Microsoft have been striving to present a stark alternative to Apple's coffee-shop-ubiquitous Macbook line for a while now. In the past, their Surface range of (mostly) hybrid laptops/tablets have hardly been gaming machines, but that's now changed with current range-topper, the shockingly expensive...

2015 seems to have been a turning point for Microsoft's Surface hardware initiative. Despite the failure of Windows RT and the associated Surface RT, the Intel-powered Surface was beginning to gain some real traction and notoriety with the Surface Pro 3 in late 2014, but was still fairly niche.

An updated version of Microsoft's cool, if overengineered laptop.

Great performance; beautiful display

Big ideas that are more ambitious than useful

When it comes to premium laptops that are also 2-in-1 convertibles the Microsoft Surface Book 2 and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga come from different starting points but end up being very similar. Which is better Well, it's not so clear as both have it set of pros and cons.

Typing at work on Microsoft's new 15-inch Surface Book 2 , I can't shake the feeling that this thing's not for me. Don't get me wrong, it's a powerful laptop, it's beautiful, and the workspace its giant screen affords made me completely forget I wasn't seated at my desk with my usual 34-inch...

Great performance; beautiful display

Big ideas that are more ambitious than useful

The computing device ecosystem, the stage we are at right now, is not exactly headed in one simple direction. There is demand for ultraportable devices which are convenient to carry around. Some users prefer the hybrid model, which gives the flexibility between a laptop and a tablet.

The Microsoft Surface Book offers a good keyboard and trackpad. It has a premium design with a great display and enough performance chops. However, it is expensive from every imaginable standard.