Microsoft Surface Pro Vs Mac

• Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 Vs Macbook Pro
• Microsoft Surface Pro Vs Macbook
• Surface Pro

Here we go again: Mac vs PC, Apple vs Microsoft. This time around, it's the battle of the top-tier all-in-ones, the upcoming iMac Pro up against the Surface Studio. They're both high-end devices. Oct 15, 2019  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. The Surface Pro 4 is just a little bigger than the new MacBook, measuring 2 percent taller and 4 percent wider. The thickness measurement above is for the Surface in tablet mode. Macbook Pro 16 vs Surface Laptop 3 – Display. The big news for the new MacBook Pro is that it’s flaunting a 16-inch display, which is slightly bigger than the 15-inch panel typically found on. Nov 06, 2019  Microsoft's 13.5' Surface Laptop 3 is one of the most premium Windows laptops you can get for the price, but can it beat out Apple's 2019 13' MacBook Pro? The Value per. Mar 11, 2020  The MacBook Pro is a slim and relatively light laptop, at 11.97 x 8.36 x 0.59-inches and 3.02 pounds in weight, but it just can’t compete with how easy the Surface Pro 7 is to carry around.

The Surface Pro 6 offers an experience no Mac on the market can. Not only can you use a digital pen on it, it's useable as both a tablet and a laptop, combining the use of both an iPad and a MacBook Air into a single device.

Pros

• Windows Hello security
• Digital pen support
• Solid battery life
• Gorgeous display
• Quad-core processors

The MacBook Air is Apple's most affordable notebook, and it's an incredible jump from the previous model. The Retina Display is stunning, it has Apple's Touch ID biometric security, and Thunderbolt 3 support. However, it's underpowered next to the Surface Pro 6.

Pros

• Retina Display
• Can install Windows 10
• Touch ID security
• USB-C Thunderbolt 3
• Solid battery life

Cons

• Quite expensive
• Single dual-core processor option

Considering that both of these run a different OS, that should be one of the main considerations when choosing a laptop. Apple has finally updated the MacBook Air so it can genuinely compete with the best of the Windows ecosystem, but it's still just a laptop. The Surface Pro 6 is a more versatile device, working as both a tablet and a laptop, with a sprinkling of digital notepad thrown in for good measure.

The platform you need or want to use should be one main consideration, and how you want to use your portable computer should be the other.

Apples to oranges (or Windows)

On a hardware level, both of these machines are very good. Laptop design has improved by leaps and bounds in recent years, so you can absolutely look to the Windows ecosystem to find a product as visually striking as Apple's always have been.

The MacBook Air is, unsurprisingly, stunning. The same can be said of the Surface Pro 6. But while Apple is using a 7W dual-core Intel Core i5 only in the MacBook Air, Microsoft has stuffed quad-core Intel Core i5 and i7 processors into the Surface Pro 6.

In terms of sheer performance, the Surface Pro 6 has the edge with a better processor and more powerful graphics. However, in reality, Mac OS and Apple's own applications are traditionally well optimized, so day to day general performance will feel very similar.

A couple of the biggest differences are just what you can do with each. The Surface Pro 6 not only has a touch display, but support for inking. Windows Ink is built into the OS and there are a bunch of great apps that make use of it. This is all something you have to get an iPad for from Apple to make use of.

The MacBook Air, by contrast, not only has USB-C, but Thunderbolt 3. Something the Surface Pro 6 notably lacks. That means not only can you use standard accessories, such as docks, displays, and Thunderbolt 3 external SSDs, but you can connect an eGPU with a full desktop graphics card in it. Mac gaming isn't necessarily why you'd want this, but for anyone working with video editing or demanding programs such as CAD, that GPU will be really helpful.

The Surface Pro 6 can expand its connectivity, but you'll need the Surface Dock to do it, and you won't be able to hook up an eGPU at all. It's also worth pointing out that to use the Surface Pro 6 as a laptop, you'll need to spend the extra $130 for a Type Cover.

Choosing between Mac OS and Windows 10

The biggest difference between these two, of course, is the software. Mac OS and Windows 10 have plenty in common and share a lot of the same third party apps — as well as Microsoft Office — but they're still different.

If you haven't entered Apple's ecosystem yet, and you don't have any reliance on its first-party software, such as Final Cut Pro X, then you might be better off considering the Surface Pro 6. The entry-level model is still a little above the MacBook Air on pure hardware, and it's $400 cheaper (without the Type Cover).

Mac OS is very pleasant to use, incredibly well optimized, and always performs well. It also has great software support from Microsoft, such as with the Office Suite, OneDrive, and Skype, as well as notable third-party support from the likes of Adobe and Google. Many of the same apps can be used on a Mac as on Windows 10, but you're going to pay more for the privilege.

There is, however, one more thing. Thanks to Boot Camp, you can easily install Windows 10 on the MacBook Air. The same cannot be said of doing the reverse. So, with the MacBook Air, you can have both platforms.

The choice is yours

When comparing two top devices such as this that run on different platforms, there's no easy way to say which is best. Some will just prefer Windows 10, just as some will automatically lean towards Mac OS.

The platform should be one of the top factors you consider. The other should be what you intend to do with it. The Surface Pro 6 combines the best of a tablet with the best of a powerful Windows 10 laptop. You can get it at a great price, it has a stunning design and build quality, a gorgeous display, and is one of the most flexible machines on the market.

The MacBook Air, by contrast, has plenty in its favor. It always has a keyboard and trackpad attached, it supports the new USB-C standard, and with Thunderbolt 3 connectivity can transform into a powerful desktop rig with dedicated graphics down a single cable. You can't touch the display or write on it with a pen — for that you'll need an iPad — but you can install Windows 10 if you can't decide and want the best of both worlds.

Both of these will be a great fit for your mobile computing needs, but only you can decide which makes the best fit based on their respective differences. That being said, the Surface Pro 6 is just an overall better value thanks ot its lower price, its 2-in-1 nature, and the touchscreen and inking capabilities.

Top 2-in-1

Microsoft Surface Pro 6

The best 2-in-1 you can buy today

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.

Flexible computing

Apple MacBook Air (2018)

The MacBook Air we always wanted

Apple's most affordable laptop has everything to be your only computer, even the ability to use Windows 10. But it comes at a price.

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After the appearance on several PC platforms, MS Word finally became part of the celebrated suite of document, presentation and email editing applications. Current version of microsoft word for mac.

Is the Surface Pro 6 a no-go for you? Here are some great alternatives

If you're in the market for a new 2-in-1, but Microsoft's Surface Pro 6 isn't doing it for you, check out our picks for best Surface Pro 6 alternatives.

The Surface Laptop 2 looks identical to the first one save for a new black paintjob, but the important updates are underneath. It's now more powerful while delivering better battery life, and it still has that stunning touch display.

Pros

• Stunning touch display
• Digital inking support
• Great battery life
• More affordable
• Latest generation processors

Cons

• No USB-C
• Not all colors available in all configurations

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 Vs Macbook Pro

The MacBook Pro is packed with hardware to excite the professional market, but all that comes at a pretty high price. It's available in two sizes, too, while the Surface Laptop 2 is not.

Pros

• Optional six-core processors
• Stunning Retina Display
• Can run Windows 10
• USB-C Thunderbolt 3
• Dedicated graphics options and eGPU support

The Surface Laptop 2 and MacBook Pro are really for very different target audiences. The Surface Laptop 2 is one of the best Windows laptops you can buy, but it's not equipped for the professional or 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 2 vs MacBook Pro basic tech specs

The 13-inch MacBook Pro is the closest to the Surface Laptop 2 in terms of outright specs, but Apple still has more options on the table for its professional buyers. There are two sizes, and in the larger 15-inch model you can build a quite ridiculously powerful laptop.

The Surface Laptop 2 has quad-core Intel Core i5 or i7 processors with Intel UHD 620 graphics, a 13.5-inch 2256 x 1504 resolution touch display, up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.

By contrast, Apple has options on the MacBook Pro that include quad-core Intel Core i5 and i7 processors on the 13-inch model, and six-core processors up to a Core i9 on the 15-inch model. The 13-inch can support up to 2TB of storage and 16GB of RAM, while the 15-inch goes up to 32GB of RAM and an insane 4TB of SSD storage.

All models of the MacBook Pro 13-inch use Intel Iris Plus graphics, while on the 15-inch you have options for Radeon Pro 560X, Vega 16 or Vega 20 dedicated GPUs from AMD.

Surface Laptop 2 is a nice upgrade on its predecessor

The Surface Laptop 2 itself is only a mild upgrade to the original model, but it has some important improvements. In our review, we determined you can expect at least an extra hour from its battery, despite the processor having been bumped to a quad-core over the dual-core from the first one.

It isn't perfect — there's no USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 for example, and the Alcantara keyboard can certainly get quite dirty — but it's still an excellent laptop. You're getting cutting edge hardware, with a gorgeous high-resolution, pen-enabled screen thrown in for good measure.

It's also cheaper at the entry level, while offering a better spec and performance compared to the cheapest MacBook Pro.

MacBook Pro has (mostly) superior specs

Even though there are no longer any legacy ports on the MacBook Pro, it still has a fairly big advantage over the Surface Laptop 2. Not only does it have the new USB-C, it has Thunderbolt 3 as well. 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. Even the integrated graphics on the 13-inch MacBook Pro are better than those on the Surface Laptop 2.

The Surface Laptop 2 has no USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 and to get the most from it, you'll need to buy the first-party Surface Dock.

Besides this, the MacBook Pro has the latest generation six-core processors from Intel right up to the 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.

The outlier is the base model 13-inch MacBook Pro with a dual-core processor and 128GB of storage. It costs quite a bit more than the Surface Laptop 2 for no gain, and you're going to be hitting the $1,799 price point for the Touch Bar model before you see any real advantages.

Different laptops for different people

The Surface Laptop 2 is 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 is simply in a different class. It's a pro-grade laptop with a ton of powerful options, much better graphics capabilities and if your wallet will go far enough, even a ridiculous Core i9 processor. It also comes in two sizes, 13 inches and 15 inches, while the Surface Laptop 2 is limited to the single 13.5-inch model. The base model might be a bit of a dud, but the higher specs start to move away.

If you're already looking at the Surface Laptop 2 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 more money on the Mac. If you're thinking of the very bottom spec MacBook Pro, the Surface Laptop 2 will offer better value

Best for most

Surface Laptop 2

For most, the Surface Laptop 2 is a better buy

While lacking the ultimate power available in the MacBook Pro, of the two, the Surface Laptop 2 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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Microsoft Surface Pro Vs Macbook

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