Microsoft and Apple both are at a stage where they have easily gone beyond the laptop technology.

The Business Insider states that when Microsoft unveiled the Surface Pro 3 tablet, its corporate vice president of Surface, Panos Panay, promises that the tablet would be able to replace a laptop.

Panay also confirms that the Surface will offer almost all the features that Apple's ultrathin notebook could provide or even more.

However, it is important to notice that there are some common features between the MacBook Air and Surface Pro 3. Though the Surface Pro is a tablet and the MacBook is a laptop, both provide the same service. They are those machines that provide the experience of a desktop but in the lightest and sleekest form.

Both the devices include Intel's previous generation Haswell processor and can be configured up to Core i7.

The most important difference between the two devices is the display quality which is highly talked about. The Surface Pro 3's display has a 2160 x 1440 resolution, which comes out to roughly 216 pixels per inch (ppi). While the 11-inch MacBook Air's display has a lower resolution of 1366 x 768 (135 ppi) and the 13-inch MacBook Air's display resolution is a bit higher at 1440 x 900 (128 ppi).

The MacBook Air 11 inch model starts at $899 and the 13 inch model starts at $999. The Surface Pro 3, with is 12-inch screen starts at $799, this is when the detachable TypoCover which gives the laptop hybrid look is not purchased. The total starting amount with the $130 Typo Case is $930.

The MacBook Air is at a lower price may be because it doesn't have the Retina standards like it has with MacBook Pro line. But Surface Pro 3 has included this feature and the difference is seen in the image quality which is clearly noticeable.

The colour comparison also makes the devices different. On the Surface, the colour appears to be deeper and warmer whereas in MacBook Air it is overexposed and washed out.

The Surface Pro 3 supports a pen input or stylus and has benefits of a touchscreen as it is also a tablet, but MacBook Air lacks behind in offering such benefits.

Though both the devices have been rated for excellent battery life but according to Ars Technica's in-house standardized Wi-Fi test, the MacBook Air lasts longer. The Surface Pro 3 lasts for 8.75 hours whereas the MacBook Air lasted for 9.48 hours.

The Surface Pro 3 is 0.36 inches thin, while the MacBook Air is 0.68 inches thin.

The Surface Pro 3 uses its kickstand to support the tablet when it's in laptop mode. It makes it easier to use the Surface Pro on the lap and the keyboard's improved touchpad gives much smoother scrolling experience. But as compared to MacBook Air's sturdy aluminium build, the Surface Pro 3's keyboard is flimsy and cheap.

But such a feeling comes in the minds of those whose job requires to type for long periods of time, otherwise, the device is providing impressive functions as a laptop and a tablet.