If you're in the market for an all-powerful pro-spec 2-in-1 then the Surface Book 3 is hard to beat. But we know Microsoft has the potential to turn things up to 11 for a fourth-gen model - so if you're not in a rush you might want to wait for the goodness that brings.

Sumptuous screen resolution; Muscle-wire release system to separate base and screen; Distinctive & solid design; Full-size ports & USB-C

Big bezel starting to look dated; Big & heavy design; Pricier than ever; Screen is reflective & lacks ultra-wide colour gamut; No Thunderbolt 3 speed

The Surface Book is a minor upgrade over its predecessor, and some clear shortcomings mean it’s starting to look a bit dated when compared to the competition.

Excellent keyboard; Great screen; Good port selection

Poor gaming performance; Lacklustre speakers; No fingerprint scanner

The most ambitious hybrid laptop design around. A good buy if you don't mind a chunkier hybrid

Solid gaming performance; Great keyboard and touchpad feel; High-quality

Short tablet battery life; Heavier and thicker than most conventional hybrids; Expensive

With an advanced mechanical locking system for the keyboard base, powerful graphics processing, multiple cameras and batteries, and a brilliant near-4K display, the Surface Book 3 is an innovative, excellent detachable laptop.

Unique detachable design; Powerful graphics processor; Many configuration options; Comfortable keyboard; Dual 1080p cameras; Beautiful PixelSense display

Pricey; Keyboard base adds significant weight

“The Surface Book 3 is not for everyone, but it's a one-of-a-kind laptop that's a joy to use.”

Unique 2-in-1 design; Big; sharp display; Powerful graphics; Great video editing performance; Excellent keyboard

Limited processor performance; Very overpriced; Reduced battery life

I’ve been waiting for the Surface Book 3 for two and a half years. Microsoft’s 15-inch Surface Book 2 was largely just a refinement over the original model — released nearly five years ago — so I was really hoping the company was holding back some big changes for the Surface Book 3.

Great keyboard; 3:2 nearly 4K display; GPU performance

No Thunderbolt 3 support; Hinge detach and GPU reliability issues; Battery life underwhelming

Please Microsoft, just make a convertible

The Surface Book 3’s design is beginning to look a little dated, but it's convertible form factor makes it a very compelling device for power users.

3:2 aspect ratio is awesome for productivity; Convertible design; Keyboards great for typing; Powerful enough for lightweight gaming;

Retro design; Squished touch pad; Average colour gamut coverage;

This laptop is fast and easy to use. Light enough to carry around and I love that it doubles as a tablet - great to use while teaching.

The third generation of the Microsoft Surface Book 3 remains a stunning physical specimen with world-beating engineering and a unique feature set. However, it's very expensive compared to the conventional laptops that will be a better fit for most user's needs.

Gorgeous engineering, Unique feature set, Fully detachable tablet functionality, Discrete Nvidia graphics

Very expensive, Not especially fast, Slightly chunky, Battery life is only adequate