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Apple's MacBook Pro vs. Microsoft's Surface Book 2
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Well there is too much information left out of the article for an honest evaluation. But I agree with others. If you like Windows - Microsoft, if you like Apple - Apple.
Mention was made about some reliability issues on the keyboards of the MBP which have not been fully vetted out yet, but the article failed to mention the overall reliability issues of the SB2 - and a "Will not recommend" by Consumer reports. Keep it fair. Perhaps some real reliability reporting would be helpful, like overall defect rates or something.
As I have gone through the specs I have come up with:
Did I say security? Not even close.
Works together. Yah, I'm in the Apple ecosystem. I love how everything works together and with the same user-interface styles. I'll take consistent every time, even if another product might be slightly "better". Take for example, I can get stuff from my watch to my phone to my Mac without even thinking about it. With just looking at my face, my phone unlocks, which unlocks my watch which unlocks my Mac.
Finally, Windows - enough said. I used it for years because I had to, I don't need to now and don't want to. I have heard good things about the new CEO turning things around at MS, I have even heard good things about Windows 10, but I'm not going there.
All in all, I'd go with the MBP, every time.
First a more detailed explanation of specs is in order. According to Geekbench MS $2899
Mention was made about some reliability issues on the keyboards of the MBP which have not been fully vetted out yet, but the article failed to mention the overall reliability issues of the SB2 - and a "Will not recommend" by Consumer reports. Keep it fair. Perhaps some real reliability reporting would be helpful, like overall defect rates or something.
As I have gone through the specs I have come up with:
- the SB2 has a more modern processor and lower energy use, thus longer battery life 12 hours vs 11
- the MBP has faster memory LPDDR 2133 vs 1866
- the MBP scores higher on Geekbench
- the MBP has faster I/O through Thunderbolt. (Big whoop IMO, you might need a dock in your office, is that not a thing anymore?). And TB3 daisy chains to five devices so you only need one cable.
- MBP has a significantly faster SSD
- Graphics card, anecdotally said that SB2 is faster, but overall processing seemed to favor MBP, due to faster RAM, CPU, and SSD
- Price: MPB $2799 vs SB2 $2899 (damn that Apple premium)
Did I say security? Not even close.
Works together. Yah, I'm in the Apple ecosystem. I love how everything works together and with the same user-interface styles. I'll take consistent every time, even if another product might be slightly "better". Take for example, I can get stuff from my watch to my phone to my Mac without even thinking about it. With just looking at my face, my phone unlocks, which unlocks my watch which unlocks my Mac.
Finally, Windows - enough said. I used it for years because I had to, I don't need to now and don't want to. I have heard good things about the new CEO turning things around at MS, I have even heard good things about Windows 10, but I'm not going there.
All in all, I'd go with the MBP, every time.
First a more detailed explanation of specs is in order. According to Geekbench MS $2899
Compare two things that aren't comparable and conclude nothing. That's a surprise.
What’s a Surface Studio? An underpowered niche product that basically appeals to graphic artists.
In my opinion the two products cannot be compared as they are in two different categories and are the fruit of two different strategies: the SB is a 2in1, and obviously MS with it wanted to create a product that get as close as possible as the best laptop + the best tablet, which resulted in a product that offers a good experience from both worlds but doesn’t excels in any of the two.
What Apple decided to do was instead create the best possible laptop and the best possible tablet, creating two products that are amazing in their respective categories ( the iPad Pro especially is a marvellous device), and can communicate egregiously thanks to the macOS + iOS integration.
Apart from the obvious choice between Microsoft and macOS , I think the potential customer should ask himself how good he needs his hardware to be: in my case, as an illustrator, I needed the best possible stylus ( and the Apple Pencil blows the competition out of the water, no argument here), so I decided to go for an iPad Pro and MBP and make them work together when I need to draw with full desktop applications (thanks to an app called Astropad that allows me to mirror the laptop screen on the tablet through WiFi).
Only drawback: the two together are quite expensive and not as portable as a 2in1.
Another user without the need for a stylus as good as the Pencil, or maybe on budget, or whit more need for portability, would’ve found the Surface a much better option.
What Apple decided to do was instead create the best possible laptop and the best possible tablet, creating two products that are amazing in their respective categories ( the iPad Pro especially is a marvellous device), and can communicate egregiously thanks to the macOS + iOS integration.
Apart from the obvious choice between Microsoft and macOS , I think the potential customer should ask himself how good he needs his hardware to be: in my case, as an illustrator, I needed the best possible stylus ( and the Apple Pencil blows the competition out of the water, no argument here), so I decided to go for an iPad Pro and MBP and make them work together when I need to draw with full desktop applications (thanks to an app called Astropad that allows me to mirror the laptop screen on the tablet through WiFi).
Only drawback: the two together are quite expensive and not as portable as a 2in1.
Another user without the need for a stylus as good as the Pencil, or maybe on budget, or whit more need for portability, would’ve found the Surface a much better option.
Agreed this is the real comparison. 14" in a 13" form factor makes sense and it would be even better if it were 16:10 aspect ratio instead of 16:9.
I assume this is based on personal use, and not an Apple fan boy uninformed knee jerk reaction?
I dunno, I don't think Windows 10 is that bad when it comes to security. However, it is a mixed bag on reliability and hodge-podge feature-sets. The Spring Creator's update hasn't exactly been a good launch for MS either. Most of the other features and specs aren't all that valuable, IMO. Now that most machines get battery life in the 10+ hour range, I think that difference isn't much value either since usage will vary heavily over such a timespan. Gone are the days of sub-4-hour battery life on most all devices.
I do agree about the touchscreen/2-n-1 market not amounting to much. It's too hard to do well. Windows 10 has to compromise with oversize UI elements to accommodate touch, resulting in a bulky, screen-wasting experience when you use it as a desktop.
Can it even appeal to them? The hardware is pretty darn slow. Most people don't want laptop innards in a workstation for good reason.
It's a shame that MORON Tim Cook can't see the usefulness a touchscreen display provides at least SOME users (including those who USED to buy a Macbook Pro for just Windows even, but will no longer do so due to the lack of a touchscreen). Tim doesn't even like computers anymore. He likes tablets and phones. He's NOT the right person to be making those kinds of decisions. Even if it's not a combo iPad/Macbook, the touchscreen STILL would have uses for artists and Windows users. There's simply no good reason to not have one available, at the very least as an OPTION. I'm personally SICK of Apple constantly releasing SUBSTANDARD computer hardware just to shave a centimeter off the thickness. I want a good GPU and I want a touchscreen option. A touch STRIP is FRACKING USELESS by comparison!
Thing is, it should be boiling down to OS only in my opinion. It's Apple. They invented Computer and Smartphone. Edge should be trough different aspects of the product.
2-in-one would be convenient, so you don't need to build a separate device, while you an say the same for Apple.. "You must get a separate device just to use a tablet, because my laptop doesn't bend (unless you break it).."
Can't see many users doing that. They'll be issues on both sides. People just prefer the 'get up and go' without the fuss of MS.
If users could decide what options they wanted and how to disable stuff vs the easy method Apple does this for you, both OS's would be neck and neck.
NO!! I would not switch from my MBP to a surface and not many Mac users would.
I have been the continuous hype of Surface for years now and yet the numbers still seem relatively low. I just don't buy that these devices are serious competitors. That is not to say that they don't have nice features or are not worthy. It's just that hardware doesn't seem to be in Microsoft's wheelhouse.
If this were truly a transformative product it would be everywhere much like the original iPad or iPhone were within a relatively small period after their introduction.
I'm a skeptic.
I have been the continuous hype of Surface for years now and yet the numbers still seem relatively low. I just don't buy that these devices are serious competitors. That is not to say that they don't have nice features or are not worthy. It's just that hardware doesn't seem to be in Microsoft's wheelhouse.
If this were truly a transformative product it would be everywhere much like the original iPad or iPhone were within a relatively small period after their introduction.
I'm a skeptic.
I'm trying not to buy a new MBP workstation until 2019, but I won't lie - the Surface Book line is probably one USB-C/TB3 port away from getting my business unless Apple relents and actively supports eGPUs with Nvidia cards.
I love macOS and feel it is superior to Windows 10 for everyday, normal use, but I can't see spending $3K plus for a workstation that doesn't actively support Nvidia graphics cards, which have over 50% of the market share and are considered the top consumer cards available. It also doesn't help Apple's case when High Sierra broke both DisplayPort, just as I was researching monitors to buy, and removed Thunderbolt 1 and 2 support for eGPUs, just as I was looking to start playing with them on my 2011 MBP.
I'll (sadly) take the uglier and buggier Windows 10 computer that I have to devote a little more time to maintain, over a beautiful and streamlined MBP that has been purposely gimped.
I love macOS and feel it is superior to Windows 10 for everyday, normal use, but I can't see spending $3K plus for a workstation that doesn't actively support Nvidia graphics cards, which have over 50% of the market share and are considered the top consumer cards available. It also doesn't help Apple's case when High Sierra broke both DisplayPort, just as I was researching monitors to buy, and removed Thunderbolt 1 and 2 support for eGPUs, just as I was looking to start playing with them on my 2011 MBP.
I'll (sadly) take the uglier and buggier Windows 10 computer that I have to devote a little more time to maintain, over a beautiful and streamlined MBP that has been purposely gimped.
I have a Surface Book (first release version) from work and the thing hasn't been as good as I hoped. The hardware feels nice but there have been quite a lot of driver issues, UI scaling issues with some software (mostly resolved now). The battery life is awful - way less than it is advertised. Finally, the Surface Book I have is the highest spec model with max ram etc and it is very slow on battery. There must be some CPU throttling going on but I've found that CPU intensive tasks sometimes take an extremely long time when compared to other cheaper windows laptops with lower specs. If I had bought the machine myself, I would have been disappointed. Note - these issues may be resolved with Surface Book 2.
Initially I was thinking to switch to Surface Book but after my experience, I stuck with my Macbook Pro as my main machine.
Initially I was thinking to switch to Surface Book but after my experience, I stuck with my Macbook Pro as my main machine.
Golly, sorta sounds like the Mac Pro.
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[doublepost=1525741632][/doublepost]I think a weirdly biased review (favoring Microsoft landfill item). But I think I’ve figured out why: guy wishes to try to light a fire under Apple/Cook to rise out of slothful lethargy and get innovating with MacOS again.
One of Apple's biggest competitors in the laptop space is arguably Microsoft, with its line of portable, productivity-focused Surface Book machines. Microsoft in November released its newest product, the Surface Book 2, a 2-in-1 PC that has quite a few selling points to entice Apple customers.
In our latest YouTube video, we took a look at the 15-inch Surface Book 2 and compared it to the 2016 15-inch MacBook Pro across a number of categories including build quality and design, key features, and overall usage experience for someone in the Apple ecosystem.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Both the Surface Book 2 and Apple's most recent MacBook Pro models are powerful machines with some of the latest technology in processor and graphics cards, so modern apps, games, and other software features run well on either device.
The Surface Book 2 and the MacBook Pro are both well-built with attractive, eye-catching designs, but there are some major differences here. While the MacBook Pro is a traditional laptop with a display and attached keyboard, the Surface Book 2 is a 2-in-1 with a touch display that can be converted into a tablet.
Because of its 2-in-1 design, the Surface Book 2 has an usual hinged design that lets the display be folded backwards or disconnected from the keyboard entirely for use in a tablet mode. The MacBook Pro, meanwhile, has no touch screen and it is a unibody machine.
Microsoft's Surface Book 2 has a wealth of ports that are missing from the MacBook Pro, which only offers 4 USB-C ports (albeit with Thunderbolt 3). The Surface Book 2 has an SD card slot, a USB-C port, and two USB-A ports, something that Apple users unhappy with the MacBook Pro port situation will appreciate.
The Surface Book 2 may have a 3240 x 2160 touch screen display, but it has some faults compared to the MacBook Pro's 2880 x 1800 display. It's nowhere near as bright, and it's also not quite as crisp. As for the trackpad, the MacBook Pro wins out because of its large trackpad equipped with haptic feedback and support for multiple gestures. Trackpad is one area where PC laptops often lag behind Apple, and the Surface Book 2 is no exception.
When it comes to the keyboard, the Surface Book 2 has a softer keyboard that's not quite as clicky and solid as the keyboard of the MacBook Pro, but as we well know, the keyboard redesign on the 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro models has been receiving a lot of attention lately for reliability issues and its seemingly frequent failures, so the Surface Book 2 may have the edge here.
The aforementioned 2-in-1 tablet option for the Surface Book 2 is something Apple just can't compete with. You can press a key on the Surface Book 2's keyboard and pull the display right out of the keyboard to use it as a standalone touch-based tablet with the Surface Pen and the Surface Dial, both of which are ideal for creative tasks.
There are no input devices like a Surface Pen available for the MacBook Pro, and the main feature that it can boast over the Surface Book 2 is the Touch Bar, something that arguably does not get as much use as a 2-in-1 design.
The Surface Book 2 has a lot of perks that aren't available on Apple's MacBook Pro, but choosing to adopt the machine over an Apple device is still going to be difficult for those enmeshed in the Apple ecosystem. There's a lot of integration between macOS and iOS, and features like Continuity, Handoff, and iCloud will be missed if you're used to Apple devices. Certain software, like Final Cut Pro, is also limited to Apple's machines.
So which one is better? As with a lot of devices that are similar in specs, it's tough to say. It largely comes down to preference - do you want to use macOS or Windows? Most people in the Apple ecosystem likely won't want to give up macOS/iOS perks for the Surface Book 2's feature set, but those who don't use a lot of crossover functionality won't miss macOS as much.
If you're not tied to a specific operating system and don't mind mixing devices across different platforms, Microsoft's Surface Book 2 is absolutely worth considering as a powerful, capable machine that offers functionality you can't get in a MacBook Pro.
Would you switch from an Apple machine to the Surface Book 2? Let us know in the comments.
Article Link: Apple's MacBook Pro vs. Microsoft's Surface Book 2
I would Never, ever go back to Windows! But to upvote this Microsoft scrap metal is just bizarre, I think.
I did and really dont miss Apple at all.
Thanks for your snarky reply. Easy for large development teams at Apple, not for a single person.
I switched to Windows in January 2017. I don't spend much time maintaining Windows. It updates itself about once a month. I hit up HP 2x a year for firmware and drivers and it's been good.
My homebuilt machine has needed a little more TLC but that's because at first I needed to remember how to do it all and some poor choices by me. But now it's also rock solid and updates about once a month.
Just picked up a Surface Pro (m3 version) and it's that iPad Apple should have made. It works great so far.
As much as I hate to say it, MS and it's partners are hitting it out of the par as of late while Apple is fumbling at bat.
"Because of its 2-in-1 design, the Surface Book 2 has an usual hinged design that lets the display be folded backwards or disconnected from the keyboard entirely for use in a tablet mode."
This ^^^ is what Apple is getting wrong. I've used both Macs and Windows and well as other systems for 40 years. I like Macs. But I want the fold back, disconnect and touch screen. I want to run all my MacOS software on my tablet and all my iOS software on my Mac. They should be one and the same. There is no need to make any compromise to achieve this. The software and OS should simply maximize it's use of the available hardware. Microsoft is beating Apple big time with these features.
This ^^^ is what Apple is getting wrong. I've used both Macs and Windows and well as other systems for 40 years. I like Macs. But I want the fold back, disconnect and touch screen. I want to run all my MacOS software on my tablet and all my iOS software on my Mac. They should be one and the same. There is no need to make any compromise to achieve this. The software and OS should simply maximize it's use of the available hardware. Microsoft is beating Apple big time with these features.
As this review notes, these two machines are actually quite well-matched and, depending on your needs and tolerance for a different OS, could go either way. I always find it amusing that by far the best expression of Microsoft’s flawed-but-interesting idea of a hybrid tablet/laptop was only finally realised when ... it started making its own hardware. Apple copycats! 
The original version of the article missed the fact that the “USB-C” ports on the MBP are in fact TB3 ports, and still underplays their presence in the edited version. I fear the reviewer is significantly overlooking TB3 as the major selling point that it is — external GPU support, incredible data transfer speed, more powerful charging/video and versatility options ...
In addition I would argue that the superior Retina display (and in particularly its colour gamut, colour correction, and better brightness) are again bigger selling points for professionals (especially those who work with photos/video/artwork). I personally think the Touch ID and Touchbar are also a selling point, but then I’m one of those that finds the keyboard *more* productive than those with lots of travel (like the Logitech K480 I’m typing this on with my iPad).
The Surface Book 2, which I’ve used in a more limited fashion, also has some clear advantages — as the article fairly points out. For some (not me), the USB-A ports are an attraction, it’s a fine machine for running Windows on if you absolutely must, and while I loathe the idea of using touch on a notebook due to the bad angle, some will find that more useful than I do. The lack of great Windows tablets apps (that I’m aware of) is something of an issue; the touch component in current Windows apps mostly feels bolted-on (apart from some drawing apps). If I were ever persuaded to buy a Windows hybrid device, the Surface 2 Pro would likely be my first choice.
I do find it odd that you didn’t mention the starting price/specs of the two machines, since this is intended as a comparison/would-you-switch article. The 13-inch MBP starts at $1299 (no touchbar), while the Surface Book 2 is arguably less powerful (slightly) in everything but the graphics card, and yet costs $200 more in its base configuration. It’s also heavier by 10 percent, but it does offer the (expensive) option of upgrading to a quad-core processor. I think it comes down to graphics needs and OS preference as its main selling points, but I also think it is doomed to fare more poorly than it deserves due to what PC users will find a shockingly-high price tag.
The original version of the article missed the fact that the “USB-C” ports on the MBP are in fact TB3 ports, and still underplays their presence in the edited version. I fear the reviewer is significantly overlooking TB3 as the major selling point that it is — external GPU support, incredible data transfer speed, more powerful charging/video and versatility options ...
In addition I would argue that the superior Retina display (and in particularly its colour gamut, colour correction, and better brightness) are again bigger selling points for professionals (especially those who work with photos/video/artwork). I personally think the Touch ID and Touchbar are also a selling point, but then I’m one of those that finds the keyboard *more* productive than those with lots of travel (like the Logitech K480 I’m typing this on with my iPad).
The Surface Book 2, which I’ve used in a more limited fashion, also has some clear advantages — as the article fairly points out. For some (not me), the USB-A ports are an attraction, it’s a fine machine for running Windows on if you absolutely must, and while I loathe the idea of using touch on a notebook due to the bad angle, some will find that more useful than I do. The lack of great Windows tablets apps (that I’m aware of) is something of an issue; the touch component in current Windows apps mostly feels bolted-on (apart from some drawing apps). If I were ever persuaded to buy a Windows hybrid device, the Surface 2 Pro would likely be my first choice.
I do find it odd that you didn’t mention the starting price/specs of the two machines, since this is intended as a comparison/would-you-switch article. The 13-inch MBP starts at $1299 (no touchbar), while the Surface Book 2 is arguably less powerful (slightly) in everything but the graphics card, and yet costs $200 more in its base configuration. It’s also heavier by 10 percent, but it does offer the (expensive) option of upgrading to a quad-core processor. I think it comes down to graphics needs and OS preference as its main selling points, but I also think it is doomed to fare more poorly than it deserves due to what PC users will find a shockingly-high price tag.