Apple - iPad mini (7th gen) vs Microsoft - Surface Go 4

The Surface Go 4 edges ahead on the Mars Score (44.7 vs 49.1), but the 4.4-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.

Pick the iPad mini (7th gen) if the display is what you stare at all day — refresh rate, brightness, or sharpness is where the difference will be most visible. The biggest gaps in its favor are weight, peak brightness.

Pick the Surface Go 4 if the display is what you stare at all day — refresh rate, brightness, or sharpness is where the difference will be most visible. Its strongest claims are screen size.

Both ship with comparable ram, storage, refresh rate, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.

Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity tells you both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.