May 12, 2017  Microsoft Surface Laptop vs. 13-inch Apple MacBook Pro. The Surface is about 5-percent taller and one-percent wider than the MacBook Pro, though the Mac is just a. May 07, 2018  Apple's MacBook Pro vs. Microsoft's Surface Book 2. Monday May 7. Apple plans to launch several Mac notebooks and desktop computers with its own custom designed Arm-based processors in 2021.

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

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.

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

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Vs Macbook Air

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 your Surface Book 2 with one of these cases

Apple Surface Pro Laptop

Looking for some protection for your Surface Book 2? Here are the best cases we can find right now.

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.

Macbook Vs Microsoft Surface Pro

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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Apple Mac Pro Vs Microsoft Surface Studio

Mac Pro Vs Microsoft Surface Pro

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

Surface Pro Vs Mac Pro

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.