Microsoft Surface Book is ‘sort of deluded’

Surface Book is the first laptop computer built entirely by Microsoft

MICROSOFT’S ultimate laptop – the Surface Book – has been branded “deluded” by Apple CEO Tim Cook.

 

Apple CEO Tim Cook has branded Microsoft’s first laptop, the Surface Book, as “sort of deluded”.

The CEO of the world’s most valuable company made the comments during his publicity tour for the new Apple iPad Pro.

Mr Cook – who recently slammed proposed UK snooping laws spearheaded by Home Secretary Theresa May – was asked to comment on Microsoft’s first laptop during a talk to an Irish college, earlier this week.

“It's a product that tries too hard to do too much," said the Apple CEO.

"It's trying to be a tablet and a notebook and it really succeeds at being neither. It's sort of deluded."

 

Cutting words from the Apple CEO, who insists the relationship between Microsoft and the Cupertino firm is still “really good.”

Microsoft mocked the launch of the iPad Pro during its launch of the Surface Pro 4, Microsoft Band 2 and Surface Book last month.

The Redmond technology firm poked fun at the lack of an eraser on the Apple Pencil – a feature included with the company's own Surface Pen.

It also knowingly referenced an earlier jibe from Tim Cook, who in April 2012 blasted tablet-laptop hybrids by saying "You can converge a toaster and a refrigerator, but those things are probably not gonna be pleasing to the user."

 

It appears Tim Cook's comments have done little to slowdown sales of Microsoft's first in-house laptop.

Within days of the Surface Book going on sale – Microsoft removed the ability to reserve a Surface Book, asking its customers to leave their email address so they can be notified when it is next in-stock.

The Surface Book sports a detachable display with a staggering six million pixels and all-day battery life.

But a top-of-the-line Surface Book with a 512GB SSD, Core i7 with 16GB will cost an eye-watering $2,699 – a staggering £1,760.

 

A button on the keyboard detaches the touchscreen display from the caterpillar-like hinge

 



  



Microsoft believes its first laptop is "the ultimate laptop"



 



The Surface Book has a detachable display – which then functions as a standalone tablet



 

Microsoft has justified the Apple-esque pricing by saying that its new laptop is TWICE as fast as Apple's MacBook Pro.

It also has the highest resolution display of any laptop thanks to its stunning 13.5-inch PixelSense display with a 267 pixels-per-inch resolution.

For comparison, Google's Chromebook Pixel, a previous record holder, has just 239 pixels-per-inch. The Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display has 226ppi.

The stunning display on the Surface Book can also be detached thanks to the Muscle Wire Lock technology in the new hinge.

 

The display can also be re-attached so that the display is facing away from the keyboard, if you need to use the laptop in a presentation mode, or use the keyboard base to hold the touchscreen display at an angle.

Navigating around the Windows 10 operating system is controlled through the multi-touch glass trackpad.

Microsoft's "ultimate laptop" also includes a chiclet keyboard, with backlit keys which the Redmond firm say are "perfect" for typing and are almost silent when in use.

Powering the $1499 laptop is the latest Intel Core i5 and i7 processors which Microsoft claims makes the device more powerful than anything in Apple's roster.

 



The eye-watering price tag does not appear to be putting customers off the new Microsoft laptop



 





Microsoft directly compares the Surface Book to Apple's MacBook range





Data transfer is handled by two USB 3.0 ports, but there is no sign of the new Type-C variation.

An SD card slot is also built into the laptop, which sports 12 hours battery life.

Microsoft also revealed a new line of Lumia smartphones, a new Surface Pro tablet and an updated version of its wearable fitness tracker, Microsoft Band, all running on Windows 10, its latest operating system.

"We're moving people from needing to choosing to loving Windows, and these devices promise to fuel even more enthusiasm and opportunity for the entire Windows ecosystem," Chief Executive Satya Nadella said at the hardware event.