Most people are aware of iPads ; but did you know Microsoft has a tablet offering? They quietly introduced an upgrade to their Surface product in an attempt to be more competitive with the iPad. However, they introduced the Office for iPad app on iTunes.
With most people having an allegiance to one software platform — either iOS or Windows — doesn’t make sense to look at the two tablet offerings more carefully? Let’s do so in this blog post; especially if you are thinking of renting one of these units for a short-term project, meeting or trade show.
iPad – The iPad was introduced 4 short years ago and according to Chitika, it dominates tablet web traffic usage with a 77% share.
Apple, which was founded in 1976, has a well-established name and with the onset of iPods and iPhones, the iPad gained national brand recognition instantly.
The iPad is very reliable and almost never fails. iOS 7 operating system is supported on every iPad (except the very first one introduced in 2010) and provides significant software benefits to the previous version. The iPad supports 900,000 apps and counting.
This Apple device has a battery life of up to 10 hours, weighs about 1 pound, and has a high quality camera on each device except the first generation iPad.
Surface – Surface was introduced 2 years ago and has only 2% of the tablet web traffic usage according to Chitika.
Microsoft was founded in 1975, but unlike Apple which concentrated on hardware and software, Microsoft has only recently introduced hardware – starting with the Windows phone in 2010.
There are no good published figures on the reliability of the Surface, so it is hard to draw any conclusion about the product either positively or negatively.
The Windows operating system runs on this device with Windows 8.1 running on the latest Surface model. The main advantage of this for desktop and laptop users is they are used to the Windows operating system and Office Suite of tools, so transition to using this device should be a “no-brainer”.
Surface has 60,000+ native apps, but can access up to the 4 million Windows programs. This Windows device has a battery life of up to 2.5 hours, weighs close to 1.5 pounds, and offers a high quality camera.
Key Takeaways
- If your shareholders are used to the Apple product line, want a reliable product with lots of apps and are concerned about battery life, the iPad is the tablet of choice.
- If you are running a trade show or event and want your participants to view PowerPoint on their mobile device, Office for iPad is now available at no cost. If participants wish to manipulate or create documents, there is a subscription fee that can be levied monthly. This can be especially useful for short-term projects.
- If your shareholders are used to Windows, don’t require the use of a lot of apps and have a power source readily available to them, the Surface is the tablet of choice.
- In addition, if you are going to be creating and collaborating on a lot of Office documents, Surface or laptop rentals will work the best.
This is a guest post by De-de Mulligan. De-de has been an active blogger since 2009 and writes meeting and event related pieces for CRE Computer Rentals, an audiovisual rentals and interactive technology tool rental company specialising in corporate and business meetings and events. She has been published in Social Media Today, Tech Patio, MPI Ohio’s DEFINE magazine and Crain’s New York Business.CRE Rentals, a premier supplier of iPads for corporate events and projects, can provide you with the technology answers to your meeting needs! With iPads and Laptops available to rent and project managers available to understand your needs, they can provide you with the total mobile package.
“Image source – Flickr , usage under Creative Commons license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)”
