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iPad Pro Does the iPad Pro make sense anymore?
- Thread starter ian87w
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I have had a play with a M1 MBA now. It is nice and quick, apps are very snappy. It is cheaper than the the previous model MBA - which I couldn't get my head around.
But it's still a laptop. It's not like the segment has been redefined. After I got used to how quick it was I didn't think "well that's my iPad dead" because it doesn't do anything my MBP can do (ok - it can run iPad OS apps which means nothing in a business use case) it just does what my MBP can do faster and quieter!! If I was replacing the MBP now for another laptop I would 100% go for the M1 MBA.
For me, the versatility of the IPP still sets it apart from a laptop.
But it's still a laptop. It's not like the segment has been redefined. After I got used to how quick it was I didn't think "well that's my iPad dead" because it doesn't do anything my MBP can do (ok - it can run iPad OS apps which means nothing in a business use case) it just does what my MBP can do faster and quieter!! If I was replacing the MBP now for another laptop I would 100% go for the M1 MBA.
For me, the versatility of the IPP still sets it apart from a laptop.
This is the exact path I started out with. MBA > MBP > IPP. The only thing I really miss about MacBooks are the pro apps (Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro), but those are rumored to be coming to iPads.
iPads also have cellular options (which even the M1 Macs do not), but if the M1 Macs get that functionality it would be a real game changer. I am interested in an Apple Silicon MacBook Pro 16" so we will wait and see.
It depends I guess. If you ask me to choose only one device between iPad Pro and a laptop (M1 Macbook) I would choose the laptop because for me the iPad can't function as a laptop (lack of real multitasking, lack of proper external support, pure ergonomics) and I need a device that basically has those three things.
Now if I can afford both laptop and iPad, I would like both because of the pencil support (this is the thing I care about as I do not use iPad as a device to watch videos or play games). Problem is for my usage, I kind of prefer the second generation pencil. The first one was a bit uncomfortable for long handwriting sessions and I would get wrist pain. So that leaves me with either iPad Pro (2018 or 2020 model) or iPad Air. Storage wise I cannot do below 128 GB and even 128 GB is a bit small for me. So this means iPad Air 256 or iPad Pro 256. The price is rather comparable to be honest and it is matter of what discount I might find.
Overall the iPad Pro for me is worth owning because of the pencil and this is the only reason. I don't notice 120 Hz that much, I do not take advantage of the speakers as I do not watch movies on it, and I hate Face ID (in 50 % of the cases it does not work, whenever it does it is slower than Touch ID).
Now if I can afford both laptop and iPad, I would like both because of the pencil support (this is the thing I care about as I do not use iPad as a device to watch videos or play games). Problem is for my usage, I kind of prefer the second generation pencil. The first one was a bit uncomfortable for long handwriting sessions and I would get wrist pain. So that leaves me with either iPad Pro (2018 or 2020 model) or iPad Air. Storage wise I cannot do below 128 GB and even 128 GB is a bit small for me. So this means iPad Air 256 or iPad Pro 256. The price is rather comparable to be honest and it is matter of what discount I might find.
Overall the iPad Pro for me is worth owning because of the pencil and this is the only reason. I don't notice 120 Hz that much, I do not take advantage of the speakers as I do not watch movies on it, and I hate Face ID (in 50 % of the cases it does not work, whenever it does it is slower than Touch ID).
I originally got my 2018 iPad Pro 11 cellular for work travel. I planned on using it as a hotspot for my work laptop. I got it in February and got to use it once before the lockdown because of the virus.
Over the last few months I wished I had an iPad Mini for reading cuz that’s all I’m using my iPad for. But, today, I’m sitting in a car using my iPad Pro with an external keyboard to write this (not driving, don’t worry) - remembering how nice it is to have a bigger iPad that has cellular capacity when I need it.
I’m in management so my use case may be a bit more unique than those actually doing work (cough cough).
Following this thread for awhile - there is rarely a 1 device fits all option. I gotta get out of the mindset of that.
Over the last few months I wished I had an iPad Mini for reading cuz that’s all I’m using my iPad for. But, today, I’m sitting in a car using my iPad Pro with an external keyboard to write this (not driving, don’t worry) - remembering how nice it is to have a bigger iPad that has cellular capacity when I need it.
I’m in management so my use case may be a bit more unique than those actually doing work (cough cough).
Following this thread for awhile - there is rarely a 1 device fits all option. I gotta get out of the mindset of that.
My concern has shifted to "Does the CURRENT iPad Pro make sense anymore?"
For low/mid-range users then any of the current iPads should be fine for years. But for the higher end then I'm not sure anymore. The M1 Mac may help us finally get Pro Apple apps to iPad, but even if that happens then will a 4/6GB iPad be enough or will iPad Pro"users find themselves needing to buy a higher spec machine that fits a new definition of "Pro" iPad.
For low/mid-range users then any of the current iPads should be fine for years. But for the higher end then I'm not sure anymore. The M1 Mac may help us finally get Pro Apple apps to iPad, but even if that happens then will a 4/6GB iPad be enough or will iPad Pro"users find themselves needing to buy a higher spec machine that fits a new definition of "Pro" iPad.
I bought the 2020 Pro over the Air 3 just for the all screen display. Can’t notice the 120hz in my eyes (weird yes), don’t care about the cameras, quad speakers are a nice to have, and the 6gb RAM is a waste to the iPadOS apparently. Yes the studio mic is great, far better than my Sony A7III built in mic. But since the iPad Air 4 is out, I’d recommend the later for just almost everyone.
Really depends on what you're doing. iPads with more RAM can support more layers in Procreate, for example. I get the idea that at least some of the objections to the iPad Pro are from people who don't use the Pencil, and use iPads exclusively for consuming. For them, regular iPads or the Air do make sense. For me, I'd rather have the iPad Pro.
Yes, that is true, I draw on Procreate myself but rarely use so many layers. And I use my iPad Pro as my main computer. Doing light spreadsheet, presentation, editing youtube video content, supervising graphic design final arts (PSD, AI, etc.) and batch photo editing. There’s so little use case for the extra RAM other than Procreate even in my usage scenario. Not even for heavy AAA gaming.
One other advantages of the iPad Pro extra GPU cores compared to the iPad Air 4 is the smoothness in playing heavy games while connecting to external high resolution display. A youtuber confirmed this.
Haha yeah, haven’t got extra time to draw anything serious these past few months ?Sounds like you need to up your Procreate game!
iOS/iPadOS has virtual memory but unlike macOS, it's not backed by storage. Stuff that's offloaded to virtual memory just go poof (hence app and Safari tab reloads, etc).
Maybe if/when the iPad Pros go 256GB minimum/base storage, they can actually implement swap to SSD on it ala-macOS.
That’s disappointing with the offloaded memory, if they implemented it on iPad somehow that would be neat.
True. Hopefully, it'll be on iPadOS eventually.
It's a non-starter on 32GB or even 64GB of storage. For one thing, the storage's too small. For another, with so few cells, the risk of reaching P/E cycle limits is non-negligible particularly if they use TLC NAND.
I know you pay close attention to storage and RAM on iPads in order to decide on purchases, but I think most people don't, and those are usually the people who think Apple could just throw macOS on an iPad. The hardware configuration and thermals in an iPad just weren't designed for macOS. It would have to be a completely new platform optimized for the limitations of the hardware.
Not necessarily. The only thing the current iPad Pros are still iffy is low base storage and thermal headroom. Even then, 128GB's actually not too bad for swap. The A12Z with 16GB RAM was essentially the M0, anyway. Besides, they don't have to do it on current gen. They could limit it to future gens.
Apple could ship future iPad Pro models that have higher base config (8GB RAM/256GB base storage) and allow more features on that than the lower end iPads and iPad Airs don't have.
I certainly don't think that Apple would just slap macOS on it. Whether it's on the iPad Pro or a new product category, they'll likely optimize the experience (best of both world so to speak) before it's ready for public release. Granted, timeline's probably going to be well after the Mac transition to Apple silicon is complete.
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I always saw the ipad pro as a crippled machine, I had the first gen model, and I really liked it, but I never did any serious work on it, it had too many limitations for me. it was great for what I was using it for, consumption and pdf markups, while on a jobsite. I needed the tablet form factor, but also needed to be able to run other software that was not available on the ipad, so it got replaced with a surface pro, with crappy battery life. Back in 2008 we had a few Modbooks, they were macbooks that were converted to a tablet, with a wacom digitizer, they had no touch screen, they were very popular in our office, this is what I always wished the ipad pro would become. The fact that the new M1 can run ipad apps, really blurs the lines, and it seems that the merging of the 2 is the ideal situation for the pro line.
So does it make sense ? for some people yes, it fits a specific need.
So does it make sense ? for some people yes, it fits a specific need.
For me it made total sense as my do-everything modular machine UP UNTIL the new M1 chip came out. My Pencil usage had really tanked after getting the MK for it, and I wasn't using it much for couch/bed surfing anymore either. It was like once I realized how nice it could be as a laptop (for my tasks, at least) I didn't care much about using it as anything BUT a laptop after that. I had my 12 Pro Max for everything I wanted a touch screen for, and all the iPad apps I was worried about losing out on all work fine on Mac now, other than the Affinity apps, which I had to re-buy.
Add that together with the 15+ hour battery life, power of the M1, and thin and light footprint, and there was no reason NOT to just switch back to Mac full time. I think people who are bagging on the iOS app compatibility right now are losing the forest for the trees. I truly believe it's going to get better and is just a band-aid for now. The end goal here (I think) is that every app works well on every platform and that it's super easy for devs to make that happen. We're not there yet, but there's no reason we can't get there eventually, and it may happen quicker than some people think.
Ah, yes. The Modbook! I loved that thing!
Lets hope that the new one they're working on actually comes out.
It's a crippled machine if you're expecting it to be a full laptop replacement. I don't think cross-platform app compatibility blurs the lines as much as people wish it did - those who do seem to be the ones who want the iPad to become a true laptop replacement instead of being a powerful tablet. For touch-optimized apps, there's little reason to try and run them on a Mac, as you'd need additional hardware to make that viable, or for the developer to go to the effort of coding in another interface for desktop/laptop users. The form factors are still too different; the iPad is readily usable without a keyboard, while the Mac is useless without one.
App compatibility is fine for programs where it really doesn't matter what interface you use, but for apps that are touch-dependent and really make use of the iPad (such as Procreate), they don't translate well to macOS. It's still going to be a band-aid for such apps unless devs create multiple interfaces that change depending on the platform. At least one reason we won't get there for a while (if ever) is that Apple typically keeps platforms separate, even if ideas and technology cross-pollinate, and it would also cut into their potential profits. Perhaps if they released some sort of actual hybrid tablet/laptop then every app going on every platform would be logical, but I think that's more a dream of the people wanting one device that does everything.