When it comes to laptops and notebooks, Microsoft and Apple have been at the forefront for long. This year is all set to mark one of the biggest battles between the two. The upgraded 12-inch Skylake MacBook surged the shipment of the company in the previous quarter by 30.3 percent. On the other hand, Microsoft’s upcoming Surface Book 2 that is supposed to be launched later this year has been creating quite a buzz. The refreshed Surface Book is said to ditch the hinge gap and also employ 4K displays.
Microsoft Surface Book 2: Processor, Display, Features
The Surface Book 2 is getting Intel’s all new KabyLake processor. Kaby Lake isn’t supposed to start shipping until later this year, and it brings support for USB 3.1 (2nd Gen) along with a new graphics design for 3D and 4K display. The biggest news relating to this device is a fix for something that troubled some Surface Book owners, and it is the gap in the hinge.
The space provided for Microsoft’s unique fulcrum hinge upset some owners with concerns over dust collecting in that area or lack of structural rigidity though seem to be unfounded. The alleged redesign is supposed to make the display and keyboard flush when closed like a traditional laptop.
The technology used to achieve this feat isn’t known, yet. There have been some reports from All About Microsoft’s Mary Jo Foley and our Zac Bowden suggesting that there will be a Fall announcement in New York City and shipping will start a few weeks later. The timeline seems to be based on the mass production of Intel’s Kaby Lake processor.
Apple 12-inch MacBook: Specs, Features, Price
On the other hand, the already released 12-inch MacBook that is one of the most portable ones out there has done quite well as far as the sales figures are concerned. It’s USB Type-C port started a bit of a revolution. Intel’s i7 processor does just fine with the Skylake powered device. The 2-pound device is also one of the affordable products from the company and is known for its powerful processor (Intel HD 515 graphics processors).
The major difference between the two devices is that the Surface Book comes with Core M and the 6th Gen Core i-series processors as well. But the MacBook comes with only i7.
Conclusion
While the MacBook has done very well in the market, so far, it will be interesting to see what the arrival of Surface Book 2 will do to the market dynamics.
