Man holding a laptop
An illustration picture shows a projection of binary code on a man holding a laptop computer, in an office in Warsaw Reuters/Kacper Pempel/Files

Microsoft`s Surface Book is turning heads and gaining much attention because of its sophisticated design and stylish hinges. It’s Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s 13-inch giant tablet, the MacBook Pro.

Display

The MacBook Pro has a 13.3-inch display with a 2560 x 1600 resolution. On the other hand, the Surface Book has 13.5-inch display with a 3000 x 2000 resolution.

The Surface Book with its keyboard weighs 3.34 lbs whereas the MacBook Pro is 3.48 lbs. The slightly bigger Surface Book has more pixel density (267ppi) with a commendable aspect ratio of 3:2. Microsoft also introduces its new PixelSense technology with super responsive touch (1024 levels of touch sensitivity) and stylus controls.

Design

Microsoft is a clear winner in this segment. MacBook Pro has a typical silver aluminum unibody design whereas the new Surface Book revolutionised traditional laptop design concepts. The stylish laptop sports a hinge that lets the user adjust the display according to his convenience. The screen can be detached from the keyboard and used as a tablet, as well. The Surface Book is thicker than the MacBook Pro, which is just 18 mm thick.

Processor and storage

It seems the Surface Book will also steal the show in this regard. Both the Surface Book and the MacBook Pro with Retina display offer sixth-gen Intel Core i5 and i7 chips. But according to a report on Gizmodo , the latest Intel Core processor of Surface Book is more powerful than the MacBook Pro's 2.7 GHz dual-core i5 chip.

According to Pocket Lint , the MacBook Pro battery with Retina display drains out at 10 hours. On the other hand, the Surface Book touts a battery life of 12 hours. Both laptops feature 16 GB of RAM and up to 1 TB of expandable storage.

The Surface Book offers two USB 3.0 ports, a Mini Display Port and full microSD. On the other hand, the MacBook Pro features two USB 3.0 ports, an SDXC card reader and an HDMI port.

Camera

The MacBook Pro only comes with a front camera but the Surface Book houses an 8 MP rear shooter and a 5 MP front snapper capable of recording 1080p videos. The MacBook Pro has Iris Graphics 6100 on board whereas the Surface Book houses Intel HD Graphic 520.

Operating System

The MacBook Pro is run by Mac OS X El Capitan. On the other hand, the Surface Book is powered by the latest Windows 10 operating system. While the MacBook Pro sports a Force Touch with numerous levels of sensitivity, it’s the Continuum feature that makes the Surface Book a class apart from the MacBook.

It enables the users to switch the UI to make it suitable for PCs, 2-in-1 devices, tablets and even help the smartphone convert into a PC. Additionally, the Surface Book comes with a Surface Pen.

Price

Both come with 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB and 1 TB storage options. The Surface Book with 8 GB of RAM is priced at $1,499 (AU$2042) whereas the MacBook Pro with similar storage costs $1,299 (AU$1770).

The Microsoft Surface Book is a clear winner in this range of laptops with its faster processor; better battery life; additional features like Continuum and the stylish hinge. It’s worth a buy if a user doesn’t mind shelling out an extra $200.

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