MacBook Pro (13" 2015) or Surface Pro 4 (i5 Base Model)?

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ThatGeekMatt

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Sep 21, 2013
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Please read the whole of this post before releasing your love/hate for either brand below :)

So I am a Year 12 Student doing 5 A-Level courses and an EPQ. Over time the amount of work I'm going to have on paper is going to be unbearable! As a result I have come to the decision that I need to make my notes digital, not only will it save space but it will also be cleaner and much more efficient for me.

I have been looking around the laptop/tablet market for a couple of weeks now and I've concluded that the 2 devices I want to chose between are a base model 2015 13" MacBook Pro, or the base i5 model of the Surface Pro 4.

Yes, the MacBook Pro is £999 (source: PCWorld), and the Surface Pro 4 is £849. However after adding the keyboard cover (and possibly the pen), the prices are going to become more equal. Price isn't my biggest concern, however.

I also know that, for portability, the Surface Pro 4 is a lot more friendly. But I honestly don't care about portability, I've held both devices in my hands after visiting my local PCWorld today and yesterday and I honestly don't find myself wanting one over the over because of the size or mass. I find both devices to be great for mobile computing, hence why I am posting in this topic :)

Over the years I have also used both OS X (mostly Snow Leopard) and Windows. I really only use Windows nowadays seeing as I can't find myself turning my home desktop into a Hackintosh. Thus, I am comfortable with both operating systems and I am aware of what both provide.

I intend to use the device mostly for school work, but I am thinking of possibly using it for some light video/photo work or music. I am in love with the software on Mac for productivity. I currently use the Adobe suite for photo and video on my home desktop, but I am not as comfortable with the music software on Windows.

I would most likely being using Microsoft Office no matter what device I get.

Furthermore, I also own an iPhone and I'm aware that Apple now has some handy features for use between macOS and iOS (i.e. browsing a page on your mac that then transfers across to the iPhone so you can continue browsing the same page when you're away from the mac).

Price isn't a concern, portability isn't a concern. I would just like to have an opinion on what device would be better for me for what I want to do. I love both Windows and Mac, if you're going to just bias one over the other then please leave :p

Any helpful responses are greatly appreciated,
Thank you :)
 
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Chugalug_

Chugalug_

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Jan 28, 2016
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You can get a much better laptop than either of those, although Windows is obviously the better way to go due to A. the worse value you get with a Mac alongside typically lower performance and B. the better software support on Windows.
Don't get me wrong, I own an iPhone at the moment and their software is great on that, but a Macbook is a whole different animal imo, very hard to use and not that great.
I recommend you get this, easily one of the best value you can get: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dell-Inspiron-Touchscreen-Ultrabook-Generation/dp/B01CT858QQ/ref=sr_1_16?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1478128813&sr=1-16&keywords=Laptop
Here's another, but the only concern is battery life: https://www.amazon.co.uk/MSI-GL62-1089UK-15-6-Inch-Notebook/dp/B01LMWCCXW/ref=sr_1_7?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1478128934&sr=1-7&keywords=Gaming+Laptop
 
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ThatGeekMatt

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But as I said in the first post, both the MacBook and SP4 come out to be very similar prices when you add the keyboard (and possibly the pen). Furthermore the base model of the MacBook comes with twice the RAM of the base i5 model of the SP4, thus the value of the MacBook is actually better imo.
 
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ThatGeekMatt

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Sep 21, 2013
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But as I said in the first post, both the MacBook and SP4 come out to be very similar prices when you add the keyboard (and possibly the pen). Furthermore the base model of the MacBook comes with twice the RAM of the base i5 model of the SP4, thus the value of the MacBook is actually better imo.

About the software:
I think Iwouls mostly be using the Microsoft Office collection and the Adobe Suite, both of which you can get on both devices. Furthermore I am more accustomed with music-related software on Mac, so software isn't the divider for me.
I have no difficulties using either macOS or Windows 10 :)

Thank you for taking your time to suggest me some other alternatives, here I my responses to each:

-The Dell laptop looks appealing, but due to bad experiences with Dell by myself and other family members in the past I would feel more comfortable if I were to stay away from the company. I now really only stay with companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, etc. (The first-party companies?)

-I see the power is there, but I also own a very bulky 980M laptop that isn't the best to take with me everywhere.


So really the only devices I am thinking about purchasing are the MacBook and SP4, yes I know that they're both expensive and I can get better for value, but it just makes me feel more comfortable :)
 
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ThatGeekMatt

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As does the Surface Pro, but I have a strong dislike for Dell. If you know any other high-end brands that have good devices like the MacBook or SP4.

I'm sorry for my arrogance but this device is what I'm going to have for at least 5 years of my education.

 
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