Microsoft’s Beautiful And Buggy Surface Book Is Like A Surface Pro On Steroids

You have to give Microsoft a lot of credit for creating a $2000+ device that’s hard to return, even if it has more bugs than any notebook released in recent memory. Consumers know how fast Microsoft works to solve problems and know that as of right now, the Surface Book has a lot more positives than negatives.

First of all, lets talk about the positives. The 13.5-inch 3000 x 2000 pixel resolution display is the best screen Microsoft has ever put on a computer. The brightness levels the screen rises, too, are shocking — and probably take up a lot of battery life. It’s best to keep the Surface Book at about 75 percent brightness.

The 3:2 aspect ratio of the Surface Book is perfect and should be a requirement of all laptops. It’s the perfect size for typing in landscape or taking off the Surface screen and turning it into portrait mode. The screen feels like an extra large tablet, although a good one. It is thin, light, useful for watching movies, browsing the web, and even taking handwritten notes with the improved pen.

There have been some complaints about the screen being wobbly, but that is barely an issue. But the tablet part is far heavier than the keyboard, so it does feel awkward at first. However, the Surface Book is just as easy to use on your lap as just about any other laptop out there. Although the tablet part is huge, it feels very natural using when you detach it from the keyboard.

Unfortunately, as with most first-generation products, the Surface Book has a lot of early issues. InfoWorld recently quoted one poster on a Microsoft forum that echoes the concern of other users.

“Just got my Surface Book, i7 512GB. Applied all the updates (including the recent firmware). My screen keeps flickering on/off, whether or not the screen is docked. I’ve tried resetting but the issue still persists. It also seems independent of running apps or focused windows. Adjusting the brightness doesn’t resolve the issue.”

However, that’s not the only problem. The Surface Book trackpad is awfully inconsistent, with delayed scrolling and clicks that work about 80 percent of the time. A new firmware update makes the trackpad a little easier to use, but it still causes problems. Of course, one can always use an external mouse. However, that’s not something that should be a requirement when you pay over $2,000 for something.

Slash Gear lists some compelling reasons to hold off on getting the Surface Book, and one of them is the price.

“If the Surface Pro was already criticized for being pricey for a tablet, the Surface Book definitely takes the cake too. At its highest, it costs $3,199 and the lowest is $1,499. It wants to compete with the MacBook but is also competing when it comes to price.”

Some other reasons they list are driver instability (which likely won’t be a problem in another week), the software-controlled hinge, and the clipboard (screen) battery life. Yes, these are issues. But when you hold the Surface Book in your own hands for at least fifteen minutes, you won’t want to let go of it — despite all of it’s early flaws. The Surface Book may divide critics and frustrate users right now, but it will be seen — in at least a couple years — as a groundbreaking device.

[Featured photo via Daryl Deino]