Will Microsoft's new laptop compete with the MacBook?

While everyone was waiting for the Surface Pro 5 and Surface Book 2, Microsoft unexpectedly released a new laptop named Surface. This product, despite using Windows 10 S, has a very high price for an educational laptop. This laptop features a 13.5-inch display with a 3:2 aspect ratio. The display utilizes PixelSense technology to provide the best content viewing experience for its users. Microsoft has announced that the thickness of this laptop is 14.5 mm and its weight is 1.25 kg. The display supports Microsoft pens, although using a pen on a laptop with limited screen rotation is not very easy. Microsoft claims that with a single charge, this product can last up to 14.5 hours. To increase speed, this laptop uses SSD memory that can be expanded up to one terabyte. There are no conventional speaker slots on the body of this laptop, and sound is emitted from under the keyboard. Microsoft has used Alcantara material for the keyboard of this device, which can transmit sound, hence the speakers are placed under the keyboard. The Surface Laptop is sold by default with Windows 10 S and the Office suite, but users can upgrade the operating system to Windows 10 Pro for a fee. Windows 10 S is designed as the latest version of the Windows operating system focusing on the needs of education, schools, and educational institutions. The main difference between Windows 10 and Windows 10 S relates to how software is managed in these two versions of the Windows operating system. In Windows 10 S, users are limited to using software and games available in the Windows Store. Microsoft Edge is set as the default browser in Windows 10 S, and Microsoft restricts users from changing the default browser in this operating system. Microsoft has even imposed restrictions in the Edge browser. The default search engine in Edge and Internet Explorer browsers in Windows 10 S cannot be changed. The use of Windows 10 S is considered a weakness of this laptop by some experts, as Microsoft developed this OS for educational purposes and for low-cost laptops under $300, while the Surface laptop starts at around $1,000. However, there is an option to upgrade to version 10 Pro for $50. The RAM of this laptop can be changed from 4 to 16 GB and it uses the latest series of Intel i7 and i5 processors, although the speed of these processors is not very high. This device does not use a separate graphics processor but relies on Intel HD 620, which is another weakness of this device, as many laptops available on the market for around $1,000 have separate and powerful graphics processors. Some analysts consider this product a competitor to the MacBook or the 13-inch MacBook Pro. The 14.5 mm thickness, 1.25 kg weight, and 14.5-hour battery life make this device a strong competitor to the 13-inch MacBook Pro. The weight of the 13-inch MacBook Pro is about 1.37 kg, which is only 100 grams heavier than the Surface laptop. The MacBook weighs about 920 grams, which is about 300 grams lighter than the Surface. The Surface laptop features a 13.5-inch touchscreen with a resolution of 2256 x 1504 pixels and a density of 201 pixels per inch, while the MacBook Pro has a 13.3-inch display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels and a density of 227 pixels per inch, meaning the MacBook Pro has a slightly smaller screen but higher image accuracy. The MacBook also has a 12-inch non-touch display with a resolution of 2305 x 1440 pixels and a density of 226 pixels per inch. Despite the Surface laptop targeting the MacBook Pro and MacBook markets, an important point is the software-hardware compatibility. Many users believe that the hardware-software integration in Apple products is better than in Windows products. Additionally, it should be noted that Windows 10 S (used in the Surface laptop) has fewer capabilities than Windows 10 Pro. However, the MacBook Pro ultimately uses an i5 CPU, while the Surface uses an i7 model. The MacBook series also uses Intel's Core M CPUs, which are weaker than Intel's i series. Thus, on paper, the MacBook and MacBook Pro are weaker than the Surface in terms of hardware and data processing. Currently, in the US market, the base price for the MacBook Pro is $1500, the MacBook is $1300, and the Surface is $1000. In this competition, while the Surface may win in terms of price, the important point is that many users may look for another laptop other than the Surface if they choose the Windows operating system, as they can find much better hardware products in the market for the price of the Surface. Those who choose Mac software will likely not pay much attention to the weaker hardware of MacBooks compared to the Surface.