A new ad from Microsoft’s pits its new Surface Pro 4 tablet against Apple’s MacBook product line, pitching the Surface Pro 4 as the “ultimate laptop.” The ad, released online today, highlights several of the tablet’s features such as a touchscreen, detachable keyboard, and included stylus, all of which the Macbook Air lacks. Or, as the ad states, the Mac is “less useful, like a hat for your cat.”
The Surface Pro 4 (pictured above) also weighs less than the MacBook Air, coming in at 2.36 pounds versus the MacBook’s 2.96. And, as Microsoft is quick to point out, the new Surface is faster, according to 3DMark’s Sky Diver tests conducted last year comparing the Surface against the 13-inch version of the MacBook Air.
A Tablet To Replace Your Laptop
Microsoft is making a full-throated pitch for professional and business clients looking to replace their old laptops with the new Surface Pro 4. On the company’s page for the Surface, it describes the tablet’s keyboard as “laptop class.” Microsoft also mentions the device’s full-size USB 3.0 port, microSD card reader, and Mini DisplayPort.
To make its case against the MacBook even more direct, Microsoft offers a side-by-side comparison between the two devices. At the top of the list is the weight difference, with Microsoft hoping that the more than half-pound of extra weight the MacBook Air is carrying will push prospective buyers into the Surface’s corner.
The comparison also plays up the difference in other key specs. The Surface runs a faster sixth-generation Intel core processor against Apple’s fifth-generation core, while offering a full terabyte worth of storage space (twice as much as the 512 GB offered by the MacBook Air) and up to 16 GB of RAM, versus Apple’s 8 GB. That should provide more than enough firepower for the average business user looking for a portable work device.
Bells and Whistles
Microsoft is also attempting to provoke Apple with its argument that the Surface “runs all your desktop software,” a reference to the fact that the new tablet will be running Windows 10 Pro. The MacBook Air runs Apple’s iOS, which doesn’t work with apps designed for desktop environments.
But beyond the capabilities designed to appeal primarily to professionals, Microsoft has included a few other features that are likely to attract a consumer audience as well. The Surface will let users run Windows Hello, Microsoft’s facial recognition software that allows users to log in to their computers just by looking into their cameras.
It also offers a higher resolution screen, at 5M pixels versus the MacBook Air’s 1.3M pixels, making it more appealing as a platform for watching videos and movies. It also sports a 1080p 5MP front-facing camera and 8MP autofocus rear-facing camera, while the MacBook Air only features a single 720p front-facing camera.
The Surface Pro 4 is available for purchase now on Microsoft’s Web site starting at $899 for the entry-level model.
