Microsoft Surface Laptop vs. 2017 Apple MacBook: The Choice Is Easy

Apple announced a series of upgrades to the MacBook lineup at WWDC, including Kaby Lake chips that are supposed to bring its laptops in line with the ones offered by competitors, including Microsoft, which is becoming a more active player in the hardware industry.

Microsoft has recently launched the more conventional Surface Laptop, a device that, unlike other Surface models, does not feature a detachable keyboard and which is competing directly against Apple’s MacBook. So with this hardware upgrade, the Surface Laptop just got a new rival.

The hardware comparison

First of all, the display. The 2017 MacBook comes with a 12-inch screen with a resolution of 2304x1440 pixels and 226 PPI and 16:10 aspect ratio, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop features a bigger 13.5-inch display with 2256x1504 pixel resolution, 201 PPI and 3:2 aspect ratio.

The top-of-the-range Surface Laptop is powered by an Intel Core i7 processor, and so is the case of the new MacBook as well, with both models running on Intel’s 7th Generation chips codenamed Kaby Lake. In both cases, the chips can be paired to a maximum of 16GB RAM.

For storage, the best you can get in the case of the new MacBook is 512GB SSD, and the same capacity is being offered on the Surface Laptop as well. In terms of graphics, Microsoft offers the i7 configuration with the Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, while the best MacBook comes with the Intel HD Graphics 615.

The MacBook is offered with just a single USB-C port, which can be used for anything including charging, VGA, HDI, or DisplayPort output, while the Surface Laptop offers many more options, such as USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort, Surface Connect, and a headphone jack.

Pricing is what makes the Apple MacBook a better choice: the top configuration that includes the specs mentioned above can be yours for $1,599, while the most powerful Surface Laptop is available with a $2,199 price tag.