Microsoft has declared that its product, the Microsoft Surface Pro 7, is superior to its rival Apple's product, the iPad Pro. This is surely a shocking development that will shake the tech industry to its very foundations.

In the 30-second commercial, Microsoft points out numerous differences between the Surface Pro 7 and Apple's iPad Pro.

Microsoft's arguments for computing superiority include the following. First, the Surface has a kickstand, while the iPad does not. This is true, of course; the iPad certainly does not have a thin strip of metal that digs into your feet.

Second, it is emphasized that the Surface's keyboard "clicks into place." The commercial makes no mention of an installation sound that rivals the iPad's keyboard. It only points out that it is "heavy" and does not mention that the Surface Pro is generally a heavier machine, weighing 1.74 pounds compared to the iPad's 1.41 pounds; the difference in weight between the Surface Pro 7's typing keyboard and Apple's Folio case is only 0.2 pounds, an earth-shattering It's not an earth-shattering weight.

Another advantage cited is that the Surface has "all kinds of ports." There is some truth here: the Surface does indeed have a headphone jack, which is very useful. Also, the Surface has both USB-C and USB-A, whereas the iPad only has USB-C. Microsoft also has a special Microsoft Port, which can be used with a dongle for a display or an additional USB port. For some reason, aside from the ridicule of Apple, they have not mentioned dongles.

If everyone ignores the fact that almost everything is done wirelessly these days, it is certainly fair to say that Apple could end up with a cable mess. With wireless keyboards, mice, Apple's own touchpads, and headphones, and tools like AirDrop, the need for a wired connection is much less of a necessity. But if you want to carry a wired mouse with you, the Surface makes it easier.

There is no mention of the screen, which is understandable since in our tests the iPad is much better at 559 nits versus the Surface's 395 nits. Color reproduction is also better on the Apple, and it supports HDR playback, while the Surface does not.

Perhaps the biggest difference between the two is battery life. i7 Comparing the Surface Pro to the iPad Pro, the iPad lasted 2 hours longer. In our web surfing test, the iPad Pro lasted 10 hours and 16 minutes versus 7 minutes and 52 seconds for the Surface Pro 7. But this is still a big part of people's choices when it comes to the machines they use every day.

Again, Microsoft betrays its own backward-looking attitude toward tablets, claiming that the iPad is "just" a tablet and the Surface is both a tablet and a PC. This seems far more rooted in Microsoft's x86 computing heritage than anything else. Customers will not buy an i3 Surface for gaming, and tablets can be as productive as laptops for everyday tasks.

As for price, it is not so surprising that Apple will be more expensive. But remember that the Surface on which these calculations are based does not apply to a more powerful CPU and better storage options. In fact, the Surface becomes more expensive considerably faster than the iPad when you add more storage and a faster CPU. It is also worth pointing out that the A12Z processor in the iPad is very close in performance to the i7 that Microsoft uses in its top-of-the-line Surface models.

If you are actually curious about the relative merits of these machines, we spent more than 30 seconds comparing them. The results are detailed in Apple iPad Pro vs. Microsoft Surface Pro 7.