Microsoft has officially launched its Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book, the company's very own take on what a Windows 10 tablet and laptop should be.
It's no secret that both devices are premium machines designed to take on the iPad Pro and the MacBook Pro, and early reviewers have already declared the Surface Pro 4 and the Surface Book worthy competition to Apple's own products. And what better way for Microsoft to sell its hottest new items than for the company to create an impression of exclusivity, the very same thing that Apple does for its own new products?
Currently, the Intel Core m3 and Intel Core i5 models of the Surface Pro 4 are available for immediate purchase from the Microsoft Store, along with the Type Cover keyboard for the new tablet. However, customers who are planning to get the Intel Core i7 version with 16 GB of RAM are setting themselves up for disappointment, as it is listed for a Nov. 20 ship date. Microsoft also has no option for an Intel Core i5 model with 16 GB RAM, but it is planning to offer one in the future.
Meanwhile, the Surface Book is even harder to find. According to the Microsoft Store, all models previously listed for an Oct. 26 are scheduled for shipment at least four to five weeks from now. Other models have a six- to seven-week delivery window, while the high-end 1 TB Surface Book, which comes with an Nvidia GPU and 16 GB RAM is not available for shipping until January 2016. It also appears that the lower-end model with a discrete graphics card is not available on the Microsoft Store for now.
In physical stores, the situation is the same, but some stores, such as those in Westfield Century City in Los Angeles, are offering customers who preordered the Surface Pro 4 i7 version the option to buy the cheaper i5 model and have it exchanged for the i7 version when it arrives on Nov. 20, which is still well within the 30-day return and exchange period for all purchases.
Best Buy also offers most versions of the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book, but it depends where users can buy the models they want. Most Surface Pro 4 models, except for the i7 variants, are available for purchase online. The high-end version, however, is still available only for preorder. The Surface Books are available only in store, not online, and the Best Buy website lets users check the availability of each model in specific stores. As expected, the 1 TB i7 Surface Book is not available online or in physical Best Buy stores.
On Amazon, Microsoft has stocks for a few models, including the 512 GB i7 Surface Book and the 256 GB Surface Pro 4 with i7 under the hood, and a few other lower-end models.
Other retailers, including CostCo, Staples, Newegg, Fry's and B&H Photo Video have also listed certain models of the Surface Book and Surface Pro 4. However, none of them appear to have stocks as of press time.
