cartsman

Quote:

Originally Posted by iSteelers 





Why would any "real" professional use a surface pro when they could use a more powerful laptop or desktop? Like it or not, people do "real" work on iPads. Maybe not your "real" work but it is "real" work nonetheless. Not all "real" work requires a mouse and desktop ?

I'm a "real" professional who uses a Surface Pro (currently a 2, upgrading to a 4 shortly).  The reasons are:

1) An iPad wouldn't work for me, I need proper file directory, Silverlight, Flash, ability to plug into keyboard, mice, monitors, USB port, etc so needs to be either Windows or OSX

2) I'm very mobile - I work from home some days, I fly fairly frequently, and when I am based in our company office I tend to cycle there with my computer and work clothes on my back, so weight and size is critical.  The SP is one of the lightest devices available which runs a full operating system.  The tablet and touch screen option is a bonus as it means I can take all my notes electronically so saves me carrying around a notebook.  Having the choice of pen, mouse, touch or keyboard means I can interact with the device in whatever way is best for what I'm doing. 

So for my particular needs, a hybrid is perfect, and the Surface Pro is the best of the hybrids.  Not sure what you mean by laptops or desktops being "more powerful" - the SP can be specced with i7 and 16GB of RAM which is more than enough power for most people.  The only advantage that a regular laptop or desktop has over an SP is the size of screen and keyboard, but that is easily (and relatively cheaply these days) addressed by having a monitor and mouse/keyboard in your primary location(s) - I have that setup both at home and in the office.  In the corporate environment that's what most laptop users have been doing for years anyway. 

I have nothing against Apple - I have an iPad at home which is perfect for the kids, for browsing, for watching tv/movies, and for controlling Audio Video devices (almost no AV manufacturers do Windows apps, the best you can get is browser-based control which is nowhere near as good).  I 've had several iPhones, and I still run with an iPod.  If the iPad Pro had a USB port and ran OSX I would consider it.  If the MacBook Air had touch screen and was maybe a little lighter then I would consider that.  But right now Apple doesn't really do a hybrid device, so they don't have a device which meets my needs for work.  If I had a MacBook Air or Pro in the office then quite a lot of the time I could probably get away with using an iPad Pro at home or when travelling, but the cost of having both devices would be significantly higher than the cost of my SP, and I would be very frustrated on the occasions where I found myself needing a full OS.