Mac to Surface? Are you still Happy?

[SRVwannab]

My SP3 has replaced my Macbook Air. It hasn't replaced my iPad Air, and it has only temporarily replaced my 15" retina MBPro. (I've got another one on the way.)

I LOVE the ability to take notes with the stylus and One Note. No other device has allowed me to do what the Surface can do for me. With that said, it doesn't replaced my iPad Air, which for me, is the ultimate tablet.

In short, the SP3 scratches an itch that only it can reach.

 

[Telstar1948]

Lot of really good, balanced comments on this thread...it truly sums up the whole Mac/Windows thingy. I've used both extensively and I like both. Right now I'm all Windows. The SP3 is great, although I simply didn't experience the woes of the OP with mine.

In my opinion, 8.1 is at times buggy and/or schizophrenic. Given it has to operate on X number of different pieces of hardware, little wonder...one of the Achilles heels of the 8.1 OS. That said, I still like having a PC/laptop/tablet in one device: but even as much as I like that, I still feel the pull sometimes for a smaller, thinner, lighter tablet to simply read with, doodle, whatever. You see? It's also "us" with our inherent likes as opposed to the next guy who more than likely has different likes. Yes, the "us" is in large part the variable in this hardware/tech equation. By the way, I don't WANT another device to keep up with (besides my phone), but...I'm still tempted, sometimes, for a little light tablet to do couch stuff on...nah, being irrational...again...well, maybe not too...what am I saying?? ...still, nah...stay the course!

Sorry to let this drag on...just illustrating the ambivalent quirks we all have in our preferences (((wow...small tablet...yeah...noo...nooooooooo)))

 

[InspectHerGadget]

I am mulling buying an iPad air 2 to replace my Air.

I love my SP3 but not as a tablet. I've had the RT and Surface 2 also but likewise always returned to the iPad.

It is iOS that is the main reason and my needs are very simple as really it just is a web browser but a damned good one.

I also find the size ideal and it is very light.

The SP3 has replaced the MBA 11 though.

Microsoft does need to produce a nice little tablet with a better browser.

 

[macmee]

I am mulling buying an iPad air 2 to replace my Air.

I love my SP3 but not as a tablet. I've had the RT and Surface 2 also but likewise always returned to the iPad.

It is iOS that is the main reason and my needs are very simple as really it just is a web browser but a damned good one.

I also find the size ideal and it is very light.

The SP3 has replaced the MBA 11 though.

Microsoft does need to produce a nice little tablet with a better browser.

Interesting analysis. I've fully replaced my iPad 3 with my SP3. The *only* disadvantage I have is that the SP3 is much heavier than the iPad 3. In every other use case I do, my SP3 beats my iPad.

Not saying you're wrong, your opinion is perfectly valid. I'd be very interested in knowing which use cases you do with your tablets in which you prefer the iPad.

 

[GreyFox7]

I am mulling buying an iPad air 2 to replace my Air.

I love my SP3 but not as a tablet. I've had the RT and Surface 2 also but likewise always returned to the iPad.

It is iOS that is the main reason and my needs are very simple as really it just is a web browser but a damned good one.

I also find the size ideal and it is very light.

The SP3 has replaced the MBA 11 though.

Microsoft does need to produce a nice little tablet with a better browser.

I cannot agree with that at all, I had nothing but trouble using the IPad browsing... that's why they have apps to access *Sites*. The difference between a mobile browser and a full browser like on a Surface is why you don't need the apps on a Surface.

 

[RémiM]

Microsoft does need to produce a nice little tablet with a better browser.

Well, I couldn't agree more. Recently, I (literally) dreamt using a Surface Mini, and in my dream I was very happy.

 

[InspectHerGadget]

I cannot agree with that at all, I had nothing but trouble using the IPad browsing... that's why they have apps to access *Sites*. The difference between a mobile browser and a full browser like on a Surface is why you don't need the apps on a Surface.

I can't help wonder how many years ago you last used an iPad. I really can't recall having any issues with websites, well not very many anyway.

I personally think that none of the Surface range are particularly suited as tablets which is why Microsoft made the SP3 larger, to make it more useful as a laptop which is where it's strengths lie.

I do understand some people may want one device to do everything but it is too big, too heavy, the battery life is too limited and the web browser is good but not great.

The iPad on the other hand is designed from the ground up for use as a tablet, right size, great battery life and a great browsing experience.

I like the SP3 and it has replaced my MBA but it doesn't even come close to replacing an iPad.

 

[GreyFox7]

I can't help wonder how many years ago you last used an iPad. I really can't recall having any issues with websites, well not very many anyway.

I personally think that none of the Surface range are particularly suited as tablets which is why Microsoft made the SP3 larger, to make it more useful as a laptop which is where it's strengths lie.

I do understand some people may want one device to do everything but it is too big, too heavy, the battery life is too limited and the web browser is good but not great.

The iPad on the other hand is designed from the ground up for use as a tablet, right size, great battery life and a great browsing experience.

I like the SP3 and it has replaced my MBA but it doesn't even come close to replacing an iPad.

I get it, you like it but that's your opinion which follows the popular marketing message. The SOLE reason "There's An App for That" marketing campaign and the entire "store Ecosystem" marketing is because the Size of the device was too small for traditional websites and Mobile browsers are so anemic. Everything has to be redesigned to fit and play nice on the "small screen" they are not adding functionality they are taking it away, dumbing it down so it will work. The idiotization of the Internet fueled and driven by marketing. instead of sending the army to fight in the Middle East, just send marketing to control the minds of the masses.

 

[InspectHerGadget]

I get it, you like it but that's your opinion which follows the popular marketing message. The SOLE reason "There's An App for That" marketing campaign and the entire "store Ecosystem" marketing is because the Size of the device was too small for traditional websites and Mobile browsers are so anemic. Everything has to be redesigned to fit and play nice on the "small screen" they are not adding functionality they are taking it away, dumbing it down so it will work. The idiotization of the Internet fueled and driven by marketing. instead of sending the army to fight in the Middle East, just send marketing to control the minds of the masses.

I've used all the Surfaces from the RT to the Surface Pro 3 and most of the iPads also.

I think it is fanciful thinking that one device fits all. It is in fact what got Microsoft into trouble in the first place with Windows 8.

Windows 8 is a good enough tablet OS to work but there are a lot of compromises.

It shouldn't be a big surprise that finally the Surface has grown to fit the needs of business users as a very good but compact laptop but one with pen abilities while making a tolerably good tablet.

I can for instance remove the keyboard from mine and write on it as a tablet while walking around which is useful.

 

[Dblkk]

sp3 vs ipad/MacBook. Well SP3 competes head to head with MacBook pro. Biggest thing would be operating system preference. Trade off would be more portable and tablet pc capable vs traditional laptop.

SP3 vs ipad. Media consumption, I say tie others lean ipad due to 'weight and battery'. I say take SP3 out of equation and ipad vs my cell phone (note 4). Note 4 took over my media consumption light weight device.

SP3 vs ipad, productivity. Yes and yes and yes, theres an app for that with apple. But until theres an app productive enough to be on par with full programs, then leave apps for play (Netflix, angry birds, ect). You want the ipad to win over a sp3 as a tablet, then give me an ipad with full mac operating system and ability to install full programs, and give me a way to left/right click (pen in surface pro case). Then also give me pen input to write notes. And do all this, while keeping the ipad size/weight/battery the same. Then it might win for me. Until then, my cell phone beats out an ipad, and my SP3 beats out everything else. Unless I need a heavy lifter, and in apples case nothing compares), I then pull out my msi workstation laptop with i7 4810mq, 32gb ram, 4tb of ssd storage, quaddro k5100m, 5 usb ports, and 17" screen all in a nice but 9lb package. Give me a mac product more capable than that at $2500 or any price for that matter.

The surface pro and my cell phone is my everyday, take everywhere, do just about everything on package. The times I need major work done, no surface pro/MacBook/ipad will do and I bring my MSI. But everything else the surface pro does. All in a form factor slightly smaller/lighter than MacBook, or slightly larger/heavier than ipad yet can do both and fairly well.

My biggest peave with people comparing the surface pro to mac products. Is that they compare all 3 of the mac products at the same time, to the 1 surface pro. My MacBook pro is more powerful and better typing on my lap, my MacBook air has better battery, my ipad is lighter and better as a tablet. I mean that's great. Compare the best aspects of all 3 of your devices to the 1 device. Then when you leave for the day, pack up your huge backpack full of all these devices. The surface pro I will admit is not better than the best aspects of ALL apples products, but it meets a very fine line of the best mix of all, while throwing in features not on any. It gives all day battery life if you use it as you would 'any' of your mac products. It weighs less than all but the ipad air in which its just slightly heavier. The 12" screen is the best mid ground of being large enough to be productive, and small enough to be 'fun'. Has built in kickstand so when you do use it while laying in bed/on couch just pop open kickstand and done. Has pen input which for some doesn't matter, but for those that do it is great. No its not as accurate and good as a wacaam tablet, but show me a wacaam tablet that's as thin/light/give battery life/has display/powerful hardware/can run a operating system. Give me a MacBook that's also a tablet or has a pen or is as portable as the surface can be. Give me an ipad that's not just a 10" phone and can do something.

 

[SgtCarrot]

I used to live out of my 15" macbook pro, running all of my companies projects off of it, producing tons of content, documents, videos, dvds, you name it. While I have not loved Apple in a long time, I needed a professional grade computer with, and this is pretty important, great service. I think we keep forgetting that service is a key part of the experience, and when I had issues with my MB pro, it was always resolved quickly and professionally.

But my company has grown up, and using Numbers and Pages really no longer works, we contract for large companies and the governement, and the reaction you get when you accidentally send a numbers file to a government accountant is pretty humiliating. I needed office, as well as all of the other software a technology company would use, but I could not handle getting a dell or thinkpad. So I bought a Surface Pro 1, a great computer, but not quite enough for me to get rid of my MB pro.

When the surface 3 came out I jumped, and I have not looked back. I have a dock at home and at work, with extra screens, a decent XCSD card, the keyboard and wedge mouse on my i5 8GB 256. The only thing that I have used the MB pro for in the last month is omnigraffle, and that is because the rest of my company uses that pretty exclusively.

Yeah, there are some hiccups, but the benefits greatly outweigh it for me. I use One note a ton, and getting back to my earlier point: The service has been incredible. That is critical, as it makes even the worst problems with hardware bearable.

PS: The wife asked for the SP1, so I did not trade it in. With the docks it means that either of us have our work setup with a simple plugin of the USB 3 Cable. Awesome!

 

[JackieInCo]

I have not switched from using Macs. I've just found a tablet that I actually wanted where it will get a lot of usage in my life. I didn't buy my SP3 to replace a MacBook either. I have a MacMini that I bought two months ago and a retina iPad Mini. I bought my Surface because it's portable and I can install anything on it unlike the iPad or any Android device. Both of those are too limited.

I have had my Surface for one whole week now and it has not disappointed me once. I've been able to use it in every away that I imagined. Its been perfect for me.