As someone that lives in photoshop for work, does a lot of digital drawing, document writing, etc, this looks like it was made for me. Microsoft is really starting to cater to the crowd that Apple is starting to largely ignore: professional digital content creators. The Apple Pencil and iPad pro are decent starts, but until they get a solid Tablet/Laptop hybrid with an OS that isn't as gimped as IOS, I just can't see Apple satisfying my needs the way that MS is lately.
For sure. It looks pretty incredible too (if not more so), but currently I'm shopping for something mobile, and I'm going to take a wait-and-see approach to see how Microsoft's desktops are in terms of longer term reliability. Thanks for the reply and the fantastic content!
+Mike Pickering. If you do a lot of digital drawing I would suggest you wait for the next generation Surface Pen. The current pen isnt bad, but it's pretty meh (jitter lines, stroke lag, high IAF or Initial Activation Force, shorter hover distance) compared to the Apple Pencil and *especially* compared to the Wacom Pro pen. A lot of artists make videos sharing similar opinions and I myself having used all Wacom pen, Surface pen, and Apple pencil, reach the same conclusion. Wacom pen > Apple pencil > Surface pen (as of 2016). A shame that Wacom makes the best pens but the worst mobile computers (imo they make the best stationary desktop drawing monitors). A shame that Apple put a mobile unproductive and restrictive OS (compared to Windows or MacOS) on the iPad Pro. Luckily the future Surface pen will no doubt be compatible with previous Surfaces. So if you worry about bad future pen experience, don't be.
Thanks for the heads up, that's good to know. I currently own a Wacom (though just an older bamboo), as well as an Apple Pencil, and aside from having no hovering cursor I love the apple pencil, but then again the newest Wacom pen I've used is from 2009. I use the iPad pro as a second screen and use photoshop on it, but it always feels like I'm being productive despite Apple, not because of them, as most things I do are workaround or from clunky apps.
Mike Pickering Yea. You can use photoshop on the ipad Pro but in order for that you have to be tethered to another computer (ideally Mac). Since it's not a true display out monitor, it exhibits way more lag than a typical Cintiq (but then again, Wacom makes terrible mobile computers, so there's no true competitor to the iPP from Wacom anyways...). As someone who do lots of note-taking as well as sketches and have a rather fast drawing style, I can't tolerate any pen (not software) lag on my tablet. My experience with Wacom was with the Intuos3 (which is pretty fantastic) and the Surface Pro 2 (which uses Wacom Bamboo digitizer). The *Wacom pen* has little lag, zero jitter, long hover distance which makes fantastic palm rejection, and a low IAF that makes it comfortable to draw for long hours. Would have been the perfect stylus for the Surface line if Microsoft didn't buy the N-trig company... *Apple Pencil* has the opposite problem to the Surface Pen. The Pencil is oversensitive. It feels like a leaking ink pen. The slightest touch will makes a mark. Which isn't ideal. And the Pencil relies on capacitive touch (not a sensor within the pen itself like Wacom's) to determine the tip position, thus giving it zero hover distance. Which means terrible palm rejection. I've had many fail moments leaving unwanted marks all over my drawing using the Pencil. And moments where I pan the canvas when I just wanted to rest my palm on the screen, jeez. Though I criticized the Surface Pen, a lot of artists work with the limitation and made amazing artworks on the Surface nonetheless. Maybe it's true that it's not the tools but the artists that make good artworks. Not for me though, I want a tablet with a pen that's good for any kinds of drawing: note-taking, sketching, and final touches. Wacom is good for all three. Apple Pencil is good for the first two (mostly due to hardware). And Surface Pen is good for the last one (mostly due to software).
I used to dislike this guy for his rushed and very generic reviews of products. Coming back to him after a [long] time it's a pleasure to see how he goes about it now. It's real life, its personal, its an actual review. Good stuff
Scott Richardson more so along the lines of 1/4. With Jon it's 5%. Also accounting those who don't care enough to stick around and down vote. Also pay attention to the comments. Very few are pro the other person.
I'm so glad you are using this as your daily driver! I love my Surface Book but I do admit, when it first came out it had quirks. This is a really big improvement though and I'm excited to see a video of it dedicated to gaming and editing!
I think that if you are a Mac User that is bored and in the market you should consider this laptop. I personally went with a Surface Pro 4 for the battery life in tablet form (which is the only form) has over the Surface Book in tablet form. I think that we should all embrace some change. The good thing about Windows and Mac is that they are evolving in similar paths. Most people know how to use a Windows computer and a Mac; Whereas, not in the biggest difference, if you were a Windows user you know how to use a Mac. I love my Surface Pro 4, which is an i7 512GB version. In a way, I feel like I may have gone a too high on the specs for my own personal use, but the functionality, versatility, and overall comfort of use with this laptop hybrid has been an overall enjoyable experience. When buying my computer I convinced myself that I needed the most powerful version of this computer to withstand the dreadful outdated computer experience. I may have gone a little overboard because I don't fully use this computer to it's potential but the form factor of the computer is the real prize winner. Without a doubt, I have recommended this computer to others. I have also noticed users of the first couple generations of Surface Models have upgraded to newer models due to their happiness of the form factor and ease of use. Using the computers designed by windows that fully incorporate their OS may be A slight challenge at first, but I feel that the learning experience is half the fun.
Apple has learned everything from Microsoft, it's just Microsoft has never followed through. I really think these two company's work very close to one another. When you have the peddle to the medal your not supposed to let up, Something Microsoft and Apple have done all to regularly. It's like these two friends wont let the other fail. Check the history.
Well done on the review Jon and the team! Really enjoyed it :) One thing I do have to point out though. This specific video's color is way off, seems dull and lacks color. Hope y'all can fix that next time around.
I just exchanged the Surface Book i7 I bought last month for the new Performance Base version and it is incredible. Noticeably faster, having a better battery life as well as play most of today's games made it worth it. It is a little thicker than the previous Surface Book but it's a small sacrifice for improved performance and battery life!
Microsoft has changed the game with the surface light every up, and this amazing review very clearly explains how they fixed the issues from last generation, I was excited about new MacBook pros but I didn't get what was new or better so I'm confused about macs plus their prices got a big boost over something that I also don't understand, surface book is clearly the winner for this generation in both software and hardware, no question about it, but that price, man, that's just too steep, I get it, it's worth it but you gotta have a lot of dough to buy this one, the only negative I can see here is the price, the rest is like a dream
Well, I can get a gaming machine laptop with 1070 Nvidia card in it for 2000$ with ssde and a terabyte of storage and I know it's not the same but 2000$ for 256gb is still, I'm not saying surface book is expensive, all km saying is that for the life of me, I can never afford even the base model as much I want one, I just can't, so it's not expensive, I'm just very broke and poor plus I'm from Pakistan so, with taxes and imports and stuff, it's just, oh fk my life
wit the unveil of the 2016 MBP i went from my 2012 MBP to the 15" alienware. After replacing Windows with MacOS (yes, i went the hackintosh route) no regrets
You guys are becoming my go to advisor. Literally I wait for your review when ever I want to buy a new tech. Loved the video and thanks for all the effort you put into it!
I have to say I like the new style you are doing reviews, it seems really natural and not forced. There was a period of time when you transitioned to this format it seemed more scripted and less as I said before forced. Good job on the video, thumbs up!
Awesome video Jon! This seems to be a very premium versatile machine for everyday user or creative professional! Love what Microsoft has been doing lately! Looking forward to future refinements!
I own a SurfaceBook 1st gen. The clipboard can be charged by the power adaptor directly. In fact, you can directly connect the surface dock with the clipboard without the base.
Can you do a list of best windows laptops please? Trying to decide myself between a Dell, a Surface etc. and with the holidays coming I'm guessing people would appreciate it :)
Fantastic review. I love the mix of old and new Technobuffalo! The ridiculous amounts of flashy graphics was getting to me. I love the mix of great cinematography and getting straight to talking about the product.
TechnoBufallo is one of the best tech reviewer. Unlike many of the tech youtubers, TechnoBufallo is always unbiased. I love the way he elaborates about any specific product.
You needed a third party app for screenshots? Huh? You can either hit the print screen key for a fullscreen screenshot or use the snipping tool to capture any area on your screen as an image.
Boss is using the same laptop, heard her screaming (the highest note) in the Office "where's the monitor of my keyboard"! - took them awhile finding it in the Conference Room... funny. This is definitely a very efficient laptop on the bright side.
Hey Jon. I am a longtime subscriber and have been watching your videos for years now. For some reason, I felt compelled to comment on this video, for the first time ever. I feel like your review style has improved so much in the long term. I like the shots you use to show the product, I like the 'headings' and the transitions that come with them (just don't go overboard with the moving shapes!), I like the way you have used the surface book as your daily driver and are honest about the way you tested it. Overall, great job and I will continue to watch Techno Buffalo productions! Some constructive feedback I have is when it comes down to use cases, they often fall in a few major categories: student (notes/browsing), media (film/photography), work (productivity/3D modelling). I would love to see a clearer review for these use cases to help prospective buyers get a relatable perspective. Cheers!
This format for reviews is great. The only thing I would have done differently is changed the music around 4:50. It was starting to feel really repetitive. This is because people are used to hearing songs around that length.
0:24 you made a mistake, its got that same processor as as last year because the changes came in the new Performance Base and the processor is in the Clipboard so it has'nt been updated yet.
After literally days of researching this thing, the only negatives I've found are the price, the positioning of the headphone jack, lack of native illustrating/good free word processor/movie editing/basic software (like Apple with iMovie and Pages), and the widescreen with the black bars of death. I'm still considering saving up for this for school.
Loved this review and the Surface Book. I've been using one myself for a couple of months now and it's been great. My only problem was with the combination of lighting + music. Felt kind of depressed after watching the video.
Have been a MacBook user for 6 years and definitely switching. Microsoft is impressive right now but I can't decide between the RAZER Blade or a Surfacebook with Performance Base!
Good review. I was looking for your review specifically because in your old review, you were one of the few who wasn't easily impressed with the first Surface Book and brought up some real issues or possible downsides. It's good to hear that some of the major problems were addressed. I know the 16hr battery life is supposed to be for watching videos only (according to the surface customer support folks on Amazon), but it's a bit of a letdown that it doesn't last longer during normal everyday tasks (some other folks said their daily usage dropped it to 5 hours even). Still, good review. I look forward to seeing what the surface is capable of in the gaming videos.
always been a Macbook user and switched to the surface book and I can say that I love the laptop. The only con I'm having would be that it overheats a lot I'm not sure if it's normal but to be safe I'm taking it to microsoft for a check up.
Now this is how you do a review, Jon you nailed it! Thanks for this great review, I would love to get the Surface Book, but price is an issue for me. I love Windows 10 and wouldn't use anything else.
i have one and i love it.. mines was about $3,000. i bought it for the university and having a new laptop.. i have imac 27 inch to but sometimes its good to have a Microsoft Book to not used paper no more
If I have to pay a premium anyway...Now I can confidently go for surface...Touchbar on current macbook is a total gimmick....Thanks for the review....Windows is now riding on the statement "Innovative"...Look at the surface studio....
2:50 - You can charge the clipboard by itself. The middle port is the same surface power connector. Seems like my base charges without the clipboard too. I don't see the problem you're describing!
Reviews always test if you can open it with one hand. I feel like I'm missing something but I could not care less. That is so insanely down the list of priorities in a laptop I can't imagine it has ever once been the deciding factor for someone.
Basic Flaw with these youtube reviews is all they care about is its editing capabilities. I have been using computers for almost 20 years, and I never have edited a single video. This not good news because reviews matter, so manufacturers tend to optimize or atleast spend disproportionate resources when designing and developing the products.
I would love to own one of these. I feel like I could consolidate what I do on my Android tablet and my HP laptop into one device. The only thing that holds me back from moving forward on this is the incredibly expensive price tag.
I have purchased the first gen, not anticipating the performance base option was just around the corner. It sad that Microsoft doesn't sell the performance base separately. I'd be particularly interested in how it stacks up in terms of gaming which would be the most hardware challenging function I would be using it for.
I'm lucky because I was given a Surface pro by my employer. I'm a person that prefers Macs but I must say that this machine and Windows 10 are not bad at all. I was expecting to hate this machine but I gotten to like it. I had a similar problem pairing the Bose Quiet Comfort 35 as well... I found that the easiest way to pair them was using the App for the iPhone. Once they were paired I have no problems. I must say that it seems that Microsoft will give Apple a run for the money with this product.
I just bought a XPS 13 (Signature from Microsoft, spec'ed to the max). If I got a similarly spec'ed SB, it's about a ~+$400-500 difference. I'm still well within the return window. Would you do it Jon?
I don't, and that's very helpful. Appreciate the reply! The build is gorgeous, which is what grabbed my attention. That and the dGPU would be nice too (which isn't available in XPS 13). Anyway.. great review and thanks again!
***** Wish I could help you there, but I do neither of those (I'm a software engineer). I can tell you that the i7 is a beast during heavy compilation though. There's no dGPU but Kaby Lake is awesome and efficient.
Eh, it was more of a joke. I'm saying that USB-C is good, but it shouldn't be the ONLY port on a computer, and oftentimes, it just mimics the functionality of previous (and more widely used) ports. I gotta say, I wish my phone had USB-C. Micro-B sucks.
