Microsoft unveiled its first-ever laptop that features a unique hinge system that allows the device to turn into a tablet. Deemed as the "ultimate laptop" by Microsoft, the Surface Book is rumored to perform faster than Apple's Macbook Pro.
Panos Panay from Microsoft described the Surface Book as the "ultimate laptop" and the "thinnest and most powerful PC ever created." Microsoft's new laptop houses premium specs and design that are similar to the 2015 Macbook Pro and other premium laptops.
Wired reported that the Microsoft Surface Book features a unique hinge system that can turn the laptop into a standalone tablet. The "dynamic fulcrum hinge" is Microsoft's innovation that allows the keyboard to be detached from the laptop screen. However, the hinge also prevents the laptop to be completely closed.
The report added that the laptop-to-tablet function is possible because the Surface Book's battery and processor are integrated to the screen while the GPU is placed in the keyboard. In laptop mode, users can play video games or edit photos and videos, made possible by the laptop's built-in GPU. For lighter tasks, users can go to tablet mode. The screen can also be re-attached in a way that it can be used like a drawing pad.
Microsoft's Surface Book is said to be faster than the Apple Macbook Pro, reported Tech Insider. The Surface Book's GPU reportedly makes the laptop perform better than the Macbook Pro which does not have a graphics card. The GPU component makes laptops handle graphics-intensive tasks like video gaming and rendering videos.
PCMagazine reported the differences between the Surface Book and the Macbook Pro. Although both have highly similar specs and design, they run on different OS. Microsoft's Surface Book runs on Windows 10 while the Macbook Pro has Apple's OS X El Capitan.
The report further stated that the Surface Book has a superior display than Apple's Macbook Pro. It boasts a 13.5" screen with a 3000 x 2000 resolution with touch screen capability while the Retina Macbook Pro has a 13.3" panel with a 2560 x 1600 resolution without touch screen.
Another difference between the two laptops is the battery life. Microsoft's Surface Book claims a longer battery life span of 12 hours while the Macbook Pro only lasts for 11 hours and 10 minutes.
Although both devices belong to the premium laptop category, the Surface Book is slightly more expensive than the Macbook Pro. It has a starting price of $1,499 compared to the Retina Macbook Pro's price of $1,299.
Overall, Microsoft's Surface Book is thinner, faster, lighter, and has a better display than the Apple Macbook Pro, but is also more expensive. With both devices sharing almost the same specs, the deciding factor for consumers could be the OS on which the two laptops run on.
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