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Surface Book vs. the competition: Flagship laptops go head-to-head
And then there were three: with the introduction of the Surface Book, Microsoft has joined Apple and Google in offering a premium laptop that runs its own platform. But how does it stack up next to its rivals, the 13-inch MacBook Pro and the Chromebook Pixel? We've put the specs of each side by side to help you sort things out. As you'll soon see, the three only share a few things in common. They reflect the unique philosophies of their creators, whether it's Microsoft's fondness for tablets, Apple's preference for powerful (if conventional) laptops or Google's desire for lean-and-mean web machines.
MacBook Pro (13-inch) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Price | $1,499 to $2,699 | $1,299 to $1,799 | $999 to $1,299 |
Thickness | 22.8mm (0.9 inches) | 18mm (0.71 inches) | 15.3mm (0.6 inches) |
Weight | 728g (1.6 pounds) tablet only / 1.51kg (3.34 pounds) with keyboard | 1.58kg (3.48 pounds) | 1.5kg (3.3 pounds) |
OS | Windows 10 | OS X El Capitan | Chrome OS |
Display | 13.5-inch PixelSense touchscreen display | 13.3-inch IPS LCD Retina display | 12.85-inch touchscreen LCD |
Resolution | 3,000 x 2,000 (267 ppi) | 2,560 x 1,600 (227 ppi) | 2,560 x 1,700 (239 ppi) |
Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 16:10 | 3:2 |
Processor | Intel 6th-generation Core i5 or i7 | Intel 5th-generation Core i5 or i7 | Intel 5th-generation Core i5 or i7 |
Memory | 8GB to 16GB of RAM | 8GB to 16GB of RAM | 8GB to 16GB of RAM |
Graphics | Intel HD or NVIDIA GeForce | Intel Iris Graphics 6100 | Intel HD Graphics 5500 |
Storage | 128GB to 1TB SSD | 128GB to 1TB SSD | 32GB or 64GB flash storage |
Ports | 2 USB 3.0, SD card reader, Mini DisplayPort | 2 Thunderbolt 2, 2 USB 3.0, SD card reader, HDMI | 2 USB 3.0 Type-C, 2 USB 3.0 Type-A, SD card reader |
Front camera | 5MP | 720p FaceTime HD | 720p |
Rear camera | 8MP | NA | NA |
WiFi | 802.11ac | 802.11ac | 802.11ac |
Bluetooth | v4.0 | v4.0 | v4.0 |
Tablet mode | Yes | No | No |
Battery | 12 hours | 10 hours | 12 hours |
Accessories | Surface Pen | NA | NA |
