Technology feels like an incredibly personal thing. I’ve used an Apple computer since my first computer. I got my first MacBook in 2006 and have continued to use a Mac OS ever since. I’ve had one MacBook and three different MacBook Pros since 2006.
Image Courtesy of Microsoft
I won’t say my transition to Windows has been a fast one, or even a smooth one. It’s been about two and a half years in the making… The Surface first peaked my interest in 2014 while going for my under grad when my MacBook Pro was driving me crazy to lug up and down the hills and my iPad just wasn’t giving me enough functionality. I began looking into other options – all I needed was something to take notes on, do some homework, and work on. The Surface Pro 3 caught my attention since it checked all the boxes: light, sleek, with a full operating system, unlike the iPad. Before jumping in and dumping my savings on a new device, my boyfriend had an old original Surface and offered to let me try for a week. I’ll admit, it was a little clunky to use and wasn’t hitting all the marks but I was hooked. I could see past the flaws. I happened to stumble upon a Surface Pro 3 (i3 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage) on eBay that was in my price range, so I bought it without thinking twice. It would fit my needs at the time – something to take notes on, do homework with, and work for my internship – nothing intense.
I used this Surface Pro 3 since then as a second computer, but my MacBook Pro was always the first computer I reached for whenever I wanted to get some real work done, until recently. Over the last 6 months, I’ve found myself working on my MacBook Pro thinking “I wish I was on my Surface” or wishing I could draw on my screen to take notes (something I always loved about the Surface form factor.)
With the launch of the Surface Studio (which is undeniably marketed towards creatives), the creative in me was immediately interested. I mean a desktop device with a built in touch screen that you can draw on (swoon!). I felt the need to reevaluate my use of technology – suddenly it became GLARINGLY apparent that while my MacBook Pro was technically cutting it, it had been left in the dust.
Selling my Mid-2015 MacBook Pro was not a trivial decision, it weighed on me. For a while… When I began really building websites and getting back into design work, when I was using my MacBook Pro, there were more times than not when I wanted to be on my Surface Pro 3.
Okay enough of that, lets jump into the details on why I switched to a Surface Pro:
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Touch Screen:
The touch screen is incredibly convenient when taking notes or preparing to edit websites. I can take a screenshot and draw all over it instead of spending time taking notes.
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Surface Pen:
As a creative, I hated accepting that I’d be editing or drawing on my Wacom Tablet with one hand while looking at a monitor. Having the Surface totally changes the game for designers willing to make the switch.
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Surface Dial:
I don’t have this yet so I’ll update when I do but the functionality the Dial adds is just too cool! In drawing apps, you can quickly change color and brushes. When the dial first came out what it could do was limited but since then more apps have adapted to it including Photoshop – I’m really excited to see where this leads!
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Kickstand Design + Extremely Versatile:
The kickstand folds back to 15 degrees off the horizontal (Microsoft calls this “Studio Mode”) making it ideal for drawing and writing. Having such a flexible kickstand also makes it easy to move the screen based on how you’re sitting. Since you can remove the Keyboard, you can also use it as a tablet which is a huge plus.
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Weight:
I love being able to work where ever I want so this is a big one for me. The MacBook Pro was heavy enough, I didn’t want to just throw it in my bag and go. I always reached for my old Surface Pro 3 – which wasn’t powerful enough to run any Adobe programs. The Surface Pro comes to about 2 pounds when using a Keyboard.
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Removable screen:
The MacBook Pro isn’t reinventing anything. While It’s undeniably beautiful, sleek, and sexy – It hasn’t changed in years. The Surface Book and Pro line is innovation at it’s core. It’s still sleek, it’s still sexy, AND it can just be a tablet.
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Long Lasting Battery:
Up to 13.5 hours of video payback. I found I’m getting about 10 hours doing normal tasks.
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Lastly, it feels like Apple just gave up on Desktops and Laptops:
You can’t argue things have gotten better since Yosemite – nearly two years ago. Updates to the beloved Mac OS has been minimal at best. With Sierra the only thing we got was Siri functionality – which if we’re honest, didn’t work that well anyway.
At the end of the day, YES my MacBook Pro was still cutting it – It’s just enough. It has an iconic Apple design, the keyboard has short travel but feels whole, could run big programs and edit with ease, and the track pad is large and accurate. But the Surface Pro is intuitive, has Pen integration, and can be a tablet. With cross-platform compatibility among the Creative Cloud, I was just sticking with my MacBook Pro because it feels safe. Just a few years ago, I NEVER would have given Microsoft a second look – if they ever got a first look. The Surface line has added a lot of intention to the industry. As a designer, tech enthusiast, and entrepreneur, I really appreciate this.
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