This weekend, Microsoft released a series of video ads featuring professional photographer Tim Flach, a first time-user of the Surface Book. While the ads highlight the capabilities of the tablet-laptop hybrid, it also does a bit more – take a swipe at the competitor, the Mac from Apple.
One of the videos, a 30-seconder titled "Surface Book. The laptop that does more. Just like you," shows Flach doing his work using Microsoft's device.
"I love to take pictures that engage people and to connect us with the wonderment of nature," he narrates.
The photographer says he finds that the "detail on the Surface is amazing," and he goes on to say that its resolution and computing power are just what he needs. The Surface Pen, which he can directly use on the screen, gives him "a different relationship" with the photo.
"I can't do that on my Mac," he says.
The other ad, a 15-second clip, titled "Photographer Tim Flach discovers Surface Book and Pen," highlights the stylus; while the second 15-seconder, titled "Photographer Tim Flach discovers the power of Surface Book," highlights the computing power of the 2-in-1 device. On both occasions, Flach says that he can't get/do that on his Mac.
The Surface Book is what Microsoft calls "the ultimate laptop." Apart from its function as a portable computer, it can also be used as a clipboard and a canvas. It houses either an Intel i5 or i7, supported by either 8 GB or 16 GB of memory, with up to 1TB of space. The screen has 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity, for use with the Surface Pen.
While the latest ads have stirred some reaction within the online community – with one even questioning if Microsoft is acting like a bully akin to presidential candidate Donald Trump – this is not the first time Microsoft has used the strategy. The company's ads for the Surface Pro 3 back in 2014 featured comparisons between that device and Apple's MacBook Air.
