This article was first published in the June 2016 issue of WIRED magazine. Be the first to read WIRED's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
We pit the Microsoft Surface Book against the Google Pixel C. Did they flip our lid, or are they Jacks of all trades?
HOW WE TESTED
Both laptops were checked for battery life by running movies and audio. They were then used for tasks ranging from word processing to manipulating images in Adobe Photoshop. For the Surface Book, the stylus was used in painting programs and OneNote. Both machines' built-in cameras were also assessed.
At first glance, Microsoft's latest laptop looks like, well, just a laptop. But remove its display and it turns into an attractive, slimline tablet. Press and hold the keyboard removal key to activate what Microsoft calls "muscle wire". A current is sent through wires that connect the display to the keyboard, causing them to release. It's efficient, and feels secure when its clicked back into place.
The so-called "dynamic fulcrum hinge" between keyboard and screen moves smoothly, satisfyingly and easily, and is stiff enough to hold the display at whatever angle you wish. The 13.5-inch 3,000 by 2,000 display looks great. It's bright and sharp - but it's no match for the Pixel C's superior screen. The backlit keyboard is also impressive, if not a little springy. The large glass trackpad is very useful, and unlike, say, Apple's MacBook, this one actually travels when you click it.
The Surface Book comes supplied with the Surface Pen, a stylus which magnetically attaches itself firmly to the left side of the display. The nib on the pen is fine and to undo mistakes you turn the stylus upside down and use the virtual eraser at the top. That top is also a button: click it and the Surface launches OneNote even from sleep, with other functions customisable, too.
The keyboard contains most of the laptop's battery and its graphical processing unit, so when you detach the display to use it as a tablet, you're left with a less powerful machine that's unable to handle more power-intensive tasks in Photoshop or AutoCAD.
Because this is a full Windows 10 machine, it comes complete with a raft of Microsoft's latest extras, such as the face-recognition Hello screen. And it's powerful, thanks to an Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD of storage. This is a highly capable machine that is competent, fast and smooth.
What it's not, however, is cheap. Price apart, though, this is a powerful, versatile and much more stylish machine than many would reasonably expect from Microsoft. 8/10from £1,299
The well-built Pixel C's glossy finish makes for an attractive package. And it's light (916g), thanks in part to a display that measures just 10.2 inches.
The two halves cling to each other magnetically to create a slim unit. To configure it for use, the screen is laid face-up on the top edge of the keyboard until held by a magnet and then tipped upwards, supported by a hinge. This feels unusual at first but it works well, matching a secure feel with ease of disassembly.
The keyboard feels a little cramped and there's a lack of backlighting. There's less travel in the keys than, say, the Apple iPad Pro with its curious but effective cloth-covered keyboard. It's also more responsive than a traditional Bluetooth keyboard, which tends to go to sleep just when you want it to be ready to type. There's no trackpad, though, which puts it at a disadvantage against the Surface Book.
Its sharp, bright display and crisp colours look great, and there is enough detail to make the tiniest small print legible. Video playback is also smooth, thanks to the nippy Nvidia Tegra X1 64-bit processor, Maxwell GPU and 3GB of RAM.
The Android software brings both benefits and drawbacks: use the Pixel C as a tablet and you have all the Android games and apps you'd need, but laptop productivity isn't Android's strongest suit. There is a Word app, of course, and Google's web-focused apps suite is strong, but specialist programs aren't as common as on Windows 10. As such, the Pixel C is a less versatile laptop replacement than the Surface Book. Used as a media-consumption machine, though, it works brilliantly with the keyboard removed.
This is more affordable than the Surface, but at £598 for the 64GB model plus keyboard, cheaper tablets are available. 7/10 from £598
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
