Mobile Technology

Microsoft Surface Pro 3 vs. iPad Air

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Gizmag compares the features and specs of the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 and Apple iPad Air
According to manufacturer estimates, the Surface will surf the web for 90 percent as long as the iPad
It's all metal in this town
Both tablets have 5 MP rear-facing cameras
Color options for both devices
The processor speed for the Surface only accounts for the Core i5 version (which starts at $1,000 without keyboard)
The Surface Pro 3 is 18 percent taller, 22 percent wider and 21 percent thicker than the iPad Air
The iPad's sharper display gives you 48 extra pixels per inch
You could argue that the iPad Air's screen is bigger than most people need ... what does that say about the Surface's enormous 12-in screen?
Gizmag compares the features and specs of the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 and Apple iPad Air
Only the iPad is sold in a model with LTE mobile radios
The Surface Pro 3 has one microSD card slot
Both devices run their own versions of Microsoft Office
Starting prices
The Surface has a more desktop-like 4 GB or 8 GB of RAM
The Core i5 versions of the Surface Pro 3 is supposed to ship by June 20 ... all other versions are estimated to ship by August 31
The Surface's Windows 8.1 includes side-by-side multitasking
It's Windows 8.1 Pro vs. iOS 7
Storage options for either device
The Surface's stylus helps to navigate desktop apps – and can open OneNote with a click
The Surface has one USB 3.0 port
The iPad Air is 41 percent lighter
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Microsoft is branding the Surface Pro 3 as "a tablet that can replace your laptop." But, with an enormous 12-in screen, maybe the real question is whether this pseudo-laptop can replace your tablet? Let's pit its features and specs against those of the iPad Air, and see what happens.

Size

The Surface Pro 3 is 18 percent taller, 22 percent wider and 21 percent thicker than the iPad Air

With more customers shifting to smaller slates like the iPad mini, the iPad Air is now sitting on the larger end of the tablet spectrum. So what does that make the Surface Pro 3? Well, this sucker is likely to be the biggest tablet you've ever used. It's roughly the same size as Samsung's Galaxy Note Pro and Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2 – which felt way too big to me.

Holding both the iPad Air and Surface Pro 3 in landscape mode (like you see above), the Surface is 18 percent taller, 22 percent wider and 21 percent thicker. And in case you're curious, the Surface is 49 percent taller, 46 percent wider and 21 percent thicker than the Retina iPad mini.

Weight

The iPad Air is 41 percent lighter

The Surface Pro 3 is very light ... for its size. But it's still as heavy as 1.7 iPad Airs.

Build

It's all metal in this town

No cheap plastic in either of these slates, as Microsoft is sticking with a magnesium build for its Surface line. And yes, iPads are still made of aluminum.

Colors

Color options for both devices

There's only one silver (with black front) color option for the Surface Pro 3. Apple sells the iPad Air in both silver (white front) and space gray (black front) hues.

Display (size)

You could argue that the iPad Air's screen is bigger than most people need ... what does that say about the Surface's enormous 12-in screen?

The Surface gives you a 47 percent bigger screen, which is going to be a great bonus in laptop mode. But, again, that might not necessarily be a good thing in tablet mode. I find the iPad mini's 7.9-in screen to be just about ideal, and the Surface Pro 3's display is the equivalent of 2.2 iPad mini screens.

Display (resolution)

The iPad's sharper display gives you 48 extra pixels per inch

The Surface Pro 3's display packs in the pixels a little tighter than in previous Surfaces, but probably not by a noticeable margin. The Surface also gives you 18 percent fewer pixels per inch than the iPad Air's sharp Retina Display does.

Stylus

The Surface's stylus helps to navigate desktop apps – and can open OneNote with a click

Microsoft's "Surface Pen" stylus is a big part of the company's flagship 2-in-1. It comes in handy when navigating those Windows desktop apps that were never designed for fat fingers. The Surface Pro 3's pen also has a clicker on its end (much like you'd find on an ink pen) that automatically opens Microsoft's OneNote app.

Processor

The processor speed for the Surface only accounts for the Core i5 version (which starts at $1,000 without keyboard)

Of course we're looking at a desktop PC processor and a mobile processor, so there's only so much comparing you can do here. The Surface's 4th-gen. Intel Core processors are more powerful, but, then again, they're also driving a full desktop operating system.

You'll also want to keep in mind that the clock speed listed for the Surface is for the Intel Core i5 model, which isn't the entry-level version (it starts at US$1,000 without a keyboard).

RAM

The Surface has a more desktop-like 4 GB or 8 GB of RAM

We're also looking at desktop-like amounts of RAM in the Surface, and more typical mobile amounts of RAM in the iPad. RAM is actually one area where Apple could afford to upgrade the next iPad. A bit too often, it runs out of memory when multitasking between apps and browser tabs, annoyingly requiring those apps or web pages to refresh.

Storage

Storage options for either device

Continuing with this "two different animals" theme, the Surface has more PC-like storage options, while the iPad has mobile-like storage options.

MicroSD card slot

The Surface Pro 3 has one microSD card slot

You can also augment the Surface's internal storage by popping in a microSD card.

USB 3.0

The Surface has one USB 3.0 port

Apple has never (and almost certainly will never) put a USB port in an iPad. Microsoft was more than happy to put one in the Surface Pro 3.

Cellular data

Only the iPad is sold in a model with LTE mobile radios

You can buy the iPad Air in either Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi + LTE models. This Surface is strictly sold in a Wi-Fi only configuration.

Battery

According to manufacturer estimates, the Surface will surf the web for 90 percent as long as the iPad

Until we put the Surface Pro 3 through the paces, we can't say much definitively about its battery life. Microsoft is, however, estimating that it will last 9 hours if you're only surfing the web.

Cameras

Both tablets have 5 MP rear-facing cameras

Megapixels never tell the whole story, but they can give you a ballpark estimate of what kind of camera you're getting. The resolutions on the two devices' rear cameras are tied up in that department.

Software platform

It's Windows 8.1 Pro vs. iOS 7

The Surface Pro 3 runs Windows 8.1 Pro, so you can not only run Start Screen (Windows Store) apps, but also any old Windows desktop apps. The iPad Air runs Apple's iOS 7.

Microsoft Office

Both devices run their own versions of Microsoft Office

If you're tied to Microsoft's industry-standard Office, then you can run a version of the suite on either device. The Surface runs full-blown desktop Office, while the iPad runs the surprisingly comparable iOS version. You'll have to pay for access to Office on either platform.

If you want some free office suite action, then the iPad includes Apple's iWork suite for free with your purchase. The Surface, meanwhile, can run free alternatives like OpenOffice, LibreOffice and Google's web-based Docs.

Side-by-side multitasking

The Surface's Windows 8.1 includes side-by-side multitasking

Rumors are pointing to Apple adding side-by-side multitasking in iOS 8, but the iPad doesn't do that yet. Microsoft's ad agency is more than happy to remind you that Windows 8.X devices like the Surface can do that right now.

Release

The Core i5 versions of the Surface Pro 3 is supposed to ship by June 20 ... all other versions are estimated to ship by August 31

Before you get too excited about the Surface Pro 3, you might want to take a close look at this category. Pre-orders for the Core i5 versions ($1,000 and up) are scheduled to ship by June 20. If you want either the cheapest Core i3 Surface or the high-end Core i7, then your estimate is "by August 31." By that time we should be creeping closer to the next iPad release.

Starting price

Starting prices

You can almost buy two iPad Airs for the price of one Surface. And no, I didn't fail grade school math – I'm including the Surface's Type Cover in that assessment. Because there's really no point in buying a Surface unless you're also going to throw down for Microsoft's $130 keyboard cover. Otherwise you're just left with an oversized tablet that can't replace your laptop.

Stay tuned for more from Gizmag on the Surface Pro 3. And for more on the iPad Air, you can read our full review from back in November.

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12 comments
Island Architect
Who gives a damn about Gates Crap that always has huge problems of intrusion?
And all he ever does is copy with poor taste.
When they last met the question was posed, What do you admire in each other. Gates said Steve's taste. That was something of an insult because Steve's intellect was so much more, so of course Steve did not reply, implying nothing.
All Gates ever did is copy other people's work in theft mode.
Bill
Greenster
Hate Microsoft much lately Bill.
On the remark to intrusion. There isn't a company yet that has not had a problem with intrusion. Look at Google, Apple, Yahoo, etc.
Neil
Island Architect, you give Gates too much credit. This 'Surface' (daft name) is derivative and pointless. It's a me-too product hurriedly concocted to answer the iPad. M$ took a $900m write down on the failure that is 'surface' - funded wholly by Office/Windows revenue earned with illegal and reprehensible business practices that shut out competition and kept the world in a technological dark age that is only now being challenged by Apple.
Adriaan Knox
Ipad era is OVER... Microsoft has come to liberate us from Apple's closed ecosystem...
IMHO as a student the reason Ipad was the go to tablet was the paper like aspect ratio... I cant believe it took 5 years for the competiton to figure out widescreen tablets are toys best suited for tranquilizing youngsters with mobile media...
Way, way, way over due...
Drake Richter
Boring, uninformed, and lightly (relative to the comments) biased 'comparison' that requires both devices to be taken out of context.
The iPad is a good product, but its advantages will pretty much evaporate every time you need to go get your laptop for a task you could just as easily have done straight on the Surface. One former Apple fan said it best on another site; there's just something great about, after years of switching back and forth between devices, being able to go 'well shit, I can just do it all from here'.
Neil
'Adriaan': It's funny how M$ fans don't see the writing on the wall. Sorry to break the news, but everyone knows the 'Surface' has already failed. Every tablet M$ sells loses them money. You are a student? Are you studying economics?!
Sorry pal but you've got it backwards. It is Apple that is liberating us from the M$ monopoly. The geek is winning against the school bully. Also, iOS is not closed. Anyone can write an app, and iOS devs have earned $7b (that's b for billion) so far by doing just that. Just ask the guys who made Angry Birds.
Again, M$ has lost almost a billion dollars on their failed attempt to answer the iPad. That is NOT what anyone could call a success.
No, the dark ages of M$ bloat are over. Get used to it. (FYI: The 128 GB Surface Pro only ships with 83 GB of free space. The 64 GB Surface ships with a measly 23 GB of usable storage.)
Drougr
@Neil, Its funny how Apple Fans cant see this product is not aimed at the same market as the IPad so its not attempting to answer for the IPad, but as a laptop replacement product, It comes with a full OS, its not designed to be a large screen for running Apps and Games such as Angry Birds... If I want to play arcade games then sure the IPad is great, if I want to do serious work then the surface is much better.
Buy a tool to do a job... not a fashion trend, if I want Social Media and mini games Ill get a tablet, if I want Office, Real Games go Windows (surface, laptops, desktops) if I want photo video editing, Ill get a Mac.
"It is Apple that is liberating us from the M$ monopoly. The geek is winning against the school bully." - I see your IPad requires a apple charger, a apple pc cable, apple software, apple store, Itunes, apple accounts... seems you have fallen into slavery so one brand there, remind me again how this is liberation...
Tony Johnson
Well as an original iPad owner (iPad 1) I can't begin to tell you how p*ssed I am from getting screwed over by Apple. Within months after buying the iPad 2 years ago Apple was rolling out IOS upgrades whiched seemed like every couple of months. The problem with those updates is that they were geared more for the newer devices which have higher memory. This has pretty much rendered my original iPad useless when it comes to Facebook, iTunes, etc because the d*mn thing crashes left and right. It would have been. Ice for Apple to offer us original iPad customers the choice to roll back the updates to a more stable IOS but NO! Their answer is to force us to go out and purchase a new iPad. I'm not spending another $800 plus on another Apple product for fear they'll screw me over again.
Adriaan Knox
Dear Microsoft (my liberator from the Totalitarian Regime known as IOS),
If you give me a Surface Pro 3 I will commit my weekends to standing in front of Apple Stores disuading would be victims from being taken by Apples machine...
Currently I am a member of the other sides market forces. Meaning I own an Ipad2 (weeping), with its hideously ostentatious black Apple logo broadcasting my supposed loyalties whenever I use it... (THEY WILL PAY FOR MAKING ME A TOOL OF THEIR PROPOGANDA MACHINE!)
Together, we will smash Apple...
One Surface Pro 3 sent to me promptly may change the tide in our favor... Who would deny the Pro 3's utility? Let those who oppose us continue into the Apple Store and be pounced upon by the minions of Macintosh, while we roam free, running full programs and rolling in the glorious grass that is the iconic default XP background image of yesteryears gone past...
*written on my Ipad
Dave Niezabitowski Sr.
This whole article and the ONLY think that iPad wins at, is Price. The author's closing comment is about how it doesn't come with a keyboard however, neither does an iPad. The iPad, as well as the Surface Pro, come with virtual keyboards. I am typing this on my iPad 1 (bought the day it came out) with an Apple BT Keyboard...Guess what? Surface Pro 3 also allows bluetooth keyboards...Problem solved.
For people stuck on Apple's iPad 1 (since they left us behind), there is no competition. As soon as I can afford one, I will be replacing my iPad with a Surface Pro. I will be using my Apple BT Keyboard until I feel like buying a keyboard cover, if I ever do.
The only thing I will miss is the dizzying array of apps available in the app store.
The author did leave a few things out. First, unlike ALL other tablets that use a "Pen", the Surface uses palm recognition. This allows for natural writing and drawing by placing your palm on the surface of...the surface without screwing up the work. All other tablets require you to ONLY touch the surface of the tablet with the pen.
Memory? It is expandable - enough said. Between OneDrive and SD Cards you have more than enough room to store items.
Bottom line, if money isn't and issue, the Surface is clearly the better choice. Most of the Apps I use on my Ipad ARE MS Products (OneNote, OneDrive, and Office)
I like Apple and, for now, my iPhone is safe but Surface and iPad are not comparable. They're not geared toward the same user. Want a play thing that CAN do some serious work or do you want a serious mobile device that can also be a play thing?