Microsoft ad attacks the 'BackBook' that's definitely not a MacBook

Macbook Pro Touch Bar Hero
Macbook Pro Touch Bar Hero (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • A recent ad from Microsoft compares the Surface Pro and the MacBook.
  • The ad highlights the flexible 2-in-1 form factor of the Surface Pro.
  • The MacBook is called the "BackBook" within the ad.

We've seen a few ads calling out Apple's MacBooks over the last couple of weeks. Intel launched a video campaign and a dedicated website comparing Intel-powered PCs to Apple's M1 MacBooks. Now, Microsoft is getting in on the fun with an ad comparing the Surface Pro to the M̶a̶c̶B̶o̶o̶k̶ "BackBook."

Okay, so the ad technically is comparing the Surface Pro to the "BackBook," but it's clearly referring to a MacBook. The ad, which was shared on Twitter by Microsoft India, highlights how the Surface Pro can detach from its keyboard and be used flexibly while the MacBook cannot.

This is a normal comparison between the Surface Pro and the MacBook, which, to be honest, don't directly compete with each other. While their target audiences might overlap some, the Surface Pro is a flexible 2-in-1 while the MacBook is a traditional clamshell laptop.

Latest Videos From

The Surface Laptop 3 vs MacBook Pro is a better comparison, as they're both clamshell laptops. Another apt comparison is the iPad Pro 2020 vs. Surface Pro 7 as both of them are 2-in-1s.

Sean Endicott
News Writer

Sean Endicott is a News Writer at Windows Central, where he covers Windows 11, Surface hardware, Microsoft 365, AI, apps, and the broader PC ecosystem. Since joining the site in 2017, he has written well over a thousand articles across the Microsoft landscape, covering breaking news, analysis, and feature reporting.

He writes Windows Wrap, a weekly column covering the biggest stories in Windows and the PC industry, and what they mean for the platform going forward.

Before joining Windows Central full-time, Sean worked in journalism and media production after earning a First Class degree in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University. Outside of tech, he is an award-winning American football coach based in Nottingham, England, and was named BAFCA Youth Coach of the Year in 2024.