Get your USB devices out of low gear

Get your USB devices out of low gear

USB 3.0 data transfers should be up to 10 times faster than USB 2.0 — and 2.0 should be almost 10 times faster than USB 1.0. But many factors can cause your USB connections to limp along at a fraction of their expected speeds.

Here’s how to check your USB system’s performance to verify that it’s running at its full speed — and what to do if it’s not.

Subtle problems can slow USB by up to 90 percent

When was the last time you checked your USB system’s performance? Never?

When Windows Secrets Reader W. Ross Stone measured his USB connections, he discovered that his 3.0 devices were poking along at 2.0 speeds.

Noticing that backups to an external drive took much longer than expected, he used laborious, manual throughput testing to prove that the USB connection was the bottleneck.

He asked whether there’s an easier and faster way to tell whether a USB connection is operating at or close to its rated speeds.

Indeed, there is.

In fact, you can give your entire USB system a basic checkup in just a few minutes — and, in a few more minutes, you can learn everything there is to know about your USB system’s performance.

Here’s how.

How to find the weak link in a USB setup

A USB connection is only as fast as its slowest link.

USB is a complex system of controllers, software drivers, hubs, ports, cables, and external devices. For a USB 3.0 connection to achieve its full Super Speed throughput — up to 625 megabytes per second (MBps) — all those system components must be fully 3.0 compliant.

If any component isn’t 3.0 compatible, the USB setup will drop back to a slower speed: e.g., High Speed (up to 60MBps), Full Speed (1.5MBps), or even Low Speed (0.19MBps).

Unfortunately, getting USB components to fully match can be the proverbial can o’ worms. At last count, there are some 110 different variants in common use. (See the related Wikipedia page.)

Checking your USB system starts with a simple visual inspection that should take only seconds.

All USB hardware is supposed to have clear, external labeling that indicates whether it supports versions 2.0 or 3.0. For example, fully compliant USB 3.0 devices, cables, and sockets (ports) should have the Super Speed logo — a USB trident prefixed by the letters SS (see Figure 1). And 3.0 ports typically have an easily seen blue interior.

Figure 1. On the left, the simple trident logo of USB 2.0 devices, cables, plugs, and sockets; on the right, the dual-S Super Speed logo of fully USB 3.0-compliant hardware.

The MSDN article, “How to determine whether a USB 3.0 device is operating at Super Speed,” lists a number of additional, simple visual checks and then goes on to show you how to use some built-in Windows operating system functions to further determine how your PC’s USB system is performing.

You’ll find more information along those lines in Microsoft’s FAQ, “USB in Windows.” Look specifically for the section titled “How do I determine whether my USB 3.0 device is operating as Super Speed?”

When these simple methods work, they’re great. But sometimes they’re not enough — for example, not all hardware follows the recommended labeling conventions. Also, not all components are immediately visible — some are inside your PC. And, annoyingly, some of the most promising operating system tips in the preceding Microsoft articles don’t seem to work at all for Win10.

Microsoft’s free USB-diagnostic tool

The best and most reliable way I’ve found to fully explore USB setups — in all Windows versions — is to run Microsoft’s free and easy to use USBView tool. It isn’t part of Windows; it’s a separate download.

USBView isn’t a standalone download; it’s part of the Windows debugging (WinDbg) toolkits for Win10, Win8, and Win7. (Vista can use Win7’s USBView.) The WinDbg toolkit, in turn, is included in the Windows Software Development Kit (SDK). There are separate SDKs for each Windows version, and all are free.

Fortunately, you don’t have to install the full, huge SDK just to obtain USBView; you can selectively download just the WinDbg toolkit portion of the SDK. Here’s how:

Download the appropriate SDK using one of the links below. (Note: There are slightly different versions of the SDK from several different Microsoft download sites. I used the links listed below. If you have trouble installing a downloaded SDK, use the microsoft.com and msdn.microsoft.com site-search functions to find other versions.)

When the installer process opens either the “Installation Options” or “Select the features you want to install” window, leave only the Debugging Tools for Windows option checked (uncheck all other offered components). Again, the Windows debugging toolkit will include USBView.exe.

• Win10 SDK (site)
• Win8.1 SDK (site)
• Win7 SDK (site)
• Vista: Use the Win7 SDK, above (a Win7 PC might be required for the initial download)

When the install completes, navigate to USBView.exe — it’s usually in one of the following locations. (If not, use Windows’ local search function to find USBView.exe on your system.)

• Win10 64-bit – C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Debuggers\x64
  Win10 32-bit – C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Debuggers\x86
• Win8 64-bit – C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\8.1\Debuggers\x64
  Win8 32-bit – C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\8.1\Debuggers\x86
• Win7 64-bit – C:\Program Files\Debugging Tools for Windows(x64)
  Win7 32-bit – C:\Program Files\Debugging Tools for Windows(x86) (see Figure 2)
  

  Figure 2. Look for USBView in either the Program Files or Program Files (x86) folder.

Be sure to match the version of USBView with the bittedness of your system.

(Vista users: Copy the appropriate USBview.exe file from a Win7 PC, and then paste it into any convenient location on your Vista PC.)

When USBView opens, you’ll see two panes. The left pane displays a connection-oriented tree view. You can select any USB controller, hub, or device that you wish to learn more about.

The right pane can provide a vast amount of information about the selected item, depending on the PC’s setup and the selected device’s capabilities. It can also show the component’s current speed plus what other speeds it might be capable of. Figure 3 is an example: The selected device is operating at USB 2.0’s High Speed, but it’s capable of operating at 3.0’s Super Speed.

Figure 3. USBView's information-rich display can reveal each major component's current and potential speeds.

In fact, USBView provides so much information, it can be confusing. One way around that is to disconnect all USB peripherals, wait a moment for the system (and USBView) to reset (or click File/Refresh), and then reconnect your USB devices, one at a time. This will let you more easily connect a particular device with its somewhat more cryptic description in USBView.

After running USBView, you’ll know everything that Windows knows about your USB setup.

Automated throughput verification and testing

The proof, as they say, is in the pudding — or in the case of USB systems, in the actual, real-life, delivered throughput speeds.

To verify that your device is operating as it should, test its throughput and then compare the actual USB speeds to the theoretical maximum speeds listed earlier. Although no real-life system will ever achieve its theoretical maximum speed, a properly functioning system will at least be in the ballpark.

You can test speeds manually by hand-timing the transfer of large files, but that’s laborious and prone to human error. Automated tools are better.

One such tool is Nirsoft’s free USBDeview (site), which has the built-in, automated “Speed Test.”

General drive-testing and benchmarking tools can work on any type hard drive — internal, SSD, flash, USB-connected conventional drives, and so forth.

Some of the more well-regarded utilities include:

• HD Tune (free/commercial; site)
• ATTO Disk Benchmark (free, registration required; site)
• CrystalDiskMark (free; site)

How to correct USB-performance problems

If your USB setup seems stuck at speeds significantly lower than expected, here are three troubleshooting steps.

Start by checking the obvious. Try plugging the device into different ports on your PC; some systems have a mix of 2.0 and 3.0 ports. And if you’re trying for USB 3.0 speeds, make sure that all physical components are 3.0 rated. Look for the double-S trident logo and the blue color-coding in all ports and plugs.

Important: Note that some USB hubs operate at the speed of the slowest attached device. In other words, a USB 3.0-rated hub might throttle down to 2.0 speeds if even one 2.0 device is attached to any of its ports. If you suspect this is the case, and you’re using an external hub, disconnect the hub and plug each device directly into an appropriate port (USB 3.0 or 2.0) on the PC. Re-test the devices. That’ll let you see what each device can do, without the hub’s influences.

If you detect trouble with no obvious cause, try uninstalling and then reinstalling your USB drivers. Use the latest available, USB 3.0-rated mainboard or chipset drivers from your system maker — and from your external USB device manufacturers. (For driver uninstall/reinstallation tips, see the July 23, 2009, LangaList Plus item, “Easy fix for your PC’s recalcitrant hardware.”)

If the drivers and all the accessible hardware check out okay but the slow speeds persist, then the problem is likely to be internal — within the PC itself. In that case, contact the manufacturer for an explanation, upgrade, or repair.

Another option: If your PC is has open and available expansion slots, you might consider adding a third-party, plug-in USB 3.0 board; prices currently start at under U.S. $20.

With luck, it’ll never get that far. With a physical inspection, OS reporting, USBView data, and real-life throughput testing, you’ll know everything there is to know about your USB system and devices — including any bottlenecks.

Changes to Win10 and OneDrive draw complaints

Two recent announcements from Microsoft have created an outcry from power Windows users.

The company plans an even harder push to move current Windows 7 and 8 users onto Windows 10. And a OneDrive change provokes a user petition.

Forcing Windows 10 down our throats?

In an Oct. 29 blog post, Microsoft’s Terry Myerson claimed that 110 million devices have been upgraded to Windows 10. It took over six months for Microsoft to sell that many copies of Windows 7. Of course, the distinction here is “free” versus “sold.” And Win7 was mostly replacing the venerated Windows XP. I also assume that many of those Win10 upgrades were on Win8 systems.

But the comment that caught the most attention in the aforementioned blog concerned future changes to Win10’s status in Windows Update. Currently, Microsoft pushes out the Win10 upgrade as an unchecked, optional update. (It can also be installed via the Microsoft Media Creation Tool.) But the blog states: “Early next year, we expect to be re-categorizing Windows 10 as a ‘Recommended Update.’ Depending upon your Windows Update settings, this may cause the upgrade process to automatically initiate on your device.” The post goes on to say that users will have the opportunity to stop the Win10 installation process.

That came on the heels of reports that the massive Win10 installation files were showing up on users’ systems, unasked for and unwanted. Perhaps a test for the future change to “Recommended Update” was accidentally released into the wild.

This announcement has irritated, of course, the many Win7 (and possibly a few Win8) users who have no interest in upgrading anytime soon. The problem was so acute that an independent programmer wrote GWX Control Panel, an app (site) that can remove the Get Windows 10 icon and block the Win10 upgrade in Windows Update.

Unfortunately, hordes of casual Windows users might soon get an unpleasant surprise. Many will assume that they are required to upgrade to the new OS. I recommend warning your less technical friends and family.

Note: Susan Bradley’s petition to convince Microsoft to be more forthcoming about Windows 10 updates has over 5,000 supporters, to date.

Microsoft rolls back promised OneDrive storage

We won’t call this bait and switch, but according to a Nov. 2 OneDrive Blog post, many if not all Office 365 users will soon no longer have free, unlimited OneDrive storage. Going forward, only 1TB of storage will be allowed. Obviously, unlimited storage was just too good a deal. The blog post notes that “a small number of users backed up numerous PCs and stored entire movie collections and DVR recordings. In some instances, this exceeded 75TB per user or 14,000 times the average.”

It’s feasible that the excessive storage use was less of a problem than the possibility that those heavy OneDrive users might illegally share their extensive media libraries. Regardless of the reason, the new limits have prompted an online petition on a change.org page.

In any case, the new OneDrive limits are closer to those of Dropbox and Google Drive. You get 5GB of free storage on a separate OneDrive account. According the FAQ, starting in 2016, Microsoft is killing off 100GB and 200GB paid plans and replacing them with a 50GB option priced at U.S. $1.99 a month. (Most of the changes will roll out early next year.)

If your standalone free account exceeds the limits, you have 90 days to make it right. After that, your account will be read-only for the next nine months. The FAQ warns that accounts that are still out of compliance after a year might be closed and the stored data deleted.

Free OneDrive users who are using more that 5GB do get one small carrot: they can request a free subscription to Office 365 Personal for one year.

Office 365 subscribers will be able to keep their excess storage for one year. Then, for the next six months, OneDrive will be read only.

Given that I’m currently paying $99 per year for a terabyte of Dropbox Pro storage, a personal OneDrive account still isn’t all that attractive. I use Dropbox primarily to back up about 600GB of digital photos. (One terabyte of Google Drive storage costs $10 per month.) The cheapest way to get 1TB of OneDrive storage is with an Office 365 Personal subscription, which costs $7 per month.

Win10 build 10576: A hint of things to come

It’s been widely reported that there will be a major Win10 update sometime this month. Typically, the ongoing Windows 10 Insider Preview builds are supposed to give a peek at some future changes in the formal release. To that end, Microsoft announced the release of build 10576 on the fast ring. It appeared recently on my test Win10 system.

One of the more interesting changes in the new build is media casting via Edge. The feature reportedly lets you send nondigital rights-protected content (videos, photos, and music) to Miracast/Wi-Fi Direct and Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) enabled devices. The blog doesn’t mention specific devices, but a Wi-Fi.org page lists numerous TVs, tablets, add-on adapters, and other devices. Most displays that have a Wi-Fi connection support DLNA.

Both Miracast and DLNA are designed to share content between devices, but they work in significantly different ways. DLNA runs over an existing wireless network; Miracast is a peer-to-peer connection — it doesn’t need a local network.

Bottom line: Look for content casting via Edge in a not-too-distant version of Win10. This is more proof — if you needed any — that the new OS is still, and will continue to be, a work in progress.

Who maintains Windows — you or Microsoft?

Posting in the General Windows forum, Lounge member moon1130 asked for the denial or confirmation of a frequently repeated rumor: that Windows 10 will be automatically replacing Windows 7 and 8.

Nobody (that we know of) from the Windows team at Microsoft stepped forward to settle the question, but certainly Loungers offered theories, based on their experiences with updates and their interpretations of EULAs.

If you want to follow the hot-button question of how much control Windows users have these days over the operating system running on their devices, this would be a good forum to visit.

The following links are this week’s most interesting Lounge threads, including several new questions for which you might have answers:

Office Applications
General Productivity	Menu add-on for Office 2016?
Word Processing	Word 2010: Macro needed to mark items for TOC
Spreadsheets	Calculating time difference in military time
Databases	Novice trying to use Microsoft Access 2010 Runtime
Presentation Apps	How to make fine adjustments to objects?
Visual Basic for Apps	Outlook 2010: Customize ribbon and attach C# macros to VB add-in
Microsoft Outlook	Disable automatic mail download when opening Outlook?
Non-Outlook E-mail	Gmail: Synching multiple accounts on laptop
Other MS Apps	Win10 Calendar not working
Windows
General Windows	Will Win10 be the only Windows?
Windows 10	Microsoft might provide more info on Win10 updates?
Windows 8	Networking failure
Windows 7	Endless loop when starting Windows
Windows Servers	A few more RAID-server drive questions
Internet/Connectivity
Internet Explorer and Edge	IE 11 won’t open Acrobat Reader Document Cloud page
Third-Party Browsers	Firefox extensions on a Microsoft account
Application Servers	Post migration auto-complete returns “mailbox not found” errors
Networking	How to get into Cisco / Linksys Series wireless Router E1200?
Software Development
Windows Programming	Stripping lines from text file with PowerShell
Web Design & Development	Webpage won’t load; my problem or theirs?
Other Technologies
Non-Microsoft OSes	Choosing virtual-machine software
Security & Scams	Canon printer class-action settlement
Maintenance	In search of prompt responses to IT needs
Hardware	Power down hard drive while watching DVD?
Other Applications	WinZip vs. 7-Zip running on Win10 64-bit version?

starred posts: particularly useful

If you’re not already a Lounge member, use the quick registration form to sign up for free. The ability to post comments and take advantage of other Lounge features is available only to registered members.

If you’re already registered, you can jump right into today’s discussions in the Lounge.

Wally the squirrel decorates a pumpkin

As you might be discovering on the Internet, squirrels can be persuaded to decorate pumpkins. In fact, once a squirrel gets his paws and teeth on one, interrupting the holiday-season munching might be hazardous. Wally has no trouble following the plan, artfully suggested to him via pinpricks in the pumpkin skin. He smells the pumpkin flesh; his carving ensues. Click below or go to the original YouTube video.

Update: More on testing and verifying backups

The only way to know for certain whether your backup system is doing its job is to test it. Here’s an update on safely verifying backups — for any current Windows version.

Plus: Correcting the app-breaking “missing Api-Ms-Win-Runtime-|1.1.0.dll” Windows error.

Ensure your Windows backup works correctly

After reading the Oct. 15 Top Story, “Best of breed: Win10’s hybrid backup system,” several WS subscribers reported that they had trouble doing restores.

The harsh truth is that no tool — from Microsoft or any third-party publisher — is guaranteed to work on every system, all the time.

With all the variables at play — x64 or x32 bittedness, GPT or MBR partitioning, NTFS or FAT formatting, classic BIOS or UEFI firmware, hidden recovery partitions, and so on — any backup and restore app can run into trouble.

Fortunately, there are safe ways to test and verify that your backups will work when disaster strikes — so that you won’t discover you have a backup you can’t restore!

I’ll get to the test procedures in a moment; first, to get everyone on the same page, here’s a brief review of some of the major factors that can affect whether a given backup/restore will work.

The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) can massively complicate any backup, repair, or recovery operation. For example, the Fast Boot setting can completely block booting from an emergency/repair/recovery disk or drive.

This is mostly an issue with Win8/10 PCs (which can fully implement UEFI), but some Win7-era (and even a few Vista) PCs have partial and/or hybrid UEFI implementations.

For more information on UEFI, see the Jan. 19, 2012, Top Story, “Say goodbye to BIOS — and hello to UEFI!”

For information and workarounds for some of UEFI’s startup and boot complications, see:

• “How to solve UEFI boot and startup problems” – Dec. 11, 2014, Top Story
• “Emergency access to your PC’s UEFI settings” – Jan. 15 LangaList Plus

A full UEFI implementation uses boot/startup information stored in a hidden EFI System partition (Wikipedia article). Depending on the Windows version and setup, this special partition can be mixed in with Recovery and OEM partitions, in various orders and combinations (i.e., the EFI partition doesn’t have to be first).

Moreover, the EFI partition can be in either a Globally Unique Identifier Partition (GPT) or Master Boot Record (MBR) format — or even in a hybrid partition that combines elements of both partition types. (For more GPT information, see the March 21, 2013, LangaList Plus column, “Up against the 2TB drive-size ceiling.”)

A complete backup system must be able to access, copy, and, ultimately, restore EFI and other hidden partitions on systems that require them — no matter where they’re located or what format they’re in.

Add that to the other, more obvious factors that can affect backup-and-recovery operations (again, bittedness, formatting, backup location and medium, and so on) and you get the drift — it’s incredibly complex.

With all those variables at play, the only way to know for certain whether your backup/recovery tool will work with your PC’s specific setup is to test it — with a for-real backup/restore operation.

That might sound dangerous, but the method I recommend is extremely safe; it virtually eliminates the risks of losing your data.

This is, in fact, the method I use on my own systems; when I get a new PC, upgrade an older PC to a new OS, or want to try a new backup system or method.

The test isn’t difficult, but it does take some time — mostly waiting for backups to complete.

There are four main steps, some of which create multiple levels of data-redundancy. You can skip these redundant steps if you want, but for maximum safety, I recommend doing them all.

Note: This article is a follow-on to the April 16 Top Story, “How to safely test file and image backups.” I’ve added a step that accounts for possible problems with Win10’s image backups on UEFI-based PCs.

Let’s get started:

► Step 1. Manually back up your user files to a safe location, such as an external or networked drive. (I use Windows File History and OneDrive.) This is your fail-safe backup — a way to ensure that even if your backup testing fails catastrophically, you’ll still have access to all your user files.

► Step 2. Make two separate and complete backups or system images of your setup. Ideally, use two completely different tools or methods from two different vendors. (This is another form of redundancy: one backup tool might fail, but it’s highly unlikely that two completely different tools will.)

Which tools? I usually make one backup/image using Windows’ built-in tools, and a second, separate backup/image using a reputable third-party tool.

For information on Windows’ built-in backup tools, see:

• “Best of breed: Win10’s hybrid backup system” – Oct. 15 Top Story
• “Mastering Windows 8’s backup/restore system” – Jan. 15 Top Story
• “Build a complete Windows 7 safety net” – May 12, 2011, Top Story

(For Vista users: Win7’s backup tools evolved from Vista’s, so many of the techniques described in the referenced Win7 article also work on Vista PCs. See also Microsoft’s Vista backup/restore FAQ.)

Good third-party tools include:

• “Macrium Reflect” – free and paid (with free trial) versions
• “Paragon Backup & Recovery” – 30 day-demo and paid versions
• “Acronis True Image” – paid, with 30-day free trial
• “EaseUS Todo Backup” – free and paid versions.

► Step 3. Test and verify the contents of both backups using the safe, nondestructive methods described in “How to safely test file and image backups” (April 16 Top Story).

If either tool fails, drop it from further consideration. Obtain a different tool and perform steps 1 through 3 again, until you have two complete, verified, and fully tested backups.

► Step 4. This is the scary part: Reformat the hard drive and do a full restore, using whatever backup tool (e.g., recovery disc or drive) is required.

If one tool fails, restore from the other.

In the unlikely event that both backup methods fail, don’t panic: Remember that you proved your files were intact in Step 3. Use a standard Windows setup/recovery disk to get the PC working again, and use the techniques in “How to safely test file and image backups” (April 16 Top Story) to recover files from the stored backups. Note: You’ll probably have to manually reinstall your apps, but your user files should be completely recoverable.

And if even that fails, you still can restore your user files from the separate, manual backups you made in Step 1.

But odds are good that one or both of the tested backup tools will pass muster and successfully restore your system.

As I warned at the top, backup testing is time consuming. But once a given backup system has been tested and proven reliable, no further testing is needed — at least until the PC, the OS, or the backup tool changes significantly.

And, once the test successfully completes, you’ll know — conclusively — that your data is safe and fully restorable.

Missing DLL causes application failures

Reader Lucy ran into an annoying missing .dll error on her Win7 setup. But the problem can occur on any current Windows version — from Win10 to Vista.

• “Until recently, my Win7 PC was working well with the online apps I use. Then, I could no longer access them and the system displayed: Api-Ms-Win-Runtime-|1.1.0.dll.

  “I tried to find it on my PC, but without success. I went to Microsoft’s site and spent about 30 minutes trying to get through to something besides Win10 offers. I finally found a reference to the missing DLL file, but the only posts were from others with the same problem.

  “There was a suggestion for a fix; but it didn’t work. I want to continue using Win7; can you look into this?”

The missing Api-Ms-Win-Runtime is part of Microsoft’s Universal C/C++ Run-Time (CRT), a DLL package that allows apps created with Visual C or C++ programming tools to run on any Windows system.

There used to be two, separate C run-time .dlls: AppCRT and DesktopCRT. But in July, Microsoft combined them into one library called the Universal CRT. (The package was rolled out with Windows 10.)

This change is part of the “Windows anywhere” push, which lets app makers create one version of their software that, in theory, will run on any Windows version (Vista through Win10), on desktops, tablets, or mobile systems.

The new Universal CRT is backward compatible, so that apps designed to use older DLLs should be able to use the newer ones. (For more information: See MSDN’s “Universal CRT” article.)

However, there can be trouble if the update misfired or if an app was hard-coded to use a particular instance of the earlier CRTs — or if it uses the long-discredited practice of shipping with its own copy of the CRT.

The usual solution is simply to reinstall the Universal CRT package.

If your troubles started over the summer, reinstall the original CRT package, available on a Microsoft Download Center page.

If your app troubles began more recently (the Universal CRT was updated in September) try downloading the update from its MS Support page.

After the Universal CRT libraries are correctly installed, your apps should work normally again.

Surface Book and Pro 4: Two stellar portables

The conventional wisdom was that Microsoft doesn’t get hardware. If “Microsoft” and “hardware” appeared in the same sentence, it was usually in the form of a joke.

But the apparent quality of the new Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 put Apple and PC vendors on notice that Microsoft is taking hardware seriously.

Microsoft’s Oct. 6 release of the Surface Book laptop took everyone by surprise. In design and substance, it easily takes on the Apple MacBook Pros — and surpasses them in innovation. The Surface Book’s high-resolution, touchscreen display can be detached from the base/keyboard and used as a tablet that’s a lot more powerful than an iPad.

Given that capability, you might ask why Microsoft created the Surface Pro 4? Especially when you consider that adding the optional keyboard to the Surface Pro makes the setup a capable laptop.

The answer is price, weight, and performance. The tablet-centric Surface Pro 4 starts at U.S. $899 and 1.7 pounds (766 grams); the Surface Book starts at $1,499 and 3.48 pounds (1576 grams). The Surface Book also has a bigger screen and, in the mid-range to high-end models, better graphics. Ultimately, the choice comes down to whether you’re looking primarily for a tablet or a laptop — and to your budget.

Surface Book: A sleek, flexible laptop

With its anodized silver case and a reflective Windows logo in the middle of the top, the Surface Book could initially be confused for a 13-inch MacBook Pro. But Microsoft’s portable has sharper edges — and a curious gap between the top and bottom when the device is closed. More on that in a minute.

Open the Surface Book, and you’ll find a clean, silver keyboard, populated with widely spaced and nicely backlit keys. Typing is remarkably comfortable for a laptop, with good key travel and a tactile feedback that’s subtle but effective.

Figure 1. The Surface Book quickly converts from laptop to tablet. Source: Microsoft

Far more striking is the Surface Book’s 13.5-inch display. With a resolution of 3,000 by 2,000 pixels (267 pixels per inch), the screen puts up bright, clear images — and the best text display I’ve ever seen. (The equivalent 13.3-inch MacBook Pro display has a 2560 by 1600 resolution.)

I haven’t delved into calibrating the screen for accurate image editing, but the discrete NVIDIA graphics adapter included with the more expensive models should make the machine suitable for professional-level photo and video editing. The main limitation, of course, is that a 13.5-inch display is small for heavy-duty editing, but the included Mini DisplayPort will let you connect an external monitor.

Another plus for the Surface Book versus the MacBook Pro is touch-screen input. As a long-time mouse user, I initially assumed I’d use the Surface’s numerous touch gestures only in detached-tablet mode. But I soon found myself scrolling websites and zooming in and out of documents using my fingers.

Using the Surface Book in tablet mode

I’ve been using Surface Pros since their first release, mostly for meetings and on flights. So I wasn’t expecting a “wow” moment when I detached the Surface Book’s screen and put it to work. I was wrong.

Surprisingly, the detached Surface Book screen is significantly thinner and lighter than the Surface Pro tablet. Microsoft pulled off that trick by building as much as possible into the keyboard-equipped base, including three-quarters of the device’s battery, all ports except the audio jack — and in those models that have it, the NVIDIA graphics chip.

And while I barely noticed the Surface Book’s larger 13.5-inch display (vs. the Pro 4’s 12.3 inches) while working with the keyboard, it makes a big difference when you’re viewing websites and reading documents in tablet mode.

To detach the screen, you press a dedicated button above the keyboard until you see the screen flicker; you’ll then hear a sound like a latch opening. That lets you know you can lift the screen/tablet off its magnetic connector.

Oh: About that strange gap between the keyboard and display when the Surface Book is closed. It’s Microsoft’s solution for letting the screen attach backwards, which lets you use the screen in tablet mode while the keyboard is still attached. With the Surface Book folded flat and resting on a table, the keyboard is essentially inaccessible, but at least it’s not facing down.

There’s been a lot of online chatter about whether the gap is a potential problem for the laptop. I think you’ll want to store the device in at least a slip case to keep cookie crumbs and other stray stuff from getting wedged between the screen and keyboard.

There are reasons to keep the screen attached to the base while in tablet mode. Again, most of the battery is in the base; by itself, the tablet offers only three hours of battery life. Fortunately, when attached to the base, the tablet battery is charged first and used last, thus maximizing the battery charge when the tablet is detached.

On models equipped with the NVIDIA GPU, the screen reverts to graphics hardware built into the Intel processor when detached. That’s okay for watching movies or cruising the Web, but it’s a liability for intensive image editing or 3D-rendering work.

The Surface Book comes with two USB 3.0 ports in the base and a full-size SD-card slot. However, instead of the usual spring-loaded mechanism, which lets inserted cards stay nearly flush against the case, this slot leaves cards sticking out a quarter of an inch. (The MacBook Pro has the same shortcoming.) You’ll want to be careful to remove cards before tossing the Surface Book into a carry bag.

Styluses or pens aren’t new with mobile devices, but the Surface Pen isn’t a simple pointing device. It can detect 1,024 degrees of pressure, making it considerably more flexible when used with drawing and painting programs. Holding down a strip on the pen creates a right-click when you tap the screen. You can also use a button on the end of the stylus to open an empty note in OneNote or start a search with Cortana. I assume other functions will come in the future, either from Microsoft or third-party app developers.

Bottom line: I won’t belabor the differences between the Surface Book and MacBook Pro; those who prefer OS X will likely stick with Apple. But for the millions of Windows users, the Surface Book might be the convertible laptop they’ve been waiting for. It’s beautifully designed, flexible, and it runs all Windows applications that are compatible with Win10.

If you’re deciding between the Surface Book and a Surface Pro 4, the decision might be tougher. When packed away for travel, the Surface Book is significantly heavier and takes up more space. But you also get a larger display and a more solid typing experience. With the Pen, the Surface Book is an excellent tablet and laptop.

If you’re looking for something especially light and portable, read on.

Surface Pro 4: A tablet that runs full Windows

The key advantage of the Surface Pro 4 over traditional tablets such as the iPad is that you’re not using a less-functional operating system. Everything you can run on a standard Win10 Windows desktop, you can run on the Pro 4.

Figure 2. Surface Pro 4 adds more storage capacity and the Surface Pen. Source: Microsoft.

On the surface, there’s not much to distinguish the Surface Pro 4 from the Surface Pro 3. The devices’ dimensions are, in fact, identical: 11.50 by 7.93 by .33 inches (292.1 by 201.4 by 8.5 mm). And you can even use the new and improved Type Cover keyboard with either model.

But Microsoft reduced the Pro 4’s bezel, giving the tablet a 2,736 by 1,824 pixel touchscreen — a modest but welcome enhancement of the Pro 3’s 2160 by 1440 pixels.

The Pro 4’s processor options are also modestly faster than its predecessor; you can choose from sixth generation Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processors, or the lower-voltage and slower Core M. Microsoft also offers a 1TB SSD, twice what’s offered on the Pro 3.

You can use the new Surface Pen on the Pro 4; it attaches magnetically to the side of Surface Book and Pro 4 displays, making it a bit harder to misplace.

Despite those enhancements, I don’t see a truly compelling reason to upgrade to the Pro 4 from the Pro 3 (much to the relief of Pro 3 users). If you have the older model, you can upgrade to the new Type Cover keyboard, which has a firmer feel, better key action, and a 40 percent larger trackpad. (Given the price of the Pro models, it’s surprising that Microsoft doesn’t bundle the Type Cover with the tablets. I assume most Surface Pro owners purchased the optional Type Cover.)

For Windows users who want both power and super portability, the Surface Pro 4 can’t be beat. (Note: All of the current Surface tablets now run full Windows; Microsoft has dropped Windows RT-based Surface devices.)