Ipad vs Microsoft Surface 2

[Matt Meiser]

Pages might open a .doc or .docx file but that doesn't mean it won't destroy the formatting or even be readable in my experience. You aren't going to have a ton of success editing a complex doc or complex spreadsheet in Numbers. Same is true of MS's iPhone office app. Ability to run Office and other Windows applications is where the Surface's pros lie.

I haven't played around with the web based Office apps as a workaround but they require the document to be in the cloud and that's a big no-no a lot of the time in my work world.

On the other hand, Office hasn't been optimized for touch use and some functions are not real friendly on a tablet. Supposedly that's coming, and maybe to the iPad too.

[Frank Trinkle]

If you're trying to do complex docs or spreadsheets, a tablet is NOT the way to go anyway. You need a laptop with a powerful processor, full screen, and a true keyboard. And for what it's worth, Microsoft Office IS available for Mac OSX.

[Cary Falk]

On thing that I don't think I saw mentioned was printing. When my wife got her ipad a few years ago it was a royal pain to get it to print from our network printers. You were suppose to be able to load some drivers and be a done deal. That never worked. We ended up buying another printer that was ipad compatable but it is a pain at best. If the apple croud would chime with a better solution, I would appreciate it. As been said before, a tablet is a poor excuse for a laptop. It is great for surfing the net and playing games but that is about the extent of it.

[Judson Green]

I've been an Apple guy since the first Mac, so far back I can't remember the year.

I want an iPad but they're still a little too costly for me.

I've been trying out a Kindle Fire HDX 8" for a couple of weeks during a 30 day trial offer.
It convinces me that the other guys can make good stuff too so now I'm interested in the Samsung Note tablets.

The Samsung Note tablets lets you draw on the surface with a stylus, something I've been wanting to do for decades.

A bit off topic but you may want to try out a Nvidia Tetra Note 7. Has the fastest processor in a 7-inch tablet, front facing speakers, SD slot, Micro HDMI, Micro USB, and the best part a stylus. All that for under $200.

A happy consumer of a Tetra Note 7

[Brian Elfert]

The editorial cartoon artist where I work uses an iPad to draw all his cartoons now. No idea what software he uses. My employer uses all iPad and iPhone products so I only have exposure to the iOS world.

iOS devices are great if you already own an iPhone or iPod since they work the same and can share apps. Some people like the tiles on the Windows devices. It is a matter of personal choice. My co-worker had a Windows phone and really liked it, but when he went to get a new phone recently he thought he would get another Windows phone and ended up buying an iPhone instead. (He already has an iPad 2, but he hasn't used it much since getting a smartphone.)

I have a company iPhone and my boss was texting me yesterday asking about the status of fixing a problem. I didn't reply on my iPhone and used my computer to send him texts via email. It is way easier to type on a real keyboard than on a phone or tablet.

[John McClanahan]

I have a company iPhone and my boss was texting me yesterday asking about the status of fixing a problem. I didn't reply on my iPhone and used my computer to send him texts via email. It is way easier to type on a real keyboard than on a phone or tablet.

I agree. I prefer to use my 27" iMac when possible. The Microsoft ads make it sound like the Surface is a good replacement for a full sized computer.

John

[Matt Meiser]

The one I'd buy is--Core i5, 8GB RAM, 250GB storage. That's the same specs as the laptop I bought last winter. But I'd plug in a real monitor and wireless keyboard/mouse for serious use. For many people one of the 4GB versions would be plenty. And that's not a small tablet so not as good for reading and stuff like that so I'd probably still have a lower end 7" tablet like my 16gb iPad mini. If I had an Android phone I'd probably have an Android tablet.

[Brian Elfert]

I agree. I prefer to use my 27" iMac when possible. The Microsoft ads make it sound like the Surface is a good replacement for a full sized computer.

The Surface Pro runs full Windows 8.1 and can replace a laptop or desktop running Windows. The regular Surface runs Windows RT 8.1 and can't really replace a laptop/desktop for a lot of people.