Surface Pro 4 vs iPad Pro: Why you should pick Microsoft's tablet over Apple's
4 min. read
Published on
Share this article
Improve this guide
Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help MSPoweruser sustain the editorial team Read more
Apple today announced that the iPad Pro, its largest tablet-to-date will be available for purchase starting Wednesday, November 11. It offers a significant improvement to the iPad Air 2, the tablet it succeeds with a larger display, faster processor, more RAM, and better speakers. But while it’s all nice and dandy, you should consider spending your money on a Surface Pro 4 instead. Here’s why.
Surface Pro 4 offers more productivity
Apple’s App Store has a plethora of apps — many of which are designed to get your work done. These include Microsoft’s Office suite. But an iPad Pro, which is a decent device, can’t do what a Surface Pro 4 can. And it’s because of the software the devices run. The Surface Pro 4 runs a full-fledged version of Windows, offering users the ability to run their legacy applications, do multi-tasking, run plenty of things across each other, use a mouse and keyboard for input. You can actually even run a virtualization suite and run another full-fledged desktop operating system on it. The iPad Pro doesn’t offer this level of sophistication.
iPad Pro doesn’t seem well designed
If the white space in the above image bothers you, you’re not alone. The iPad Pro’s own home screen doesn’t feel well organized. There is also no app drawer to help you find things quickly. It’s just a mess.
The Surface Pro 4, on contrast, offers a well-organized desktop interface as well as a modern user interface when you want to use the device as a tablet machine.
Ports, ports, and ports
When you advertise a device as a hybrid machine, it should be able to work as one. Both the iPad Pro and Surface Pro 4 are hybrid machines that should be able to offer great productivity experience while also doubling as an entertainment gadget. For either purpose, you would, at times, want to connect the device to another monitor, say a projector, and plug-in external hard drives. The Surface Pro 4 excels in this category as well. You get a full-size USB 3.0 port, a microSD card reader, and a mini DisplayPort. On the iPad Pro, you’re stuck with company’s own proprietary port that requires additional accessories that don’t offer as great performance.
Imagine using a device that not only comes with a 1TB built-in storage (optional) but can also be connected to a 6TB external hard drive. The iPad Pro doesn’t offer any of that.
You don’t have to purchase an additional stylus
The Surface Pro 4 comes with the Surface Pen, a stylus for input. Unlike the Apple Pencil, the stylus counterpart for the iPad Pro, the Surface Pen doesn’t cost any extra bucks as it is a part of the package. The Apple Pencil needs to be purchased separately at a price point of $99. The Surface Pen comes with a digital eraser on the tip which lets you quickly make corrections and clean the mess. The Apple Pencil, which is called a pencil doesn’t have an eraser — which is a rather sad design flaw.
Portability
The Surface Pro 4 is a device that you can truly use as a computer and do most of your computing needs. The iPad Pro is a tablet, in all its essence. A 12.9-inch tablet isn’t the easiest thing to carry during a commute. Imagine holding a 13-inch thing in front of your face to watch a movie. The Surface Pro 4 wouldn’t feel weird to put on your lap and watch and work.
Looking at the specifications of the two devices, too, the Surface Pro 4 seems like a better value for money device. The iPad Pro just doesn’t. What’s your thought on this? Let us know in the comments section below.
You can order Surface Pro 4 from the below links,
Microsoft Store:
Amazon:
