With Apple releasing two ARM-powered MacBooks, and Microsoft’s iteration of the ARM-powered Surface Pro X, the two platforms are easily comparable as they both move away from the x86 architecture Intel. And if all you want is the highest possible benchmark output, this is a slam-dunk win for Apple.
But there will be times when Microsoft’s Surface Pro X is the right choice.
Microsoft Corp. has a hybrid tablet and laptop computer. Surface Pro X displayed during output … [+]
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Both devices target different computing styles. The MacBook Air is largely a traditional laptop, with a fixed keyboard, swivel screen, touchpad, or touchscreen. The Surface Pro X is essentially a 2-in-1 device, it’s built around tablet principles, with a thin and lightweight design fitted with a touch-screen (and yes, the affordable keyboard is expensive).
That’s not to say there isn’t a big turnaround in terms of usage issues for both devices, and I suspect that seventy percent of gamers could be performing equally well on the MacBook Air or the Pro X. .But the other thirty percent, the thirty percent that is specific to the situation, where each device has its own advantages.
The MacBook Air user will continue to tap into the available power, the full range of creative apps available on macOS, and the ability to bring with them a traditional computer. When you need a grunt of media creation, video editing, app development, or other heavy build tasks, Apple’s M1-equipped MacBooks are very attractive.
The Surface Pro X user is looking for a much more portable device with a different feature set. This is a tablet, but repaired with the extensive adoption of Windows 10. That opens up a wide range of apps either running as native ARM apps or under emulation. Adoption of advanced web apps increases the flexibility of the Pro X, and the introduction of 4G LTE support in the device is another key difference.
Microsoft tablet PC is less about power and more about mobility. Yes, there are times when the raw power of a computer is needed, but there are other times when a greater focus on mobility and connectivity is a key requirement. Benchmarks are not the only measure of a useful computer, and there will be times when the ARM-powered MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops are powered by the ARM-powered Surface Pro X.
The weaver for Microsoft is that Apple has an ARM tablet-based device that will challenge the Pro X… the iPad Pro delivers a portable device similar to a 4G LTE connection. It’s a different set of apps, which again play a big part in a user’s choice – will iPadOS provide the right tools or will the Windows 10 app library provide it?
There are situations where the iPad Pro is the right choice; where the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro is the right choice; and where the Surface Pro X is the right choice.
Context, not criteria, is important.
Now read the latest headlines from Apple in Forbes’ Apple Loop column …