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Portables Microsoft Stats Apple

Surface Pro 3 Handily Outperforms iPad Air 2 and Nexus 9 204

Posted by timothy from the but-can-it-take-pictures dept.
An anonymous reader points to an interesting comparison of current tablets' peformance, as measured with the Geekbench benchmarking tool, which boils down various aspects of performance to produce a single number. The clear winner from the models fielded wasn't from Apple of Samsung (Samsung's entrants came much lower down, in fact), but from Microsoft: the i5-equipped Surface Pro 3, with a Geekbench score of 5069.; second place goes to the Apple iPad Air 2, with 4046. The Nexus 9 rated third, with 3537. One model on the list that U.S. buyers may not be familiar with is the Tesco Hudl 2, a bargain tablet which Trusted Reviews seems quite taken by.
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Surface Pro 3 Handily Outperforms iPad Air 2 and Nexus 9 More

Surface Pro 3 Handily Outperforms iPad Air 2 and Nexus 9

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  • How is this relevant? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 13, 2015 @04:19PM (#49905483)

    The Surface pro 3 is a laptop equivalent. The ipad and the nexus are strictly tablets. I would never expect them to compare from a performance perspective.

    • not so sure i agree with that. i think the correct comparison is the price comparo. which one can do more for the same price.

      • not so sure i agree with that. i think the correct comparison is the price comparo. which one can do more for the same price.

        Do you really just buy whatever is cheapest rather than whatever is best for the job?

    • Re:How is this relevant? (Score:4, Interesting)

      by aralin ( 107264 ) on Saturday June 13, 2015 @10:33PM (#49906923)

      When you hold the Surface 3, in both hands, you are blocking half of the air flow, I am wondering how fast is the speed going to be after an hour with partially blocked air flow. Because if I need to have it set on a table, it is not a tablet, but a laptop.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by drolli ( 522659 )

      Exactly what i wanted to say:

      Boiled down PC beats oversized IPod touch.

      Probably it should, and nevertheless both devices may be great at what they were supposed to be (lightweight PC and long-running media consumption device)

  • Breaking news (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Laptop out performs tablet.

    I have both the ipad and surface pro 3. They are not comparable tools.

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by markdavis ( 642305 )

      >Laptop out performs tablet.

      Yep, hardly "news". If it contains a fan, which the Surface 3 does, then it is not a "tablet" and in a totally different class. A quick Google on "heat" or "noise" or "fan" along with "Surface 3" returns a zillion hits about people upset with the noise, and/or heat.

      My use for a tablet = very long battery life and low heat. I use it for simple browsing and casual gaming. And in no way would I want it to run any form of MS-Windows, either (of course, my laptops, desktops, s

      • Re:Breaking news (Score:5, Interesting)

        by PopeRatzo ( 965947 ) on Saturday June 13, 2015 @05:06PM (#49905685) Journal

        If it contains a fan, which the Surface 3 does, then it is not a "tablet"

        That's a criterion you just made up. Your statement is approximately equivalent to "a tablet without a USB port is not a tablet". Or, "a tablet that runs an actual operating system that can run ProTools cannot possibly be a tablet because reasons".

        I have a desktop system without a fan. Does that make it "not a desktop"?

        • I also have a desktop without a fan... but those are not meant to be mobile.

          To me the whole point of the original tablets were to be screen driven, light, long battery life, and fanless (and what made that possible was also not being X86, which also hurt Microsoft).

          Deja-Vu with netbooks- the original "netbook" was invented by Asus (the original EEE lines), it was the first sub-notebook device to use an SSD. It was kinda one of the most important things about it to extend battery life, make it quiet, and l

        • Re: (Score:3)

          by narcc ( 412956 )

          I have a desktop system without a fan. Does that make it "not a desktop"?

          Obviously, that means your desktop is a tablet.

        • Re: (Score:3)

          by dbIII ( 701233 )
          It's getting hard to draw the line. I got an Android ASUS Transformer with keyboard for someone to use as a lightweight low end laptop even though it's sold as a tablet. It does everything their job requires a laptop to do, especially with RDP onto more capable devices.
          It's not what was marketed as a laptop but the line is blurring, especially since "real" laptops like the i7 lenovo Yoga look like tablets.
        • It's an observation you might not agree with (perhaps because you haven't heard it articulated as concensus) but that hardly makes it wrong; a "proper tablet" in this day and age should certainly *not* require the use of a fan.

          • It's an observation you might not agree with (perhaps because you haven't heard it articulated as concensus) but that hardly makes it wrong; a "proper tablet" in this day and age should certainly *not* require the use of a fan.

            Not "wrong", just completely arbitrary.

            I don't believe you can have a "proper tablet" without a USB port. That is no less arbitrary. If you don't like the Surface Pro, that's fine, but don't establish some arbitrary criterion by which you pretend it's "not really a tablet".

            If it loo

          • Also no true scotsman requires the use of a fan.

        • He does have a point, though. They really are two different classes of devices, and calling them by the same name is not particularly useful. I mean, it's useful insofar as it correctly identifies the form factor, but there's just so much more to it that we really need some more descriptive terms there.

          I have a Surface Pro 3, and it's a great device. I also have a Nexus 7, and it's also a great device. I use both, because their strengths and weaknesses are in different areas, and don't overlap as much as on

          • He does have a point, though. They really are two different classes of devices, and calling them by the same name is not particularly useful.

            Of course. One is a production device and one is a consumption device.

            But it's not the fan that puts them into different classes. It's their relative function.

  • Thankfully we're not considering budgets here. (Score:5, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 13, 2015 @04:30PM (#49905513)

    Comparing retail prices hint what might be the better performer here.
    € 999,- Surface Pro 3
    € 450,- Apple iPad Air 2
    € 350,- Nexus 9

  • Yes, but for how many minutes (Score:4, Insightful)

    by gweilo8888 ( 921799 ) on Saturday June 13, 2015 @04:37PM (#49905541)
    Arguably a far, FAR more important metric than performance for the majority of users, given that tablets are used mostly for media consumption, is battery life. I have a feeling that the Surface Pro 3 will trail the field badly here. (I don't know what the iPad series can manage these days, but a good Android tablet can manage close to 20 hours of screen-on time at a brightness of 170cd/m2 [expertreviews.co.uk].

  • What an embarrassment for Microsoft (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 13, 2015 @04:42PM (#49905573)

    The i5 Surface Pro 3 with 128 GB of storage costs $1000.

    The iPad Air 2 with 128 GB of storage costs $500.

    So the Surface Pro costs 100% more for a 25% bump in speed? And we're spinning this as a win for MS?

    • it costs a grand with the keyboard attachment.

      so to make a more realistic comparo, you need to add the keyboard attachment to the ipad air.

      then you can decide whether or not USB ports and win32 apps are worth the 250 premium

      • Can you buy a Surface Pro 3 w/out the keyboard? If not, I think it is actually fair to compare the base level devices.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Teckla ( 630646 )

      The iPad Air 2 with 128 GB of storage costs $500.

      Wait, what? No, this is wrong.

      The iPad Air 2 model that costs $500 comes with a meager 16 GB of storage. Just like the original iPad, all those years ago. No progress at all, despite much lower storage prices.

      In fact, given larger iOS sizes, and the fact that "retina" apps now require more space, iPad storage has essentially regressed.

      An iPad Air 2 with 128 GB costs a whopping $700 (and that's wi-fi only). I guess you don't get hundreds of billions in the bank without grossly overcharging your customers

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by dbraden ( 214956 )

        I don't know if I'd call it "grossly" overcharging if the SP3 is >40% more for a 25% performance boost... Even if you overpay for a $100 keyboard/case, it's a wash.

        • I don't know if I'd call it "grossly" overcharging if the SP3 is >40% more for a 25% performance boost

          That's a gross oversimplification though, the SP3 can run Windows, Linux and OSX and all the applications that exist for those platforms. The iPad can only run iOS and therefore only run iOS applications. Now maybe the latter is all you need, in which case you probably go for the iPad.

          Some people here seem to be extrapolating beyond what has actually been presented and are then getting offended by the conclusion they have drawn, it is purely a performance comparison, there are many other factors that come i

    • Go install a Windows application on the iPad. Or VPN into your corporate network on it, or play Skyrim on it, or install a dual boot and run Linux on it.

      Oh wait... you can't do *any* of those things on it. That's what the extra $500 is for.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by 0123456 ( 636235 )

        Oh wait... you can't do *any* of those things on it. That's what the extra $500 is for.

        If you want to do those things, why would you pay an extra $500, when you can buy a decent laptop for $500 which will do all those things?

        • To do my job I both need access to the corporate VPN as well as certain Windows programs. There have been tons of times it would have been more convenient for me to use my tablet instead of dragging out my laptop on the train in. The Surface Pro 3 is a very good in-between device that also fills the tablet role nicely. It's not for everyone of course, but my use case it would be very convenient. Unfortunately I am not going to spend $1000 out of pocket on a work device and my company laptop isn't schedu

        • If you want to do those things, why would you pay an extra $500, when you can buy a decent laptop for $500 which will do all those things?

          Define: decent laptop.

          Is your laptop (a) as fast and (b) as light? Actually, screw that. Is your laptop (b) as light. Regardless of speed, the SP3 is one of the lightest laptops currently on the market. All in (including keyboard and PSU) it gives my trusty old eee 900 a run for its money.

          Why would I want to save $170 per year to lug round a massive brick when I could hav

        • For $500 you can get a laptop that's built like a Soviet tank, or has atrocious battery life, or has a really slow SSD, or has 2GB of RAM... you get the idea. For someone who wants performance, portability, storage and being useful there aren't a lot of "magical $500 laptops" that really fit the bill. I know; I went shopping recently for new computers (yes, plural).

          I ended up with a Venue 11 Pro and an Alienware 15. Yeah, both Dell but they fit my needs perfectly. The AW is my gaming rig and is awesome (run

    • Unlike iPad, Surface has SD card slot. There's no reason to buy the higher-end version just for storage. And the base 64Gb model costs $800.

  • The millions and millions of people who bought iPads and android tablets don't care that Microsoft has a heavy laptop replacement.

    • there are millions and millions who bought those and DO in fact want one of these however

      • Re:Hey Microsoft, nobody cares. (Score:5, Interesting)

        by PopeRatzo ( 965947 ) on Saturday June 13, 2015 @05:12PM (#49905717) Journal

        there are millions and millions who bought those and DO in fact want one of these however

        I have two surface pro 3's. They're by far, hands down, the best tablet for music production and performance. They run full-blown ProTools, VST plugins, Ableton Live, and the full suite of Native Instruments software. I have USB ports for my external audio hardware and MIDI and the touch interface is delightful for on-screen faders and drawing waveforms and envelope curves.

        I don't care if I'm a niche. I love my Surface Pro 3's. Somebody finally made something exactly the way I need it.

        You cannot produce professional music on any iPad. All of the external hardware are toys and the music apps are nothing but gimmick.

        • i also dabble in music, and while I havent gotten a pro yet, pretty much every DJ i work with has gotten rid of their apple products for a pro for the reasons you listed.

          yeah DJ is niche, but not really when every kid in HS thinks he can be a DJ and gets mommy and daddy to buy it for them. even if they dont go anywhere.

          the surface pro is to DJs today what the mac was to audio/video people 10-15 years ago

          • while I havent gotten a pro yet, pretty much every DJ i work with has gotten rid of their apple products for a pro for the reasons you listed.

            Thursday I recorded a blues band outside on Maxwell Street with 4 mics, a little 8channel mixer/interface and a Surface Pro. The workflow with the touch screen is just brilliant. I didn't even bring the Surface's keyboard with me. The guy who was recording the video was shocked at how easily I set up and mixed the sound on the fly. The sound needed almost no pos

        • I have an SP3 at work and I like it. For my use case it is a desktop replacement that sometimes I can quickly take with me to meetings or home on the bus etc.
          I understand it's not for everyone, but after previewing Win10, I think MS are at least back in the game (after a shocker with Win Phone 7/Win8).

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by phayes ( 202222 )

        Not according to the sales figures I've seen where Surface sales figures are minuscule compared to IPads & android tablets. For every person saying "I want a PC equivalent tablet and am willing to pay the price in weight and reduced battery time", there are thousands that aren't.

  • The USA online price of Nexus 9 is in the neighborhood of $400, depending on storage configuration. Overall it's a great package, but google dropped the ball here by omitting the sd card slot. sd card is the only reason I bought a Samsung Galaxy Tab S instead.

  • If a tree falls in the woods... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by jtara ( 133429 ) on Saturday June 13, 2015 @04:53PM (#49905617)

    IOW, who cares?

    In any case, the spin is opposite to reality. The remarkable thing here is that an iPad Air2 nearly matches the performance of an I5 notebook replacement...

    • Nearly. Except for a whole bunch of stuff it can't match a laptop on (eg mouse input). Even the most hardcore Apple Fanboys don't use an iPad as a laptop replacement so in your own words, who cares?

  • Not the whole story (Score:5, Interesting)

    by pushing-robot ( 1037830 ) on Saturday June 13, 2015 @05:05PM (#49905681)

    Geekbench's own numbers [primatelabs.com] put the iPad Air at 4528, only 10% off the i5. Which is astounding, because five years ago Intel's ULV CPUs were hitting 2000-2500 on the same benchmark while Apple's new A4 was 200.

    The flagship ARM CPUs cost a tenth as much as Intel's chips, consume a fraction of the power, and have been roughly doubling performance every year while Intel has virtually plateaued*. If that trend continues, by the end of this year they'll have surpassed Intel on virtually every metric.

    Of course, AMD reached pole position a decade ago until Intel's Core 2 decisively took back the lead. Intel may repeat history with Skylake; if not, the computer world could get a lot more interesting over the next few years.

    (*on clock speed and IPC they're been scarcely improving 10% a year; IPW is increasing somewhat faster but still well behind ARM designs)

  • Closer than I expected (Score:4)

    by CODiNE ( 27417 ) on Saturday June 13, 2015 @05:08PM (#49905701) Homepage

    It's been interesting how ARM has been gradually getting closer to desktop performance, while Intel has been getting their TPD down. The real metric however is cost. For Apple or even MS, being able to shave another $200 off their price by ditching Intel for ARM is tempting. Now MS, having its bad experience with ARM is less likely to for it, whereas Apple is definitely at least internally testing desktop ARM chips. With their LLVM work and now Metal on Mac the change is a lot easier than their PPC--> Intel was. Now a quad core A8X or whatever their A9 is going to be should nudge it up past that last 25% or so and it would cost them way less.

    It looks like MS dropped ARM too soon. That and they totally botched their transition. Looks like Apple is gonna pull it off and regular users may not even notice the switch. Just gradually converge from both ends til one day your laptop also runs iPad apps.

  • What a stupid comparison! (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Lumpy ( 12016 ) on Saturday June 13, 2015 @05:26PM (#49905787) Homepage

    surface pro 3 is not a tablet. it's a pc. And it's worthless without it's keyboard, everyone that owns one knows this.

    Disclaimer, I own one.

    • surface pro 3 is not a tablet. it's a pc.

      It's still a tablet. Tablets were generally made out of PCs before Apple convinced half of the world that they invented them. I used to own a TC1100 tablet.

    • I had an SP1 and now own a Dell Venue 11 Pro (competitor to the Surface/Pro 3). What exactly is the problem with it? I realize it depends a lot on the applications you run, but that is true of any device. For example, if you're using it to run Putty... then no, the SP or its competitors are going to suck. However, if you're using it as a content consumption device, which let's be honest is exactly what a tablet is made for and good at... it's awesome. Now, that comes with the caveat that you're either using

    • surface pro 3 is not a tablet. it's a pc. And it's worthless without it's keyboard, everyone that owns one knows this.

      Well that depends on what you're trying to do, if I'm web browsing or using the stylus I generally won't have the keyboard attached, but then I can always attach the keyboard and use AutoCAD or play Team Fortress. I don't have to switch devices just because I switched use cases.

      And I'll put this here because, based on some of the comments this is clearly an emotional topic for some people so: No I'm not suggesting this is a common case or a use case that everybody should have or that ipads are bad or that t

  • Cost - Whatever, it's about capability. (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Funny people comparing cost. Apple stuff was (still is expensive)... Surface Pro 3 is not cheap either. That being said, the evaluation was done on performance, not cost. Folks, you need to realize that the surface pro 3 is a full blown computer, not simply a tablet. I purchased a Surface Pro 3 last year. The device is solid. I prefer it over my apple macbook pro - don't kid yourself, the keyboard on the Surface is way better than the Apple MBP. It replaced my table, laptop and desktop computer(s).

  • But the weight? (Score:3)

    by bobstreo ( 1320787 ) on Saturday June 13, 2015 @06:31PM (#49906081)

    According to specs the surface pro 3 weighs about 1.76 pounds.

    Nexus 9 weighs about 0.961 pounds

    Ipad air 2 with cellular weighs about: 0.98 pound (444 g)

    Ipad air 2 with wifi weighs about Weight: 0.96 pound (437 g)

    Macbook Air weighs about 2.38 pounds

  • If we're going to compare architectures on a tech site, can we at least acknowledge the fact that we're not using a credible benchmarking methodology? And linking to Which? Really?

    Geekbench is basically useless for comparing different architectures. It's barely even useful for comparing systems on the same architecture. There's a big emphasis on crypto routines that are usually hardware accelerated and already orders of magnitude faster than IO on any system you care to name. A lot of their other tests are

  • Computers (laptops, tablets) long ago surpassed the point where bench marks matter to most of us.

    They are faster than we need them to be except for cutting edge stuff.

    Of course each faction will tout a benchmark if it shows them in a good light or ignore it if it does not.

    But it's meaningless noise. There are many other factors which have significant weight in the decision process besides performances on an arbitrary set of tasks.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by ledow ( 319597 )

      I have to agree.

      I'd rather have a bigger / better screen than a slightly faster processor.
      I'd rather have more battery life than a slightly faster processor.
      I'd rather have more storage than a slightly faster processor.
      I'd rather have more RAM than a slightly faster processor.
      I'd rather have two slower processors than one fast one.

      I don't even look at processor speed any more. I buy hundreds of machines every year and it doesn't even factor any more. Who cares? They all meet what would be my minimum spec

  • Breaking News!!!!! (Score:4, Insightful)

    by plebeian ( 910665 ) on Sunday June 14, 2015 @05:05AM (#49907911)
    A $900 tablet is faster than a $500 tablet. Who would have guessed that you can pay almost twice as much for something that is 30% faster on certain benchmark tests. I actually like the Surface Pro 3, but this article is more of a fanboy blog post than a real review of a product.

  • For $300 more it better outperform the iPad. (Score:3)

    by jpellino ( 202698 ) on Sunday June 14, 2015 @12:31PM (#49909335)
    So a 20% difference in speed for a 30% difference in price. Good to know.

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