Microsoft Surface Book 2 (Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 256GB) - 15" and Microsoft Office 365 Home

I ordered (and paid) for a Microsoft Surface Book 2 i7, 16MB RAM, 512GB SSD. After nearly two weeks in the mail, it arrived. I opened the package and checked the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) package from Microsoft - it clearly stated that inside the box was what I ordered, an i7, 16MB RAM, 512GB SSD Surface Book 2. I plugged my new computer in and began setup, started transferring files, setting up my profile, and I checked all of the system settings. I was surprised when I checked the free hard drive space and saw 212GB. I went to the Microsoft Website to see what the system overhead loss would be on a 512GB hard drive - the web site said I should have about 450GB available. So, clearly, what was actually IN the box was not what I paid for, nor what was indicated by the label on the box. After 2 weeks of waiting, and after paying this much for a computer, I would expect to get what I paid for. At least it works, I am writing this review before I hit the factory reset and start the painful return policy, which means Ill probably wait another 2-3 weeks between return mail and replacement mail. Lesson learned, buy electronics in person.

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Received mine today, Loving it thus far, no issues, no weird noises while charging or anything like that, The screen has no weird color shifts.Its a dream come through.The surface book line of computers are the ultimate Laptops. WIll enjoy setting it up further.

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A brilliant machine for brilliant projects. Its beautiful inside and out. I use it for coding up applications as well as photo editing and it works wonders. The screen is fantastic. Great battery life.

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There are a few nitpicks with this computer, but there is so much to love that I cant dock it any stars. Its light but powerful, and extremely convenient. My first time taking this on the road, I forgot the charger -- I was gone for two days, using my computer about 6 hours each day for email, powerpoint, and light web surfing (no heavy graphical uses, and the battery options set to maximum battery life), and was still at 20% when I flew home. Also, the USB-C port has been handy, though it required new dongles for connecting to projectors and TV sets, but thats made up for by the convenience of plugging in my second monitor.

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worst laptop i have ever had. the nvidia gpu disappears randomly and its really underpowered for the price. the fact that the nvidia gpu is in the keyboard is also a damper and you have to just assume the nvidia card is working unless you are tech savvy and have to check your processes for gpu utilization. its really just alot of hassle and issues i have never had to deal with on any other laptops

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I have purchased the latest model sold by Amazon, not from some third party vendors since I did not want to risk receiving refurbished or used unit and going through the hassle of fighting over receiving full refund. I do graphic intensive application development and it is critical that the unit runs at the optimum states. Here are a few problems that I have experienced that made me return the product. The description says the battery life of up to 17 hours. I have run a couple of online meeting and had some visual studio instances running and internet browsing. The battery lasted a bit over three hours. Number of times I had problem separating top and bottom unit. Even after windows update and separate SB2 device download from Microsoft site the problem did not go away. It was hit and miss trying to eject the top part. When the graphic resource hits max, unless I turn off the resource intensive process, the battery wouldnt even charge. This problem was reported from other users and its unfortunate that the unit still carried the same problem from SB. I have multiple mobile phones and this unit did not connect to Samsung Note 8 well. The problem didnt go away even after the January preview update. Other units worked however. Maybe its just me but the top unit gets heated real fast and after fan blows it sounds just like another cheap laptop with a noisy fan. I cant stand the fan noise. I cant tell the difference between DDR3 and DDR4 memory but SB2 comes with DDR3. Just to be aware. Unlike SB, this unit didnt come with the stylus. I am purchasing non-Microsoft Laptops that offer more horsepower for better money. Personally I would avoid this one.

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I general, I love my Surface Book 2. I have had a few issues, but those have been addressed by others. My biggest challenge has been trying to figure out a dock/hub solution. I didn’t go with the Surface Dock because of short non-removable/extendable proprietary cable and less power delivery. I wish Microsoft would fix both of those things and offer a simple option that didn’t involve figuring out all the separate pieces described below. Other dock options are out there, but I couldnt find one that clearly supported 100w power delivery and 4k video at 60hz. I decided to try connecting and charging my Surface Book 2 (15in) through a USB-C hub connected to a 4K TV/monitor. I have tried 4 different hubs, 8 USB-C extension cables, 3 USB-C to USB-C cables, 3 USB-C to HDMI cables, and 3 HDMI cables. I have tested each exhaustively to figure out what does and doesn’t work. I am going to include what I finally found did work to hopefully save you the weeks of testing, frustration, and returns that I went through. If you are looking for a way to have one clean 3ft cable (so that the hub can be behind desk) that connects to the USB-C port on your Surface Book 2 and provides charging (95 to 100w) at same or better rate than the original charger, and connects to a 4k display at 60hz, and does not cause image or sound distortions, and allows connecting other USB peripherals to the hub, here is what works (links below): - Anker Powerline II USB-C to USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 3ft - This is the KEY PIECE! I fought through so many cables that were infuriatingly problematic and inconsistent. The Anker Powerline II worked perfectly as soon as I plugged it in and has continued to do so every time. I REALLY wish I had just found it first! It would have saved me hours and hours of frustration! If you can have the hub right next to your laptop and then a bunch of cables running out from there, then this cable is not necessary, but I needed a clean look with one cable from the laptop and then all the mess behind the monitor and desk. - WBPINE USB C Hub HDMI 5-in-1 Multiport Adapter or Koopman Dex Station USB Type C 5-in-1 Hub - These appear to be the same product and manufacturer. I like the black case and green power light of the WBPINE. Koopman offers a better warranty. Both worked the same. One of the great things about these hubs—besides the rarity of supporting 4k at 60hz and 100w power—is that the 6in cable to connect to the laptop is removable. That makes it both more durable and possible to replace the short cable with a longer one rather than having to use as USB-C extension (male-to-female) cable which I found to be more problematic and harder to find with the right specs. - Wacom 100w Power Adapter with 6ft “Mickey Mouse” AC Power Cord – This is expensive for just a power adapter. At the time, it was the only good option I could find to support 100w. Hopefully more 100w power adapters will come available at lower cost. - High Speed HDMI Cable - I have tested several. They have all worked. I could not see any difference between 4ft and 6ft, but 4ft fit my application better. Just make sure it is rated for high speed. Don’t spend more than $10. - TCL 55S423 55in TV - (From Costco) Great price. Supports Chroma 4:4:4. Has ports coming off the side rather than back. 55in is as big as I would want to go for comfortable monitor. The TCL 55S405 is similar, but I think it has the ports coming off the back which means it has to mount farther from the wall. - As a side note, the Vivo Mount-VW03G is a great mount for a 55in screen that you need to be height-adjustable and rotatable and the Vivo Desk-V111VT makes a great rolling height-adjustable standing desk. Now that I finally have the hub and cables figured out, I am loving my setup!! Links: WBPINE Hub: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JYR7HDW Koopman Hub: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07M5DMYKY Wacom Power Adapter: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074HDZ3QP Mickey Mouse Power Cord: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002V9U7WY Vivo Adjustable Mount: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0155N478M Vivo Rolling Adjustable Desk: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GGBHQQV

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You wont get a new one at this price - all those 256G version sold at $1900+ are factory refurbished. They are probably open box returns with power on hour about 1 week to 1 month, you can get one like new if you get good luck. The first one I got is very dirty, lots of dust and scratches. I called for a replacement, and got a better one - looks like new with plastic wrap covers it, however some spots at corners indicate it is used. CrystalDiskInfo shows 157 power-on hours (one week) and 2TB of written data to the SSD. This is hard for me to accept because the life-time writing limit for this SSD is only 100TB (Samsung PM961), 2% of the life is already consumed. The Samsung 960 Pro 256 GB on my working desktop has only 5TB of total writing in two years. Cant imagine what have been done to this laptop. I decided to keep it in the end. The condition is OK for the price, plus I got the one-year warranty from Microsoft. Just keep in mind that you are not buying a brand new item, its open-box like new.

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This laptop/tablet combo is exactly what I wanted. Its powerful, has a ton of memory, and is majorly portable. With the press of a button, I can remove the screen and ditch the keyboard. Its so lightweight, the entire laptop can sit in my lap for hours and feel comfortable. Its freed me up to work and watch videos in any room of the house at any time. The battery lasts an impressive amount of time, and recharging it is a breeze. I love this computer, and I recommend it to anyone looking for portability with power.

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This is a terrible product. Don’t believe me? Check surface book 2 issues, trust me just google it. I don’t game as often as some but when when I do plus work programs that utilize the graphic card, it just disappears....... calling Microsoft is useless they just send you another one with the SAME issue...... I’m an Attorney so mostly word/excel/outlook etc.... but even those programs run at the same speed as my 1995 dell desktop with windows 95. By far WORST laptop/computer/tablet or whatever they call it I’ve ever used..... customer service is pretty much useless UPDATE. its been 8 months since i bought this. took it to the windows store in South Coast Plaza down here near Newport Beach CA, they did a "manual" software update to fix the problem or so they claim, its been 1 week and no the problem hasnt been fixed. alongside the major issues ive seen. one other issue to be aware of is how loud the fans of the computer get. Because it runs on the integrated graphics card instead and not the more powerful 1060, the fans are spinning like crazy to keep the temperatures down. if you are willing to spend this much on a laptop i recommend looking for something else. i hate to say it but for this price for this quality.... its no better than apple. get yourself a different computer. I dont know how some people are getting their devices swapped, they havent even offered that solution to me. if you were considering this for work, get something else. its really embarrassing to have client listen to the fan speed when doing something as simple as taking notes with microsoft notes.

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