Microsoft Surface Pro Better Than Mac
At first glance, Surface Pro looks like a MacBook Air with a Retina display and is priced like one too. Start adding options, though, and you quickly reach MacBook Pro pricing. But with only one port, like a MacBook, but USB-A rather than the newer USB-C. So, depending on how you look at it, Surface Laptop might be the best of all the MacBook worlds. Or the worst.
Nov 13, 2019 Apple MacBook Pro vs. Microsoft Surface Pro 6 Design. The MacBook Pro has been at the forefront of laptop style for generations. The entry-level Surface Pro 6 comes with an Intel Core i5 8250U CPU, 8GB of RAM. At 11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33-inches and just 1.7 pounds in. Oct 10, 2019 The MacBook Pro uses a 16:10 panel, while the Surface Laptop 3 has even taller 3:2 shape. The extra vertical space of the Surface Laptop 3 makes it a great productivity machine.
Nov 13, 2019 Apple MacBook Pro vs. Microsoft Surface Pro 6 Design. The MacBook Pro has been at the forefront of laptop style for generations. The entry-level Surface Pro 6 comes with an Intel Core i5 8250U CPU, 8GB of RAM. At 11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33-inches and just 1.7 pounds in. Mar 07, 2019 Unless you already rely on Mac OS and its first-party software, you should consider getting the cheaper, better spec, equally stunning Surface Pro 6. From $799 at Microsoft Flexible computing.
Which is it?
TL;DR: Do you need to run macOS?
If you know you want to run macOS, you have to get a Mac. If you want to run Windows, you can get a Surface Laptop or a Mac — the latter lets you run both. Keep reading the rest for more details, but if running Mac software, including developing for iOS, are key to you, your decision tree is already done.
Surface Laptop vs. 13-inch MacBook Air
Microsoft's Surface Laptop looks like a MacBook Air, is as light and portable as an Air, and is priced like an Air, so that's the easiest comparison to get started with. There are several important differences, though.
Surface Laptop comes in Burgundy, platinum, cobalt blue, and graphite gold, while MacBook Air only comes in aluminum. It also has a high-density, multi-touch capable display, something Apple has never gotten around to adding to the Air. Plus, Surface Laptop has current-generation Intel Kaby Lake processors while MacBook Air hasn't had a spec bump in years.
On the down side, Surface Laptop has only a single USB-A port + DisplayPort (and a proprietary Surface Connect port) while the MacBook Air has two USB-A ports and a Thunderbolt 2 port. It also has a faux-fabric finish around the keyboard and trackpad which… may not hold up to dirt and grime the way MacBook Air aluminum will.
- If you need to run macOS on as inexpensive a laptop as possible, you need to get a MacBook Air.
- Otherwise, unless and until Apple updates it's entry level, Surface Laptop is the better bang for your buck.
Surface Laptop vs. 12-inch MacBook
Because the Surface Laptop has only one USB port, it's easy to draw comparisons to similarly single-ported 12-inch MacBook. There are, however, differences.
MacBook has a USB-C port, the modern standard that the entire industry is moving towards. Surface Laptop has USB-A, the legacy standard the entire industry is moving away from. Microsoft windows 8.1 professional upgrade 32 64 bit mac version. Both will require dongles or docks, though MacBook will require them less as time goes on and Surface Laptop will require them more.
Both have high-density displays, though MacBook lacks the multi-touch functionality of the Surface Laptop. It also lacks the faux-fabric finish around the keyboard and trackpad which…may not hold up to dirt and grime the way Apple's aluminum will.
Surface Laptop comes in Burgundy, platinum, cobalt blue, and graphite gold, while MacBook comes in silver, space gray, gold, and rose gold. Surface Laptop, however, has an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor which, while requiring a fan and increasingly noise, is more powerful than the virtually silent Intel coreM series in the MacBook.
- If having the absolute smallest, lightest, and quietest — and potentially pinkest! — computer is imperative to you, get the MacBook.
- If you want more power, a multi-touch display, and a cobalt blue color option, get the Surface Laptop.
Surface Laptop vs. 13-inch MacBook Pro
Surface Laptop might look like and be priced like a MacBook Air, but start upgrading it and you quickly reach MacBook Pro price points. With a few differences, of course.
No matter how much you pay for a Surface Laptop, you still only get the one, legacy USB-A port that sounds like a good idea today but will become more and more of a constraint over the next few years. MacBook Pro, on the other hands, comes with the option for two or four USB-C / Thunderbolt 3 ports that may need a dongle now but will become table stakes in a year or two.
Surface Laptop comes in Burgundy, platinum, cobalt blue, and graphite gold, while MacBook Pro only comes in silver and space gray. MacBook Pro lacks the faux-fabric finish around the keyboard and trackpad which… may not hold up to dirt and grime the way Apple's aluminum will.
Both have high-density displays, though MacBook lacks the multi-touch functionality of the Surface Laptop. MacBook Pro does have the option for Touch Bar, a multi-touch strip that replaces the function keys with something more dynamic, though arguably not much more useful. Better, though, Touch ID, which lets you use your fingerprint to log in and authenticate for apps and purchases, including Apple Pay.
Surface Laptop is a generation ahead when it comes to Intel processors but it's arguable how much, if at all, that helps with graphics. Apple stayed on Skylake, in part, for Iris Pro options that didn't yet exist on Kaby Lake. If graphics are more important to you than central processing, you may be better off with MacBook Pro.
- If a multi-touch display or brighter color options are a must, go with Surface Laptop.
- If Touch ID and more numerous, advanced ports are what you need, go with MacBook Pro.
Still undecided or have more questions?
If you're still not sold on either the MacBook or the Surface Laptop, take a breath. The higher-end Surface Laptops won't be shipping for a while and Apple is rumored to be updating the MacBook lineup as soon as June. Take your time, check out all the options, and see which one suits you best.
If you still have questions, drop them in the comments below!
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Apple has finally announced the new lighter-than-Air MacBook we were all waiting for. And, as expected, it's spectacular. It's so attractive that I can't possibly imagine why my colleague Brian Fagioli would claim that Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 is better. We are living on the same planet, aren't we?
Brian is terribly wrong, of course. But I'm not surprised, because he is, after all, a Surface Pro 3 user, and has been from the get-go. So it's easy for him to miss all the things that make the new MacBook so much better. He could only come up with six reasons to make his case. I offer nine reasons -- tangible benefits -- that prove otherwise!
1. More Affordable
First off, let's tackle a misconception about the new MacBook. It's not more expensive than Surface Pro 3, as Brian claims. Yes, Microsoft's slate may kick off at $799, but the version that's equivalent to the base new MacBook (the one with 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD) costs $1,299. And that's without the must-have Type Cover 2 keyboard, which adds $129.99 to the cost. In total, you're looking at just shy of $1430.
Meanwhile, the base new MacBook, that packs 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB super-fast SSD, costs $1,299. And, of course, there's a keyboard included for the money. The difference can go towards Apple Care or buying a proper tablet, which will work so much better as a tablet than the huge Surface Pro 3.
Don't even get me started on the 512 GB Surface Pro 3. It costs a whopping $1,949. Again, add $129.99 for the keyboard. Sure, it's faster than the new MacBook, but that only goes for $1,599 when matched with a 512 GB SSD. (A faster processor will be available for custom orders, but pricing is yet unknown.)
2. Better Looking
Using Brian's own words, the new MacBook is 'more attractive'. He even admits to falling in love with it!
Surface Pro 3 looks decent, but the new MacBook is dead-gorgeous. It's impossibly thin, and sleek. The keyboard looks great when the lid is raised, the screen is surrounded by a lovely black bezel that makes it look very elegant, the side profiles are clean, and there are no ugly holes for ventilation as the new MacBook is fan-less!
For those who love the iPhone color palette, the new MacBook is available in matching colors. It can be had in Gold, Silver or Space Gray. I'd pick the third option, as it looks very bad ass (yes, I said it). Meanwhile, Surface Pro 3 can only be had in what I like to call boring-businessman-black.
3. More Portable
The new MacBook is also more portable than Surface Pro. It weighs just 2.03 pounds (or 0.92 kg) and comes in at 0.52 inches (or 1.31 cm) at its thickest point. Meanwhile, the latter is heavier (2.41 lbs or roughly 1.1 kg) and thicker (0.55 inches or 1.39 cm) with the keyboard on. The new MacBook is more compact overall, having a smaller footprint (11.05 inches in width and 7.74 inches in depth, compared to 11.5 inches and 7.93 inches, respectively, for Surface Pro 3).
And it's not like the new MacBook sacrifices battery life to fit in such a small body. Apple rates it at up to nine hours of Wi-Fi browsing or 10 hours of video playback. And we know that its ratings are conservative. Surface Pro 3 promises the same endurance for Wi-Fi browsing.
4. Proper Keyboard
A click-on keyboard, as Microsoft forces you to get with Surface Pro 3, is not as good as the keyboard that the new MacBook has. I've used many, and the ones on Macs are the best in the business when it comes to ultraportable devices. It's a joy to type on, with plenty of travel, and works great on your lap too, which is also not something that can be said about Type Cover 2. If you want to type on the go -- and comfortably at the office -- get the new MacBook.
5. Bigger Trackpad
When it comes to trackpads, MacBooks are unmatched among laptops. Apple gets it. Its trackpads are a pleasure to use. Fingers just glide on the glass surface, which is bigger than what most competitors have to offer, including Surface Pro 3 and its Type Cover 2. In fact, Type Cover 2 has a tiny trackpad in comparison, because Microsoft wants you to poke the screen to navigate Windows 8.1. It may have buttons, but the new MacBook trackpad is pressure-sensitive, which makes for more fine-grained controls.
Mac Vs Surface Pro 4
6. New and Shiny
Surface Pro 3 is approaching the end of its life-cycle, while the new MacBook has yet to even hit store shelves. Why is this important? Well, after Surface Pro 3 is replaced (which is any day now), its resale value will drop like crazy, while the new MacBook -- which is cheaper to buy -- has no such successor in sight to affect second-hand prices. It's also a purchase you can enjoy for at least a year until a successor arrives, which isn't the case for Surface Pro 3.
7. Runs Windows and OS X!
One of the reasons why Brian believes Surface Pro 3 is better than the new MacBook is because the former can run Windows. He's being disingenuous, of course, because all Macs have been able to run Windows since Apple switched to Intel processors (hint: it happened last decade). The new MacBook is no exception.
Of course, what Surface Pro 3 can't do is run OS X 10.10 Yosemite natively, which the new MacBook can do without a problem. Even if you don't have a Windows license, you can always get one for about the same money as a Surface Pro 3 keyboard, or even less.
8. Apple Lifestyle Integration
Like my colleague Joe Wilcox explained, if you get the new MacBook you will want or feel like you need to get other Apple products. It ties in well with iPhones and iPads, and Apple services like iTunes. You could start to compose an email on the new MacBook, and move on to your iPhone to finish the draft and send it. Or, you could call your other half from your new MacBook, using your iPhone to intermediate the call. Buy something from iTunes using your iPad and it's available on your new MacBook instantly. No Wi-Fi coverage? No problem. Enable tethering on your iPhone straight from your new MacBook -- yes, that's possible, without having to worry about passwords, or even unlocking the phone!
There's a sense of integration here that's missing from Surface Pro 3, which offers few reasons why it's better together with other Microsoft products. The experience it offers is disjointed and unpolished, in comparison.
9. It's Focused
Microsoft Surface Pro Better Than Mac Pro
Apple designed the new MacBook with the goal of making it the best ultraportable you can buy, and I think it has achieved that. There's a clear focus here on consumers who value portability and battery life, over anything else. Meanwhile, Surface Pro 3 is a device which can't figure out whether it's a good tablet, a laptop or both.
Apple Mac Vs Microsoft Surface
There you go.. Brian is clearly wrong!
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