The Surface 2 by Microsoft, Lumia 2520 from Nokia and Apple's iPad Air are the latest tablets to go ahead one another. The first two of the three run Windows RT 8.1, while the iPad Air runs iOS 7. But the question is: which one is best suited for your requirements and needs? Take a gander at the above chart, comparing specifications between the three tablet solutions.
Microsoft provides a handful of goodies that are matched and built around in the Lumia 2520. You not only have Redmond's products and services, but also unique extras from the Finnish manufacturer. The iPad, on the other hands, is a tried and tested product which really kicked off the tablet category. If you haven't already done so, be sure to check out our coverage of all three tablets.
Head over to iMore for the latest on the iPad Air.
Reader comments
By the numbers: iPad Air versus Nokia Lumia 2520 and Microsoft's Surface 2
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Definitely NOKIA Lumia 2520
Batter used to be the talk but I notice they are all toe to toe on battery performance. Awesome.
I honestly don't get why everyone's wooing over the iPad Air. I just went to Staples today and even after holding the original Surface I picked up the Surface 2 and was immediately surprised by the weight, or lack thereof. Now, I haven't held the iSad Air yet, but I'm betting .47 pound doesn't really make that much of a difference. Plus, the bottom line storage for Surface 2 is still bigger and it's still cheaper. Aside from that, the iAir just a big iPad Mini, or really big iPod touch 5th gen without the colors or what-have-you. Unless you're an iSheep who believes the new iPad is whatever Apple says it is (i.e. amazing, superior, beautiful etc.)
Out of those three iPad Air without a doubt, but now that the mini has a decent display I'd take it over the big ones.
I love the look and potential feel of the Nokia but the built in kickstand and USB would have me go with the Surface.
Still rockin' a Samsung Slate 7 Series from a couple years ago. It's all the tablet I need. :)
Stop posting these fucking apple adds here. This place is for windows phone users. The one place where we dont have to read these indirect apple product placement
Stop getting netbooks and tablets mixed up dude! That's what you get with a closed system, and its done way better then Microsoft has, even though the iPad made it possible for a surface
Stop with the office shit!
I work and life? A retnia quality display? Smart cover? You have to pay a minimum fee of 100 a year. I work is free and does everything you need. Safari is a full browser, and everyone knows IE sucks
i'll take surface 2 any day
I'm intrigued by the 2520 and the Nokia/Here suite of apps but the kickstand of the Surface 2 is quite appealing and let's face it, the the iPad Air with a million+ apps and that incredible Retina display is still a looker. Maybe I should get all three?
See the price for same storage.
32 GB iPad without sd card or usb port option - $599 - highest
32 GB NL 2520 with SD card option, without usb option(on core tablet not on accesory) - $499 - Moderate
32 GB MS Surface 2 with SD card option and USB 3.0 option - $449 - Least............-- Best value for money
Very true, but remember that free space is 18 GB for Surface 2 with Office included (21 if we put recovery partition in USB stick).
In iPad it is around 28 GB free I think (without iWork installed. Each part is at least 500MB after installation)
Agreed, but in that case too, Surface 2 still wins either by a cheap $30 flash drive of another 32gb or SD card of 64 GB for 45$...
Can't believe the Surface 2 has no 4g option.
The surface's cameras, and maybe the 2520's, shoot 720p as well.
I know most of you know how bias The Verge and Engadget are, but from both of their hands on with the Nokia they both said "it has one of the best screen on any tablet they seen". Just remember the iPad Air uses the same screen as the model before it.
And it still whoops whatever Nokia is putting. It has incredible contrast and amazing viewing angle's, nokias displays are good, but apple is the gold standard when it comes to tablets. Ppl use ipads more than any other tablets, the numbers are not in Microsofts favor
surface also has micro SD and ipad does not have gps only wifi idk if lumia has it
Summary of misleading/wrong information in the table:
Also, it would be interestig to point out:
Whoever made this table is not very professional or was really in a hurry (I understand sometimes you are not allowed the time you need to finish a task). In any case, please update it :-).
Marc
+1
Does anyone know if the Lumia 2520 will have a LED keyboard? Or is the accessory just a standard keyboard with no LED?
:: Cool adds ::
2520 will allow u to :
- Tab ur phone to send all ur pics to the tablet when u just opened the storyteller on the tablet
- Tab to run here drive on ur phone just after u created the route on ur tablet
Probably iPad air. Windows tablets are for doing work and boring stuff like that.
Just curious what you're thinking of doing for *fun* (as opposed to boring and like that) with your iPad ? You can touch it but It's not a woman.
For example, I want to play asphalt 8 in the same week that it launches. I have been patient with windows phone for a year, but my patience is running out. The only truly good thing abt WP8 is Nokia hardware. Microsoft sucks.
Use IE11 on all your favorite pornsites and tell me you're not having fun. Flap flap flap...
I want CYAN whoop! Colorful electronics is SO Windows.
Apple is a status symbol, and Microsoft is an enterprise business, apple will win the tablet war BC of that, plus all the free software now
I'll buy a MS one, regardless. I hope no one shoots me.
And Apple is giving a bit of "old people" status, most people I see nowadays with iPhones are +50, not being ageist but it lost its youth vibe.
Did you see Casey Neistat's movie? If that status symbol involves sleeping on the sidewalk and sufficating yourself with plastic bags, then I'll pass, thank you.
Not to mention iStuff is so mainstream it became more laughable than status worthy, seriously, it's actually funny in a very pathetic way to see people using ipads to take photos of their grandchildren in the park.
Did you get a 2520 to test? With that keyboard dock I hope. Obviously clarification on applications is needed, but it looks very interesting.
Anyone remember the last time Microsoft bought a hardware company?
I've already got my Surface 2 coming today or tomorrow. I couldn't care less about the iPad or Apple themselves. I am wanting a Lumia (the 1520) to replace my HTC 8X though.
I'm leaning toward the Nokia cause I love the extra love and attention they put in with apps etc. Damn sexy beast too.
Nokia I have a Surface 1
STORAGE...
This is a bit misleading, as both the Surface and the Nokia have USB 3.0 ports that allow unlimited mass storage support.
Beyond Tech Specifications
It should be noted that beyond the hardware specifications, the Windows 8 based tablets (Surface, Nokia) have features like multi-user support and a real 'browser' experience where the user won't need specialized Apps to view websites that use Flash, etc. (Example: A user can play the Flash version of Facebook Farmville just fine on the Windows 8 tablets without needing a dedicated Farmville App.)
Actually there is a limit of how many mass storage devices can be used by one port
You are one sad little idiot
Yeah I attach my 3TB hard drive to the back of my tablet with ducktape.
So much storage.
The wifi only model of the ipad does not have a gps.
No WiFi tablet does. The GPS is built into the lte antenna.
Plus when did anyone need GPS in a tablet? We have smartphones
^ True that. It'll be a lot harder for me to misplace a tablet over a phone!
I don't care about gps on tablets. The surface does not have a gps but it is able to find my location. I prefer to use my phone for gps.
Its through WiFi, wich is a more accurate locator
I bought Surface 2 over L2520. I like the integration of the kickstand and the backlit keyboard. Also I don't need LTE because I have Internet Sharing on my phone. I already have an iPad and the new one is just thinner and lighter... same operating system so I'm not interested.
Also it has a A7 chipset that supports 64 bit
64Bits is useless with less than 4Gb Memory
Fucking hell that's cheap for the 2520 $500= £312
Look at all those dumb Nokia ppl Apple proved that tech specs mean nothing, its the software and how it's tightly integrated into the hardware that matters. Plus win 8 just sucks. And with everything moving to the cloud, USB and suff doesn't sell a single product.
Dude you are not fooling anyone. Even a child can see how incredibly usefull it is to have access to usb ports, to have real multitasking, to have full edition of office, kickstand, xbox music. Awesome keyboards covers, nokia music, etc. Go back to playing with your giant ipod...
Oo colors and office, and keyboards, stop switching tablets with ultrabooks
I tunes is 30% of the entire music business. I work is free and does everything a consumer will want. Plus I life. Kickstand is just as good as smart cover. Nokia music? Wow windsows apps have really set your expectations low! Plus get a real youtuube app. And the keyboards are 129.
You sure are one butthurt fanboy.
IPad air...
The GPS and LTE are what does it for me, this, and the Cube credit card reader and app will work very well for my business....does the 2520 come with office?
Now just need to see some revoews and performance numbers, be very interested to see camera and speed of os using quad core.
Yes, both the surface 2 and lumia 2520 come with office included in the price.
Love Nokia, but im sticking with the Surface 2.
iPad sucks!
Well, given the Store size of the iPad compared with the Surface RT...OBVIOUSLY the iPad would be the choice of people who want a tablet for entertainment purposes.
However, the Surface and the L2520 beat it in construction quality and productiveness. I would never buy an iPad over one of them. However...Microsoft simply has to step up the game regarding the RT store. The merging with WP can't come fast enough.
In what way is it constructed better? And how is it more productive? Ppl don't buy tablets to do three things at once. Plus it was a copy of the note did
Just the opposite, as the iPad's external storage options are limited.
The Windows 8 (Surface, Nokia) tablets have standard USB ports that allow for Flash sticks and virtually unlimited mass storage options. A Media 'consumer' could buy a 1Tb USB thumbstick and slap it into the Surface or Nokia tablets.
Other than not being 128GB, the 2520 wins.
It says SD expansion for the nokia but not the surface? Surface rt has it, doesnt surface 2 have it as well?
The ipad is 0.5 lbs less with smaller screen wow incredible, only apple can do it. I can't lift the surface because of that.
take out the kickstand, the USB port and make the screen size equal iPad, who wins? They can leave the same thickness and the surface still wins .
edit: I forgot the HD video port, micro SD port
lol 0.5lbs is too much for me to carry...stay at bed, walking take a lot of effort
One sheet of A4 paper + pen win. almost weightless
Still think Windows Rt is biger flop than Windows Vista. If they made Lumia 2520 whit real Windows 8 Pc features it would be best looking tablet out there. Windows Rt is dead operating system it doesnt even have great apps in it. There are alot better Tablet/laptops out there
I have the RT and it has a ton of great apps. It has access to the windows store which is the future. It runs on lighter hardware meaning cheaper tablets with better battery life. Then it also comes with full office! Great value for money. What tablet is better in your mind?
i haven read throught the comments but arent they missing the expansion slot on the surface 2
I have the original Surface RT it has been upgraded to 8.1. (no problem on the upgrade) I have never had any problem with the hardware. I do internet sharing with my 920 it works beautifully. I have a L2TP connection setup between my office and my RT which allow me access to the Company LYNC Server. I can participate in meetings, video Conferencing and IM in my office. It works Flawlessly. I even do VOIP call thru MY office phone system on my Surface. I dont need anotehr Data Plan Bill no way. I have a 500 GIG external Drive which have all my movies and music when I am on the road traveling I take it with me. I am not missing any thig it works Perfectly.
Apple is greedy overpricing company, I wont buy their products just to boast for nothing.
This picture is wrong you are missing MIMO for Wifi... Surface was the first tablet with this tech
While almost everything is about equal, the weight in the ipad wins, not to mention the apps. I don't see much compeitiion against it. Now if RT can do overlapping windows, advantage RT. Till then, RT loses.
Well, it's not. Even the kickstand alone makes the Surface 2 the better tablet, because you see, when lying on the couch, the Surface2 stands on his kickstand, weightless.
I did not know in advance how much I would like the 2-stand kickstand. I love it, I love it, I love it :)
(One the pleasant 'easter eggs' of the Surface 1 was the USB/Wireless XBox controller)
They need to create a comparison with the things that iPad doest have... They always use the iPad features as baseline
What does the 2520 have that the iPad doesn't, and something that will sell it? And don't say office or a keyboard.
Why not say full office or touch keyboard?
Office, Touch Cover, USB HOST (you can install devides using USB) , Integrated KickStand, full browser experience).
Also it is funny to see people bundle everything into connectors because ipad does have only lightning port.. The category should be something like Expandable Storage...
Looks surface uses the "connectors category" for charging or sync like apple does...
A micro usb port, a brighter and less reflective screen, nokia here maps, nokia music, diferent colours, better design, a cover that adds 2 usb port and 5 hours of battery... etc
Multiple accounts (Ipad lost on this point alone, what a cluster fuck those family homescreens are)
guest accounts
printers (supports everything)
external bluray/dvd burners and hdd
charges 50% of the battery in 30 minutes
full web browser (students can actually use their school's site)
Look, it's just idiotic to list everything. This is basically full Windows 8, except it doesn't have support for 3rd party desktop apps. The OS itself runs circles around the Ipad. And the price, holy fuck nuggets, the price.
Wow. I have 180 million people who would disagree. Win 8 is a desktop is, mac is 10 runs circles around Windows. It supports printers, if you use your tablet more then 10 hrs your obsessed. With evertbibg going to the cloud, USB didn't make a dif, and what would you use blu ray for! Apple was right, you guys mix up netbooks and tablets. Safari is a full browser, or just get puffin its free.
What are you even doing here, you're a blind little Kool-aid drinking isheeple?
Look the big corporations (Exxon, Chevron, etc...) of the world and try to find an OSX, even Apple uses Microsoft for the iCloud. You know why? because OSX is a toy we cant do hardcore work on it...
Photoshop is not a heavy duty work. this is what most of OSX users are proud.. When u deal with enginering MAC is useless..
I think you should stop using Internet because I'm sure there is a Microsoft product runing in the Internet provider.
Now you will say AutoCAD (Nobody does all enginering in AutoCAD).Take a look in the PLantDesign Tools (PDMS, SmartPlant 3D), Process tools (SmartPlant Instrumentation), Intrumentation and Electrical tools (SPEL and SPI)...
Even the medical software to detect cancer that was portedt to OSX was providing the wrong results to the doctors...
WAKEUP!!!!
All the music and media you use is powerd by osx. I never said I hate Microsoft, there somewhere, not hardware
This is not 100% a rule....
There is a lot of media companies using windows
If you go to any music, graphic design studios, and on sets of movies they will all have Macs. Windows has yet to create an intuitive software for video editors. And Macs last a lot longer
Photoshop, 3DMAX works the same way
Right, but then why do people still buy Macs? They are outgrowing PC, and there has to be a reason
Those people the work with Design and Media only cares about have a nice Design Shell Case..
Now look then Enginering Companies almost nobody uses MAC because they dont care about have a nice design. They care about peformace and funcionalities...
this is a good example how to compare without lie to the customers
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/compare#T1=microsoft-surfac...
• The Surface and Surface 2 are less expensive than the iPad 2 and iPad Air respectively, and yet offer more storage, both onboard and in the cloud.
• … come with full versions of Office 2013, including Outlook, not non-standard, non-cross-platform, imitation apps that can’t share docs with the rest of the world.
• … offer additional native productivity enhancing capabilities like kickstands, USB ports, SD card slots and multiple keyboard options.
• … include interfaces for opening multiple windows, either side by side or layered to fit the way most people actually work.
Source http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_blog/archive/2013/10/23/apples-and-...
Lol
How come I don't make my living as a tech blogger, but I can find at least three errors on this comparison page?
Tegra 4 vs snapdragon 800. Think the 800 is faster
Something like 5% faster IIRC, but it has LTE support built in.
To be honest, I didn't even know there's an iPad Air, that's how little attention I pay to Apple.
Does the 2520 have Qi?
2.5mm charging cable? I was hoping for industry standard micro USB. That's a negative to me for the surface :/
I'm not sure about the 2 but the orginal Surface RT charges to over 80% in an hour. That's a worthwhile tradeoff for me.
With built in LTE the 2520 is such a steal
I wish MS would have a unified store by now...
I've been loyal to iPhone & iPad for quite awhile (still rocking the 4S). I've never had a significant issue with either. I follow the technology pretty closely from all of the 3 major mobile OS companies. Today I went to my local Microsoft store to take a closer look at the Surface 2 & the 928 (I'm a Verizon guy). I walked away completely impressed. Impressed enough that I put a Surface 2 on hold while I mull it over. My iPad has served me well...but I really think that with Windows 8.1, Microsoft has hit one out of the park. The rest of the world, especially U.S. customers, better take notice - the Surface 2 tablets are real and they're pretty spectacular!
Possible new Windows Phone/Tablet convert.
They still have a little work to do, but when application companies re-write program for new tech outside of x86, Microsoft will be ready. The desktop will be gone in the next 1-1.5yrs. We will truly be a mobile society soon.....cant wait to work from h home regularly : )
Actually, the desktop is not going anywhere for the next 20 years. You're forgetting the millions os progs written for science/engineering, back ends for financial sector, government etc. They are not moving to 'apps' anytime soon as they cost millions to develop.
Plus, the desktop is still way more convenient for any real work.
Desktop will continue to be there, as a legacy thing, exactly as command line programs exist today.
Welcome to the family
Engadget's review on the Surface 2 showed it lasting 14 hrs on one charge, pretty impressive. Kickstand, port connections make the Surface 2 a better standalone choice. I'd go with a Surface 2, but I dont need a tablet :P.
Almost nobody "needs" a tablet. But they sure are convenient and useful. I barely touch my home PC anymore since buying my Surface RT.
Hmm, according to Nokia's site, the 2520 is 615 g, which equates to 1.35 lbs, why does this say 1.6 lbs?
The intangibles weigh an extra 0.25 lbs.
I guess typo above.It is 615 g.
Interesting are nits brightness ratings. AnandTech got 407 nits for iPad 4, 340 for Surface 2 and 470 nits for Surface Pro 2.
The Nokia should be lot brighter and also less reflective. Seems great for outdoors. I still wish though we'd see Atom Bay trail 2520 so it runs full windows 8.
nokia should have wifi only option that could throw it down to 350 bucks.
Cellular antennas are only like $5
I got my Surface 2 RT yesterday and I must say its an awesome purchase. Although, I didn't care so much for Metro on the Desktop, it really is awesome on a tablet. Its a joy to use. Plus it has full office, usb, a cover that doubles as a keyboard, etc It is so much fun to use unlike the iPad with its static rows and rows of icons. Aside from a new form factor, nothing has changed about the ipad since it first came out.
And even then, it was still just a giant iPod Touch.
But they do have some cool apps, especially the music ones, like the guitar amp ones. I hope there will be some of that for RT too.
True. App avilability is the biggest thorn in MS' side right now.
Very Good Lumia 2520, $499 for LTE = WIN
Unless you're on T-Mobile. :-/
We have to read about the iPad Air here too? I just can't escape the iCoverage...
What does it even matter? When it's all said and done, right or wrong really doesn't matter here. And the isheep have the loudest voices so they will again make it seem like their's is the better choice.
But the HUGE mistake people are making is that they are calling the ipad the gold standard... but what is that based on... sales, number of "apps"?
I've already run into several articles detailing how the Surface PRO can't compete with it's number of apps, while completely disregarding that it runs actual Windows programs. The benefits of the Surface are LOST on followers who allow themselves to be convinced they don't need what their favorite doesn't offer.
So with everything being measured against the ipad the point of putting out a powerful, productive tablet is lost and ignored by people who want to flaunt how they have access to more versions of Angry Birds.
Went with the Surface 2! Love this thing! The speed improvement over the prior version is stunning. And the high resolution screen is gorgeous.
Um wow! What a boring upgrade the iPad Air truly is! The clear winners here are Surface AND the Nokia tablet. I think I'll be investing in one of the two. Apple...I feel bad for you LOL
My only con for the 2520 is no built in USB. And honestly, I could probably live without it. However, really like the 2, and have a 1st Gen Rt. So tough! It'll take time for me to decide. I may skip this round...
What do you mean? The 2520 has micro usb 3.0 built in, next to the micro hdmi port.
Among specs it misses 'kickstand'. Once you have a build in stand, it's hard to do without. The new kickstand of the Surface2 makes it even a killer feature with the extra stand. It's a piece of genius now. On the lap, where ever. With and without a touchcover attached. Love it.
Seriously? A kick stand makes or breaks it for you?
I can't use the kickstand in my lap. I can't sit with my knees together, its too uncomfortable. Its great on a table though. I hope the surface phone, if one ever comes out, will have a kickstand, as I've found watching videos, or NFL mobile, and needing free hands to do other things makes it a bit of a pain.
You can get 15+ hrs on 2520 with cover.
Are you sure for the micro sim in the 2520 ? because the 1520 is with nano sim
On the Nokia website spec page, yes it says 2520 uses microsim, and 1520 uses nanosim. 1320 is microsim.
My question then is why nanosim for 1520 or is that a typo.
Wait, is that the same tiny little barrel charger on the Lumia 2520 that they've used on old devices in the past? I had a Nokia Maemo 'tablet' with one of those, and it was ridiculous how fragile that connector was (because of how small it is). I had four of them break in my bag. The only benefit was how cheap it was to get an authentic OEM one at the time.
Yes, it seems that Nokia use their traditionnal 2.5mm connector for the 2520. It's so strange to see that connector on a Lumia product !
Surface 2 had 128 and 256 models too, or is that only for the Pro?
I think it is just the pro.
They said 128 but I don't see it as a option yet. Maybe it will be released soon
Also, retina displays with an ugly GUI is just an ugly GUI in high resolution. Which is also unnecessary.
How much time to you spend looking at the GUI? I only look at the GUI long enough to open an app. I have an iPad 4 and I appreciate the resolution when gaming. I could care less about the looks and usability of iOS7...give me ultra high resolution Asphalt 8, Crazy Taxi, Real Boxing, Nova 3, Soul Calibur, Injustice, Man Of Steel, Back To The Future, Mirror's Edge and even fruit Ninja HD.
Yes, my iPad is only for gaming and I cannot wait for Asphalt 8 for Windows Phone and Windows 8 because even though the resolution is sky high on the iPad 4, id rather have it on my 1020 or via an xbox controller on my PC.
WP's ecosystem is growing nicely. Cant wait for a CBS app and Comcast Infinity app and a few more big name games so I can enjoy my 1020 even the more. I'll be adding a Nexus 5 to my arsenal by January so that I can teach an Android class and I'll be buying the 1020s successor whenever it comes out. I would like a W8.1 tablet with an AMD APU please....Santa....are you listening????
If you care about gaming, consider a device like the Surface Pro or even an lower end x86 based Windows 8 tablet. They will play far more games than the iPad, as even the lower end devices can play traditional titles like WoW, etc.
Also remember the Surface and Nokia are Windows 8 RT and can play Flash games that the iPad cannot.
As for the screen resolution difference, the Nokia for sure is going to have better viewability, and you won't miss the extra pixels due to the anti-aliasing techologies the Windows UI uses. With the iPad pushing the higher resolution games are often just resizing UI elements to the native resolution and upscaling the actual graphical content, so a lot of games are still rendering lower than the 1920x1080 you find on the other tablets.
Doesn't Surface 2 come in black as well?
No
thats surface pro and surface 1.
It's clear that with a cheaper price than the iPad and better specs than the surface2, the 2520 wins. ;)
Better specs ? Like no Kickstand / no backlit touch cover / no full size usb / cheaper materials / no hdmi out. It has gimmicks instead like a better camera on a tablet...
no kickstand can be a positive for some (like me), none of the options come with a touch cover out of the box, full size usb would indeed be better, you are basing your claim on cheaper materials on what?, it has micro-hdmi.
A camera on tablet is very situational, but not useless or gimicky. The screen certainly seems like the best of the bunch overall. In the end, I want to get my hands on the devices before any decision, which still might be to get no tablet at all (still haven't found much use for the loaner Android one I have lying on the couch).
I like my surface rt with 8.1 I don't see a real need to upgrade.
Me either. If I were a gamer I guess maybe I'd want something with a bit more power. But it's still a smooth and fluid overall experience.
Also, the resolution is nice, but isn't fully utilized the way it should be. Take for instance the Macbook Pro Retina, it isn't using the display as a high resolution display the way Windows does (giving you more space, smaller words/icons) it just makes everything loom a bit sharper. You have to go into the settings and make everything smaller to utilize the resolution, which as they say "may cause performance issues." The programs by default don't even shrink down to show more information (like Capture One doesn't show enough toolbars). It goes to show that retina resolution isn't necessarily utilized for practicality, to use more of your work environment, rather it is to look cooler. And the programs that don't support it yet (like Bridge and Dropbox) still run as lower resolution, making everything look high resolution-pixelly. It is confusing,and mostly unnecessary for the most part. All that wall if text could be simplified to "retina....meh."
Lumia 2520 crushes all other pads.
Yes
it's the most absorbent!
One Surface 2 to go please!
The fact that the 4G/LTE is there for $499 made my choice real easy, I didn't want to go with Apple and not be able to use it outdoors and pay more to get the 4G/LTE feature - this will be great
LTE, GPS, here maps, brightest screen... 2520 seems like a no brainer for outdoor users. Only knock is weight.
1.34 pounds / 615 grams is less than the surface (1.6 is wrong)
... am I the only one that thinks this is a tough call?
Direct USB has me leaning more toward Surface 2 though. Awesome devices all around, but none of them are definitive. It's all about trade offs.
iPad resolution is pimpilicious. With that said, that $499 is likely for the 16Gb version. Quite fail. Surface 2 and Nokia's tablet are superiour in all other aspects.
"pimpilicious" my new word of the week. :P
The iPad Air beats the other two hands down because it is thinner. Everyone knows that thinner is better. Why on earth would anybody want expandable storage and a 16:9 display? The pictures it takes are perfectly good enough for a normal person, and why would anyone want HDMI video out when you can magically Airbork to your Apple TV box? /s
People will still buy it in droves because everybodey else does.
To be fair, the thinness plus the 1 lb weight will almost certainly make for a significant handling advantage. My Surface feels like a brick compared to the iPad 4 despite identical thickness and weight. This is due to the landscape aspect, sharp edges, and thin bezels which make holding it in one hand not very pleasant. 1/3 less weight combined with a primarily portrait orientation are going to make the iPad Air a much nicer device to handle. Hopefully the Surface 3 goes on a diet.
The 'portrait' advantage of the iPad is an illusion. You actually get more content 'rendered' on the screen with a 16:9 ratio screen in portrait mode. Pick any website and display them on both devices, you see more of the web page on the Surface or Nokia tablets.
The older 4:3 aspect ratio of the iPad being 'better' is all marketing and a lack of understanding. It reminds me of the old days of movies, where people didn't realize 'letterbox' movies actually were showing 'more' of the original movie on the screen.
Huh? Who are you arguing with? It's not an "illusion". It's basic physics. A 4:3 tablet in portrait mode is much easier to handle than a 16:9 tablet in landscape mode. No claims about screen area were made.
iPad Air is thinner becuase it does not have USB port. Surface 2 is also thinner in a sense to that it can atleast accomodate USB port. I would love to have USB port so that I can attach other peripherals.
Ask iPad owners when they run out of storage and still want to install new apps, keep media etc... Its always good to have expandable storage.
Imagine using iPad for your presentation, first I need Office, and HDMI out for external monitor.
I will buy Windows becuause its a PC OS.
2520 does not have a full-size USB port either, only on the optional keyboard dock does. I don't disagree with the rest of what you are saying, I'm just saying that the iPad Air has a large advantage in size and weight. In a tablet that's important and I'd love to see the next Surface come in at under 1 lb because it would make for a much better experience.
How weak are you, where a 8oz makes all the difference to you?
I'm no bodybuilder, but I bench about 240. How about you? It makes a big difference, and anybody who has used one would know this.
Thinner and lighter profile also inherits a weaker structure, as seen from many cases on the iPhone5 being bent and cannot be repaired under warranty.
Agreed, lighter is usually better for handling a device. Not so sure the thickness makes a difference; I haven't seen any rush for the newest xperia tablet that is something like 6.7mm thick.
Was it ever explained why the surface RT and surface 2 don't have GPS? It's not a feature i'd ever use on a tablet, but it always seemed like one more negative against the product that detractors liked to point out.
It's coming early '14 with the LTE version. I'm pretty sure that's RT only too.
I know it's coming, I was just curious why it wasn't included on the wifi models :/
Got my phone for using as a hotspot, no need for LTE and having to pay for another device
Some providers require an extra fee to enable mobile hotspots and T-Mobile just announced free monthly 200 GBs for tablets.
With At&t if you have a family data plan the WI-FI hot spot is included otherwise it's $30-$50/month. My wife and I share a 10 GB data plan.
its 200 MBs for tablets.
Do you really think 200mb will work in a month?? Wait until people get hit with overages
There is no such thing as an overage on T-Mobile. When you reach the cap, you will have the opportunity to add additional "on-demand" data passes- at prices still lower than the big two carriers. It is every bit as good as it sounds.
Hoe does that work?
Just looked it up. 200 megabytes a month, NOT gigabytes.
I agree 100%. I use my 920 as a hot spot. I bought the 256GB Pro 2. The WI-FI only helps keep the price down. I'm loving it.
Same here... Phone is always available... No limitations on device. I did the cellular thing with my iPad 2... It was nice, but limited to that device. I can now share with any device and paying less.
Unlimited data and tethering here...woohoo!
The iPad doesn't seem to fair very well.
Your joking right?
*You're
Not at all. Of the three, it looks like the Nokia is a best choice, Surface a second choice and the iPad a third choice. The difference in OS alone dings the iPad a few points.
Outside of resolution what does the ipad have over either of these 2 devices other than being a lot more expensive?
What you're not digging on that 2007 iPod UI? It screams retro. Lol.
To be fair, it has iOS7 installed
Even more retro.
iPad has apps.
I know there's the whole we have plenty of apps and we don't need a bunch of apps hat are useless and stuff, but if 10% of each app store has quality apps, apple still has way more quality apps than we do. Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of apps and I'm not lacking anything on mine (albeit windows phone not rt) but it is an argument that will always be pointed at windows rt until it catches up. Regardless of whether or not it makes sense.
Also apple does amazing things with their screens. They have pretty much the best color calibration in the business, even the surface pro didn't beat the old iPad 4, iirc. Although it came close, like the nexus 7.
You're right, it does have more apps. But let me give you an example of why that doesn't prove that it is better. I wanted to track the shipment on my surface pro 2, and installed the package tracker app on my windows phone and original rt, and it was great. Then I get out my iPad and search for one, but all the ones are paid only, no free ones, and no paid apps, but with a free trial. I download a free one, and it wasn't even CLOSE to the one on windows. So yes, some IOS apps are better than the windows apps, but sometimes the windows apps annihilate the IOS apps.
i hope they make Windows Phone apps run on Windows 8 (even on RT) .. that would make a great boost to the app vatalogue and there will be more great options and more opportuniry for developers even of you are only developing for either WP or Windows. MS ftw :)
Totally your opinion. I personally think the iPad looks like the best choice, but that's just me I guess. WP for my phone but I prefer iPads over other tablets
Enjoy buggy IOS 7. It is so bad on my iPad 3.
And, Windows devices have USB hosting, with a desktop environment that enables makes file management a lot easier and better. I hate that this is always neglected. Even though RT isn't utilizing a "full" desktop, having USB hosting with a desktop environment is so important.
The desktop can be removed as far as I'm concerned from Windows RT.
Yeah, mostly. But once you want to grab some files, or organize your crap, it is pretty great to go back to something so familiar and robust.
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