Microsoft offers up to $1,000 off Surface Laptop Ultra for MacBook Pro users

Microsoft encourages MacBook Pro owners to switch to the Surface Laptop Ultra: up to $1,000 off with a trade-in

Microsoft is actively promoting its latest Surface Laptop Ultra laptops by offering MacBook Pro owners an attractive opportunity to trade in their devices for the new model with a significant discount. Under the promotion, which is available in Microsoft’s online stores in the US and Canada, users can receive up to $1,000 for their old MacBook Pro.

The offer applies to the base configuration of the Surface Laptop Ultra, which starts at $2,599. The estimated value of the old MacBook Pro is credited as part of the discount, and an additional cash bonus makes the switch even more worthwhile. It is important to note that this is not an instant discount: the exact compensation amount is determined after your MacBook Pro is inspected and its condition is assessed.

Which MacBook Pro models are included in the promotion?

Microsoft’s partner in this trade-in program is Teladvance. They are ready to accept a wide range of MacBook Pro models, starting with Intel-powered devices released from 2016 onward. The promotion also applies to the latest Apple Silicon models with M1, M2, M3, M4, and M5 chips.

The trade-in includes 13-, 14-, 15-, and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops. However, there are certain requirements to qualify for the maximum discount. Your MacBook Pro must be in working condition and hold a charge properly. Devices with a damaged display, other visible defects, missing components, or unauthorized modifications are not eligible. Even a 10-year-old MacBook can be traded in, but its estimated value is likely to be minimal.

Surface Laptop Ultra: does it really outperform the MacBook Pro?

Microsoft positions the Surface Laptop Ultra as a powerful competitor to the MacBook Pro, placing particular emphasis on its artificial intelligence capabilities. The company claims twice the AI data processing performance and 6 times faster video generation compared with the MacBook Pro with an M5 chip.

However, early analyses and comparisons suggest a somewhat different picture. Microsoft has not yet provided detailed data to support these bold claims, including the specific Mac configuration, AI model, or software used to deliver the stated speedup.

The Surface Laptop Ultra is equipped with the NVIDIA RTX Spark SoC, which includes a Grace processor and an RTX Blackwell graphics processor with 128 GB of unified memory. Microsoft is heavily promoting local AI agents capable of working with models of up to 120 billion parameters, largely thanks to NVIDIA software.

According to tests conducted in June on a similar DGX Spark chip, its performance lags significantly behind the Apple M5 Max. A comparison by NotebookCheck shows that the M5 Max comes very close to the GeForce RTX 5070.

So, while the Surface Laptop Ultra likely delivers faster local AI model processing than the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro, that does not necessarily mean it has an overall performance advantage. It is worth noting that the Surface Laptop Ultra is $400 cheaper than the most affordable 16-inch MacBook Pro. Independent tests will be needed to draw final conclusions about its real-world performance, especially in AI workloads.

Roman Spas

Roman Spas is the author of a blog about website development, IT news, web project promotion, design and modern technologies. In his materials, he explains complex digital topics in simple language, shares practical advice for website owners, entrepreneurs, marketers and specialists who want to better understand the online environment. The author's main focus is on effective websites, SEO, web design, internet marketing and technological solutions that help businesses develop in the digital space.