Reception towards the Surface Book, Microsoft's first laptop, is generally very positive, but there's one thing on the laptop itself that has some reviewers concerned.
The hinge that connects the screen to the keyboard doesn't let the Surface Book close fully flat. When you close it, the Surface Book takes on more of a wedge shape rather than the flat shape we're used with most laptops.
Tom Warren from The Verge thinks this is a pretty bad thing for several reasons: "The display doesn’t sit flush with the keyboard, leaving an unsightly gap.
It also makes the Surface Book a lot bulkier than a regular laptop." And it could have make Surface Book get dirty, "Dust, hair, and all sorts of other nastiness from my bag now gets regularly deposited onto the Surface Book keyboard because of this gap."
Ars Technica's Peter Bright was more concerned that the hinge could make the Surface Book "more susceptible to damage by being crushed...my worry is that it might crack or snap or explode if, say, someone sat on the Surface Book by accident."
But Joel Santo Domingo from PCMag assures that "Microsoft tested the hinge to a compression load of 40 pounds, so it should be tough enough to survive your commute." He even goes on to claim that the gap brings on an "unexpected benefit," as it allows the keys to protrude from the keyboard more than other laptops, which makes for more of a "desktop keyboard" typing experience.
On the other hand, Santo Domingo also sees how the Surface Book's awkward wedge shape could make it harder to store away in tight spaces, like in a stuffed backpack.
At the same time, the reviewers generally understood that the hinge was a necessary compromise that allows the Surface Book to turn into a tablet, as the screen can detach from the keyboard.
