Microsoft’s Powerful Surface Book 2 Costs More Than a MacBook Pro

Microsoft introduced its new Surface Book 2 on Tuesday, and the company wasted no time comparing it to its biggest competitor: Apple’s MacBook Pro lineup.

The PC maker said that the Surface Book 2’s specs make it around five times faster than its predecessor — and twice as powerful as the newest MacBook Pro (though Microsoft didn’t specify which configuration it was comparing to).

The company also said that it has up to 70 percent more battery life than the latest Apple notebooks — 17 hours, compared to the MacBook’s estimated 10 hours — and higher pixel density.

In most aspects, the two flagship laptops are neck-in-neck as far as specs and performance. But there are areas in which the Surface Book 2 edges ahead.

• The Surface Book 2’s Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card is far more powerful than the Radeon Pro 560 outfitted in the 15-inch MacBook Pro.
• The Surface Book 2 sports 8th-generation Intel processors, compared to the MacBook Pro’s 7th-gen processors.

The Surface Book 2 is available in either 13.5-inch or 15-inch display configurations. The display is also detachable, meaning users can take it off for use as a dedicated tablet. The 15-inch model has a resolution of 3240×2160 pixels, while the 13.5-inch model has 3000×2000.

Port-wise, the Surface Book 2 comes with two USB 3.1 ports, one USB-C port, and an SD card slot. That is a wider variety of ports than the MacBook Pro’s Thunderbolt 3 ports — though it’s worth noting that Thunderbolt 3 is a faster port.

Both laptops retain a 3.5mm headphone jack. As far as portability, the Surface Book 2 is thicker and heavier.

How Much Is It?

No doubt, Microsoft’s latest and greatest is a stunning notebook. But, of course, you’re going to be paying extra for that bit of snappiness. The basic 13-inch iteration of the Surface Book 2 costs about $200 more than its closest MacBook competitor. Which is interesting, considering Apple’s reputation for producing devices with a high price tag.

The Surface Book 2 becomes available for pre-order on Nov. 9, and it’ll ship out to customers and hit store shelves on Nov. 16. The 13.5-inch model starts at $1,499 for the most basic configuration, while the 15-inch model starts at $2,499.