For starters, it means that Microsoft has abandoned the Windows RT platform, which was announced alongside Windows 8. Windows RT was designed for devices like the Surface and Surface 2, running ARM-based processors. Both the products bombed in the market because they did not provide the full advantage of Windows and the ARM chipsets were not very powerful to handle even Windows RT. Logically, this time around Microsoft nixed both Windows RT and the ARM based Nvidia processor. It replaced it with, well, a full copy of Windows 8.1 running on the underpinnings of Intel's brand new fanless Atom X7 processor.
At $499, it is gunning for the iPad's head, unlike, the more powerful Surface Pro 3, which more or less, guns for the MacBook Air. But in many ways, it is the anti-iPad with its ports and the ability to run ancient Windows applications from the mid-90's. So is it really better? That's a tough question to answer, but certainly it is different in more ways than one despite the similarity in the price.
Design
The difference between the iPad Air 2 and the Surface 3 is like chalk and cheese. The iPad is all about style while the Surface is a more functional product that's well built and looks good. The iPad Air 2 is super slim at 6.1mm, while the Surface 3 is thicker at 8.7mm.
Obviously, the extra chubbiness allows Microsoft to cram in a mini-display port, a USB port, and a microUSB port. It also has a three-way kickstand on the back, which means you can keep it on your lap while using it with the TypeCover.
The iPad has just one port, the lightning connector, which is a jack of all port for data transfer, charging and even connecting the tablet to larger screens. That said, it comes up short when you are trying to multitask as you can only do one thing at a time. On the Surface 3 you can do all of the above without too many compromises. The Surface 3 is essentially a full PC. The iPad still isn't and going by what Apple is doing with the MacBook, it is unlikely that's ever going to happen.
On the flip side of the argument, you'll have to admit that the iPad will make a better tablet. It is lighter at 444grams compared to the Surface 3's 622 grams. It is also vastly thinner and the screen is also smaller than an inch, which overall converts to a more portable gadget.
Display
Both the Surface 3 and the iPad Air 2 have high-resolution displays. The Surface 3 has a 10.8-inch 1080p display with a 3:2 aspect ratio much like the Surface Pro 3. This means it is not entirely widescreen and can be used pretty well in portrait mode like other tablets. The iPad has a 9.7-inch 2048x1536 pixels display. This means the display is slightly smaller, though sharper. In the larger scheme of things the sharpness is going to count for little, however depending on the use case the size of the screen will be a big deal.
If you'll be sitting down and working a lot, then the larger screen of the Surface 3 will make sense or vice versa. The Surface 3 also has the added advantage of the support for the Surface Pen, which will work great with Microsoft apps like OneNote. Microsoft has also added 10 point touch support, which is an upgrade from previous models of the Surface.
Overall, we can say for the first time the non-pro model of the Surface has a screen that can match up to an iPad. Previously, users had to make do with HD widescreen displays that just did not cut it for a tablet.
Processing power
The Surface 3 is powered by Intel's latest quad-core Atom X7-Z8700 processor clocked at 1.6GHz. Now, this is a fast processor if you're talking about a tablet, but for a machine running full Windows this could be a little underpowered. Microsoft is selling two variants -- one with 2GB RAM and 64GB storage and another with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage for $499 and $599 respectively. This converts to not only great value but solid firepower even if you just intend to consume content just like the way you'd do on an iPad.
Nevertheless, because Microsoft is being generous with both the RAM and storage we will not be surprised if these machines were even able to handle a bit of Photoshop and Premier Pro.
On an iPad this is impossible. That's because it runs on iOS, which is a mobile OS at its heart and is powered by the Apple-designed A8X processor with three cores clocked at 1.5GHz. The A8X is a wicked fast processor and is designed for iOS, so it runs buttery smooth as we pointed out in our review of the product. Apps on iOS have also become very advanced and are near levels that could be defined as desktop-class in terms of functionality. The iPad is able to run them without breaking a sweat.
However, if you still want a slice of traditional computing, the Surface 3 should win the battle because the iPad has simply not being designed for such tasks. On the face of it, it's not fair or even possible to compare the processing power of both devices because they run on such wildly different platforms.
No doubt, Intel's new chip would likely be the more powerful one and Microsoft does provide more storage and RAM, but that's also because a full copy of Windows needs that much grunt to run smoothly. The iPad doesn't.
Cameras
Both the Surface 3 and the iPad have 8-megapixel cameras on the back. Now, the camera on the iPad Air has been taken from the iPhone 5S, which till the iPhone 6 was launch was basically the best smartphone camera. We will be very surprised if the camera on the Surface 3 is as good as the one as the iPad. On the front, the iPad Air 2 has a 1.2-megapixel camera while the Surface 3 has a higher resolution 3.5-megapixel sensor. It should be a closer battle on the front.
Battery
Microsoft claims 10 hours of video playback time on the Surface 3. Apple provides similar numbers, but often our tests have showed that the iPad Air 2 can last much longer than Apple's claims. Around 12-13 hours on a single charge for the iPad Air 2 is normal.
That will be a herculean task to emulate for the Surface 3 considering it will be running a hotter Intel CPU and a more thirsty OS in Windows 8. It is likely, the Surface 3 will fall short. Even the Surface Pro 3 only lasts about 8.5 hours on a single charge, while MacBook Air with similar hardware lasts around 12 hours.
Operating system
We have touched upon the operating system a lot through this article, but it is still crucial to point out some key differences. Windows 8.1 on the Surface 3 is a full desktop-class operating system. It is the same thing as on your work desktop. This means you can play games like Call of Duty, you run heavy duty applications like Adobe Photoshop if the hardware is powerful enough.
iOS is a different. It is basically the same thing as what you get on your iPhone. So you don't have access to the files system, you can use multiple apps at the same time and you certainly can't run 20 year old applications like Photoshop. However, Apple's App store is a treasure trove of alternatives built specifically for the iPad and some of these are really powerful tools.
Also for the Surface 3, if you intend to use it more like an iPad, it will deliver a poorer user experience as the quality of apps is not as good on the Windows Store as they are on the App Store. Microsoft makes up for that deficiency by providing legacy app support.
The Surface 3 is also slated to get the update to Windows 10 for free. This update will add multiple new features like Continuum, the Cortana assistant, the Spartan Browser, new icons and overall a faster and more modern Windows experience. One doesn't know what Apple has in-store for us in iOS 9, for that we will need to wait for WWDC in June.
Sum of it all
To get the most out of the Surface 3, you'll need to get the TypeKey cover, which also doubles as a nice keyboard. The Surface is designed to work with it. It is more of a productivity gambit. The iPad is more of a consumption gambit. Depending on what you want to you'll have to choose. However, if you want a bit of both, then the Surface may be the better choice as an overall package.
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