Should I sell my Surface Pro 3 and get an iPad Pro?

[iMoo]

Hello whomever is reading this.

So a bit of background, is that I had most Apple products. (Tv, iphone 4 and also ipad 3) This was sometime ago. I sold the tv and got a FireTv for Kodi. Swapped out iphone and happy with Galaxy S6 (cost me half the price of an iphone at the time)
I also sold my slowing down and aging ipad 3 just before xmas last year.

I read about the Surface Pro 3 and saw one at the airport and fell in love with the idea of being able to play full football manager. Edit photos using Full Photoshop and the option to switch to keyboard or tablet in a few secs.

The reality is over the last 12 months (and having bought it for around £770 on ebay) is ive tried to love it but theres something just not right.

In tablet mode its so clunky. App store is poor. Apps arent always optimised and the keyboard sometimes never pops up to type.
The fan kicks in quite often and produces quite a bit of heat if gaming or using chrome.
With the resolution being high and even trying to adjust the resolution my dream of full Football Manager kust doesnt work as writing is small and nabigating is slow.
Even youtube doesnt work great. Full Youtube scrolling comments and video scrolls with it and also no decent app alternative.

Theres more I could say..like how the corners dig in your hand in tablet mode..or the battery that lasts around 4 hours maximum. The akward potrait mode and off balance weighf in your hand.

Now I have owned it so long as last time I asked the qiestion about changing it for an ipad. Someone. Commented and said "Thats like changing a laptop for a rock and a peice of slate" So tried for another few months to get along, but just cant seem to.

So I think im really in need of a good media device for internet browsing, youtube and some casual gaming.

Fast forward to now. Does anyone else who has had a Surface Pro 3 feel the same? Would a iPad Pro 9.7 be a big step down?

I think if i sold my pro on ebay I may get after fees around the 450ish mark (big loss) but wondering if the 32gb Ipad is a little low now!? Is it worth buying the 128gb version at a £120 premium?

Sorry for the ling post. Just feel frustrated I went from an iPad that I loved to looking in the corner at my surface and then just picking up my phone as its just easier to use.

On the plus side with the surface I did really liks the kick stand and speakers. Has the speakers and issues from ipad air 2 been resolved compared to how they were (as in vibrating screen and image smidges when ya pressed on back)
Hopefully someone has stayed with me and can recommend on experiance. As it will cost me extra cash to switch out again and I know the Pro seems to be mid cycle so may be wrong time to buy.

Thoughts on the above people? (and thanks so much in advance for any comments)

Ps. Its a Surface Pro i5 8gb 256gb ssd version

 

[44267547]

Give the Pro a shot. The 9.7 Pro has Tru-Tone display with the quad speakers and Apple Pencil, which sound amazing without the vibration like the iPad Air 2. The 9.7 Pro has 2 GB of Ram, which has been a deal breaker for customers to upgrade to the 12.9 for 4 GB of Ram.

The 12.9 Pro has a higher pixel density with the quad speakers and is slightly more powerful than the 9.7 Pro. If you want a larger ipad for viewing and of course it can be used with the Apple Pencil.

Both iPads have the smart connector for the Keyboard.

Neither of these iPads are a step down from your Surface 3, but this is in my opinion. Remember, if you purchase direct from Apple, you have 14 days to return the device. Good luck.

 

[M5RahuL]

I have both, ( well had the SP3 Pro, now SP4 Pro, and iPad Air 2 ) and if all I wanted was a tablet, nothing beats the iPad experience.

If I had to choose one, I'd pick the Surface Pro because it's the jack of all trades ( but master of none ) and just an iPad wouldn't suffice for my use case.

 

[msavic]

In my opinion the Surface Pro 3 is more of a laptop than a tablet. There are compromises to be made in order to acheive a form factor that can utilized in multiple ways. Its a jack of all trades, master of none device and if you fit a specific demographic, the Pro 3 will be perfect for you.

Im a student, i use my Surface Pro 3 for upwards of 8 hours a day, I take notes on it, do homework on it and essentially use it as my go to productivity device. There really is nothing that can match the same experience in regards to productivity.

In terms of media consumption and gaming, the Pro 3 is not cut out for the task and theres really no way around it. You can play the average mobile game but there is limitations with such a sleek form factor that expecting anything more than mobile games is a pipe dream.

Where does the iPad Pro fit in? Its a device thats exceptional at media consumption and average at productivity. The iPad Pro will never match the Surface Pro 3 in productivity as it doesnt run a desktop OS and doesnt have a user accessible file system. The Surface Pro 3 on the other hand will never match the media consumption capability and gaming of the iPad.

As to what you should choose, since you do not appear to be the target demographic of the Surface Pro, I would suggest trying out the iPad Pro. As a consumption device, the iPad is hard to beat.

I can't choose between the two so I own both an iPad Air 2 and a Surface Pro 3. That could be an option you could consider as well.

 

[iMoo]

Thanks for taking the time out. I remember looking at the iPad Air 2 and seeing the flaws and then building the hype to myself for the Surface Pro 3. I didn't use the surface for the productivity like I thought I would.
Nice to know the iPad Pro has ironed out the issues in the Air 2.

Usually I would prob hold out another few months and see what's next in the iPad range, but the Surface Pro 3 resale value is plummeting the longer I keep it (much faster than Apple products).

I will prob go for the 9.7 for portability and prob the fact that it is the newest of them both (compared to 12.9) so ease least likely to have a refresh this year.
How much space is recommended? I've always gone for 32gb and in the UK the 128gb is an extra £120. Though I do remember when I had my iPad 3, some programmes started getting alot bigger.

 

[Nudawa]

Actually you cannot compare those two because:

1. Surface Pro is more like a laptop, but can also be used as a tablet. It has all the functionalities of a PC with all the windows softwares.
2. The ipad is more of a tablet, serving mainly the entertainment purposes. Yeah you can use office and some apps that helps productivity but it is now thing compared to a laptop.

So. It will will app come down to what you're gonna use the device for. If you need a device that is fun to play with, many casual games, stylish, Facebook, webs, 9gag, chatting, emails... Get the ipad. If you want to get **** done, keep the surface.

 

[617aircav]

OP the surface is more of a computer than a tablet. You are correct it's not great in tablet mode. I have the surface 3 (not pro) and love it as a slim laptop and not as a tablet. The iPad Pro while great is missing a lot of the little things, like the ability to plug in a hard drive etc.

 

[maflynn]

Thoughts on the above people? (and thanks so much in advance for any comments)

I don't use the iPad Pro, so, you need to keep that fact in mind as I put my opinion in the post

From reading your post, you seem to want to use the SP3 as a tablet, more then a laptop and that's fine, because that's one of the stated uses from MS, but I will say that is also one of its biggest weaknesses. I use my SP3 mostly as a laptop replacement. I do sometimes use it in tablet mode, and my kids almost always do, but I find it better for me with the keyboard attached. I also use it for more computer type tasks, i.e., office, and work related stuff that cannot be done on a tablet. The app selection on iOS is definitely more expansive but iOS is more restrictive.

Bottom line, does the iPad pro give you what you want? I prefer my SP3 but my usage is more typical of a PC user then one who's looking for a tablet.

 

[iMoo]

I don't use the iPad Pro, so, you need to keep that fact in mind as I put my opinion in the post

From reading your post, you seem to want to use the SP3 as a tablet, more then a laptop and that's fine, because that's one of the stated uses from MS, but I will say that is also one of its biggest weaknesses. I use my SP3 mostly as a laptop replacement. I do sometimes use it in tablet mode, and my kids almost always do, but I find it better for me with the keyboard attached. I also use it for more computer type tasks, i.e., office, and work related stuff that cannot be done on a tablet. The app selection on iOS is definitely more expansive but iOS is more restrictive.

Bottom line, does the iPad pro give you what you want? I prefer my SP3 but my usage is more typical of a PC user then one who's looking for a tablet.

Thanks,

Also thanks to everyone else who commented.
I did initially thought I was buying the best of both worlds. With me (at the time) getting a job in management, I thought I would use it more for presentations, Excel etc away from the Office and was the reason why I stumped up the extra cash for the i5 8gb 256gb model. thinking also at home I could game and also use as a tablet.

As restrictions have come into place at work and having to sign disclaimers where the company can delete my content on any device I sign off for work purposes, I decided against it and just use their ageing computers.

So yeah, my main purpose is more of a tablet. I can see how students and my initial reason for purchase, using in laptop mode would be amazing. I guess it's just the media aspects I now require. I did buy it from ebay at the time for around £770 and the package was selling for around £1,100, in case it didn't work out.
I will prob stand to get around £450 after ebay and paypal fees which I will put towards the iPad Pro 9.7 128gb that retails at £619 in the UK. So lost quite a bit.......but hey, as with all new shiny technology, it's the way it goes sometimes.

I could prob even, just about manage on my Galaxy S6 if a new iPad was around the corner...but got to treat yourself now n then and would be far more immersive for my casual internet browsing and Youtube/Facebook stuff.

Regards all and thanks for your input on probably a question what must come up every week somewhere. Just hard to get a down the middle view, as when you search for it, you are surrounded by fanboys in either direction and the question was real for me, based on MY needs.

Regards

 

[maflynn]

As restrictions have come into place at work and having to sign disclaimers where the company can delete my content on any device I sign off for work purposes, I decided against it and just use their ageing computers.

Yeah, I hate that, my company can wipe my phone if its lost but other then that they don't do much, but still, I have to agree to have the group policies to enforce such things

 

[iMoo]

Are the Official smart cover decent? Thinking about a Space Grey 128gb and possibly official smart cover. Maybe the boaring grey too.
If I order in next few hours I can get it tomorrow in time for the weekend. Have to sell the pro then.

What colour you guys go for. Also thoughts on covers?
I see it's soft on screen, but guess if used for stand, the way it folds on itself could pick up dirt.

 

[iMoo]

Ok......ended up biting the dust and ordering myself a Space Grey 128gb ipad Pro 9.7. Also got this case https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0158AZOHU/ref=ya_st_dp_summary

£6.99 worth a punt, good reviews and protects all sides. Apple is £39 just for the front bit!
Now to get back into iOS and see what i've missed since my iPad 3.....should be a decent iOS upgrade!

 

[mi7chy]

Stick with the iPP 12.9 and avoid the iPP 9.7 until the crashing is sorted out.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ipad-pro-9-7-multitasking-springboad-crash.1965652/

 

[617aircav]

Pity there is no good keyboard case for the iPad Pro.