Surface Book vs. MacBook Pro Laptop

Microsoft and Apple unveiled computers in 2016 including new Macbook pro laptop. Microsoft targeted the creative professional while Apple is aimed squarely at the mainstream audience. Different visions but alas, whenever are more than one, comparisons will be made. Microsoft took direct aim at the MacBook Pro laptop with its revamped Surface Book so let’s look at the differences. Since Apple did not update the iMac, I will leave off the Microsoft Surface Studio and just compare the MacBook Pro laptop and Surface Book.

Performance

Both the Surface Book and MacBook Pro (13”) have options to choose. Either a 6^th generation i5 or i7 processor. The MacBook Pro 15” only has the quad core i7 option. It is interesting that neither Microsoft nor Apple decided to put Intel’s 7^th generation Kaby Lake chips inside their respective laptops. On the graphics front, Microsoft decided to put an NVIDIA GTX 965M with 2GB of GDDR5 RAM. While not a slouch in performance, again, it’s interesting that Microsoft decided not to put NVIDIA’s new 10-series cards inside, likely to save costs. Apple went with AMD instead, opting for the AMD Radeon Pro 450 and 460 options. Both the NVIDIA and AMD cards are more than enough for heavy photo/video editing, 3D modeling, and engineering projects but don’t expect to do much triple-A gaming on them…at least not on very high graphics settings. Light to moderate games such as CS:GO, DOTA 2, League of Legends, and even Overwatch are playable at medium settings but higher end games such Doom or Witcher 3 might require reduced graphics settings and resolution.

Display

Whether consumers decide to purchase the Surface Book or MacBook Pro laptop, they’re in for a visual treat. Both computers sport beautiful high end, colorful, dense displays. The MacBook Pro 15 Retina Display has a 2880 x 1800 resolution and 220 pixels per inch (ppi), while the MacBook Pro  13 has 2560 x 1600 resolution and 227 ppi. Surface Book PixelSense display has a 3000 x 2000 resolution with 267 ppi which easily outclasses the MacBooks. However, despite that edge, most people would be hard pressed to see the difference between them. Apple claims the new MacBook Pro laptopscreens are 67% brighter and 25% more colors than previous MacBook Pros.

Design and Features

During Apple’s event, they made a big deal about how much slimmer and lighter than the new MacBook Pros are compared to the previous generation. The new 2016 MacBook Pros are about 20-23% smaller than their previous incarnations while the new Surface Book is about the same as before.  The MacBook Pro 13 is slightly smaller than the Surface Pro but both are still slim and light laptops.

Feature wise, they couldn’t be more different. Apple opted to “future proof” their machines and add four USB-C ports on the 15” model (two on the 13” model). These are the only ports on the entire machine (save for the 3.5mm headphone jack) so any external connectivity to HDMI or USB Type A will need a dongle. The Surface Book has two USB 3.0 ports (Type A), an SD card reader, headphone jack, and mini-DisplayPort. Curiously, Microsoft omitted any USB-C ports. All but the base model MacBook Pros sport the new Touch Bar which replaces the usual row of function keys. This enables the functionality to dynamically change depending on which apps the user is in. While Apple shies away from touchscreen on their Macs, Microsoft embraces it by having a touchscreen display that can detach from the keyboard. The included Surface Pen enables taking notes or drawing directly on the screen.

Price

Let’s just say it. These laptops are super expensive. The Surface Book i7 starts at $2,400 and tops off at $3,300. The MacBook Pro starts at $1,500 for the Touch Bar-less 13” model and goes up to $2,900 fully loaded. The 15” model starts at $2,400 and tops off at $4,300 fully loaded. These laptops may be overpriced to some for what’s essentially outdated CPUs and GPUs. Microsoft and Apple believe their products represent significant value for performance, features, and build quality. Regardless, any serious graphic designer or engineer interested in these products will have serious horsepower to work with. Price probably won’t be a factor.