Microsoft has introduced the brand new Surface Book 2, two years after the Surface Book made its debut. Microsoft says the Surface Book 2 has been designed and developed "for the creators of the future" and is powerful enough to "fuel the next wave of computing across mixed reality, artificial intelligence, machine learning and immersive gaming."

That's a bold claim, but one that's well backed up by numbers. Under the hood are the latest 8th-generation Intel Core processors and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 or 1060 graphics depending on which configuration you choose and a battery that lasts up to 17 hours.

Microsoft announces Surface Book 2 is two times more powerful than MacBook Pro image 3
Microsoft

 

Microsoft says it's five times more powerful than the previous Surface Book and twice as powerful as the latest MacBook Pro.

The Surface Book 2 is available in 13-inch and 15-inch variants, but Microsoft is keen to stress they're both incredibly portable thanks to a lightweight build. The 15-inch version is the heavier of the two and it weighs 1.9kg. The Surface Book 2 is a versatile machine too, as it can be used in stand mode and tablet mode thanks to a detachable hinge, as well as a regular laptop.

Professional users will be pleased to know that USB-A and USB-C ports can be found on the Surface Book 2, along with an SD card reader, no adapters needed here.

Games on the Surface Book 2 are delivered in full HD at 60fps and the 15-inch model has built-in Xbox Wireless support, so you can use your Xbox controller without having to attach any dongles. It's also powerful enough to support Windows Mixed Reality headsets.

The 13-inch Surface Book 2 will be available to pre-order in select markets from 9 November, while the 15-inch model will be available to order a week later on 16 November.