Rumors about the Surface Pro 4 are expected to steam up after Microsoft announced Windows 10's summer release, as it's been previously suspected that the new version of the company's tablet may come equipped with the latest OS.
Some speculations have pit the device against rival tablet maker Apple's MacBook, announced earlier this month. This is mainly down to the fact that the Surface has been touted as a tablet that can work as a laptop. And the MacBook appears to share a number of similarities with the versatile Microsoft tablet PC.
So, which one is better? Could the upcoming Surface Pro edge out the MacBook specs-wise?
Since the former has not yet been released, it is quite hard to tell which device is truly superior, as most of the information about the soon-to-arrive tablet is based on rumors and leaks from more than one source. However, we can make our own predictions as early as now as to which device will trump the other, especially as the latest rumor to come off the mill said that there's good reason to believe the Surface Pro 4 may give Apple a run for its money.
As we now know, the MacBook is powered by a line of fifth gen Intel chips called Broadwell. However, it's said that the Surface Pro 4 will also reportedly be equipped with the new Broadwell chip, which is "a low power consuming processor that allows the battery of the device to last longer," according to International Business Times.
"The Broadwell chips support playback of 4K videos without the need of an additional graphics card. With Core M, the processor is available without a cooling fan," the site added.
However, it's also speculated that Microsoft's upcoming product may sport a newer Broadwell chip, called the Skylake, which is said to be released in the second half of 2015.
Further, the upcoming Surface tablet will reportedly come in two display sizes - 14 inches and 12 inches, which effectively pits it against the MacBook.
"The Apple notebook packs a 12-inch 2,304 x 1,440 pixel Retina display -- which has a marginal edge over the 2,160x1,440 in pixel count at similar density. Both devices pack 8 GB of low power memory and 256 GB of storage in the base model," said Daily Tech, comparing the MacBook and the Microsoft tablet.
"The MacBook starts at $1,299 (or $1,599 for a faster processor and double the storage), but you have to factor the dongles into the price equation, much as you have to factor the $129.99 keyboard cover into the Surface Pro 3's $699 USD introductory price point," the site went on to say.
Additionally, the Surface Pro may have a 16GB RAM and 1TB internal storage, while the MacBook "comes in two models, one configured with a 1.1-GHz Core M CPU, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, and the other with a 1.2-GHz CPU and a 512GB SSD," according to Ecumenical News.
It would appear the main point of contention will be the Pro 4's ability to act much like a laptop, which the MacBook essentially is. Although the former can indeed perform such functions, reviewers have noted that the Surface needs to improve its design so that there is more ease in using the keyboard in tandem with the tablet, which is a breeze with laptop models. If Microsoft can come out with a versatile version that can improve the computing experience, the device could be regarded as a threat to laptops, even with the likes of the MacBook.
What do you think?
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