“Microsoft first started bashing the iPad with comparison ads back in the Windows 8 days of 2013, and the company is now reviving its efforts this week with a new commercial aimed squarely at the iPad Pro,” Tom Warren reports for The Verge.
“Microsoft’s new ad mocks Apple’s latest iPad Pro commercial by bashing the fact the iOS tablet got a keyboard addition, but no trackpad, full desktop apps, or external ports,” Warren reports. “Like previous comparison ads, Microsoft focuses on the iPad’s lack of ‘power’ to describe itself as a computer, by mocking the lack of an Intel processor, full desktop versions of Office, and no trackpad or USB ports. It’s similar to what we’ve seen in the past.”
Warren reports, “‘I just got a keyboard,’ says Siri in the commercial, ‘I’m a computer now, like you.'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Microsoft. Whose Surface Pro is firmly ensconced deeply within the vaunted “Other” category on every tablet market share list.
Here’s a fun fact: The first full single quarter of iPad Pro sales exceeded the total of all Microsoft Surface tablets ever sold.
Microsoft’s recently completed quarterly Surface (Surface Pro, Surface Book, Surface Hub) revenue: $965 million versus Apple’s latest quarterly iPad revenue: $4.876 billion.
Beleaguered Microsoft ought to be worrying about Surface’s crappy, failing batteries instead.
SEE ALSO:
Apple’s iPad Pro handily outsells Microsoft’s Surface in launch quarter – February 1, 2016
New England Patriots’ coach Belichick: Microsoft Surface breakdowns are common – January 26, 2016
Beleaguered Microsoft admits to parade of bugs in weak-selling Surface lineup – December 17, 2015
A single quarter of iPad Pro sales will exceed the total of all Microsoft Surface tablets ever sold – November 24, 2015
So, Microsoft is slamming their own Office software?
No, I think people who really use Office software like the millions of enterprise workers that may watch the add, actually know they are talking about phone apps. They are bashing the phone apps they made for media consumers. it does nothing to the credibility of the office brand but actually promotes it to the people that matter. People who don’t get that the iOS apps are limited are probably not the target of the add.
They really, really hate the iPad Pro. It’s mere presence is apparently causing them a lot of anxiety and discomfort.
Can’t quite say they’re wrong. Apple asked for it by trying to suggest that the iPad can replace the traditional computer. And it really can’t, and everyone knows it. The iPad Pro comes closer, with Pencil capability. At the end of the day, it’s still the greatest tablet device ever made. But I don’t see it reaching functional parity with a laptop in the next 5 years, unless Apple redesigns iOS with capabilities for better file management and mouse support.
It does replace the laptop for some. Not me, but the world is not made up of me-s.
Can you use it on your lap?
Last time I checked, the iPad Pro cannot be used on your laps just like the first version of Surface tablet.
The keyboard on th iPad Pro is looks cheap, feels cheap and it sucks!
The iPad Pro wobbles and topples when you try and use it on your lap and is useless as a laptop replacement.
Furthermore, the iPad Pro can’t run any MacOs applications!
The iPad Pro is nothing more than just another Apple TOY!
🙂
What percent of the time is a laptop actually used on someone’s lap? I’d suspect it is a very low percent of the time, and for some users, it is never. Many people use a laptop for its portability, not for its usefulness on an actual lap.
Totally agree! Why must an iPad be a jack-of-all trades? Next the iPad will require a stylus in order to touch the interface commands . . . oh, wait.
Yep, exactly. No File system,no desktop apps, etc. I use Mac except for work. No big fan of Windows but hear it everyday at work the iPad just isn’t for the enterprise.
I see no use for an iPad. Get a MacBook and you’ll be happier. MacBook needs some work but much more useful than the iPad Pro or otherwise
Also, there is an ad where a broadway set designed talks about how he sketched his ideas out on his surface tablet and how he couldn’t do it on his Mac. The thing is, it’s incredibly noticeable how his hand never touches the screen, the stylus does, but his hand uncomfortably has to hover above it, just a horrible user experience even in their own ads.
Doesn’t the iPad pro have palm rejection?
Clearly not a good basis for a comparison ad….
Which is likely why they only say that they couldn’t do these things on their Mac.
Microsoft have just slated their own software trying to advertise a laptop/tablet that has widely reported and confirm major hardware issues?
Yeh right.
Apple wins : MS shows iPad. MS shows Office on iPad.
MS marketing are no genius here.
Ad feels so ’98.
Don’t understand the logic of naming your competitor as it just reminds people of his other options.
First rule of advertising, #1 never talks about #2. That’s how you know that even Microsoft knows they are nowhere near #1.
That’s like Microsoft comparing a PC laptop to an iPad because really that’s all Surface is is a slimmed down underpowered laptop for light users. If I needed a PC Windows portable the very last thing on my list would be a Surface Pro. Dell or HP, etc. should compare one of their more powerful PC laptops to a Surface Pro – that would be a more equitable comparison. At least until the iPad runs full OS X, which will probably never happen.
The surface Pro is not underpowered. It is advertised as a tablet that can replace your laptop. therefore it is an overpowered tablet, which is why it is compared to a normal tablet like the ipad pro. The idea is that if you are willing to shell out 1000 dollars for a regular tablet that runs regular tablet software, then why not consider getting a full computer for roughly the same money. That actually makes sense to a lot of open minded people. The fact is that most ipad pro buyers actually wish Apple did what Microsoft has done and combine the OS into a portable device. If apple did that their 2in1 would outsell ipad pro, surface pro and every OEM for windows combined. You all know that, so quit hating on Microsofts idea, and realize that they are innovating in the right direction. Apple has the luxury of screwing around and not innovating because they have so many Americans trapped in their ecosystem. Ecosystem is powerful. for instance if windows phone finally fails, I will literally switch back to a flip phone before I use an iPhone or an android phone. I hate the experience on those devices, and I would probably stop computing if I had to use an apple or an android OS computer. Apple is not innovating because what it takes to merge OS and create one OS everywhere is not their strength. There strength is hardware and simple OS integration. MS is good at really complex OS, security, and managing a plethora of OEMs. We will see how long apple users will hold out waiting for something useful from Apple.
Okay whip out that Surface Pro and perform some Maya or 3D Studio Max work on par with a top PC laptop. Running Office you may not see it but you sure will using more computationally intensive applications. I stand by my statement – the Surface Pro is underpowered for many uses and only for Windows junkies. It’s competing with laptops, not tablets like it or not, and coming up short IMHO. Remember when the original Surface models were touted as “powerful” but so weren’t? It’s not hate, it’s reality. (I may be going Windows workstation soon.) You sound more like the hater to me – of the Apple variety. On that we can completely disagree – Apple runs rings around Windows in productivity and desirability.
Correction: The Mac runs as good or better than Windows if you have the native software that works for your workflow. The thousand other imperfections with Windows are mostly addressable with work, whereas the hundreds of things wrong with the Mac are hard for the user to fix.
Windows 10 is hampered as much as anything by supporting touchscreen apps that professionals don’t want, and of course the fact that it’s designed to support a huge array of hardware instead of Mac’s meagre and old hardware offerings.
iOS is for touchscreen mobile devices, and will never be as good as Windows or Mac no matter how Apple markets it. It becoming less likely to be a productive OS and more like a gateway drug to the horrible iCloud every year.
Reality is, the longer Apple waits to improve MacOS and Mac hardware to address well-publicized user requests and issues, the more likely knowledgeable computer pros will turn to Hackintosh. As they should, since MacOS is freebieware now. If the new versions of Mac OS are truly better than prior OS X versions or worth something to user productivity, Apple should charge for it. It says it all when Apple makes OS versions free — Just like Adobe or MS Office, Apple has decided to force people into subscriptions. Except that iCloud truly sucks, whereas Adobe and MS Office still remain at the forefront of their prospective categories. Ask any real professional who uses them and has ACTUALLY evaluated Mac and PC software objectively.
So the surface is a ‘computer’? Give me a break. Can I upgrade it’s video card to the latest NVidia? Can I swap the processor out? What about a memory upgrade? The surface is no more a computer than the iPad pro is..its all rubbish and hubris.
If I needed a portable computer, I’ll buy the Surface Pro over any laptop.
If I need a performance machine, I’ll buy a Custom PC.
A web/mail slate, maybe I’ll get an Apple iPad or iPad mini.
Either way, mac book never makes the list.
The Surface Pro can replace a PC and does replace a Laptop but it’s still doesn’t touch a performance Desktop.
The ad is a bit 90’s and lacks inspiration.
Listen I get that it’s advertising… but I still was perturbed by the actual Siri voice to represent iPad, and a hollywood voiceover to represent Cortana.
M$ really shouldn’t talk publicly about the surface keyboard…. it sucks!
And as for having a desktop OS….. it seems to exist just to help support the existence of a bloated (and often lacking knowledge) IT staff.
You guys are so funny. Trying to insinuate that the iPad Pro is even close to being able to replace a real computer or is as good as a Surface is hilarious.
The reality is that an iPad Pro is a seriously good tablet but the Surface is a seriously good tablet and a seriously good computer and that is the difference.
The only advantage that the iPad has over the Surface, and even this is debatable, is that there are more apps available for it.
This site (http://ipod.about.com/od/iphonesoftwareterms/qt/apps-in-app-store.htm) tells us that there are 2,000,000 apps in the Apple store and that 1,000,000 of those suit the iPad but let’s face it, only a very tiny fraction of those are ever used by any one iPad user. If you had 50 apps on your iPad you would only be using .005 of one percent and who has 50 apps on their iPad?
That, of course, is more than balanced by the millions of actual programmes available for Windows computers that cover every aspect of the business and day to day worlds and nearly all will work well on a Surface.
The iPad Pro is a great tablet and will continue to sell in vast numbers, let’s face it, there are far more people out there that want a tablet for social interaction than those who want a device for production, but please be objective, it does not compare to the Surface range in terms of productivity and adding a keyboard to the current iteration will never make it able to do all the work a real computer or a Surface can do.
Surface: Still floundering.
There tablet takes half the storage away just to run the OS.
Desktop operating systems don’t belong on tablets or phones period.
You are claiming desktop OS don’t belong on tablets or phones because of storage?? I’m glad you don’t work for Apple or Microsoft, or any computer tech company of any kind….If you do I think they should reconsider hiring you. totally honest man.
With Windows 10 I was able to buy a 120 dollar computer that replaced my pc. That is why Microsoft is awesome even if Apple outsells them with their overpriced consumption devices that only really sell in rich countries to privileged people.
the ipad pro out sells Microsoft devices because there is an overwhelming number of apple enthusiast in the US, who are starving for innovation. Apple could come out with a gold plated stapler that works wireless with only iphones and that thing would become the next highest selling item. The ecosystem controls this pool of people for the most part. If apple created an ipad that runs full OS and iOS, then that would then be the highest selling device, probably even rivaling the iPhone, and everyone would forget quickly how Tim Cook ridiculed the surface pro for trying to be too many things. Ipad users want the surface pro, but they don’t want windows. Just admit it! You wish apple was sensible and innovative enough to give you a useful device that is portable and powerful. I just laugh at all those IOS users trying to play minecraft PE but are forced to play it on 500 dollar devices that don’t even have usb ports to connect a controller to it. My 100 dollar 2 in 1 runs full xbox live, streams from my xbox one, got mouse and keyboard, xbox one controller hook up, headset, plugged up to a second monitor….and the list goes on. And it holds itself up without having to buy some rigid stand. the thing flexes to any angle I want it at. Apple fans, have you ever heard of a 3 player 300 dollar Minecraft LAN party. Impossible as an apple user. Face it, the add is dead on. Ipad pro is overpriced, and under serves the apple consumer. you guys actually wish you had surface pro’s and now you wish you had surface book options too.
1. Do not compare yourself to others, but emphasize your own strengths
2. When you must compare yourself to others, keep it stylish, no need to trash
3. However nice the package may look, it is still Windows
4. Excel may be great and have no real competition, but see point 3.