In the recent past, I've written about attempting to eek out 5 hours of battery life from laptops that are more or less in the same class as the Microsoft Surface Book 3.

Proper battery life, Hefty components, 3:2 display

Distinctive hinge is more aesthetic than useful, Heavy, Expensive

The Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 offers a lot of qualities for the smaller convertible model. The workmanship is excellent and the hinge is also unique in connection with the holding mechanism of the display.

high quality, stable docking mechanism, good SD card reader, a lot of hardware in the tablet part, quiet under load

short battery life, moderate CPU performance, high price, no maintenance options

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 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

So far so good

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

Only a minor upgrade on the Surface Book 2, but this unique form factor might just be perfect for your needs

A true hybrid, Lovely screen, Respectable battery life (with keyboard), Performance is good enough for most

Heavy, Not quite as good as a pure tablet/laptop, On the expensive side

The Surface Book 3 is a productivity workhorse that performs surprisingly well as an after-hours gaming machine.

If you need the power and detachable display, the Surface Book 3 is an excellent option

Excellent keyboard and trackpad, 3:2 aspect ratio continues to be the best, Powerful hardware on offer

Design needs a refresh, Quality issues like squeaky hinge and keys, Sporadic battery life