Microsoft has taken the wraps off its new notebook which it claims as the ultimate laptop - the Surface Book.
As the challenger looks to take on the 13-inch Apple MacBook Pro, we take a look at how the two devices match up in a head-to-head comparison.
Display
The new Surface Book sports a 13.5-inch display with a resolution of 3,000 x 2,000 pixels. By comparison, the MacBook Pro has a fractionally smaller 13.3-inch display with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels.
Pixel density-wise, the new Microsoft notebook edges out the latest Apple offering as the former boasts 267ppi versus the latter's 227ppi.
Another advantage the Surface Book has over the MacBook Pro is that it packs in 10-point multi-touch abilities. The device's display is also compatible with the Surface Pen stylus.
Dimensions
The Surface Book measures 12.30 x 9.14 x 0.51 - 0.90 inches compared to the 12.35 x 8.62 x .71 inches of the MacBook Pro. This means that both the notebooks have the same width, but the length of the Microsoft offering is more. Thickness-wise, the Microsoft model varies depending on the processor that is packed in, making it either slimmer or thicker than the Apple offering.
The weight also varies for the Surface Book, starting at 3.34 pounds, whereas the MacBook Pro weighs 3.48 pounds.
Processor
The Surface Book houses a sixth-gen Intel Core i5 or i7 processor versus the fifth-gen Intel Core i5 or i7 processor on the MacBook Pro. Apple is expected to make the transition from Haswell to Skylake (deployed by the Microsoft offering) for its next-gen MacBook Pro.
Therefore, it is natural that the Surface Book will be faster than the MacBook Pro.
Storage & Memory
Both the MacBook Pro and the Surface Book's are available in 128GB, 256GB or 512GB storage options. However, the Apple notebooks support PCIe-based flash storage, whereas Microsoft deploys SSD.
Both the notebooks have 8GB or 16GB of RAM.
Battery
Microsoft claims that the Surface Book's battery will support "up to 12 hours of video playback." Apple also asserts that the MacBook Pro will support "up to 12 hours iTunes movie playback" putting the two devices on an even keel.
OS
The Surface Book will come pre-loaded with Windows 10, whereas the MacBook pro runs on OS X EL Capitan.
Camera
Microsoft's notebook has an 8MP rear-facing camera and a 5MP front-facing one, both of which can record 1080p videos. The MacBook Pro's only has a front-facing FaceTime camera that can capture 720p videos. The camera is believed to be .7777MP as its output is 1,080 x 720.
Price & Availability
The 13-inch MacBook Pro with the 2.7GHz dual-core Intel i5 processor is priced $1,299, $1,499 and $1,799 for the 128GB, 256GB and 512GB versions, respectively, and is available for purchase. The Surface Book, on the other hand, with the sixth generation Intel i5 processor is priced $1,499, 1,899 and $2,699 for the128GB, 256GB and 512GB versions, respectively. It is available for pre-order and will hit the shelves on Oct. 26.
An area where the Surface Book has an edge over the Apple notebook is that the former can detach from the keyboard. It can be used independently almost like a tablet or even flipped around. This would not be possible with the MacBook Pro.
Moreover, the Surface Book has the speedier processor and has multi-touch support. It can also be paired with the stylus. Can you use Apple's new Pencil with the MacBook Pro? No.
The better of the two? Definitely Surface Book on paper.
