iPad Pro Just got an iPad Pro, my experiences vs the Surface Pro 4

[Robnsn2015]

What's "Pro?" I just wrote a requirements specification for an energy company using MS Word and OmniOutliner simultaneously in split screen mode without a physical keyboard.

People take that "Pro" part SO LITERALLY. I wish Apple had just named the thing "iPad Plus" so we can stop bickering back in forth.
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One is an amazing tablet.
The other is a mediocre laptop.

So I agree with you.

My now-former company issues Surface Pro machines to their upper-level executives for actual work. Everything they use the Surface Pro for they could use a standard laptop for, but the laptop would do it better for less money. That's one of the reasons why I opted not to get a Surface Pro. The Dell touchscreen laptop the company issues to us "lower-level" folks did 90% of what people used the Surface Pro for, for 60% of the price.

 

[ctg7w6]

Good point, but you can look at this another way. The iPad Pro is a really good, deluxe iPad. The Surface Pro is a mediocre laptop. If you need Windows apps (which are overwhelming built as "desktop" apps, not "touch" or "modern" apps), you can get an excellent Windows laptop for half the price of a functional Surface Pro.

True, or we can consider them within the category of laptop replacement, in which the Surface Pro is a more likely replacement than an iPad Pro.

I look at it kind of like this: People who need the functionality of a laptop with the occasional convenience of a tablet should get the Surface Pro. Those who need the functionality of a tablet with the occasional need of LIMITED laptop functions should get an iPad Pro.

I am in the first category, though I have decided on an iPad and a MacBook Air, because I REALLY prefer to use OSX. I could, however, survive with a Surface Pro. I would not be able to do so with an iPad Pro.

iPad Pro is probably the best tablet out there. There are many better laptops than a Surface Pro. But if you want a hybrid, I think most content creators would be better suited for a Surface Pro and consumers with an iPad Pro.

 

[Night Spring]

I think most content creators would be better suited for a Surface Pro and consumers with an iPad Pro.

Dividing our computer tasks into content creation and consumption isn't particularly useful. Yes, if you just consume content, an iPad is good. But there are so many different kinds of content creation. Writing a blog article is content creation. Drawing a picture is content creation. They can both be done on an iPad Pro, as well or better than on a Surface Pro. So I feel you can't just generalize and say most content creation is better on a Surface. It totally depends on what kind of creation we are talking about.

 

[silverblack]

once the Apple Pencil comes to the iPad air 3, I fail to see what makes the iPad Pro "pro". The split screen view is nicer on a bigger screen, but it's still the exact same thing on the smaller iPad. It doesn't allow you to open 3-4 apps at once.

Ha, ha. You sounded like it is a fact that Apple Pencil will work with iPad Air 3. I bet it won't.

By your argument, no one needs to buy a 50" or 60" TV, because their 32" TV will display the same picture, even at the same full 1080p resolution. You are clearly not getting the point of a large screen.

 

[RickTaylor]

I know that the topic of "iPad Pro vs Surface Pro 4" has been beaten somewhat to death, but I figured I would share my take on it to help others trying to make the same decision process (without going into specs, since everyone knows what those are).

While there have been many people giving their opinion on the iPad Pro vs the Surface Pro, I do appreciate posts like yours by ordinary users writing about their experience who've had the opportunity to use and compare devices over a significant period of time for getting work done.

 

[Nausicaa]

The problem with Surface is that it sucks as a tablet, yet in terms of power and features it is limited by its tablet form factor, making it a compromised laptop as well. So what's the point of Surface instead of just getting a more fully featured laptop or fit-for-purpose tablet?

iPad is definitely limited in some respects, but it also offers a first-rate user experience and is designed to function as a tablet first. The whole x86 platform is bloated and sluggish relative to ARM on a mobile device, to boot. Everything is slower and more complicated on Surface.

If I could only afford/only wanted ONE device to do everything, maybe I could see Surface making sense. I don't think many people are in that situation though.

 

[Aluminum213]

Ha, ha. You sounded like it is a fact that Apple Pencil will work with iPad Air 3. I bet it won't.

By your argument, no one needs to buy a 50" or 60" TV, because their 32" TV will display the same picture, even at the same full 1080p resolution. You are clearly not getting the point of a large screen.

do you carry around your TV?

 

[ZombiePete]

what was the SP4's battery life like compared to the Pro's, in everyday usage?

I can tell you from my experience, compared to the iPP, it was pretty terrible. I took several steps to try and slow down the battery drain, such as keeping the screen brightness at the lowest setting, and it would still be at below 50% well before noon if I was using it like I regularly use my portables; it might be at around 80% if I didn't use it at all (battery drain while sleeping, and even completely turned off, is a known issue).

I would estimate that if you're doing stuff like word processing or messing with spreadsheets, you've probably got a good four-to-five hours of battery with an SP4, best case scenario. To compare, I generally keep my iPP screen at around 25% brightness (in optimal light situations; it fluctuates as I keep auto-brightness turned on) and last night I checked my battery stats: at around 46% battery I had used my iPP for ten hours over a 48 hour period, 98% of that time was watching the Showtime Anywhere app (I'm catching up on Ray Donovan).

These things are always relative, of course, and my experiences won't be the same as everyone else's. From what I've seen, though, my experiences are pretty on par with what even die hard Surface Pro fans are reporting.
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do you carry around your TV?

What's your argument? That the iPP is too big to carry around? That's a judgment call based on personal preferences; I used to carry my 13" rMBP with me back and forth to work every day and now I carry my iPP instead, so relatively speaking the iPP is more portable.

 

[sjleworthy]

Thank you pete

 

[mikewired]

Hard to say on the Surface Pro 4... I rarely burned through the entire battery, because I plug it in at night and really only use it at home. The Surface Pro's battery indicator is all over the place, though. It will say '2 hours remaining', then '5 hours remaining', then back again. I did have a few issues where when the Surface was asleep, it woke back up on it's own, when I found it later it had the fans on high, was very hot, and the battery was nearly dead. I think they've fixed most of those type of issues though with the latest software updates.

The iPad Pro seems on par with my iPad Air.

Yes the battery meter is a

I can tell you from my experience, compared to the iPP, it was pretty terrible. I took several steps to try and slow down the battery drain, such as keeping the screen brightness at the lowest setting, and it would still be at below 50% well before noon if I was using it like I regularly use my portables; it might be at around 80% if I didn't use it at all (battery drain while sleeping, and even completely turned off, is a known issue).

I would estimate that if you're doing stuff like word processing or messing with spreadsheets, you've probably got a good four-to-five hours of battery with an SP4, best case scenario. To compare, I generally keep my iPP screen at around 25% brightness (in optimal light situations; it fluctuates as I keep auto-brightness turned on) and last night I checked my battery stats: at around 46% battery I had used my iPP for ten hours over a 48 hour period, 98% of that time was watching the Showtime Anywhere app (I'm catching up on Ray Donovan).

These things are always relative, of course, and my experiences won't be the same as everyone else's. From what I've seen, though, my experiences are pretty on par with what even die hard Surface Pro fans are reporting.
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What's your argument? That the iPP is too big to carry around? That's a judgment call based on personal preferences; I used to carry my 13" rMBP with me back and forth to work every day and now I carry my iPP instead, so relatively speaking the iPP is more portable.

My sp4 experience was 4.5 to 5 hours max also, pretty terrible.

 

[silverblack]

do you carry around your TV?

Of course!
http://www.theverge.com/2015/10/28/9626480/samsung-galaxy-view-unveiled

Same argument.
Why get the 18" portable TV, when you could just view the same content of your iPhone?
Why bother bringing a data projector to a meeting room, when everyone can just sit around and stare at a 13" laptop?

[EDIT] By the way, I also drive around a TV everyday, in my minivan. If you asked my kids, they will tell you they want a bigger screen in a heart beat.

 

[mikewired]

I will also add that the Apple Smart Cover is every bit as sturdy as the sp4 kickstand. If you add the silicone case it makes a really awesome package. You just have to get over the price but the case and cover feel like a million bucks in the hand.

 

[Cnasty]

I will also add that the Apple Smart Cover is every bit as sturdy as the sp4 kickstand. If you add the silicone case it makes a really awesome package. You just have to get over the price but the case and cover feel like a million bucks in the hand.

This is what I am leaning towards. Pricey but looks and feels fantastic after trying it. I want the white though as I think it accentuates the silver/gold iPP amazingly. Not sure how it will wear though.

 

[Robnsn2015]

The problem with Surface is that it sucks as a tablet, yet in terms of power and features it is limited by its tablet form factor, making it a compromised laptop as well. So what's the point of Surface instead of just getting a more fully featured laptop or fit-for-purpose tablet?

iPad is definitely limited in some respects, but it also offers a first-rate user experience and is designed to function as a tablet first. The whole x86 platform is bloated and sluggish relative to ARM on a mobile device, to boot. Everything is slower and more complicated on Surface.

If I could only afford/only wanted ONE device to do everything, maybe I could see Surface making sense. I don't think many people are in that situation though.

That's why I ultimately opted to not get a Surface Pro. There really isn't much value in using the Surface Pro as a large tablet, considering how little "touch first" (Modern) software is available for it. On the other hand, there are plenty of Windows laptops with bigger screens and real keyboards for less than the price of a functional Surface Pro 4. In fact, you could get a Windows laptop and an iPad Air for the cost of a functional Surface Pro 4.

 

[The Game 161]

This is what I am leaning towards. Pricey but looks and feels fantastic after trying it. I want the white though as I think it accentuates the silver/gold iPP amazingly. Not sure how it will wear though.

Yeah it's awesome and weight wise isn't bad at all

 

[mikewired]

The speakers also smoke my rmbp 15.

 

[jwalker99]

The problem with Surface is that it sucks as a tablet, yet in terms of power and features it is limited by its tablet form factor, making it a compromised laptop as well. So what's the point of Surface instead of just getting a more fully featured laptop or fit-for-purpose tablet?

iPad is definitely limited in some respects, but it also offers a first-rate user experience and is designed to function as a tablet first. The whole x86 platform is bloated and sluggish relative to ARM on a mobile device, to boot. Everything is slower and more complicated on Surface.

If I could only afford/only wanted ONE device to do everything, maybe I could see Surface making sense. I don't think many people are in that situation though.

I don't get how the Surface is such a terrible tablet? I understand it's not going to be for everyone, and it's certainly not going to be a good solution if there are specific apps you require that aren't available for Windows, or you overall just prefer iOS, but there are still thousands of touch optimized apps for Windows, and the store seems to be getting better by the day.

I've been using an SP3 for 18+ months now and find it works great as a tablet for things like checking email, reading pdfs and books or the news, watching videos, looking at photos, browsing the web, etc. Basically everything i used my iPad for. And as long as the fan doesn't kick in, which it rarely does doing those things, the battery can easily last 8 hours or more. Same in laptop mode, for that matter.

I loved the iPad and MacBook Air, but personally prefer the convenience of one device that can work as a perfectly capable desktop, laptop and tablet.

 

[Cnasty]

I don't get how the Surface is such a terrible tablet? I understand it's not going to be for everyone, and it's certainly not going to be a good solution if there are specific apps you require that aren't available for Windows, or you overall just prefer iOS, but there are still thousands of touch optimized apps for Windows, and the store seems to be getting better by the day.

I've been using an SP3 for 18+ months now and find it works great as a tablet for things like checking email, reading pdfs and books or the news, watching videos, looking at photos, browsing the web, etc. Basically everything i used my iPad for. And as long as the fan doesn't kick in, which it rarely does doing those things, the battery can easily last 8 hours or more. Same in laptop mode, for that matter.

I loved the iPad and MacBook Air, but personally prefer the convenience of one device that can work as a perfectly capable desktop, laptop and tablet.

Apps. Plain and simple. Apps.

 

[lagwagon]

People take that "Pro" part SO LITERALLY. I wish Apple had just named the thing "iPad Plus" so we can stop bickering back in forth.

100% agree that people take the "Pro" tag waaaaay to seriously. It's literally just a tag many companies use for a higher spec option. It doesn't literally mean it's only to be used by professionals for professional tasks only.

 

[Night Spring]

I don't get how the Surface is such a terrible tablet? I understand it's not going to be for everyone, and it's certainly not going to be a good solution if there are specific apps you require that aren't available for Windows, or you overall just prefer iOS, but there are still thousands of touch optimized apps for Windows, and the store seems to be getting better by the day.

I've been using an SP3 for 18+ months now and find it works great as a tablet for things like checking email, reading pdfs and books or the news, watching videos, looking at photos, browsing the web, etc. Basically everything i used my iPad for. And as long as the fan doesn't kick in, which it rarely does doing those things, the battery can easily last 8 hours or more. Same in laptop mode, for that matter.

I loved the iPad and MacBook Air, but personally prefer the convenience of one device that can work as a perfectly capable desktop, laptop and tablet.

I wouldn't say it's a terrible tablet, but there are aspects that makes it less than ideal. I prefer the length to width ratio of the iPad, as it feels easier to hold, especially in portrait. The edges of the surface is square-ish, again making it less than ideal to hold in hand. The fact that it even has a fan is a negative, as if it didn't need fans, it could be that much thinner and lighter.

That said, if I needed a laptop, I might seriously consider a Surface or other Windows 10 hybrid, because there is something to be said for having a single machine instead of two. But right now in my life, I don't need a laptop on the go. An iPad is sufficient for my mobile computing needs, and whatever I can't do on the iPad can wait until I get home or to the office.

 

[mikewired]

I don't get how the Surface is such a terrible tablet? I understand it's not going to be for everyone, and it's certainly not going to be a good solution if there are specific apps you require that aren't available for Windows, or you overall just prefer iOS, but there are still thousands of touch optimized apps for Windows, and the store seems to be getting better by the day.

I've been using an SP3 for 18+ months now and find it works great as a tablet for things like checking email, reading pdfs and books or the news, watching videos, looking at photos, browsing the web, etc. Basically everything i used my iPad for. And as long as the fan doesn't kick in, which it rarely does doing those things, the battery can easily last 8 hours or more. Same in laptop mode, for that matter.

I loved the iPad and MacBook Air, but personally prefer the convenience of one device that can work as a perfectly capable desktop, laptop and tablet.

Sp4 will not go 8 hours. Keep your sp3. Win 10 native email client is crap.

 

[iManic]

once the Apple Pencil comes to the iPad air 3, I fail to see what makes the iPad Pro "pro". The split screen view is nicer on a bigger screen, but it's still the exact same thing on the smaller iPad. It doesn't allow you to open 3-4 apps at once.

I think you are taking the PRO term way to serious and I personally wish they would have named it something else. It still has advantages over an air2 or future air 3 like the bigger screen, most likely faster processor since its doubtful they will use the a9x at the same clock speed on the air 3, and 4 GB of RAM. If those don't sound appealing to you vs the drawbacks of a more expensive and physically bigger device its not for you but to slight it because it doesn't meet your criteria of a "pro" device is not 100% accurate everyone has different needs.

I also have a SP4 that I use at work connected to a docking station with 2 monitors, Ethernet and a keyboard/mouse combo. It has had a lot of bugs with sleeping, random crashes, frequent display driver crashes, the dock not accepting both monitors and having to use one monitor on the dock one on the surface, etc. I replaced my desktop for it since we started using cloud based services for all our programs and I wanted to be able to work from home. I'm finding the tablet usage is not great and using it on the couch with the kickstand/floppy touch cover keyboard is awkward. I have the i7 version which gets extremely hot and the fans get obnoxious anytime the cloud services are syncing I probably should have went with the i5. I have been debating swapping it for a dell XPS 13 with the QHD display, i5 and dual monitor dell dock. I am not convinced on the 2 in 1 hybrids unless you can only afford one device I much prefer the dedicated laptop and separate tablet.
[doublepost=1454394648][/doublepost]*EDIT* Just took a closer look at the specs of the Dell XPS 13 and it looks like a great laptop. The biggest selling point I see is it has a USB Type C/thunderbolt 3 port. This might mean that the new external gpu's coming out for thunderbolt 3 like the razer graphics core could also work with the xps so they can be plugged in and be able to play some serious games. Would be a great combo with the QHD display, external gpu and skylake i7 now that's a 2 in 1 I could get used to. The XPS 13 looks like one of the best laptops on sale now

 

[Robnsn2015]

I think you are taking the PRO term way to serious and I personally wish they would have named it something else. It still has advantages over an air2 or future air 3 like the bigger screen, most likely faster processor since its doubtful they will use the a9x at the same clock speed on the air 3, and 4 GB of RAM. If those don't sound appealing to you vs the drawbacks of a more expensive and physically bigger device its not for you but to slight it because it doesn't meet your criteria of a "pro" device is not 100% accurate everyone has different needs.

I also have a SP4 that I use at work connected to a docking station with 2 monitors, Ethernet and a keyboard/mouse combo. It has had a lot of bugs with sleeping, random crashes, frequent display driver crashes, the dock not accepting both monitors and having to use one monitor on the dock one on the surface, etc. I replaced my desktop for it since we started using cloud based services for all our programs and I wanted to be able to work from home. I'm finding the tablet usage is not great and using it on the couch with the kickstand/floppy touch cover keyboard is awkward. I have the i7 version which gets extremely hot and the fans get obnoxious anytime the cloud services are syncing I probably should have went with the i5. I have been debating swapping it for a dell XPS 13 with the QHD display, i5 and dual monitor dell dock. I am not convinced on the 2 in 1 hybrids unless you can only afford one device I much prefer the dedicated laptop and separate tablet.
[doublepost=1454394648][/doublepost]*EDIT* Just took a closer look at the specs of the Dell XPS 13 and it looks like a great laptop. The biggest selling point I see is it has a USB Type C/thunderbolt 3 port. This might mean that the new external gpu's coming out for thunderbolt 3 like the razer graphics core could also work with the xps so they can be plugged in and be able to play some serious games. Would be a great combo with the QHD display, external gpu and skylake i7 now that's a 2 in 1 I could get used to. The XPS 13 looks like one of the best laptops on sale now

I would get the Dell laptop.

 

[JoeRito]

I'm nearly ready to jump to the iPad Pro, but have two real reservations: I need file management and pluggable external storage, ie USB. These are my only remaining points of concern for a "Pro" device.

 

[capathy21]

The iPad Pro is mostly a toy.

I just love seeing this. It never gets old. Because it doesn't handle computing tasks like a typical computer (local storage file access, buggy software, bad battery life, constant updates of software and drivers, PORTS!) it must be a toy.

The future of computing leaves all of that crap behind. Sure there are certain professions that need access to software that the iPad cannot handle, and for them it isn't the best option. But for the vast majority of users, the iPad Pro is more than capable of being a complete computer replacement.

Calling it a toy just because it doesn't handle tasks like a traditional pc is a bit short sighted.