Microsoft decided that the differentiation of the Surface line – which includes the Pro and Book – came from its practical uses, such as the full Office suite. Compared to a similarly-outfitted Surface Pro 3 the new Surface Book handled anything we threw at it without a single complaint.
Advertisement
The Surface Book sells at 99 and up. That has changed with the release of the first Surface tablets in 2012, as well as the Lumia smartphones released since Microsoft bought Nokia’s devices and services business in 2014.
Half the appeal of the Surface Pro 4 comes from the equally stunning type cover.
Finding the devices or at least getting them quickly is the challenge consumers now face. Replacing the base of the Surface Book with a high-end model with graphics card will enhance the performance and graphics of the machine.
Prices start at 9 for a Surface Pro 4 with 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and an Intel Core M3 processor. The Surface Pro 4 should be available at retailers, but the Surface Book is in short supply following strong preorder demand.
After you’re done, you’ll see a few new options in Sign-In Options: you can improve recognition or remove this functionality, enable/disable Windows Hello facial recognition on the fly, and businesses can specify stricter sign-in requirements, usually via policy. It keeps the magnesium frame of the Surface Pro 4, but it expands that out into a keyboard dock with its own batteries and graphics processor. The company’s Surface Pen will be bundled with the retail packaging of the notebook and according to the software firm, the accessory mimics the functionality of an actual pen.
At Microsoft’s site, three of the Surface Pro 4 models are available immediately, but two others won’t ship until November 20.
I will be closely monitoring social media as these devices begin to arrive later today. The Surface Pen included with both of them has interchangeable tips so that users can customize how they feel as their scribbling notes in apps like OneNote or just navigating Windows 10.
Advertisement
Microsoft’s Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 officially go on sale, but the Surface Book is playing hard to get. The Surface Dock costs $199.99, the same amount as the old Docking Station for Surface Pro 3. And key among these features is Windows Hello, a new way to sign-in to Surface Book, in this case with facial recognition.
