New Microsoft Products Launched Today Make Hot Holiday Gift Ideas #MicrosoftBloggers

I am a member of the #Microsoft Bloggers team. I occasionally receive product as a member of this team. This post has not been monetarily compensated. Please note that, as always, any personal opinions reflected in this post are my own.

Microsoft announced some new products today that sound terrific. I’m guessing that most or all of them will be found on many holiday wish lists this year. Christmas is less than three months away and if you haven’t started shopping yet than it’s likely you will be soon. I wanted to be sure you were all aware of these before you did any more holiday tech shopping.

Surface Book

It’s a laptop! It’s a tablet! It’s a clipboard! This versatile and capable piece of portable tech is sure to delight! I personally would love to have one of these, it’s like having several devices all in one.
Operating System Windows 10 Pro
Exterior Dimensions:
Laptop: 9.14 x 12.3 x 0.51-0.90 inches (232.1 x 312.3 x 13.0-22.8 mm)
Tablet only: 8.67 x 12.3 x 0.30 inches (220.2 x 312.3 x 7.7 mm)
Meet Surface Book, Microsoft’s laptop redefined. Designed with the quality and workmanship that have characterized Surface from the beginning, Surface Book combines 6th Generation Intel® Core™ i5 and Core™ i7 processors and up to 1 TB of storage with Intel® HD graphics 520, optional discrete NVIDIA® GeForce® graphics, an integrated backlit keyboard, responsive glass trackpad, and detachable screen-turned-tablet featuring a 13.5-inch PixelSense™ Display. Starting at $1,499 , Surface Book is a high-performance laptop with exceptional power and unprecedented versatility that flexes to meet the demands of your work — from the art studio to the board room.
Top Features and Benefits
Creative powerhouse. Design, sketch and build without limits. Surface Book is designed to be your creative powerhouse, built for the most demanding creative tasks. Edit photos and videos in graphics-heavy programs with amazing fluidity and smoothness. With up to 12 hours of battery life for video playback to take you through your day, Surface Book is the ultimate laptop to power your ideas.
Draw, write and create on the go. Quickly and easily detach the screen to use it like a clipboard, and take advantage of its advanced touch and precise inking experience, or rotate and reattach to continue using the hardware-accelerated graphics. Plus, the updated Surface pen offers the ultimate modern writing experience, now with 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity and reduced latency. When attached to the base, Surface Book enables quiet typing and more words per minute with a keyboard built for comfort, accuracy and efficiency.
Best-in-class screen. With 6 million pixels, 1800:1 contrast ratio and 100 percent sRGB color, Surface Book’s 13.5-inch PixelSense™ Display offers stunning clarity and incredible resolution. Surface Book is individually calibrated for true-to-life color, with extremely high contrast and low glare.
Experience Windows 10. With full Windows 10 Pro, Surface Book is compatible with virtually all your favorite software, including apps, programs like Microsoft Office , and professional-grade software such as Citrix4 and Visual Studio4.

Surface Pro 4

I have an earlier Surface Pro and can attest to how thin and light they are. They are perfect for travel. They’d also be great for college students, who already have a heavy enough load with textbooks without adding a ten pound laptop to the pile.
Operating System Windows 10 Pro
Exterior Dimensions: 11.50 x 7.93 x 0.33 in (292.10 x 201.42 x 8.4 mm)
6th Generation Intel® Core™ m weight: 1.69 lbs. (766 g)
6th Generation Intel® Core™ i5 and Core™ i7 weight: 1.73 lbs. (786 g)
Meet Surface Pro 4, the tablet that can replace your laptop. Featuring Windows 10 Pro, 6th Generation Intel® Core™ m, Core™ i5 and Core™ i7 processors, and a 12.3-inch PixelSense™ Display, Surface Pro 4 helps you power through everything you need to do. Starting at just $899, it’s thinner, lighter and faster than any previous Surface Pro model.
Top Features and Benefits
Exceptional performance. With the new 6th Generation Intel® Core™ m, Core™ i5, and Core™ i7 processors, Surface Pro 4 is not only more powerful than Surface Pro 3 — it’s quieter, runs cooler, and is even more efficient. With up to nine hours of battery life for video playback and the optional Surface Pro 4 Type Cover (sold separately), you can get more work done without interruption.
Experience Windows 10. With full Windows 10 Pro, Surface Pro 4 is compatible with virtually all your favorite software. You can run apps and desktop programs like Microsoft Office side-by-side, and the enterprise-level security of Windows Hello helps keep your contents secure. Plus, full pen support and the redesigned Surface Pen packing 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity enable you to write directly on Web pages in the Microsoft Edge browser or access your personal digital assistant, Cortana , with the click of a button.
Best-in-class screen. With a stunning 12.3-inch PixelSense™ Display and 3:2 aspect ratio for comfortable viewing, Surface Pro 4’s screen builds on the innovative design of the Surface Pro 3 screen. One of the brightest and most accurate displays Surface has ever made, it features 267 ppi and 1300:1 contrast ratio, supports 100 percent sRGB color, and has 5 million pixels.

Lumia 950

I have had the occasion to test out a Windows phone for a short period of time. I know a few people that have Lumias and they love them. This full-featured model not only does the things you’d expect of a smartphone, but also some you might not in that it can interact with Microsoft Office!
Operating system Windows 10
Exterior Dimensions: 145 x 73.2 x 8.25 mm
Weight: 150 g
Meet Lumia 950, the phone that works like your PC. Running Windows 10 and featuring a 5.2-inch Quad HD display in a package that’s just 8.25mm thin, Lumia 950 is designed to give you the best Windows experience in the palm of your hand.
Top Features and Benefits
• The best of Windows 10. Thanks to Windows 10 and programs and features such as Cortana, Microsoft Office and the Windows Store, Lumia 950 delivers a personal yet productive experience1.
• Continuum and Microsoft Display Dock. Use your Lumia 950 like a PC by connecting it to a bigger screen, keyboard and mouse with Microsoft Display Dock, an optional accessory that enhances the new Windows 10 Continuum experience for phones — and simultaneously charges your device. Scale and display Windows apps beautifully on the bigger screen when connected, or work on a Microsoft Office document, browse the Internet and stream movies for your kids. Plus, you’ll be able to use your phone independently to take a call or send a text message while you continue to enjoy apps on the bigger screen2.
• Capture stellar images. The PureView camera captures beautiful photos thanks to its 20MP sensor and triple LED natural flash, which adapts to any scene. Rich Capture automatically chooses the best camera mode, allowing you to take crisp images even in challenging conditions. 4K video capture helps ensure you never miss a detail.

Lumia 950 XL

Want more screen real estate? No problem The Lumia 950’s big brother, the Lumia 950 xL, has you covered.
Operating system Windows 10
Exterior Dimensions: 151.9 x 78.4 x 8.1 mm
Weight: 165 g
Meet Lumia 950 XL, the phone that works like your PC. Super sleek at just 8.1mm thin, Lumia 950 XL runs Windows 10 and packs Continuum capabilities and a 5.7-inch Quad HD display. It’s large enough to be productive, yet mobile enough to meet your daily phone needs.
Top Features and Benefits
• Windows 10 experiences. With one seamless experience across your phone, PC and tablet, Windows 10 gives you access to its Windows Store, OneDrive, Cortana, and Microsoft Office Mobile and Outlook — your truly personal and productive experience. Lumia 950 XL brings this Windows 10 experience to life1.
• Continuum for phones. Use your Lumia 950 XL like a PC by connecting it to a bigger screen, keyboard and mouse with Microsoft Display Dock, an optional accessory that enhances the new Windows 10 Continuum experience — and concurrently charges your device. When you’re connected, Windows apps can scale smoothly and display beautifully on the bigger screen, helping you to get things done. Work on a Microsoft Office document, browse the Internet or stream movies for your kids. Plus, you can use your phone independently to take a call or send a text message while you continue to work on the bigger screen. Get the Microsoft Office and Outlook experiences on your mobile device, or use Office 365 with Microsoft Display Dock to unleash the power of editing features on a bigger screen for a PC-like experience2.
• Superior performance. Alleviate fear of a dying phone thanks to Lumia 950 XL’s 3340 mAh battery3. And now featuring USB-C fast charging, Lumia 950 XL charges your battery half full in half an hour¬4. For those who want to eliminate cables, utilize the wireless charging5.

Lumia 550

Looking for a new smartphone but prefer to stay a little lower key? The Lumia 550 is a great choice.
Operating system Windows 10
Exterior Dimensions: 136.1 x 67.8 x 9.9 mm
Weight: 141.9 g
Meet Lumia 550, Microsoft’s most affordable 4G LTE1 smartphone that enables you to get great things done faster. Enjoy the Windows 10 experience, including Cortana2 and the Windows Store, as well as Microsoft Office apps tailored to your screen size so that you can view, create and edit documents on the go. Equipped with superfast 4G LTE connectivity, Lumia 550 takes the affordable Lumia to the next level with a 4.7-inch HD display, 5MP rear-facing camera with LED flash, and 2MP front camera for quality Skype calls3 — all for just $1394.
Top Features and Benefits
• Windows 10 experiences. Enjoy Windows 10, signature Microsoft services and experiences, and your favorite apps on the premium 4.7-inch HD display.
• Stay productive. Microsoft Office apps tailored to your screen size and OneDrive cloud storage enable you to be productive and access your files on your phones5.
• Personal assistant. Get things done faster with your digital personal assistant Cortana, deeply integrated with your phone’s native apps2.
• 4G LTE connectivity. Superfast 4G LTE Internet connection and cloud services help keep you up to date on work and fun1.

And there’s more!

Microsoft Band 2

I hear more and more people every day talking about wearable tech. I have never tried one of these myself but have heard good things. I actually recently had a physician tell me that even if you aren’t into fitness and running that these watches can be very useful, and can even help diagnose or monitor health issues and sleep disorders.
Meet Microsoft Band 2, the smart band created to enable you to live healthier and achieve more. Microsoft Band 2 tracks your heart rate, exercise, calorie burn and sleep quality, and provides notifications about your emails, texts and calendar alerts. Advanced sensors track data specific to running, biking and golfing, and technology from Microsoft Health gives you actionable insights based on your data. Microsoft Band 2 and Microsoft Health let you share your activity data with your favorite fitness apps, and give you access to experiences developed with premier sports and lifestyle brands.
Top Features and Benefits
• Live healthier. Microsoft Band 2 and Microsoft Health help you live healthier by tracking your heart rate, exercise, calorie burn and sleep quality. Microsoft Health is available as a universal Windows app, a dedicated app for iOS and Android devices, and via a Web Dashboard, enabling people to set wellness goals and receive actionable insights.
• Get fit. Reach your fitness goals with Guided Workouts and custom tracking whether running, biking or golfing. Your perfect workout companion, Microsoft Band 2 not only tracks speed and distance with a built-in GPS but even elevation gains with its built-in barometer.
• Be productive. Stay connected at a glance with the notifications that matter most to you right on your wrist. Easily check email previews, calendar alerts, calls or text messages, and view social updates. Stay organized with personal reminders you can set with your voice using Cortana.
• Advanced technology. Microsoft Band 2’s curved screen makes it comfortable to wear. The vibrant, full-color AMOLED display is bright and easy to read, and is protected with durable Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3. Its 11 advanced sensors track your daily activity, exercise and sleep quality. And with built-in GPS, you aren’t tethered to a phone to track your data — it’s stored in the device itself then uploaded to Microsoft Health once Bluetooth® kicks in.

Xbox One experience

This piece of news is terrific! My oldest loved his Xbox 360. When the Xbox One came out he grumbled about things not being backward compatible many times. This is big news for the gamers!
This is a free update built on the cornerstone of Windows 10 – and Xbox One Backward Compatibility, which lets people play their Xbox 360 games on Xbox One for free with 100 games at launch and hundreds more in the months ahead.
With the greatest games lineup in Xbox history, the ability to play your Xbox 360 titles on Xbox One through backward compatibility, and with amazing value and choice with a multitude of bundle offerings starting at $349, Xbox One is the choice for gamers this holiday.
Play the greatest games lineup on Xbox One
• Xbox One is the only console where you can play “Halo 5: Guardians,” “Gears of War: Ultimate Edition,” “Forza Motorsport 6,” “Rise of the Tomb Raider,” “Fable Legends” and “Rare Replay” in 2015.
• In 2016 and beyond, Xbox One is the only console where you can play “Quantum Break,” “ReCore,” “Crackdown 3,” “Scalebound” and “Sea of Thieves.”
Get the best of both worlds with backward compatibility1
• With Xbox One Backward Compatibility, you can play your digital and disc-based Xbox 360 titles on Xbox One at no additional cost, with 100 titles supported at launch and hundreds more on the way.
• Enjoy your Xbox 360 titles with next-gen features like screenshots, broadcasting and Game DVR. Access your previous save files, game add-ons and hard-earned achievements.

The New Xbox One Experience gets faster and more social
• Integrating the speed of Windows 10, the New Xbox One Experience will launch for all Xbox One owners around the world this November and provide the fastest Xbox experience ever.
• A redesigned Home makes it faster and easier to access the things you love.
• A new Guide lets you quickly access essentials with just one button press, and without leaving your game, to save time spent weaving in and out of apps.
• The New Xbox One Experience is more social with a new Community area.
• Quickly access all your social activities, including the Activity Feed, to see the latest updates from friends and game developers.
New gaming scenarios with Xbox on Windows 10
• With the integrated Xbox app, your games, friends and achievements follow you across devices on Xbox Live, the world’s premier gaming community.
• Competition never ends with cross-device multiplayer from Xbox One to Windows 10 devices. Powered by Xbox Live, cross-device voice and text chat lets you keep your conversation going even when your friends are on different devices2. • Record and share your favorite moments in any game with Game DVR3.
• In-home game streaming brings your existing console games including Xbox One Backward Compatibility titles to any Windows 10 device4.
Game smarter with the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller
• Built in collaboration with professional gamers, the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller helps take your gameplay to the next level. Because it’s fully customizable, you can tweak anything from trigger sensitivity to button mapping and even create game-specific setups.
• Available Oct. 27 in the U.S., $149.99
Bundle lineup offers choice and value for every gamer
• Offering choice and fantastic value to gamers this holiday, Microsoft is releasing its most extensive bundle lineup ever, starting at $349.
• Whether it’s the Xbox One Halo 5: Guardians Limited Edition Bundle, the Xbox One 1TB Fallout 4 Bundle that includes both the critically acclaimed “Fallout 4” and a full-game download of “Fallout 3” or the Xbox One Elite Bundle, there’s a bundle for every gamer.
Bundle availability
• Xbox One, $349.99; specs: 8-core x86 processor, 8 GB RAM, 500GB hard drive
• Xbox One with Kinect, $499.99; Kinect sensor includes 1080p HD camera, IR depth sensor, and noise-isolating four-microphone array.
• Xbox One “Forza Motorsport 6” Limited Edition Console, $399
• Xbox One “Gears of War: Ultimate Edition” Bundle, $349
• Xbox One “Madden NFL 16” Bundle, $399
• Xbox One EA Sports “FIFA 16” Bundle, $399
• Xbox One “Halo 5: Guardians” Limited Edition, $499; available Oct. 20
• Xbox One “The LEGO Movie Videogame” Bundle, $349
• Xbox One Elite Bundle, $499; available starting November
• Xbox One 1TB Holiday Bundle, $399; available starting October
• Xbox One “Rise of the Tomb Raider” Bundle, $399; available starting November
• Xbox One “Fallout 4” Bundle, $399; available starting November
Wow, right!
These newest offerings were built as the ultimate hardware companions for experiencing Windows 10, the latest operating system from Microsoft, which is now powering more than 110 million devices worldwide.

Which of these devices do you think your loved one would most like to find under the tree?