re: Can we discuss MS crushing the MBpro today?

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I'm in the market for a new computer. I have a MBA, and just don't see the benefit of the SP4 over a MBP (essentially same price for same specs). That being said, if the SP4 has the same battery life as the MBP (10 hours) and keyboard included, then I might be game for $1200 for the 256GB, 8GB RAM. The only reason I'm looking at Windows based computers is due to MS Office.

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I'm hoping to get one within the first run. I know I'm asking for trouble, but I genuinely really want it as my "beater". For what it does, it'd be excellent for a travel machine that I can play games like Rocket League and whatnot on. The high-end model may actually meet my needs for what I'm looking for in a dev machine for travel, but I'm hesitant to stray from MBPs just because the ability to have Windows 10 and OS X on 512GB of flash storage is too good to pass up.

My poor bank account's about to get rocked by my upgrade wave. I told myself I'd get a work machine and "play" machine, but I didn't think I'd be spending this much on both. If the Surface Book delivers, though, it'll be more than worth it. It looks like a potential gamechanger.

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If the Surface Book delivers, though, it'll be more than worth it. It looks like a potential gamechanger.

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Curious what most people interested in a Surface Book see as the "sweet spot" financially?

As in, what's the best bang for my/your buck when it comes to the Surface Book? The Dedicated graphics card models are STEEEEEEP.

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I don't know what GPU it is. Could be a custom one. I don't expect it to be mind-blowing or gaming-grade, but better than the iGPU. It also has 1GB GDDR5, so I'm guessing that it's some variation of the 950M (my reasoning is based on the fact that the 940M uses GDDR3). Really, the point is to take all the GPU work away from the CPU and system memory. It's for workstation tasks. I suppose if you don't need a mobile workstation, but really really like the design of the Surface Book, get the lowest model.

Also, some potentially important information for those who are torn between this and the Surface Pro: There is a possibility that the Surface Books are not using the same i5s and i7s that the Surface Pro uses, but are in fact using true quad-core mobile chips. The Surface Pro line has used the U-series mobile chips. The U-series i5s and i7s are both dual-core chips with hyperthreading (which is why, as I said before, the price to upgrade to i7 is a very poor value).

This is coming from some redditors who called the MS Store and asked, so it's far from a confirmation. Apparently I missed the bit where they mentioned "2 extra processors" in the presentation and the fact that it's claimed to be 2x faster than a MBPro. But it makes sense. If they're truly going to cite the Surface Book as being "twice as fast" as a Macbook Pro, that's pretty much the only way to do it. The dGPU alone doesn't make it twice as fast, nor would the fact that it's Skylake vs. Broadwell. It would also explain the huge battery life disparity when off the keyboard dock. The quad-core mobile i5s/i7s have a TDP thrice that of the U-series.

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If they're truly going to cite the Surface Book as being "twice as fast" as a Macbook Pro, that's pretty much the only way to do it.

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I guess that makes sense. I was skeptical of that claim myself. I wonder how the top MBP skylake's will stack up when they come out.

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A lot of people don't need discrete GPUs, btw. Gamers don't get MacBook pros so getting gamers won't hurt mbp sales.

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The surface book is not a gaming laptop and shouldn't be treated that way or purchased for that purpose. The discrete GPU may be able to handle some gaming, but you can buy much more capable gaming laptops for less. This is a lower TDP dGPU for video editing and 3d modeling. The surface book is an ultra mobile workstation that takes aim directly at the MacBook Pro line.

It really depends on what you play. Integrated GPUs can handle old and less GPU-intensive games, even some modern games if you're OK with running at a low resolution, rock-bottom graphics settings, and 30fps or less. It's also just a question of whether you want to play Minecraft or the next Call of Duty. The only issue here is that it's a lot to spend just so you can do some casual gaming. It's a lot for a light office work and browsing laptop, too. To really justify purchasing a SB, it has to be "made for you." Meaning, all of its discriminators (vs. a MBP or similar) are important to you, such as the discrete GPU and particularly the tablet/pen functionality (and, if it turns out to be true, the quad-core CPU). Those are the things that make the machine so expensive.

What's your RAM usage like right now? There'd be no reason to get 16GB if you don't use it. RAM doesn't add performance on its own unless you actually need it. But I do hate the lack of even basic post-purchase upgradeability in these ultra-mobile laptops, and the limited customization options that force you to get hardware you don't need just for a single upgrade that you might actually use.

I feel the same about the keyboard. I'd want the Surface Book (rather than SP4) just for keyboard and hinge. If I had one, I'd more than likely never detach it, just flip the keyboard behind it.

Memory usage seems fine, but just pay attention to it from time to time while you're doing serious work on it, and that should help you figure out if you need more when the time comes.

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I think I feel the same but then is it better just to get a different thin laptop with maybe even better specs and less $$? Is there anything extra special about the SB iyo? It does look cool.

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The main discriminators in the Surface Book vs. other notebooks of similar form factor are:

- high pixel density (3,000 x 2,000 resolution)
- The tablet functionality (detachable) and surface pen
- discrete graphics option, and (if true) quad-core CPU
- long battery life

You'll find one or more of these discriminators in other laptops, but the Surface Book is one of the few that has them all.

If the tablet aspect of it is of no interest to you, I would steer away from the Surface line, because that's an expensive feature on its own. Dell is doing some great things with their XPS line.

XPS 15 is a solid competitor against the Surface Book and a direct competitor to the 15" MacBook Pro. LINK For $1,399, you get:

i7-6700HQ (very powerful quad-core hyperthreaded CPU)
NVIDIA GTX 960M 2GB GDDR5 (This discrete GPU is most likely faster than the one in the surface book)
8GB RAM
256GB PCIe SSD
15.6" 1080p NON-touch screen (but for a whopping $450 extra you can upgrade it to a 4K touch screen)

Weighs 3.9 lbs.

Even better, Dell is claiming a battery life of 17 HOURS (even if it's an exaggeration like most battery claims are, that's holy-shite good).

The one trade-off here is you lose the tablet functionality completely unless you cough up the extra $450. Also, it has the same annoying issue in terms of configuration options. If you want that 16GB of RAM, you have to get the model with a 512GB SSD for $1699.

There's also the XPS 13, smaller and lighter and cheaper. Priced more in line with the Surface Pro. LINK $999 gets you:

i5-6200U (the dual-core U-series CPU I expect the SP4 to have)
8GB RAM
128GB SSD
13.3" 1080P Non-touch screen (or add the 3200 x 1800 touch screen for $300)
15-hour battery
2.7 lbs.