Microsoft recently announced the newest
version of the Surface tablet, the Microsoft Surface 2. It is boasted to be
thinner, lighter, and faster than other tablets in the market. It has sharper
display than its previous version and has packed more processing power than the
reigning tablet king, the Apple iPad (4th generation). Currently, Apple iPad 4
has the full package, with its top performance, stellar screen, good camera,
speedy Wi-Fi, and the biggest app store in the world. But is this enough to
hold on to the title of the best tablet in the market? And did Microsoft do
enough to finally sway loyal Apple fanatics from trying out something new?
Let's have a closer look at the reigning champ
and its challenger.
Microsoft
Surface 2 vs Apple iPad 4
Tablet Comparison
Chart
|
 |
 |
Specifications
|
Microsoft Surface 2
|
Apple iPad 4
|
Tablet
Type
|
Slate
|
Slate
|
Display
|
Full
HD ClearType display
10.6-inch 16:9 (widescreen) 5-point Multi-Touch |
Retina
display
9.7-inch (diagonal) 4:3 aspect ratio (standard) LED-backlit Multi-Touch display with IPS technology Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating |
Resolution
|
1920 x 1080
|
2048 x 1536
|
Pixel
Density
|
208 ppi
|
264 ppi
|
Dimensions
|
Height: 10.8 inches (274.3 mm)
Width: 6.7 inches (170.2 mm) Depth: 0.35 inch (8.9 mm) |
Height: 9.50 inches (241.2 mm)
Width: 7.31 inches (185.7 mm) Depth: 0.37 inch (9.4 mm) |
Weight
|
Weight: 1.49 pounds (675.9 g)
|
Weight (Wi-Fi): 1.44 pounds (652 g)
Weight (Wi-Fi + Cellular): 1.46 pounds (662 g) |
CPU
|
1.7GHz
Quad-core Nvidia Tegra 4
|
Dual-core 1.3GHz A6X with quad-core
graphics
|
RAM
|
2GB
|
1GB
|
Storage
Capacity
|
32GB or 64GB with 200GB free SkyDrive cloud
storage
|
16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB
|
Storage
Type
|
SSD
|
SSD
|
Connectors
|
USB 3.0, HD video out port
|
Apple 9-pin dock Lightning connector
|
Operating
System
|
Microsoft Windows RT 8.1 (includes Office
2013 RT)
|
Apple iOS 7
|
Battery
Life
|
Up to 10 hours of video playback
|
10 hours of video playback, surfing the web
on Wi-Fi, or listening to music (11,666 mAh)
|
Front
Camera
|
3.5MP Front camera, 1080P HD video
|
1.2MP Front camera, 720P HD video (FaceTime
video calling over Wi-Fi or cellular, Face detection, Backside illumination)
|
Rear
Camera
|
5MP Rear camera, 1080P HD video
|
5MP Rear camera, 1080P HD video (Face
detection, Backside illumination, Five-element lens, Hybrid IR filter, ƒ/2.4
aperture)
|
Networking
|
Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0
|
Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n; 802.11n on 2.4GHz and
5GHz)
or Wi-Fi and 2G, 3G, 4G LTE; Bluetooth 4.0 |
Intelligent
Assistant
|
No
|
Yes (Siri)
|
Expandable
|
Yes (microSD card slot, supporting up to
64GB swappable storage)
|
No
|
Apps
|
Approx. 100k
|
Approx. 900k combined native iPad &
iPhone
|
Price
|
32GB: $449
64GB: $549 |
Wi-Fi:
16GB: $499 32GB: $599 64GB: $699 128GB: $799 Wi-Fi + Cellular: 16GB: $629 32GB: $729 64GB: $829 128GB: $929 |
Conclusion
The Microsoft Surface 2 is a worthy opponent
in the Apple-dominated tablet market, with its 1.7GHz Quad-core Nvidia Tegra 4
processor, considerably lower price, and improved display quality. However,
even after having a slightly larger screen and full 1080p HD display, it is
still inferior to iPad 4's Retina display. The same is true with the number of
apps available for both tablets. Though Microsoft boasts about having more than
100,000 apps in Microsoft Store, it still falls short from Apple's App Store,
which has a broader selection, with over 200,000 tablet-specific apps. But, if
you wish to expand the storage capacity of your tablet, iPad is not for you.
Microsoft Surface 2, however, offers a microSD slot that supports up to 64GB of
additional storage space. Overall, Surface 2 and iPad 4 are after different
audiences. Surface 2 is a better choice for people with productivity in mind,
since it can run word processors and spreadsheets with ease. iPad 4 on the
other hand, is a device built for entertainment. It thrives because of its
ecosystem, with its vast selection of apps that gives iPad 4 a bit more
versatility to allow it to do just about anything.
Sources:
www.apple.com
www.microsoft.com
http://mashable.com
www.techradar.com
http://au.ibtimes.com
www.pcmag.com
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