Ditch the iPad 3 for a Surface?

[Alladaskill17]

The lack of apps current kill the Surface. Wait a bit and to see how the app selection shakes out. I can't see you gaining anything by getting rid of your iPad right now.

What exactly is the store lacking? An excess of 'fart' apps and 'tower defense' games? Oh noes...!? :rolleyes:

[vhane]

We work in a small web design/development company and have a domain. Being actual professionals, we use Windows.

Quite frankly, it's silly to equate Windows use to professionalism. Especially when it comes to building web stuff.

[Sandor]

Especially when it comes to building web stuff.

Go on. Explain.

[moloko]

If you plan to read books i would say stick with the iPad.

If you want to work probably a Surface but wait for the pro (and if i were you i would buy an Ultrabook if work is a concern).

Ipad: watching video, music, books, internet,

surface: prodcutivity

[vhane]

Go on. Explain.

Unless you're doing .NET, you're probably building on a Unixy stack. Most of the web runs on the latter. In light of this, it's downright silly to equate use of Windows to professionalism.

[LaP]

Go on. Explain.

I fail to see why he needs to explain the obvious. BUt that's off opic anyway.

[Brandon H Supervisor]

If you plan to read books i would say stick with the iPad.

If you want to work probably a Surface but wait for the pro (and if i were you i would buy an Ultrabook if work is a concern).

why are you so sure that the Surface wont be good for reading books? Since there's already the Kindle app, there's definitely no shortage in selection of books available

[LaP]

Ipad: watching video, music, books, internet,

surface: prodcutivity

Well the surface surely works for videos, music and internet. Not sure about reading books though. But for books (if this is the main buying factor) i would actually go with a smaller form factor than the iPad and Surface. Nexus, iPad Mini, Kindle or Nook.

[Brandon H Supervisor]

Well the surface surely works for videos, music and internet. Not sure about reading books though. But for books (if this is the main buying factor) i would actually go with a smaller form factor than the iPad and Surface. Nexus, iPad Mini, Kindle or Nook.

now you're just contradicting yourself

If you plan to read books i would say stick with the iPad.

[LaP]

now you're just contradicting yourself

Well i don't see how i contradict myself.

He already owns an iPad. I don't see the point of changing it if media consumption if it's the main reason he bought it.

I my first post i was replying to the op. In my second post i was replying to Moloko.

To the op i said if you bought your iPad to read books (which a lot of people did i know 2 of them) then there's no point changing it for a Surface. If you bought it to work then think about it but think about Ultrabook too. The point is he did not tell us why he bought the iPad how are we supposed to know if he should change it.

Moloko tought i was saying the Surface was not good for media consumption as a whole. I simply replied i think it's surely a fine tablet for watching videos and browsing the web and that i was in no way implying it was not good for media consumption. But for reading books it's a little big in my very and totally humble opinion. My point was only that for those uses it's not better than an iPad. If he's gonna change and reading book is important then change for a 7 inches form factor. But i don't recommend changing it if work is not a concern. Too much people change their toys for no reason these days. Owning the last tech is not important. If it does the job keep it.

[DrJohnSmitherson]

To know if the current Win app store is sufficient or not is up to YOU. Check out their store and see if it meets your needs.

[neo1911]

In which case Surface, with its Quad Core Tegra 3 chipset, beats the iPad in the graphics power department!!!!

I am going by AnandTech's speculation that iPad4's graphics is almost double the speed of iPad3.

Please point to benchmarks where Tegra3 beats PowerVR SGX 554MP4 foundin iPad 4?

[moloko]

Well the surface surely works for videos, music and internet. Not sure about reading books though. But for books (if this is the main buying factor) i would actually go with a smaller form factor than the iPad and Surface. Nexus, iPad Mini, Kindle or Nook.

I think (for me) ipad is good for reading because of the form factor not size. Yes I have a nook to read my novels but magazines, pdfs, and manuals are best on a ipad compared to any widescreen shaped tablet.

yes all tablets play video and music, and pics etc, etc. I was saying that Instead of paying for 800$+ you can get a 400$ ipad for that stuff.

[rfirth]

I was saying that Instead of paying for 800$+ you can get a 400$ ipad for that stuff.

$800+? For what? Surface is only $499... and you're using the iPad 2 as a price comparison instead of iPad 3 or iPad 4.

[moloko]

$800+? For what? Surface is only $499... and you're using the iPad 2 as a price comparison instead of iPad 3 or iPad 4.

Basing my pricing off of Samsung and other win8 devices for productivity which I would think cost around the same for what MS will bring out. Yup my bad on the ipad 2.

For me ipad2 < surface < new ipad < surface pro. It is a step ladder each has its good and bad. Really the only one EACH person can choose is to try out each device and see if it fits with what he or she has in mind for it.

for me Ipad 2 is perfect form factor but if another company made a device in the same form factor with android with today's specs i would rather have that.

[Pootis Spencer]

Well it seems I couldn't return the iPad after all as it wasn't covered under Argos's 30 day money back deal.

So now I am looking to sell it at a loss. Its all boxed up ready to go. To be honest I've not missed it and its been sat here in the box for over a week.

[Sandor]

Unless you're doing .NET, you're probably building on a Unixy stack. Most of the web runs on the latter. In light of this, it's downright silly to equate use of Windows to professionalism.

Except we do use .NET. If you see a web studio touting development and then spot a bank of flashy iMacs - be very careful.

[vhane]

Except we do use .NET. If you see a web studio touting development and then spot a bank of flashy iMacs - be very careful.

And why would you need to be careful?

[Jub]

And why would you need to be careful?

Because they most likely are Hipsters on Rails.

(Joke. Not serious.)

I don't see any problem with either platform for web development to be fair. I mostly use Windows but there are times I work on OS X. There are great tools for both.

On topic: Ditch the iPad! The Surface is an exciting little piece of hardware. iPad has become tremendously boring - at least for me.

[mart24x7]

I used iPad every day for the last year and a bit... except from latnight when my Surface got delivered. So far (24 hours) I've not looked back.

I did not choose to make the switch because of app choice, after all who cares that I could download 250,000 apps when in reality I would only end up using a few of them. Infact most of the apps that i used are now built right into the surface. One example, I can now remote desktop to my servers from home using the touch cover wheres on iPad it was a fiddly time comsuming afair, Best of all its a bundled app.

[devHead]

So I recently bought an iPad 3 and while I am pleased with it to an extent I am however having a feeling that I should of waited and bought a Surface instead.

So should I return the iPad and buy a Surface or keep it?

Yes. Get rid of your overpriced Apple product and get the Surface. You'll likely be happier and more productive. And save some money. It's a win-win!

[aL Doom]

/Lurker mode off

I'll throw my 2 cents. Do the number of apps even matter for day to day use? On my G. Nexus, I only have a handful of apps that I use day to day and a game or 2 to play when I am bored. Sure having a greater variety is nice, but at the end of the day you will only be using a handful. In the end, the essential apps will make its way to the Windows Store.

In the end of the day you have to ask yourself what I am going to use the tablet for. If you are going to play games on it, then the iPad is your bet. Browsing and reading is probably another iPad specialty thanks to its high dpi screen. But being productive is something definitely suited for Surface. Personally, I am buying the Surface since a breath of fresh air. I just hope a proper MKV player gets released for it soon :)

[Noir Angel]

In terms of basic functionality there's little between them, but at the moment the quality of apps available for the iPad far surpasses the quality of apps available for the surface, so it all depends on your needs.

[Osiris]

I had a pretty extensive hands on with the surface just before launch and I also own an ipad3 and in my opinion I don't think theres much between them for basic use, eg web browsing, bit of music emails etc. Where the surface excels for me is in two areas 1) multitasking, snap apps and being able to split the screen and work on any two things at once is great, eg skyping will composing an email etc. Whilst there may be apps for that on iOS this is out of the box and with pretty much any apps which is a big advantage imo. 2) office, if you do editing or playing around with office and need a mobile solution the touch cover+surface is superior to any ipad solution.

Despite the above I still own the ipad but will be moving to win8 when supply of the Asus or Sammy atom tablets proliferates later in the month as I require proper digitiser and inking to get the most out of the move (a sad and unfortunate feature left off surface and seemingly any OEM RT device).

[myxomatosis]

If everyone thought like that then no platform would succeed in the marketplace.

I'm glad that I don't think like that and actually bought a Microsoft Surface, why, because if no one buys Surface then apps won't be developed for it.

I understand what you say but you know, I'm not buying a tablet to please Microsoft or Apple, I buy a tablet to work and for entertainment ;) I don't have time to waste, I need apps now, not in 8 months