I can't decide on which one to get. Any recommendations ? People with iPad Air 2 what do you like about them ? I will mainly using it for watching movies, youtube videos, searching the web for research, cooking, and maybe light gaming.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPad Air 2 or Surface 3 ?
- Thread starter max2
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
For your use I'd go with an iPad. As long as you don't need much productivity the iPad will be awesome.
Thanks I don't think I will wait 12.9 inches is way to big for a tablet for me in my opinion.
For your needs I think the Surface 3 might be the better option. I just got the Surface 3 (4GB/128) a few days ago and I've been somewhat pleased with the device. It's not as fast as my early 2014 rMBP but I didn't expect that. I've been able to take notes using the pen during meetings, do research on my projects and do some very light gaming on steam. You have the full experience of a windows desktop. Watching movies in Netflix, Hulu or VLC is perfectly fine. The metro/tablet apps are a bit lacking and don't have quite the polish as the iOS versions. However, the desktop versions run fine. You'll need to get the type cover and I recommend the pen as well. This can get pretty expensive, but IMHO gives you a better overall experience with the device.
If you are ok with using windows, you should consider getting the surface. I really wish Apple would make a device like this. I would still get a rMBP for heavy stuff but it's really nice to carry around a smaller device that can give you the best of both worlds (iOS and OS X).
Get a refurbished iPad Air 2. Refurbs are as good as new if not better since they're rigorously tested by Apple. They give all refurb iPads a new outer shell and new battery even if they're a day old. But to answer your question for your uses i'd highly suggest an iPad Air 2. The surface is more for productivity if you need a desktop operating system on hand at all times. What you're using it for a tablet operating system will suit you much better.
For basic needs it seems fine. I do feel a little slowness, but I'm coming from a windows and OS X machine with 16GB RAM and fast SSD's. There were some youtube videos that showed the surface 3 held it's own even against the surface pro 3 (which has a faster SSD interface compared to the slower flash card reader based interface on the Surface 3). It won't be blazing fast but it gets the job done. The trackpad is pretty bad though. It's really small and makes it only useful for basic stuff in metro/tablet mode. The pen or your finger is better overall. Or better yet, get a bluetooth mouse if you are doing more stuff on the desktop.
Right now I downloaded a PDF and making notes and highlights with the pen. It suits my needs so far. I definitely feel more productive with the Surface 3 than I would with my iPad.
Thanks.
Is there anything you regret about purchasing the Surface 3 yet ?
Also do you still have a iPad which one if so ?
The iPad is a much better appliance than the Surface. It has much more predictable battery life, and none of the headaches of managing Windows. With touchid it's much faster to log in to the iPad. There is never any guessing as to how much battery you'll have left after sitting for a day or two, or if the device will make it another couple of hours on low battery.
The Surface is better if you need Windows, will use the pen, or want a tablet that doubles as a laptop with the type cover. There is no doubt it is more powerful in some ways, but it's also limited in many ways compared to a mature tablet like the iPad.
The Surface is better if you need Windows, will use the pen, or want a tablet that doubles as a laptop with the type cover. There is no doubt it is more powerful in some ways, but it's also limited in many ways compared to a mature tablet like the iPad.
Both devices are limited in some ways. The iPad is definitely better as a pure consumption device (ie streaming videos, playing mobile games, reading books/magazines etc), however it falls really short as a production device (taking notes, drawing, writing long emails etc). Yes you can get a keyboard and pen for the iPad, but to be honest, nothing out there comes close to what the type cover can do. It's a simple but well designed low profile cover that does a very good job for typing, with a bad smallish trackpad. Though no one comes close to what Apple can do with a trackpad.
Battery life so far has been decent. The iPad beats the Surface 3 in that regard, but I'm doing more with the device than streaming videos and playing games. And it's running full blown windows.
Both devices are very good. It's just one is better at one thing than the other. So choose the device that best fits your needs. If you don't like windows than the Surface 3 is not for you. However, if you are a little open minded and don't mind a few workarounds, this is a very good device.
No regrets so far about purchasing the device. This was really a small test for me to see if I like these 2 in 1 devices. I was originally going to go with the Surface Pro 3. But then this model came out and it is much cheaper. I sold my iPad 2 a while ago but have been using my sister's iPad Air 2 (she has the logitech keyboard cover as well) to see if I can use it for taking notes in meetings etc. But I found it limiting in both the hardware and the software. Hopefully, Apple can fix this, but I couldn't wait any more and needed a device for work.
Battery life so far has been decent. The iPad beats the Surface 3 in that regard, but I'm doing more with the device than streaming videos and playing games. And it's running full blown windows.
Both devices are very good. It's just one is better at one thing than the other. So choose the device that best fits your needs. If you don't like windows than the Surface 3 is not for you. However, if you are a little open minded and don't mind a few workarounds, this is a very good device.
No regrets so far about purchasing the device. This was really a small test for me to see if I like these 2 in 1 devices. I was originally going to go with the Surface Pro 3. But then this model came out and it is much cheaper. I sold my iPad 2 a while ago but have been using my sister's iPad Air 2 (she has the logitech keyboard cover as well) to see if I can use it for taking notes in meetings etc. But I found it limiting in both the hardware and the software. Hopefully, Apple can fix this, but I couldn't wait any more and needed a device for work.
I have an iPad Mini and an iPad 2 and even on those two older devices all the activity you mention works perfectly. The YouTube app isn't bad at all. At least I can't report any issues and I've been using it for years. There are alternative apps on the App store too, if you want more granularity than the default YT app offers out of the box. So, if the simple tasks you mentioned in your original post work perfectly on my old devices, I'm pretty sure the iPad Air will do an even better job. Surface Pro is nice too, though. The iPad (even older versions) is perfectly capable, however.
I have an iPad Air 2, a few weeks back my Windows laptop went pop. So I decided to give the Surface Pro 3 i5 128 GB + type cover a try. Initially I was quite impressed, the screen is very nice with great color reproduction, it was quite fast and versatile. I used it as my sole device for a week, before returning it for a 2014 MBA.
I found it too big and heavy so use as a tablet (reading, web surfing, gaming) without resting it on my lap. Where as I can hold my iPad with one hand for quite a while. Battery life was very unpredictable with standby times a fraction what the iPad can accomplish. As its a Windows machine expect updates very frequently, this gets quite annoying when all you want to do is quickly check your email, the machine forces a restart and you are left staring at the 'Please wait while updates are installed' screen. Do anything more the a simple task and the machine heats up very quickly and fan becomes very noisy, blowing hot air over your hand.
As a laptop it works quite well, and it does sit on the lap. However I like to balance my laptop on the arm of the sofa while I'm watching TV, the kick stand design meant it kept falling off the end. Opening the keyboard and attaching its to the magnets to give a comfortable typing position is easy, but not a quick and simple as popping open the lid of a laptop. The keyboard and track pad are ok, but the MBA superior by a long shot.
The iPad is an excellent tablet, the MBA an excellent laptop, but the Surface Pro for me doesn't do either very well.
I found it too big and heavy so use as a tablet (reading, web surfing, gaming) without resting it on my lap. Where as I can hold my iPad with one hand for quite a while. Battery life was very unpredictable with standby times a fraction what the iPad can accomplish. As its a Windows machine expect updates very frequently, this gets quite annoying when all you want to do is quickly check your email, the machine forces a restart and you are left staring at the 'Please wait while updates are installed' screen. Do anything more the a simple task and the machine heats up very quickly and fan becomes very noisy, blowing hot air over your hand.
As a laptop it works quite well, and it does sit on the lap. However I like to balance my laptop on the arm of the sofa while I'm watching TV, the kick stand design meant it kept falling off the end. Opening the keyboard and attaching its to the magnets to give a comfortable typing position is easy, but not a quick and simple as popping open the lid of a laptop. The keyboard and track pad are ok, but the MBA superior by a long shot.
The iPad is an excellent tablet, the MBA an excellent laptop, but the Surface Pro for me doesn't do either very well.
Hi there!
I do all these things comfortably from my Air 2. In fact since my 2012 Macbook Air has started sputtering, I'm thinking of just using my ipad, it's that good.
I guess the vote on this forum will be predictable.
Sent from my iPad Air by the way
Sent from my iPad Air by the way
Last edited:
I do not: For me, the whole point of a tablet is to do away with the keyboard. I just learned how to save PDFs to my iPad so now, with my Multiple Attachments app, I can really do work related stuff easily on it.
Yeah the SP3 is to big for a tablet I keep hearing plus it is a lot more expensive.
Thanks KarmaRocket good to know!
So how exactly is the trackpad bad ? I am curious. Does it at least work ?
Ok I went to the mall to test out the Surface 3 , Surface Pro 3, and iPad Air 2.
I don't know if I like the Surface 3 or Surface Pro 3 because both lagged a little browsing the way it seem. Maybe I am just to use to my ssd and desktop pc.
The keyboard is ok but not a 10 maybe a 8. I don't like the mouse clicks or how you click the mouse. I wish there was buttons like on laptops. The pen was really great definitely a 10.
So how do you write notes with the pen ? I couldn't figure that out.
I don't know if I like the Surface 3 or Surface Pro 3 because both lagged a little browsing the way it seem. Maybe I am just to use to my ssd and desktop pc.
The keyboard is ok but not a 10 maybe a 8. I don't like the mouse clicks or how you click the mouse. I wish there was buttons like on laptops. The pen was really great definitely a 10.
So how do you write notes with the pen ? I couldn't figure that out.
I'm considering getting a surface pro 3. I just am not sure I can handle the size because I have petite hands. It seems a lot heftier than my iPad and can't really be used as a tablet in the same way as an iPad.
For your said usage, an iPad is a better option. As others have said, media consumption on an ipad is second to none. Better battery life, app selection, etc. If you needed a high productivity device I'd definitely get the surface, but you don't. Get an iPad, and buy refurbished or check Best Buy for sales.