Surface Pro vs. iPad Pro - Input wanted

[va_deb]

Have any of you -- or family members and friends -- looked into getting a Surface Pro or iPad Pro? Or do you use one now? Anyone want to do a Pugski-style cage match comparison and reply with what you like or dislike about yours?

My better half is in the early stages of making a big career change. He is preparing for a major test and getting eye strain on some of the test apps on his iPad Mini. He switched to our small, old Toshiba laptop, but it crashed.

In the short term he needs to be able to focus on test prep. After that he'll be online filling out applications, doing research, networking, writing essays, etc. When he gets accepted it will involve lots of classroom work and note-taking, online reading, and homework time.

He has an iPhone and the iPad Mini now, and before that used a Samsung Galaxy tablet (non-exploding kind) until I borrowed it and it got stolen. (Bad Deb.) Also has a huge, nice Dell desktop with a large monitor, but doesn't want to be tied to his desk all the time.

He is leaning iPad Pro and wants to know if it's worth paying more for the additional memory, but he could be swayed to the SurfacePro side as well.

I work with colleagues who are raving Mac fans and recently got Surface Pros to test. They're surprised how much they like them.

Any advice would be welcome. TIA!

 

[scott43]

I suppose it depends on what you really want to do. If you want to do serious work you probably want to get a decent notebook. I'm in IT kinda and I see iPads and tablets and notebooks all day. iPads and tablets are ok for surfing and doing nonsense stuff, but really, if you're doing real work, get a notebook, and a decent one at that.

 

[oldschoolskier]

I agree with @scott43 on this.

I have an iPhone, laptop i7 no touch screen (expensive), basically use it as my desk top but portable when needed, and an inexpensive smaller 2 in 1 for traveling and the rest.

Apple apps are great but some things are just better on Windows, which is why I use windows format.

Secret is deciding what your main application is and pick from there.

 

[ScotsSkier]

What Scott and OSS said. If you are doing serious stuff get a laptop. MacBook Air is my preference

 

[surfsnowgirl]

For the record the only Samsung device with an explosion issue was the Note 7 phone.

I'm personally an Android girl and am not a fan of the Apple environment. I like Microsoft products so I'm for the Surface all the way. A cage match comparison is a great idea.

I wish your guy @va_deb lots of luck on his new endeavors.

 

[Philpug]

If he is using Apple stuff now...that makes sense to me.

 

[Magi]

I think the biggest decision needs to be what applications you're going to run on this thing - and that'll tell you which device family to buy in.


So could you describe what "test prep" means? (is it just using a website?) and what do you actually need to accomplish post testing? (in the sense of what applications does his study require / what field is he studying for?)

I also think that OneNote is an amazing application for studying / note taking. and that's windows only I think...

 

[David Chaus]

Can't speak to the Surface. I have an iPad Pro (12.9"). It's basically all I ever use anymore. I use the Apple Pencil stylus for handwriting notes during counseling sessions, then I use the Apple Smart Keyboard to enter notes and data into my electronic records management software. I also take payments (copays and deductibles) using Square and most people are impressed with being able to sign their name easily and naturally.

The Apple Smart Keyboard is almost totally flat, yet still very responsive feel. It has the spacing of the keys similar to a desktop keyboard, wider than laptop keys (which are crammed too close together for my tastes). I find laptops to be useless and unwieldy in your lap, whereas a 12.9" iPad is about the same size as a paper notepad. When you place the iPad on the keyboard, 3 small magnet contacts line them up; the keyboard is powered by the iPad itself so doesn't need batteries, nor Bluetooth. The keyboard is seamless, no worry about dust or crumbs or spilled beverages, and the keyboard does dual duty as a cover.

The retina screen is awesome in the 12.9" size, videos are crystal clear.

I haven't really used the Surface, however when I tried using one with a stylus in a store, it wasn't nearly as precise or responsive as the iPad. YMMV.

 

[David Chaus]

Can't speak to the Surface. I have an iPad Pro (12.9"). It's basically all I ever use anymore. I use the Apple Pencil stylus for handwriting notes (I use Notes Plus) during counseling sessions, then I use the Apple Smart Keyboard to enter notes and data into my electronic records management software. I also take payments (copays and deductibles) using Square and most people are impressed with being able to sign their name easily and naturally.

The Apple Smart Keyboard is almost totally flat, yet still very responsive feel. It has the spacing of the keys similar to a desktop keyboard, wider than laptop keys (which are crammed too close together for my tastes). I find laptops to be useless and unwieldy in your lap, whereas a 12.9" iPad is about the same size as a paper notepad. When you place the iPad on the keyboard, 3 small magnet contacts line them up; the keyboard is powered by the iPad itself so doesn't need batteries, nor Bluetooth. The keyboard is seamless, no worry about dust or crumbs or spilled beverages, and the keyboard does dual duty as a cover.

The retina screen is awesome in the 12.9" size, videos are crystal clear.

I haven't really used the Surface, however when I tried using one with a stylus in a store, it wasn't nearly as precise or responsive as the iPad. YMMV.

 

[crgildart]

If you're working with artsy stuff go with Apple. If you're working with serious data go with Windows format.

 

[markojp]

If you're working with artsy stuff go with Apple. If you're working with serious data go with Windows format.

This doesn't matter nearly as much as it used to.

 

[Ken_R]

Once you are in the Apple ecosystem it makes sense to stay within it. The products are good and work well with each other (I text and voice call using my MacBook Pro). Everything syncs up nicely. I have not tried the iPad pro but looks impressive on paper and if the app you need is available it should work well for you. I prefer a real keyboard though.

The Surface Pro has better/easier connectivity (USB) while the iPads require adapters for everything pretty much. It is the only downside besides the lack of factory keyboard but there are plenty available in the aftermarket.

All that said I would look at the smaller MacBooks, they are super light and work well. If you can live with their limitations they are a really nice product.

 

[Tricia]

Since he has a Mac for his desktop for serious stuff, I'd go with the iPad pro. Its pretty seamless.

 

[LKLA]

For my family it has become a bit of a "golden handcuffs" situation. We have three iPhones, two iPads, one iMac, one Mac Book, one iPod and Apple TV, so we are basically locked into the Apple ecosystem.

If that resembles your home then I would go with the iPad Pro. It will make using the tablet much easier to with all the other devices and allow you to make better use of it.

And I just happen to like Apple products better than most others. They are not perfect (none are) and they are often not the cheapest but they seem well designed, well built, have good customer service, offer the convenience of having Apple stores (genius bars) nearby,... and even offer some money when turning in old devices.

 

[coskigirl]

I'm in the middle of the exact same process right now except that I sat for my exam last month. I will likely receive my score today and at the latest tomorrow which will determine whether I need to start studying again or if I start doing more of the application stuff. As far as eye strain goes I had to mix it up between my iPad, my full monitors with a laptop, and good ol' printed paper. One thing to note, I found that doing the practice exams electronically caused some issues and given that my exam was paper and scantron answer sheets I started doing my practice exams that with printed pages. I would then use the old exam pages as my scrap paper as I drilled logic games so I didn't feel as wasteful.

Anyhow, eventually, I'll need to make a decision on a machine for school. I cannot imagine writing law school papers on an iPad or Surface so I'll do some sort of laptop. At home I'm all Mac but for work I have a PC and I'll need to research what the favored environment is at my school but I'm leaning toward a pc based laptop as I recently set up docking station at home for use with my work computer. That gives me a huge 27" monitor as well.

 

[coskigirl]

Another thought would be a Dell 2-in-1 like this. http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/productdetails/inspiron-15-5578-2-in-1-laptop

 

[crgildart]

This doesn't matter nearly as much as it used to.

It does if what you're pushing is too big for Excel and requires ACCESS instead.

 

[scott43]

Can't speak to the Surface. I have an iPad Pro (12.9"). It's basically all I ever use anymore.

<snipped a bunch of stuff>

Good points David. I think it depends on what a person needs to do. What their work is. I avoided the whole Mac vs PC debate because, again, your work will probably determine that.

 

[JeffB]

I have both - iPad Pro and a surface book. I got the surface book to replace a surface pro with the soft cover keyboard.

My take - battery life on the iPad Pro is superior in my real world usage.

Surface book excels with any text heavy use - which is the reason I think the surface book falls short - the lack of a hard keyboard means that laptop use on the couch with your feet up, where your lap is the desk -is very difficult. Surface book solves this drawback. Using the surface pro as a traditional laptop is frustrating.

Apple Pencil with iPad Pro is better in my experience than the stylus on the surface. Using touch on iPad is better than surface.

If I could only have one, I'd pick the iPad and get a case with the keyboard. I don't like that case though - my wife has that set up on her Pro - because it makes the iPad thick and heavy. I use my iPad naked - the device, not me. Well, most of the time.

I like a traditional clamshell laptop for text heavy work and for all intents and purposes, that's what my surface book has become. For all touch based function and stylus stuff, I'll take the iPad Pro. I also use it almost exclusively for internet consumption, kindle reading, and after hours email.

Bottom line, I could function professionally in my career and personal/social with only the iPad. Can't say that about the Surface. And when the surface dies or I get tired of it, I likely will go back to a MacBook Air for the clamshell laptop function I like to have available but don't really need.

 

[Suzski]

I can't comment on the iPad Pro, but I've been using a Surface Pro 4 exclusively (aside from my phone) for over a year now. My office is converting everyone to the Surface Pro as our primary device (no more laptops or desktops). I've been very happy w/the SP4. I'm a lawyer, so I do "lawyer-type stuff" on it, which is to say that I'm not working w/accounting software, spreadsheets, etc. The SP4 connects easily to my two monitors. The only issue I've experienced is using the two monitors together and trying to access .pdf documents. The resolution and size is wonky, i.e. HUGE. Our IT folks resolved my issue by uploading a different reader and tweaking, but since I don't speak IT I can't really explain what they did. It was not an issue when hooking up to only one monitor.

I really like that I can use the SP4 as a tablet or w/the keyboard. Convenient. I also like that I can just pop it into my backpack and take it back and forth from home to the office. It has many features that I haven't even tried yet, so this review is a bit thin. Overall, it is a great option and I much prefer it to my old laptop. The only thing I occasionally miss is not having a disk drive, but I just plug in an external. I also use a "spider" attachment to give me additional USB ports when I need them.

(oh, and ditto @JeffB 's comment re the difficulty of using the SP4 as a "laptop." It isn't a lounge-on-the-couch-as-you-work device unless you've got terrific balance or like a challenge. All it takes is one grand lap-leap from the cat and the device is on the floor).

(oh, again, the sound quality on the SP4 is great! It was our principal sound machine in the condo on last year's Taos trip. )

Hope this helps!