Microsoft is trying to convince laptop owners that their Surface Pro 3 tablet can replace laptops with all its features and capabilities. However, is the Surface Pro 3 tablet really capable of acting like a laptop and ultimately replacing it?

Monday, Microsoft launched three new ads directly comparing their Surface Pro 3 tablet to Apple's MacBook Air. In the ads, Microsoft touts its tablet's multitasking capabilities, its touchscreen and capability and expanding hardware. In the ad, they say Surface Pro 3 can and MacBook can't do these things.

So, with these claims to what they have and what Apple doesn't have, does Microsoft's claim of being the "tablet that can replace your laptop" ring true? Can a tablet really replace a laptop like the MacBook Air? Let's take a look.

For this comparison we'll look at the 13-inch model of the MacBook Air and compare it to the Surface Pro 3.

Touchscreen: The Surface Pro 3 has it and the MacBook Air doesn't. Microsoft wants to promote this and show how users of their tablet can jot notes on the screen or draw with the pen. The MacBook Air doesn't offer this feature and it's doubtful they ever will.

Screen Resolution: Until the MacBook Air gets a retina screen, the Surface Pro 3's resolution is always going to beat it. The 13-inch model of the MacBook Air has a resolution of 1,440 by 900 while the Surface Pro 3 has a 12-inch screen with a 2,160 by 1,440 resolution.

Expandable Hardware: Apple has always been very possessive over the things that go into their laptops. Recently, they made it even harder for someone to unscrew their cases and add hardware such as RAM. They made their screws so different to the average screw so that you would need a special screwdriver to open them. Apple keeps these screwdrivers in the hands of only authorized technicians. So, if you buy a MacBook Air with the lowest RAM and storage space available to try and save money, you're stuck with that amount of RAM and storage space. The Surface Pro 3 allows users to upgrade their RAM and storage space if they desire to.

Processor: The Apple MacBook Air uses either an Intel i5 or an Intel i7, depending on how much you want to spend. The Surface Pro 3 uses either an i3, an i5 or an i7, again depending on price.

Price: The most expensive MacBook Air will be a premium laptop with the most RAM, the biggest amount of flash space and it will cost $1,749. The most expensive Surface Pro 3 will be a tablet with no keyboard included (sold separately for $130). It will match the MacBook Air's specs but will cost $1,949.

The cheapest MacBook Air starts at $999, and will still come with an i5 processor, 4 gigabytes of RAM and 128 GB of flash storage. The cheapest Surface Pro 3 starts at $799 but only comes with an i3 processor, 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of flash storage.

Final Notes: The keyboard on the MacBook Air is not detachable, so portability could be an issue for some there. There's no touchscreen capabilities. But, with the Surface Pro 3, you can't really put it on your lap because it's got the kickstand and is meant to be propped up on a desk or table. The Surface Pro 3 runs the full version of Photoshop and Microsoft Word and runs Windows. This may be enticing for Windows lovers. With the MacBook Air, you're getting OS X software which isn't always compatible with every kind of software like Windows is.

So, what do you think? Can this tablet replace a laptop?