The latest Surface gadgets are hitting store shelves (and people’s doorsteps) today. Microsoft’s first laptop and the latest generation of its pro-level tablet are joined by a redesigned Surface Pen, the upgraded Surface Pro 4 Type Cover and the new Surface Dock.
Far and away the most interesting device on sale today is the Surface Book. Microsoft finally made a real laptop, but it’s still got some tablet blood. Early reviews for the notebook with a detachable screen are mostly positive, especially for the trackpad and battery life, with which other Windows portables often struggle. But packing a full tablet into the screen of a laptop does come with some tradeoffs, mainly in in balancing the machine on a lap.
The Surface Pro 4 is also a pretty big step for Microsoft’s 12-inch tablet. While the faster processors and Windows Hello biometric login integration are welcome upgrades over the Surface Pro 3, the magnetized pen holder may be the most cherished change over the Pro 3’s silly-looking pen loop.
It’s not just the pen holder that got an update though. The redesigned Surface Pen comes in multiple colors and offers users 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity. The Pen comes with every Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book.
For Surface Pro 4 users, the new Surface Dock and upgraded Type Cover are also worth considering. The Type Cover got the biggest improvement, with a larger glass trackpad and an improved keyboard. Users can even buy a model with an integrated fingerprint reader for secure logins.
The new Surface Dock lets users plug in a variety of peripherals when at their desk for a more desktop-like experience. Just plug in one wire and users can charge their device, access external monitors and use wired keyboards, mice and external hard drives.
The Surface Book starts at $1,499, but supplies of some models have been limited. The Surface Pro 4 starts at $899, with the standard Type Cover coming in at $129.99 and the Surface Dock on sale for $199.99. All items are available starting today from Microsoft’s online store, retailers like Best Buy and Amazon and at Microsoft Stores in the U.S. and Canada.
