Which is better
Surface 2 vs iPad Air?
Here we go again. Sigh.
Everyone is jumping on the band wagon to compare the new iPad Air and Surface 2 tablets. So, I guess the Microsoft vs Apple battle continues.
Interestingly though, I see less comparisons of the new iPad to Surface Pro 2 than when the first gen Surfaces came out. This is good and probably because Apple fans now learned that you simply can’t compare them because the Pro 2 is in a class of its own.
So, comparing Surface 2 vs. iPad Air; again, I see the comparisons as being unfair. I mean really? Everyone is pointing out iPad Air’s pluses but totally ignoring the minuses. I just don’t understand it. I have had iPads for years before switching to Surfaces and I agree they are nice tablets but come on, people! Surface tablets are at least as good and if you want productivity, perhaps even better than iPads. So, I stand by my last review, see Comparing iPad to Surface Tablets. But decided to do a quick comparison of the newly released devices anyway.
Once again, in Orange are the standard specs that everyone knows about. In Green, are features that I deem to be productivity related.
Surface 2 vs. iPad Air:
| Surface 2 | iPad Air | |||
| Purpose | Tablet | Tablet | ||
| Operating System | Windows 8.1 RT | iOS 7 | ||
| CPU | Nvidia Tegra 4, 32-bit, 1.7 GHz | A7 chip, 64-bit, 1.4 GHz | ||
| RAM | 2GB | 1GB | ||
| Weight (in lbs.) | 1.5 | 1 | ||
| Battery Life | 10 hours | 10 hours | ||
| Display size | 10.6” | 9.7” | ||
| Storage | 32GB, 64B expandable with MicroSD |
16, 32, 64, 128GB not expandable |
||
| Cellular Option | No (not until 2014) | Yes | ||
| USB Port | Yes – 3.0 | No | ||
| HD Video-Out Port | Yes – microHDMI | No | ||
| MicroSDXC | Yes | No | ||
| Kickstand | Yes – 2 settings | No | ||
| Free Cloud Storage | 200 GB | 5 GB | ||
| Printing | Yes – most printers | Yes – only AirPrint printers | ||
| MS Office | Yes pre-installed with Office 2013RT (incl. Outlook) |
No but iWork for iCloud is now included |
||
| Multi accounts | Yes | No | ||
| Run two apps at once | Yes | No | ||
| Number of Apps in Store | 160,000 | 350,000 | ||
| Keyboard Cover | Yes – extra cost | No – you have to buy a Bluetooth keyboard, extra cost | ||
| Camera | Two: 5MP rear 3.5MP front |
Two: 5MP rear 1.2MP front |
||
| Adapters | Only cables needed. Can be purchased non-OEM for cheaper pricing. | Everything must be connected via lightning adapters. | ||
| Price for 32 GB | $449.00 | $599.00 | ||
Which is better? Well, that’s for you to decide. Do you need extra games and lots of apps? Do you need Cellular coverage? Than perhaps an iPad Air is for you.
Do you need a type keyboard? Do you need MS Office? USB port? Lots of cloud storage? Inexpensive? Then I’d say Surface 2 is your device.
But I would never say that one device is better than the other. They are very much comparable and I’m sick of listening to everyone rave about how much better the iPad Air is because it’s simply not true.
Here are the specs directly from Microsoft and Apple:
You may also like our review of Surface Tablet Carrying Cases and Surface Pro 2 Battery Life Test.
Joanna-
