Microsoft has announced the thinnest Surface Pro yet today at the October 2015 Live Event: The Surface Pro 4. The new tablet-laptop hybrid has a new Surface Pen that can differentiate between 1,024 types of pressure, now snaps to the side of the computer by a magnet, and includes a microphone that can activate Cortana.
The announcement of the Surface Pro 4 follows Apple’s announcement of the iPad Pro, with its smart keyboard and Apple Pencil (rumored to go on sale in the first week of November), and the Google Pixel C, which was recently announced on Sept. 29 alongside Google’s Nexus phones.
It may seem unfair to compare the iPad Pro to the Surface Pro 4, but the two devices price points are virtually identical: The iPad Pro is only $100 less than the Surface Pro 4, and that’s assuming you spring for the 32GB version for $799. The 128GB version of the iPad Pro will run you $949 without cellular connectivity – that’ll cost another $130.
The Surface Pro 4 on the other hand starts at $899, and has a storage capacity up to 1TB, plus up to 16GB of RAM. The iPad Pro is locked in at 4GB. The Surface Pro 4 is a little bit heavier, by about 2.56-ounces, and the iPad Pro has a bigger screen, by about 12.9-inches to 12.3-inches. The Surface Pro 4 does have a better pixel density however, although not by much: 267-ppi to 264-ppi. The iPad Pro has the upgraded A9X processor, but the Surface Pro 4 has a Skylake sixth generation core.
But perhaps the biggest difference between the devices is that the Surface Pro 4 runs Windows 10, and the iPad Pro runs iOS 9. This may not seem like a big deal, but the key differences between the operating systems have serious ramifications on workflow. Having a fully-fledged operating system, with all the advantages that a desktop computer has, including being able to install whatever programs a user needs to makes much more sense for buyers looking to purchase a computer for work. The iPad Pro's biggest advantage is one that the Surface Pro 4 shares: they're both mobile as tablets.
By double clicking the Surface Pen for example, OneNote will automatically open. Cortana now activates by simply holding the eraser button, which is a recent addition to the Surface Pen. Microsoft has created a hybrid exceling in academic and professional work settings.
The iPad Pro on other hand, is just a bigger iPad. The true test of the iPad Pro will come from Apple’s big name third party app developers, like Microsoft or Adobe. If the apps delivered by the developer teams from these two companies manage to stand up to the desktop equivalents, then maybe the iPad Pro has a fighting chance.
Until then, and especially considering that the Macbook Air specs are a couple generations out of date, Microsoft is running the party on the mobile work station.
The Surface Pro 4 will available for purchase on Oct. 26, but pre-orders are open now.
