Surface Book 2 Discussion Thread (13.5" and 15" models)

Out of the blue Microsoft just announced new Surface Book 2 models in two sizes, with either a 13.5" or a 15" screen. Preorders start Nov 9. Configurations, pricing, and reviews at the bottom of this post.





CONFIGURATIONS / PRICING

13.5” Intel® Core™ i5-7300U
256GB / 8GB / Intel HD Graphics 620 integrated GPU / $1499

13.5” Intel® Core™ i7-8650U quad-core
256GB / 8GB / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 dGPU w/2GB GDDR5 memory / $1999
512GB / 16GB / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 dGPU w/2GB GDDR5 memory / $2499
1TB / 16GB / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 dGPU w/2GB GDDR5 memory / $2999

15” Intel® Core™ i7-8650U quad-core
256GB / 16GB / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 dGPU w/6GB GDDR5 memory / $2499
512GB / 16GB / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 dGPU w/6GB GDDR5 memory / $2899
1TB / 16GB / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 dGPU w/6GB GDDR5 memory / $3299

_____________________________

SPECS

Dimensions
Surface Book 2 13.5”
i5: 12.3” x 9.14” x 0.51”-0.90” (312 mm x 232 mm x 13 mm-23 mm)
i7: 12.3” x 9.14” x 0.59”-0.90” (312 mm x 232 mm x 15 mm-23 mm)

Surface Book 2 15”
13.5” x 9.87” x 0.568-0.90” (343 mm x 251 mm x 15 mm-23 mm)

Display
Surface Book 2 13.5”
Screen: 13.5” PixelSense™ Display
Resolution: 3000 x 2000, (267 PPI)
Aspect ratio: 3:2Contrast ratio: 1600:1
Touch: 10 point multi-touch G5

Surface Book 2 15”
Screen: 15” PixelSense™ Display
Resolution: 3240 x 2160, (260 PPI)
10 point multi-touch G5

Aspect ratio: 3:2
Contrast ratio: 1600:1
Touch: 10 point multi-touch G5

Memory
Surface Book 2 13.5”8GB or 16GB RAM 1866Mhz LPDDR3
Surface Book 2 15”16GB RAM 1866Mhz LPDDR3

Processor
Surface Book 2 13.5”
7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7300U dual-core processor, 3.5GHz Max Turbo
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U quad-core processor, 4.2GHz Max Turbo

Surface Book 2 15”
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U quad-core processor, 4.2GHz Max Turbo

Security
HW TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security
Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in

Software
Windows 10 Pro Creators Update 64-bit
Office 30-day trial

Sensors
Ambient light sensor
Proximity sensor
Accelerometer
Gyroscope
Magnetometer

Weight
Surface Book 2 13.5”
Intel® Core™ i5: Starting at 3.38 lbs (1,534 g) including keyboard
Intel® Core™ quad-core i7: Starting at 3.62 lbs (1,642 g) including keyboard

Surface Book 2 15”
Intel® Core™ quad-core i7: Starting at 4.2 lbs (1,905 g) including keyboard

Storage
Solid state drive (SSD) options: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB PCIe SSD

Battery life
Surface Book 2 13.5”
Up to 17 hours of video playback
Surface Book 2 15”
Up to 17 hours of video playback1

Graphics
Surface Book 2 13.5” PixelSense™ Display
Intel HD Graphics 620 integrated GPU (on Intel® i5-7300U model)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 dGPU w/2GB GDDR5 memory (on Intel® i7-8650U models)
Surface Book 2 15” PixelSense™ Display
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 dGPU w/6GB GDDR5 memory

Connections
2 x full-size USB 3.1 Gen 1
1 x USB-C
3.5mm headphone jack
2 x Surface Connect ports
Full-size SD™ card reader
Compatible with Surface Dial* on- and off-screen interaction

Cameras, video, and audio
Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p HD video
8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p HD video
Dual microphones
Front-facing stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™ Premium
Support for Windows Sonic for Headphones
Support for Dolby® Atmos for Headphones3

Wireless
Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible
Bluetooth Wireless 4.1 technology
Xbox Wireless built-in (15” only)

Exterior
Casing: Magnesium
Color: Silver
Physical buttons: Volume, Power




Reviews
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Micro...-i7-GTX-1050-Convertible-Review.263954.0.html
https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Microsoft+Surface+Book+2+Teardown/100364
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/201...performance-but-lightning-hasnt-struck-twice/
https://www.windowscentral.com/surface-book-2-13-review
https://www.windowscentral.com/surface-book-2
https://www.engadget.com/2017/11/16/surface-book-2-review/
https://www.pcworld.com/article/3236865/computers/microsoft-surface-book-2-review.html
http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-surface-book-2-review-2017-11
http://www.zdnet.com/product/microsoft-surface-book-2/
http://mashable.com/2017/11/16/microsoft-surface-book-2-review/#28YRfQaPzOqt
https://www.wired.com/review/review-microsoft-surface-book-2/
https://gizmodo.com/microsoft-s-giant-surface-book-2-is-very-powerful-very-1820501719
https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/16/16658466/microsoft-surface-book-2-review

 

Some early reactions from the wish list thread:

 

Comparing to some of our wishes and dreams, the improvements are modest:

My old wish list for the SB2
- a pound lighter overall NOPE
- AND more battery life for the tablet portion (I know..) YES! edit: maybe not..
- a hinge that doesn't leave a gap when the device is closed NOPE
- kickstand on the tablet portion NOPE
- compatibility with a keyboard cover like that of the SP4 NOPE
- a hinge that can open by a full 360 degrees for yoga-like usage without undocking NOPE
- USB-C ports, including one for charging YES!

Other people's wishes for the SB2
- ports on the screen (USB and display) NOPE
- SD card slot in the screen (so still available when undocked) NOPE
- lower price (personal wish: i5/8GB/512GB, no discrete GPU for about $1500) YES! (almost)
- bigger screen (15") YES!
- ethernet port (on base or screen?) NOPE
- HDMI 2.0 ports on the dock (on the base?) NOPE
- black keys for better visibility of white/gray characters NOPE
- improved keyboard layout with dedicated home/end, page up/down keys NOPE
- black casing NOPE

 

Where can I get that snazzy background image? It's not in Microsoft Color Explosion desktop wallpaper pack.

 

Not sure. Looks like I should add that to the list of tech specs: "snazzy new background image".

 

Well, that was fast...

 

Curious, there is no mention of the 15" version of the new Surface Book on the German Microsoft Store site.
This is worrisome for Europe.

 

<<...there is no mention of the 15" version of the new Surface Book on the German Microsoft Store site...>>

...It's because we're never, never giving it to you...!!!

Well, OK, we will, but we'll charge you a bunch of Euros for it...

 

Size comparison side by side (from MS info pages)

 

Quad + 1060 = Yay.