MUST READ: Microsoft unleashes bug bounty program — for betas, too

Topic: Mobility

Discover

For $200 less, the 128GB iPad is more appealing than Microsoft's Surface Pro

Summary: Apple just announced that a $799 128GB Wi-Fi iPad is coming next week. Microsoft recently announced its Surface Pro 128GB for $999. Both are targeted to the enterprise and for my needs, the large-capacity iPad is the better purchase.

Matthew Miller

By for The Mobile Gadgeteer |

ZDNet's Zack Whittaker posted about the 128GB Apple iPad release and when I look at both my Surface RT and third-generation 32GB iPad, along with the upcoming Surface Pro, my current plan is to check on selling my two devices to get the 128GB iPad. With the range of solid Office apps and handy keyboards the iPad is a compelling mobile workstation that has served me well in a few key areas that stand out against the Surface Pro.

Touch and orientation optimized

Apple's iPad is designed and built for the touch interface, while the Surface Pro has a few elements optimized for touch, with others that still leave much to be desired, so that the physical keyboard is really not an option. The Surface Pro and RT devices are optimized for landscape use with a keyboard, while the iPad gives you a more complete experience in landscape and portrait orientation.

Battery life

I rarely even think about the battery on my iPad, as it just seems to keep going and going. My Surface RT battery is quite good, but Microsoft's Surface Pro runtime of half the RT (estimated about 4 hours to 4.5 hours) is not acceptable to me.

Storage

Looking at other current iPads, the 128GB iPad should have something in the range of 122GB to 124GB of usable storage space. The Surface Pro 128GB model looks to only have 83GB of usable space. You can add up to 64GB of microSD storage to give you a total of 147GB at an additional cost of about $70, but that additional storage in the microSD slot does have some limitations on usage as well.

Wireless network option

I currently have a long-term evolution (LTE) iPad and will likely pay the premium of $929, still $70 lower than the Surface Pro, to get the wireless carrier option. With the Surface Pro, this is not even an option and for those in the enterprise connectivity is vital. A Wi-Fi network is not always available, so integrated cellular functionality is important.

I understand that the iPad and iOS do not run full desktop applications, but I see the Surface Pro as still serving as a companion device to a full Windows 8 laptop or desktop, and if I am looking for the best enterprise companion device, then the 128GB iPad cannot be beat.

Topics: Mobility, Apple, iPad, Tablets

Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.

Talkback

144 comments
Log in or register to join the discussion

  • Not possible

    According to the MS shills here, the iPad is a plastic toy while the "Surfaces" are real computers.
    D.T.Long
    Reply 6 Votes

    • And then we have this little tidbit

      http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=29778

      It just reinforces Windows as a resource hog.
      D.T.Long
      Reply 4 Votes

      • .

        Your comments show that you are exactly the same as what you would describe a "MS Shill"... I've actually read a few of your comments today where you tend to use big words and and make sure all your grammar is 100% correct, as if you somehow think that makes your shill opinion anymore valid......

        The Ipad is far from a toy..... but nobody in the world can argue it is anywhere near as productive as a full windows 8 tablet...... Can you force Group Policies and Preferences down to your Ipad? Didn't think so....

        As an FYI the Surface pro hard drive has 120GB usable space... The rest is taken up of the OS and restore volume.... This is basically a piece of the hard drive that is kept clear at all times so that the user can always perform a complete restart of the OS without a disk..... Maybe you will reply and say "well i can wipe my Ipad without using 20gb of space....." This isnt quite accurate, as you only refresh your Ipad, because of the nature of IOS apps (their sandboxed nature) they cant intefere with the OS in anyway so all you need is what windows 8 calls an OS.... However as Windows 8 is a far more complicated operating system it allows you to do a 100% restore of the OS, not just a wipe of the user date.

        So the smaller usable space is for a reason, however it should also be marketed as such...

        Holding free space for a re-install is not a resource hog though... and your comment just exposes the complete inadequities you posses when it comes to commenting about technology....

        Before you call me a "MS Shill" i have 1 MS system in my house and 3 Ipads... So far from it, i just don't lie to try and benefit a company that has no effect on my life...
        daniejam10
        Reply 8 Votes

        • .

          little mistake in my above comment, i meant to say the Hard Drive has 120GB usable space, and 80GB of user accessible space.
          daniejam10
          Reply 3 Votes

          • It's official--Apple is terrified of Microsoft's Surface...

            It's official--Apple is terrified of Microsoft's Surface.
            newyorkcitymale
            Reply 8 Votes

          • terrified

            ((( "Apple is terrified of Microsoft's Surface." )))

            Who wouldn't be terrified of a zombie?
            buddhistMonkey
            Reply 3 Votes

          • Rampant Fanboism aside

            That made my laugh
            Panwo1@...
            Reply 1 Vote

          • LOOOOLOLOL

            Zombie Marketing, who'd a thunk it.
            bobjones2007
            Reply Vote

        • Perhaps you need to stand back and reflect for a while

          and perhaps follow the posts of a few of the MS shills for a few days.

          There is a handful of obsessive MS shills here, who will dump incessantly on any post/poster who is not positive on MS products, or they will try to draw the blogger/poster into endless and pointless debates over minutia. I do try to counter them and make their efforts less pleasant when the opportunity presents itself. To sincere posters like yourself, I do my best to be constructive and polite, and I hopefully succeed most of the time.

          I use MS products myself, but do not care for MS as a corporate entity. I am not a fan of Apple due to their walled garden and restrictive environments. I do not necessarily trust Google, but consider them the lesser of three "evils".

          When something belongs to me, I want to be able to do with is as I please. At heart I am probably a freedom "fanboy", which leads me towards open source, but I have not switched to Linux on my desktop, primarily due to age and inertia.

          As for my language/grammar, it is what it is, not perfect, but not bad. On that subject, there is probably room for a LOT if improvement here, but that is a reflection of both posters for whom English is not their native language and the atrocious state of the US K-12 education system.
          D.T.Long
          Reply 4 Votes

          • .

            I do read all the posts, and i think all of you are pretty pathetic when you are arguing and lying about what particular pieces of technology can do..... All the Google, Ms and Apple fanboys.... They are piece of equipment and you lie on a message board basically to try and make your favoured piece of tech look more appealing to others....
            daniejam10
            Reply 8 Votes

          • @daniejam10

            +1. I couldn't have said it better.
            Ram U
            Reply 6 Votes

          • dt thong

            won't come back to you on that one - he ran out of smart words
            Master Wayne
            Reply Vote

          • Some do. Most don't.

            I would not subscribe to the feed if there were only whiners like you on it. I just ignore the "fanbois" unless something incredibly stupid is uttered.
            bobjones2007
            Reply Vote

          • Make no Mistake

            Apple, Google and Microsoft are ALL the SAME. They are all profit driven and engage in the same tactics to win and grab market share. Google is doing a lot of the things now that they cried over Microsoft doing a few short years ago. Apple's insane drive for profit has caused riots, deaths and suicides at Foxconn plants. Google is turning Evil, Apple is Greedy and Evil. Microsoft is M$. Just wanted to interject that into the conversation because these are all publicly listed corporations that are trying to make as much profit as quickly as possible.
            Panwo1@...
            Reply Vote

          • But...but....

            I am so tired of hearing the "Apple is responsible" for suicides at Foxconn crap.

            Foxconn makes hardware for just about every tech company on the planet. And don't go the 'but Apple is the biggest' canard, since we all know the various flavors of Android are outselling the iPhones.
            bobjones2007
            Reply 1 Vote

          • There is probably a nice grammar app...

            ....that will be available on the Surface in a couple of years.....
            bobjones2007
            Reply 1 Vote

        • Re: Group Policy and other MS junk

          Just who needs these idiotic management "solutions"?

          iOS, that run on the iPad has plenty of very good APIs for centralised management that are widely used today in both enterprises and private users (imagine, you can lock your kids iPads, too -- you don't have to be "enterprise" to enjoy security).
          danbi
          Reply Vote

      • Apple did not succeed

        In getting OSX to run on ARM (and yes they surely tried). Windows in sharp contrast runs fine on ARM. It powers the surface RT tablets and the WinNT kernel really flies on my new Lumia 820.

        But then again, Microsoft did lower the requirements for the last two versions of Windows (7 and 8 both have lower requirements than the operating systems they succeeded with a substantial lower foorprint). Apple in sharp contrast is going on a completely different route, where their latest and greatest (ML) does not run on a few year old mac with integrated video.

        The reinforcement does not hold water I'm afraid.
        sjaak327
        Reply 2 Votes

        • Re: Windows in sharp contrast runs fine on ARM

          Why is it so crippled in functionality compared to regular Microsoft Windows, then?
          ldo17
          Reply 2 Votes

          • Probably

            Because Microsoft decided to disallow usage of third party desktop applications. For the rest it seems the full blown Windows actually does run on ARM. Of course running Photoshop or running HD video editing on an ARM chip might not be feasible and that is not due to the OS but due the apparent lack of performance of the ARM chip.
            sjaak327
            Reply Vote
CNET Join | Log In | Privacy | Cookies Close