iPad Pro Whats the point in a iPad Pro

[Miha_v]

The point is: gorgeous display with smooth frequency, great performance in games, perfect for art creation in Procreate, 3D sculpting apps, 3D scanning with LIDAR and using various other apps for media creation. Except for LIDAR capabilities everything else is technically achieavable on other ipads too. But if you don't want to be limited by hardware capabilities and want longterm performance, Pro is the way to go.

I read people are still very happy with their 2018 Pros, so Apple silicon ones should last a long while. From my experience with basic iPads, after a couple of years, performance hiccups are already quite noticeable.

(pic from Procreate. Only on Pro can I use the amount of layers I sometimes need / want)

 

[ofarlig]

I am contemplating replacing my 14” MBP with the iPad Pro 12.9” again, getting annoyed at the mac needing to have a million windows open to be able to receive messages. Also slide over and split screen works way better on the iPad Pro for more casual things.

 

[aeronatis]

All the more reason OP asked the question of the thread "What is the point of the iPad Pro?" Apple keeps marketing this as a laptop replacement yet it fails in that regard in every conceivable way, all because of iPadOS

There are quite a lot of users for whose computers even iPad Air comfortably replaces. As for Apple, they clearly market iPad as a companion device for the Mac. They even expect you to have a desktop Mac and a MacBook and an iPad as seen from many of their event videos and how they announce new features of iPadOS.

I agree that iPadOS has a lot of room for improvement though.

 

[Malcy16]

I’ve owned a bunch of iPads over the years, had a mini for awhile and it was great until apple started making bigger phones and then I didn’t see the point of the mini - so got a regular ipad and that was fine but I found myself wondering what a bigger screen experience was going to be like and took the plunge on a M1 12.9” ipad pro and keyboard… not cheap but the user experience is superb… It replaced my laptop for 90% of laptop duties and meant I could change how I worked. The big screen is great for watching films and shows, great for games, for surfing the web and seeing as i’m a little older having a bigger better quality screen helps with the old peepers too.

Does it replace my laptop … no. Do I want it to… no. I just wanted the biggest ipad screen I could get… The only time I miss the ipad mini is when I’m using the kindle app as it can get a bit heavy to hold, but there are ways around that and on that subject - if you have an interest in graphic novels and comics, then a large iPad Pro is the only way to read them digitally… they look amazing, as do magazines.

It may not be as discreet as a smaller ipad but everything looks amazing on it… and all this is before I get into any of the apps that just work so well on the iPad Pro…

I’ll admit when I bought it, I thought it was going to be overkill… but then you find all these cool apps that just sing on the ipad pro and you wonder how you used to go about life without one…

An interesting side note would be that I felt I wasn’t using my phone as much, so it enabled me to get a smaller phone and not have to get a new phone every year… think I’m on a 3 year cycle on the phone front…

If I was to switch my iPad Mini for a Air/Pro etc. the reading part would be my biggest concern due to weight.

My phone now is the 13 Mini (long live the iPhone Mini) and I have the iPad Mini and a Macbook Air but that is purely for work. Makes me wonder what it would be like if I got a bigger iPad. A few examples I can see it improving on is the drawing and colouring larger screen. Sometimes I play my Xbox through the iPad so again theres a bigger screen involved and finally I sometimes watch the football when cooking on a Sunday and again the bigger screen would be better.

 

[Malcy16]

I haven’t bought a new iPad since the original iPad Air and it won’t turn on unless it’s plugged in at this point. I hadn’t bought a new iPhone since the X came out. My 2013 Macbook Air died in 2018 and I couldn’t afford to replace it. I have essentially scrimped and saved and dealt with failing hardware for the last 4 years, and so in the past 12 months, Apple has gotten a lot of my money - a new macbook pro last fall, the new iphone 14 pro this fall, and I’ve got a 12.9” M2 ipad pro on the way now.
For my job, I am essentially sitting around waiting for something to happen, and I find myself with a lot of empty time - best spent on streaming and creative pursuits. I have been doing a lot of day dreaming about pattern designing/illustration, hand lettering, and photo editing etc. but have not had the means to accomplish all of this and the macbook pro is a pain in the butt to lug around. An iPad is the perfect, easy pairing to do it all. I went with the 12.9” because the screen size gives me what my aging eyes need and additionally, I can use it for work out classes in my home gym.

You say your job is essentially sitting around waiting for something to happen. This sounds like the manager of my football team!! haha

 

[Malcy16]

The point is: gorgeous display with smooth frequency, great performance in games, perfect for art creation in Procreate, 3D sculpting apps, 3D scanning with LIDAR and using various other apps for media creation. Except for LIDAR capabilities everything else is technically achieavable on other ipads too. But if you don't want to be limited by hardware capabilities and want longterm performance, Pro is the way to go.

I read people are still very happy with their 2018 Pros, so Apple silicon ones should last a long while. From my experience with basic iPads, after a couple of years, performance hiccups are already quite noticeable.

(pic from Procreate. Only on Pro can I use the amount of layers I sometimes need / want)

Nice work on the Procreate work, looks great.
Lot of talented folk out there

 

[nappes]

Nice things are nice is why

 

[Abazigal]

For some people it works as a laptop replacement. It's a discretionary buy - if you don't like it, don't buy it.

IMO, most straightforward way is to simply evaluate it based on what it is good at. Don’t bother about whether it can replace your PC or not. If there is a use case for it that can’t be replicated by your existing computer, and you value that utility enough, then by all means for for it.

I am a teacher using a 2018 iPad Pro in the classroom. I like that it’s thin, light, has long battery life (even after 4 years), built in cellular (great for overseas trips), and I find the touch-optimised interface easier to navigate than a windows UI. iPad apps are also fairly inexpensive for what they do. It still mirrors to my 2013 Apple TV flawlessly.

I am comfortable leaving my work laptop at my desk and bringing only my ipad to class.

I have recorded screencasts on it (using either the camera or the inbuilt screen recording function, then editing in LumaFusion before uploading directly to YouTube). Back when Macs still ran on intel.

I do my reading on it. I run YouTube in split screen mode with notability when grading assignments. I use it to browse the web and check email and am crafting this very response in tapatalk as we speak.

Browsing content is also made more fun via the myriad of mobile apps. Tweetbot. Apollo. Tapatalk. Reeder. MacHash.

My ipad can’t replace any of my computers, and that’s perfectly fine. It has this unique role that it does very well, and which can’t really be replicated by my other devices, and that’s the value it brings really.

 

[Isamilis]

Hey all,

I'm fortunate to own the latest iPad Mini and I love it but whenever Apple release any new products I always take a look and get a desire to change.
Regarding the iPad Pro I just don't understand the point of it.

So first of all I looked at my family/friends who own iPads and they own a mixture between the iPad/Air/Mini. And what do they use them for? - Browsing, Social Media, Drawing, Colouring, Reading, Streaming Shows.
None of my family/friends own an iPad Pro but I've met a number of customers/colleagues that have one. I asked what they use them for and they use them for....... Browsing, Social Media, Drawing, Colouring, Reading, Streaming Shows.

So I'm at a loss, whats the point of a iPad Pro? What can you do on a iPad Pro that you can't or will find difficult on another iPad in the range? To me it seems like buying a Ferrari to drive to the supermarket to pick up some snacks for the weekend.

P.S Sorry if this comes across like I'm slating iPad Pro owners/fans - I'm just curious. Also I'm slightly jealous as I think it looks great.

I bought iPad Pro M1 11” due to 1) better screen (its much more comfortable for my eyes compared to iPad Air), 2) higher RAM (less reloading, like in Safari, YouTube and various news readers).

 

[teh_hunterer]

120hz and FaceID. A 256GB iPad Pro is/was not that much more than a 256GB Air.

 

[teh_hunterer]

Aside from higher resolutions and framerates for content consumption and you like beeg, if you need it for "pro things" just get a M1 Macbook Air instead, which is deadass cheaper than the iPad Pro.

It's why I'm still perplexed to why the iPad Pro and Air have the M1 and M2 chips in them. Guts of a Mac, but does a lot less than a Mac, and is more expensive than a Mac. At that point...just buy a Mac.

The iPad Pros always had the 8 core versions of the A series SoC in them. What do you expect Apple to do, go out of their way to make a worse SoC for them? Easier to just put the M1 in there instead of making a whole separate A14X, A15X etc.

You don't need to do "pro things" on the iPad Pro. It's just a name for a device. I like the 120hz display, and I already have a 14" MacBook Pro from work.

 

[robbietop]

We're still holding out hope Apple will listen to Pro users and release Xcode and Final Cut for the iPad Pro instead of listening to Teenagers and morons who apparently can't figure out that they want a laptop and not a tablet. Stage Manager is the biggest waste of Apple's engineers since the iPod HiFi. Instead of focusing on ancient 1980s Desktop UX design, Apple should be bringing Pro Tools to the iPad Pro and abandoning this ridiculous idea that anyone wants a Mac Pro.

MKBHD said it straight about how a MBA M1 kept almost toe to toe with a Mac Pro Intel Xeon in terms of exporting 4K video. A fanless thin $999 laptop kept in the race with a $5000 Intel 757 jet engine.

So that means the iPad Pro could feasibly replace the Mac Pro for basic edits.

But no, we have to make a lazy, half-assed, half thought through "Desktop" experience for a TOUCH TABLET.

 

[cupcakes2000]

We're still holding out hope Apple will listen to Pro users and release Xcode and Final Cut for the iPad Pro instead of listening to Teenagers and morons who apparently can't figure out that they want a laptop and not a tablet. Stage Manager is the biggest waste of Apple's engineers since the iPod HiFi. Instead of focusing on ancient 1980s Desktop UX design, Apple should be bringing Pro Tools to the iPad Pro and abandoning this ridiculous idea that anyone wants a Mac Pro.

MKBHD said it straight about how a MBA M1 kept almost toe to toe with a Mac Pro Intel Xeon in terms of exporting 4K video. A fanless thin $999 laptop kept in the race with a $5000 Intel 757 jet engine.

So that means the iPad Pro could feasibly replace the Mac Pro for basic edits.

But no, we have to make a lazy, half-assed, half thought through "Desktop" experience for a TOUCH TABLET.

Hold on, you want to code on a touch first based computing device? Now who can’t figure out whether they want a laptop or a tablet.

Tablets excel at certain tasks, traditional systems at others.

I wouldn’t normally expect work that is keyboard intensive and requiring deep access to file systems and terminals to be fitting for a tablet, to be honest.

 

[robbietop]

Hold on, you want to code on a touch first based computing device? Now who can’t figure out whether they want a laptop or a tablet.

Tablets excel at certain tasks, traditional systems at others.

I wouldn’t normally expect work that is keyboard intensive and requiring deep access to file systems and terminals to be fitting for a tablet, to be honest.

I can type very well on my iPad without a keyboard. I code just fine on the touch screen keyboard. It's actually far more intuitive without the Magic Keyboard or a BT Keyboard/Mouse setup. I would say it used to take me about an hour to get up and running each morning running through bug reports, etc from our beta users when on a Mac desktop or laptop.

Being able to just flick my code up and scroll quick to the issue or email has reduced that hour to 45 minutes. No Keyboard, no mouse, no key/mouse all in one case like MK or Logitech etc. Just an iPad, naked, no screen protector or case or slip cover. Straight out of the box.

I find it funny how I can save 15 minutes every morning via just swiping around in the OS using finger gestures Apple spent over a decade designing and implementing as far back as the PowerBook G5 for its TouchPad.

But now everyone seems to want to attach five pounds of equipment to a tablet and dock it stationary with the wonderful revolutionary touch screen and interface inaccessible so people can go back to using antique mice and keyboards.

But please tell me how tablets excel only at certain tasks and then turn around and tell me how it needs a desktop experience despite saying that traditional systems excel at others despite me doing traditional system work on a full touch interface with no legacy peripherals on a tablet I lifted straight out of the box and just started using.

I didn't need the stylus, mouse, keyboard, external monitor, or other legacy peripherals. Just a touch screen interface, using it as Apple designed it.

 

[sparksd]

I can type very well on my iPad without a keyboard. I code just fine on the touch screen keyboard. It's actually far more intuitive without the Magic Keyboard or a BT Keyboard/Mouse setup. I would say it used to take me about an hour to get up and running each morning running through bug reports, etc from our beta users when on a Mac desktop or laptop.

Being able to just flick my code up and scroll quick to the issue or email has reduced that hour to 45 minutes. No Keyboard, no mouse, no key/mouse all in one case like MK or Logitech etc. Just an iPad, naked, no screen protector or case or slip cover. Straight out of the box.

I find it funny how I can save 15 minutes every morning via just swiping around in the OS using finger gestures Apple spent over a decade designing and implementing as far back as the PowerBook G5 for its TouchPad.

But now everyone seems to want to attach five pounds of equipment to a tablet and dock it stationary with the wonderful revolutionary touch screen and interface inaccessible so people can go back to using antique mice and keyboards.

But please tell me how tablets excel only at certain tasks and then turn around and tell me how it needs a desktop experience despite saying that traditional systems excel at others despite me doing traditional system work on a full touch interface with no legacy peripherals on a tablet I lifted straight out of the box and just started using.

I didn't need the stylus, mouse, keyboard, external monitor, or other legacy peripherals. Just a touch screen interface, using it as Apple designed it.

Those peripherals are optional and you don't have to use them if you don't want to. If others want to, fine, but I don't see how that impacts you other than to seemingly make you angry.

 

[Jackbequickly]

I use my12.9 iPad Pro more than any other Apple device. I conduct my business, shop, keep up with the News, etc.

If you have no need don't get one, be happy with your little mini! Let me enjoy my 12.1” and 11” iPad Pro units.

 

[najicta]

You say your job is essentially sitting around waiting for something to happen. This sounds like the manager of my football team!! haha

I'm a school nurse - so while I have many MANY (tbh most of the school year) days where I don't get any kind of break at all, there are others where I am just sitting and waiting and there's only so much I can do on the clunky Windows laptop the school provides me!

 

[rdavis41]

As an academic researcher I like the screen size and find it by far the best device to store and annotate research articles I may use for academic writing. Sidecar also makes it a nice tool when doing heavy writing for me when I'm pulling from multiples articles or apps. And I also appreciate the break in eye strain from looking at an iPhone when not working.

 

[The Game 161]

pro motion for me is worth it. mini led is an upgrade on any other ipad but yeah if you have the LCD ipad pro that won't matter too much

 

[JoshNori]

I bought an iPad Pro in 2018 when it got the redesign with the 2nd gen Apple Pencil and smart keyboard. At the time, there really wasn't any other alternative if you wanted great performance and longevity.

Today, I would say that most people are served by the iPad Air. It gets the M1 chip (though I suspect most people simply won't care about stage manager), plus the same Apple Pencil and keyboard support, plus it should be good for at least another 4-5 years of software updates at least.

The pro is for people who just want the best iPad experience possible, and don't mind paying extra for it. There really is no other way to explain it. It's like asking what the point of carrying a branded handbag is when it doesn't give you any more utility over a cheaper tote bag. The functionality is similar, but there are these little things that can improve the user experience. Whether it's worth it or not is ultimately up to the individual.

That’s a stupid argument for the existence of a technology product. While I’m sure it’s true for a few, that’s not the market. The Pro has a way better display and is bigger. It’s for graphic artists, and it keeps them innovating the experience. Tomorrow’s iPad Air is today’s iPad Pro.

 

[nStyle]

There’s just something about the iPad for me…

I bought a 14” MBP which I regret because even after trying to use it, I go back to the 12.9” with MKB and just can’t stop using it. I thought the display improvements and moving to ARM would pretty much kill the iPad for me because in the past I always tried to use iPads but I always went back to my MBP. But, it hasn’t, I still reach for the iPad every time.

I guess for me the things that keep me using the 12.9 (primarily attached to the MKB) is the fact that the screen sits closer to your face, the trackpad and keyboard are just big enough so it feels more efficient, FaceID is just better and more convenient, and I prefer the simplicity of iPadOS most of the time. I actually despise Touch ID. Far slower and often doesn’t work for me.

I have a Mini to complement the 12.9 for when I’m traveling and want to go as light as possible but nothing can replace the 12.9 for me.

Now to be fair, I don’t need and never needed a MacBook as I have a gaming PC for when I actually need to do something that an iPad can’t do.

 

[Boil]

We're still holding out hope Apple will listen to Pro users and release Xcode and Final Cut for the iPad Pro instead of listening to Teenagers and morons who apparently can't figure out that they want a laptop and not a tablet. Stage Manager is the biggest waste of Apple's engineers since the iPod HiFi. Instead of focusing on ancient 1980s Desktop UX design, Apple should be bringing Pro Tools to the iPad Pro and abandoning this ridiculous idea that anyone wants a Mac Pro.

Did you mean Logic Pro...? Apple does not make Pro Tools, that would be Avid...

MKBHD said it straight about how a MBA M1 kept almost toe to toe with a Mac Pro Intel Xeon in terms of exporting 4K video. A fanless thin $999 laptop kept in the race with a $5000 Intel 757 jet engine.

So that means the iPad Pro could feasibly replace the Mac Pro for basic edits.

Blackmagic Design is releasing DaVinci Resolve for iPadOS in the next few months, it should be exciting to see how the app progresses...!

I didn't need the stylus, mouse, keyboard, external monitor, or other legacy peripherals. Just a touch screen interface, using it as Apple designed it.

What about the Apple Pencil...?!? ;^p

 

[Wahlstrm]

I wanted the 12.9 mostly for study purpose.
To me it’s the only one that’s big enough that I can have a textbook/video on half the screen and still have the other half being large enough to draw and take notes etc.

My second reason was for photo editing but I feel like I’ve been waiting for 3-4 years now for iPadOS to not suck when it comes to workflow. Obviously Apple won’t give me the monitor support now either.

Will most likely never buy another one.

 

[robbietop]

Did you mean Logic Pro...? Apple does not make Pro Tools, that would be Avid...



Blackmagic Design is releasing DaVinci Resolve for iPadOS in the next few months, it should be exciting to see how the app progresses...!



What about the Apple Pencil...?!? ;^p

No, Final Cut Pro, etc. Xcode, etc. I am aware of Avid, I thought they had fallen behind.

Pixelmator works ok, and Davinci resolve will help, but I am already in Adobe and Apple projects. Can they transfer?

I have no use for Apple Pencil.

 

[robbietop]

Those peripherals are optional and you don't have to use them if you don't want to. If others want to, fine, but I don't see how that impacts you other than to seemingly make you angry.

It impacts me because Apple wasted a whole year neglecting things Pro users actually need to port the Weather and Calculator app as well as develop the Stage Manager no Pro user asked for.

Weather Channel is a far superior app, and there's billions of calculator apps on the iPad, a lot are free, seriously why waste a whole year?

And as for Stage Manager, I used it for all of 15 minutes before I realized it ruined my productivity and workflow