Microsoft’s new Surface Go ad blasts iPad as a child’s toy

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Surface Go ad 2018
Don’t give an iPad, apparently.
Photo: Microsoft

Think twice about buying your little ones an iPad for Christmas. Once they reach a certain age, Apple’s tablet just isn’t good enough, according to a new Microsoft holiday ad.

The hilarious 30-second clip features a young girl singing about all the reasons why the Surface Go is a better option. It suggests the iPad is a toy — not a “real computer” that’s fit for work.

With the recent launch of the new iPad Pro lineup, there’s been a lot of debate (again) over whether or not the iPad is a real computer. It’s good enough to replace a laptop for some, but its mobile operating system falls short for many.

Microsoft highlights this in its new Surface Go ad for the holidays, which might just be one of its best Surface ads to date.

’My dreams are big so I need a real computer’

“Grandma don’t run out and buy an iPad,” a young girl sings to the tune of Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. “Fine when I was six but now I’m ten. My dreams are big so I need a real computer, to do all the amazing things I know I can.”

“Surface Go is what I’m really wanting, to be the smartest me that I can be.”

https://youtu.be/8g8ZR0KY7M4

It’s cute and funny, and it certainly points out one of the advantages Surface Go has over the iPad. Microsoft’s device runs Windows 10 — the complete desktop version — and offers all the things you would traditionally expect from a computer.

The Surface Go is also significantly more affordable than most iPads. Starting at just $399, it’s considerably cheaper than the iPad Pro lineup, and only $70 more expensive than the 9.7-inch iPad. But there’s just one problem.

Surface Go isn’t an iPad

The Surface Go might be a “real computer” that serves as a laptop replacement, but it isn’t an iPad replacement. There’s a reason why the iPad is by far the most popular tablet, despite being more expensive than most.

Most of the people who buy an iPad don’t want to run desktop apps; they want to run iOS apps. And many of those iOS apps cannot be found on Windows, which also misses out on services like iMessage and FaceTime, which kids love.

If your child asks for an iPad for Christmas, then, don’t buy them a Surface Go. Support for external hard drives won’t make up for the fact that the apps, services, and ease of use they were hoping for don’t come with a Surface tablet.

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