Together with the new Surface Pro (2017), Microsoft Surface Book 2 and Microsoft Surface Laptop are the latest professional PCs launched by the Redmond giant. These computers offer high-end specs and they are very compact and versatile, but they are also known for being very expensive. But now, the company has decided to officially unveil two cheaper versions of these devices, for people who want a professional laptop but have a low budget. While the standard Surface Laptop comes with an Intel Core i5 or i7 CPU depending on the configuration, the new cheaper version which has just been announced comes with a less powerful Intel Core M3.

It is still a good CPU, but it is just a mid-range processor for a laptop. Further, this version comes with 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. Thanks to this lower-end hardware side, the price tag drops to just $799, while the standard version which is already in the market costs $999. Microsoft Surface Book 2, in its variant with a 13.5-inch display, has been released in a more affordable version as well, but it is more powerful than the cheaper Surface Laptop. In the new variant, Microsoft Surface Book 2 sports an Intel Core i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage.

The version which is already available starts from $1499 (the one with 256 GB of internal storage), while this one costs just $1199. The rest of the specs of the laptops remains exactly the same as the actual versions. Microsoft Surface Laptop has a metal design with an Alcantara-coated keyboard, a 15.6-inch display with a resolution of 2256 x 1504 pixels, and a multi-gesture trackpad. Microsoft Surface Book 2 has a 13.5-inch touchscreen monitor with a resolution of 3240 x 2160 pixels, a detachable keyboard, and the support to the Surface Dial and the Surface Pen for handwriting and drawing with a high precision.

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Microsoft has today announced Surface Book 2 — the latest addition to its Surface series which was originally launched in 2015. The company claims that the Surface Book 2 offers “five-times” better graphics performance as opposed to its predecessor.

In terms of design, the Surface Book 2 looks identical to its predecessor but Microsoft claims that they have improved backlit keyboard and the flexible hinge. It runs on the new version of Windows 10 Creators update.

The hinges are designed to increase the horizontal depth of the base of the laptop. This is being done because the screen is heavier than usual as it can be detached to use as a standalone tablet.

Microsoft is offering Surface Book 2 in two options — 13.5-inch display and a 15-inch display. Under the hood, both devices are powered by the Intel 8th generation processors. The Surface Book 2 also comes with the support of Windows Mixed Reality — Microsoft’s VR and AR technology.

The 15-inch Surface Book 2 features screen resolution of 3,240 x 2,160 pixels, with a pixel density of 260 PPI. It is powered by the Intel Core i7 8650U processor, clocked up to 4.2GHz with Turbo Boost. As of the graphics, it offers NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB option.

It packs 16GB of RAM and comes in three storage options — 256GB, 512GB and 1TB SSD. Microsoft claims that it is twice as fast as the latest MacBook Pro.

As per the company’s claim, the device can provide up to 17-hours of battery life on a single charge. Microsoft says that it offers 70 percent more battery life, and double the performance of Apple‘s laptops.

Connectivity options include Bluetooth 4.1, 2 USB-A, 1 USB-C, Surface connect, SD card slot, headphone jack with support for Dolby Atmos.

There is also a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, and an 8-megapixel rear camera. This model measures 13.5 x 9.87 x 0.9 inches and weighs 1.9 kg and 0.82 kg in tablet mode.

Coming to the 13.5-inch model, it has a screen resolution of 3,000 x 2,000 pixels and is powered by the 7th generation Intel Core i5 processor. It packs 8GB of RAM in the base model, while the high-end model comes with Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM.

Just like the 15-inch model, this one too offers three storage options — 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB SSD. The high-end variant comes with the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 6GB graphics memory.

It measures 12.3 x 9.14 x 0.9 inches and weighs at 1.6 kg. Connectivity options on the device include Bluetooth 4.1, 2 USB-A, 1 USB-C, Surface connect, SD card slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack with support for Dolby Atmos.

Read More: Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore Says Windows Phone Is No Longer Company’s Focus

Looking at the specs sheet, it seems that the Surface Book 2 is one of the most powerful convertible laptops so far. Microsoft’s Surface Book 2 will be available from November 16.

The pricing for the 13-inch base model starts at $1,499 while the pricing for the 15-inch model starts at $2,499. Pre-orders for the Surface Book 2 starts from November 9 in the US.

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