SurfacePro3Microsoft has been making comparisons between the Surface Pro 3 and the MacBook Air ever since its workhorse tablet was unveiled, and now, the company has decided to put its money where its mouth is.

MacBook Air owners who stop by a Microsoft Store can trade in their old Apple ultralight laptop for up to $650 in credit towards a new Surface Pro 3. That sum will bring prospective buyers very close to the $799 purchase price for the low-end SP3 model, and will take a lot of the sting out of the price tags for the line’s higher-end offerings.

It’s not the first trade-in program Microsoft has targeted at people who own Apple products, either: the company offered people who traded in an iPhone or iPad up to $350 last year if they would spend it on a Windows tablet or Windows Phone.

It’s unclear how well that past promotion worked for Microsoft, or how many people the Redmond-based company expects to draw away from the warm embrace of their MacBook Airs. But this deal could be enough to get Air owners on the market for a new device to give the Surface Pro 3 a fair shake, rather than instinctively choosing to stay inside Apple’s ecosystem.

MacBook Air users interested in making the trade have until July 31 to do so. After that, this offer expires.

Like what you're reading? Subscribe to GeekWire's free newsletters to catch every headline

Job Listings on GeekWork

Find more jobs on GeekWork. Employers, post a job here.