Surface Book review: Microsoft's hybrid reversal pays off

By Peter Wells
Updated December 1 2015 - 10:13am, first published November 26 2015 - 12:15am
By making the Surface Book a laptop first, some of the Surface Pro's issues have been avoided. Photo: Norman Ma / Twitter @darkhorse166
By making the Surface Book a laptop first, some of the Surface Pro's issues have been avoided. Photo: Norman Ma / Twitter @darkhorse166
Though not as thin as some laptops, the Surface Book is light enough and feels great. Photo: Norman MA / Twitter @darkhorse166
Though not as thin as some laptops, the Surface Book is light enough and feels great. Photo: Norman MA / Twitter @darkhorse166
The Surface Pen is included. Photo: Norman MA / Twitter @darkhorse166
The Surface Pen is included. Photo: Norman MA / Twitter @darkhorse166
Hybrid pays off: The Microsoft Surface Pro. Photo: Supplied
Hybrid pays off: The Microsoft Surface Pro. Photo: Supplied

With the Surface, Microsoft designed a tablet that could moonlight as a fully fledged desktop machine. The Surface Book flips that emphasis; this is a laptop that can convert to a tablet, but that small change makes for a completely new experience.