Would You Take $650 From Microsoft to Trade In Your MacBook Air? Some New Yorkers Say, 'Yes'

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) may actually have some luck wooing customers with its promotion offering $650 off the price of a brand-new Surface Pro 3 tablet in exchange for a MacBook Air laptop.

The Surface Pro 3 tablet is now available for as low as $899, but with Microsoft’s deal, MacBook Air users, or former users, could pay as little as $150 for the device.

Microsoft is pitching the Surface Pro 3 tablet as a laptop replacement, namely for Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) laptops.

Now Apple users are a notoriously loyal bunch, but $650 is a lot of cash, so we visited some Manhattan coffee shops to ask the laptop cognoscenti whether they'd give up their coveted, slim silver machines for something that isn't, well, an iPad.

“Absolutely not; do you know how much this MacBook costs?” Kim Matthews, 28, who was using her MacBook Air in a Starbucks in the Financial District, told International Business Times. The most expensive MacBook Air comes with 256GB of internal storage, a 13-inch display and a $1,199 price tag.

Two friends at a Starbucks at Astor Place in Greenwich Village had opposing views on the Surface Pro 3 promotion. One told us he would not get the Surface Pro 3 with Microsoft’s deal because he had just purchased his MacBook Air laptop. The other, who had a MacBook Air at home, said she would consider the deal. Both declined to give their names.

The Surface Pro 3 is primarily a tablet, but users can also get a type cover, sold separately, which includes a keyboard in order to convert it into a laptop. That was not enough to convince Emily, 20, who was using her MacBook Air in the Barnes and Noble on Union Square.

“No, I don’t really like tablets,” she told IBTimes.

Since the Surface Pro 3 is new on the market, it is likely many prospective customers do not know about the tablet. However, Nick, 32, who was also using his MacBook Air in the Union Square Barnes and Noble, told IBTimes that Microsoft’s deal might pique his interest in the Surface Pro 3.

“Knowing that the deal is out there, if I knew more about the product I would probably look into it,” he said.

To qualify for the promotion, the MacBook Air trade-ins must be functional, devoid of excessive damage (e.g., cracked screens or water damage) and restored to factory settings by the owner. Whether customers get the full $650 credit for their MacBook Air depends on the overall physical condition of the laptop.

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