Four Reasons the Microsoft Surface Go is better than the iPad for students

While Microsoft has always been associated as the go to for productivity and education, Apple over the years have been inching into market by replacing laptops with their iPad lineup. Microsoft recently released the Surface Go, as an affordable variant in the Surface lineup and an alternate to the Apple iPad. Here are four reasons why the Microsoft Surface Go is a better option for students than the Apple iPad.

Microsoft Software

While the Apple iPad was originally released as a companion product, over the years it has become powerful enough to replace portable laptops as a full productivity device. With the inclusion of a keyboard and pencil accessory an iPad can be the perfect companion product for a student.

However, Microsoft's software and hardware solutions are still preferred among schools. According to consulting firm Futuresource, Microsoft hardware had 44% of the global education market in May. Microsoft brings enterprise-class collaboration, Teams for Education, device management, and Intune for Education with devices like Surface Go. This is complemented by an industry-leading cloud and enterprise-grade first-party software like Office 365 for Education.

Surface Go in education is backed by the weight of what makes Microsoft an enterprise success. And though Microsoft offers its apps across all platforms, the integration with Microsoft's services gives the user a much more fluid experience across all the apps and services.

Additionally, using Microsoft services in schools will prepare students entering the workforce, where Microsoft driven solutions are common. Having experience with using Microsoft's ecosystem will quickly familiarize users with what they can expect when they use Microsoft collaboration and device management tools like Teams and Office 365.

Microsoft Ink

While purchasing an Apple Pencil with your iPad gives you access to digital inking, Microsoft's Windows Ink is integrated with Windows and other software in a more broad way. Microsoft built Windows 10 from ground up to include support for inking input alongside the keyboard, mouse, voice and touch, and this is evident when you use the Surface Go.

You will be able to launch apps like OneNote or other Windows Ink Workspace apps using the Surface Pen. You can also use the pen to write on Office Documents, web pages on Microsoft Edge, emails in Microsoft Mail and more. The dimensions and ergonomics of the Surface Go make it a perfect alternate to the notepad.

By making Microsoft Ink available across all aspects of Windows, you will be able to naturally interact and create digital content through writing on your Surface Go.

More Versatile

The Surface Go is a fully fledged Windows device, despite its modest hardware and size. The device is capable of doing anything a full desktop computer can do, only limited by the power of its hardware. Tablets like the iPad are still limited to their app ecosystems and don't support additional hardware like a mouse.


More Options from OEMs

While the entry-level Surface Go is still slightly more costly than the basic iPad, it sets a blueprint for OEMs to build their own affordable iPad alternates. Other manufactures will soon have their own Windows tablets in the market to give users a wider range of options to choose from over the iPad.