In 2021, Microsoft will wake up and choose cruel honesty.
In its latest ad for the Surface Pro 7 (via MS Power User) the company spent 30 seconds on all the ways it believes the 2-in-1 laptop is better than Apple’s MacBook Pro.
The video starts by looking at what many consider the MacBook Pro’s biggest weakness: the Touch Bar. Comparing it to the Surface Pro’s stylus and touchscreen capabilities, the young boy praising the device points out:
“The Surface comes with a pen and it’s a touch screen. Mac gave me this little bar, but why can they not just give me a whole touch screen?”
However, it seems that Apple is aware of how awful the Touch Bar feature is. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the company plans to replace it with physical keys for the upcoming 14-inch and 16-inch models.
Funny enough, the video do makes it clear that his Surface pen is not actually guided with the Surface Pro, by adding an indemnity that reads “Pen and some programs sold separately.”
Microsoft points out that the Surface Pro also has a removable keyboard. Meanwhile, with the MacBook, “you just hold on to what you have.” Of course, this is definitely the company’s way of emphasizing how versatile the Surface is – with the option to switch between a laptop and a keyboard. But I can not help but think that it is also a slight joke in the messy past of the MacBook Pro 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 make all your apps work” and “is a much better gaming device.” (Editor’s note: this can be discussed, and depends a lot on the configuration you buy.)
To round off the jabs, Microsoft ends by reminding everyone how much cheaper the device is compared to the MacBook Pro.
The base model Surface Pro 7 (with a 12.3-inch screen) starts at $ 749.99, but it is without the additional accessories such as the stylus and the keyboard attachment. The 13-inch MacBook Pro, on the other hand, starts at $ 1,299 for the M1 model (Apple’s internal chip) and $ 1,799 for its Intel model.
But if you’ve sold out by choosing Microsoft’s new ad for the Surface Pro 7 over the MacBook Pro, it might be a good idea to quit – if you want the latest device. According to rumors, it is possible that we could see the Surface Pro 8 at some point in 2021.
And whether Apple has a return for Microsoft’s ad remains to be seen. Regardless, all I can say for now is: Touché, Microsoft. Touched.