MS Surfacebook

This looks like it may be the ultimate ID device. Powerful enough to run 3D software but also has a removable tablet and flip around option to use the GPU.

Interesting that there’s a non-GPU option for simple note taking/web browsing/sketching, but then can be plugged back into the main body for full capability.

Yep - I totally want one of these…and the price is very reasonable…and better yet, I figured it’d be one of those “it might be available in a year” but instead they ship on the 26th of this month! I’m waiting to see hands-on reviews of sketching with the pen on the 1024 pressure level screen and reviews on whether there is any limitation other than the GPU when the tablet is disconnected from the keyboard.

I really love what Microsoft has been doing the past few years, first on the software side and now with hardware. Windows 10 could really be good enough to bridge the tablet-laptop gap, and their hardware no longer has them positioned as a “me too” brand. I get the distinct feeling that they are now leading the charge in laptop and tablet innovation that could actually catch on, rather than just throwing out half-baked ideas like the other pc makers or perfecting products that are mostly perfect to begin with like Apple.

I’m torn between this, a Surface Pro, or iPad Pro. Granted the Apple device can’t run SolidWorks or full Adobe CC, but for the cost of the Adobe CC subscription the mobile Adobe apps (Draw, Sketch, Comp) are thrown in. The Surface devices seem more adaptable to whatever life and the profession might throw at you. Good looking product too.

Toshiba just announced one with a 2048-level Wacom pen. My old macbook, which I only use for quick tasks when I travel anyway, is on its last legs. These are looking like some tempting replacements.

Bestbuy stores have the Surface Pro 4 on display… I compared it with the Surface Pro 3 right beside it and there really wasn’t much difference. It’s about 1mm thinner, weights about the same, couldn’t test the 1024 levels of pressure since the units only had one note and fresh paint installed… in the pre-installed apps the increase in levels of pressure were virtually non-existent, the soft start button on the 3 is gone on the 4. The eraser on the new stylus feels more like a traditional eraser on a wooden pencil.

Unless you want the new 6th generation chips in the surface pro 4, i don’t see any real reason to get the 4… unless the prices turn out to be about the same then i guess there no loss :slight_smile:

Why do I want a fulcrum hinge?

I used to be the voice of Toshiba back when we used Tecra M7’s with Nvidia GPUs - those 14.4" Wacom flip screen tablet laptops ruled the ID world for a time - but ever since they just tempt us with half baked concepts - I guess to see if there’s a reaction loud enough to actually pursue it? Maddening…and sad, because an atom processor and a stylus that looks like a, nevermind, it doesn’t look like an accurate stylus, isn’t going to cut it.

As soon as they’re back in stock I’m getting the Surface Book with 16gb ram 512SSD and the Nvidia GPU, the surface dock port, the latest MS mouse and a new 2nd monitor - I recently upgraded my office PC to Windows 10 and I like what they’re doing with the OS - my Windows phone and my PC are beginning to look and act alike…and I might even get the new Band2 just to tick off my Apple lovin’ wife!! (She’s staring me down from behind something with an Apple on it right now).

Ray, I think that hinge gives them the most durable double-over so that the tablet can lay on the keyboard - otherwise they’d need a double hinge and those can get clunky with sloppy foldovers in the mid-range - I really like the attention to detail on these new MS products.

By the way - anyone getting these products, you can get 10% off everything if you are a student, or in my case, have a kid who’s a student - just have to buy through the Microsoft store and activate student pricing.

I’m really digging the Surfacebook and really considering buying it, but the 13.5" screen just seems too small for an ID related laptop, what do you all think?

MobileTechReview previews the Surface Pro 4(0:00) and Surface Book (4:04)

I think the guts matter more than the screen size if your goal is to have an all-encompassing ID machine. Cranking out CAD and renders or doing heavy photo and video work is probably too much for any 13" laptop to handle. I gave up on a laptop as my primary workstation a long time ago, but I would love something that is small enough to travel with and powerful/precise enough to handle single tasks like sketching. As far as screen size goes, a 13.5" screen is roughly the same size as a piece of letter-sized paper. If that’s what you usually draw on I imagine you’ll feel right at home.

Agreed, I’m planing on replacing my 15" Macbook Pro with a Surface Pro and a decent desktop machine.

I’m quite impressed with Microsoft’s renewal. Taking a page from Apple’s book with more thoughtfully designed and better built machines while being ok with the premium price that go with that instead of racing to the bottom like most of the other vendors do. Windows 8 and the original Surface looked like a hodge podged reaction to tablets and more mobile computing. But in 2-3 years they put together a very desirable offering.

I don’t think the Surface will be able to fulfill of my computing need, but I think I’ll get a lot of use out of it - as a tablet around the house, as a notebook/sketchbook and also replacing my laptop when I’m on the go. I think the Surface lineup would be even more useful in a professional setting.

I had a chance to try out the Surface Book a few days ago and I thought it was pretty great (I was just testing out the sketching capabilities) in the Fresh Paint app.

The only digital sketching I’ve done has been on an iPad Air with a Pencil by FiftyThree. The best part about the sketching on the Surface Book for me was the pen’s familiar shape to a real pen and its sharp accurate tip. Something I hadn’t known before is that you can replace the tips of the pen with different shape and friction level tips. Initially, I thought it sounded a bit gimmicky but quickly changed my mind when I saw that they sell this kit of 4 different tips for $10 which seemed pretty reasonable to me. It’s really cool to have those different options and if I had one I would definitely want to try them out.

As someone who already owns an ‘older’ iPad, I really wish you could use a Surface Pen across platforms!