Yeah I fully understand that, but although the software is going to take time, that doesn’t seem to be the case for the hardware, the hardware is quite easily 5 years ahead of the software, but I suppose the hardware is what sells the device in Apples eyes.
If by software you mean same software as Macs, then sure.
For myself, most of the tasks I do for personal use (primarily web and reading) can be easily accomplished on an iPad. I realize one might ask why not just get a basic iPad for those? Well, I like having large local storage and browsing 100+ tabs would be reload city on low RAM.
Theoretically, a $300 Atom/Celeron-based laptop with 4GB RAM and 128-256GB SSD will run practically all the same apps as a $1000 ThinkPad. I still get the ThinkPad for the nicer display, more RAM, more storage and better keyboard. Same thing with iPads. The basic iPad might do the things I need but the Pros provide a nicer experience.
Personally I think that Apple are usually fantastic at matching their hardware and software perfectly (e.g. watchOS, iOS, tvOS, MacOS), but I just feel that anyone buying the latest iPad Pro at this time are not going to be utilising the devices full potential for at least 4-5 years minimum, by which point the battery health will be that degraded it will be time to sell and upgrade anyway, which makes me feel like what is the actual point?!?
I can certainly appreciate the extra RAM now. It may be limited for single apps but it has greatly improved multitasking. I experience far less reloads compared to my old 2017 Pro (4GB RAM). The 2017 Pro, I’ve had to reboot 2-3x a week so apps wouldn’t force close due to lack of memory.
The Mini-LED display’s been nice for videos as well albeit that’s not a make or break feature for me.
Personally I feel like forking out $1000+ for a piece of hardware which won’t be fully utilised for another 4-5 years seems very much like buying a a fully spec’d out MacBook Pro to watch YouTube videos and check email.
Mind, even back in the early days, the iPad configurations I wanted weren’t exactly cheap either especially with 10% sales tax.
$770 iPad 2 64GB WiFi
$910 iPad 3 64GB LTE
$1120 iPad 4 128GB LTE + AC+
From the get-go, I knew Apple had a different vision for the iPad. Heck, iPads were even more limited back when I started using them (iPad 2 circa 2011). Functionality has actually improved a lot compared to those days.
I didn’t buy the iPad because I wanted to replace my computer. I bought one because I’ve been wanting a tablet to read manga on and the Windows slates/convertibles I’ve tried all suck (expensive, heavy, slow, overheats, poor battery life). Over the years, hardware and software improvements to the iPad have made it so I rarely need to use my PC anymore. Only time I need the PC now is when I need to rip Blu-rays, DeDRM ebooks, jailbreaking Kindles, server duties, etc.
For me, it boils down to utility. My personal use is around 80-90% iPads, 5-10% iPhone and 5-10% PC. Even before the “What’s a computer ads”, I realized majority of my home use, I can do on an iPad. For my usage, it makes better sense to splurge on iPads which get 8+ hours use everyday rather than a laptop which may get used once a month or something.
Besides, getting the iPad Pros is more like buying the $1999-2499 14-16” MBP because you want the screen size/features. Maxed out would be if one’s getting the $5899-6099 models for no good reason.
