Microsoft Surface Pro vs Apple iPad 4

Introduction:

As it turned out, the Microsoft Surface RT stood no chance in trying to crack the strong visage put up by the Apple iPad, even though it seemed poised to do so with its interesting design and brand spanking new platform. Maybe the Redmond based company was merely feeling out its chance with its Windows RT powered tablet? Now that they have the real deal thing in the Surface Pro, it might actually be the one to start that avalanche of momentum that Microsoft needs to break through the surface in this competitive market that’s still firmly held together by Apple’s pride and joy.

Design:

Without question, both of these tablets are sporting designs that are unique and distinctive from the usual conventional designs that are recycled over and over. However, the more we look at them, we can’t help but fall back on the iconic design of the iPad 4, as it sports so many premium elements to its entire construction. In addition to being the skinnier and lighter tablet, it also exudes the slightly more premium taste with its solid brushed aluminum casing. Heck, the Surface Pro is still appealing and whatnot, but its bulkier size doesn’t make it as comfortable to handle – then again, the overall increase in size is warranted considering the kind of components it’s packing inside.

Obviously, since the Surface Pro is more akin to being an ultrabook laptop, it’s worth noting that it’s featuring an arsenal of useful ports that make it far more versatile than the iPad 4. Specifically, it’s donning a full sized USB 3.0 port, mini DisplayPort for video-out functionality, and a microSD card slot – all of which deepens its worth over most traditional tablets. As for some of the commonalities between the two, they include their power buttons, volume controls, proprietary charging ports, microphones, and 3.5mm headset jack. Yet another small detail with like about the Surface Pro, it employs magnetic connections with a couple of its ports to lessen any damage that might occur in the event they’re accidentally pulled.


Whoa! There is seriously no competition in the camera department, as the iPad 4 is armed with a likeable 5-megapixel auto-focus camera that shoots video in 1080p – and a front-facing 1.2-megapixel one enabled for 720p video recording. In comparison, the Surface Pro gets nothing stellar with its 0.9-megapixel fixed focused front and rear cameras, which have the ability to shoot video in up to 720p.


Display:

Now this is where it gets interesting, since the two have stunning looking displays over most of the crop. Still, the more we look at them, the biggest differentiator is the slightly more detailed and stronger brightness output of the iPad 4’s 9.7-inch 1536 x 2048 IPS-LCD based Retina Display, which produces the higher pixel density if 264 ppi. Honestly, from a far distance away, it’s nearly indistinguishable to meticulously notice its finer details, but nonetheless, it’s evident upon closer inspection. Taking a gander at the Surface Pro’s 10.6-inch 1080 x 1920 IPS LCD display, it’s still attractive on many fronts, but it doesn’t have enough to steer us away from the Retina Display of the iPad 4.

Interface and Functionality:

Having the clear head start over most of the field, it doesn’t surprise us that the iPad 4 has the deeper set of comprehensive functions and apps with iOS to make the overall experience more satisfying – plus, it helps that it’s simple too, without much complexity. Although it’s new to the scene, new users will no doubt have to face the stiff learning curve associated with Microsoft’s new touch experience with Windows 8. Something we appreciate, the two platforms make good use of various gestures when it comes to navigating around.

In terms of personalization, there’s no question that the Windows 8 experience has the visual appeal to enthrall us with its dynamic looking Start Screen, which is far more impressive than the static look of iOS on the iPad 4. When it comes down to it, the iOS experience has a very consistent touch experience, as many apps are optimized for the tablet medium, which is something lacking with Windows 8 at the moment. Regardless of that, the Surface Pro is running a full-fledged desktop platform that provides the comforts of running all the software we’re used to seeing on PCs, which makes it far more productive on the road.



Juggling several apps can be a little bit challenging, but between the two, we find the Windows 8 experience to offer the better implementation when it comes to multi-tasking. Specifically, we can split apps into Windows-styled layouts, which is useful when running two apps side-by-side. Despite the advantage there with the Surface Pro, the iOS experience is swift enough to move between apps with its useful swipe gestures.

Looking at some of the core organizer apps on the two tablets, we can’t complain much since they relatively mirror one another with their features and presentations. At the same time, we don’t have any issues when it comes to typing stuff up with their on-screen keyboards, as they’re both super responsive and employ spacious layouts. However, it’s nice that the Surface Pro offers hand-writing recognition as an alternative, which is nicely adapted with its included pressure sensitive stylus.



Processor and Memory:

On paper, there’s no arguing the kind of horsepower that the Surface Pro has in tow over the iPad 4, since it’s blessed with internals that are more akin to a laptop. In fact, its dual-core 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U processor coupled with its Intel HD Graphics 4000 GPU and 4GB of RAM would do circles around the iPad 4’s dual-core 1.4GHz Apple A6X processor with its PowerVR SGX 554 GPU and 1GB of RAM. However, most people would be hard-pressed to realize the superiority of the Surface Pro, considering that the two are pretty much responsive with most tasks and operations. Then again, when we see the Surface Pro running legacy software, it really makes us realize the kind of power it’s packing.

Currently, the Microsoft Surface Pro is available in 64GB and 128GB capacities, which relies on a solid state drive. Meanwhile, the iPad 4 is offered in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB capacities. Making it the slightly more versatile between the two, the Surface Pro benefits from its microSD card slot.

Internet and Connectivity:

Surfing the web with these two prized tablets, there isn’t much we can complain about, since they both deliver the goods in this front. Naturally, pages load up in a quick manner with the two, and at the same time, we’re treated to other appreciated features – like instant rendering and smooth navigational controls. However, seeing that the Surface Pro has the desktop version of Internet Explorer, it undeniably replicates that tasteful desktop-like experience, which is partly attributed to its support of Adobe Flash amongst other things.



As it currently stands, the Surface Pro is made available as a Wi-Fi only tablet – with no word on whether we’ll see cellular enabled variants. Oppositely, the iPad 4 is available in a variety of flavors, which includes models that have speedy 4G LTE connectivity. Common amongst tablets as a whole, they share connectivity features such as aGPS, Bluetooth 4.0, and Wi-Fi.

Battery:

Hardly a surprise here folks! Seeing that the Surface Pro is packing notebook-like components and a full-fledged desktop operating system, its battery life is considerably less. In fact, we’re able to get under 6 hours of normal usage out of it – while the iPad 4 easily gives us a solid one day.

Conclusion:

Now this is a tough pickle on our hands, seeing that there’s an obvious gap in terms of pricing with the two tablets. At the very least, the iPad 4 can be bought for $500, which is significantly easier on the pockets over the $900 cost of the Microsoft Surface Pro. On one side, we have a very mature tablet platform that’s rich with an ecosystem of useful third party apps, while on the other, we have the newcomer in Windows 8 on the Surface Pro. Although it’s lacking a healthy selection of touch/tablet optimized apps at the moment, we remind ourselves that the Surface Pro is running a full desktop operating system – meaning, we have access to a trove of software support.

Here’s the deal. If you’re willing to spend the extra cash and looking for an all-in-one solution, we highly recommend getting the Microsoft Surface Pro, since it’ll basically replace a laptop – while at the same time giving us the comforts of a tablet experience too. Additionally, it’s also more versatile in the fact that it’s armed with all the components we’d typically find on a laptop, plus, it comes with a useful pressure sensitive stylus as well. Knowing that it’s still portable enough to travel around with, it’s something that’s more suited for those looking to get some serious work done on the road.

No doubt, there’s more of a productivity aspect seen with Microsoft’s slate, but the iPad 4 has that awesome balance between price point, quality construction, and a lively ecosystem of apps support. As a content consumptive device, it’s perfect with its consistent performance and vast collection of multimedia content. And as we’ve seen too, it’s able to capture the better looking photos and videos. If you’re currently pleased with your computer/notebook, the iPad 4 is a perfect complementary thing to pick up – and you won’t have to fork out a fortune on it!

Microsoft Surface Pro vs Apple iPad 4 Video Comparison: