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Microsoft Launches New Holiday Ad Comparing Surface Pro 3 to MacBook Air

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Microsoft yesterday launched the latest in its series of ads comparing the Surface Pro 3 to Apple's MacBook Air. The new ad, entitled "Winter Wonderland", compares and contrasts the two machines to the jingle of the Christmas melody.

The ad's predominant assessment of the Surface Pro 3 is how powerful the device is in comparison to the MacBook Air, offering similar performance while also supporting pen input. Microsoft also highlights the use of the Surface Pro 3's kickstand and touch screen as major advantages over the MacBook line, as the Microsoft user in the ad goes about using the Surface to design a Christmas-themed coffee mug. Finally, the ad highlights the Surface Pro 3's ability to detach from its magnetic keyboard for easy travel and its robust array of ancillary ports, such as its USB port. "I think I like your Surface Pro 3," the MacBook Air user states at the ad's end. "No seriously, where can I get one?"

Since the Surface Pro 3 was announced this past May, Microsoft has released several ads comparing the device to Apple's line of MacBooks. Back in August, the company released a series of ads sizing up the MacBook Air with the Surface Pro 3 for the first time, most likely for the then-impending back-to-school rush. Microsoft has also pitted the MacBook Air against Lenovo's Yoga 3 Pro in another ad released earlier this month.

All of the ads unsurprisingly position the Microsoft product as offering more versatility and a wider array of functionality compared to the MacBook Air. None of this is new, of course, as Apple and its products have long been popular targets in ads from a number of competitors including Microsoft, which has in the past compared its Cortana virtual assistant to Siri and the Surface RT to the iPad.

Article Link: Microsoft Launches New Holiday Ad Comparing Surface Pro 3 to MacBook Air
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/11/17/surface-pro-3-holiday-ad-macbook-air/
Why does MacRumors always feel the need to give free advertising to Apple competitors?
 
I know the OS is the key differentiator here, but it's hard to ignore the versatility of the Surface.

Prior superiority won't be enough to keep Apple on top forever. We need some new ideas.
 
The one thing that no one seems to get is that OSX is the reason I use Apple products. I don't care if it flips backwards.
 
I think the comparison is kind of dumb, but I do hope that it moves Apple toward an optimized OSX tablet in the near future. Do your magic Apple! :D
 
I like the surface, wouldn't get one yet, but it doesn't make sense why they compare it to a laptop and still call it a tablet and laptop... However, you can't put it on your lap and type, just like any other common laptop.
 
not the device for me

I tried the SP3 in a Microsoft store - while it's a very interesting device and certainly some people very much like it, however it's not for me. I do like the fact that it runs full x64 Windows.

But it's felt like...a device built of compromise. I prefer the built in keyboard.
 
Yes OSX is primary reason to stick to apple.
No.2: Build quality
No.3: 2 USBs

I own the surface pro 2, use it for playing Rise of Nations only! For Everything else, Macbook Airs
 
I thought calling out competitors was never a good marketing strategy. I for one thought the mac vs pc ads were always garbage, glad they're rid of those. Any time I see a company comparing itself to another company I can only think of how the company comparing themselves against the current leader feels jealous of their success. Then when I think of why they're successful I feel it must be because that product truly is better. These types of ads only make me feel like the macbook air is a more solid and better product, not the other way around.
 
awer25 said:
The one thing that no one seems to get is that OSX is the reason I use Apple products. I don't care if it flips backwards.
Click to expand...

Yep. AND .... i ALSO don't care about a retina display. I love my 2011 hires macbook pro 15" with 16GB Ram and 1 TB SSD ... Srsly those "old" books are too good to be replaced with a EUR 3000 retina book that is only maybe 10% faster, while the "plus" factor from a retina display is evened out because it is glossy ...
 
christarp said:
I thought calling out competitors was never a good marketing strategy. I for one thought the mac vs pc ads were always garbage, glad they're rid of those. Any time I see a company comparing itself to another company I can only think of how the company comparing themselves against the current leader feels jealous of their success. Then when I think of why they're successful I feel it must be because that product truly is better. These types of ads only make me feel like the macbook air is a more solid and better product, not the other way around.
Click to expand...

But i think with these ad's MS is emphasizing that Apple makes the best Laptop and their Tablet can replace the laptop altogether. Not comparing Apple to apples.
 
The surface: a not so great tablet combined with a not so great laptop with one OS that tries to be desktop and touch friendly equals one frustrating experience.

While a 2 in 1 may be the future, I think a better solution is a device with 2 different OSes. Detach the screen and it becomes and iPad. Attach the screen and it becomes a Mac with a real keyboard, trackpad, etc. It'd be like handoff on steroids.
 
Notice how they compare their tablet to a notebook and don't dare compare it to iPad Air 2?
 
Is that a kickstand?
MacBooks don't need one.

Is that a flimsy MS keyboard?
Yes it is one.

Is that the ugliest piece of embarrassing hardware to carry around?
Yup yup yup... yup!
 
munakib said:
But i think with these ad's MS is emphasizing that Apple makes the best Laptop and their Tablet can replace the laptop altogether. Not comparing Apple to apples.
Click to expand...

I guess that idea is one to consider, albeit one that takes a bit of thinking. If that is the message they're trying to get across (and now that you mention it I agree with you) then it's not very effective as I missed the general idea of it the first go around.
 
creanium said:
Why does MacRumors always feel the need to give free advertising to Apple competitors?
Click to expand...

Because MacRumors is in the business of getting us to revisit the site and click stuff. This requires emotional responses on our part. What makes us emotional, specifically this customer segment?
 
I don't get it. Did Microsoft give up on calling the Surface a tablet, are they trying to say that tablets should be more like notebooks, or do they think people want tablets that behave more like notebooks? Why expect to show the Surface in fold out form next to a Macbook and have people instantly think, "What a great tablet. This is no shape or form a laptop, which I'm no longer buying."

I mean, to the typical consumer the Surface just looks like another notebook in this ad. In which case tablet customers are foregoing the Surface and are heading straight to the iPad or Samsung Note section.
 
I have many people say that the iPad is great for consuming media and information while the Surface Pro 3 is great for creating media and information. For myself, I would have to agree with that. Being able to run real-world apps on a tablet like device is pretty nice.

I have used both the Surface Pro 2 and the 3, they are great devices!

-P
 
Microsoft does fail to mention that the keyboard and the pen are both add on, to bring it up to comparable specs to the 11 inch MacBook air is $1178 while the MacBook air starts at $899 So, I could get a MacBook air and a new iPad mini for the price of the advertised Surface Pro.
 
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