Microsoft continues to push for its share of the laptop market with the Surface Book 2 range and the current-generation model has just received a small but significant upgrade which could tip the balance in terms of its appeal to consumers.
Processor Improvements
Whilst the design and feature set of the Surface Book 2 will remain largely identical to earlier iterations, the main enhancement in this new variant is the inclusion of the Core i5 processor from Intel, which is the latest 8350U version of the chip. It will provide quad-core performance, with each core boasting a clock speed of 3.6Ghz, according to Pocket Lint.
A healthy 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage space will be provided as standard in this version and it will be priced at around £1500, so getting UK gadget insurance to protect against the likelihood of accidental damage occurring to this valuable laptop may make sense.
Affordable Alternatives
Interestingly enough there is a side effect of this change of spec which means that the Surface Book 2 range now includes a far more wallet-friendly option for buyers who are on a tighter budget. Rather than dropping models with the last generation of processors, Microsoft is selling these at the reduced price of £1149.
There are some downsides to opting for this saving, since the processor is a dual-core product and lacks the multitasking power of its quad-core successor. This will do little to impact day to day usage but might affect users engaged in rather more intensive tasks such as video editing and rendering.
The cheapest Surface Book 2 is also limited to just 128GB of onboard storage which may be another important factor, given the size of modern media files and applications. Spending a little more to get the 256GB edition, which is being sold for around £1300, could be worthwhile, as it still offers a significant saving compared with the new version with the faster chipset.
Other Considerations with the Surface Book 2
Microsoft’s targeting of the premium laptop market with the Surface Book range has seen it go head to head with Apple and, on paper at least, it continues to do well against the MacBook Pro and its various iterations.
A significant percentage of users may opt for multi gadget insurance when they buy a high-end laptop such as the latest Microsoft offering, since it is typically used in conjunction with a smartphone or tablet for the ultimate in portable productivity. It is equally sensible to avoid cutting corners in terms of laptop costs, since even a relatively small saving can result in a significant compromise in performance and features in the current market.
Google has endeavoured to offload a significant percentage of the processing requirements to the cloud with its Chrome Book range, which has recently been revamped and includes entry-level models from as little as £200. However, the premium look and feel of laptops from Microsoft and Apple will render any of the cheaper competition somewhat underwhelming by comparison.