Surface Pro X vs Surface Pro 7 vs iPad Pro vs iPad
by Volker Weber
If you need a 2-in-1 tablet with keyboard and pen for work, these are your most obvious choices. I can work with any of them, but let's look at what makes them different:
- Surface Pro X runs on an ARM chip developed by Qualcomm and Microsoft, while Apple develops their own silicon, which is undoubtedly the fastest on the market in terms of performace over battery life. Surface Pro 7 has an Intel architecture, which gives it full compatibility with all Windows programs out there.
- There is no LTE option in the current Surface Pro 7. Microsoft had one variant of the 2017 Surface Pro (5). I don't use LTE on any of my tablets since I am mostly within WIFI range, but if you want it, you want it.
- Surface Pro 7 has the widest selection of ports: Surface Connector, USB-A, USB-C, and MicroSD. I am missing USB-A on the Surface Pro X, and of course on any iPad. Living the dongle life.
- Surface Pro X and Surface Pro 7 charge through both the Surface Connector and USB-C PD. When connected to the tizi 60 W Tankstelle charger, it draws around 42 W.
- All four devices can attach a keyboard via pogo pins so you are not relying on Bluetooth. The Microsoft keyboard has a trackpad, the Apple keyboards don't. iPadOS does not really have a mouse pointer, but Apple added an assistive feature, so you could potentially use a mouse or trackpad. Having a trackpad makes a big difference when using the tablet in laptop mode.
- All four devices support a pen, and they all work great. The new Surface Slim Pen stores and charges in the fold between the keyboard cover and Surface. This is perfect. With all other pens you have to store them somewhere else. The Surface Pen lasts for about a year on a AAAA battery, the 1st gen iPad Pen charges somewhat akwardly in the Lightning port, the other two charge via induction when magnetically attached. Surface Slim Pen is my favorite.
- Surface runs on Windows 10 and iPad runs on iPadOS. I don't have to explain the implications of that. Two things are notable: Surface runs the full Office suite, iPadOS runs the mobile version. The difference is substantial. And Surface Pro X cannot run 64-bit Windows software compiled for Intel. I have three apps so far that fail: iA Writer, Tunsafe VPN and Serif Affinity Photo.
- Battery life on the Surface Pro X is on par with the iPad Pro but it varies more. If you are running a lot of Win32 software- which you will probably have to do, it does suffer quite a bit. When I am in ARM64 Chredge (Edge on Chromium) it's pretty fantastic. More ARM software will help but I am not holding my breath.
- Apple and Microsoft use almost identical screen resolutions of 264 and 267 pixels per inch. iPad has a 4:3 aspect ration and Surface screens are 3:2. Most laptops today have 16:9, which is more suitable to viewing videos than working. The thin devices iPad Pro and Surface Pro X do not have headphone jacks.
Multitasking on iPad is dysmal. Everybody seems to be piling on that these days. So is file handling and moving things about from app to app. This is where Windows makes so much more sense. But if you can work on iPad, you will love it, and you can go really cheap on an iPad Air with Apple Pencil and Apple Smart Keyboard Cover. Only if you need the large screen you should need an iPad Pro 12.9.
Surface Pro 7 is generally more expensive and the Surface Pro X easily plays in the same price range as the iPad Pro, but prices are coming down already. So is the price for the keyboard/pen bundle. If you want to use one for yourself, it should be a safe bet. But if you want to deploy it widely, you will have to do an application readyness assessment. Your preferred VPN might not work, or you have an app that users absolutely need to have. In that case, having a Surface Pro 7 as a fallback solutions might help you. Unfortunately Microsoft does not have a current LTE version and I would not recommend buying into a 2017 hardware platform.
Comments
"You can go really cheap on an iPad Air with Apple Pencil and Apple Smart Keyboard Cover."
That's 480€ + 95€ + 170€ ( <- that's 170€ for the keyboard!)
I know why it's worth it to many, but that's definitely not going really cheap.
Volker, you forgot the Surface Go. Also with LTE available. USB-C, MicroSD, Keyboard, Pen. Very small :-)
Indeed! It never occurred to me though to use this as your one and only computer. Would you?
Not "one and only". It's the same for me with the Ipad Pro. Very useful for traveling. But still (for me) unusable as "one and only" device. But, the Surface Go could be the better device as a "Thin Client" to connect to VDI/Citrix Farms. Windows 10 supports Audio/Video redirection for Skype/Teams while iOS dont. And yes, it runs also the "real" Office Pro Plus. on the other hand, iOS has more and better Apps.
Not an easy choice. It it were, I would pick a winner.
Danke für die sehr transparente Aufbereitung. Ich verstehe die Produktpolitik von Microsoft nicht, LTE nur in einem drei Jahre alten Modell anzubieten. Auch das Surface Book und Laptop 3 sind nicht mit LTE zu bekommen.
Den meisten Usern bei uns ist das Display vom Go zu klein, LTE aber must-have. Roland hat allerdings mit Citrix Recht. Ich war positiv überrascht: Das Go kann zwei externe Full-HD-Monitore zusätzlich zum eigenen Display ansteuern und dabei als Thin Client in unserer Citrix-Umgebung fungieren.
Auf meinem Pro X habe ich bislang alle erforderlichen Anwendungen zum Laufen gebracht. Aber will ich das Risiko eingehen, vierzig Geräte zu beschaffen und am Ende kommt irgendeine kritische Applikation, die flächendeckend den Dienst versagt?
Alles läuft auf eine "Einen Tod muss man sterben"-Entscheidung hinaus.
At least it´s a healthy competition depending on the gravity of your individual use-case. Having alternatives is a good thing.
As a very happy user of a Surface Pro 4 as my 'one and only computer' at home I guess the safest bet will be to wait for the Pro 8 with hopefully smaller bezels in the style of the Pro X - and hopefully still sporting a USB-A port and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.
