Microsoft Surface Pro 9, Surface Studio 2 or a Macbook Air for running Matlab, Excel and general use

Been using Matlab since 1996ish and have had a license for the last 26 years either through school or work. At work, I have been running it on Windows, typically whatever cheap machine they get us. Nothing impressive but I tend to use Matlab with Excel all the time. Unfortunately, I cannot get around the fact that Excel files are just embedded in our work culture still. Having the link is very nice and using Matlab to do serious data analysis is the only way to go.

Since 2012, have had a Macbook Pro, 15", old school, pre retina that after 11 years is on its last legs. Still running but I have a feeling next year, will have to grab something else. As much as I love Apple, even in my personal life, I love playing with data using excel and Matlab and probably will grab a home editiion with some more toolboxes to goof around in areas that I cannot justify at work.

To top it off, I invested a little in a nice home office that has multiple monitors that I use for working from home. Dell docking station with USB C. Works great and would be even better if I could use it to goof around and just manage my daily stuff.

So, anyone here with any experience with Matlab, Excel, maybe even some Access/database stuff for any of those machines I listed in the title. I no longer have an iPad and been goofing around with Matlab Mobile on my iPhone but I'm thinking I want something light, mobile and that 15" Macbook Air or the 13" Surface Pro 9 is looking like nice options. Studio 2 looks to be pretty pricey but I would not rule it out and while the Macbook Pros are always an option, not sure I really use the power. I do use Think or Swim but otherwise, just surfing on the web. I tend to be Excel/Matlab heavy even in my daily life.

Anyone got any experience with Matlab on any of these machines?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Marc Schreier]

Ended up getting a Surface Pro 9 (although may not be my last purchase). Still getting use to it and will post some Bench results when I have time. Matlab seems a bit sluggish on the device but seems to work very nicely will Excel. Will continue to play and as I get more used to the device, will maybe post some more information on the experience. Definitely not disappointed with the purchase so far.

Answer 1

[SANKALP DEV]

Hello Marc,

I understand that you have a strong background in using MATLAB and Excel together, and you are looking for a new machine that can handle these applications effectively.

• MacBook Air (15-inch) or MacBook Pro: MATLAB runs very well on macOS, and there should be no while issues running it on a new MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. The integration with Excel on macOS, however, is not as smooth as on Windows due to the differences in the COM interface used by Windows versions of Excel.
• Surface Pro 9 (13-inch): The Surface Pro 9 is a Windows-based system and will offer the most seamless integration with Excel and MATLAB, especially if you are using ActiveX or other Windows-specific features. It is also highly portable and can be used as a tablet.
• Surface Studio 2: The Surface Studio 2 is a premium device with a strong emphasis on design and display capabilities. It is less portable than the other options but would be a prove to be best for desktop use.

If portability is the priority and you want flexibility of a tablet, I would recommend you go with surface pro-9, as it will give you the best compatibility with MATLAB and Excel, especially with any VBA (Visual Basic® for Applications) scripts or database integrations.

If you prefer macOS and the integration with your iPhone, and you do not rely heavily on Windows-specific features in Excel, the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro will be a viable choice.

Please refer to the following documentations of system requirements and MATLAB installation guide for the above devices.

• macOS: https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/matlab_env/start-matlab-on-macintosh-platforms.html?searchHighlight=matlab%20on%20macos&s_tid=srchtitle_support_results_1_matlab%2520on%2520macos
• Microsoft Surface: https://www.mathworks.com/support/requirements/matlab-system-requirements.html

Hope this helps,

Regards,

Sankalp dev