Now that Microsoft has let the Surface Pro 3 cat out of the bag, we can stack it up against existing alternatives to see how it measures up with the rest of the market.

The Surface Pro 3pricing and spec rumors that were whispered prior to Microsofts event turned out to be true. Five configurations are offered, with the base model Surface Pro 3 starting at $799, and the high-end maxing out at an eye-popping $1,949. Sure, there are other laptops that are priced much higher than that, but theyre outside of the Surface Pro 3s weight and spec class, which makes those comparisons unfair.

However, Lenovos Yoga 2 Pro, which we reviewed back in November, is more than a fair match-up for Microsofts newest laptop/tablet hybrid. So how do the two measure up against one another?

Well take you through the two devices step by step, starting with specs, and including design, as well as price. Weve already matched up the Surface Pro 3 with the 11-inch MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Air, and the Yoga 2 13. Now its the Yoga 2 Pros turn.

Surface Pro 3

Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro

As you can see in the chart above, the Surface Pro 3, and the $1,299 version of the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro (theres also an $1,199 model) match up pretty evenly. Thats until you look at the CPU found in each device.

The $1,299 version of the Surface Pro 3 is powered by an Intel Core i5-4300U processor clocked at 1.6 GHz. Meanwhile, the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro packs an Intel Core i7-4500U running at 1.8 GHz. Considering that the two carry the same amount of storage (256GB SSDs) and RAM (8GB for each), the Lenovo has a clear advantage here on the strength of the better processor that it wields. On the graphics front, both the Surface Pro 3 and Yoga 2 Pro have Intel HD Graphics 4400 GPUs, so theyre even in that respect.

Measuring 11.5 x 7.93 x 0.36 inches and weighing 1.76 pounds, the Surface Pro 3 is clearly thinner and lighter than the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro (12.99 x 8.66 x .61 inches, 3.06 pounds). However, as a convertible, the Yoga 2 Pro is much more of an acrobat than the Surface Pro 3, allowing the user to put it in one of four modes: laptop, tablet, tent, and stand. Nevertheless, the Surface Pro 3 wins on portability here.

But what about usability? As we mentioned before, we reviewed the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro in the fall, and found that it has a superb keyboard. Meanwhile, the Surface Pro 3 doesnt even include one to begin with. Youll have to shell out an additional $129.99 for Microsofts Surface Pro Type Cover accessory in order to add a physical keyboard to Redmonds newest device, and its inferior to the Yoga 2 Pros to boot. Unfortunately, doing so brings also its total price to $1,428.99.

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Surface Pro 3 vs Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro: Specs, features, and prices compared