When Microsoft released the first Surface Book last year, the company proved that it is able to create a Windows-based laptop that could easily compete with Apple MacBooks. With the latest iteration of its flagship 2-in-1 device, the Surface Book 2, Microsoft made some major improvements in terms of hardware specs, and that created some minor issues.
First, the Surface Book 2 costs about $100 more compared to the last year's model. A model with 8GB of memory and 256GB SSD storage option costs $2,399, and the high-end model with 16GB of memory and 1TB SSD storage space costs $3,299. The same sixth-generation Intel Core i7 processor powers these devices. No changes were made on the display and its resolution, port selection, and almost every other capability.
Microsoft made a major upgrade on the graphical side of things. The Surface Book 2 packs a Nvidia GeForec GTX 965M graphics card with 2GB of GDDR5 VRAM, according to Wired. Microsoft also upgraded the device's battery pack to handle the power requirement of the new graphics card. The company said that the battery could power the device for about 16 hours before the battery is fully drained, that is an increase of about four hours compared to last year's model.
Microsoft was forced to adjust the base of the Surface Book 2 to create space to accommodate the changes, according to The Verge. It also made the Surface Book 2 heavier.
Some reviews of the Surface Book 2 have suggested that Microsoft should have added a USB Type-C port, especially now that this technology is getting more common by the day. Microsoft was also criticized by some for not using the latest Kaby Lake processors from Intel, although it is also important to note that even Apple's new MacBook models do not use this chip.