New Surface Pro 4 Ad Compares Tablet PC With MacBook Air

[Abazigal]

A more accurate comparison is Surface Pro 4 to an equivalent Apple solution that costs and weighs 2x more since you have to buy a Macbook Pro 13" to get equivalent resolution and iPad Pro 12.9 + pencil + keyboard cover to get touch and pen inputs but still lack the integration.

"Two turkeys don't make an eagle."

In the same vein, an eagle doesn't make two turkeys for the people who don't want an eagle but instead want two turkeys.

 

[1041958]

A more accurate comparison is Surface Pro 4 to an equivalent Apple solution that costs and weighs 2x more since you have to buy a Macbook Pro 13" to get equivalent resolution and iPad Pro 12.9 + pencil + keyboard cover to get touch and pen inputs but still lack the integration.

"Two turkeys don't make an eagle."

"Two turkeys don't make an eagle."

Someone should have told MS this when they made the Surface Pro 4. A poor tablet and average PC all-in-one. Since it's useless as a tablet you'd be better off getting a nice ultra book, of which there are many to choose from.

 

[jm001]

Yeah, sure. Just pay TWICE the price for TWO devices when you can have it all in ONE machine... That only makes sense in Apple land.

Then again if something goes wrong with the Surface you can't use it at all. Whereas if you have a Mac and iPad you can still use one or the other. This is also why I don't like laptops and prefer a desktop. Never really had a use for the touch screen on a laptop or desktop.

 

[DevNull0]

In the same vein, an eagle doesn't make two turkeys for the people who don't want an eagle but instead want two turkeys.

So what you're saying is Surface if for people who want an Eagle, Apple is for people who want 2 Turkeys. At the price of 2 Eagles. Got it.

 

[SteveW928]

A hat for your cat *is* a touch-screen laptop! Sheesh.

But, Microsoft is onto something here. They just should have taken on the iPad Pro (and highlighted how it's non-file-system hampers it), not the MacBook Air. The Air is actually a pretty darn useful machine.

 

[Kiwikat88]

So Microsoft is comparing a tablet to a laptop? They should be comparing the iPad to their Surface Pro. But their only ads seem to be directed towards their main competitor. That shows how desperate they currently are for sales.

No, they are comparing a touchscreen laptop to a non-touchscreen laptop. It is a perfectly valid comparison, though the fairer comparison is against the Macbook, not the Air.

 

[SteveW928]

Not much different that the "Hi, I'm a Mac" ads Apple ran a number of years ago.

Actually, if memory serves, those ads highlighted some pretty real-world, and actual impactful, differences. What did the M$ ad highlight? Touchscreen and pen... something anyone who's actually thought about it for a few minutes *wouldn't* want on a laptop!

 

[jasonklee]

First the Zune. Then Windows Phone. Now the Surface. Microsoft is back, baby.

 

[rowspaxe]

Yeah, a better comparison would be the Surface Pro 4 vs the iPad Pro. The MBA is in a totally different class of computer.

Not following. Why is the MBA a "different class of computer"?
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The Tablet side of the Surface 4 has a 2-3 hour battery life.

A full laptop in a tablet meme needs to die.

You are thinking of the Surface Book.

 

[spinedoc77]

But Microsoft is making some money, Office for Mac is pretty popular 🙂 I think it shows that Microsoft thinks that the public thinks that Macs are the best computers you can buy. So it makes sense to position the Surface as an even better computer. It's more psychology than pure finance. Maybe Microsoft thinks that by saying they're "Even better than Mac", they can also grab sales from Toshiba, Lenovo, Dell, HP, etc. since by extension they'd be "better" than them as well.

MS is making money off the surface line as well. But I think rather than what you say, they are advertising FOR the other oems. MS cares more about sales of their cloud and subscription services than hardware sales.

 

[SteveW928]

First the Zune. Then Windows Phone. Now the Surface. Microsoft is back, baby.

Unfortunately, it will be funny until Apple sinks low enough to join them (which is rapidly underway).

The sad part is that M$ probably spent actual money to have that ad produced.

 

[Ken Linger]

Can MS make an ad without comparing themselves to Apple?

Why? Apple did it a lot in the early 2000's.

Advertising 101: the leader NEVER compares themselves to anyone. Doing so just reminds the potential market that there are alternatives. Brands not #1 compare viciously. Apple did/does it when comparing PCs to Macs but not iPhone to Samsung or other Android-based phones. Look at today's ads: Samsung's primary marketing directive is "better than iPhone." Whether it is or not, they're going after the people that want an iPhone simply because its an iPhone.

Historically, look at the telecom ads, also from the 90s (everyone compared to AT&T how they were cheaper, higher quality, etc.). Never saw an AT&T ad comparing themselves to MCI or Sprint. McDonalds doesn't compare themselves to Burger King. Hertz doesn't compare themselves to Avis. The list is huge.

 

[avanpelt]

I think this is the first time I've heard someone call the MacBook Air "heavy".

 

[merkinmuffley]

Screen resolution is better, the pen is nice touch. Better, I'm not sure. The application ecosystem on the Surface is not up to what is available on the Mac. All I use these portable devices for is photography on the road, quickly culling and sharing photos. The Mac makes this a painless process, on the Surface it can be done but it's a real PIA.

 

[mi7chy]

It's easily debated why having 2 devices is better though. I wouldn't pair the macbook with a 13" ipad pro, but with a 9.7" pro you have 2 discreet screens that can also work together, you have a really thin light long battery life device if you just want to do "tablet" things, you have a more comfortable and robust laptop to do "laptop things" at the same time, you have a superior keyboarding and trackpad experience, etc. It's a more expensive solution, sure, but easily better than a hybrid compromise in a lot of situations. Id rather grab the device that does a smaller number of things at 100% suitability than grab one device that does both things at 50% suitability, so to speak. But I can also see the draw of having a single device. There's no clear winner for everyone here.

The trend is towards consolidation. Nobody carries a dumb phone plus stand-alone GPS anymore when a smartphone with Google Maps is a superior single device solution. Same reason iPad plus Macbook is obsolete since iPad can only run blown up phone apps and Macbook lacks pen and touch inputs. There's no reason Apple can't make a comparable Surface Pro device running MacOS other than greed with making you buy two turkeys. Apple will eventually give in like reversing its stance on phablet, stylus, etc. but 4 to 5 years behind the competition.

 

[pat500000]

"Are you from MS?"
"(gulp) Uh...y..yeah...."
-Terminator music-

 

[MacBH928]

This is more of an Apple ad than Microsoft ad.

With 80%+ share of the total computer market, why are you even comparing yourself to Apple?

I think its time for a new competitor to enter the market and spice up the computer OS world, and the only company that can do that is Google.

 

[bobob]

A more accurate comparison is Surface Pro 4 to an equivalent Apple solution that costs and weighs 2x more since you have to buy a Macbook Pro 13" to get equivalent resolution and iPad Pro 12.9 + pencil + keyboard cover to get touch and pen inputs but still lack the integration.

"Two turkeys don't make an eagle."

Note to self: Turn down mi7chy's invitation to Thanksgiving dinner this year.

 

[imageWIS]

Competition is good for Apple. Heck, maybe they'll even innovate.

My ass.

 

[NufSaid]

I have a surface pro 3 and despite being the mid grade version....it is quite aweful for a $1000 laptop.

The surface is running windows 10 which tries to be a tablet friendly software but it just falls short. Updates and firmware issues to fix massive overheating issues as well as the general slowness make me loath to pick it up.

The iPad pro? In my hands constantly. I use it extensively for a whole bunch of reasons.


The danger here is "why is the surface better than the Macbook?" touchscreen.
Sept 6th, they announce touch screens...ooops

(This is theoretical but shows how weak the comparison....you can touch our screen so it is better.)
Microsoft will last a long time which is amazing since their great ideas never get marketed right but they spend a fortune promoting windows phones and zunes.

 

[1041958]

The trend is towards consolidation. Nobody carries a dumb phone plus stand-alone GPS anymore when a smartphone with Google Maps is a superior single device solution. Same reason iPad plus Macbook is obsolete since iPad can only run blown up phone apps and Macbook lacks pen and touch inputs. There's no reason Apple can't make a comparable Surface Pro device running MacOS other than greed with making you buy two turkeys.

Except the Surface Pro 4 is the turkey. Half-assed tablet and half-assed laptop does not add up to a full ass.

 

[thekeyring]

The Mac vs PC ads showed up Microsofts failings. For example, the virus mess on Windows.

These ads seem to accuse the MacBook Air of failing in areas it doesn't try to compete in. Why don't they compare the surface to the iPad Pro?

 

[Mrjoedot]

Mac runs more smoothly than Windows for me

 

[aUniqueName]

I've owned 2 surface pros and Id rather just have an iPad (pro) tablet. If I need the power of a full desktop OS, I am gonna use a macbook pro which blows the doors off of a surface, touchscreen or no.

This ad basically just says "this surface has a touch screen and pen and your macbook doesnt". Might as well do a video showing "this macbook can answer calls from your iphone, send and receive text messages and has a universal clipboard between your devices and your surface doesnt - touch that Microsoft...". Its an apples to oranges comparison.

BTW, I used to be a full on windows guy until I tried the Mac ecosystem last year for the first time (mac computer, iphone and an ipad). With features like Continuity (microsoft has nothing like this) and the fact that nobody makes apps for the windows phone, going full apple ecosystem is a no brainier.

The coolest thing Microsoft has is HoloLens and its not gonna be a retail product for a couple years still. Id love to see a "Apple Glass" AR device - that would be the greatest thing ever. Think about walking through an amusement park (like disneyworld or similar) and the Apple Glass showing you an overhead map with all the rides and attractions, giving you your current location while you are walking around... or you are driving and the Apple Glass is showing you directions with an overhead map as you drive - no more looking down at your iPhone or in dash GPS.

 

[richorlin]

Comparing a table to a laptop? Don't be ridiculous! Two completely different animals. A fairer comparison would be between Surface Pro 4 and the 12.9" iPad Pro.
I've used both and it's painful using a desktop OS like Windows 10 on a tablet. At least iOS was built from the ground up for tablet use.