I always thought an 8 core Ryzen would be great in the Surface Pro, but as pointed out to me in a different thread - you'd lose the Thunderbolt 4 and thus eGPU support. I think being able to take a sub 2 pound machine and turn it into a decent gaming rig is pretty cool.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPad Pro The surface Pro 8 destroys the iPad Pro 12.9" in terms of value and productivity.
- Thread starter Kung gu
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I always thought an 8 core Ryzen would be great in the Surface Pro, but as pointed out to me in a different thread - you'd lose the Thunderbolt 4 and thus eGPU support. I think being able to take a sub 2 pound machine and turn it into a decent gaming rig is pretty cool.
I think it looks real interesting too, but a bit heavy. And expensive! I have an XPS 15 with OLED that really isn't that much different in class than the surface studio.
I was actually thinking of getting a Surface Pro 8, but I may wait for some sales on the keyboard cover... I just don't want to pay that much for a keyboard, it goes against something in me.
I hear this so often, and yet here I am, professional using an iPad Pro for the bulk of my work, including running my business. I run loads of desktop class pro apps. I mean - what else do you want?
I don’t think a programmer could get by.
And heavy multitasking isn’t really a thing (by far the iPads biggest downfall - I just wish we could minimise apps which could continue to run in the background).
But these things are firstly - quite niche in general computer terms, and secondly - are very much things that require a rethinking due to the nature of the os, and are more likely than not, on the way.
Let’s not forget iPadOS is a fledgling fork compared to macOS or iOS.
The fact remains, for a great deal of what there ipad is naturally better than a MacBook at, you can easily use it as a replacement.
Personally i still do need a mac becuase I’m tied to lightroom classic. Plus- I want a mac. But it’s such a versatile and powerful combination that I certainly have no regrets.
A decent pro Mac laptop is what, 2.5k plus? A base m1 Mac mini plus a 12.9 mid range iPad Pro, pencil, keyboard and mouse is the same price, or even cheaper if you are selective with the components. Yet so much more versatile.
I just don’t understand why something has to ‘destroy’ something else, feels unnecessarily hyperbolic in this context. Also it is an apple and oranges comparison in my opinion. Having owned multiple iterations of both devices I find that the devices excel at different things. iPad is the better tablet, surface is the better laptop. Both sort of lack what the other has.. maybe they should have a baby 
Computing is very general purpose so we have a limited OS that doesn’t provide enough power for a segment of users while also providing enough power for another segment of users. In Apple’s case they are optimizing the iPad for a certain subset of use cases, but that is still a very limited segment when overlapped with their “laptop replacement” marketing push.
For creatives who can use the pencil like digital designers and image editors I think the iPad is already powerful enough for the bulk of their workflows (not all though — stuff like weak external drive support can impact Photographers, for instance).
I’m a programmer so my use cases are different than those crowds.
If you look at other threads started by the OP you'll understand - it's all done to get a reaction. I sometimes forget that this board likely has a much wider range of ages than other boards I frequent, so I try to keep that in mind as well.
I absolutely get what you’re saying.
But you know- a laptop can’t replace a desktop for a subset of computer users either, yet there is no uproar. It’s this uproar I don’t understand.
Why on earth you would buy an iPad for something that it’s not suited to, I do not know.
No one who wants a post production after effects machine, for example, will buy a MacBook Air. That’s fine. And there is no complaining about at across 1000’s of threads. Why is the iPad any different?
Great points, but, respectfully disagree that it’s primarily just niche tech fields that run into problems with iPadOS.
I have no doubt that you can run a business on an iPad. I can do the majority of my managerial work on an iPad. But, when it comes to accessing resources via the web, WebKit continues to be a pain in my rear. Having to use mobile Safari with legacy websites/apps suck. Having to use mobile Safari with modern PWAs suck. And any work-arounds I’ve tried for doing data analysis on an iPad without full Excel or a substitute? Exhausting.
My bosses, for years, have been able to do the vast majority their work on iPads. Same for me. Two enthusiastic thumbs up and I’d go so far as to say if not for the continued resistance to scaling of external monitors, an iPad would probably the best managerial computer out there. But, I don’t consider those of us who work in the productivity areas as niche, and iPadOS still has several issues that need to be addressed.
So, circling back to the OP - I’m also looking at the Surface Pro 8 as an option and I’ve been one to really want to go all in on iPadOS. If the battery life is half of what they claim (8 vice the claimed 16 hours), I can live with my issues with Windows. And if the Surface Pen 2 is as good as they say, I’m in.
But, OP, IMHO, many advantages the Surface Pro 8 currently has over the iPad with the M1 chip could probably be eliminated by Apple with a snap of their fingers. I believe they do have full screen support. I believe they can do virtualization of Linux with the M1 powered iPads. I believe they're slow-rolling out capabilities as needed to counter competitors - which I hate if true - so here's hoping the Surface Pro 8 kicks serious butt and puts pressure on the iPad Pro.
There is no uproar due to the limiting factor in those cases being largely a hardware limitation and not a software one. Hardware limitations that align with the form factor trade offs the buyer made.
Said another way, could you do movie post production on a MacBook Air? Absolutely. Would it be faster on a Mac Pro? Absolutely.
iPad OS has some very bizarre missing features. Like space information on external drives as a pretty basic omission.
I wish that Microsoft would have made the switch to ARM, if they added something like the M1 in the SP 8 I could see myself using it as an actual device instead of just a thin client. That is kind of the problem, the iPad Pro has the horsepower to actually do stuff on it (albeit slower than when using a desktop) but lacks support for Microsoft software while the SP 8 lacks the horsepower for me to actually do something with that software. Even putting one of the new mobile Ryzen CPUs in would have made it a lot more useful.
Might get one regardless and use as a thin client with remote desktop, since my company doesn’t allow BYOD in their systems at all and they don’t carry iPad Pros.
Might get one regardless and use as a thin client with remote desktop, since my company doesn’t allow BYOD in their systems at all and they don’t carry iPad Pros.
You can also do movie post production on an iPad.
iPadOS does have missing features yes, a lot of which can be solved using apps. Ipados is an app first os after all, it reallly needs viewing in this sense first and foremost.
The biggest drawback is background multitasking, but as it’s by design then I don’t think it’s right to call it missing. I also think it’s something that will be eventually solved, iPadOS is a very young fork compared to most established traditional os’ - even most established phone os’.
The fact of the matter remains - the iPad can and more importantly *is* being used as a laptop replacement for a great deal of people. And in a pro setting too.
Most pros in computer focussed professions already need and use both a laptop and a desktop. Using features like sidecar and non expensive Remote Desktop software such as jump desktop the iPad can not only replace the laptop, but is often a far more versatile solution.
iPadOS does need to get better- and it will, but it’s a minor issue at this point.
All have their purpose to me and none replaces the other. I use all of them professionally and personally.
desktop for heavy work.
laptop for mobile work
Ipad for mobility, image based research and pencil input
phone for communication
watch to tell time, sport and quick communication
However if I was not using computers heavily for professional work, and this was all just personal, an iPad Pro 12 is more than enough for me.
The thing that so many people on these boards don’t seem to understand is that Apple isn’t trying to produce singular devices that are perfect for a subset of the population, they’re making things like the iPad Pro for the broadest, middle of the road, users. Yes, they have crazy high performance capabilities with their new M1 series and A15 chips, which then often isn’t utilized to the full extent that certain people want, need or expect. But for general population of users who aren’t coming onto this site to post about their disappointment or love of any certain Apple product, the iPad Pro (as one example) can absolutely be an everyday device for work and play. And that’s certainly true with these MS laptop / tablet products too, for those people who have to live within the MS PC world.