MacBook Air 11” 2013 vs. Surface RT: Full specs comparison

The following is a comprehensive comparison of the MacBook Air 11” 2013 and Surface RT specifications, including details on CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

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MacBook Air 11” 2013 image

MacBook Air 11” 2013

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Surface RT

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MacBook Air 11” 2013 Pros

Reasons that MacBook Air 11” 2013 is better than Surface RT.

Newer manufacturing

2013 vs. 2012

Supports larger memory

MacBook Air 11” 2013 supports a larger memory capacity than the Surface RT. It supports up to 8GB versus 2GB of system memory on the Surface RT.

Max system memory size
MacBook Air 11” 2013
8 GB
Surface RT
2 GB
9% larger display

MacBook Air 11” 2013 has a 11.6-inch screen size 9% larger than the 10.6-inch Surface RT.

Display size
MacBook Air 11” 2013
11.6-inch
Surface RT
10.6-inch

Surface RT Pros

Reasons that Surface RT is better than MacBook Air 11” 2013.

About 37% lighter

Surface RT weighed 1.5 pounds, 37% lighter than the 2.38 pounds MacBook Air 11” 2013.

WeightMacBook Air 11” 2013Surface RT
Pound
2.38 lbs.
1.5 lbs.
Kilogram
1.08 kg
0.68 kg

Prices

Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.

MacBook Air 11” 2013 Price
Apple MacBook Air MD711LL/A 11.6-inch Laptop - Intel Core i5 1.3GHz - 4GB RAM - 128GB SSD (Renewed)
 Apple MacBook Air MD711LL/A 11.6-inch Laptop - Intel Core i5 1.3GHz - 4GB RAM - 128GB SSD (Renewed)
By Apple
$199.00
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Apple MacBook Air (13-inch Retina display, 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, 128GB) - Space Gray (Renewed)
 Apple MacBook Air (13-inch Retina display, 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, 128GB) - Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$379.95
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Apple MacBook Air MD711LL/A 11.6-inch Laptop, Intel Core i5, 8GB Ram, 128GB SSD (Renewed)
 Apple MacBook Air MD711LL/A 11.6-inch Laptop, Intel Core i5, 8GB Ram, 128GB SSD (Renewed)
By Apple
$300.00
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Surface RT Price
Microsoft Surface RT 32GB (Renewed)
 Microsoft Surface RT 32GB (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$99.00
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Microsoft Surface RT (32GB)
 Microsoft Surface RT (32GB)
By Microsoft
$210.00
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Microsoft Surface RT 64GB
 Microsoft Surface RT 64GB
By Microsoft
$319.99
See at Amazon

Specs Comparison

Availability

MacBook Air 11” 2013Surface RT
Released20132012
Release Date
  • Available on June 10, 2013
  • Introduced: June 18, 2012
  • Not available for pre-ordered
  • Released: October 26, 2012
Pricing
  • $999
    Intel Core i5 4250U | 4GB RAM | 128GB SSD
  • $1,199
    Intel Core i5 4250U | 4GB RAM | 256GB SSD
Surface RT
  • $499 - 2 GB | 32 GB
  • $599 - 2 GB | 64 GB
Surface RT with Black Touch Cover
  • $599 - 2 GB | 32 GB
  • $699 - 2 GB | 64 GB
Generations-

Exterior

MacBook Air 11” 2013Surface RT
Dimensions11.8” x 7.56” x 0.11 - 0.68” (300 mm x 192 mm x 3 - 17 mm)10.81” x 6.77” x 0.37” (275 mm x 172 mm x 9.4 mm)
Width: 10.81” (275 mm)
Height: 6.77” (172 mm)
Thickness: 0.37” (9.4 mm)
WeightStarting at 2.38 pounds (1.08 kg)1.5 lbs (680 g)
Colors
Silver
Dark Titanium
Keyboard and TrackpadFull-size backlit keyboard with:
  • 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys (inverted “T” arrangement) with ambient light sensor
  • Multi-Touch trackpad for precise cursor control; supports inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap, and drag capabilities
  • Surface Type Cover
    • Not included
  • Keyboard:
    • Activation: Moving (mechanical) keys.
    • Layout: QWERTY, full row of function keys (F1-F12).
    • 4 directional keys; Windows and Media Controls Keys.
  • Trackpad:
    • Two-finger multitouch gesture trackpad.

Display

MacBook Air 11” 2013Surface RT
Size11.6 Inches10.6 Inches
Info
  • 11.6-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with support for millions of colors
  • Supported resolutions: 1366 by 768 (native), 1344 by 756, and 1280 by 720 pixels at 16:9 aspect ratio; 1152 by 720 and 1024 by 640 pixels at 16:10 aspect ratio; 1024 by 768 and 800 by 600 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio
  • Resolution: 1366 x 768 (1M Pixels)
  • Density: 148 PPI
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9
  • ClearType HD Display
  • Touch: 5 points multi-touch

Ports

MacBook Air 11” 2013Surface RT
  • 1 x Thunderbolt ports
    Supports data transfers up to 10 Gbps.
  • 2 x USB 3.0 ports
    Supports data transfers up to 5 Gbps.
  • 1 x 3.5 mm headphone jack
  • 1 x MagSafe 2 power port
  • 1 x Full-size USB 2.0
  • 1 x microSD™ card reader
  • 1 x Surface Charging Port
  • 1 x Headset jack
  • 1 x Micro HDMI video out port
  • 1 x Cover port

Internal Specs

MacBook Air 11” 2013Surface RT
Processor
  1. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-4250U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.30 → 2.60 GHz, 3MB SmartCache, 15W
  2. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4650U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.70 → 3.30 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 15W
  1. NVIDIA Tegra 3
    4 cores, 1.30 → 1.40 GHz, 1MB Cache,
Integrated Graphics
  1. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-4250U
    Intel® HD Graphics 5000
    40 Execution Units, 200 → 1000 MHz
  2. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4650U
    Intel® HD Graphics 5000
    40 Execution Units, 200 → 1100 MHz
  1. NVIDIA Tegra 3
    NVIDIA GeForce ULP graphics
    12 Graphics Cores,
Memory
4GB
Configurable to 8GB 1600MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory		2GB of RAM
Storage
128GB 256GB
Configurable to 512GB flash storage.
  • 32GB 64GB
    Storage

Connectivity

MacBook Air 11” 2013Surface RT
Wi-Fi
  • 802.11ac Wi‑Fi wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
  • Wi-Fi 4: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n compatible.
BluetoothBluetooth 4.0 wireless technology
  • Bluetooth 4.0 low energy technology

Battery

MacBook Air 11” 2013Surface RT
Size38 Wh lithium‑polymer battery31.5 Wh
Battery Life
  • Up to 9 hours of wireless web
  • Up to 8 hours of iTunes movie playback
  • Up to 30 days of standby time
Up to 8 hours of video playback
Power Supply45W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter
With cable management system; MagSafe 2 power port.
  • 24W proprietary power supply

Software

MacBook Air 11” 2013Surface RT
OSShipped with OSX Mountain Lion
  • Windows RT
  • Upgradeable to Windows RT 8.1 Update
Built-in Apps
Mail Messages Contacts Calendar Safari Reminders Notification Center Notes Dictation iCloud Time Machine FaceTime Photo Booth AirPlay Game Center the Mac App Store iTunes Gatekeeper Twitter and Facebook integration
Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 RT

Camera & Audio

MacBook Air 11” 2013Surface RT
Camera720p FaceTime HD camera
  • 720p HD LifeCam front-facing camera with TrueColor Technology
  • 720p HD LifeCam rear-facing camera with TrueColor Technology
Audio
  • Stereo speakers
  • Dual microphones
  • Headphone port
  • Support for Apple iPhone headset with remote and microphone
  • Dual microphones
  • Stereo speakers

Misc

MacBook Air 11” 2013Surface RT
Sensors-
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
  • Compass
In the box
  • MacBook Air 11″
  • 45W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter, AC wall plug, and power cord
  • Printed and electronic documentation
  • Surface RT
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
WarrantyLimited Warranty and ServiceYour MacBook Air comes with 90 days of free telephone support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan to extend your service and support to three years from your computer’s purchase date. Only the AppleCare Protection Plan provides you with direct telephone support from Apple technical experts and the assurance that repairs will be handled by Apple-authorized technicians using genuine Apple parts. For more information, visit Apple Support or call 800-823-2775.
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
MoreVideo Support
  • Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors
  • Thunderbolt digital video output
    • Native Mini DisplayPort output
    • DVI output using Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter (sold separately)
    • VGA output using Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter (sold separately)
    • Dual-link DVI output using Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (sold separately)
    • HDMI audio and video output using third-party Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter (sold separately)
  • Casing: VaporMg
  • Kickstand: 1 position at 22°
  • Physical buttons: volumes, power

Key Features

MacBook Air 11” 2013Surface RT
At Glance
Released in Mid
2013
16:10 HD+
11.6”
756p 60Hz
Weight
2.38 lb
1.08 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-4650U
2C/4T, 1.70 → 3.30 GHz
Geekbench 5
632
Single Core
Geekbench 5
1,236
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® HD Graphics 5000
40 Execution Units, 200 → 1100 MHz
Up to
8GB
1600 MHz LPDDR3
Released in Mid
2012
16:9 HD
10.6”
768p 60Hz
Weight
1.5 lb
0.68 kg
Powered By
NVIDIA Tegra 3
4C/1.30 → 1.40 GHz
With integrated
NVIDIA GeForce ULP graphics
12 Graphics Cores
2GB
DDR3 Memory

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