Macbook Pro, Razer Blade Stealth, or Surface Book?

Which laptop would you choose?

  • Total voters
    4
E

Evan O'Connor

New Member
So I currently own a mid 2009 15inch Macbook Pro. I've owned this Mac for 8 years and it has performed well for those 8 years with no major issues, but I figured it's time to upgrade. I've been looking at the new 2016 Macbook Pro with touchbar but I can't get over how steep the price is, so I've started to look into alternative Windows 10 laptop options. The two options that I found that house similar specs with 16GB RAM, at least 512GB Memory, Intel i7, and build quality is the Razer Blade Stealth and the Microsoft Surface Book. Looking at all three laptops with the same specs of a Dual-Core Intel i7, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD Memory here are the good and bad things I see.

Apple Macbook Pro 13inch $2499
Good:
I've been using a previous generation Macbook Pro so I'm well integrated with the OS and how it works.
I also trust Apple and the Macbook Pro to last at least a good 5-6 years before needing a much needed upgrade. I'm looking for future proofing my laptop and I see the potential that four USB-C ports have. Apple has Final Cut Pro for video editing.
Bad:
There is no button to turn off the the computer and the touchbar has the potential to glitch out stopping me from the ability to "Esc" a frozen program or to hard reset the computer. I would like the potential to game but it's a Mac and we all know how that goes.

Microsoft Surface Book 13.5inch $2699 (Currently on sale for $2299)
Good:
It turns into a tablet device as well, so if I were to buy this then I would own my first tablet. It has a pen with touchscreen for drawing and note taking (I'm looking into teaching myself how to start illustrating and I see the pen as a useful tool). It has an SD card slot which is a useful port for me. I own an Xbox One and playing my Xbox through the computer would be great.
Bad:
It's slightly thicker due to the hinge on the laptop for the screen. The laptop has no USB-C ports which I do believe will be needed in the future.

Razor Blade Stealth 12.5inch $1599.99
Good:
The price point is a significant difference. It has a 4k touch display. The laptop also has a add-on option of the Razer Core to add a graphics cards to run like a desktop gaming machine. It has a mix of 1 USB-C port, 2 USB 3.0 ports, and an HDMI port.
Bad:
The computer has a terrible battery life unplugged due to the 4k display.

Overall I'm okay with switching OS. I'm just looking for the next laptop that is worth dropping around 2k for that will be able to handle video/photography editing, light gaming, and traveling for the next 5 years.
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new_macbook_pro_2016_vs_surface_book_performance_base_1200_thumb.jpgdownload.jpeg
 
I eliminate the MAc because it's overpriced trash.

The surface is overpriced, albeit a good machine..

but the obvious choice is the highly rated, well specced, and realistically priced Stealth.
 
I actually went today to my local BestBuy to get a look at the Surface Book and the 2016 Mac. I easily froze up the mac by opening to many programs and the keyboard and touchpad felt terrible. The surface felt great and I loved the pen tool. I wish BestBuy carried the Razer Stealth but they don't.
 
One thing you have to decide for yourself is MacOS vs Windows.
If your conclusion is windows, the 2 windows computers are your options, if you choose MacOS.... it's actually still all 3.
The problem with mac is their price. Are you willing to pay the Apple tax??
I for one, are not.
Can i ask you, why exactly is it these 3 moddels you are after? How about an HP or Lenovo?
Will they do?
 
The razer blade stealth won't be doing much gaming... it runs on the Intel integrated graphics as it relies on people buying the Razer Core and a video card.

You will be better off with the regular Razer Blade (non stealth) as it packs the latest GTX 1060 in there.
 
Laquer Head said:
I eliminate the MAc because it's overpriced trash.

The surface is overpriced, albeit a good machine..

but the obvious choice is the highly rated, well specced, and realistically priced Stealth.
Click to expand...
the mac may be overpriced, they are going a bit overboard with their pricing, but it is hardly trash, it all depends on what you use your computer for and what your needs are, not everyone is a gamer, or has to have the highest spec device. The fact that he had his original macbook pro since 2009 and it still works ok says something about how well they run
I like my macbook pro until the battery died, I still use it plugged in at home after removing the battery, I was considering a 15" macbook pro with touchbar, but was put off by the stories of inconsistent battery life
 
It boils down to the OS you like, MacOS or Windows. I am not a fan of the Macbook Pro as I cannot tell who they are aiming at for an audience as the pricing doesn't work for most consumers, The dual core i7 and 16 GB of memory is a limitation for most IT and developer professionals and the low end to barely mid range graphics (depending on model) don't really work for professional creative content people.

But in the end it all boils down to OS preference. I like your options above but may I recommend another?

dell-xps-15-january-2016.jpg


Dell XPS 15 $2,599.99
6th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-6700HQ Quad Core (6M Cache, up to 3.5 GHz)
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
32GB DDR4 2133MHz
1TB PCIe SSD
Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 2 GB GDDR5
15.6" 4K Ultra HD InfinityEdge Touch
Killer 1535 802.11ac 2x2 WiFi
Dell 84 WHr 6-Cell Lithium Ion Battery

http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/productdetails/xps-15-9550-laptop/dncwx1609h?selectionState=eyJGUHJpY2UiOjI1OTkuOTksIk9DIjoiZG5jd3gxNjA5aCIsIlF0eSI6MSwiTW9kcyI6W3siSWQiOjU3MiwiT3B0cyI6W3siSWQiOiJGRzAxNjQifV19XX0%3D

The only thing I would change on this config is pay the extra $50 to put Windows Pro on. The Razor has a more modern nvidia GPU, however the selling point to this laptop for me is the larger battery.
 
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