Wednesday

Microsoft Surface Book vs. Apple Macbook: The tale of the tape


On Tuesday (early Wednesday Philippine time), Microsoft unveiled a slew of new devices in a bid for dominance for Windows 10. The crowning jewel in this effort is the Microsoft Surface Book—but how does it compare with the competition?

"With Windows 10 and these new Microsoft devices, you are at the center of magical new experiences," promised Satya Nadella, chief executive officer of Microsoft. "We're moving people from needing to choosing to loving Windows, and these devices promise to fuel even more enthusiasm and opportunity for the entire Windows ecosystem."

Microsoft's first in-house laptop offering, the Surface Book is touted as "a powerful, high-performance laptop with stunning craftsmanship and incredibly accurate and responsive pen and touch support."

On paper, at least, it certainly has the looks and muscle to go head-to-head with its Apple rival.

Mashable posted the following chart pitting the specs of Microsoft's prime upstart versus Apple's own big boss:

"While the two laptops have a lot in common, the Surface Book 'appears' to deliver a bit more value in relation to price (at least technically)," Mashable said.

However, as The Verge was quick to point out, specs comparisons don't tell the whole story.

Microsoft's and Apple's products cater to different kinds of users, considering the former's integration of a touchscreen and full keyboard in one device versus the latter's separate tablet and laptop offerings.

"It's getting really weird to compare these products on specs alone, simply because the way that you use them is really, really different," The Verge said.

"More and more, these devices are advertised on an evolving continuum. There's no clear place that tablets end and laptops start," it added.

In short, putting Microsoft beside Apple may not necessarily be an "apples to apples" comparison.

"Specs are only half the story, but some of the differences really stand out," The Verge concluded. — GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com