Microsoft Surface 3 vs Macbook Air 2015 Specs, Price Comparison: Microsoft Budget Laptop/Tablet Holds Its Ground
Microsoft designed the Surface 3 to be the budget version of the Surface Pro 3 but that doesn't mean that the laptop/tablet hybrid doesn't have the specs or design to take on Apple's MacBook Air 2015. In fact with the addition of its Type Cover, the Surface 3 transforms itself into a capable laptop with an attractive price.
Design
The two devices are visually very different as the MacBook Air 2015 has a physical keyboard attached to it while the Surface 3 does not have one. In addition, the Surface 3 has a kickstand, which comes in handy when the device is attached to its Type Cover and used as a laptop. In terms of material used in their build, the Surface 3 is made from magnesium while the MacBook Air has an aluminum body. Physically the Surface 3 is lighter and smaller than the MacBook Air even with its Type Cover attached.
Display
The display on the MacBook Air 2015 does not have a touch-screen feature unlike that of the Surface 3. The MacBook Air 2015 display measures 11.6 inches compared to the 10.8 inches of the Surface 3. Morever, the latter accepts input from a Surface Pen, which can be purchased for $50. The Surface 3 has a resolution of 1920 x 1280 pixels and a density of 214 pixels per inch, while the MacBook Air 2015 has a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels and a density of 135 pixels per inch. A 13.3-inch MacBook Air 2015 version is also available.
Specs
There is a big difference in terms of specs between the two devices as the MacBook Air 2015 comes with a dual-core Intel Core i5 processor clocked at 1.6 GHz, with an option to upgrade it to Core i7 processor. As for the Surface 3 it has an Intel Atom x7 processor clocked at 1.6 GHz.
Memory
The base model of the MacBook Air 2015 has 128 GB internal storage compared to the 64 GB available on the starting Surface 3 model. However, the Surface 3 has a memory slot which its competitor does not have. As for RAM, the starting model of the Surface 3 has 2 GB RAM while its 128 GB onboard storage model comes with 4 GB. Compared to this, the MacBook Air 2015 either has 4 GB or 8 GB RAM.
Cameras
The Surface 3 has two cameras like many tablets (8 megapixel at the rear and 3.5 megapixel at the front) while the MacBook Air 2015 has one 720p web camera.
Price
With the price of a Type Cover and Surface Pen added on, the 64 GB Surface 3 costs $680 while the 128 GB MacBook Air 2015 costs $900.
