Apple - iPad mini (7th gen) vs Microsoft - Surface Pro 12

These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (59.2 vs 58.7). The decision is not about overall quality — both clear the bar — it is about which specific trade-offs fit your use.

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. The single most decisive one: Weight — 393.00 g less. 293 vs 686.

Pick the Surface Pro 12 if you care most about ram / storage. Its strongest claims are ram, storage, refresh rate, among others. The single most decisive one: RAM — 100.00% more. 16 GB vs 8 GB.

Both ship with comparable stylus support, so those specs do not 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 says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.