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Sep 12, 2019 Apple Macbook Pro logo seen on a laptop product in an Apple store in Shanghai. (Photo by Alex. Microsoft is hard at work improving the Surface family, and with new devices expected to launch in the first week in October, a number of patents published in. May 03, 2019 Microsoft’s Surface Pro range is aimed at those who are looking for a high-powered tablet/laptop hybrid. While the Surface Book 2 ticks those boxes, it first and foremost feels like a laptop. Oct 15, 2019 The Surface Laptop 3 does come in two sizes for the first time, though, and they're both touch-enabled, something you don't get on any MacBook, with pen support for digital inking.
Best for most
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3
Professional powerhouse
Apple MacBook Pro
The Surface Laptop 3 now comes in two sizes and uses both Intel and AMD hardware inside. Everything that made the first two great remains, except it now has USB-C as well!
Pros
- Stunning touch display
- Digital inking support
- Great battery life
- Two sizes
- Intel and AMD processors
Cons
- No Thunderbolt 3
- Not all colors available in all configurations
The MacBook Pro is packed with hardware to excite the professional market, but all that comes at a high price, though you do also have the option for dedicated graphics.
Pros
- Optional eight-core processors
- Stunning Retina Display
- Can run Windows 10
- Thunderbolt 3
- Dedicated graphics options and eGPU support
The Surface Laptop 3 and MacBook Pro are for very different target audiences. The Surface Laptop 3 is not targeted at the serious power user. The MacBook Pro has the hardware for that type of buyer, with the added bonus of being able to boot into Windows 10 as well.
Surface Laptop 3 vs MacBook Pro basic tech specs
Category | Surface Laptop 3 (13-inch) | Surface Laptop 3 (15-inch) | MacBook Pro (13-inch) | MacBook Pro (15-inch) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Operating System | Windows 10 | Windows 10 | macOS | macOS |
Display | 13.5-inch Pixelsense, 3:2 aspect ratio, 2256x1504 (201 PPI) | 15-inch Pixelsense, 3:2 aspect ratio, 2496x1664 (201 PPI) | 13.3-inch Retina 2560 x 1600 (227 PPI) | 15.4-inch Retina 2880 x 1800 (220 PPI) |
Processor | Intel 10th Gen | AMD Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 custom CPU | Intel Core i5 or i7 (quad-core) | Intel Core i7 (hexa-core) Intel Core i9 (octa-core) |
GPU | Intel Iris | AMD Vega 9 AMD Vega 11 | Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645 Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 | Up to Radeon Pro Vega 20 |
Memory | 8GB or 16GB LPDDR4x | 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB LPDDR4x | 8GB or 16GB LPDDR3 2133 MHz | 16GB or 32GB DDR4 2400 MHz |
Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB SSD (replaceable) | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB SSD (replaceable) | Up to 512GB SSD | Up to 4TB SSD |
Ports | 1x USB-C, 1x USB-A, 1x Surface Connect, 3.5 mm headphone jack | 1x USB-C, 1x USB-A, 1x Surface Connect, 3.5 mm headphone jack | Up to 4 x USB-C Thunderbolt 3, 3.5mm headphone jack | 4 x USB-C Thunderbolt-3, 3.5mm headphone jack |
Battery | Up to 11.5 hours | Up to 11.5 hours | Up to 10 hours | Up to 10 hours |
Weight | Up to 2.79 lbs | Up to 3.4 lbs | 3.02 lbs | 4.02lbs |
Surface Laptop 3 is a great upgrade
The Surface Laptop is one of our absolute favorites and the latest incarnation doesn't change any of that. For the first time, we have a little choice when buying, with both a 13- and a 15-inch model now. The experience of using each is mostly the same, with the biggest change coming underneath. The 15-inch version is exclusively available to consumers with a customized AMD Ryzen Surface Edition APU.
That packs four cores and eight threads on the Ryzen CPU portion, and either a Vega 9 or Vega 11 integrated GPU. Both of these have an additional GPU core over the Vega that AMD would put in other Windows laptops, giving it a little added grunt.
Even on the smaller version, performance takes a serious bump from the Surface Laptop 2, with Intel's 10th Gen processors and all-new Iris Plus graphics on the table. The Surface Laptop 3 isn't targeted at professional applications or creators, but the added horsepower certainly means you can get some good mileage in such areas.
Oh, and it has USB-C now, as well. So you don't need to buy a dongle. Hallelujah!
MacBook Pro has some superior specs
Even though there are no longer any legacy ports on the MacBook Pro, it has one fairly big advantage over the Surface Laptop 3. it has Thunderbolt 3 support on top of USB-C, and Thunderbolt 3 opens up a world of possibilities. You can attach high resolution displays to it, connect fast external storage, and perhaps most interesting of all, hook up an eGPU, putting a full desktop graphics card into your MacBook Pro.
![Twit Microsoft Surface Book Vs Mac Twit Microsoft Surface Book Vs Mac](https://www.laptopmag.com/images/wp/purch-api/incontent/2015/10/Microsoft-Surface-Book-NW_ports.jpg)
Besides this, the MacBook Pro has six-core processors from Intel right up to a Core i9, options for dedicated graphics that go up to AMD's Radeon Vega Pro, up to 32GB of RAM and up to 4TB of storage. In all cases the AMD graphics options for the MacBook Pro are stronger than the Vega 9 or Vega 11 you're able to get on the 15-inch Surface Laptop 3.
Different laptops for different people
The Surface Laptop 3 is generally a closer match to Apple's MacBook Air in the sense that they're both highly portable yet capable Ultrabooks and they appeal to the same type of laptop buyers.
The MacBook Pro targets a different class of buyer. It's a pro-grade laptop with a ton of powerful options, much better graphics capabilities and if your wallet will go far enough, a ridiculous Core i9 processor.
The Surface Laptop 3 does come in two sizes for the first time, though, and they're both touch-enabled, something you don't get on any MacBook, with pen support for digital inking. The 15-inch model with AMD Ryzen and Vega inside is the better choice there, but the MacBook Pro can still over more outright power.
If you're already looking at the Surface Laptop 3 as something you think you'd like to buy, get it. The MacBook Pro isn't really a direct competitor, and you're going to end up spending a lot of money on the Mac to get anything really worthy.
Best for most
Surface Laptop 3
For most, the Surface Laptop 3 is a better buy
While lacking the ultimate power available in the MacBook Pro, of the two, the Surface Laptop 3 is the better value for most people.
Professional powerhouse
MacBook Pro
Stacked with professional power
The professional buyer looking for massive horsepower and dedicated graphics can get everything they need in the MacBook Pro. Including Windows 10.
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Protect that BookProtect your Surface Book 2 with one of these cases
Looking for some protection for your Surface Book 2? Here are the best cases we can find right now.
It doesn't matter how you look at it, Microsoft's new Surface Book will be compared to Apple's MacBook Pro. They're both high-end notebooks, both targeted at people who want performance, productivity and portability.
We've only had a short time so far with the Surface Book, but on paper at least here's how it breaks down.
Microsoft Surface Book Vs Macbook
For the sake of comparisons we've gone with the base model of each.
Category | Surface Book | MacBook Pro |
---|---|---|
Display | 13.5-inch Pixel Sense display | 13.3-inch LED backlit IPS |
Display Resolution | 3000 x 2000 at 267ppi | 2560 x 1600 at 227 ppi |
Software | Windows 10 Pro | OS X El Capitan |
Processor | 6th Gen Intel Core i5 | 5th Gen Intel Core i5 |
Storage | 128GB | 128GB |
Memory | 8GB | 8GB |
Graphics | Intel HD graphics | Intel Iris Graphics 6100 |
Rear Camera | 8MP with autofocus, 1080P recording | None |
Front Camera | 5MP Full HD (1920 x 1080) | Facetime HD (720p) |
Speakers | Front-facing stereo speakers with Dolby audio | Stereo speakers |
Ports | Two full-size USB 3.0, Full-size SD card reader, Surface Connect, Headset jack, Mini DisplayPort | Two full-size USB 3.0, Full-size SD card reader, Two Thunderbolt 2, Full sized HDMI, Headset jack |
Battery Life | Up to 12 hours | Up to 12 hours |
Pen | Surface Pen 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity Magnetic storage | No pen |
Weight | 1.6lbs | 3.48lbs |
Dimensions | Laptop: 9.14 x 12.30 x 0.51- 0.90 in ( 232.1 x 312.3 x 13 -22.8 mm) Clipboard: 8.67 x 12.30 x 0.30 in (220.2 x 312.3 x 7.7 mm) | 12.35 in x 8.62 in x 0.71 in (314 x 219 x 18 mm) |
Price | $1499 | $1299 |
It's kind of unusual to come across a product that's priced higher than a competing one from Apple. But then with the Surface Book you're not just getting a laptop. Microsoft calls it the 'ultimate laptop,' because it's actually a two-in-one with a detachable tablet portion complete with support for the Surface Pen. You also get a rear camera, something familiar on tablets that you don't get on a MacBook.
Make no mistake, both of these are premium notebooks. Both metal, both packing glorious, high-res displays. But one area the MacBook Pro is falling behind Surface Book is on the internals. Many of the base specs are the same across the two, but as yet the MacBook Pro hasn't been updated to Intel's new 6th Gen, Skylake CPUs. It also, believe it or not, has a lower resolution display with a lower ppi (pixels per inch) value.
Both are packed with the ports you're going to want access to, but the Surface Book has an ace up its sleeve in being compatible with the new Surface Pro 4 dock. This adds yet more connectivity.
When it comes to software of course, it's Apple's and oranges. If you want OS X you go MacBook. If you want Windows, you go Surface Book. But, what if it doesn't matter? What if you just don't care? There's a strong case to be put forward for both, but the Surface Book might just have the edge right now. Maybe things will level out a little when the MacBook Pro gets its next refresh. But right now, this is what we've got and the Surface Book looks like its pulling out in front.
And if you're prepared to spend more and ramp up the specs, the Surface Book can have an NVIDIA GeForce GPU, too. You won't find dedicated graphics on any of the 13-inch MacBook Pro line, regardless of what you spec up.
For the rest of our NYC #Windows10Devices coverage head here:
UH OHMicrosoft may have delayed Windows 10X and Surface Neo beyond 2020
Twit Microsoft Surface Book Vs Macbook
Microsoft's upcoming Windows 10X and Surface Neo products may not be shipping in time for the holiday after all, according to a new report from ZDNet's Mary-Jo Foley. This means that other Windows 10X devices from third-party manufactures also won't be launching at the end of this year like originally planned. Microsoft's dual-screen Windows 10X effort has been put on pause.