Microsoft Surface Book 2 to Ditch Hinge for a Traditional Design?
The Microsoft Surface Book 2 will reportedly be cheaper than its predecessor, as per the latest information to come out about the product. This price cut, however, comes with a price catch.
A report by Digitimes suggests that Microsoft is looking to ditch the tablet feature of the Microsoft Surface Book 2, which means the screen will not be detachable from the keyboard, unlike the original.
The Redmond giant reportedly decided against a two-in-one design for the new Surface Book and is instead going for the traditional look with a display size of 13.5 inches.
Thanks to this huge change, the starting price is lowered to $1,000. The entry-level model of the original Surface Book was priced $1,499 although it is currently being offered at a discounted price of $1,299.
As to why the change was made, Digitimes says the detachable screen design clashes with that of the Microsoft Surface Pro line, which can also be used as a tablet and a laptop.
Because of this conflict, Microsoft saw a limited demand for the Surface Book, with the company having shipped only 500,000 units last year.
It is important to note that Digitimes is hit-and-miss when it comes to such prediction although the company's report last year about the Microsoft Surface Studio did pan out.
Microsoft was expected to introduce a drastic change in the hinge design of the Microsoft Surface Book 2 as they felt the one on the original needed a lot of work.
Additionally, the company has shown this is possible since it helped Porsche Design achieve such with the Book One, which was praised for boasting the hinge technology that Surface Book users imagined for the second-generation model.
Either way, it looks like Microsoft is simply making an effort to make a distinction of its product lines to highlight their offerings' respective strengths while boosting the demand.
Digitimes says that users will see what the software giant has planned for the Microsoft Surface Book 2 by the end of this month or April.
