5 Things To Know About Microsoft's Surface Book 2

The Surface Lineup Grows

It's already been a big year for Microsoft's Surface line of devices, with the introduction of a new Surface Pro 2-in-1 and the student-focused Surface Laptop in the first half of 2017. Now the Surface lineup is expanding again, with a new model in the Surface Book series -- the Surface Book 2. The new workhorse notebook follows last year's Surface Book i7 and the original Surface Book from 2015, but with plenty of improvements inside and out.

In the following slides, the CRN Test Center rounds up what you need to know about the specs and price of Microsoft's Surface Book 2.

Display

One of the biggest changes from past Surface Books is that the Surface Book 2 will come in two display sizes. Along with the original 13.5-inch size, the Surface Book 2 will also be offered as a 15-inch model. That'll put it on par with Apple's MacBook Pro and Dell's XPS laptop lineup.

The display itself will use Microsoft's bright and colorful PixelSense LCD technology, with a 3:2 aspect ratio. The resolution on the 15-inch model (3,240 x 2,160) will be slightly higher than that of the 13.5-inch model (3,000 x 2,000). And, like on the original Surface Book, the display on the Surface Pro 2 will be a touch screen that can detach for use as a tablet.

Processors And RAM

Microsoft is introducing Intel's eighth-generation Core processors to the Surface lineup with the Surface Book 2. The notebook will include an eighth-gen Core i7 processor (quad-core, up to 4.2GHz) in both sizes. There will also be an option for a seventh-gen Core i5 (dual-core, up to 3.5GHz) on the 13.5-inch model. In terms of RAM, the Surface Book 2 has 8-GB and 16-GB configurations for the smaller model, while the larger model comes with 16 GB.

In addition, the Surface Book 2 will include an option for discrete Nvidia GeForce graphics in both models -- GTX 1050 for the 13.5-inch model, and GTX 1060 for the 15-inch model. The entry-level configuration for the 13.5-inch model includes Intel HD Graphics 620.

Battery Life And Storage

Another major upgrade for the Surface Book 2 -- particularly compared with the original Surface Book -- is on battery life. Microsoft promises 17 hours of usage on a charge for the notebook, versus the 12 hours of the original Surface Book and 16 hours for the Surface Book i7.

On storage, meanwhile, the Surface Book 2 will come in three configurations -- 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB.

Portability And Ports

While the Surface Book 2 has lots to offer, it's clearly not intended as a highly portable laptop. The Core i5 version of the 13.5-inch model is the lightest, but it still weighs 3.38 pounds. The smaller Core i7 model weighs 3.62 pounds, while the 15-inch model has a weight of 4.2 pounds.

The Surface Book 2 is also thicker than most of the premium laptops hitting the market today, with each of the models measuring 0.9 of an inch thick.

In terms of connectors, the Surface Book 2 is the first Surface device to include a USB-C port. It also comes with two USB-A ports, a full-size SD card reader, a 3.5mm headphone jack and two Surface Connect ports for charging.

Price And Availability

There's really no inexpensive option for the Surface Book 2, especially when it comes to the larger-screened model. The entry-level version of the notebook (13.5-inch display, seventh-gen Core i5) is priced at $1,499, while the 13.5-inch model with eighth-gen Core i7 starts at $1,999.

For the lowest-end version of the 15-inch Surface Book 2, you're going to pay $2,499. For the 15-inch model with 1 TB of storage, the pricing goes up to $3,299.

Microsoft said it will be opening pre-orders for the Surface Book 2 on Nov. 9, and shipping will begin on Nov. 16.