Microsoft plays up the Surface’s touch screen, detachable keyboard, included pen and ability to run a full version of Microsoft Office. And according to Microsoft’s data, the newest Surface is 50 percent faster than the 13-inch Macbook Air. Microsoft has billed its Surface Pro 4 as a replacement for a traditional laptop, and calls the MacBook “slower, heavy and a bit square.” To be fair, the very old Air isn’t Apple’s best portable laptop; it’s the newer 12-inch MacBook, which lasts longer on a charge than the Surface Pro 4. The Surface Pro 4 starts with a sluggish Core m3 chip, but you can get it with a faster Core i5 or Core i7 processor. The newer 12-inch MacBook also starts with a Core m3 processor and has an optional Core m5 CPU and Core m7 CPU. Comparing the Surface Pro 4 and keyboard combination vs. the Macbook Air, the Surface setup costs $1,028.99 while the 13-inch Air costs $999. When used just as a tablet, without a keyboard, the Surface Pro retails for $899, while the cheapest iPad Pro costs $599. However, when you add a keyboard and Apple Pencil to the iPad Pro, its price rises to $847. Apple is expected to launch a new MacBook Pro this fall with a 7th generation Intel Core CPU, thinner design and OLED touch panel, but for now the aging Air is a pretty easy target for Microsoft.
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