call "playable," particularly in an RTS. With medium-to-low settings, I was able to get a somewhat unstable 15 to 20 FPS.

The best results came from putting everything on low. There I saw lowest-res shadows, low details and low texture quality. In this state, I was able to get between 30 and 40 FPS, with occasional dips down into the 20s for more intensive gameplay moments and fast-scrolling across the map.

Obviously, Halo Wars 2 performs best when on lowest settings, although I'm not sure I'd call it reliable for online, competitive play. Using these settings, you might be able to get some solid enjoyment out of the campaign mode, and advance your play-through while syncing the game between your Surface Book and Xbox One. For optimal play, though, you're going to want a higher-end PC or an Xbox One.

• Read our Halo Wars 2 Review
• Buy at Microsoft Store

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard on Surface Book

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is a first-person survival horror game that triumphantly reinvigorates a series that was slipping into obscurity. On Xbox One, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is a graphics powerhouse, rocking incredible lighting, gruesome monster details, and crisp 1080p, 60 FPS visuals.

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is also available for Windows 10 as an Xbox Play Anywhere game, syncing your progress across devices. It also gives you pretty insane control over its visuals and resolution, allowing you to dump it all the way down to 540p (though, I'm not sure why anyone would want to play it that way).

On the Surface Book, Resident Evil 7 simply wouldn't load when I attempted to play it above 1080p resolution, crashing to desktop instead. Thus, I lowered the settings incrementally until I landed somewhere in the mid-range, with a 1080p configuration. It actually runs fairly well at this level, dipping between 18 FPS and 25 FPS.

You could play Resident Evil 7: Biohazard under duress with these settings, potentially, but some of the game's more tense battles may become frustrating under load. Resident Evil 7 is, however, very playable on the Surface Book at 720p, without lowering a few of the other more intensive visual features in its options menu.

At 720p, Resident Evil 7 runs anywhere between 30 FPS and 40 FPS, which is more than capable for a game of this type. You could lower it even further to 640p to gain even higher frame rates, and you might even gain some PlayStation 1 pixelated nostalgia in the process.

• Read our Resident Evil 7 Review
• Buy at Microsoft Store

Conclusion

Ultimately, both games are playable on lower settings, at the cost of visual flair. Halo Wars 2 might put you at a firm disadvantage online, however, as your FPS drops ever further depending on the intensity of the battles. Resident Evil 7 on the other hand, is completely offline and rarely fluctuates in terms of visual complexity. You will want to disable v-sync on both, though, to reduce input lag.

The Surface Book simply isn't designed for gaming, but for those of us who might only use it occasionally on the go, the tradeoffs might be worthwhile. The Surface Book with Performance Base, as its name suggests, will perform better — but nobody should be looking to buy that device specifically for gaming. There are not only cheaper but also more powerful options available.

For a good selection of real gaming laptops, see the link below, and let us know what you use to game in the comments.

Best Gaming Laptops

Decreased popularity notwithstanding, there's no arguing that Apple has made many technologies introduced by other companies into commercial successes. For instance, Microsoft beat Apple to market with a smartphone platform, but Apple beat Microsoft's mobile efforts to a pulp with the success of the iPhone. Early Windows tablets preceded Apple's 2010 iPad to market by years. However, Apple more than made up for its late entry, as the iPad defined the tablet computer for both consumers and businesses, and year after year outsold most other tablet manufacturers.

In 2017 the iPad is still successful but declining share and consumers' choices of alternative devices indicate that its influence is not what it used to be. A barrage of recently-released iPad ads ahead of the tablets spring refresh suggests that Cupertino recognizes the threat its competition poses. Apple is, therefore, trying to position the iPad as a superior choice to Microsoft's evolving vision for mobility and the PC.

Unlike the Mac-versus-PC ads of years past, however, this attempt by Apple may not be as impactful as the company hopes.

You see, Microsoft is cool now. Windows 10 has an appealing set of evolving features such as Paint 3D, Windows Holographic and Xbox game streaming.

Furthermore, the Surface Studio with the Creators Update (seen in the video above) appeals to Apple's previous target audience: creatives. And Surface inspired 2-in-1s from partners including HP, Lenovo, Dell and Samsung are simply amazing devices that are saturating the market.

Is the iPad untouchable?

Even the blockbuster success of Cupertino's hallowed hardware can't remain untouched by the progress of technology and consumer behavior. As the smartphone got bigger and more powerful, consumers began moving activity previously relegated to their tablets over to their increasingly capable and always connected smartphones, or "phablets." The iPad started taking a hit. Even Apple's own iPhone Plus is guilty of cannibalizing iPad sales.

Competition and innovation offered another blow to Apple's tablet. The sleeping giant that was Microsoft seems to have shaken off the dust and some of the lethargy that has kept it a step behind others in recent years. After two failed attempts, the Surface Pro 3 finally changed the game for Microsoft as well as the concept of a tablet for the industry. Today's 2-in-1s have been embraced by Microsoft partners, and more importantly consumers, and have therefore been emulated by its rivals.

Apple execs who previously scoffed at the idea of a tablet that is also a laptop have not only embraced the idea but have introduced their take on it as if it's an original thought. But that's what Apple (and honestly most companies) does. Apple's success in smartphones and initial success in tablets was the result of its consistently applied strategy of taking what others have pioneered, refining it, marketing it to the max, and thereby winning mindshare and the market.

With the evolution of the tablet toward 2-in-1s and greater productivity, thanks to Microsoft, Apple has seen the need to recast the iPad's image away from a strictly slate-shaped consumption device to a productivity device where a keyboard, an eraser-less pencil and Microsoft services such as Office are increasingly important.

Let's take a look at the defensive positioning of the iPad as Apple executes a proactive, ad-driven offensive against Windows 10 2-in-1s and the ARM-based cellular PCs coming later this year.

No PC viruses on iPad, but other dangers may lurk

This first ad highlights the fact that the iPad, which is not a PC, does not get PC viruses. The claim states the obvious but is also somewhat misleading. The spirit of the message is that the iPad Pro is safe from external threats such as malicious code. Given the sandboxed nature of iOS, the system is admittedly very secure, but history reveals that even its walled garden is prone to unwanted weeds.

In 2015 300 apps were purged from the App Store due to an infection that allowed hackers to send fake alerts and steal passwords. Though iOS is relatively secure this was not the only compromise the platform suffered during the years. No, iOS does not get PC viruses, but consumers should still be wary of potential threats that may compromise their systems.

Furthermore, consumers should be aware of Microsoft's current strategy to make Windows even more secure. Redmond's Universal Windows Platform (UWP) strategy allows developers to convert existing x86 Win32 programs to full UWP Store apps via project Centennial. Developers are also encouraged to convert iOS and web apps to Store apps via the other app Bridges and to bring new apps directly to the UWP. Like iOS apps, Store apps are inherently more secure and sandboxed against malicious code.

Finally, Windows 10 Cloud, a version of Windows which will likely be found on many tablets and 2-in-1s, will allow users to permit only the more secure Store apps, excluding Win32 apps (unless converted to UWP via Project Centennial) from the OS.

Better than a computer? Really?

In the new iPad ad, the narrator responds that the iPad Pro isn't a computer when the consumer claims that the iPad isn't even close to being a computer. The narrator proceeds to claim that the iPad Pro is better than a computer. These are odd assertions given that just six months ago, in August 2016, Apple released the following ad claiming the iPad Pro is indeed a computer:

The narrator states:

Clearly, Apple has pivoted regarding its iPad Pro computer claims. Frankly, in response to the question, the ad's narrator leaves us with, the "it's-a-computer" claims are easily challenged, as seen in this rebuttal from Microsoft:

Apple's original "it's-a-computer" messaging left too much room for comparisons to actual computers where the iPad ultimately fell short. For instance, the iPad Pro does not have micro-SD expansion slots or USB ports. These are two basic features consumers are accustomed to having as part of their computers.

Surface did it first, and Surface does it better

Furthermore, though iOS now has split screen capabilities, the extent to which one can use multiple Windows simultaneously as one can on a Windows computer cannot be facilitated on an iPad Pro. Additionally, this tablet-that-used-to-be-called-a-computer doesn't even support a mouse or trackpad.

Moreover, the 2016 iPad Pro ad touting a keyboard that gets out of the way and a screen that can be touched and written on, debuted in the wake of the successful fourth-generation Surface, a four-year-old line of Microsoft 2-in-1s Apple is clearly emulating. The Surface, which introduced all of those features four years earlier, actually succeeded in inspiring a market deluge of 2-in-1s. Apple clearly wants the iPad to benefit from the success of this Microsoft-inspired category.

Finally, though Apple bragged about the ability to write on the iPad's screen, inking is a deeply integrated feature of Windows 10. Users can write on sticky notes and an assortment of other apps and workspaces, and even on web pages. Unlike the $99 Apple Pencil, the Surface Pen has an eraser and (valued at $59) is included with the Surface.

Don't hunt for Wi-Fi, cellular PCs cometh

The above ad highlights the iPad Pro's very convenient, always connected LTE feature (on the higher priced model). Though infrequently implemented, integrated LTE connectivity is not without precedence in Windows PCs and tablets (though attaching high-speed peripherals is also an option). That's about to change. Microsoft recently announced that full Windows 10 is coming to ARM-based Qualcomm processors. This innovation sets the stage for always-connected, lightweight, power-efficient cellular PCs in the form of laptops, tablets and 2-in-1s.

Its manufacturing partners will begin bringing these devices to market later this year. Consumers will be able to purchase cellular data for these devices directly from the Microsoft Store.

Apple, which is certainly aware of this potential market deluge of cellular PCs, saw a need to highlight the LTE connectivity in the higher-end iPad Pro. You can't blame the company. Cellular PCs are a threat to the iPad Pro. Windows Chief Terry Myerson elaborates in the video below:

Cellular PCs will have the full power and versatility of Windows 10 PCs. Microsoft demonstrated Windows on ARM's ability to support intensive processes such as gaming, full Office and Photoshop. Moreover, Qualcomm's Executive Vice President Christiano Armon foresees high-performance and high-efficiency, all-day computing with these new devices. Rich multimedia, GB-level LTE 5G speeds, and best-in-class Wi-Fi are also expected on these highly portable, fanless devices per Armon.

When he addressed the manufacturers at WinHEC 2016 Armon advised them that the ecosystems they've established in smartphones could be leveraged to benefit cellular PC investments. He further expressed that Qualcomm's and Microsoft's cellular PC goals are to redefine computing devices. Given that statement, it will be interesting to see if these partnerships eventually lead to telephony-enabled ultramobile PCs.

If not, consumers looking for an always connected productivity tablet should still be aware that the full power and versatility of Windows PCs will be arriving on lightweight, power-efficient ARM-based devices later this year.

They needn't settle for the tablet-that-used-to-be-called-a-computer. But if they want to, Microsoft has a presence on iOS.

Do more with Word

The above ad highlights the fact that Word and Microsoft Office are the industry's standards for productivity. The consumer in this ad, like most consumers, wants Microsoft Office regardless of the platform they use. Apple conceded this point by not highlighting its iWorks productivity suite in the ad nor during the introduction of the iPad Pro on stage in 2015.

Corporate Vice President for Microsoft Office Kirk Koenigsbaur was actually called on stage at that Apple event to demonstrate Office on the iPad, as seen in the video below:

Of course, Windows PCs have both the Mobile versions of Office, as well as the full-feature version. Moreover, just as with the iPad version, users can draw on Word on a PC. In line with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's "best on Windows" vision, Microsoft's Devices Chief Panos Panay said, in relation to the Surface Pro 4, "There's no product on the planet that runs Office and OneNote as well as this product."

In a long-awaited step to "modernizing" its Office Suite, Microsoft is expected to convert the Office Suite to Store apps this year. This will bring with it the benefits inherent to Universal Windows apps.

Speaking of apps, I would be disingenuous if I didn't mention the advantage the iPad has in this area.

Tim Cook stated, "The iPad is the clearest expression of our vision for the future of personal computing. A simple multi-touch piece of glass that instantly transforms into virtually anything that you want it to be." That's a great vision, and the App Store has the apps to support it. The Windows Store has about 600,000 touch-friendly apps. The App Store has more than twice that number.

Still, per Microsoft's Panay, UWP has the critical support from developers of apps such as Lightroom, Photoshop, Illustrator, DrawBoard, Bitwig and StaffPad (among others), as he expounds on in the video below:

Microsoft Surface, 2-in-1s have iPad on the defensive

It's clear from Apple's new ads that the company is marketing the device-that-used-to-market-itself, from a defensive position. This uncharacteristic approach contrasts Cupertino's more recent campaigns that focus on what an Apple product is or does rather than taking subtle digs at the competition through thinly-veiled comparisons.

If Apple were pitting itself against the old stodgy Microsoft, these ads might have a greater impact.

But this is the Microsoft that puts the power to create and manipulate 3D objects in the hands of children and adults.

This is the Microsoft that is leading the industry in mixed reality with its Windows Holographic platform and HoloLens.

This is the Microsoft that brought streaming Xbox gaming to PCs and VR.

This is no longer the Microsoft of boring, beige desktop PCs. This is the Microsoft that gave the world the category-defining Surface, Surface Book and Surface Studio. The Surface Book video below still gets me. It's just so cool.

Maybe Apple would have been better served not to take digs at Microsoft and Windows PCs in its new iPad ads. Everybody knows (or should know) it's not a good idea to pick a fight with the cool kid.

Follow the story

• How Surface changed Microsoft forever
• Apple may be building augmented reality glasses; Should Microsoft worry?
• What HoloLens means for the future of personal computing
• A HoloLens for everyone, Microsoft is democratizing HoloLens
• Getting in touch with creators; How Microsoft is courting Apple's creators
• Microsoft's reimagining of the PC for creators heralds a new generation of computer
• How Windows 2-in-1s are setting the stage for the Surface Phone
• Why Apple TV is a threat to Xbox living room position
• Windows Mobile and the enterprise Part IV: A phone in the hand or one that is planned?
• Can we still expect "best on Windows" Microsoft experience?
• AI, bots and canvases Part IV: The war is on! Microsoft is not alone
• Microsoft and the duo user Part III: Windows 10 is for everything you do
• Smartphones are dead Part I: This is the age of the mini-tablet
• Smartphones are dead Part III: Microsoft, Apple and Google are preparing for the shift
• Microsoft's aggressive push to rule personal computing: Windows 10
• Microsoft's aggressive push to rule personal computing: Cross-platform clouds and alternate realities

The fallout from the UK's decision to leave the EU this past summer has already driven price increases on some products, and now the Brexit bump is hitting something dear to Microsoft fans: Surface. As first spotted by TechChrunch, Microsoft has bumped the price of Surface Book models by £150 across the board. That's not all, however, as the Surface Pro 4 has seen price increases ranging up to £100 on all but its entry-level model.

In a statement to TechCrunch, Microsoft confirmed that the price changes went in effect today because the company is "adjusting the British pound prices of some of our hardware and consumer software in order to align to market dynamics." The company did clarify that these price increases only apply to individual buyers and organizations without volume licensing contracts.

The net effect of the increase is that the cost of buying into the entry-level Surface Book is now £1,449 — a bump from its original £1,299 price point. At the top end, the 1TB Intel Core i7 model with 16GB of RAM is now going for $3,049.

Microsoft is by no means alone in this. Apple and Sonos are also among some of the prominent tech companies that have increased their prices in response to the fall in value of the British pound. Microsoft itself even bumped some of its enterprise product prices in October.

See at Microsoft

Update 2 February 2017: We've refreshed this list to ensure you're still getting the best possible means of connecting a Surface Book to an external display.

The Microsoft Surface Book has a gorgeous, detachable touchscreen, which makes it an amazing portable laptop or tablet, depending on your needs. However, if you want to get some serious work done or are planning on logging some serious screen hours, it can be really handy to attach a second display to your Surface Book so you can mirror your small screen on something bigger or enjoy an extended viewing area with a second screen.

The exact method of connection depends on a few factors: what kind of screen you're plugging into, whether you need audio and video or just video, the available inputs on your display, etc. However, the general steps are pretty much the same.

See at Microsoft Store

How to connect a Surface Book to an external display

1. Locate the Mini DisplayPort on the righthand side of your Surface Book (it's tiny. Much smaller than a USB port).
2. Plug in an AV cable with a Mini DisplayPort end into your Surface Book (more on cable options below).
3. Plug the other end into your external display.

What cables/adapters do I need to use an external display with my Surface Book?

Pretty much every combination of cable or adapter can be purchased that will allow you to connect your Surface Book to the display of your choice. There are two ways to go: buy a specialized adapter, or buy a specialized cable.

Adapters

Adapters are a really good idea since you can use existing cables you might already have in your house. Also, some adapters will perform inversion/conversion functions to process the signal that goes through them, so if you're connecting your Surface Book to a second display, you won't experience any lag if you're working between two screens.

Microsoft Surface dock

Microsoft's Surface dock is an ideal option for those who want to create a stationary work station or entertainment center. Although it can be carried around in your laptop bag, its 2.6 pounds makes it less desirable for travel than other more mobile adapters.

This dock isn't bulky for no reason — featuring 4 USB 3.0 ports, an Ethernet port, an audio output port, and 2 mini-DVI ports, you'll find all the connections you need to get the most out of your Surface Book. Its weight also keeps the dock from sliding around when you have multiple connected cables.

To connect the dock to your Surface Book, simply attach the magnetic Surface Connect cable. Your Surface Book and any devices connected to the dock will charge as you work or play. You'll see less cables on your desktop and will worry less about chargers when you're on the go.

See at Microsoft Store

Mini DisplayPort to HDMI

This is the perfect adapter if you already own an HDMI cable (you probably use them to plug your TV into a set top box or video game console) and want to plug your Surface Book into a TV or a display monitor with an HDMI input.

Microsoft manufactures its own Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter if you want to stick with the brand that matches your computer. This adapter will send both audio and video from your computer to a device connected with an HDMI cable.

See at Microsoft Store

Mini DisplayPort to DVI

If you need to connect to an older generation monitor, or maybe a projector, you may find out these devices don't have an HDMI port. They will, however, likely have a DVI or VGA port. By purchasing a DVI adapter, you can connect your Surface Book to any device with a DVI input and enjoy full 1080p video. The DVI adapter will not carry audio, but you can purchase an inexpensive

See at Amazon

Mini DisplayPort to VGA

A VGA adapter for your Surface Book will allow you to connect to any device that uses those old, familiar, blue-tipped VGA cables. You'll find these on computer monitors and some video projectors. VGA inputs and outputs do not process audio, just video, but you can purchase an inexpensive

See at Amazon

Mini DisplayPort to multi-adapter

If you're buying an adapter anyway, why not cover all your bases in one? There are a few multi-adapter options out there which can take your Mini DisplayPort signal and convert it for output through HDMI, DVI, or VGA cables. Generally, multi-adapter solutions are not as highly reviewed as dedicated adapter options. WEme manufacturers an adapter with HDMI, DVI, VGA and 3.5mm audio outputs; however, it does not ship with instructions or additional cables, so you this option is only recommended if you are already have several kinds of audio cables and are familiar with how to use them. People who have purchased this one have had mostly positive experiences, but there is a vocal minority who ultimately returned the product because it wouldn't work for their display needs.

See at Amazon

Cables

If you want to make a direct connection from your Mini DisplayPort to whatever device you are connecting to, then choosing a cable over an adapter is the way to go. It's a great idea to keep a modern HDMI/Mini-DisplayPort cable as well as an older DVI/Mini-DisplayPort cable in your laptop bag for just-in-case situations if you ever do work presentations or might want to connect with a friend's TV or computer monitor when visiting their home.

Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Cable

If you want a simple plug-and-play option, Cable Matters can help you get up and running with their Mini DisplayPort to HDMI cable. This is a great solution to send audio and video from your Microsoft Surface Book to any display with an HDMI input. This cable will cleanly send HD video to a display source and is available in various lengths depending on what you need.

See at Amazon

Mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort

A standard-size DisplayPort is becoming common on external displays; if you happen to have a display with a DisplayPort, this is the cable for you. It is available in plenty of lengths to best suit your need, and it is also available in white and black. This cable will handle all your audio and up to 4K video without a problem.

See at Amazon

Mini DisplayPort to DVI

The same company as noted above for their HDMI and DisplayPort cable also makes an excellent DVI cable. Cable Matters gives you a simple solution to transmit video between your Microsoft Surface Book and an older-generation DVI monitor or projector. Like your DVI adapter option mentioned earlier, you can purchase an inexpensive

See at Amazon

Mini DisplayPort to VGA

It's not recommended to use a Mini-DisplayPort to VGA cable. Your Mini-DisplayPort has a very powerful video signal, and a VGA cable has a very weak video signal. Therefore it's recommended to use a VGA adapter (like the one in the above section) instead of relying on a cable.

Scratching the surface

There are a lot of ways you can connect your Microsoft Surface Book to various type of displays. It's unlikely you would need to have all of these cables and all of these adapters to get through your daily life. You likely have a good idea of how you're going to be using your Surface Book and what kind of display you will want to connect it to, so choosing one of the above adapter options will help you enjoy your Microsoft Surface Book with a multi-display view.

• Microsoft Surface Book | See at Microsoft
• Surface Book with Performance Base | See at Microsoft

Investing in the Surface Pro 4 or Surface Book is just that — an investment. Dropping that amount of cash means you want to protect your computer wherever and whenever. Sometimes that means having a small dedicated bag, but what if you need to pack your Surface into something larger or just want to carry it around? WaterField Design's Dash Sleeve for Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 is a great solution.

I spent the last few weeks with the Dash Sleeve. Here are my thoughts on how good it is and who it is for.

Dash Sleeve specs

Laptop and tablet sleeves are a dime a dozen, but WaterField goes for the more premium builds that will last you years without falling apart. They are made in the USA in San Francisco, which bumps up the costs, but it is often worth it. Here is what you get with the Dash Sleeve:

• Long-lasting, durable ballistic nylon exterior.
• Impact-resistant compression foam.
• Super soft plush liner.
• Premium, full-grain leather accents.

There are two options for color: gray waxed canvas and black ballistic nylon. I am reviewing the latter option. Both are very professional looking.

The Dash Sleeve comes in many different sizes, but they have two sleeves unique to the Surface series. One fits the Surface Book and the other is for Surface Pro 4 with the Type Cover. The one I'm reviewing here is the Surface Book Dash Sleeve and as expected it also fits the somewhat larger Surface Book with Performance Base.

Besides the main, padded compartment for the Surface, there is a back pocket that is mesh and stretches. It can easily retain a magazine or some papers, but the sleeve can also fit the Surface's AC adapter because it stretches.

Like some of WaterField's other Surface accessories, the Dash Sleeve has a dedicated slot for the Surface Pen, which can be tricky to carry and easy to lose.

Finally, WaterField claims the Sleeve is "TSA-checkpoint friendly (no need to take the device out of the Dash Sleeve)," though I didn't test that.

Who it's for

The Dash Sleeve should be considered more of an accessory for short travel, in the car to the office, within the office or taking the Surface to a coffee shop, for example. I also found it useful when I wanted to put the Surface in a larger backpack without a dedicated laptop sleeve, or throw it in a suitcase.

Students would also benefit from the Dash Sleeve instead of putting it in a backpack that's already filled with books.

To buy or not to buy

The Dash Sleeve is a quality product like all of WaterField's stuff. It costs $59, but I don't find that outrageous for an accessory for the Surface Book, which costs more than $2,000 for some models.

I enjoyed the stretchy latch that you just pull over to prevent the Surface from sliding out of the sleeve. Once the Surface is in there, it will not fall out. The pen slot and stretchy back pocket meant I could carry the AC charger too without much effort.

My only complaint is a minor one. I wouldn't mind seeing WaterField branch out into more colors or add more flair. To be fair, this accessory is advertised as being minimalist and it tries to keep it professional, so I can't ding the company too much. Still, if you're looking for something that stands out or is a little more exciting, there are better options on the market.

See at WaterField Designs

There are some specific usage scenarios that the Dash Sleeve fits well, and it's a great option to have if you travel a lot with the Surface Book or Pro 4 and are looking for protection. WaterField Designs is a company that stands behind its products, and I recommend the Dash Sleeve.

See also:

• WaterField Designs' Outback Solo Case for Surface is a superb leather bag that'll last a lifetime
• The Brenthaven Collins Vertical Messenger Bag for Surface Book is outstanding

If you're in the market for a decent deal on a Surface Pro 4 or Surface Book in the UK, the Microsoft Store has a treat for you. Right now, you can pick up a pretty solid 15% on select configurations of both Surfaces, saving up to £195.

In all, there are only 3 models being offered with the 15% discount, including:

• Surface Pro 4 - 128GB / Intel Core m3 / 4GB RAM - 635
• Surface Pro 4 - 128GB / Intel Core i5 / 4GB RAM - 720
• Surface Book - 128GB / Intel Core i5 / 8GB - 1,104

Overall, not a bad discount all around — especially if you don't mind snagging a Surface at the entry-level. If you want to get in on the deal, these discounts are set to last through January 31. However, it's likely we may see an updated Surface lineup make its debut in the coming months, so don't be surprised if we see even more discounts on the Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 as the months wear on.

• See Surface Book at Microsoft
• See Surface Pro 4 at Microsoft

I'm not entirely sure why this was happening, but it's likely a bug that will be fixed in the future. Since then, however, I've noticed that other UWP games sometimes default to the integrated Intel GPU, both on my Surface Book and other laptops. Thankfully, there's an easy way to fix it.

Here's how to force your Surface Book (or any laptop with an NVIDIA GPU ⁠— check out our best graphics card picks) to use its discrete graphics processing, and check whether your games are using it as appropriate.

1. Type Nvidia into the Start Menu to find the Nvidia Control Panel.
2. Click Manage 3D Settings is selected in the left column.
3. Select the Program Settings tab on the right side.

4. Find the game you want in the drop down list, or click Add if you can't find it.Note: Often UWP games don't find their way into the list by default, and need to be added.

5. Click Add Selected Program to include it in the menu.
6. With your target game selected in the first drop down menu, now select High-performance NVIDIA processor in the bottom drop down menu.Note: The program might lock up briefly while it does the switch over, be patient!

Win32 games seem to have no issues when it comes to defaulting to the correct graphics processor, but sometimes games from the Windows 10 Store seem to get a bit confused. This is the best workaround for now until Microsoft issues a more comprehensive fix.

Halo Wars Definitive Edition is an Xbox Play Anywhere HD-remaster of the Xbox 360's Halo Wars, which was a real-time strategy game (RTS) simplified for console play. Like Halo Combat Evolved before it, Halo Wars hoped to bring RTS to an entirely new audience by placing it on a console, which was something very few games had done successfully before. Halo Wars became somewhat of a cult hit in the series, earning a legion of dedicated fans that contributed to reviving the spin-off for a sequel.

Halo Wars Definitive Edition grants the game new visuals, higher resolutions, and new effects. Best of all, it brings the Halo franchise back to PC, hot on the heels of Halo 5's Forge mode. Halo Wars DE will launch as a standalone game sometime after February 24th, but you can jump in right now by pre-ordering Halo Wars 2: Ultimate Edition.

We've covered Halo Wars 2 before, and we'll have more to share on this intriguing iteration in the franchise soon, but for now, let's take a look at how Halo Wars Definitive Edition UWP runs on various PCs!

See at Windows Store

Halo Wars Definitive Edition on PC

As mentioned, Halo Wars Definitive Edition is built for the Universal Windows Platform, granting it cross-save, cross-purchasing features with Xbox One. UWP games have historically had issues with certain hardware set-ups. Microsoft has fixed a lot of the common problems, but it's a shame that Halo Wars DE doesn't support DX12, making it potentially less optimized for lower-end setups.

Halo Wars DE isn't a visually intensive game, generally. It's not as detailed as Halo Wars 2 will be, and even with the enhancements, the game still looks a little dated on max settings. It was originally released back in 2009, after all. Large skirmishes impact performance, but the good news is that Halo Wars DE is totally playable on the Surface Book, and thus likely similarly equipped non-gaming PCs.

Halo Wars DE vs. Surface Book

First, we tested Halo Wars DE on the launch edition core i7 Surface Book. The relevant specs are below, but feel free to check out the full Surface Book specs over here too.

Considering Killer Instinct runs fairly well on the regular Surface Book, I expected decent performance out of Halo Wars... but initially, I was only getting around 10-20 frames per second (FPS) in regular play, on the lowest of the low settings.

I was ready to call it a day and just conclude that Halo Wars DE was poorly optimized, but I found that wasn't the case. By default, Halo Wars was using the Surface Book's integrated Intel HD graphics, instead of the custom 940M d-GPU. After a quick tweak in Nvidia control panel to force Halo Wars to force the d-GPU, the performance gains were considerable, giving me anywhere between 55 and 60 FPS.

Halo Wars DE doesn't allow you to set resolution manually. It only allows you to switch between "high" and "low" resolution, and we lack the tools to calculate exactly what resolution it's providing in these situations. You can also control visual features like multisampling and shadows, allowing you to tailor your experience if you're on lower-end GPUs like the Surface Book's.

It's a shame that Halo Wars DE isn't better optimized for integrated graphics like those found in the Surface Pro line considering how visually dated it is, but Halo Wars DE is deemed to be "early access" right now. There's certainly room for improvements and updates.

Halo Wars DE vs. Surface Book with Performance Base

We were also interested in how well Halo Wars DE would perform on the Surface Book with its Performance Base. The Performance Base notably increases the convertible's battery life, but also throws in a much beefier d-GPU.

We encountered the same issue on the Surface Book with Performance Base, where Halo Wars DE was defaulting to the on-board graphics. But when the game was pointed at the Performance Base's 965M GPU, as you might expect, it ran far better than on the regular Surface Book, even on higher settings.

The Performance Base' 956M allowed 45 to 55 FPS with all of the game's settings on high, making it not only playable, but far sexier to look at.

When it comes to Surface gaming on the go, quite obviously, the Surface Book with Performance Base is the clear winner, but for similar money, you could pick up the New Razer Blade, which utterly dominates the Surface line for gaming.

Halo Wars DE vs. Razer Blade (2016)

Naturally, we tested Halo Wars DE on a real gaming laptop, the New Razer Blade from 2016. Strangely, Halo Wars DE again defaulted to the Razer Blade's integrated graphics, which is something that will no doubt get patched out before it launches proper. Here are the relevant Razer Blade's specs.

With fully maxed out settings, the Razer Blade naturally made short work of Halo Wars DE, running it flawlessly at 60 frames per second.

Wrapping up

As an Xbox Play Anywhere title, games that are well optimized to run on as many machines as possible will become incredibly valuable when Windows 10 for ARM arrives. The Snapdragon 835, which will power Windows 10 on ARM experiences, is far more powerful than the Snapdragon 820, which was shown running World of Tanks Blitz quite competently in Microsoft's announcement video.

Gaming laptops with GTX 10xx series cards and quad-core processing will always dominate setups like the ones found in the Surface Book, but if you value the 2-in-1 nature of the versatile Surface Book, it looks as though it will at least be viable to some degree for playing many upcoming Xbox Play Anywhere titles.

More

• Can you really game on a Surface Book?
• Should you buy the Surface Book with Performance Base for gaming?
• Best Gaming Laptop: Razer Blade