
Microsoft used a commercial for its Surface Pro 7 to take a whack at the MacBook Pro during Sunday's NFL Championship game. The ad, a sort-of reversal of the "I'm a Mac" commercials from the mid-to-late 2000s, calls out Apple's hesitance in including a touch screen with its laptops.
The ad specifically goes after Apple's touch bar, with an actor in the ad exclaiming, "why can't they give me a whole touch screen."
We suspect it's because Apple wants you to buy an iPad.
- We love this laptop: MacBook Air with M1 review
- Plus: Forget PS5 — Atari VCS offers ‘something different'
- Just in: How to watch Babylon 5 Remastered online (with or without HBO Max)
Unfortunately for Surface, the ad has a high dislike ratio on YouTube. It seems that Apple fans aren't too happy with being called out by Microsoft. Sadly too, comments have been disabled so you can't read MacBook fans returning fire at the laptop maker who mocked them.
As for the MacBook Pro's touch bar, rumors have begun circulating that the company plans on killing the svelte OLED display. If true, it confirms that consumers didn't find much use out for the touch bar.
Weirdly, Microsoft's ad goes on to claim that the Surface Pro is a better gaming device than the MacBook Pro. While this might be true on paper, as the Windows gaming library is far larger than on MacOS, it's disingenuous to prop up the Surface as a gaming device.
The current Surface Pro 7 uses 10th Gen Intel Core processors. The integrated Intel UHD graphics is far from a gaming powerhouse. According to our sister publication Laptop Mag, 10th Gen UHD graphics can barely run a seven year old game like Grand Theft Auto V. Although, the upcoming Intel 11th Gen CPUs with Iris Xe Graphics do sport a greatly superior integrated graphics processor. But we'll have to wait to get hands on before we know how it truly stacks up.
Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
Of course, Microsoft does have an edge with price. The MacBook Pro sells for $1,299, while the Core i5 Surface with keyboard and pen starts at $890. Granted, the MacBook Pro does come with Apple's new stellar M1 chip.
Imad is currently Senior Google and Internet Culture reporter for CNET, but until recently was News Editor at Tom's Guide. Hailing from Texas, Imad started his journalism career in 2013 and has amassed bylines with the New York Times, the Washington Post, ESPN, Wired and Men's Health Magazine, among others. Outside of work, you can find him sitting blankly in front of a Word document trying desperately to write the first pages of a new book.