Microsoft announced several new devices on its Windows 10 Devices event including a new version of the popular Surface Pro line called Surface Pro 4 and the company’s first laptop Surface Book.
If you have followed the announcement, or maybe just heard about the two devices, you are probably wondering how these two differ and which one to pick if you want to buy a Microsoft computer running Windows 10.
The main issue here is that Microsoft has not revealed all information yet about either of the devices. While Microsoft revealed some information, other critical information have yet to be named by the company.
This article concentrates on what Microsoft has revealed so far. We will update it once additional information are revealed by Microsoft (this should be soon considering that pre-orders start tomorrow).
| Microsoft Surface Pro 4 | Microsoft Surface Book | |
| Processor | Intel Core M3, Intel Core i5 and i7 | Intel Core i5 and i7 Skylake |
| Memory | from 4GB to 16GB | from 8GB to 16GB |
| Storage | from 128GB to 1TB | from 128GB to 512GB SSD |
| Graphics | Intel HD graphics (m3), Intel HD graphics 520 (i5), Intel Iris graphics (i7) | Intel HD graphic or NVIDIA GeForce graphics |
| Screen | 12.3″ 2763×1824 267ppi touch | 13.5″ 3000×2000 267ppi touch |
| Dimensions | 11.50 x 7.93 x .33 in (292.10 x 201.42 x 8.45 mm) | Laptop: 9.14 x 12.30 x 0.51- 0.90 in ( 232.1 x 312.3 x 13 -22.8 mm) |
| Clipboard: 8.67 x 12.30 x 0.30 in (220.2 x 312.3 x 7.7 mm) | ||
| Weight | 766g (m3), 786g (i5/i7) | 1576 |
| Wireless | 802.11ac Wi-Fi wireless networking; IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible | 802.11ac Wi-Fi wireless networking; IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible |
| Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology | Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology | |
| Ports | 1 USB 3.0 | 2 USB 3.0 |
| microSD card reader | Full-size SD card reader | |
| Surface Connect | Surface Connect | |
| Headset jack | Headset jack | |
| Mini DisplayPort | Mini DisplayPort | |
| Media | 5.0MP front-facing camera | 5.0MP front-facing camera |
| 8.0mp rear-facing camera | 8.0mp rear-facing camera | |
| Stereo microphones | Dual microphones, front and rear facing | |
| Stereo speakers with Dolby Audio | Front-facing stereo speakers with Dolby audio | |
| Sensors | Ambient light, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Magnetometer | Ambient light, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Magnetometer |
| Battery | up to 9 hours video playback | up to 12 hours video playback |
| Ships with | Surface Pen | Surface Pen |
| Misc | Old Keyboards work, interchangeable pen tips, magnetic pen storage, Surface Pro 4 Type Cover available for $129.99 | Glass multi-touch trackpad, zero drain when laptop closed, backlit keys |
| Price | Starting at $899 up to $2699 | Starting at $1499 up to $2699 |
As you can see, the devices are quite similar in many aspects. Core differences include the screen size, battery, graphics and that the Surface Book ships with a keyboard attached to it.
Microsoft points out the main difference between the Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 on the company’s store website. It describes the Surface Book as the “most powerful Surface laptop to handle any task” and the Surface Pro 4 as the “perfect balance of size and power for working on the go”.
This does not make a whole lot of sense though considering that the Surface Book weights less and has better battery life than the Surface Pro 4.
The Surface Pro 4 on the other hand offers up to 1TB of storage which the Surface Book does not as its limit is 512 GB of storage.
As far as price is concerned, the Surface Book starts at $1499 while the Surface Pro 4 at $899. The maximum is interesting though as you will end up paying more for a maxed out Surface Pro 4 if you add a Surface Pro 4 Type Cover to the device. This sets you back $2699 for the Surface Pro 4 and $129.99 for the type cover opposed to $2699 for a maxed out Surface Book.
Both Surface devices are already available on Microsoft’s Store website in the US.
Now You: What’s your take on those two devices and which would you pick?
The Surface Book promo video
The Surface Pro 4 promo video