iPad Pro and Apple Pencil Compared to Surface Pro 4 and Surface Pen

[Jakeycov]

It makes sense to have a tablet with a full OS, similar to the surface, hence why Marx55 didn't need to explain. It doesn't make sense to say Apple shouldn't make one and that we want limited options, hence why Icarus might have taken a moment to add some detail.

It makes sense to you, but obviously not for Apple. I'm with Apple on this one as they have much better knowledge of their sales landscape than us. Whenever I go into my local John Lewis there are always people looking at the iPads and trying them, and basically nobody looking at the Surface pro. In fact I tried a Surface Pro and it was completely unresponsive... probably been like it all day and nobody even noticed. My point is the market isn't big enough for Apple right now for another category of device. The iPad pro extends the iPad product line nicely and just starts to overlap it's laptop sales.

 

[a.gomez]

let me know when I can use it with illustrator or Photoshop CC. not walking around with a laptop and a giant iPad just to comp or make doodles. If paying 1000 dollars for a tablet, I would just buy a surface pro.

Not sure what anyone will do when you are working "to-fit" a layout bleed size. Now I just check it in the InDesign layout file. This is the strangest pro tool Apple has done yet.

 

[Popeye206]

Honestly... If I was considering a Surface, I'd just get a great laptop. I don't believe the Surface would make me happy if I bought it replace my laptop. I do see touch based computing is different than keyboard and mouse computing.

The best analogy I have is my vehicles. I have two. A van and a 2 seater sports car. Both get me from here to there. Both ride nice. But they are very different vehicles and I'll drive them for very different reasons. However, if you we're to do a "Checkbox" comparison, my van would probably win the "best award"... holds the most. Tows things. Great visibility. Etc... However, I'd prefer to drive the sports car ANY day over the van if I could.

 

[Jakeycov]

Honestly... If I was considering a Surface, I'd just get a great laptop. I don't believe the Surface would make me happy if I bought it replace my laptop and tablet. I believe touch based computing as different than keyboard and mouse computing.

The best analogy I have is my vehicles. I have two. A van and a 2 seater sports car. Both get me from here to there. Both ride nice. But they are very different vehicles and I'll drive them for very different reasons. However, if you we're to do a "Checkbox" comparison, my van would probably win the "best award"... holds the most. Tows things. Great visibility. Etc... However, I'd prefer to drive the sports car ANY day over the van if I could.

Great analogy.

 

[mattopotamus]

As a former note 5 owner and surface pro 4 owner, I found the apple pencil to be the most natural in the short time I have spent with it.

It really does feel as close to pen on paper as I have experienced.

 

[cardfan]

Honestly... If I was considering a Surface, I'd just get a great laptop. I don't believe the Surface would make me happy if I bought it replace my laptop. I do see touch based computing is different than keyboard and mouse computing.

The best analogy I have is my vehicles. I have two. A van and a 2 seater sports car. Both get me from here to there. Both ride nice. But they are very different vehicles and I'll drive them for very different reasons. However, if you we're to do a "Checkbox" comparison, my van would probably win the "best award"... holds the most. Tows things. Great visibility. Etc... However, I'd prefer to drive the sports car ANY day over the van if I could.

Yep, the surface runs windows so of course it makes for decent laptop over an ipad. But it's not a great laptop. I already have a much better laptop, a MPB (second choice would be a dell). So if I want a surface or ipad, i get the better tablet. That's an ipad. (it's also why I'll never connect a kb to an ipad..i don't want whatever that's trying to be).

The surface I'd only consider if it was my only device and I could only have one. But that won't happen.

 

[coolfactor]

All I can I say is that VERGE video is really well done!

 

[maflynn]

Overall I think the surface pro machines are better then the iPad Pro, just because it has the ability to run desktop OS, not a mobile OS, and some of the features, such as the kickstand and a touchpad with the keyboard.

Overall, I think the IPP is a nice tablet, but if drawing isn't your main gig, I think the SP4 is a better product - just my $.02

 

[Rogifan]

Overall I think the surface pro machines are better then the iPad Pro, just because it has the ability to run desktop OS, not a mobile OS, and some of the features, such as the kickstand and a touchpad with the keyboard.

Overall, I think the IPP is a nice tablet, but if drawing isn't your main gig, I think the SP4 is a better product - just my $.02

But what if you have no desire to run Windows?

 

[TXCherokee]

Apple released the iPad Pro last week as a direct competitor to Microsoft's new Surface Pro 4. The high-end tablets are primarily targeted at creative professionals, with the companion Apple Pencil and Surface Pen available as precise input tools to complement your finger.

Article Link: iPad Pro and Apple Pencil Compared to Surface Pro 4 and Surface Pen

This line is complete hogwash. While the Pencil and Pen are helpful for creative types; lawyers, doctors, nurses, building inspectors, sports coaches, students, i.e. ANYONE who can make use of a large screen mobile device with a useful writing tool will find this useful.

 

[doelcm82]

Apple has made it clear that their vision for tablet computing is limited to mobile devices, essentially PDA's, and they have no greater vision of how creative people & professionals will work more efficiently going forward into the future. ...or they can see it, but have decided that like every other area of the once thriving "pro" product line, it's not worth the investment. They'd rather sell short lifecycle watches and phones and cars to teenagers with disposable income.

And so, it falls upon, of all companies, Microsoft, to grab the baton and make the bigger strides pushing computing forward again. ...and we know how that goes.

This will be the biggest missed opportunity for Apple to lead of Cooks career.

All that is clear is that your vision is different from Apple's.

 

[robopope]

This would have been much more helpful visually if the camera had been set up over her right shoulder since she was left handed. So much was hidden by her hand.

 

[Gabs_]

Why? Cause you won't use one?

This is hilarious. If Apple does a tablet Mac people will say they copied Microsoft, yet people want one? Which is it? Is it copying Microsoft or a much-needed product. Damned if they do, damned if they don't.

 

[xFerrr]

But what if you have no desire to run Windows?

In a tablet that big? Windows fits way better than iOS.

 

[Piggie]

Nah.

Until they do, then YOU will change your mind

 

[blackcrayon]

Really no comparison. The Surface run desktop OS and uses an Intel processor while the iPad Pro is just a tablet. Surface wins overall and the Apple pencil wins the best drawing tool.

By your definition, if what you want is "just a tablet", then the iPad Pro wins overall. Some people want just a tablet.

 

[Shasterball]

She's wearing an Apple Watch. 1. According to this forum no one bought one 2. She's drinking "that Apple koolaid" (whatever that ridiculous expression means) so her opinion is massively biased towards Apple...

Who wears a watch on their dominant hand? Especially when drawing? Wouldn't that get in the way?

Any opportunity to show off a Hermes etc... watch lol.

 

[maflynn]

But what if you have no desire to run Windows?

Then I guess you're out of luck.

 

[Digital Skunk]

Why even bother comparing the two? I know they are similar, but the Surface isn't a complete tablet and the iPad Pro is in no way meant to replace your laptop.

As far as drawing . . . . sure I guess, but then you'd have to compare full apps to iOS apps.

Then, it was mentioned by Ive that the Pencil wasn't meant to replace the finger or navigate the OS. While on the Surface the Pen IS meant to navigate the OS and other things.

p.s. having a hardware eraser should make the Pen that much better than the Pencil when you're trying to compare drawing functionality between the two. This review, as has been said, is a bit biased.

 

[navaira]

iPad Pro is in no way meant to replace your laptop.

Someone needs to tell Tim Cook.

 

[jmorrison0722]

Is her fly open?

 

[Digital Skunk]

Someone needs to tell Tim Cook.

I agree! I wish he would at the very least make iTunes the iPad or at least code the Music App to work like iTunes before saying things like that.

I'd take that over a filesystem and USB ports any day.

 

[QquegChristian]

She's wearing an Apple Watch. 1. According to this forum no one bought one 2. She's drinking "that Apple koolaid" (whatever that ridiculous expression means) so her opinion is massively biased towards Apple...

My wife and I both wear our Apple Watches as we work on our Surface Pro 4s. I love both devices.

Honestly, the Apple Watch is kind of the straw breaking the camel's back. If I have to charge a phone and a watch every night, then I really don't want a laptop AND iPad as well. I've gotta tap out at three everyday devices.

 

[maflynn]

Why even bother comparing the two? I know they are similar, but the Surface isn't a complete tablet and the iPad Pro is in no way meant to replace your laptop.

People are going to compare the two because they are more similar then different. The differences are telling, the Surface Pro is basically a laptop then a tablet, and the SP is a tablet then a laptop.

 

[melendezest]

Honestly... If I was considering a Surface, I'd just get a great laptop. I don't believe the Surface would make me happy if I bought it replace my laptop. I do see touch based computing is different than keyboard and mouse computing.

The best analogy I have is my vehicles. I have two. A van and a 2 seater sports car. Both get me from here to there. Both ride nice. But they are very different vehicles and I'll drive them for very different reasons. However, if you we're to do a "Checkbox" comparison, my van would probably win the "best award"... holds the most. Tows things. Great visibility. Etc... However, I'd prefer to drive the sports car ANY day over the van if I could.

I agree, except that the problem here is that Apple is still making a motorcycle, not a 2-seater.

If the iPad were to gain the ability to have multiple user accounts, better connectivity (USB, dammit), and (to a lesser degree) an accessible filesystem, the need for a Mac would drop drastically for many (myself included). As it stands, the iPad Pro is as close to a Mac (portable) replacement from Apple as we've seen. But it's not there quite yet.

Apple wants to milk this cow as long as it can, so they will keep their iOS devices as single-user motorcycles for a while, so as to force you to buy 2 devices.

iOS is a great, touch-based interface that need not change completely. I feel Apple is biding it's time until they change the iPad from a motorcycle to a family sedan.

I think that will usher in the true "post-PC" era, as envisioned by Steve Jobs:

Macs for some, but not most.