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General discussion

Is the Surface book a MBP killer?

Oct 6, 2015 12:52PM PDT

Specs seem to beat the MBP. Apple never uses discrete graphics in a 13" laptop.

Discussion is locked

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I assume MBP is MacBook Pro?
Oct 6, 2015 1:19PM PDT

I've never seen it abbreviated MBP, but I assume that's what you mean. I see MacBook Pros advertised for $999, and in the MS presentation today they said the Surface Book was $1499. Also this is a brand new product that's not even available 'till later this month, so I think it's premature to come to any conclusions at this point. That MS announcement had much more hype than detail IMO.

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I see MBP used alot.
Oct 6, 2015 7:43PM PDT
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Depends on many factors, including keyboard and touchpad
Oct 9, 2015 4:37PM PDT

I've seen plenty of Macs running Windows full-time because Macs are the gold standard for how a laptop keyboard and touchpad work. I've yet to use another laptop that has the right keyboard and touchpad as a Mac, and I've been through plenty of Windows laptops at work. I'm even using an Apple USB keyboard at work when my HP laptop is docked because it has the closest feel to my MBP keyboard. Touchpad is still an area that other laptop MFG's can't get close to either. I don't typically use a mouse when traveling with my MBP, but I go through mouse withdrawals when using my work laptops without my Logitech mouse.

So, Surface Book has a touchscreen, and touchpad shouldn't matter? Humans are creatures of habit, and many forget that touch is available many times. With the laptop with touch that I do use from time to time, I do forget about touch because it is not very good.

With that being said, I am interested in the Surface Book to see how it shakes up the Windows OEM market. Mac users for years have enjoyed a hardware and software combination that are very well matched and suffer much fewer issues than many Windows computers, and I see that Microsoft is heading in that direction, starting with the Surface lineup when first introduced. Personally, a Surface Book at home would only supplement my computing needs and not replace my trust MBP, since I have applications that are Mac only. I currently run an virtual instance in Windows for the 1 Windows app that I need, but there are times that I could travel with a Surface book and use the 1 Windows app and other tasks that really don't depend on one OS or the other (web browsing and e-mail), when I don't need the Mac apps.

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The XPS 13 and 15 are my idea of an Apple alternate.
Oct 9, 2015 4:48PM PDT
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Since Windows has yet to tackle infections head on.
Oct 6, 2015 1:24PM PDT

I'm going with not a killer yet.

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Some are claiming it's MS's first laptop.
Oct 6, 2015 4:46PM PDT

It doesn't look too far a step from the old Surface.

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Except this device
Oct 7, 2015 7:26AM PDT

gets added components when attached to the Keyboard. The Surface Pro keyboard is only a keyboard. The Surface book is 3 hours battery as a tablet and 12 as a laptop.

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Interesting article on ZDNET about Surface Book.
Oct 7, 2015 8:01AM PDT
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Well Edge is a step in the
Oct 6, 2015 7:15PM PDT

right direction since Flash and Java are tools for attacking Windows machines.

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Also the Surface book has aTMP chip
Oct 6, 2015 7:45PM PDT

for security.

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I don't see how that will stop folk from installing trojans
Oct 6, 2015 8:47PM PDT

And more.

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Well educating users
Oct 7, 2015 4:59AM PDT

would do more then MS could ever do.

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CNET compares them at link.
Oct 7, 2015 2:16PM PDT
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No, the Fanbois won't buy it.
Oct 10, 2015 6:22AM PDT

I've never bought Apple products and never will; I see them as over priced, form over function, at least in the Macbooks and iPhones. The phones are a classic illustration, 20% of smartphone sales, 83% of smartphone profits, very pretty though they may be.

But this is about Macbooks and Surfacebooks. To be a Macbook "killer", the Surfacebook would have to win over the Apple faithful - I really don't see there is enough in it to do that and would they be prepared to swap OS-X for Windows 10? I can't imagine so, Apple's record on the stability, consistency and security of OS-X far outweighs that of Windows.

In fact, I don't really see who the Surfacebook is aimed at, C-level executives, perhaps? As James Kendrick said in the ZDnet article, ITS price is its own killer - $1500 to nearly $3000 for the top configuration is hardly bargain territory. Too expensive for most consumers and probably not robust enough for general business and costing way more than current business laptops from Lenovo, HP and Dell, which are more robust to live up to everyday business use. Drop the price to $1000 to $2000 and that could change the picture.

As always, your mileage may vary!