Apple and Microsoft are going strong this fall. Both companies are trying to establish themselves as the benchmark at the top of the laptop market. This clash between the MacBook Pro with M3 processor and the Surface Laptop Studio 2 could not mark the 40 bettere anniversary of the rivalry between Mac and PC.
In fact, it was the arrival of the Macintosh 128K that took place in 1984. The launch left its mark thanks to an advertising campaign shot by director Ridley Scott and inspired by the novel 1984 by George Orwell. A year later, Microsoft launched the first version of its Windows system, whose graphical interface had strange similarities with that of the Mac.
40 years later…
The rivalry between the Mac and the PC was born. It experienced a second wind between 2006 and 2009 thanks to an Apple advertising campaign in the United States which left its mark. It returns this fall with the almost simultaneous launch of two laptops, each of which happens to be the standard bearer of what Apple and Microsoft do best.
Apple presented a new MacBook Pro, the main feature of which is its M3 processor, a third generation of computer chips designed internally by Apple based on an ARM architecture more common, until now, in small computer devices.
Microsoft for its part unveiled the Surface Laptop Studio 2, a laptop with an attractive technical sheet and whose most intriguing feature is its hinged touch screen which transforms the device into a simple monitor or a numeric keypad on which you can write, draw or scribble with fingers or a stylus.
The two machines have many differences, but have one thing in common: their price. A well-equipped MacBook Pro will save you $3,250. A comparable Surface Laptop Studio 2 costs $3,500.
So, who, Apple or Microsoft, will win this new duel at the top (of the price scale)? It obviously depends on what you’re looking for on your personal computer…
Apple MacBook Pro M3
The MacBook Pro comes in a 14-inch screen format and another with a 16-inch screen. This is already an important choice. The larger of the two is not very portable. The smallest one is, but it’s not particularly light. Your work bag better have a padded shoulder strap, otherwise your chiropractor will have to rearrange your shoulders occasionally.
The ideal equipment for this laptop is the M3 Pro chip with maximum RAM and good internal storage. The intermediate model with 1 terabyte under the hood should provide its buyer with a good decade of use. The M3 Max chip is a little beefier. In particular, it allows you to connect four external monitors to the Mac. The M3 Pro is limited to two external monitors. That’s enough.
Apart from this detail, the performance gain between any previous generation MacBook Pro and the MacBook Pro with M3 Pro chip is such that it makes the difference between an M3 Pro and an M3 Max almost trivial. Its display, sound system, and USB-C Thunderbolt ports set it apart. Its autonomy of 17 hours between two recharges and above all its standby autonomy of one week make it a very reliable laptop. And the money saved by avoiding opting for the most high-end one will be enough to buy an external monitor, or even an iPhone, why not, which becomes an excellent quality web camera when paired with a Mac.
Like the iPhone 15 Pro, moreover, this MacBook Pro with M3 chip makes Apple dream of the day when video game enthusiasts will consider its devices to replace their old PC. They certainly have the muscle. It is allowed to dream…
Surface Laptop Studio 2
The Surface range of personal computers deserves to be known. Microsoft seems to be using it to demonstrate that it is possible to design PCs that are something other than beige boxes. The Surface Laptop Studio is a seemingly classic laptop, but its 14.4-inch screen can be moved forward to hide the keyboard and turn it into a fairly versatile touchscreen media monitor. All that’s missing is the stylus.
The Surface Laptop Studio 2 is the more powerful, but also larger and heavier, revision of this model. It notably inherits two USB-C ports and a USB-A port. Its entry-level mechanics are ordinary. Doubling the RAM and storage, then swapping the base Intel Iris graphics card for a more powerful Nvidia card is expensive, but recommended. Multimedia tasks benefit greatly, including video editing, made easier thanks to a new free app included with Windows 11 called Clipchamp. It is similar to Apple’s iMovie application.
The Core i7 processor that Intel provides for the Studio 2 is 13e generation. Already, we know that the next generation will do better, especially artificial intelligence applications like Copilot, the new Windows 11 digital assistant inspired by GPT, from OpenAI. This is a downside.
In terms of portability, at almost 2 kilos, the Surface Laptop is not light either. In English, we say “ laptop » because we can fit it on our thighs. With its air intakes under the case, this laptop-that doesn’t make this position very natural. At least, we get between 16 and 18 hours of battery life per recharge, in addition to a few days of standby time.
In short, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 compares well with the MacBook Pro. It gains in versatility what it loses in raw performance. We will not resurrect the Mac-PC rivalry, but “Mac v. Surface” seems entirely appropriate.