Going through Microsoft’s value finder on its Surface Laptop Ultra website, they’re offering $2,115 for the M5 Max MacBook Pro (128GB RAM, 4TB SSD) that’s on my lap right now. It was worth $6,149 when new. I guess that’s the price to pay for magnetic USB-C!
I also checked to see what I could get for an old 12-inch base model MacBook–remember that laptop? The one with a single USB-C port that’s not even magnetic? Microsoft’s AI behind the value generator probably laughed when it created its offer of $32.37.
But seriously, Microsoft is making a push for MacBook Pro users. Head over to the Surface Laptop Ultra site and you’ll see that Microsoft is advertising up to $1,000 when you trade in an eligible MacBook Pro and buy one of its new laptops, specifically telling buyers to “break up” with Apple:
Break up with your MacBook
If you’ve outgrown the compromises of a traditional professional laptop, we’ll help make the switch. Level up to Surface Laptop Ultra and get up to $1,000 cash back when you trade in an eligible MacBook Pro.12 We’re confident that once today’s creators and developers experience everything Surface Laptop Ultra has to offer, they won’t look back. Learn more about the offer here.
Microsoft
Low trade-in values are nothing new. Apple’s values are on the low side, too. It reminds me of when I traded in my old gas car for my EV (did I mention that it sparkled?). Also, as my PCWorld colleague Mark Hachman points out, Microsoft is mum about the Surface Ultra Laptop’s battery life and power draw. I mean, that’s about as red a red flag can get.
So yeah, I don’t think I want magnetic USB-C that badly. After all, MacBooks have MagSafe. Good enough for me.
