IPad Air vs Surface 3 vs MacBook Air

Microsoft unveiled its latest iteration of the Surface, the Surface 3. This post isn't going to compare specs. its going too mainly focus on usage. Apple has arguably the most popular tablet ie the iPad and on the other side has the most popular ultra book, the 13 inch Mac Book Air. Microsoft came up with a device that fits somewhere in between the two. This was the surface Pro. This is both a tablet and a full fledged PC.




We are going to see how the latest versions of the three devices stuck up against one another in terms of usage. We want to know if a plain tablet with all its limitations is good enough for you, or you are the type that needs the full power of a laptop to get something done? And you  think a middle device like the Surface can actually cover both grounds.

First of all, all three devices run completely different Operating systems. The iPad runs a mobile OS while the other two run desktop OSes. The iPad is both smaller and weaker than both the Mac and the Surface. This however makes the iPad the lightest and most portable of the three.

iPad Air

iPad Air Pros

Light , small and portable
Powerful enough to run mobile apps
Plenty of apps at the store
Plenty of battery
Accessories like keyboard available
Built in sensors like compass and gyroscope which you don't normally find on laptops .





Cons

Runs a mobile OS with a lot of power limitations
Limited Storage

Surface 3

Surface 3 Pros

Is both a tablet and ultra book
Runs desktop version of Windows 8 and therefore can run desktop apps like Photoshop
Uses input pen
Best of both worlds
PC hardware ie Core i processors and GPUs
Good battery life



Really thin and light for a full PC
Runs mobile apps
A lot more storage than iPad plus it can use external hard drives.

Cons

Windows app store still lacking in apps
A bit to heavy when being used as a tablet

MacBook Air

Mac Book Air Pros

Extremely thin and light
Runs a full desktop OS
High resolution display
Very powerful for a portable device.

Cons

Lacks a touch screen
Doesn't run mobile apps





Conclusion

Putting the OS differences a side, I think all three have there Pros and Cons. The Surface has the advantage of having both a tablet and a PC in one body and I bet you that Apple would make millions if it came up with a hybrid device like the Surface. Let us know what you think.