I bought the m3 128gb Surface Pro 4 with keyboard when Bestbuy had it on sale two weeks ago for $599.
I use my 12.9" iPad Pro for art and I wanted to compare the SP 4 to the iPad Pro and pencil.
The reviews for the SP4 as a 2-in-2 laptop replacement were pretty good but, as an artist, I wanted to compare the two.
I use Photoshop, Corel Painter and Clip Studio (Manga Studio) on my iMac and also with the iPad using Astropad (by itself, I use Procreate on the iPad). I installed the same programs on the SP4 and gave it a fair trial, using it about 1/2 of the time.
Well, after two weeks, I'm returning/selling the Surface Pro 4. Can’t compare to the iPad Pro for artwork. As a 2-in-1 laptop, yes, it’s better than the iPad Pro, but it sucks as a tablet. Windows 10 is nice and they finally got Windows right after 30-odd years, but it is NOT a good touch interface no matter what Microsoft says.
"How does the Surface PEn compare to the Apple Pencil?" you ask. Well, it doesn't. It sucks compared to Apple Pencil. Sensitivity is poor, and no tilt are the main gripes for me.
I can either return it to BestBuy for full price (I have 45 days) or I can try Craigslist and make a few bucks.

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richorlin

Thanks for the review.

Earlier this month, I picked up a 12.9" 128Gb iPad Pro for $599 off of Ebay. Of course, after getting a pencil and Smart Keyboard, I was up to $800. My 2012 MBPr died early last week while visiting my D in Ct, so I was forced to use the iPad P as a laptop replacement for the remainder of the stay (the local Apple store at Westfarms agreed to repair this 4-year-old for free; LEADER!). The iPad worked surprisingly well. Using Dropbox as my file system, I was able to access and save all needed files and use the pencil to annotate my work.

I compared the Pro to the Surface. While similar in size, the iPad is more squarish providing greater height in landscape mode, which I prefer (I've long lamented the movement towards more oblong screens over the last decade; I do more than watch movies on my computer!).

So, while tempted by the Surface, I have no problems sticking with Apple tablets.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/28/2016 11:16AM by Billybob.

This is very interesting. My son bought the high end Surface Book Performance Base (big bucks, even with grad student discount!) last month for pretty much the same reason: he paints on his much older iPad but wanted to try using one device instead of his iPad plus 2009-era Macbook. His conclusions after using it for almost a month are also pretty much the same: it's a nice computer, and it works for what he wants to do, but the tablet function, stylus, and drawing experience just aren't as good as on the iPad, nor is the machine as pleasurable to use. I heard many sounds of frustration and irritation as he worked on it. He'll be returning it to the Microsoft store later this week, and plans to put the money toward an iPad Pro with Apple Pencil and newer laptop. The Pencil is awesome.

I know four coworkers with Surface Pro 4s. Three of them hate them. I'm not sure if the fourth has issues - I've never heard him complain. The biggest issues the other three encounter are:
1. Won't wake from sleep
2. Won't connect to external displays or projector
3. Forgets how to rotate
4. Won't connect to WiFi

For something that's supposed to be "ultra portable", having them fail to wake from sleep a high portion of the time is a huge issue. When they enter a meeting, they have no idea if their Surface will work or not. Much of the time it's "or not".

One of them has gone through three of them, and they all have the same issue.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/28/2016 11:36AM by M A V I C.

But…but…the people in the ads like them SO much better than their "old Macs". And they are all making complex drawings.

We've deployed a lot in our organization. I work closely with the IT group and I haven't seen or heard of any systemic problems like M A V I C describes. I think if you take two device users out of the equation you do see a much higher favorability ratio from former Mac users. We have MacBook and ipad + keyboard users moving to the SP and we've had no complaints or requests to switch back. And existing Windows users getting the Surface Pro are downright ecstatic.

.....have experience with Surface Pro 3.....no issues....found it to be just as easy to use as iPad......

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_____________________________________

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

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TLB
We've deployed a lot in our organization… I think if you take two device users out of the equation you do see a much higher favorability ratio from former Mac users. We have MacBook and ipad + keyboard users moving to the SP and we've had no complaints or requests to switch back. And existing Windows users getting the Surface Pro are downright ecstatic.

Fascinating…

[forums.macresource.com]

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I work closely with the IT group and I haven't seen or heard of any systemic problems like M A V I C describes.

I think they may be withholding…