When it launched late last year, Microsoft’s flagship Surface Book 2 started at $1,499. That might not raise any eyebrows among people who have bought a MacBook before, but Windows laptops don’t normally command that kind of premium, magical hybrid design or not.
So it’s probably not a great sign that Microsoft is introducing a lower-priced version of the Surface Book 2 with less storage. The new entry-level Surface Book costs $1,199 and comes with 128GB of storage, compared to the 256GB in the $1,499 version.
Apart from the storage change, the rest of the specs are unchanged. $1,199 gets you the 13.5-inch model with a Core i5, 8GB of RAM, a gorgeous 3000×2000 PixelSense display. At $1,199, those specs are more in line with the rest of the Windows premium laptop market, and that’s forgetting the fact that the Surface Book 2 can detach the lower half and turn into a tablet with the press of a key.
It’s also possible that Microsoft was seeing sales of the Surface Book 2 cannibalized by its new Surface Laptop, which ditches the convertible design in favor of a price that starts at $800.
Either way, Microsoft slashing the price by $300 isn’t a great sign for the company’s sales, but it is fantastic news for anyone who was scared away from the Surface Book 2 by price. 128GB of storage for a $300 discount is a great deal, and if you really need the extra storage, $300 will buy a bunch of OneDrive space, or the most serious external harddrive that money can buy.
