Microsoft Reveals Surface Book Laptop-Tablet Hybrid, Claims It's The Fastest 13-Inch Laptop Ever Made

In a shock reveal on Tuesday, Microsoft unveiled its first laptop, a device it says provides double the performance of Apple's MacBook Pro. Indeed, Microsoft says its new "Surface Book" is the fastest 13-inch laptop ever made. Not only that, the screen is detachable to convert into a tablet when needed.

The display is 13.5 inches with 267 ppi, the same pixel density as the Surface Pro 4. The screen is optically bonded to the glass, giving it an incredibly thin display. Inside, the Surface Book uses the latest Intel Skylake processors, GDDR5 RAM and an Nvidia GeForce GPU.

"Muscle wire" technology allows it to switch between a laptop and tablet with ease. The GPU is in the base, meaning the device gets full power when plugged into its keyboard. Those who want full power in tablet mode are catered to, however, as the keyboard can fold up behind the laptop.

Like the Pro 4, Microsoft also has made the keyboard one of the best on the market. By including backlit keys, a glass trackpad and multi-touch sensing, Microsoft has pushed to ensure it doesn't suffer from some of the typical pitfalls of laptop keyboards. The company boasts 1.6 mm key travel and silent typing.

The device has 12 hours of battery life, giving it the same all-day battery life as its competitors -- just one of the impressive specs for a PC of this size.

The Surface Book starts at $1,499 and will be available Oct. 26.