In 2021, Microsoft woke up and chose brutal honesty.
In your last Surface Pro 7 ad (via MS Power User), the company spent 30 seconds listing all the ways it believes the 2 in 1 laptop is better than Apple’s MacBook Pro.
The video begins by chasing what many consider the MacBook Pro’s biggest weakness: the Touch Bar. Comparing it to the Surface Pro stylus and touchscreen features, the boy praising the device points out:
“The Surface comes with a stylus and it’s a touchscreen. The Mac gave me this little bar, but why can’t they just give me an entire touchscreen?”
It seems that Apple is aware of how terrible the Touch Bar feature is. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the company is planning to replace it with physical keys for the next 14 and 16 inch models.
Funny, the video does make it clear that your Surface pen doesn’t actually ship with Surface Pro, adding a notice that says “Pen and some apps sold separately.”
Microsoft points out that the Surface Pro also has a detachable keyboard. Meanwhile, with the MacBook, “you’re kind of stuck with what you have”. Of course, this is definitely the company’s way of highlighting how versatile the Surface is – with the option of switching between a laptop and a keyboard. But I can’t help thinking that it is also a small criticism of the MacBook Pro’s confused past with its problematic butterfly keyboard.
The video also addresses the power difference between the two devices, boasting that the Surface Pro “has the power to run all of your apps” and “is a much better gaming device”. (Editor’s note: This is debatable and depends a lot on what configuration you buy.)
To complete the jabs, Microsoft ends by reminding everyone how much cheaper their device is compared to the MacBook Pro.
The basic Surface Pro 7 model (with a 12.3-inch screen) starts at $ 749.99, but without the additional accessories like the stylus and keyboard. The 13-inch MacBook Pro, on the other hand, has a starting price of $ 1,299 for the M1 model (Apple’s internal chip) and $ 1,799 for the Intel model.
But if Microsoft’s new ad convinced you to choose Surface Pro 7 instead of MacBook Pro, it may be a good idea to wait – if you want the latest device, of course. According to rumors, we may see Surface Pro 8 sometime in 2021.
And it remains to be seen whether Apple has a comeback for Microsoft’s announcement. Anyway, all I can say for now is: Touché, Microsoft. Touché.