Marketing does not create repeat purchases, and Apple iPad owners have a much higher retention rate than Android owners. The same is true for the iPhone. It is the USER EXPERIENCE that sells, and retains Apple products.

iOS is not OS X in the sense most people mean in; the fact that there is a second sense of OS X (the Darwin kernel, etc) which runs behind OS X is an irrelevance, and is rather like saying "Android is Linux" -- well, if you're an embedded Linux developer looking to modify the Android OS, that's a useful truth... for pretty much anyone else, it's a factoid that happens to be true, but not in anyway useful.

To most people, what OS something runs is the combination of the UI (almost completely different in both cases, even if it's something that runs on TOP of the underlying OS kernel and libraries, which might or might not be hte same) and even more importantly, the software it can run. And in that case, Android, iOS, OS X, and Linux are all almost entirely unrelated.

"Gadget" is in the eye of the beholder. :

The opposite: while RT still has a desktop mode, you pretty much can't get software for it. RT only takes software compiled specifically for RT, which is only available via Microsoft's store, which only accepts "modern UI" software (at this point, at least.)

They're both full x86 PCs (and could be reformatted with Win 7, Linux, whatever you want, although they'd be pretty awkward with anything but Windows 8 or maybe the touch flavors of Ububtu.)

Don't discount ecosystem lock-in.

I have no prejudice against Apple, but am getting on very well with my Nexus 7 since getting it in December 12..

I use a small adaptor (�1.69) to allow use of USB peripherals such as pen drives and bigger portable drives.

I've used it at a number of trade shows and meetings to show installation videos of our equipment while talking to customers - the speed and quality is outstanding.
(of course you could use a larger tablet for this too but the 7" suits me better)

I use Evernote on it to take notes in meetings (now that I've mastered "swiping" words on the keyboard)


I even got one for my technophobic wife, which she gets on fine with too (she only uses it for Skyping the kids, checking out wedding photos and local properties for sale and catching up on Coronation St)

Marketing /= advertising, which is what I think you mistook me for saying.

And I'd disagree on the point you make: overall, marketing does create repeat business, along with, as someone else pointed out, lock in. That's why it (marketing, and the subsection of it, advertising) exists.

i don't know about a galaxy tablet but i've done it with an ipad on more than one occasion, although the upload was not to flickr.

why do you think it can't be done?

mobile boarding pass.

an ipad is a tablet computer. it is not a gadget any more than an ultrabook laptop is a gadget.

ah, used wrong wording in last post.

"surface pro"

unbelievable that microsoft beat apple to market

huh? microsoft is playing catchup to apple in the tablet space. the surface tablets (and windows 8 for that matter) aren't exactly a runaway success either.

To plenty of people ANY computer is a gadget.

again, i like OSX, and only use it at the moment, but will never buy an apple product that does not run OSX

why? that's just silly.

tablets are not a replacement for a laptop or a desktop, whether it's an ipad or an android tablet, and running the same desktop apps on a tablet makes very little sense. they need to be redesigned for touch.

tablets are a new form factor with apps that could never exist on a traditional computer.

RT and Pro are different. Pro is like a full fledged laptop, RT is closer to an iPad. It has a desktop, but it's only good for File Explorer, Office, and other system stuff - can't install desktop apps.

How did you do that? My iPad doesn't have an SD card slot (Surface does) or a USB port (Surface does). My iPad could print to special airplay printers, but I didn't have one, nor did my office, my local bestbuy or any hotel I've ever been to. My iPad also doesn't have a file browser or decent office apps.

Basically any PC USB accessories work with the Surface which is just awesome. I plug in a mouse when I need to really work on a powerpoint deck (touch just doesn't do it for that), I can plug in my clicker for when I'm on the road doing presentations.. the flexibility of a real USB port is just great. Printers, USB keys, mice, keyboards, you name it they just work.

It's a bit slow and clunky at times compared to the ipad, but it's so functional. I can't wait for a faster one to come out.

If I were a consumer that only needed a tablet for web browsing and playing with apps I'd probably still go iPad though. But if you find yourself carrying a work laptop AND an iPad like I did, the Surface is a good option.

get the camera connection kit. pop an sd card in or connect directly to the camera via usb. works great.

another side benefit of the camera connection kit is that it works with some usb peripherals, such as usb keyboards and microphones. however, i find a bluetooth keyboard is far more convenient for the rare times i need a keyboard.

many printers these days support airprint and they are definitely available at best buy and other stores. walmart lists 36 different ones, starting at under $60, while best buy has 6.

another option is run an app on your computer (mac or windows) that supports airprint, making any printer connected to that computer (direct or network) airprint capable. that might not work so well in a hotel unless you can install it on one of their machines, but as i said, mobile boarding pass.

it doesn't need the former and apple's keynote, numbers and pages are quite good. microsoft is working on office for the ipad but supposedly they're delaying it so to not cannibalize surface.

Well, I already have a surface now and honestly I'm not looking back.

Keynote, numbers, and pages are *terrible* if you need them for work. They did the absolute basics but that's about it. They couldn't use half the documents I needed to open. I can't project from an iPad, and none of our global offices have airprint printers so the fact that you can technically go buy airprint printers doesn't help me.

And the touch cover is just awesome.

If Office was out for iPad back when I still had one that might've swayed me, but I'm really happy that I switched for my usage. I wouldn't tell my mom to go get a Surface because for her an iPad is better, but for my needs the Surface is way better.

Even with Office on an iPad I still couldn't project, open files, go to file shares, connect to office printers, use USB keys, etc. I'd still have to carry a laptop AND the iPad.

Like I said, jack of all trades, master of none. iPad is definitely better at lots of things, but it can't replace my laptop.

yes you can. get an ipad-vga or ipad-hdmi adapter. works quite well. there are lightning port versions available too.

install airprint software (i dont remember what it's called) on a machine in the office somewhere.

yes, it is, and there are now similar keyboard covers for the ipad too.

an ipad is not intended to be a laptop replacement. if you spend your days using microsoft office, then you want a laptop, but for other tasks, an ipad can be more suitable. there's no one system that does everything well.

how do you know what microsoft office on an ipad can or can't do, when it hasn't been released yet? also, your list is rather amusing. what good would an office app be if it could not open files? of course it's going to open files.

it's not supposed to replace a laptop, but surprisingly, for many people it does.