Following Microsoft, Apple has announced two new iPads at its WWDC event today. Much like Microsoft’s Surface Pro, the iPad Pro is Apple’s take on a tablet designed for PC computing – and Apple’s iOS 11 software update makes that very clear.
Much like the Surface Pro, Apple has doubled down on its strengths, improving the iPad’s performance with the powerful A10x processor which has been estimated to deliver desktop-class performance, rivaling Intel processors like the M-series and decimating Qualcomm’s efforts in the process. Of course, Microsoft’s Surface features an actual desktop processor, so the advantage of the iPad there is that it can somewhat match the base of the Surface, but gets left behind at the top end.
The software is the important part of any modern PC, and both Apple and Microsoft offer ridiculous amounts of software for their respective devices. While some may be quick to disparage the iPads app ecosystem as being toys, or the Windows app ecosystem as being outdated and clunky, the truth is that both software experiences offer enough for the average user that it doesn’t really matter how many apps one has over the other at this stage.
Microsoft and Apple likewise take different approaches to computing, with Microsoft taking an old wine into new skin approach and Apple extending its iOS to account for larger screens. Neither have been entirely successful, Microsoft’s Surface is still a better laptop than it is a laptop, and the iPad will remain a better tablet than laptop till iOS 11 ships and can be fully evaluated.
With all that being said, both devices ship next week, in the meantime, here’s how they stack up on a pure hardware level.
Microsoft’s Surface Pro starts at $799 and
you can pre-order one right here.
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