Macbook Pro vs Surface Pro 3

[Exoduso]

Convince me either way. I don't need a laptop for gaming but my 5 year old macbook pro has decided to say its final words and die on me tonight (ironically, I purchased it on Black Friday exactly 5 years ago).

I mostly need it for misc. stuff, school work, work, etc. They end up costing about the same, and I'm getting pretty fed up with Apple's shit staying the same year after year without them even trying to put a remote effort into trying to change things for the better... then again it was a very reliable piece of hardware for a very long time.

Throw your opinions here, and if there's a 3rd option that I'm clearly missing out on please feel free to let me know.

[Tymon]

Macbook Pro

+(Slightly) better screen
+Larger screen
+Superior hardware, can play most games even on lowest spec model
+Far better keyboard
+Best touchpad on the market
+Objectively better OS experience
-Less battery life
-Thicker (slightly)
-No touchscreen
-Substantially more expensive

Surface Pro 3
+Touchscreen
+Thinner, more portable
+More battery life
+Objectively more accessible with Windows 8.1 than OSX Yosemite
+Significantly cheaper
+Not a gaming machine at all, won't play much of anything other than app-games
-Keyboard is very poor
-Touchpad is meh

If you have the money and want a laptop, go with the MBP I would say. You can remove OSX if you really want to, and it's about the best built laptop you'll find.

Surface Pro 3 is a really awesome professional device for people that really need something they can access anywhere. But if you're a desktop user that just needs something to load up when not at home, you may be better off with the MBP.

[The Stig]

To add to the above list:

Surface Pro 3
+ A memory card slot for 128gb SDs! On Mac you won't get that!
- Keyboard attachment thing costs $100 on top I believe, or more

Nothing to say about the Mac book Pro besides the memory card slot lol (if it's important to you)

[Gustave]

Macbook Pro

+(Slightly) better screen
+Larger screen
+Superior hardware, can play most games even on lowest spec model
+Far better keyboard
+Best touchpad on the market
+Objectively better OS experience
-Less battery life
-Thicker (slightly)
-No touchscreen
-Substantially more expensive

Surface Pro 3
+Touchscreen
+Thinner, more portable
+More battery life
+Objectively more accessible with Windows 8.1 than OSX Yosemite
+Significantly cheaper
+Not a gaming machine at all, won't play much of anything other than app-games
-Keyboard is very poor
-Touchpad is meh

If you have the money and want a laptop, go with the MBP I would say. You can remove OSX if you really want to, and it's about the best built laptop you'll find.

Surface Pro 3 is a really awesome professional device for people that really need something they can access anywhere. But if you're a desktop user that just needs something to load up when not at home, you may be better off with the MBP.

We have a few Surface demos at work. I'm impressed with the SP3 running Windows 10 Tech Preview. Its everything you would want in a professional device. I'm looking forward to chromecast + whiteboard app with the stylus.

[orinthia]

Been seeing a lot of decent deals on macbooks and surface pro 3, both around $900-$1k. Likely both on the lower end of their models, but both are pretty great for their uses. The surface pro has more utility if you have or run things that might want the pen or touch and is smaller if you need the size. I'm pretty jealous of my brother's surface pro 2 as is, great machine, but I wouldn't have paid what he did to sup it up lol. Maybe check out razor tablets if they're similarly priced, just keep in mind that intel's integrated isn't horrible if you stay at 720p (which looks fine at 12").

Macbooks, you know already are solid machines, and the price on them at some places is pretty good (black friday/etc pricing). Just depends on how you want to use the machine really, you've got lots of options.

[bungiefan]

If you are an artist, Surface Pro 3 has a pen and a digitizer in the screen, so you can draw with pressure sensitivity.

[Omniyoji]

If you are an artist, Surface Pro 3 has a pen and a digitizer in the screen, so you can draw with pressure sensitivity.

^ This actually works really well. I was impressed when I tried this feature out. Also note taking is pretty good if you're into that for school (OneNote). I really like the retina macbook pro but because the Surface is a tabtop, it's a lot more flexible and is therefore more useful. If I were to choose now between the two and money wasn't an option I'd honestly go with the Surface. Maybe if there was such a thing as a retina mac air, then it'd be close.

+Not a gaming machine at all, won't play much of anything other than app-games

Don't you mean minus? lol

[Isiolia]

To add to the above list:

Surface Pro 3
+ A memory card slot for 128gb SDs! On Mac you won't get that!
- Keyboard attachment thing costs $100 on top I believe, or more

Nothing to say about the Mac book Pro besides the memory card slot lol (if it's important to you)

Macbook Pros have an SDXC slot. Airs don't, but the Pros do.

[Hellfury]

I'm really enjoying the Surface Pro 3 myself, haven't done any gaming on it yet (have the "weak" i7 version). Does your general ecosystem support both models? Are the tools you need available for both platforms? If so, you can't really go wrong as such..

[The Stig]

Macbook Pros have an SDXC slot. Airs don't, but the Pros do.

wow. does this mean future apple devices like the phone and tablet will house one too?

[Darus Grey]

Macbook Pros have an SDXC slot. Airs don't, but the Pros do.

Airs have them too.

[Isiolia]

wow. does this mean future apple devices like the phone and tablet will house one too?

Doubt it. They've just been fairly common on Macs for a while now due to photography I assume. iMacs and Mac Minis have them too.

Airs have them too.

Ah, you're right, 13" Airs do have them. 11" don't, which is what I was looking at.

[BadKarma]

Picked up a Pro 3 recently.

Can confirm I can play LoL, WoW and FFXIV without the thing catching fire.

[The Stig]

What settings for FFXIV and WoW?

I'm aware LoL can run on anything, but the above 2 I'm curious about. Is FFXIV FPS like the one shown in the above linked video?

[BadKarma]

What settings for FFXIV and WoW?

I'm aware LoL can run on anything, but the above 2 I'm curious about. Is FFXIV FPS like the one shown in the above linked video?

On low I can maintain a steady 35fps

Wow can be run on medium for about 40fps in dungeon or ashran

[BadKarma]

I mean I'm not going to be doing anything heavy on this, for wow it'll just be for doing garrison work on the go.

I have my desktop for raiding and such

[shepardG]

have a surface pro 2. its a year old this month . best tablet ive ever owned. use it religiously.