Apple and Microsoft have at been at loggerheads since the 1980's competing for the title of the king of Personal Computers. There has always been some for of friction between this two companies; in 1988, Apple actually sued Microsoft for some copyright infringement (which was eventually thrown out of court at the time - due to “technicalities”). So, it is no surprise that we find ourselves here, deciding between a choice of Apple or Microsoft - choosing between and iPad pro or a Surface Pro, what should you go for?

What do they cost?

The first thing we will consider is cost, it's usually the first thing we all consider right? Cost wise the Surface Pro and the Apple iPad Pro are very similar with not much in between them. For example the base model of the Surface Pro i.e the with an Intel Core i5, 128GB and 8GB of RAM costs around £899 whilst the iPad Pro with 128GB storage was seen online for £899, so as you can see, to a reasonable extent, cost can be ruled out of the debate. However, it should be noted that the high end Surface Pro's (Intel Core i7 1TB SSD etc) can cost over £2,000, but for the purposes of this little write up, we'll go with the base models and to a reasonable extent conclude that they are very similar from the perspective of cost.

Operating system, Software and Features

Depending on what you're intending to use the device for, each device has a distinct set of features and specs that will appeal to different users. The iPad Pro for example comes with a very powerful camera which arguably will produce better quality pictures compared to the Surface Pro. For those already in the Apple ecosystem, the iPad pro will also make logical sense, the ability to sync up all your data using the iCloud feature gives an added advantage. Apple's suite of software has made it extremely hard to delve outside of their products. They have done an amazing job in designing the products to lock you in, and unfortunately if you are already thinking of the iPad Pro - seems their engineers have done a great job. For example, the ability to send an iMessage from your iPad pro and pick it up on your iPhone gives that seamless experience.

It would be unfair to also not point out the amazing features the Surface Pro presents, for starters, the Surface Pro gives a more realistic Personal Computer feel - it ships with a full blown Windows 10 OS which means you will be able to run similar programs just as you would on a normal computer. The same can't be said of the iPad pro, it doesn't give you that Macbook Pro feel. In addition to this, the Surface Pro's have always shipped with a full size USB port and more recently USB C (iPad on the other hand only recently started shipping with USB C). Within this category, it is safe to conclude with the following, if you are looking for a device that will replace your personal computer and still give you tablet features, the surface is your likely bet. If you however want a device which will give you that enhanced tablet feel with some Personal computer touches then the iPad Pro is your bet!

Screen, Battery life, Weight and Build Quality

Both devices come with amazing displays which are both of course touchscreen and thankfully stylus's are a thing of the past. Both devices however have a pen feature (Surface Pen and Apple Pencil - which we may review in another post) which extend the capability for the screen for tasks such as illustration etc. The Surface Pro ships with a 12.3 inch display with a resolution of 2736 x 1824 whilst the iPad Pro ships with a 12.9 inch display with a resolution of 2736 x 2048. Again, little difference between the two screen-wise.

Battery life on the iPad Pro is a little longer - the 2020 iPad Pro boasts a battery life of just over 10 hours whilst the surface boasts just under 8 hours (which is believable - the level of hardware the surface ships with makes it power hungry). 

From a weights point of view, the iPad pro weighs in 0.2lbs lighter at 1.4lbs whilst the Surface weighs in at a slightly heftier 1.6lbs. This can make a big difference for those who travel around a lot - every little helps! 

Build quality wise, both device belong to high end spectrum of the market which comes with its benefits - great build quality. Both devices give you a premium feel which you don't get from the lower cost options. 

Accessories, Serviceability and Value Holding

Both devices are blessed with an immense market full of Accessories, such as cases, keyboards etc. Speaking of keyboards, the Typeface Cover which belongs to the surface comes with a touch-pad (mouse) which the iPad's Magic Keyboard lacks. The typeface also costs substantially less than the magic keyboard. Serviceability, both devices are very similar, a damaged display for example will have a substantial cost attached to it to remedy and in most cases almost worth selling the iPad pro to buy another one. This also goes for the surface pro, there are several websites which will pay good money should you wish sell your surface pro for good cash. In general, most Apple devices tend to hold their values generally well (and so do surface pro's to be honest); so if in the future you plan on selling your iPad pro, there are good websites such as Recycle My Apple that will pay top cash for it.

Conclusion

In conclusion, if you are looking to buy a device and are already within the Apple ecosystem i.e Macbook, iPhone, Watch etc, then the iPad Pro will make a logical sense. If you are looking however for something different that will give you that mobile PC/laptop with a hint of tablet feel, then consider the surface pro! Best of luck with making your decisions!