Microsoft Pits Surface Pro 7 Against iPad Pro, Says Surface is 'Still the Better Choice'

[ImaginaryNerve]

I hated my Surface Pro 7.

A few years ago, Apple added some type of "dynamic contrast" to their iPads (and now, much to my horror, to the iPhones. Either that or the 'auto brightness' option is broken) and it would automatically adjust every time a subtitle would come on the screen and then again when the subtitle went off the screen. I had to stop using my iPad Pro for streaming. I also needed a specific Windows application whose functionality couldn't be replaced through apps available on the App Store (without a LOT of work and trial and error) so I went ahead and ordered a Surface Pro 7. I got the i5 model because I'd heard nothing but excellent things about it.

I absolutely loved the Surface Pen's battery life. The entire time I had the surface, I didn't have to change the battery in the Pen at all. I did miss some functionality from the Pencil but I definitely preferred the form factor of the (I guess, now older) Surface Pen and I gave my iPad to my partner.

Few months with the Surface Pro, though, I regretted the purchase entirely. I didn't like how it would sit on my lap when I needed to use it with the keyboard. I missed Procreate from my iPad immensely. I considered getting the Adobe suite of software but one night the CPU started throttling while I was working on a Word document (with no images or tables!) and then Microsoft's own Jigsaw game (I'd move a piece and watch the cursor and piece take 10 seconds to get from one side of the screen to the other), and finally--streaming. The Windows 10 streaming apps (Hulu, Netflix, Prime) were incredibly buggy (I have problems with these apps on my desktop gaming PC as well). The entire time I had this thing I wished I would've sprung for the i7 with the fan.


Long story short, Microsoft and I got into a fight and now we're seeing other people.

 

[Rafterman]

yet another disgusting Microsoft bait and switch scam advert with a deceptively low “starting from” price that's massively compromised and under spec’d to get the headline grabbing number. option out that surface and it has a potato core i3 with 4gb ram on top of a bloated windows 10 os which would be a painfully low laggy mess if you compared it to a ipad pro..

Yeah, Apple would never do something like that.

 

[Digital Dude]

I guess some believe that Microsoft has just been standing still over the past few years. I toyed around with the current version of windows and it isn't so bad. Frankly, I've always favored the business side of computing versus day-to-day emoji texting and web surfing. Things' like voice dictation software, business-grade document scanners, Ham radio integration, and Radar Detector updates; to name a few. It isn't as fluid as the macOS, but I don't think it's required to retain an Apple ecosystem that is predominantly iOS.

 

[Joe 🦅🇬🇧]

I’m sure this will be an unpopular opinion here, but yes I would choose the surface pro IF I were looking for a single device solution. iPad is a better tablet by far, but even now, it’s a poor substitute for a computer with a desktop OS.

I agree entirely.

I’ve got both and IF I have to choose one for work, I’d choose the surface pro.

Yes the iPad Pro is the device with most potential but:
- the cursor experience is crap.
- multitasking is abysmal
- extended display is a joke
- working with files is a nightmare.

My iPad Pro is great for my morning news reading, a few emails on my way to work, note taking and zoom/ms teams/FaceTime calls or meeting. But when the real work of 200mb excel files with live data feed to SAP comes, a computer (Mac of PC) is better than any iPad.

 

[MBAir2010]

. Remember the young girl and "what's a computer?"

im wondering why we are seeing these actors date and (that girl, this boy) make comparison commercials?
or CBS will whip up sitcom on these 2
2024: "Young Surpples" airing at 8:30 after Young Clarice.

 

[alexandr]

I can appreciate that, but at the same token, similar to the “patent trolls” threads, those guys are within their legal rights. I have yet to see a “fair” competitive ad, always one-sided...
I’m originally from Germany and back in those days, competitive ads were illegal, still might be, and so was product placement...

no doubt that they aren't breaking any laws — just poor taste imho. hm, so what about all those "congrats to audi" and "congrats to bmw" ad exchanges? or are you referring to earlier times?

 

[windywalks]

It struggles with almost everything, I turned on facial recognition, works half the time, or can't find the camera...erm what, pinch to zoom is laggy and trying to set it to a certain zoom level is nearly impossible for instance using PDF files.

This! I have a convertible HP laptop/tablet from work that cost as much as a basic iPad Pro and a MacBook Air combined and I can't even get through a PDF - the privacy filter screen that becomes unreadable in portrait mode plus the terrible multitouch support just don't do the trick. That's it.

Don't get me started on the Surface Pro front - some colleagues at work had those and all they did was complain about how slow and unreliable they are.
A tablet with hot air blowing out of various holes? Please.
Gaming device? How and where!? Solitaire!?
iPad Pro at least has some optimized titles on the AppStore, what does the Surface have? Resource hogs that will either run poorly, or not run at all.
Stop trying to make a gaming device out of a Windows laptop/tablet hybrid, it's just silly.

I wonder what Apple has in store for us on the iPad Pro front. Ever since the 3rd gen Pro I currently use I'm leaning towards using it as a standalone device for all my daily computing needs.

 

[ikramerica]

actually safari crashes watching disneyplus keeps saying memory is out and it refreshes even on a maxed out 16" MacBook Pro while chrome is fine, also safari cant live stream still

Disney+ is crap on so many platforms though. Blaming Safari isn’t fair.

Crap interface all around, buggy, loses HDCP link on ATV, loses buffer on Roku TVs.

 

[ImaginaryNerve]

Gaming device? How and where!? Solitaire!?

Considering the mid-range i5 version of the SP7 struggles on Microsoft's own Jigsaw application (in my own experience), I never attempted Solitaire though, I imagine the thing would probably combust.

 

[Black Magic]

Microsoft is a mess and continues to move towards irrelevance at a swift pace. Let's un pack Microsoft:

1. The fact that they mention another brand's product in the ad immediately states your product is inferior.
2. All the new OSes (some here are clamoring about) are shiny new GUIs built onto of legacy code. What that translates too is buggy and hacker friendly endpoints.
3. Windows in tablet mode is a thing? Do they even have developers making quality apps for their tablets and all in ones?

4. GUI is a mess with tons of duplicate settings and features (Control Panel and Settings). Reminds me of android.
5. They abandon products at a swift clip. Almost as fast as Google. Almost.

 

[jz0309]

no doubt that they aren't breaking any laws — just poor taste imho. hm, so what about all those "congrats to audi" and "congrats to bmw" ad exchanges? or are you referring to earlier times?

I came here over 25 years ago, so don't know what is legal and what not nowadays over there, and having said that, "congrats to" might not be considered a competitive ad, but don't know, and I'm sure there is some regulation in the EU as there is for everything

 

[Rigby]

They are probably running these ads now because the Surface Pro 7 is about to be discontinued and on sale (e.g. you can currently buy the i5 version with 8GB for $700). The Surface Pro 8 is rumored to be redesigned and will have a Tiger Lake CPU, which should be a huge improvement in terms of performance.

 

[2010mini]

I bought a surface pro thinking it would be best for my work. Ended up replacing it with a MBA as it was just frustrating to use. In laptop mode, it works.... but as a tablet??? the on screen keyboard was just frustrating to use. I found not every app was optimized for tablet mode.

 

[himanshumodi]

I have often thought of replacing iPad with Surface - but Surface is just not as portable as iPad. Definitely not as portable as Air - which I use. But even iPad pro is easier to hold one handed and even put on a a desk, take notes, paint stuff, etc. And once you rule out Surface as a tablet, there's no reason to buy it as a laptop replacement, because even in the windows world there are better laptops for the price.

 

[himanshumodi]

They are probably running these ads now because the Surface Pro 7 is about to be discontinued and on sale (e.g. you can currently buy the i5 version with 8GB for $700). The Surface Pro 8 is rumored to be redesigned and will have a Tiger Lake CPU, which should be a huge improvement in terms of performance.

not following that scene... but if so, that's really bad form by MS.

 

[Rigby]

not following that scene... but if so, that's really bad form by MS.

Just trying to get rid of inventory. Apple does the same thing. And the Pro 7 is still a good deal at those prices.

 

[ImaginaryNerve]

4. GUI is a mess with tons of duplicate settings and features Control Panel and Settings). Reminds me of android.

I came across this a few weeks ago! My microphone stopped working on my gaming PC and I went through ALL of these different settings, just trying to find out what was wrong. After about 20 minutes of fiddling (I know, no time at all) I said screw it and went and bought a new headset assuming the old one (it was 6 years old..) had finally kicked the bucket.

Turns out during an update, MS turned on a security feature that only exists at the bottom of a specific settings pane (you legit have to scroll ALL the way down to get to it) to allow desktop applications to use your microphone. Apparently they decided (and I kind of get it) to separate the security between Tile Apps or Store Apps or whatever they call them now and Desktop Apps. What was frustrating was the Desktop Applications microphone setting was on but the Windows Store Apps microphone security setting was off.

So annoyed. Partially my own fault, I'll admit it. But it isn't like their various settings sections are...the most user friendly.

 

[ani4ani]

I bought a surface pro thinking it would be best for my work. Ended up replacing it with a MBA as it was just frustrating to use. In laptop mode, it works.... but as a tablet??? the on screen keyboard was just frustrating to use. I found not every app was optimized for tablet mode.

How’s you MBA behaving as a tablet?

 

[alexandr]

I came here over 25 years ago, so don't know what is legal and what not nowadays over there, and having said that, "congrats to" might not be considered a competitive ad, but don't know, and I'm sure there is some regulation in the EU as there is for everything

seems pretty competitive to me ))

Ad wars: When BMW, Audi, Mercedes Benz, Jaguar prove prowess through advertisements - Car News | The Financial Express

Manufacturers have devised a subtle, more sophisticated method of relieving stress – advertisements

www.financialexpress.com

i guess it's just my design/branding background that makes me frown upon these things)

 

[ctdonath]

Xcode for iPad.
Give me that and I’ll give up “computers” entirely.

 

[QCassidy352]

I really wish iPadOS had the ability to create encrypted containers -- like how you can create an encrypted disk image on a Mac using Disk Utility. I'm sure it's not heavily requested, but that's one of the top features that would make it a more capable, computer-like device in my eyes.

Me too. Definitely something I miss on iPadOS.

Opinion is opinion which is fine. But, if we're going to call the iPad Pro a poor substitute for a computer because it lacks a desktop OS. Then lets call a spade a spade - the Surface Pro tablet is a poor computer and a poor tablet because it's trying to cater to both. Now, there *is* a niche for it. But, only that. It's had nearly 10 whole years, a decade, to prove or improve itself otherwise. If was anything more then niche - it'd have at least dented iPad or PC laptop sales.

I'd call the Surface Pro "decent" at both being a tablet and a laptop, but yes, I agree, far from great at either.

 

[jz0309]

seems pretty competitive to me ))

Ad wars: When BMW, Audi, Mercedes Benz, Jaguar prove prowess through advertisements - Car News | The Financial Express

Manufacturers have devised a subtle, more sophisticated method of relieving stress – advertisements

www.financialexpress.com

i guess it's just my design/branding background that makes me frown upon these things)

aaah, but were those published in Germany? doesn't look like it to me ... and German companies producing competitive ads for the US market ...

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

'Pissing in the wind' - Microsoft's newest doubling down that their Surface device is better than the Apple iPad Pro.

Well, if Microsoft will replace any Surface with a single dead pixel, I'd consider it. I remember sitting in a Microsoft Engineering Conference, a small local conference to explain some of the issues reseller support people might encounter servicing their clients and customers. They spent the last 30 minutes, or so, demoing the 'New Surface'.

This was not a kind, or easy audience.

Comments ran the range from 'remember the Zune', to why would I buy that when Apple rocks with their iPad already. And the comments got worse. 'Why is the keyboard extra?', 'You need a mouse for that', 'It's hot already,a ndd hasn't been on that long'. Yeah. People also had the opportunity to touch one on display, and the comments continuedd. 'It's too small', 'It could be clearer', 'What will this thing run?', 'What will actually be usable to run on it?'. Someone brought up the guarantee that really low end systems would run Windows 'perfectly', because Solitaire ran fine on it. (They used to have a really low bar for what systems would/could run Windows)

I ran into a display in, of all places, New York, above the Whole Foods off Central Park. It was slow. Most people were just walking by, ignoring the display. I asked the guy some pointed questions, and he admitted that the Surface was really a 'toy', and he 'couldn't think of a drop dead reason to choose one over an iPad. 'Apple has the advantage in software, for sure.'

'Remember the Zune'. Ouch...

And, yes, people brought up the idea that they released the Zune in 'brown'. OMG!!!

 

[alexandr]

aaah, but were those published in Germany? doesn't look like it to me ... and German companies producing competitive ads for the US market ...

that makes sense, i suppose ) i guess they really go ape s**t in the markets where they can. i love my bmw though — can't hate on them too much))

 

[ericwn]

To be fair in defence to Microsoft the iPad is just a big iPhone it’s not a computer or full operating system where as surface is a computer

That’s an interesting definition for computer then.