Five Reasons To Choose iPad Air over Surface 2 And Vice-Versa

Two BetaNews editors go head-to-head over whether iPad Air or Surface 2 is the most desirable solution.

Five Reasons To Choose iPad Air over Surface 2

BetaNews’a Wayne Williams says he uses and loves Windows 8.1, and that tablets like Microsoft’s Surface really appeal to him, but he can’t see himself replacing his iPad 4 – a constant companion that he uses for everything, work, entertainment, social networking, and so on – with Microsoft’s slate any time soon. He acknowledges that a Surface would be better as a work platform, but when he upgrades, he’ll be going for an iPad Air because of:

1. Apps – no tablet has such a rich and diverse collection of apps as iPad.

2. The iPad Air is unequivocally a tablet, while the Surface suffers from an identity crisis.

3. Battery Life – Apple battery life is phenomenal – Surface 2 falls well short.

4. Screen – the iPad Air’s screen resolution of 2048 x 1536 vs Surface’s 1920 by 1080.

5. Flexibility – he can use his iPad for everything – games, work, remote accessing his PC, and while Surface comes with Office, the new iPad Air has iWork, which will suit most peoples needs just fine

For Wayne Williams’s full comments visit:
http://goo.gl/zo5mfF

Five Reasons To Choose Surface 2 Over iPad Air

Williams’s BetaNews colleague Mark Wilson counter-argues that he’s a Surface Pro user, but he also owns an iPad 2 that still does the job. However he’d still pick the Surface over Apple’s tablet for just about everything, and that while he was was tempted by the idea of an iPad Air when it launched, after thinking it over a little, he decided to stick with his old model and continue enjoying his Surface Pro, and when he is in the market for a new tablet, he’ll probably go with the Surface because of:

1. Flexibility – with Surface 2 there are the Pro and non-Pro versions, and if you need the full desktop experience, the Pro model gives you the best of both worlds.

2. Storage – the largest iPad Air available has a capacity of 128GB while Surface Pro 2 goes all the way up to 512GB

3. Connectivity and Peripheral Support – the Surface has a USB port, iPad Air doesn’t. USB support lets you copy files onto a USB drive – just plug in, and there’s a microSD card reader too, plus you can use a mouse with the Surface.

4. Kickstand – with the iPad you’re restricted to working with the tablet flat on your lap or in/on some sort of stand. The Surface has the kickstand.

5. It’s different – everybody has an iPad. Willson adds that the Surface is a delightfully well thought out product, and that to try it is to love it, and as to price the Surface (Pro) is more expensive, but it’s a fully-fledged computer, and $200 to jump from a tablet to a computer is a small price to pay.

For Wilson’s full argument, see:
http://goo.gl/LLJpfb

Personally, I find both arguments compelling, which is of course the operative dilemma. My orientation is toward work, and with the amount of screen time I spend making my living, the last thing I want to do for recreation and enjoyment is more screen time, and productivity tasks are executed much less efficiently on the iPad, with its lack of real multi-windowed multitasking, file directory access, and mouse input support than the vastly more versatile Surface Pro, but the battery life and overall Apple user experence is hands-down better, so one remains torn. CM.