If your priority is a laptop with higher screen quality, the Apple MacBook Pro with its Mini LED display will offer a more vibrant color reproduction and higher brightness compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio's IPS screen. For those who need a touchscreen and stylus support for creative tasks, the Surface Laptop Studio is the right choice. The MacBook Pro provides better performance for engineering software and 3D tasks while also offering a longer battery life for extended use on the go. On the other hand, the Surface Laptop Studio, being less expensive, also offers solid performance, especially if you're into gaming, thanks to its dedicated Nvidia graphics card. The tradeoff with the Surface Laptop Studio comes in the form of a heavier design and a shorter battery life, which may affect portability. If using macOS is essential for your workflow, the MacBook Pro is obvious, whereas the Surface Laptop Studio will suit those who prefer or require Windows. Lastly, consider the connectivity options; the Surface Laptop offers an additional storage slot and built-in facial recognition, whereas the MacBook Pro provides more Thunderbolt ports for connecting peripherals. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021).
Key differences
General Use
8.4/10
7.4/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
479.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
13.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) provides excellent battery life, superior screen quality with its Mini LED display, and top-notch keyboard and speakers, making it an outstanding choice for general use with an emphasis on visual and audio experience. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio also offers good general use capabilities with a high-quality touchscreen that can double as a drawing tablet, and while it has a good keyboard and speakers, its battery life is shorter and it's slightly heavier, making it less portable than the MacBook Pro.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
7.3/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 is very well-suited for engineering and design because of its powerful Apple M1 Pro processor, high-quality mini LED screen, and exceptional screen color accuracy, which is critical for detailed design work. In comparison, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio also caters to this segment with a robust Intel i7 processor and an Nvidia RTX GPU, offering a flexible touchscreen display for hands-on creative tasks, albeit with slightly lower color space coverage.
Content Creation
8.4/10
7.4/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
8.3/10
7.3/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for software development, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
9.2/10
8.0/10
14.2in
SIZE
14.4in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
479.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 offers vivid color reproduction and high resolution, which alongside its brightness, makes it ideal for general use and tasks requiring precise color accuracy like engineering and design; however, its standard refresh rate limits its appeal for 3D applications. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio also boasts high resolution and sufficient brightness, with color accuracy that satisfies most engineering and design work, but like the MacBook, it lacks the higher refresh rate desired for smooth visuals in gaming and 3D. For tasks demanding fast screen updates, other models with higher refresh rates might be preferable, especially if 3D rendering and gaming are priorities.
Battery
13.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has 8 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.2in
SIZE
14.4in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has very good portability, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,905
$1,700
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has a price of $1,905 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio costs $1,700.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both only fair for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio compare to other laptops
"In the Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023, the M2 Pro is slowed down. From the improved 5nm process, the new M2 Pro is a very solid upgrade. Graphics performance has increased by about 25% in tandem with a clear improvement in efficiency. The processor has also seen a performance leap of up to 20%, but this is accompanied by an increase in consumption of up to 25%. Fundamentally, Apple its maintaining its advantage over AMD and Intel, particularly in optimized applications where the results are very good in view of the comparatively low power consumption."
"There’s no doubt that the Surface Laptop Studio is groundbreaking. We’ve come to expect such things from the Surface lineup, so it’s always nice to see a product that exceeds our expectations. The pull-forward laptop-screen concept has been tried before, but never in a device that’s so stylish and packed with innovative features like a haptic touchpad and robust digital stylus support."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
About Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.