Surface Pro 4 Vs Ipad Pro
- Thread starter netuser
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jrioux
Active Member
If you've always bought the cheapest available car with a standard engine and transmission and without air, a radio or even a heater (I remember the day), than you'll love the cheap 32 GB iPad Pro. It's even better for Apple sales staff. People are sucked in by the $799 price tag and walk out spending over $400 more in order to get what they need and want.
Apple, where the Pro stands for profits, ca-ching!
Just read the engadget review, a website notoriously pro Apple, and even they said that as a professional it didn't cut the mustard at all (yet still gave it 82%). Didn't have many good things to say about that absurdly expensive keyboard either (yet rolled out the old line of Microsoft should include it in the price)
Tablet that can replace your laptop? Not a chance. Tablet that adds pen support more like. Nothing more nothing less.
Tablet that can replace your laptop? Not a chance. Tablet that adds pen support more like. Nothing more nothing less.
That keyboard cover for the iPad pro is so ugly and wobbly, it really shows up what an elegant solution the surface type cover and kickstand combo is!
Interesting trawling youtube videos on the iPad pro in the comments the majority of people ate talking about the surface pro...advertising lol.
Interesting trawling youtube videos on the iPad pro in the comments the majority of people ate talking about the surface pro...advertising lol.
Athol Hill
Member
Picked up an iPad Pro to see how it compares.
It's an interesting device and its a pro device in different areas to what I would have thought. I think from an art perspective, the stylus is off the charts. I tried getting my wife to use the SP3 wiht a pro app for art and she hated it. Gave her the Apple pencil and she wouldn't put it down. I've used the Pencil a bit and I think it's incredible. I think Apple got that right and I think it's going to create some havoc in the market, just not the market we think. I think this is actually going to have a big impact on Wacom's market, not Microsoft's. The artists I know who have tried this have been blown away (do a search, they are fanboys, but not apple fanboys, most of them are wacom junkies). In short, the Apple Pencil is class leading despite the lack of eraser (which isn't a big issue because there are easy ways to deal with it). What is interesting about it that there isn't a lot of handwriting integration (no handwriting input on the keyboard) so it's definitely stylus integration aimed in a different way to Windows.
On the iPad front, it's a big tablet. There isn't much more to say. It's not a full laptop replacement no matter what Tim Cook says unless Tim's idea of the average laptop user is my mum who sends emails, browses Facebook and goes on the web. It's not going to take on the SP4's market, or at least anyone who legitimately needs a SP4. The SP4 seems to be more aimed at a single device for the power business user. The iPad Pro is only really suitable for a light business user, or the business user who has a desktop and wants some mobility in a second device. This is actually a common scenario in some companies I work with despite how annoying it sounds, particularly government. It also complements a power user in the sense that it can be used as a Wacom Cintiq style tablet for a Mac (iMac, Macbook Pro). I tested this capability using an app called Astropad and it works bloody well, so much so that I will dump my Wacom tablet and I expect this to be a big selling point for the device. I.e. if you're an artist, you can replace your cintiq (which is massive) and still have the mobility of an iPad Pro for drawing when you are out and about. Granted the Cintiq have a tablet style device to do this, but it weights more than a 15" laptop and is massive, despite being a 13".
Downsides as mentioned above. Keyboard is good (compared to the previous generation iPad keyboards) but terrible compared to the SP4 keyboard which is class leading. It's really a awkward looking design for something Apple put out. Lack of kick stand is annoying. I expect the third party cases to come up with some ideas, but I expected more of Apple.
The split screen is better than the way Windows does it in a tablet environment. It's more intuitive and easier to switch windows when you need to.
MS Office is capable but limited. I.e. it'll do the basics you need but if you need to work with macros, good luck.
Short answer - It's a good device, but not a laptop replacement as expected. It is actually a "pro" device but in different ways to the ones we would measure with the SP4 because it isn't pro in the corporate sense of the word. Microsoft probably has no reason to worry, but I suspect Wacom is going to start feeling the pinch from this on a number of levels.
It's an interesting device and its a pro device in different areas to what I would have thought. I think from an art perspective, the stylus is off the charts. I tried getting my wife to use the SP3 wiht a pro app for art and she hated it. Gave her the Apple pencil and she wouldn't put it down. I've used the Pencil a bit and I think it's incredible. I think Apple got that right and I think it's going to create some havoc in the market, just not the market we think. I think this is actually going to have a big impact on Wacom's market, not Microsoft's. The artists I know who have tried this have been blown away (do a search, they are fanboys, but not apple fanboys, most of them are wacom junkies). In short, the Apple Pencil is class leading despite the lack of eraser (which isn't a big issue because there are easy ways to deal with it). What is interesting about it that there isn't a lot of handwriting integration (no handwriting input on the keyboard) so it's definitely stylus integration aimed in a different way to Windows.
On the iPad front, it's a big tablet. There isn't much more to say. It's not a full laptop replacement no matter what Tim Cook says unless Tim's idea of the average laptop user is my mum who sends emails, browses Facebook and goes on the web. It's not going to take on the SP4's market, or at least anyone who legitimately needs a SP4. The SP4 seems to be more aimed at a single device for the power business user. The iPad Pro is only really suitable for a light business user, or the business user who has a desktop and wants some mobility in a second device. This is actually a common scenario in some companies I work with despite how annoying it sounds, particularly government. It also complements a power user in the sense that it can be used as a Wacom Cintiq style tablet for a Mac (iMac, Macbook Pro). I tested this capability using an app called Astropad and it works bloody well, so much so that I will dump my Wacom tablet and I expect this to be a big selling point for the device. I.e. if you're an artist, you can replace your cintiq (which is massive) and still have the mobility of an iPad Pro for drawing when you are out and about. Granted the Cintiq have a tablet style device to do this, but it weights more than a 15" laptop and is massive, despite being a 13".
Downsides as mentioned above. Keyboard is good (compared to the previous generation iPad keyboards) but terrible compared to the SP4 keyboard which is class leading. It's really a awkward looking design for something Apple put out. Lack of kick stand is annoying. I expect the third party cases to come up with some ideas, but I expected more of Apple.
The split screen is better than the way Windows does it in a tablet environment. It's more intuitive and easier to switch windows when you need to.
MS Office is capable but limited. I.e. it'll do the basics you need but if you need to work with macros, good luck.
Short answer - It's a good device, but not a laptop replacement as expected. It is actually a "pro" device but in different ways to the ones we would measure with the SP4 because it isn't pro in the corporate sense of the word. Microsoft probably has no reason to worry, but I suspect Wacom is going to start feeling the pinch from this on a number of levels.
I agree with that really. The main market for the Ipad pro would be artists really. I'd like a go with the Pencil.
That Ipad pro keyboard cover just looks a mess and it makes the ipad pro look so ugly and wobbly and to my eyes completely non-Apple-like, emphasises that the Surface type cover and kickstand combo is such a well designed and elegant solution! I can lie on my back on the bed with my Surface on my belly with the kickstand folded back and resting against my legs and type in relative comfort and stability and be able to see the screen as it's at the right angle. I don't think the ipad would be visible or stay upright for long in that situation lol.
That Ipad pro keyboard cover just looks a mess and it makes the ipad pro look so ugly and wobbly and to my eyes completely non-Apple-like, emphasises that the Surface type cover and kickstand combo is such a well designed and elegant solution! I can lie on my back on the bed with my Surface on my belly with the kickstand folded back and resting against my legs and type in relative comfort and stability and be able to see the screen as it's at the right angle. I don't think the ipad would be visible or stay upright for long in that situation lol.
What level of artists though? Because no matter what kind of software is offered on iOS, i cannot believe that the machine itself is capable of doing half the rendering and whatnots that most professional artists would need, or rather i should say capable of doing it in any kind of useful timeframe. Kind of like using an S3 for photoshop. Sure it has the app support, but it's a total waste of time for almost beyond changing the brightness and saturation.
The comment on it competing against wacom is intersting. Most of the folk i know using wacom are using it paired to a very powerful desktop, and it is simply a drawing pad. How can the ipad compete against that usage scenario?
There is a reason artists have, and continue to use the most powerful machines they can afford. Because it is not cost effective to be sat around waiting for a process to complete. THey want to work fluidly. I don't really see how the ipad is going to fill that gap in any useful way unless you're just doing some pencil sketches.
The comment on it competing against wacom is intersting. Most of the folk i know using wacom are using it paired to a very powerful desktop, and it is simply a drawing pad. How can the ipad compete against that usage scenario?
There is a reason artists have, and continue to use the most powerful machines they can afford. Because it is not cost effective to be sat around waiting for a process to complete. THey want to work fluidly. I don't really see how the ipad is going to fill that gap in any useful way unless you're just doing some pencil sketches.
That is also true... I use a normal intuos wacom tablet on my PC but I thought that Cintiq's could be used standalone with normal graphics programs but I'm not entirely clear on that in actual fact.
MissionMan
Member
As mentioned, the iPad pro can be plugged into a powerful desktop or laptop and be used as a cintiq. Do a search for Astropad. It's good enough to replace my Wacom for photography.
Here is video from someone doing the same thing for drawing.
And another one from Frank Doorhof who is a well known photographer doing the same.
It can also be used as a spare monitor for your desktop.
On the issue of good enough for artists, I guess time will tell but I suspect it is. Almost every review I've seen from an artist has been good and I know artists who have tried it independently and been impressed.
I was unaware of this. That changes many of my arguments
It is one thing that i think the surface lineup should have as standard (although i think i saw a thread not too long ago about an app that does this for a surface, i'll have to investigate). In terms of money, that does add a lot of perceived value to the device.Athol Hill
Member
I was unaware of this. That changes many of my arguments
I agree. When you consider the cost of a Cintiq, it doesn't actually seem that bad. That said, I don't think there is any reason why an app developer could not do the same with the SP4. Ultimately, if you look at the closed down architecture of the iPad Pro, I would assume it would be harder to achieve on that than on a SP4.
I hope they do I'd love to use my surface pro like this, its the ONLY think I've found that it can't do that I would personally find useful.
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