Microsoft Surface Laptop vs. MacBook Air Specs Comparison: Which Laptop Is More Valuable at $999?
Microsoft launched the Surface Laptop this week and it carries the same standard price as Apple's MacBook Air — $999. With that, it is worth asking which of the two devices is more valuable for the same amount.
When the Surface Laptop was announced, apart from its price tag, its slim and lightweight design clearly indicate that it is meant to give the MacBook Air direct competition. While the MacBook Air has been in the market for a couple of years now, it is still a good entry-level laptop with fairly high-end specifications. However, the Surface Laptop naturally gets more updated components.
What's the main difference?
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The main difference between the two laptops is definitely their processor. Though both brands use Intel chips, they are from different generations. Naturally, the MacBook Air uses an older 5th generation Intel processor while the Surface Laptop is packed with the latest 7th generation chips.
While both brands are thinner and lighter than typical laptops, there are some differences between the MacBook Air and the Surface Laptop in these areas, and they are in favor of the latter.
The MacBook Air weighs about 1.35 kilograms. Meanwhile, the Surface Laptop is lighter at 1.25 kg.
Since both laptops are designed to appeal as a thinner variant of computers, its dimensions are also worth noting. The Surface Laptop wins another round as its height measures 0.57 inches when the device is closed, while the MacBook Air comes in at 0.68 inches.
Specs on the $999 Variants
It is worth noting that the $999 price tag only gives the basic technical specs available on both laptops, so a fair comparison calls to primarily look at what goes into these laptops at the said price point.
For the MacBook Air, $999 would give consumers a laptop with a dual-core, 5th-generation Intel Core i5 chipset. It also comes with 8 GB memory and 128 GB flash storage. Meanwhile, for the same price, the Surface Laptop is powered by dual-core, 7th-generation Intel Core i5. While it has the same 128 GB storage, it has lesser memory at 4 GB.
The MacBook Air's processor is advertised to deliver a base speed of 1.6 gigahertz and a 2.7 GHz turbo frequency. Meanwhile, the 7th-generation Intel Core i5 normally has a base speed of 2.5 GHz and a turbo speed of as much as 3.1 GHz.
With that, both the Surface Laptop and the MacBook Air have their advantages and disadvantages over one another for the same price tag. It is then up to the consumers to decide on what area are they willing to compromise.
