Microsoft continually compared the new Microsoft Surface to the MacBook Air, but why didn’t they do it to the iPad Pro?
For those who don’t know it, Surface is the range of hybrid tablets from Microsoft. Half laptop, half tablet, they run a full desktop operating system like Windows 11 in a touch format. Additionally, you can buy a separate keyboard which turns it into a laptop. This concept is similar to the iPad Pro M4 + Magic Keyboard, with only one difference: the iPad Pro has a tablet operating system (iPadOS) and the Microsoft Surface has a desktop operating system (Windows 11).
Later in this article we will talk about this very differentiating fact. But for now, let’s start with a comparison that Microsoft did not teach us. And in their presentation they even brought a MacBook M3 to the stage to compare it directly with the Surface Pro. Although shouldn’t the fair comparison be with Apple’s M4 Chip?
Microsoft Surface vs iPad Pro M4 performance
The Microsoft Surface It has an ARM Chip Snapdragon X Elite from Qualcomm. On the iPad Pro side, it has Apple’s latest processor, the M4 Chip. How will these two processors face each other? The Snapdragon X Elite has more CPU and GPU cores, although the Apple M4 chip has higher performance in monocore.
Furthermore, regarding artificial intelligence, the Snapdragon X Elite has more raw power and greater RAM memory capacity. After all, The Surface is closer to a laptop than a tablet. It’s heavier, it’s cooled by fans… Apple has adjusted everything related to the M4 Chip for the iPad Pro. Something very different will be when we see the M4 on a MacBook Pro. Still, look at the comparison table, because the M4 Chip equals the Snapdragon X Elite in power.
| M4 chip | Snapdragon X Elite | |
|---|---|---|
| CPU CORE | 9/10 cores | 12 cores |
| GPU CORE | 10 cores | 12 cores |
| FABRICATION PROCESS | 3 nanometers | 4 nanometers |
| Single core performance | 3,747 | 2,792 |
| Multi CORE PERFORMANCE | 14,740 | 14,584 |
| Neural motor performance | 38 trillion operations per second | 45 trillion operations per second |
| Hardware accelerated ray tracing | Yeah | No |
iPad Pro vs Surface Pro display and design
We know that the OLED screen of the iPad Pro is a real marvel. If we compare its quality and also add the weight and design, the balance tips towards the iPad Pro M4, which offers a better screen and a more compact and lighter format.
| iPad Pro M4 | Surface Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Screen | OLED | OLED |
| resolution | 2752×2064 | 2880 x 1920 |
| Glow | 1000 nits | 600 nits |
| Update frequency | 10 to 120Hz | 60 to 120HZ |
| P3 Color Gamut | Yeah | No |
| Thickness | 5.1mm | 9.3mm |
| weight | 582 grams | 893 grams |
| Price | From 1199 euros | From 1199 euros |
Superior performance on the iPad Pro M4, limited by iPadOS?
The general performance of the M4 Chip is superior to that of the Snapdragon X Elite except in specific artificial intelligence tasks. However, here we enter into a well-known debate: Does the iPad take advantage of the full power of Apple chips?
The Surface Pro has a full desktop operating system such as Windows 11. Allows you to connect to multiple screens and use applications without any type of adaptation. However, Apple with iPadOS has a different concept. It is adapting Mac apps to the iPad, as is the case with Final Cut Pro. It does allow you to connect an external screen, but the management of windows, despite the Visual Organizer, is somewhat clumsier.
The iPad is a good tablet and the Surface is a good laptop
As we can see in the comparison above, although the Surface has a touch screen and the keyboard can be removed, It is closer to a laptop than a tablet. It weighs almost a kilo, is practically twice as thick and has a fan to cool the interior.
In the background, each team stands out for one thing. The experience on the iPad as a tablet is superior to the Surface, especially because of the wonderful apps in the App Store. On the other hand, the Surface is great for using as a laptop and occasionally for touch.
Would it be better for a MacBook Air, for example, to have a touch screen? Will Apple ever include macOS on iPads? Are complicated answers from a business point of view and they may be cleared at the next WWDC 2024.
Is cannibalization between products holding back the iPad Pro?
iPadOS is a top ten operating system for an entry-level iPad and even for an iPad Air. However, for a professional audience such as the iPad Pro may encounter limitations like the ones we mentioned above.
Many of us think that Apple has not finished incorporating functions into iPadOS so that whoever wants it can buy a Mac + an iPad. And ultimately, it is a perfect tactic from a business point of view. However, and as our colleague Javier Lacort comments, can you imagine that the iPhone would not have included the music app so as not to stop selling iPods? We all take it for granted, and Apple confirmed it, that macOS will not appear on the iPad. However, with simple improved window management we would have a leap forward.
So, no, the iPad is not going to have macOS, but it can get a big improvement with iPadOS 18. The wish list is simple: more flexible window management similar to a desktop environment and the arrival of versions of apps identical to those on the Mac. They share the same processor, so doing this would be relatively simple.
The next quote to see how all this is resolved is the June 10 at WWDC. For my part, I have explained both sides to you: a tablet that is closer to a PC and an iPad that remains faithful to the iPad experience (although, with limitations). What would you like to see?
In Applesfera | iPad Pro M4 (2024), analysis: leading technology towards the impossible
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