Microsoft. Remember them?
They made Windows, got themselves into almost every home and office in the world and then, after a few decades of mixed decisions (Xbox - great, Windows 8 - woeful), became the underdogs of the tech world.
On 6 October, they put together a press conference that looked to shrug off this lower order status.
Alongside a flurry of new smartphones and hybrids was this - the Surface Book.
In this slither of tech is Microsoft's vision of future computing - a device that can be a proper tablet and a proper laptop at the same time.
The former king of PCs wasn't shy in its ambition, openly comparing the new Surface Book to the current hardback champion - Apple's MacBook Pro.
Here's how the two line up.
| Surface Book | MacBook Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Starting at $1,499 | Starting at $1,299 |
| Touch Screen | Yes | No |
| Processor | Intel Core i5 or i7 | Intel Core i5 or i7 |
| RAM | 8GB or 16GB | 8GB or 16GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB SSD | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB SSD |
| Battery Life | Up to 12 hours | Up to 10 hours |
| Resolution | 3,000 x 2,000 | 2,560 x 1,600 |
| USB Ports | 2x USB 3.0, full-size SD card reader | 2x USB 3.0 |
| Stylus | Yes | No |
In short - you've got a more powerful, more versatile offer in the Surface Book, for a few more monies than the Macbook Pro.
Let us know your preferred option below.
[Via: Microsoft]
| Surface Book | MacBook Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Starting at $1,499 | Starting at $1,299 |
| Touch Screen | Yes | No |
| Processor | Intel Core i5 or i7 | Intel Core i5 or i7 |
| RAM | 8GB or 16GB | 8GB or 16GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB SSD | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB SSD |
| Battery Life | Up to 12 hours | Up to 10 hours |
| Resolution | 3,000 x 2,000 | 2,560 x 1,600 |
| USB Ports | 2x USB 3.0, full-size SD card reader | 2x USB 3.0 |
| Stylus | Yes | No |
