Earlier today, Apple announced the launch of an iPad with a retina display and 128GB of storage. Â The launch of this tablet on February 5th can have only one purpose – to kill the Surface Pro before it hits the ground.
In addition to the launch of the iPad, Apple released iOS 6.1, which adds LTE compatibility. The new tablet will cost of $799 (Wi-Fi only) – a price that is exactly $100 less than the 64GB Surface Pro but with double the memory.  Add cellular capability and the cost however, goes to $929.
This is a sucker punch thrown by Apple with bad intentions. Â Coming four days before Microsoft’s last gasp effort to make noise in the tablet arena, this seems to be perfectly designed to ensure that the Surface Pro fails.
Notice that the 128GB capacity screams “enterprise!” all over. Â This tablet is designed to turn heads in the enterprise and ensure that Apple’s leadership in the mobile enterprise does not falter. Â The reality now is that there are multiple enterprise scenarios where the iPad is a natural choice i.e., doctor’s, nurses, warehouses, delivery workers, practically and worker on the move – not to talk of BYOD workers.
I had written – to great umbrage – last week about how the $899 price of the Surface Pro was a huge mistake. Â Now it is being cleverly exploited by a ruthless Apple, determined to steal Microsoft’s thunder. Â It doesn’t make it any better to hear that the 64GB Surface Pro will only have 23GB usable since the OS occupies 41GB.
Is this as bad as I think it is for Microsoft? Â Tell me what you think in the discussion below.
All Comments
128GB on iPad? What for? The storage is not really used in the same way as a laptop or something similar such as the Surface Pro. “doctor’s, nurses, warehouses, delivery workers” – What are they going to use that’s going to consume 128GB data? I can see people who edit videos requiring that much space, but professional video editing on an iPad? Not can the iPad do it, but is it the tool of choice for these people? Many, many people own iPads, thats true, but when it comes to 32GB, 64GB or 128GB, surely they are only asking themselves – “How many movies, albums and photos am I going to want to store on this thing?”. I don’t believe putting 128GB in an iPad magically makes it more suitable for enterprise or professionals.
The Surface has an i5 processor, the ipod has a cell phone processor. It’s not even a fair fight. You can run photoshop, office, skyrim, pretty much anything you want on the surface. The Ipad only runs apps.