by Jay White Now you can always have visual computing power at your fingertips — along with your keyboard. Microsoft unveiled Surface Book, the software giant’s first laptop computer, Tuesday. And it’s packed with surprises. Unveiled by Microsoft Devices CVP Panos Panay to an audience of hundreds of press and analysts in New York, the Surface Book features a Maxwell architecture-powered GeForce GPU nestled snugly into a detachable keyboard base. The base can be folded flat against the screen, like a laptop, tucked against the back of the screen, or even detached – a surprise to many. The Surface Book is just the latest example of how Microsoft and NVIDIA are working together to make powerful visual computing capabilities available to everyone. On Tuesday, Microsoft’s Panay wasn’t shy about showing the GeForce GPU-powered Surface Book running Adobe Premier Pro. “This is for the gamer who plays League of Legends; this is for the architect who is building a building right now; this is for the scientist who is thinking about a cure for cancer,” Panos told his audience. “This is for the developer who wants to compile using the GPU and CPU at the same time and not lose a minute.” Panos then surprised the audience by handing several of the laptops out to those listening to his presentation to touch for themselves. It’s easy to understand the fuss. This is a device packed with features that highlight the visual prowess of Windows 10. A press of a button and a simple tug is all that’s required to detach the 13.5-inch display so the screen can be used as a clipboard. Microsoft is clearly eager to share the Surface Book with you, too. The NVIDIA GeForce GPU variant starts at $1,899, and is available Oct. 26. You can pre-order yours starting Wednesday, Oct. 7.
