Australian Review: Microsoft Surface Book – Truth in marketing

The Surface Book is one of the very best Windows 10 devices on the market – as you'd hope considering the premium price-tag. As someone who's typically gone from MacBook to MacBook thanks to a combination of rock solid hardware and an industry-leading trackpad, the Surface Book is the first device that could break the cycle.

The Surface Book marries a unique design with powerful hardware, solid battery life, and a great trackpad and keyboard combo. It reinforces the idea that software and hardware should be built in tandem; the Surface Book shows off what Windows can be like no other device.

While I love the Surface Book, I wouldn't necessarily rush out to buy one just yet. The occasional annoying glitch can be enough to mar the overall experience. If you're a power user, you'll fix these easily enough; it might just need a bit of time and tinkering. Otherwise, I'd give Microsoft a month or so to patch these issues.

But with the exception of these glitches, there's very little I can complain about when it comes to the Surface Book. If I were to nit-pick, the headphone port is in an awkward spot, and the tablet portion is a little weighty, meaning the Surface Book feels unbalanced compared to non-hybrid notebooks. And while the Surface Book might expensive, the pricing is in line with what Apple's charging for comparable devices.

It's clearly not a notebook for everyone – it might be underpowered for a gamer, but overkill for a less demanding user – but the Surface Book comes very close to living up to Microsoft's marketing aspirations. When it comes to high-end Windows devices, the Surface Book is the one to buy.