" There are certain things you can do with only an iPad, but overall, the surface can do a lot more than the iPad" - one of the best reviews! Thanks Ella.
@@hidingmyrealname it's too ironic people say samsung tabs are big phones when it's the ipad that feels like a jumbo iphone and samsung tabs like actual computers. Typical of apple isheep I guess.
Ya honestly because in the tablet market the iPad kills it while android tablet don't differentiate itself much from android phones. On iPad app store we have iPad apps and iPhone app opition were android doesn't have any pro level tablet exclusive app. Surface isn't a tablet it's a laptop tablet are mobile device in a larger canvas
@@metinhesenov yea, I loving squinting and straining my eyes multitasking 4 programs each in a 3x4 inch window while my surface turns into a hot plate and wrecks it’s own battery 😂😂😂 If I need to multitask I’ll do it on my full power desktop or just remote into it. The problem with the surface is that it’s both a mediocre laptop and a mediocre tablet.
I've used my Surface for 3 years in classes and it was great! I used OneNote for all my basic Notetaking and then had a full Microsoft Visual Studio installation as well as an SQL Server running on it to code and work with databases during classes. All the ones with iPads had to bring a laptop or use the schools computers which are so bad.... So yeah, if you need a tablet/laptop combo for class definitely go for a Surface Pro. You won't be disappointed!
@@Mc_Fly same for me and I’m an engineer. Plenty powerful enough unless you are making 4K videos. Even then it can still do this but takes longer. I guess the best long term value could be 16/256 gb and a OneDrive account. That’s plenty for most. I also think the 6 and possibly the 7 surface have micro SD slots, which is useful for transferring AV and creating back ups.
The best comparison of these 2 devices I’ve seen so far. Been looking since yesterday on youtube but no one covered every aspect of the devices better than this. Great work and thanks for helping me decide
In short, yes. Easier to replace the SSD, easier to play X-box live, and easier to use Excel advance features for finance/economic majors. Also, SP 9 feels like a slim laptop that can be a tablet too. Whereas the M2 Ipad Pro feels like only a tablet.
I used my surface pro 6 during my masters and it improved my studies significantly. I used it both to take handwritten notes in class and to write/run code in practical lessons and project work. It's particularly useful because it runs windows, and that means you are not limited by iOS or android. You can run all windows software without issue. So I went from having to lug around 1 laptop + 1 huge dossier + a book or two, to having one single, lightweight device. It honestly saved my back. So I highly recommend it for more STEM degrees. It's was also a long-term investment, because I continue to use it everyday for work and during my free time for drawing on the AutoDesk Sketchpad. It's really quite versatile. There are a few less positive points though: I've had my pro 6 for 6 years now and I've had to replace the pen tips multiple times (and they are so expensive), the keyboard once and the charging cable twice. The proprietary charging is trash it just keeps losing connection, so I hope they've improved that since. Occasionally the surface really lags out but I've noticed that has improved since I've upgraded to windows 11. With that said though, it's a 6 year-old device, so I hope new versions are significantly better built.
Currently a CS student and I am looking for a device which can act as a tablet but with laptop power and very portable without bringing my massive laptop around. A lot of videos on YT are suggesting either Apple Ipad or Samsung Tab S9 (because of Samsung Dex). I think you got me sold on Surface Pro 9. :) Thanks for the nice and realistic review :)
Why lock yourself into Apple's ecosystem? With the surface you get a full operating system that is far more flexible. iPads are just a style over substance choice.
I've just recently started watching her reviews and I've found that I could understand and tune into the video more than other creators, thank you for your reviews
Good video. For 8:49 in video, actually, you can change page size in OneNote like A4 B5 if you want and you can choose different paper background. Even you take notes in infinite page, Onenote will automatically resize page for exporting your notes as PDF
Thank you for this! I had already bought an iPad for taking notes in class, but I always feel I should bring my laptop also because of the many features you mentioned. The iPad is awesome for certain things, and though the software is limited by the OS you will rarely run into problems with apps or with your device. It's been kind of hard for me to adjust to the iPad ecosystem but using the logitech folio case makes the iPad an amazing lite laptop and great note taking with the apple pencil.
For taking notes I prefer the iPad (I don't use OneNote), but overall for school my older Surface Pro 7 was just better. All of my school's apps/programs as a Mechanical Engineering major are all made for Windows while very few of them are made for iPadOS. That couple with the ability to take notes as well made me get a Surface Pro 7 while I ended up using the iPad Pro more for a gaming/entertainment device that I could also take notes with.
As a lecturer I agree with you. I am often surprised to see so many students, mainly from the Far East, using very expensive iPad 12.9 and Magic Keyboards for my engineering classes. Too often students buy their kit before arriving and don’t follow our advice. A first year student asked me about kit to replace her ageing 5 yr old laptop. My recommendation was an Acer i7 14 in, 16/512 for excellent functionality, metal build and keyboard, then a Surface pro 8 for portability and finally an MacBook Air M1 (refurbed or via an educational retailer) with parallels for battery life and overall quality. I specifically advised her not to go down the iPad Air or Pro route as by the time all the peripherals were acquired it blew her budget of $850 and offered far less functionality than she needed for a 4 yr engineering programme.
@@andrewcrossley2448 does anyone really expect to do engineering work on an iPad?!! I mean I am also an engineering scholar, and my daily setup is a MacBook Pro M1 Pro and an M1 12.9" iPad Pro. The MacBook Pro covers nearly all my daily needs, the iPad Pro is a really useful accessory and awesome tool to have for notes and maths, but for heavy duty engineering work, not even the MacBook Pro can handle it and I offload it to a threadripper 24core, dual gpu pc. My iPad is one of my favourite devices and I suggest it to my students when they ask about it, as it has replaced all my books and I take with it all my notes and do my presentations from it. But it never crossed my mind that a student would want to use it as a main device in a mechanical engineering major. Tbh, if an engineering student was to have only one device, despite how much I don't like them I would suggest a windows laptop and some prayers that it's gonna last more than 2 years lol. Also I wouldn't suggest parallels in anything less powerful than a 32GB M1 Max machine. Even my M1 Pro I think would suffer if I had to allocate the admittedly limited 16GB of RAM to a VM. So yeah, of a single device an i7 laptop seems like a more logical option than a 3K MacBook Pro for a student.
@@rafaeldomenikos5978 all makes sense. Your kit is far more expensive than the vast majority of my students can afford here in the U.K. but iPads are great for consumption of ref books etc and allow us to mark up reading material as well as marking reports. For the latter I prefer my Surface Pro 8 and pen as it’s seamless with SharePoint online etc. It also has superb speakers, front camera and mics just like iPad Pros but the landscape format is far more natural for conference calls.
I tried to use the iPad Pro for classes that should ostensibly be fantastic for the iPad (chemistry, physics, and math), but failed every time. Google Docs is severely limited on the iPad and the lack of ability to use Chromium browsers makes it impossible to use the web version which provides support for citation managers, LaTEX, and other extensions, which is highly important when writing up lab reports. The same is true for MS Word. So even if an iPad technically has the same apps, at least in name, as a regular Mac or Windows computer, there’s no guarantee that they’ll be even remotely as good, especially for upper level high school or university students who demand more than a very basic word processor. Also my math class, which is online, required the use of a lock down browser, which cannot be installed on an iPad. I have a friend at school who only used an iPad and when everyone went remote he had to borrow his dad’s old Windows laptop just to take tests.
use overleaf for Latex... some how I was able to get by 3 years of college without the need of laptops, with things like overleaf and google colaboratory :D
@@00z53 I get errors when I tried to use it on the web version, including this browser is no longer supported followed often by site crashes. Google Docs is, unsurprisingly, written exclusively for Chromium browsers so WebKit gives tons of issues
You can attach the keyboard backwards to fold the keys behind the surface pro. Also, drawboard is a decent alternative to goodnotes for the surface if you use one drive for storage organization
Agree with all your main points, especially on app availability. Maybe not relevant to students but Lumafusion is an iPad video-editing app that many pros use. I have more issues with the poor file handling on the iPad. This, to me, is its major obstacle.
iPad just doesn't makes sense to pros because of it's limiting OS. Just buy Mac or Windows if you're a pro or want to edit videos, even the free davinci resolve is better than Lumafusion
My phone, tablet with pen and laptop are the perfect trio in my classes. Every single one of them has some potential that the other one simply can't reach.
I have both, I’ve had a lot of surface products in the past and a lot of apple too. I found the surface a lot more functional and flexible when it comes to functionality, BUT!! I’m gonna say it rn, the surface devices give in relatively fast. I don’t overuse or try to tamper into my devices etc- nah, they just crash. Surface prods sometimes overheat and develop those orange spot screen things, too. (If you touch the screen of surface devices,- especially the art-center end ones, you’ll notice the texture is a lil softer than your usual glass. I think it serves a purpose, but it’s also quite fragile) And sure you can have them fixed, BUT IF YOURE IN SOUTH EAST ASIA! Repairing the surface products are kinda quite obnoxiously expensive. When I moved to Australia, it was a lot more convenient. Overall, function wise, I’d say surface; Long term use- I’d go for the iPad.
Not only that, the surface hardware is inferior to Apple's. I have a surface pro 8, about 1.5 years old now, and there are dead pixels on the screen. My son's Ipad pro is a similar age and absolutely no issues. No issues with my 8 year old Macbook Pro too! Had a surface 3 a few years ago and that had WiFi and screen issues.
Very well presented. As a university engineering lecturer, I can only agree with your comments. I have both ecosystems. I use Apple ( iPhone pro 13, MBP13 M1 (from work), MBP 16, Mac mini M1, iPad 10.5, iPad gen 9 (from work) and Studio Display. The Mac mini is needed to drive the Studio Display and a Dell 4K 27 in monitor at the same time. All the Apple gear is because I create a lot of content, filming and audio recording so the interfaces and speed for editing and rendering are superb. However, for work stuff such as writing papers, white boards, OneNote etc the Surface 6 and more recently an 8 are brilliant. Your comments on the keyboard are interesting. On a desk you can use it in flat mode to aide stability and feel. It then emulates the Apple Magic Keyboard but with far more functionality. It’s also I think a bit lighter than the 12.9 iPad Pro and keyboard which some of my students use. So it’s a balance really. iPads are great for consumption and creation of films. Surfaces are better for technical working. For most students a MacBook Air or the cheapest MBP Pro are still great options, especially the M1 chip versions possibly from the Apple refurb store. Installing Parallels enables the user to have a hybrid system as most universities will give free copies of W10 or 11 Edu along with lots of other free software. Then buying a basic iPad Gen 9 and pencil gets you the best of all worlds. Using a proper monitor back in your digs is an excellent idea. Dell offers student discounts so you can get a good 24 in for just over $100. Then get a good keyboard and mouse. Here the Surface pro wins hands down. The Surface keyboard is excellent. The Logitech MX keys is superb and would be my recommendation as it can drive 3 devices and both windows and Apple. You only get one set of eyes so a large monitor helps, reduces eye strain and related headaches and definitely improves posture to protect you neck and back. Also get a good desk lamp for reading paper notes.
It depends on what you use it for. I'm an Engineering student, and I bought M1 Mac last year, during the trial time I found that many professional apps couldn't run on the M1 chip. I know this video is about tablets, but we can say that Apple's M series chips are still not ready for many professional apps. I installed Windows on my Mac using Parallel and got my professional apps installed on Windows. I tested the app speed (simulation time for example), compared it with an old intel chip computer, and found out that the simulation time on an old intel chip is much faster than apps on windows using Parallel. So I ended up returning the Mac. If your professional apps don't run on Apple's M series chip, don't waste your money and time. Get a windows laptop!
@@alecasimir9573 I'm not sure about that program. Many CADs are not supported on M series chip. But if it supports it will be great since M series chips are very efficient and fast.
I'm lucky at the moment to carry both a tablet and laptop to school. On most occasions, I carry just my iPad, using the pencil and goodnotes 5 for biology notes. Then for heavier notes such as geography which requires a lot of writing, I type attaching the magic keyboard and use word. For most cases, the system works well but other times, when I need to do a lot of multi-tasking or look at multiple documents at once, I find my iPad Air running out of ram and not able to keep the tabs that I need open. Also, the screen size is a little small for functional use. Therefore for days when I know I am going to need a powerhouse, I use my HP Spectre X360. I'm really glad goodnotes is coming to windows as hopefully, this might enable me to only take a laptop into school and fold it into a tablet when needed with the pen. Edit: I do really like the iPad for most things though, it always connects to my hotspot (iPhone) consistently and quickly while sometimes my laptop struggles. The IOS continuity helps when copying and pasting images and text from my iPhone to my iPad. Even using apps like iMessage and Facetime are super convenient on an iPad without having to use my phone. Battery life is slightly better but the device is more efficient not ever getting very hot. But one of the biggest features for me, the iPad doesn't use as much data as my laptop does on my hotspot. Even with both devices set to metered connections, the iPad uses considerably less amount of data in comparison which makes a massive difference when I only get 40GB a month.
I really wish Stage Manager did multi-window more similar to macOS as having to manually resize the apps is such a pain. Definitely better to go for the Surface if it’s going to be your only laptop, but if it’s a secondary device the iPad Pro is really great. I’ve got a MacBook Air M1 and M1 iPad Pro 11” and just love the combo.
I used the Surface Book 1 when I was in college, and everyone else either had iPads, Macbooks, or traditional pen and paper. I swear people looked at me when I would casually detach the screen and start using it like a tablet. One classmate in a coding lab even mistook it for a Macbook and did a double-take when I asked for assistance. If you don't care or don't need Apple stuff, I think the Surface lineup is actually a pretty good 2-in-1 package. You can also probably save a little more money as well. (I bought a refurbished one for $600).
I have a surface book, and despite its attraction, I find it very difficult to take hand written notes for math especially, the computer I’ve had for around 1.5yr and have run into several processor problems, I have the original Microsoft pen, but have found it a huge disappointment, as every-time I start to write notes, the line lags behind, do you believe that the IPad is a more sustainable note taking device and is worth the price to have alongside a laptop?
This was literally the case for me last week. Everyone else had ipads and macbooks. When I detached my keyboard to attach it backward so I can use it in tablet mode comfortably, people looked at it.
Totally agree with your conclusion for the use case presented. While I prefer my MacBook/iPad combo now, if I could only have one device then the surface pro works well. I used a surface pro for a few years and only stopped using it because as my usage increased due to work from home, the size of the screen became to much of a hinderance - my home setup doesn't have room for a full-size desktop monitor. A MacBook as the main driver with the iPad for light portable duties (noting the MacBook is also pretty portable) suits me now.
I think that the key here is what you already own and which gaps you need to fill. If you don't have a computer at all, Surface is the way to go as it can do pretty much everything. If you already own other Apple devices and especially if you already have a MacBook, getting a surface is super inconvenient.
Same here. i used the surface laptop for 3 years and the battery was just pretty bad and declined in performance. While i still think i prefer windows overall, the ipad/mac combo is pretty amazing
Great video and breakdown of the pros and cons of the features of the 2 devices! You just helped me decide my mind! I will pick up the surface pro 9 i5 model. All I need from my “big screen” tablet: - reading articles, comics, novels - take notes - Netflix and UA-cam - browsing with extensions! - programming and software development ( occasionally ) - a more complete full fledged computer experience
This is really informative. I love this. It's interesting to see why some would prefer the Surface and others iPad. For me I use a Samsung tablet and have a laptop. I am looking at getting a new larger tablet or laptop. So this definitely does help. Brilliant video Ella.
Try a brilliant and cheap Asus 15.6 HD IPS screen. They start at about $200, don’t necessarily need power - mine takes it from a USB socket on my simple Acer Swift 1 14 inch laptop. I often travel and find this cheap combo brilliant for accessing my university corporate system and Office 365 online. The Swift uses Wi-Fi 6. I lent it to a colleague for a week when her new $1000 ‘business’ Dell burnt out its motherboard in 6 weeks. She said the Acer had a better screen, better keyboard and was much faster for working on line. I got mine for $250 in a sale. I was off on a two week work and road trip where the gear was in the semi open visible trunk of an SUV. It worked great and didn’t stress me out. If I’d have taken my MBP 13 16/512 I’d be concerned. That is worth 5 or 6 times as much. How many of us really need super tech on a daily basis? I often film on an iPhone 13 Pro but edit and render on my Apple refurbished macmini 16/256gb which is superb for that.
There is one thing that you didn't really mention that I think can add a lot of clarity. Inform at the beginning that you have an SQ3 version and explain what that is. I love my Surface Pro 9 and know what SQ3 is but honestly not many people do. Other than that, Love the Vid!
As an architecture student the classes are a whitewash of iPads in the first half of the year when sketching ideas is priority and a whitewash of gaming laptops in the second half of the year when final drawings are required. There’s virtually no surfaces as there’s no windows procreate and the surfaces overheat to oblivion when given a final render. I guess it entirely depends on your course.
Good review and a new subscriber here all the way from Japan. I have both devices but I always lean towards the surface when it comes to getting work done. iPad for more for leisure for me
Yeah, if you could only use one device a desktop operating system is always superior. I personally use an iPad when I’m on the move. As a graphic design major it’s great for sketching and taking notes, but adobe apps are lackluster on the iPad and the Affinity apps just aren’t industry standard despite being very close to their desktop counterparts. So I mostly do first drafts on my iPad for its mobile convenience then switch to my desktop for finishing touches (and anything multitasking related).
Can you make some of the examples of the sense of taking notes on textbooks and stuff? because it's really important not just for taking notes only, but to annotate textbooks as well
There id also one thing to add about surface pro features, is that when you fold back the keyboard, win 11 switches automatically to tablet mode, or you can use the semi flipped keyboad as a stand especially when put on a non flat area (stomach/sheets...)
Thank you for stating the conclusion at the beginning. I'll "like" your next 2 videos no matter what just because of that LOL! Of course I watched till the end because your content has always been insightful :)
I usually don't comment but thank you so much for your review! I've never seen such a perfect product comparison video that's able to be understood by both tech savvy individuals and people that aren't as knowledgeable. A prime example for other tech reviewers to follow for sure
Hello please respond. But I’m looking at the samsung s9+ or the surface book pro 9. I’m really rooting for the Samsung bc it has water resistance. And that’s it. But I recently learned about the surface pro 9? Would you consider this over a galaxy tablet?
I just want to add something that I think is quite important: the SQ3 version of the surface pro 9, because it's an ARM based SoC, cannot run quite a few apps, even when the device is running windows, because most of the apps, on windows, are made for x86 procesors.
i wish microsoft still made smaller version of their surface because it's more convenient. i used a surface in college but cant use it in postgrad since portability is kinda meh
I guess one ipad alternative for those in IT is to remote into your home computer or use web computer. Although taking a laptop would be easier for those not as advanced in those areas.
exactly the same problems i had with samusng android tablet! thanks for talking about these comp science students issues :) I currently plan to switch to surface completely
yeah, same, despite the fact that you can run compatibility layers on android, some stuff just doesnt work, will go for a dell 7320 though as its cheaper and more repairable.
This was such a well balanced review. I wanted a surface while in college but I needed power for video editing so I got a beefy MacBook. It then died but I had a giant gaming pc at my house so I got a Chromebook for like $200 with an employee discount and took notes on that. I wish they’d just add chrome extensions to iPad OS.
you know what.. you are the first UA-camr that does a very unbiased review. I feel like other UA-camrs are somehow trying to cater to apple in their reviews. when it comes down to it I am more interested in capability than looks....
1. Samsung S8 Ultra 2. The Surface Pro 3. iPad It's rough to be honest to see a lot of my peers struggling in school simply due to the fact that they chose the Apple ecosystem
my old Macbook Air died on me and I have been trying to decide on a replacement since I start grad school next month. This review was so helpful! thank you!
Hands down the best lady reviewer out there and probably the best reviewer in any case as well. It feels soothing to watch your content- wish that you upload more videos lol. Thanks a ton for your effort- Keep up the good work😀😀.
I once heard someone say that an Ipad is only good if the major you are studying is one of those that is essentially a hobby for the ones studying a real major, lol
I have an Ipad Pro but would like to upgrade to a Surface since the former is severely limited for my use as a Computer Science student. Is there a way to take notes that goes hand in hand with recorded voice, as in Notability or Goodnotes for that matter? 😅
So currently I'm using the surface pro 7, I love that it's a 2in1 and makes it really convenient for school, especially switching between pen and typing. However, I feel like I'm in a dilemma because I'm now about to be on my 3rd replacement in ~2 yrs from buying my first, because of the surface 7 issues (flickering of screen, camera usage causing crashes, random blue screen crashes, poor battery life, pen glitching during writing, and overheating). I'm thinking about the 9, but I would have to buy the keyboard (since the keyboard from the 7 can't be used) and a new pen, but I'm worried about the surface 9s long term performance, what issues that will likely develop, and wasting money. Or just getting an iPad, but missing out on desktop features and being limited with apps 😩.
I’m surprised you have all these issues. Mostly things relate to pressure of the screen itself during handling and transportation. For blue screen crashes did you try a system reinstall in safe mode as blue screen is nearly always a software issue or very occasional the motherboard. If you do change take out the Microsoft insurance too. It’s a bit more than Apple care but should give you peace of mind. The 8 and 9 are different machines. Yes you need a new keyboard but you could stick your old one on eBay. I think you old pen should work on the 8 and 9. It is a good pen - far better to write notes with than the gen 1 Apple Pencil which is too heavy. Gen 2 is lighter but very expensive.
@@andrewcrossley2448 I have the geek squad total tech package where they do the fixes, they've tried to completely restart the computer back to factory setting, it was fine for a while (on the first one) but then it would start crashing again so they replaced it with the second one. The second one didn't have as many crashes, but it would overheat, the screen would flicker, and it would freeze. I only do school work and watch Netflix or some other entertainment apps and it's an i5 with 8 RAM. During transportation, I keep it in the laptop compartment of my bag, which I might have a notebook, but nothing heavy. They said that it's a common problem they see for Microsoft surfaces.
on the keyboard, if you don't mind using a mouse, you can buy a Logitech keyboard for way cheaper. but those quality issues do concern me, but I haven't had those problems. some of those issues don't require replacing (you'd probably encounter some of this with an iPad too), but definitely hold your warranty accountable if you have it
I had the same issue with my surface pro 7 after a while the pen stops working and I have restart the drivers to make work again. Try fix it several times but the only option is that intel and Microsoft release an update for the driver. Which was very annoying because note taking was one of the reasons for choosing a surface instead of a regular laptop. Now I have a desktop computer and I hardly use my surface pro, either because my desktop is far superior or because the tablet move for note taking had all these issues. Don’t get me wrong at first work great but after a few updates the Surface pro became garbage.
@@encaladem thanks. If I recall, the i5 7 is fanless like the 6. So it will rely on some form of glue/thermal paste to transfer heat from the circuit boards. This is an issue over time as direct contact reduces. My 2019 6 is still going strong and my daughter now has it. I got an 8 i5 at Xmas. The screen is higher quality (pro motion 120hz) and the unit definitely has fans but very quiet ones. That will help cooling. It’s also critical not to cover the vents on the side of the unit if you use a case. Check the vents are clear. I got a great one by Spigen that doesn’t need to use the back stand so it’s more durable for daily use. On the Apple alternatives. They are mostly well made, especially the gen 9 basic one. Don’t buy an iPad mini gen 6. Jelly scrolling, dark marks on screen from hot circuit boards, easy to damage from thumb gripping etc. I bought one online but did not open it until I went into the Apple Store. Several on display had the above faults. So I got a refund to be safe. The Air is probably the best quality for the money with stereo speakers and a laminated screen. However, no IPad is as versatile/work orientated as a Surface 8 or 9. Surface has better camera, better speakers, bigger screen and runs full business software. Even a £1.5k iPad Pro 12 in doesn’t do that.
Having the ability to run full fledge programs on the Surface pro 8/9 is amazing. The Surface pro will go a long way in college/workplace compared to an ipad tablet. I'm a software engineer and went through my years of college with the surface pro 8. With heavy workload I have a custom desktop at home. The surface pro 9 is even more powerful and is great for college!
Nothing wrong with a fan. Also, the iPad last a long time but you’ll probably be done with it before the battery runs out…because you can’t really do much on it. Lol.
4 years ago I wanted to make 2 devices into one. I sold my iPad and my HP Spectre Laptop. Instead, I got myself a Surface Pro 6. Since then, this baby has been running every day. And it's gotten a lot better since Windows 11. Tablet mode is now much better. Since I also use Audio DAW's (Ableton Live), iOS is no longer an option. I need a full operating system. The Surface Pro has been the right choice for me!
Nobody is talking about it, but the charger you need for surface is bigger, similar to the MacBook, it needs 65w. Where as iPad Pro can be charged with your iPhone charger (change the cable to usb c). Small, handy and cheap. All in all, of course, surface is a better device for all office work. For ex, try to compare folder and file contents of two folders, good luck w that on an iPad and count how many clicks and switches you need for this simple task
iPad is much faster for doing what though? It’s like adding more and more horse power to a car without tuning handling and there are still speed limits. There is so much left on the table because of this. If you consider the surface pro intel version, it really does give a perfect balance for everything you would use it for. Going with the i5 version
I just got a surface pro 9 and have been having serious issues with heat throttling when using OneNote, i already exchanged it once and am still experiencing problems. I have spoken to countless Microsoft advocates that have logged on remotely and they can't figure it out
Totally agree with Ella. I'm a current owner of the Intel i7 16GB 256GB model Surface Pro 9 (Graphite since Sapphire was out of stock for early Black Friday deals). Now while I'm quite older then the students being targeted (40)... I had a reason to purchase a SP9 despite also owning a $6,000+ self-built, water-cooled, 3080Ti, super-ultra-wide, RGB-overload, desktop monster. I was actually on the fence between the SP9 and the Asus ROG Flow z13. I had tried Apple products in the past and even owned an iPhone 3GS many years ago. Just as Ella explains in her video, power-users with feel caged-in and limited with what Apple has to offer (I had to jailbreak that 3GS obviously and still wasn't happy). My personal opinion (again... opinion) is that casual users who like clean, thin and light-weight aesthetics usually gravitate toward Apple products. The other type that favor Apple products are those that want/need just 1, or 2 specific apps that Apple has available for their creative needs. 1 key factor played a part in MY decision between the z13 and the SP9 however, which was the drawing experience. If you are a student that is not an ART student, but who also likes playing some AAA games, or video editing, but want tablet form, I would definitely recommend the z13. It pains me that the drawing experience kept me from buying the z13, which is by far a superior machine in every other way (except weight). Getting back to the SP9, the drawing experience has been great. When compared with the z13, you'll notice in other video reviews that your pen strokes on the z13 usually don't start off too well, getting ignored for the beginning part of your strikes. I am currently using both Adobe Fresco and Photoshop. Now I will say this.... if you have the money and plan to get one, one regret I have is not going with the model that comes with 32GB of memory (yes, the most expensive one). With AVG anti-virus and the usual included bloatware, I find that at idle I'm already hovering around 43-45% memory usage. It is not happy running both Photoshop and Fresco at the same time. I often have to switch back and forth to use their different functions in my art. I also mentioned that I went with the 256GB of storage for my SP9. This was to save money as the storage can be upgraded in this model and end up being far cheaper then buying a model with pre-installed, greater storage. A WD SN740 2TB nVME PCIe 2230 M.2 drive can be had for under $300 on eBaY if you don't mind the wait (China, unless you want to buy from a higher-priced, local listing). Surprisingly enough though it's pretty capable at playing 2 of my 3 top PC games. When not drawing, I usually play Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker, League of Legends, or Genshin Impact. There's no way on God's green Earth that I would even attempt to run a CPU AND GPU intensive MMO such as FFXIV on this thing, as I don't want to kill my new investment. It can however play Genshin on Low-Medium settings and pretty much has no issues getting great framerates in LoL as long as you're not trying to max out the graphic settings and are OK with Medium-High settings. I did purchase the Microsoft Slim Pen 2 and Type-Cover, but that Type-Cover won't cut-it for gaming obviously. If you hate restrictions, multi-task a lot and/or consider yourself a power-user, go with the Asus ROG Flow z13. If you hate restrictions, multi-task a lot and/or consider yourself a power-user and gaming, or video editing is a high priority just get a gaming laptop with an RTX 3070 GPU, or better. - If it can't be a laptop and HAS TO be a tablet, then you're back looking at the Asus ROG Flow z13 again. If you hate restrictions, multi-task a lot and/or consider yourself a power-user and need a device to draw on, go with the Surface Pro 9. If you hate restrictions, multi-task a lot and/or consider yourself a power-user, care about the device's weight and aren't into gaming or video editing, go with the Surface Pro 9. If you can't see yourself agreeing with either Ella, or myself... well then you're most likely a die-hard Apple fan. The cure is coming right after we cure Covid and Cancer I swear!
I'm using a surface pro 8 for over a year now abd I use it in school for notes, at home as a laptop and as a tablet for watching youtube. If I had bought an ipad, i'd still need to buy a laptop.
![iPad Pro M2 vs Surface Pro 9 - Don’t Make a MISTAKE! [2023]](/img/n.gif)
" There are certain things you can do with only an iPad, but overall, the surface can do a lot more than the iPad" - one of the best reviews! Thanks Ella.
Being limited by ipadOS has always been the thing that kept me from buying an ipad pro
using my ipad feels like using a big screen iphone. too limited to do any real work.
thx for sharing :)
@@hidingmyrealname it's too ironic people say samsung tabs are big phones when it's the ipad that feels like a jumbo iphone and samsung tabs like actual computers. Typical of apple isheep I guess.
@@swagger6166 averaged apple lover says thaat
Ya honestly because in the tablet market the iPad kills it while android tablet don't differentiate itself much from android phones. On iPad app store we have iPad apps and iPhone app opition were android doesn't have any pro level tablet exclusive app. Surface isn't a tablet it's a laptop tablet are mobile device in a larger canvas
They can make the ipad m2 faster and faster, but the limitations on software support make it an overpowered niche machine
I feel like the chips are already super fast, so it’s hard to imagine it getting much faster. Wonder what comes next 😂
@@zoneout0 said eveyone 50 years ago
iPad is a Tablet. It doesn't need a keyboard. Software is subject to developers.
@@UJB123 nobody said anything about keyboard. a tablet without proper multitasking is just a poor device.
@@metinhesenov yea, I loving squinting and straining my eyes multitasking 4 programs each in a 3x4 inch window while my surface turns into a hot plate and wrecks it’s own battery 😂😂😂
If I need to multitask I’ll do it on my full power desktop or just remote into it. The problem with the surface is that it’s both a mediocre laptop and a mediocre tablet.
I've used my Surface for 3 years in classes and it was great! I used OneNote for all my basic Notetaking and then had a full Microsoft Visual Studio installation as well as an SQL Server running on it to code and work with databases during classes. All the ones with iPads had to bring a laptop or use the schools computers which are so bad....
So yeah, if you need a tablet/laptop combo for class definitely go for a Surface Pro. You won't be disappointed!
What processor your surface has ? Like i7 or i5 ?
@@AbstractViewsdesi I’ve had the i5 with 8GB of Ram. Was plenty for what I was doing.
@@Mc_Fly same for me and I’m an engineer. Plenty powerful enough unless you are making 4K videos. Even then it can still do this but takes longer. I guess the best long term value could be 16/256 gb and a OneDrive account. That’s plenty for most. I also think the 6 and possibly the 7 surface have micro SD slots, which is useful for transferring AV and creating back ups.
You can even run VMs on it which is insane. Especially if you are IT student where you work with VMs a l ot
Onenote? So oldschool
The best comparison of these 2 devices I’ve seen so far. Been looking since yesterday on youtube but no one covered every aspect of the devices better than this. Great work and thanks for helping me decide
In short, yes. Easier to replace the SSD, easier to play X-box live, and easier to use Excel advance features for finance/economic majors. Also, SP 9 feels like a slim laptop that can be a tablet too. Whereas the M2 Ipad Pro feels like only a tablet.
Isn't the SSD Soldered onto the Motherboard? not replacable
@@maxderdax6117 not anymore. the newer surfaces have replacable ssds. or you do a dell and have everything replacable.
I used my surface pro 6 during my masters and it improved my studies significantly. I used it both to take handwritten notes in class and to write/run code in practical lessons and project work. It's particularly useful because it runs windows, and that means you are not limited by iOS or android. You can run all windows software without issue. So I went from having to lug around 1 laptop + 1 huge dossier + a book or two, to having one single, lightweight device. It honestly saved my back. So I highly recommend it for more STEM degrees.
It's was also a long-term investment, because I continue to use it everyday for work and during my free time for drawing on the AutoDesk Sketchpad. It's really quite versatile.
There are a few less positive points though: I've had my pro 6 for 6 years now and I've had to replace the pen tips multiple times (and they are so expensive), the keyboard once and the charging cable twice. The proprietary charging is trash it just keeps losing connection, so I hope they've improved that since. Occasionally the surface really lags out but I've noticed that has improved since I've upgraded to windows 11. With that said though, it's a 6 year-old device, so I hope new versions are significantly better built.
Currently a CS student and I am looking for a device which can act as a tablet but with laptop power and very portable without bringing my massive laptop around. A lot of videos on YT are suggesting either Apple Ipad or Samsung Tab S9 (because of Samsung Dex). I think you got me sold on Surface Pro 9. :)
Thanks for the nice and realistic review :)
Don’t forget about the Rog flow z13, also new z13 might feature H210 chips bringing energy efficiency to a new level
The surface pro 9 is the only tablet you can use for computer engineering
Why lock yourself into Apple's ecosystem? With the surface you get a full operating system that is far more flexible. iPads are just a style over substance choice.
I've just recently started watching her reviews and I've found that I could understand and tune into the video more than other creators, thank you for your reviews
Good video. For 8:49 in video, actually, you can change page size in OneNote like A4 B5 if you want and you can choose different paper background. Even you take notes in infinite page, Onenote will automatically resize page for exporting your notes as PDF
This feature without left alignment would be huge but than changing paper sizes is a challenge
Thank you for this! I had already bought an iPad for taking notes in class, but I always feel I should bring my laptop also because of the many features you mentioned. The iPad is awesome for certain things, and though the software is limited by the OS you will rarely run into problems with apps or with your device. It's been kind of hard for me to adjust to the iPad ecosystem but using the logitech folio case makes the iPad an amazing lite laptop and great note taking with the apple pencil.
What is your major, if you don't mind my asking?
For taking notes I prefer the iPad (I don't use OneNote), but overall for school my older Surface Pro 7 was just better. All of my school's apps/programs as a Mechanical Engineering major are all made for Windows while very few of them are made for iPadOS. That couple with the ability to take notes as well made me get a Surface Pro 7 while I ended up using the iPad Pro more for a gaming/entertainment device that I could also take notes with.
As a lecturer I agree with you. I am often surprised to see so many students, mainly from the Far East, using very expensive iPad 12.9 and Magic Keyboards for my engineering classes. Too often students buy their kit before arriving and don’t follow our advice. A first year student asked me about kit to replace her ageing 5 yr old laptop. My recommendation was an Acer i7 14 in, 16/512 for excellent functionality, metal build and keyboard, then a Surface pro 8 for portability and finally an MacBook Air M1 (refurbed or via an educational retailer) with parallels for battery life and overall quality. I specifically advised her not to go down the iPad Air or Pro route as by the time all the peripherals were acquired it blew her budget of $850 and offered far less functionality than she needed for a 4 yr engineering programme.
@@andrewcrossley2448 does anyone really expect to do engineering work on an iPad?!! I mean I am also an engineering scholar, and my daily setup is a MacBook Pro M1 Pro and an M1 12.9" iPad Pro. The MacBook Pro covers nearly all my daily needs, the iPad Pro is a really useful accessory and awesome tool to have for notes and maths, but for heavy duty engineering work, not even the MacBook Pro can handle it and I offload it to a threadripper 24core, dual gpu pc. My iPad is one of my favourite devices and I suggest it to my students when they ask about it, as it has replaced all my books and I take with it all my notes and do my presentations from it. But it never crossed my mind that a student would want to use it as a main device in a mechanical engineering major. Tbh, if an engineering student was to have only one device, despite how much I don't like them I would suggest a windows laptop and some prayers that it's gonna last more than 2 years lol.
Also I wouldn't suggest parallels in anything less powerful than a 32GB M1 Max machine. Even my M1 Pro I think would suffer if I had to allocate the admittedly limited 16GB of RAM to a VM. So yeah, of a single device an i7 laptop seems like a more logical option than a 3K MacBook Pro for a student.
@@rafaeldomenikos5978 all makes sense. Your kit is far more expensive than the vast majority of my students can afford here in the U.K. but iPads are great for consumption of ref books etc and allow us to mark up reading material as well as marking reports. For the latter I prefer my Surface Pro 8 and pen as it’s seamless with SharePoint online etc. It also has superb speakers, front camera and mics just like iPad Pros but the landscape format is far more natural for conference calls.
i love how you type on the surface, it is why i am convinced! 0:25
I tried to use the iPad Pro for classes that should ostensibly be fantastic for the iPad (chemistry, physics, and math), but failed every time. Google Docs is severely limited on the iPad and the lack of ability to use Chromium browsers makes it impossible to use the web version which provides support for citation managers, LaTEX, and other extensions, which is highly important when writing up lab reports. The same is true for MS Word. So even if an iPad technically has the same apps, at least in name, as a regular Mac or Windows computer, there’s no guarantee that they’ll be even remotely as good, especially for upper level high school or university students who demand more than a very basic word processor.
Also my math class, which is online, required the use of a lock down browser, which cannot be installed on an iPad. I have a friend at school who only used an iPad and when everyone went remote he had to borrow his dad’s old Windows laptop just to take tests.
use overleaf for Latex... some how I was able to get by 3 years of college without the need of laptops, with things like overleaf and google colaboratory :D
google docs on safari works
@@00z53 I get errors when I tried to use it on the web version, including this browser is no longer supported followed often by site crashes. Google Docs is, unsurprisingly, written exclusively for Chromium browsers so WebKit gives tons of issues
Use the web version ...
@@UJB123 thanks to iPad OS only allowing Safari based browsers, Google Workspace suite of products crashes all the time on the web version.
You can attach the keyboard backwards to fold the keys behind the surface pro. Also, drawboard is a decent alternative to goodnotes for the surface if you use one drive for storage organization
Agree with all your main points, especially on app availability.
Maybe not relevant to students but Lumafusion is an iPad video-editing app that many pros use. I have more issues with the poor file handling on the iPad. This, to me, is its major obstacle.
thx for sharing :)
@@CreatedbyEllaYT i love your clip. if a goodnote full version will release on 2023, a surface will can be repalcement ipad pro.
iPad just doesn't makes sense to pros because of it's limiting OS. Just buy Mac or Windows if you're a pro or want to edit videos, even the free davinci resolve is better than Lumafusion
Yes it is. In fact, I would go as far as claiming that the surface pro 9 is the ONLY useful tablet for students.
awesome review. very complete and just what i was looking for thank you! (the 8X slowmo was very useful)
My phone, tablet with pen and laptop are the perfect trio in my classes. Every single one of them has some potential that the other one simply can't reach.
Great review! Finally someone who is not geeking out but gives out plain data! Thanks
I have both, I’ve had a lot of surface products in the past and a lot of apple too. I found the surface a lot more functional and flexible when it comes to functionality, BUT!! I’m gonna say it rn, the surface devices give in relatively fast. I don’t overuse or try to tamper into my devices etc- nah, they just crash. Surface prods sometimes overheat and develop those orange spot screen things, too. (If you touch the screen of surface devices,- especially the art-center end ones, you’ll notice the texture is a lil softer than your usual glass. I think it serves a purpose, but it’s also quite fragile) And sure you can have them fixed, BUT IF YOURE IN SOUTH EAST ASIA! Repairing the surface products are kinda quite obnoxiously expensive. When I moved to Australia, it was a lot more convenient. Overall, function wise, I’d say surface; Long term use- I’d go for the iPad.
Not only that, the surface hardware is inferior to Apple's. I have a surface pro 8, about 1.5 years old now, and there are dead pixels on the screen. My son's Ipad pro is a similar age and absolutely no issues. No issues with my 8 year old Macbook Pro too! Had a surface 3 a few years ago and that had WiFi and screen issues.
Thanks for sharing. That's actually a helpful information.
Very well presented. As a university engineering lecturer, I can only agree with your comments. I have both ecosystems. I use Apple ( iPhone pro 13, MBP13 M1 (from work), MBP 16, Mac mini M1, iPad 10.5, iPad gen 9 (from work) and Studio Display. The Mac mini is needed to drive the Studio Display and a Dell 4K 27 in monitor at the same time. All the Apple gear is because I create a lot of content, filming and audio recording so the interfaces and speed for editing and rendering are superb.
However, for work stuff such as writing papers, white boards, OneNote etc the Surface 6 and more recently an 8 are brilliant. Your comments on the keyboard are interesting. On a desk you can use it in flat mode to aide stability and feel. It then emulates the Apple Magic Keyboard but with far more functionality. It’s also I think a bit lighter than the 12.9 iPad Pro and keyboard which some of my students use.
So it’s a balance really. iPads are great for consumption and creation of films. Surfaces are better for technical working.
For most students a MacBook Air or the cheapest MBP Pro are still great options, especially the M1 chip versions possibly from the Apple refurb store. Installing Parallels enables the user to have a hybrid system as most universities will give free copies of W10 or 11 Edu along with lots of other free software. Then buying a basic iPad Gen 9 and pencil gets you the best of all worlds.
Using a proper monitor back in your digs is an excellent idea. Dell offers student discounts so you can get a good 24 in for just over $100. Then get a good keyboard and mouse. Here the Surface pro wins hands down. The Surface keyboard is excellent. The Logitech MX keys is superb and would be my recommendation as it can drive 3 devices and both windows and Apple.
You only get one set of eyes so a large monitor helps, reduces eye strain and related headaches and definitely improves posture to protect you neck and back. Also get a good desk lamp for reading paper notes.
can you teach me civil engineering ?
Why all that when you can just get a surface pro 😂😂
I’m so glad you compared these! Very insightful!
It depends on what you use it for. I'm an Engineering student, and I bought M1 Mac last year, during the trial time I found that many professional apps couldn't run on the M1 chip. I know this video is about tablets, but we can say that Apple's M series chips are still not ready for many professional apps. I installed Windows on my Mac using Parallel and got my professional apps installed on Windows. I tested the app speed (simulation time for example), compared it with an old intel chip computer, and found out that the simulation time on an old intel chip is much faster than apps on windows using Parallel. So I ended up returning the Mac. If your professional apps don't run on Apple's M series chip, don't waste your money and time. Get a windows laptop!
Does rihno work great on it
@@alecasimir9573 I'm not sure about that program. Many CADs are not supported on M series chip. But if it supports it will be great since M series chips are very efficient and fast.
@@BilTekinYTwait for nuvia chips isheep
I'm lucky at the moment to carry both a tablet and laptop to school. On most occasions, I carry just my iPad, using the pencil and goodnotes 5 for biology notes. Then for heavier notes such as geography which requires a lot of writing, I type attaching the magic keyboard and use word. For most cases, the system works well but other times, when I need to do a lot of multi-tasking or look at multiple documents at once, I find my iPad Air running out of ram and not able to keep the tabs that I need open. Also, the screen size is a little small for functional use. Therefore for days when I know I am going to need a powerhouse, I use my HP Spectre X360. I'm really glad goodnotes is coming to windows as hopefully, this might enable me to only take a laptop into school and fold it into a tablet when needed with the pen.
Edit: I do really like the iPad for most things though, it always connects to my hotspot (iPhone) consistently and quickly while sometimes my laptop struggles. The IOS continuity helps when copying and pasting images and text from my iPhone to my iPad. Even using apps like iMessage and Facetime are super convenient on an iPad without having to use my phone. Battery life is slightly better but the device is more efficient not ever getting very hot. But one of the biggest features for me, the iPad doesn't use as much data as my laptop does on my hotspot. Even with both devices set to metered connections, the iPad uses considerably less amount of data in comparison which makes a massive difference when I only get 40GB a month.
For a medical student having more use of taking notes which one is better to buy?
I really wish Stage Manager did multi-window more similar to macOS as having to manually resize the apps is such a pain. Definitely better to go for the Surface if it’s going to be your only laptop, but if it’s a secondary device the iPad Pro is really great. I’ve got a MacBook Air M1 and M1 iPad Pro 11” and just love the combo.
I used the Surface Book 1 when I was in college, and everyone else either had iPads, Macbooks, or traditional pen and paper.
I swear people looked at me when I would casually detach the screen and start using it like a tablet. One classmate in a coding lab even mistook it for a Macbook and did a double-take when I asked for assistance.
If you don't care or don't need Apple stuff, I think the Surface lineup is actually a pretty good 2-in-1 package. You can also probably save a little more money as well. (I bought a refurbished one for $600).
I have a surface book, and despite its attraction, I find it very difficult to take hand written notes for math especially, the computer I’ve had for around 1.5yr and have run into several processor problems, I have the original Microsoft pen, but have found it a huge disappointment, as every-time I start to write notes, the line lags behind, do you believe that the IPad is a more sustainable note taking device and is worth the price to have alongside a laptop?
This was literally the case for me last week. Everyone else had ipads and macbooks. When I detached my keyboard to attach it backward so I can use it in tablet mode comfortably, people looked at it.
was looking for a video like this. love it!
Totally agree with your conclusion for the use case presented. While I prefer my MacBook/iPad combo now, if I could only have one device then the surface pro works well. I used a surface pro for a few years and only stopped using it because as my usage increased due to work from home, the size of the screen became to much of a hinderance - my home setup doesn't have room for a full-size desktop monitor. A MacBook as the main driver with the iPad for light portable duties (noting the MacBook is also pretty portable) suits me now.
I think that the key here is what you already own and which gaps you need to fill. If you don't have a computer at all, Surface is the way to go as it can do pretty much everything. If you already own other Apple devices and especially if you already have a MacBook, getting a surface is super inconvenient.
Same here. i used the surface laptop for 3 years and the battery was just pretty bad and declined in performance. While i still think i prefer windows overall, the ipad/mac combo is pretty amazing
Great video and breakdown of the pros and cons of the features of the 2 devices! You just helped me decide my mind! I will pick up the surface pro 9 i5 model.
All I need from my “big screen” tablet:
- reading articles, comics, novels
- take notes
- Netflix and UA-cam
- browsing with extensions!
- programming and software development ( occasionally )
- a more complete full fledged computer experience
This is really informative. I love this. It's interesting to see why some would prefer the Surface and others iPad. For me I use a Samsung tablet and have a laptop. I am looking at getting a new larger tablet or laptop. So this definitely does help. Brilliant video Ella.
Try a brilliant and cheap Asus 15.6 HD IPS screen. They start at about $200, don’t necessarily need power - mine takes it from a USB socket on my simple Acer Swift 1 14 inch laptop. I often travel and find this cheap combo brilliant for accessing my university corporate system and Office 365 online. The Swift uses Wi-Fi 6. I lent it to a colleague for a week when her new $1000 ‘business’ Dell burnt out its motherboard in 6 weeks. She said the Acer had a better screen, better keyboard and was much faster for working on line. I got mine for $250 in a sale. I was off on a two week work and road trip where the gear was in the semi open visible trunk of an SUV.
It worked great and didn’t stress me out. If I’d have taken my MBP 13 16/512 I’d be concerned. That is worth 5 or 6 times as much. How many of us really need super tech on a daily basis? I often film on an iPhone 13 Pro but edit and render on my Apple refurbished macmini 16/256gb which is superb for that.
My sister (who’s a student) really likes the Surface 9
Best 13mins video I've watched all year
thanks so much!
There is one thing that you didn't really mention that I think can add a lot of clarity. Inform at the beginning that you have an SQ3 version and explain what that is. I love my Surface Pro 9 and know what SQ3 is but honestly not many people do. Other than that, Love the Vid!
As an architecture student the classes are a whitewash of iPads in the first half of the year when sketching ideas is priority and a whitewash of gaming laptops in the second half of the year when final drawings are required. There’s virtually no surfaces as there’s no windows procreate and the surfaces overheat to oblivion when given a final render. I guess it entirely depends on your course.
Thank you so much for this!!! I am going into nursing school and OMG i was stuck looking between these two for so long. This cleared so much up!!!!
Which one did you end up choosing ?
Good review and a new subscriber here all the way from Japan. I have both devices but I always lean towards the surface when it comes to getting work done. iPad for more for leisure for me
For an up and coming content creator this video exceeded my expectation. Job well done!
Yeah, if you could only use one device a desktop operating system is always superior. I personally use an iPad when I’m on the move. As a graphic design major it’s great for sketching and taking notes, but adobe apps are lackluster on the iPad and the Affinity apps just aren’t industry standard despite being very close to their desktop counterparts. So I mostly do first drafts on my iPad for its mobile convenience then switch to my desktop for finishing touches (and anything multitasking related).
Just discovered your channel. Your reviewing style and thoroughness is fantastic. Subbed!
Can you make some of the examples of the sense of taking notes on textbooks and stuff?
because it's really important not just for taking notes only, but to annotate textbooks as well
There id also one thing to add about surface pro features, is that when you fold back the keyboard, win 11 switches automatically to tablet mode, or you can use the semi flipped keyboad as a stand especially when put on a non flat area (stomach/sheets...)
Thank you for stating the conclusion at the beginning. I'll "like" your next 2 videos no matter what just because of that LOL! Of course I watched till the end because your content has always been insightful :)
I usually don't comment but thank you so much for your review! I've never seen such a perfect product comparison video that's able to be understood by both tech savvy individuals and people that aren't as knowledgeable. A prime example for other tech reviewers to follow for sure
I bought a surface pro 9 today and if it weren’t for these great reviews and comparisons I wouldn’t have it! Love it, thank you
Hello please respond. But I’m looking at the samsung s9+ or the surface book pro 9. I’m really rooting for the Samsung bc it has water resistance. And that’s it. But I recently learned about the surface pro 9? Would you consider this over a galaxy tablet?
@@faccezitCrocdepends, the galaxy has better battery life, the surface is more useable.
I'm planning to buy Surface pro 9 i5, how is its battery life?
I just want to add something that I think is quite important: the SQ3 version of the surface pro 9, because it's an ARM based SoC, cannot run quite a few apps, even when the device is running windows, because most of the apps, on windows, are made for x86 procesors.
I love your videos! So much detail is packed into them! Amazing! :)
i wish microsoft still made smaller version of their surface because it's more convenient. i used a surface in college but cant use it in postgrad since portability is kinda meh
I guess one ipad alternative for those in IT is to remote into your home computer or use web computer. Although taking a laptop would be easier for those not as advanced in those areas.
exactly the same problems i had with samusng android tablet! thanks for talking about these comp science students issues :) I currently plan to switch to surface completely
yeah, same, despite the fact that you can run compatibility layers on android, some stuff just doesnt work, will go for a dell 7320 though as its cheaper and more repairable.
0:25
Ella's typing skill and technique....
Flawless 😎😯😁
Outstanding work, Ma'am. You did a hellava comparison video; very impressive.
great side by side comparisons - really helped me decide!
This was such a well balanced review. I wanted a surface while in college but I needed power for video editing so I got a beefy MacBook. It then died but I had a giant gaming pc at my house so I got a Chromebook for like $200 with an employee discount and took notes on that. I wish they’d just add chrome extensions to iPad OS.
Whats the MacBook?Air/Pro?or just MacBook?whats inch!?
surface laptop studio with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti
No one likes too much Google stuff on their Apple products ... It's likely due to all the extreme security issues. School children use iPads.
Good to see the Quadratic Equation making an appearance!!! :D
you know what.. you are the first UA-camr that does a very unbiased review. I feel like other UA-camrs are somehow trying to cater to apple in their reviews. when it comes down to it I am more interested in capability than looks....
Good comparison. Helped me decide between the two. Thanks.
1. Samsung S8 Ultra
2. The Surface Pro
3. iPad
It's rough to be honest to see a lot of my peers struggling in school simply due to the fact that they chose the Apple ecosystem
my old Macbook Air died on me and I have been trying to decide on a replacement since I start grad school next month. This review was so helpful! thank you!
Thanks Ella.
You gave much needed information.
Finally someone on you tube speaks about that iPad university problem
Great video! Keep up the great content!
Hands down the best lady reviewer out there and probably the best reviewer in any case as well. It feels soothing to watch your content- wish that you upload more videos lol. Thanks a ton for your effort- Keep up the good work😀😀.
Wow!!! Super Useful Review!!!❤❤
Thank you for making this video! Superb comparison
I once heard someone say that an Ipad is only good if the major you are studying is one of those that is essentially a hobby for the ones studying a real major, lol
very comprehensive and clear review. I am gonna Subscribe!!!
Thanks. A straight up answer was required and a straight up answer was given.
I have an Ipad Pro but would like to upgrade to a Surface since the former is severely limited for my use as a Computer Science student. Is there a way to take notes that goes hand in hand with recorded voice, as in Notability or Goodnotes for that matter? 😅
price, ability, and compatibility, I would get a surface any day of the week!
i love your videos, very informative!!!!
Another great comparison video. Thanks Ella!
So currently I'm using the surface pro 7, I love that it's a 2in1 and makes it really convenient for school, especially switching between pen and typing. However, I feel like I'm in a dilemma because I'm now about to be on my 3rd replacement in ~2 yrs from buying my first, because of the surface 7 issues (flickering of screen, camera usage causing crashes, random blue screen crashes, poor battery life, pen glitching during writing, and overheating). I'm thinking about the 9, but I would have to buy the keyboard (since the keyboard from the 7 can't be used) and a new pen, but I'm worried about the surface 9s long term performance, what issues that will likely develop, and wasting money. Or just getting an iPad, but missing out on desktop features and being limited with apps 😩.
I’m surprised you have all these issues. Mostly things relate to pressure of the screen itself during handling and transportation. For blue screen crashes did you try a system reinstall in safe mode as blue screen is nearly always a software issue or very occasional the motherboard. If you do change take out the Microsoft insurance too. It’s a bit more than Apple care but should give you peace of mind. The 8 and 9 are different machines. Yes you need a new keyboard but you could stick your old one on eBay. I think you old pen should work on the 8 and 9. It is a good pen - far better to write notes with than the gen 1 Apple Pencil which is too heavy. Gen 2 is lighter but very expensive.
@@andrewcrossley2448 I have the geek squad total tech package where they do the fixes, they've tried to completely restart the computer back to factory setting, it was fine for a while (on the first one) but then it would start crashing again so they replaced it with the second one. The second one didn't have as many crashes, but it would overheat, the screen would flicker, and it would freeze. I only do school work and watch Netflix or some other entertainment apps and it's an i5 with 8 RAM. During transportation, I keep it in the laptop compartment of my bag, which I might have a notebook, but nothing heavy. They said that it's a common problem they see for Microsoft surfaces.
on the keyboard, if you don't mind using a mouse, you can buy a Logitech keyboard for way cheaper. but those quality issues do concern me, but I haven't had those problems. some of those issues don't require replacing (you'd probably encounter some of this with an iPad too), but definitely hold your warranty accountable if you have it
I had the same issue with my surface pro 7 after a while the pen stops working and I have restart the drivers to make work again. Try fix it several times but the only option is that intel and Microsoft release an update for the driver. Which was very annoying because note taking was one of the reasons for choosing a surface instead of a regular laptop. Now I have a desktop computer and I hardly use my surface pro, either because my desktop is far superior or because the tablet move for note taking had all these issues. Don’t get me wrong at first work great but after a few updates the Surface pro became garbage.
@@encaladem thanks. If I recall, the i5 7 is fanless like the 6. So it will rely on some form of glue/thermal paste to transfer heat from the circuit boards. This is an issue over time as direct contact reduces.
My 2019 6 is still going strong and my daughter now has it.
I got an 8 i5 at Xmas. The screen is higher quality (pro motion 120hz) and the unit definitely has fans but very quiet ones. That will help cooling. It’s also critical not to cover the vents on the side of the unit if you use a case. Check the vents are clear. I got a great one by Spigen that doesn’t need to use the back stand so it’s more durable for daily use.
On the Apple alternatives. They are mostly well made, especially the gen 9 basic one. Don’t buy an iPad mini gen 6. Jelly scrolling, dark marks on screen from hot circuit boards, easy to damage from thumb gripping etc. I bought one online but did not open it until I went into the Apple Store. Several on display had the above faults. So I got a refund to be safe. The Air is probably the best quality for the money with stereo speakers and a laminated screen. However, no IPad is as versatile/work orientated as a Surface 8 or 9. Surface has better camera, better speakers, bigger screen and runs full business software. Even a £1.5k iPad Pro 12 in doesn’t do that.
i wish there was more support for programmers on ipados
yes for sure
Having the ability to run full fledge programs on the Surface pro 8/9 is amazing. The Surface pro will go a long way in college/workplace compared to an ipad tablet. I'm a software engineer and went through my years of college with the surface pro 8. With heavy workload I have a custom desktop at home. The surface pro 9 is even more powerful and is great for college!
Feels like adding the 5G detail since this is comparing the ARM version and not the Intel chip. Great overall review!
Me pretending to be working , when the boss enters the room 00:26
Nothing wrong with a fan.
Also, the iPad last a long time but you’ll probably be done with it before the battery runs out…because you can’t really do much on it. Lol.
Great comparison. Excellent video! 👍
thank you!
Thank you for your excellent comparison and review!
Great review, thank you
i've just ordered my on amazon
Wow. This is the review we are looking for
4 years ago I wanted to make 2 devices into one. I sold my iPad and my HP Spectre Laptop. Instead, I got myself a Surface Pro 6. Since then, this baby has been running every day. And it's gotten a lot better since Windows 11. Tablet mode is now much better. Since I also use Audio DAW's (Ableton Live), iOS is no longer an option. I need a full operating system. The Surface Pro has been the right choice for me!
Nobody is talking about it, but the charger you need for surface is bigger, similar to the MacBook, it needs 65w. Where as iPad Pro can be charged with your iPhone charger (change the cable to usb c). Small, handy and cheap. All in all, of course, surface is a better device for all office work. For ex, try to compare folder and file contents of two folders, good luck w that on an iPad and count how many clicks and switches you need for this simple task
iPad is much faster for doing what though? It’s like adding more and more horse power to a car without tuning handling and there are still speed limits. There is so much left on the table because of this. If you consider the surface pro intel version, it really does give a perfect balance for everything you would use it for. Going with the i5 version
thanks for the detailed breakdown!
Very very good review. Well done
Imagine if the ipad pro had the software capabilities of the Surface Pro. Or if the Surface Pro had the power and battery life of the ipad
not bad , all points included, very informative, thank you
@4:15 I loved the 'dramatic reenactment ' 😆
Nice video, I like your honesty in reviewing the products, unlike some UA-camrs, you avoided sugarcoating. Great job 👏
I just got a surface pro 9 and have been having serious issues with heat throttling when using OneNote, i already exchanged it once and am still experiencing problems. I have spoken to countless Microsoft advocates that have logged on remotely and they can't figure it out
Totally agree with Ella.
I'm a current owner of the Intel i7 16GB 256GB model Surface Pro 9 (Graphite since Sapphire was out of stock for early Black Friday deals).
Now while I'm quite older then the students being targeted (40)... I had a reason to purchase a SP9 despite also owning a $6,000+ self-built, water-cooled, 3080Ti, super-ultra-wide, RGB-overload, desktop monster. I was actually on the fence between the SP9 and the Asus ROG Flow z13. I had tried Apple products in the past and even owned an iPhone 3GS many years ago. Just as Ella explains in her video, power-users with feel caged-in and limited with what Apple has to offer (I had to jailbreak that 3GS obviously and still wasn't happy). My personal opinion (again... opinion) is that casual users who like clean, thin and light-weight aesthetics usually gravitate toward Apple products. The other type that favor Apple products are those that want/need just 1, or 2 specific apps that Apple has available for their creative needs.
1 key factor played a part in MY decision between the z13 and the SP9 however, which was the drawing experience. If you are a student that is not an ART student, but who also likes playing some AAA games, or video editing, but want tablet form, I would definitely recommend the z13. It pains me that the drawing experience kept me from buying the z13, which is by far a superior machine in every other way (except weight). Getting back to the SP9, the drawing experience has been great. When compared with the z13, you'll notice in other video reviews that your pen strokes on the z13 usually don't start off too well, getting ignored for the beginning part of your strikes. I am currently using both Adobe Fresco and Photoshop. Now I will say this.... if you have the money and plan to get one, one regret I have is not going with the model that comes with 32GB of memory (yes, the most expensive one). With AVG anti-virus and the usual included bloatware, I find that at idle I'm already hovering around 43-45% memory usage. It is not happy running both Photoshop and Fresco at the same time. I often have to switch back and forth to use their different functions in my art.
I also mentioned that I went with the 256GB of storage for my SP9. This was to save money as the storage can be upgraded in this model and end up being far cheaper then buying a model with pre-installed, greater storage. A WD SN740 2TB nVME PCIe 2230 M.2 drive can be had for under $300 on eBaY if you don't mind the wait (China, unless you want to buy from a higher-priced, local listing).
Surprisingly enough though it's pretty capable at playing 2 of my 3 top PC games. When not drawing, I usually play Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker, League of Legends, or Genshin Impact. There's no way on God's green Earth that I would even attempt to run a CPU AND GPU intensive MMO such as FFXIV on this thing, as I don't want to kill my new investment. It can however play Genshin on Low-Medium settings and pretty much has no issues getting great framerates in LoL as long as you're not trying to max out the graphic settings and are OK with Medium-High settings. I did purchase the Microsoft Slim Pen 2 and Type-Cover, but that Type-Cover won't cut-it for gaming obviously.
If you hate restrictions, multi-task a lot and/or consider yourself a power-user, go with the Asus ROG Flow z13.
If you hate restrictions, multi-task a lot and/or consider yourself a power-user and gaming, or video editing is a high priority just get a gaming laptop with an RTX 3070 GPU, or better.
- If it can't be a laptop and HAS TO be a tablet, then you're back looking at the Asus ROG Flow z13 again.
If you hate restrictions, multi-task a lot and/or consider yourself a power-user and need a device to draw on, go with the Surface Pro 9.
If you hate restrictions, multi-task a lot and/or consider yourself a power-user, care about the device's weight and aren't into gaming or video editing, go with the Surface Pro 9.
If you can't see yourself agreeing with either Ella, or myself... well then you're most likely a die-hard Apple fan. The cure is coming right after we cure Covid and Cancer I swear!
I'm using a surface pro 8 for over a year now abd I use it in school for notes, at home as a laptop and as a tablet for watching youtube. If I had bought an ipad, i'd still need to buy a laptop.
I very much appreciate your honest take on tech 👍
Windows 11 has the Amazon app store so you will get some navitish android apps running along side your windows apps.
I use surface pro for work and Ipad mini for media consumption and note taking. I'm comfortable with this setup.