Reddit reviews Microsoft Surface Book 2 13.5" (Intel Core i7, 8GB RAM, 256 GB)

You are selling it for more than the amazon new price.

https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Surface-Book-Intel-256GB/dp/B076J5Y9Y1?th=1

I'm in the exact same situation as you. I found this on Amazon. Problem is that I live in Canada and I have to do some more research into whether I am able to ship it here, but if you live in the US, you should be good. I also just checked Canada best buy and there was nothing on the book 2, but you should check US best buy too if you live there.

First of all I'd recommend going to arachnoboards.com and signing up and heading over to r/tarantulas. Now with that out of the way the general run of the mill recommendation is juvenile-young adult new world terrestrial species. Now let's break that down:


Tarantulas are broadly classified into two broad groups: new world and old world. Differences are mainly old world species are not from either north or south America (generally Africa or Asia) they tend to be quicker, more defensive, they do not have urticating setae (small irritating hairs on the abdomen) and have more potent venom. New world have urticating setae, are from the Americas, and tend to be less defensive, slower, and less venomous. So new world species are the obvious choice to a beginner.


The reason it's recommended to get a juvenile is due to the fact that while overall a relatively easily cared for pet, slings are quite fragile still and require much more attention, a juvenile still leaves you with room to watch your pet grow up but not so young that it's easier to take care of and it's less dangerous for the spider if you make a mistake or two as a beginner.


As for terrestrial? Again arboreal species tend to be harder for a new keeper to get used to.


Now finally the question is what are you looking for in a tarantula? The points I suggested above are more guidelines than hard rules (but with special emphasis on starting with new world not old world) I myself started with a little G. pulchripes sling, not a common recommendation for a beginner due to their extremely slow growth rate and the fact that again slings aren't the best for beginners. Despite that I knew I wanted one I could watch grow from the beginning and I was ready to make the possible decade long commitment so I went for it. Do you want one that's a heavy webber, or one with bright colours? Maybe go for a C. cyanopubescens. One that grows quickly and large? Try L. parahybana. A classic? B. hamorii. Something fuzzy? B. albopilosum. Or even what I started with: G. pulchripes. All good starter species.


A relatively common suggestion is G. rosea/porteri. They are abundant in the tarantula pet trade, and generally are decent starter species but have also known to sometimes be aggressive. The community here tends to lean on saying not to start with them but I personally think it's relatively the same as other starter species I mentioned. The consensus is pretty split.



On a final note: do your research! Before buying anything, make sure you're plenty ready to house your pet when they arrive, different species require slightly different setups. I'd recommend The Tarantula Keepers Guide it contains some very solid (and some outdated) info. It's an excellent starting point however. There are some sections that you should take with a grain of salt, but as of now it's one of the better comprehensive guides out there. The alternative being scouring various parts of the internet to try and cobble together a working knowledge.

For school in this price range I would advise you to check this laptop

laptop name | Microsoft Surface Book 2
--- |----
CPU | Quad core 8th Gen I7-8650U
GPU | GTX 1050
Screen "| 13.5"" touchscreen"
Ram | 8 GB
SSD | 256 GB
HDD | 0
Weight | 3.62 Lbs.
Battery life | 12 Hrs.
Pros | The GTX 1050 should be enough for CAD work and good gaming exprince .
Pros | Great battery life .
Pros | Very light .
Cons | The life span of the surface line is short .
Cons | You can't upgrade any of the components.
Cons | You are paying more for the portabilty .

For more info here is the screen color-space coverage

laptop name | Microsoft Surface Book 2
--- |----
Brightness | 372 .
sRGB | 96% .
AdobeRGB | 64% .

This the only option that I can think of that has a dedicated GPU for you but if you can work with 15.6" you will have a lot more options .

When I had it, SB2 was a beast, tho other more experienced said it was overhyped, I thought it was a gaming-capable amazing looking computer
EDIT-
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076J5Y9Y1/ref=twister_B076L6ZLX6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

If you can spend more, I would upgrade to the i7 version with GTX 1050 graphics card. This would benefit you a lot for the uses you listed.

I would recommend this [ASUS Zenbook] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078T1715R/?tag=bkadamos_alltest-20) because it comes with everything you need, 8th generation, i5 quad core CPU which is one of the best in the market and great for your usage, 8GB of ram for smooth multitasking, good SSD storage of 256GB for faster boot up and loading, 13.3 inch Full HD touch screen which is a must have for this price range, high build quality, GeForce MX150 GPU that should be able to handle games on low to medium settings with very good FPs, long battery life, and lightweight.

If you prefer 14 inch screen, I would recommend this [Acer Swift 3] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0746P25QX/?tag=bkadamos_alltest-20) because it comes with everything you need, 8th generation, i5 quad core CPU which is one of the best in the market and great for your usage, 8GB of ram for smooth multitasking, good SSD storage of 256GB for faster boot up and loading, 14 inch Full HD IPS screen which is a must have for this price range, high build quality, long battery life, very good heat management, backlit keyboard, GeForce MX150 GPU that should be able to handle games on low to medium settings with very good FPs, and lightweight.

If you prefer 2 in 1 laptop, I would recommend this [Microsoft Surface Book 2] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076J5Y9Y1/?tag=bkadamos_alltest-20) because it comes with everything you need, 8th generation, i7 quad core CPU which is one of the best in the market and great for your usage, 8GB of ram for smooth multitasking, good SSD storage of 256GB for faster boot up and loading, 13.5 inch Full HD touch screen which is a must have for this price range, high build quality, supports pen, and GeForce GTX 1050 GPU that should be able to handle games on medium to high settings with very good FPs.

Hi,

Based on your requirements I have made this noteb search went for a quad-core CPU, dedicated GPU (for light gaming), 2in1 chassis and better than Full HD display - should help you with photo editing.

You can see and change the search parameters using the "Refine results" button in the upper-left part of the search results page. You can also click on the laptops for more information.

I think this could be a great option for you: Microsoft Surface Book 2 13.5 has a quad-core CPU, gaming GPU, QHD+ display with great color coverage 16.7M colors, 100% sRGB (sRGB shows color coverage and 80% is minimum recommended for photo editing), PCIe SSD, 2 memory slots, Magnesium chassis and Chiclet keyboard, Detachable keyboard. You can find it for 2600 CAD online: here


An alternative could be this one: Lenovo Yoga 730-15 the UHD version, similar specs with the Surface Book with lower battery life. Here is a comparison between them: Lenovo Yoga 730-15 vs Microsoft Surface Book 2 13.5.

Hope I helped!

Have Microsoft Surface, meets your requirements except for SSD

https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Surface-Book-Intel-256GB/dp/B076J5Y9Y1

example of games?

i will recommend either https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076J5Y9Y1 or https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JB56QJ7 depending on games

Top result for Surface Book on Amazon. If you don't pay attention you're buying from random ass people. Good luck getting support:
https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Surface-Book-Intel-Core/dp/B016TQGYWQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1520731458&sr=8-3&keywords=microsoft%2Bsurface%2Bbook&th=1

Second result. Same thing:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016TQGYWQ/ref=twister_B0169EUKNC?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Third result. Same thing: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016TQGYWQ/ref=twister_B0169EUKNC?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Surface Book 2. Same thing: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076J5Y9Y1/ref=twister_B076L6ZLX6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

As far as I have ever been able to tell Amazon (in the US) does not sell Surface Products. They may fulfill the order, but all the top listings that anyone is likely to stumble upon are 3rd party sellers with very spotty track records who will package things badly or send you a brick of clay or concrete instead. It has happened numerous times.

You can be an angry grump dick all you want Microsoft man, but the best place to buy a Surface from is Microsoft Store followed by Best Buy.

Amazon you better make damn sure that you are getting it from Amazon. Maybe in Europe Amazon is a good place to buy, but I'm betting if this dude or lady posts the link they bought from it will say fulfilled by Amazon and that some third party was the actual seller.