The introduction of the Surface Book back in late 2015 was Microsoft’s first attempt into the laptop scene. The expectations were extremely high due to the overwhelming popularity of its counterpart, Surface Pro. The success of the Surface Book has led to the recent addition of the Surface Laptop, which does not support the dual functionality of a tablet and laptop.
The Surface Book has been my main driver for work and personal use for the past 18 months. I am thoroughly impressed with Microsoft’s “first laptop” and I believe it is a great alternative to high-end laptops such as the MacBook Pro and Dell XPS. Rather than writing a review for the Surface Book (already tons out there), I’d like to highlight what I’ve loved and hated about the laptop in the past 18 months.
The display is beautiful
The first thing I noticed when I started using the Surface Book was how crystal clear everything looks on the display. The Surface Book boasts a resolution of 3000 x 2000, or 267 PPI. At the time, this was one of the best laptop displays out on the market. I was used to a 2010 MacBook Pro before Apple’s Retina displays. The transition to the Surface Book display was the equivalent of going from standard definition to 1080p.
The text is incredibly sharp, which helps ease the strain on your eyes when reading for prolonged periods of time. At work, I frequently find myself staring at a computer screen for hours on end when I have a lot of data to go through. The increased pixel density is also a plus when it comes to connecting to external monitors. Laptops with a lower resolution can look stretched out when connecting to a monitor that is much bigger than the laptop screen.
The battery life is outstanding
One of the biggest gripes I have about ultrabooks with high-resolution displays is the battery life. These screens are extremely battery hungry and can lead to abysmal battery life. The Surface Book has great battery life for a laptop that boasts such a high-resolution. I was easily getting around 15 hours even after 18 months of use.
This is due to the unique design of the Surface Book. The Surface Book has two batteries, one in the screen (tablet) and one in the base (keyboard). The two batteries work together to extend the battery life of the device.
The Surface Book is incredibly versatile
This feature isn’t surprising seeing as how Microsoft owns the title of best 2-in-1 in the Surface Pro. The Surface Book is less portable compared to the Surface Pro, but it makes up for it with an actual keyboard. I know people who have the Surface Book, who only use it as a laptop. This is a shame because the tablet functionality is incredibly useful.
I work in research which entails reading a lot of papers. I love that I am able to quickly disconnect the screen and read it as if it were a piece of paper. It’s great for media consumption as well. Got to go to the bathroom? No worries. You can disconnect and continue watching your Netflix shows without having to take the entire laptop into the bathroom.
I prefer using mechanical keyboards because I can type faster with fewer mistakes. It’s also easier on my wrists because I don’t have to press down all the way for a keystroke to register. With the Surface Book, I can flip the screen around backward and use the keyboard as a stand for the screen. I can now connect my mechanical keyboard and use it without having the laptop keyboard in front of me.
The 3:2 aspect ratio is optimal for laptops
In my opinion, the 3:2 aspect ratio is optimal for laptops geared towards productivity. Aspect ratio is the ratio of the width to the height of the screen. The standard in laptops is a 16:9 ratio, which is much wider and shorter than the 3:2 aspect ratio. 16:9 is ideal for watching Netflix and general media consumption. The 3:2 aspect ratio of the Surface Book is similar to the size of a piece of paper. This makes reading in portrait mode similar to reading text on a sheet of paper. Wider aspect ratios should only be used in ultra-wide monitors, where multiple windows are opened side-by-side.
The proprietary Surface Connector is useful
The release of the Surface Laptop with no USB-C ports was highly scrutinized by the public. USB-C is capable of both charging and data transmission. However, Microsoft claims that USB-C is primarily used for charging and still believes that its proprietary charger is a better option. Like I previously mentioned, I came from a 2010 MacBook Pro, which had the MagSafe power adapter. The similar magnetic attachment of the Surface Connector is incredibly useful. There are so many times that I accidentally trip on the Surface Connector cable. The magnetic attachment harmlessly detaches instead of yanking my laptop off of my desk. I also have the Surface Dock and I love that I’m able to charge my Surface Book and connect to two monitors at the same time.
No laptop is perfect and the Surface Book is no exception. Despite all the great features, there are some pitfalls to the Surface Book. Here are five things I hate about the Surface Book.
Placement of the headphone jack
The 3.5 mm headphone jack is located on the top right section of the screen. The reason for the location is to be able to use your headphones in tablet mode. However, I find that it’s at an awkward location when I use the Surface Book in laptop mode. My headphone cord dangles in the air and will frequently droop in front of the screen. This irritates me to no end.
The limited viewing angle
The Surface Book’s hinge is what makes it unique compared to other laptops. Microsoft coins the term, “dynamic fulcrum hinge”, which flexes as it opens. The hinge has a limited viewing angle to about 120 degrees. This angle is fine when I am working at my desk. The limited viewing angle becomes more of an issue when the Surface Book is in my lap. I like to work at a viewing angle of around 140-150 degrees. This viewing angle is what feels the most comfortable in my lap and strains my neck the least. The Surface Book feels too upright in my lap. This makes it feel like I am viewing the screen from top to bottom instead of looking at the entire screen.
The Surface Book is heavy
The Surface Book weighs in at 3.34 pounds (1.51 kg), which makes it one of the heavier 13-inch laptops. I know what you’re thinking, 3.34 pounds is not that heavy. It’s also less of a nuisance when you’re a student and you carry the laptop in a backpack. I use mine at work where I am constantly carrying it from my lab bench to my desk to various meetings throughout the day. It’s a grass is greener on the other side scenario where I wish I had something lighter such as the ThinkPad X1 Carbon. I briefly used one while my Surface Book was being serviced by IT and loved how light it was. When I got my Surface Book back, all I could think about was how heavy and bulky it felt.
The scaling issues when connecting to an external monitor
This is probably the most annoying aspect of the Surface Book. There are scaling issues every time I connect my Surface Book to an external monitor. This leads to applications like Excel being zoomed in so much that it is pretty much unusable. I have to log out and log back in for the display changes to take effect. This happens every single time I connect to another external monitor. The worst part is that it jumbles my icons on my desktop. I am incredibly OCD with the placement of my icons. You can imagine my anger every time I have to manually rearrange my icons back in the correct order.
The unlock mechanism does not work when the battery is low
The Surface Book can be detached from the keyboard base by holding the unlock button. This feature is what makes the Surface Book such a versatile device. However, you can’t unlock the device when the battery is low. I previously mentioned that I like flipping the screen around so the keyboard faces the other way. If the battery is too low, you’ll have to wait and charge the Surface Book before you can detach it from the keyboard base.
Microsoft made a really great product in the Surface Book. The Surface Book has flawlessly handled all my work and personal needs. The Surface Book isn’t perfect, but you won’t find another laptop/tablet combo with this kind of processing power and battery life. The Surface Book is due for an update seeing as how it came out almost two years ago. I can’t wait to see what Microsoft has planned for the sequel to its first laptop.