Microsoft adds Surface Book with 1 terabyte of storage for $3,199
The new Surface Book may be a winner, but will people pay that much for its high-tech specs?
Microsoft has revealed the highest-end model of its Surface Book but this one is pricey compared with your average Windows 10 laptop.
Added to the Surface Book lineup on Friday, the new edition is outfitted with an Intel Core i7 processor, 16 gigabytes of memory and a 1 terabyte of built-in storage. But this top-of-the-line Surface Book will cost you a cool $3,199. That's $500 more than the same model with 512GB of onboard storage.
A laptop that can transform into a tablet via a detachable keyboard, the Surface Book is Microsoft's latest attempt to shake up the computer market in light of weak sales. Microsoft's goal is not just to generate revenue from the Surface Book, but to challenge other PC vendors to make a laptop that can tap into the features of Windows 10 and potentially win over consumers. The device offers premium features, but will its premium price tag turn off buyers looking for a new Windows machine?
The Surface Book comes in six different varieties. So consumers who wouldn't cough up $3,199 for the high-end model may still shell out $1,499 for the Intel Core i5 edition with 512GB of storage and 8GB of memory. But power users who like to outfit their devices with lots of RAM and onboard storage may find the cheapest edition too modest for their needs and the most expensive model, well, too expensive.
Based on preorders, the Surface Book appears to be doing well. Microsoft briefly ran out of preorder stock last Tuesday before refilling its virtual shelves on Wednesday. But preorder ship dates show a wait time of of five weeks to six weeks for three of the models and seven to eight for two of the models. The new 1TB Surface Book won't ship until January 22, 2016.
You can preorder the Surface Book either through Microsoft's website or at a Microsoft retail store, but the wait time to receive one is the same. The new lineup officially launches on October 26. But a Microsoft spokesman cautioned that the company will have limited stock of the Surface Book in store on launch day.
Users looking for a beefed-up Windows PC may also want to wait to see if other PC vendors rise to Microsoft's challenge. Outfitted with a 13.5-inch 3,000x2,000-pixel display, the Surface Book is powered by the latest generation of Intel's Core processor and offers up to 12 hours of battery life. But can other PC makers can replicate the power and features of the Surface Book without going overboard on price? That will be the true challenge.
Microsoft did not immediately respond to CNET's request for comment.