iPad Pro Is iPad Pro moving in the wrong direction?

[Scott Sherman]

Is it just me or has the iPad Pro moved out of the iPad category and into the MacBook category? Why not just call it the Mac Tablet and stop implying it is an iPad that is a laptop replacement. Is it a laptop, is it a tablet, is it a pro device, is it a consumption device, is it a production device. It seems too expensive to be a MacBook accessory and is just getting to be a Swiss Army knife. Problem with the Swiss Army knife it that no one can carry it around because it got so heavy and thick. At some point, the iPad Pro will have to decide in which camp it will live or be phased out altogether. Because sooner or later, it will not have a reason to exist.

 

[cupcakes2000]

Is it just me or has the iPad Pro moved out of the iPad category and into the MacBook category? Why not just call it the Mac Tablet and stop implying it is an iPad that is a laptop replacement. Is it a laptop, is it a tablet, is it a pro device, is it a consumption device, is it a production device. It seems to expensive to be a MacBook accessory and is just getting to a Swiss Army knife. Problem with the Swiss Army knife it that no one can carry it around because it got so heavy and thick. At some point, the iPad Pro will have to decide in which camp it will live or be phased out altogether. Because sooner or later, it will not have a reason to exist.

Has plenty of reasons to exist for many, many, many people with many, many use cases- normal tablet use, traditional style computing, some phone-like style stuff, some stuff that a ‘real’ computer could never dream of doing.
Not to you perhaps, but if you open your eyes a little it’s easy to see.

 

[Scott Sherman]

Has plenty of reasons to exist for many, many, many people with many, many use cases- normal tablet use, traditional style computing, some phone-like style stuff, some stuff that a ‘real’ computer could never dream of doing.
Not to you perhaps, but if you open your eyes a little it’s easy to see.

I totally agree. iPad will always exist in some form. My question is, What is the true identity of the iPad Pro? Does the world need a $2000 tablet that advertises itself as a pro device which can not really do what a MacBook does. When it will start doing what a MacBook does, will it still be an iPad? If you must buy a keyboard and mouse and connect it to an external monitor, why not just buy a Mac mini? If you are a developer, do you really want to buy a $300 app that you must drag around a screen with your finger and can not really see all the many sliders and adjustment controls like like you can on a Mac? Do you need to pay over $2000 to watch movies and read emails if that is your primary reason for buying a tablet? iPad Pro is not really pro and it is becoming more than just a consumption device. Where does it stop? I can not really see a place for a tablet that is a MacBook or is it a MacBook that is a tablet?

 

[Shanghaichica]

I still like it. The M1 is overkill now and I’m happy with my 2018 iPad Pro 11. However in a few years I will upgrade to another pro. I buy it because I like the form factor, like the quad speakers and pro motion display. However I don’t need it to be a laptop alternative because I have a MacBook Air.

 

[AutomaticApple]

Has plenty of reasons to exist for many, many, many people with many, many use cases- normal tablet use, traditional style computing, some phone-like style stuff, some stuff that a ‘real’ computer could never dream of doing.
Not to you perhaps, but if you open your eyes a little it’s easy to see.

I think most people are using it purely for tablet use. The mouse/keyboard users are somewhat of a minority, unfortunately.

 

[Scott Sherman]

I still like it. The M1 is overkill now and I’m happy with my 2018 iPad Pro 11. However in a few years I will upgrade to another pro. I buy it because I like the form factor, like the quad speakers and pro motion display. However I don’t need it to be a laptop alternative because I have a MacBook Air.

That's my point. Remember, Apple did not put a Mac M1 chip in the iPad, it put the iPad chip in the Mac and relabeled it as M1. M1 is the evolved IOS chip that iPad has been using for years. Soon, all devices will have an M1 chip and then an M2 etc. But they will all be the same. Soon or eventually, all devices or at least all higher end devices will have mini led displays with lower end economy versions having LCD screens. It will be just as easy and pleasurable to watch a movie on a MacBook as on a tablet. At some point, the iPad Pro will become irrelevant.

 

[cupcakes2000]

I totally agree. iPad will always exist in some form. My question is, What is the true identity of the iPad Pro? Does the world need a $2000 tablet that advertises itself as a pro device which can not really do what a MacBook does. When it will start doing what a MacBook does, will it still be an iPad? If you must buy a keyboard and mouse and connect it to an external monitor, why not just buy a Mac mini? If you are a developer, do you really want to buy a $300 app that you must drag around a screen with your finger and can not really see all the many sliders and adjustment controls like like you can on a Mac? Do you need to pay over $2000 to watch movies and read emails if that is your primary reason for buying a tablet? iPad Pro is not really pro and it is becoming more than just a consumption device. Where does it stop? I can not really see a place for a tablet that is a MacBook or is it a MacBook that is a tablet?

Because the simple fact remains, as much as everyone tries to tell everyone what a MacBook can do that an iPad cant, the reverse is also true.
All the stuff macs can do over an iPad is geeky, traditional computing stuff.
Not newfangled cool AR, swipe touch hold, scan a room, write a note, sketch a pic, scan some stuff, take a picture or a video, edit and share, whack it in your backpack, use it on the flight deck or in the OR.

Or get a mac and use terminal or virtualise different os’ or use powerful maths programmes, or render huge Hollywood movies great. But the iPad is full of new and fresh ideas. F*** what a mac can do. You know what I mean?

 

[Warped9]

Nothing stays static. Everything evolves.

The #1 feature of a tablet is its portability. Just as laptops were once THE mobile version of a computer the tablet now offers even more ease of mobility and laptops now often replace desktops for many.

Whereas as a desktop computer was once the thing to have to have a computer in the home or office it has now become pretty much a niche product catering to a narrow demographic with specific requirements. It is no longer a one size fits all.

Laptops have largely replaced desktops except for those with specific requirements. Laptops can offer all the abilities of a desktop with the added bonus of moving it with ease from one location to another. It also doesn’t take up as much room as a desktop.

The tablet has largely replaced the laptop as the preferred mobile computer. It has also made computers much more accessible to ever more people given the majority of them don’t need a workstation like device like a desktop or laptop for their simpler needs.

Something like the iPad Pro is meant to offer the power and capability of a MacBook, but in an eminently more mobile form. It even offers capabilities a MacBook cannot because a MacBook doesn’t have a touchscreen.

Yes, there is a blurring of the lines between devices. The task of the individual is to discern which device best suits their needs.

 

[Mr.Blacky]

I totally agree. iPad will always exist in some form. My question is, What is the true identity of the iPad Pro? Does the world need a $2000 tablet that advertises itself as a pro device which can not really do what a MacBook does. When it will start doing what a MacBook does, will it still be an iPad? If you must buy a keyboard and mouse and connect it to an external monitor, why not just buy a Mac mini? If you are a developer, do you really want to buy a $300 app that you must drag around a screen with your finger and can not really see all the many sliders and adjustment controls like like you can on a Mac? Do you need to pay over $2000 to watch movies and read emails if that is your primary reason for buying a tablet? iPad Pro is not really pro and it is becoming more than just a consumption device. Where does it stop? I can not really see a place for a tablet that is a MacBook or is it a MacBook that is a tablet?

A MacBook does many things an iPad Pro can do either not at all or worse. The same thing applies the other way to, of course.

 

[Mr.Blacky]

I think most people are using it purely for tablet use. The mouse/keyboard users are somewhat of a minority, unfortunately.

Why is that unfortunate? 🤨

 

[one more]

Soon or eventually, all devices or at least all higher end devices will have mini led displays with lower end economy versions having LCD screens. It will be just as easy and pleasurable to watch a movie on a MacBook as on a tablet. At some point, the iPad Pro will become irrelevant.

Do not forget the weight and size factor! Some of us use our iPads for work on the go, so the lighter and slimmer it is, the better. I also work with three different languages, so the virtual keyboard is great. If your workflow is better on a MacBook - great. However, for some of us, an iPad is still a very useful computing tool, despite its current limitations.

 

[Momof9]

As a graphic designer, I would need a higher end MacBook Pro + Wacom Tablet (NOT portable)..... But I can do it way better on the iPad Pro- way portable!!! I LOVE the pencil - it is fantastic for drawing etc. I do have a Mac mini, I bought after getting the iPad Pro's... its for external drives, printer set up etc. There were very few things I needed to do on a PC, but hated each time I had to use a Windows laptop to do them....

 

[cupcakes2000]

As a graphic designer, I would need a higher end MacBook Pro + Wacom Tablet (NOT portable)..... But I can do it way better on the iPad Pro- way portable!!! I LOVE the pencil - it is fantastic for drawing etc. I do have a Mac mini, I bought after getting the iPad Pro's... its for external drives, printer set up etc. There were very few things I needed to do on a PC, but hated each time I had to use a Windows laptop to do them....

I’m a photographer but have a very similar use case and set up, and totally agree.

 

[KittyKatta]

I’d say the problem is that the iPad isn’t moving in ANY direction.

Its frustrating for iPad Pro users to hear Mac users brag about the M1 chip because… that’s OUR chip! EVERYTHING that is “new and revolutionary” to Mac users has been refined and perfected on the iPad. Battery life? Speed? Efficiency? Temperature? All that comes from YEARS of development on the iPad. But whats the one thing thats makes the iPad irrelevant to Mac users? Apple’s own apps.

iPad users aren’t actually saying they want MacOS, they are saying they want Apple to give the iPad a push so that it can live up to its own hardware.

 

[Warped9]

Apple putting the M1 chip in multiple devices is no different than car manufacturers sharing the same engine across different models in their lineup. Apple’s approach allows them to give different customers the same or similar performance no matter what configuration they want for their computer.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I totally agree. iPad will always exist in some form. My question is, What is the true identity of the iPad Pro? Does the world need a $2000 tablet that advertises itself as a pro device which can not really do what a MacBook does. When it will start doing what a MacBook does, will it still be an iPad? If you must buy a keyboard and mouse and connect it to an external monitor, why not just buy a Mac mini? If you are a developer, do you really want to buy a $300 app that you must drag around a screen with your finger and can not really see all the many sliders and adjustment controls like like you can on a Mac? Do you need to pay over $2000 to watch movies and read emails if that is your primary reason for buying a tablet? iPad Pro is not really pro and it is becoming more than just a consumption device. Where does it stop? I can not really see a place for a tablet that is a MacBook or is it a MacBook that is a tablet?

The iPad doesn't have a true identity because it doesn't need one. It is different things to different people. It is a device.

 

[rui no onna]

I totally agree. iPad will always exist in some form. My question is, What is the true identity of the iPad Pro? Does the world need a $2000 tablet that advertises itself as a pro device which can not really do what a MacBook does.

In all fairness, you don't need to spend $2K to get an iPad Pro. The $799 and $1099 128GB Wi-Fi model is likely what most customers buy. Spending $900 extra for 1TB storage and 5G is entirely optional. So is the $350 Magic Keyboard. Obviously though, there are enough buyers for high storage (and probably much higher profit margins) that Apple even released a 2TB model.

 

[isoft7]

Where do iPad Pros go from here? Or rather, from last release? or even the 2018 release?

There just isn't any room for innovation until an entirely new product is released.

When the time comes that we have bulletproof folding displays for instance, or some sort of AR projection devices... otherwise the only room for growth is benchmarks because applications across almost all computing platforms are already faster than most users ever need.

I don't blame Apple for not doing anything special here, it's just a faster iPad Pro, same as the last release.

People need to adjust expectations to align with reality and begin to understand the rapid growth we've "felt" in technology since roughly 2005 is over.

 

[PrettyWings]

Is it just me or has the iPad Pro moved out of the iPad category and into the MacBook category? Why not just call it the Mac Tablet and stop implying it is an iPad that is a laptop replacement. Is it a laptop, is it a tablet, is it a pro device, is it a consumption device, is it a production device. It seems too expensive to be a MacBook accessory and is just getting to be a Swiss Army knife. Problem with the Swiss Army knife it that no one can carry it around because it got so heavy and thick. At some point, the iPad Pro will have to decide in which camp it will live or be phased out altogether. Because sooner or later, it will not have a reason to exist.

It hasn’t though. Mac-prices but not Mac-level productivity for this PRO device.

 

[kristalsoldier]

Is it just me or has the iPad Pro moved out of the iPad category and into the MacBook category? Why not just call it the Mac Tablet and stop implying it is an iPad that is a laptop replacement. Is it a laptop, is it a tablet, is it a pro device, is it a consumption device, is it a production device. It seems too expensive to be a MacBook accessory and is just getting to be a Swiss Army knife. Problem with the Swiss Army knife it that no one can carry it around because it got so heavy and thick. At some point, the iPad Pro will have to decide in which camp it will live or be phased out altogether. Because sooner or later, it will not have a reason to exist.

While the iPad may be moving in the wrong direction for some of us (not me though), it’s certainly moving in the right direction for Apple. They seem to be selling huge numbers of it.

 

[Scott Sherman]

This may answer many questions or concerns. Well worth a watch.

 

[doboy]

Is it just me or has the iPad Pro moved out of the iPad category and into the MacBook category? Why not just call it the Mac Tablet and stop implying it is an iPad that is a laptop replacement. Is it a laptop, is it a tablet, is it a pro device, is it a consumption device, is it a production device. It seems too expensive to be a MacBook accessory and is just getting to be a Swiss Army knife. Problem with the Swiss Army knife it that no one can carry it around because it got so heavy and thick. At some point, the iPad Pro will have to decide in which camp it will live or be phased out altogether. Because sooner or later, it will not have a reason to exist.

It’s just you

Why not when they can double dip. Sell you a MacBook and an iPad (Pro).

 

[sparksd]

It’s just you

Why not when they can double dip. Sell you a MacBook and an iPad (Pro).

Or sell you an entire system of integrated devices - tablets, laptops, phones, watches, TV, audio gear, home automation, cloud services, music services, etc. I'd say the last thing they want is an all-in-one device.

 

[nStyle]

Wish the progression was quicker but honestly it's still useful device for what it is. It doesn't do everything you'd want and it can be frustrating, but...an iPad was never a necessary device to begin with.

 

[iPadified]

Is it just me or has the iPad Pro moved out of the iPad category and into the MacBook category? Why not just call it the Mac Tablet and stop implying it is an iPad that is a laptop replacement. Is it a laptop, is it a tablet, is it a pro device, is it a consumption device, is it a production device. It seems too expensive to be a MacBook accessory and is just getting to be a Swiss Army knife. Problem with the Swiss Army knife it that no one can carry it around because it got so heavy and thick. At some point, the iPad Pro will have to decide in which camp it will live or be phased out altogether. Because sooner or later, it will not have a reason to exist.

You try again in a new thread? Too much resistance In the other thread?

future of iPad Pro

Well, the 2021 iPad Pro has been released to the wild and has been out for a month or so. It has the new M1 chip, mini led, up to 16gb ram and 2 tb storage. So where does Apple go from here? I can't use the available ram and probably will never be able to use a tb of storage or more without...

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