Tablets are great for a more tactile computing experience, while laptops offer a much better typing experience. They're often expensive, though, so choosing between one or the other can be tough (you can see where this is going, can't you?).

Thankfully, one of the best 2-in-1 computers available, the Microsoft Surface Pro 8, can do both. It’s a tablet (and one of the best tablets for students), and a laptop, and very capable at being both. And, thanks to Best Buy’s Black Friday deals, the whole thing is cheaper than we’ve seen it before.

While the Surface Pro 8 with 128GB of storage is available at $999.99 (opens in new tab) at Best Buy (a saving of $250), the 256GB version of the 2-in-1 is actually even cheaper at $899.99 (opens in new tab) – that’s a huge saving of $450 off of the MSRP.

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Surface Pro 8 256GB - was $1349.99, now $899.99 at Best Buy (opens in new tab)

This version of the Surface Pro 8 is somehow even cheaper than the 128GB model, despite offering double the storage.

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Surface Pro 8 128GB - was $1249.99, now $999.99 at Best Buy (opens in new tab)

This versatile 2-in-1 from Microsoft can be a laptop or tablet, and comes with the keyboard attachment.

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So, what’s different between the two of them? Not a lot, actually, with both offering an excellent experience whether you’re typing or using your fingers.

Both Surface Pro models offer a 13-inch display (around laptop size), with a display resolution of 2880x1920 – that’s Quad HD. They both come with an Intel Core i5 processor, as well as 8GB of RAM, meaning they’re snappy, and both offer an impressive 16-hour battery life.

Add in a 1080p webcam, and a matching HD camera on the back, as well as the keyboard attachment included in the box, and you’ve got a great tablet and a great laptop alternative.

That means the only difference between them is the storage, and while 128GB may sound a lot for a tablet (opens in new tab), that’s pretty low for a laptop. It’s also, thanks to the 256GB version getting a price cut (opens in new tab), $100 more – so we’d definitely recommend the larger version.

User reviews (opens in new tab) are overwhelmingly positive on both models, with students noting how good it is for work, while also noting how portable it is. 

For more offers, check out our Black Friday deals 2022 live blog, which is being constantly updated with all the best offers.