Microsoft takes aim at the iPad in new Surface Pro 7 ad

midian182

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What just happened? Microsoft and Apple have a rivalry that goes back to the mid-80s and still rages today. Continuing the tradition of throwing shade at each other in their commercials, Microsoft has launched a new ad declaring the Surface Pro 7 better than the iPad.

Microsoft's ad begins by highlighting the advantages of the Surface Pro 7's built-in kickstand. The iPad doesn't have one, though it's easy enough to buy a third-party cover with a similar feature, or you could purchase one of Apple's iPad keyboards, which is the next feature under the microscope.

The ad lauds the Surface Pro Type Cover keyboard and how it "clicks and attaches" to the device, though the iPad version does pretty much the same thing. The focus is on the weight difference between the two accessories—Apple's Folio is 0.2 pounds heavier than the Surface Pro 7's keyboard. It fails to mention that Microsoft's tablet is 0.33 pounds heavier than Apple's.

Connectivity is up next. Microsoft has Apple beat in this area; the Surface has 3.5mm, USB-A, USB-C, and Surface Connect ports, along with a microSD card reader, while the iPad has only USB-C, meaning dongles are often a requirement.

Microsoft also continues its long-running argument that the iPad isn't a computer, whereas the Surface Pro 7 falls into this category. The price difference is also highlighted: the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with the Smart Keyboard is $1,348, while the Surface in the ad is $880 with keyboard, suggesting it's the Core i5 model. Again, the caveat here is that the Surface becomes more expensive than the iPad Pro when adding a Core i7 CPU.

In our soon-to-be-updated Best Tablets feature, we crown the iPad Pro 11-inch (2020) the best overall tablet, thanks to its fantastic screen, iPadOS, and battery life, but we also like its rival; the use of Windows helps the Surface Pro 7 win our Best Productivity tablet category.

Last month saw Intel step up its campaign against Apple and its M1-powered Macs by bringing back actor Justin Long—the "I'm a Mac" guy from Apple's "Get a Mac" commercials—to mock Cupertino's machines in a series of ads.

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The reason no one can compete with iPhone, iPad and anything else running iOS in any meaningful or consistent manner is that Android and Windows continue to want to "do more" while iOS focuses on doing just one thing as well as possible.

And then there's the ecosystem. iOS is a great ecosystem and my apps only continue to grow. I'm not interested in buying into another ecosystem. I am happy enough just logging into a new device and picking up all my apps where I left off.

iPhone is easily operated with just one hand and one thumb. You can almost tell the difference between someone using iPhone and Android simply by their posture and handedness in most cases.

When it comes to these tablets vs. iPad, I would rather spend more for an actual laptop than buy a windows tablet because I already know a mouse and keyboard are gonna be my end goal to use a Windows tablet. With iPad, I pretty much already know I'm just gonna use it as a huge iPhone.

This isn't about price. It's about a difference in philosophy. The Windows Tablet is a content producer. The iPad is a content consumer.
 
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If you're ready to approach this with open mind and don't care about OS then comparing Surface to iPP is like comparing Golf to a Ferrari.

Look I'm not big fan of iPadOS, because data management and importing/exporting content if you don't own other Mac is pain in the backside, but it can be done. If you solve this issue then iPP is equally good at encoding 4K material, music, painting, gaming, watching movies or just being big replacement for an iPhone. Everybody knows that Surface cannot compete as video editor or painting tablet. No amount of advertising will change that. Generation for generation Surface is simply inferior thing, good to show on TV shows like NCIS or something, but if you're really into serious work get iPP hands down (and up). Unless you love Excel, then yes that's the only advantage Surface holds over iPP - access to all Windows programs imaginable. Problem is 99% of them won't even run on Surface with it's puny internals.

Surface tablet is cheaper, because it should. Inferior architecture, screen, puny specs and taptic/pen interface at least one generation (if not more) behind Apple. If anything Surface is quite expensive for what it offers.
 
If you're ready to approach this with open mind and don't care about OS then comparing Surface to iPP is like comparing Golf to a Ferrari.

Look I'm not big fan of iPadOS, because data management and importing/exporting content if you don't own other Mac is pain in the backside, but it can be done. If you solve this issue then iPP is equally good at encoding 4K material, music, painting, gaming, watching movies or just being big replacement for an iPhone. Everybody knows that Surface cannot compete as video editor or painting tablet. No amount of advertising will change that. Generation for generation Surface is simply inferior thing, good to show on TV shows like NCIS or something, but if you're really into serious work get iPP hands down (and up). Unless you love Excel, then yes that's the only advantage Surface holds over iPP - access to all Windows programs imaginable. Problem is 99% of them won't even run on Surface with it's puny internals.

Surface tablet is cheaper, because it should. Inferior architecture, screen, puny specs and taptic/pen interface at least one generation (if not more) behind Apple. If anything Surface is quite expensive for what it offers.
The surface offers the freedom to do/install anything you want, the iPad is a consoomer device jerry-rigged to give some semblence of productivity. Even basic device management requires a third party service for iOS, not so for windows.
 
It is funny because Microsoft forgot importance of ecosystem. Microsoft quit mobile was mistake. People on iPhone want to be in ecosystem on other device. You are buy app on iPhone then you have on iPad too. You have access iCloud and services that go with. reminders, calendar, notes. text message and calls can forward to iPad. Surface having some advantage, but I think ecosystem is win. microsoft to quitting phone was big mistake because they don't have ecosystem extending to phone which has becoming essential. They should have put more resources into competing it, but they quit phone and it will suffer other sale more as time go. I have expecting once they are figure this out, they maybe making a windows phone base on andoird like they did with edge base on chrome.
 
Personally I'd rather a Surface Pro than a iPad every time - but it's personal choice.
I think they are very different machines. Yes they are both tablets but beyond that they are doing very different things.
If you want a super-portable PC that can be used like a tablet, but also run Visual Studio, Cinebench, Office, Outlook etc etc get a Surface Pro (or something similar).
If you want a pure tablet and like Apples ecosystem get an iPad.
 
The iPad you buy to watch YouTube on a nice device, Surface you buy to actually get some work done.

I know iPadOS is getting their but it has nothing on Windows, Powershell, being able to easily plug-in serial adaptors, just soo many things I wouldn't be able to do in my job if I had an iPad, Surface though? Give me a Type-C to gigabit ethernet adaptor and it can pretty much replace my laptop.
 
And now? the battery life
and now? the performance
and now? the software
and now? the value
and now? the durability over the years
and now? the security
 
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