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Windows 8 tablet outscores iPad in new Microsoft video spot

The new baseball-themed ad pits the iPad's multitasking abilities against those of a Windows 8 tablet. Guess who wins?

Lance Whitney Contributing Writer
Lance Whitney is a freelance technology writer and trainer and a former IT professional. He's written for Time, CNET, PCMag, and several other publications. He's the author of two tech books--one on Windows and another on LinkedIn.
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The iPad up at bat against a Windows 8 tablet.
The iPad up at bat against a Windows 8 tablet. YouTube/Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET

Microsoft takes us out to the ballgame with its latest anti-iPad spot.

Dubbed "Windows 8: Baseball," the new ad challenges both the iPad and a Windows 8 tablet to come up with stats for prospective ballplayers trying to earn a spot on the team. Naturally, the guy with the Windows 8 tablet is able to quickly and smoothly hit the right information with just a few taps. The luckless fellow stuck with the iPad runs into multitaking problems and video connection glitches.

In the end, the Windows 8 tablet naturally scores the most runs, leaving the iPad in the dust. The spot ends with the slogan: "Do two things at once without dropping the ball."

So, was the final score fair?

Microsoft does offer a dedicated Sports app with Windows 8. It's a slick app, and it does let you look up stats and other info for players. But a variety of sports apps are also up at bat for the iPad, allowing you to find pretty much the same information. If this were a real ballgame, I'd say the two teams would be pretty evenly matched.