 Last week, Apple introduced the iPad Pro, and last month, Microsoft introduced the new Surface Pro. It's a really big tablet that's meant to be used with a keyboard case, and can be used with a stylus. They're the same type of device, but they're used in some pretty different ways. The iPad Pro is still very much a tablet. Its keyboard type's great, but you still have to rely on touch to get around. And the Surface Pro is really a full laptop. You can use the touch screen, but there's also a full trackpad and keyboard controls too. The iPad Pro is so natural when you're using it with touch. It's an iOS device after all, so literally every app is designed for it. The Surface Pro does a much better job when you want to keep your hands on the keyboard. Windows is designed for the desktop first after all, so touch can be a little bit awkward. That difference extends to apps. All of my favorite iPad apps are here, which means I can use some really powerful and free versions of Photoshop. But that's still mobile Photoshop. I can use actual Photoshop on the Surface. That's the kind of difference that's going to make it hard for pros to pick the iPad Pro. The real professional apps just aren't here yet. On the other hand, touch support isn't quite as strong in Windows apps. So if you're looking for a tablet first and foremost, there might be reason to think twice about choosing the Surface. One thing that artists will love is the iPad Pro's stylus. It's one of the best I've ever used. The Surface Pen can be a little bit less natural, but I love that it has an eraser. Every stylus should have one. I really wish the Apple Pencil had an eraser, but it is really responsive and has amazing palm rejection. Although, quality will vary from app to app. Same goes for the Surface. My handwriting looks beautiful in OneNote, but less so elsewhere. The iPad is also much more limited when it comes to the kickstand. It only has this one angle, and putting it together feels like folding origami. Here that's not a problem. With the Surface, the kickstand is built into the back, so it's really easy to move, and you can put it at pretty much any angle. You either like this one angle, or you get a new keyboard. Here you're good with pretty much anything. The one angle also isn't great for balancing in your lap, because it has this short keyboard it constantly feels like it's about to fall over. On the Surface, the keyboard can be a little bit bouncy, but you don't have to worry about it falling at all. Part of that has to do with the iPad's size. It's a little bit taller and a little bit wider than the Surface. It almost feels like a big book, which is kind of nice. The Surface feels a bit more like a flipboard. It's a little bit smaller, but it's a little bit heavier too. You can run two side-by-side apps on both. They look really big and nice on the iPad. But chances are, you'll get a bit more done with two desktop apps on the Surface. And that's what's so interesting here. The history of these two devices colors so much of how you use them. The iPad Pro is a tablet first, and the Surface Pro is a laptop first. Both are trying to be right in the center, but for now you have to choose which side you want the most.