2018 iPad Pro Hands-On Impressions: 'Might Be the Truest Embodiment of a Tablet Yet'

[Alphazoid]

This is perfect. Will sell massive amounts, even at the higher price point.

Doubt it. The pros who need it for work will buy it. Others will still be using the original iPad Air that "still works"

For me the iPad Pro was the main artist of the show.

I'm an owner of the 10.5" and the iPhone X and was ready to give the iPad Pro away to my half and. I was truly impressed until I've noticed that they bumped the price up and than pause ...

This is something that is really starting to bug me quite a lot every year! I remember the times of SJ when they launched more advanced stuff at a lower price than the competition flagships. That for me was another touch of genius of SJ when they lunched the iPhone 3G, 3GS and 4S ... the devices that made the revolution not what cama after to milk it ... I felt that the company had a sense of fair play back then with their loyal customers. Even if you were a bit skint on money one could still do it. That is how I felt the world could change.

What I see now with this increasing price bumps is something totally different. It's not about changing the world anymore but making a buck out of anything, including their stupid keyboard. The Trumps of the world and the Wall Street became their best friend I guess. Never though that artists were the ones with the money in this world. So I guess the product its about making you feel like an artists even though ...

Yes the new version is better than the previous at the same price, isn't that the point? Anyone can make a better version at a higher price. From the initial iPad launch, probably the most difficult of the iPads to get done right, was $300 cheaper in a time where the value of the dollar was way down.

That's because Steve was product guy and Tim is all about the numbers and nothing else.

 

[AxiomaticRubric]

OK Apple, fine, it's a computer. When can I install Xcode???

 

[billybobfred]

Very disappointed that there were no iPad Mini release! Will wait for March!

I think the Xs Max pretty much replaced the iPad Mini.

 

[QuarterSwede]

Pros generally work on local copies, cloud sync is used more as backup except for documents, sheets, slides

Depends on what industry you’re in. A lot of creative pros do collaboration in the cloud where each person with a specific talent works on the file(s). This isn’t 10 years ago where the cloud wasn’t reliable. The benefits of having it on a server are much greater than keeping a local copy and sending it somehow to the next person or department in the chain.

 

[Kalabalik]

Can I connect it to an external display via USB-C? Does it have bluetooth mouse support?

 

[criticasm]

Some of us just don’t want a laptop. So “but you could buy a laptop” doesn’t hold weight. You could put a MacBook and a new iPad Pro side by side at the same price and I’d still choose an iPad Pro

I see you didn't type it, but I'm sure when you said your message you were also saying things like "hmph" & "hmm-mm" in between sentences.

 

[az431]

Maybe by the year 2230 people will stop complaining about the useless headphone jack. Unreal.

 

[mazz0]

No X-Code though?

 

[Aniseedvan]

This part is funny, “Apple’s argument is that, for creative professionals, the arrival of apps like true Photoshop in 2019”.

In 2019, there will be a new processor ‘2x as fast’ as this one in the new iPad, and photoshop will work like crap on it. Nice try.

I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s been thinking this. I’m intrigued to know if I could do my PS workflow on an iPad but I’m not sure I want to drop the pounds and pence this year if PS doesn’t come out for 12 months and really does need the 2019 ipad to fly.

I wonder whether this could finally replace my trusty 2012 11” Mac Air but not being able to run full Visio and project on an iPad yet is still putting me off... I think that’s my last two apps that would need to go over...

 

[anthonymoody]

Very disappointed that there were no iPad Mini release! Will wait for March!

The 9.7" iPad is the new Mini.

The iPhone XS Max is the new iPad mini.

Speaking of the XS phones...they’re thicker than the iPad Pros. Wow.

 

[jole]

To me, an app ecosystem makes a device smart, but to become a full computer it must be able to create new apps.

Why Apple still chooses to limit this amazing device from being a full computer?

 

[The Cappy]

Nice photo of an iPad with a naked back. But of course the only way to see the back of an iPad now is to complete eschew covers. The Folio and the Smart Keyboard both cover the back. So these "hands on" photos are deceptive.

 

[Shanghaichica]

For me the iPad Pro was the main artist of the show.

I'm an owner of the 10.5" and the iPhone X and was ready to give the iPad Pro away to my half and. I was truly impressed until I've noticed that they bumped the price up and than pause ...

This is something that is really starting to bug me quite a lot every year! I remember the times of SJ when they launched more advanced stuff at a lower price than the competition flagships. That for me was another touch of genius of SJ when they lunched the iPhone 3G, 3GS and 4S ... the devices that made the revolution not what cama after to milk it ... I felt that the company had a sense of fair play back then with their loyal customers. Even if you were a bit skint on money one could still do it. That is how I felt the world could change.

What I see now with this increasing price bumps is something totally different. It's not about changing the world anymore but making a buck out of anything, including their stupid keyboard. The Trumps of the world and the Wall Street became their best friend I guess. Never though that artists were the ones with the money in this world. So I guess the product its about making you feel like an artists even though ...

Yes the new version is better than the previous at the same price, isn't that the point? Anyone can make a better version at a higher price. From the initial iPad launch, probably the most difficult of the iPads to get done right, was $300 cheaper in a time where the value of the dollar was way down.

I don’t expect the newer version to be cheaper. The same price or a little bit more is acceptable but it’s like £200 more. I think there needs to be a mid tier iPad for those who don’t want a pro but want more than the budget iPads.

 

[Fidgetyrat]

The iPhone XS Max is the new iPad mini.

Speaking of the XS phones...they’re thicker than the iPad Pros. Wow.

Not surprising to me. The ipad has 3x the space to fit components. You pay for miniaturization. But it also seems, lately, that we are starting to pay "because people will pay it".

 

[az431]

Please explain your snarky. the Files.app is a real file system, as are many available third party apps, I use documents by Readdle. I also use Onedrive, and Google Drive which are fully integrated in the Files.app and into Documents. documents also allows me to connect to USB drives and my time capsule Seems like you are stuck somewhere on ios 10.

But maybe your snark was not clear, I interpreted you to mean file browser. The actual file system, is well a real file system

Real in the sense that it exists and is not a figment of one's imagination, but it's certainly not equivalent to MacOS. The major fail is that it is up to developers whether to support it, and if so, to what extent. Hopefully future iterations will improve.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Can I connect it to an external display via USB-C? Does it have bluetooth mouse support?

You can connect to an external display but I don’t think it supports a mouse.

 

[Jack Burton]

Expensive, but the new pencil means one can charge the tablet and pen at the same time. I'm eager to step up to the 11 inch pro. The 13 was a great size but I liked the weight of the iPad Air 2.

 

[bluespark]

Damn, the back is really ugly... how come they left the camera bump on a tablet, it's like people don't use it on a table and the iPad doesn't shake when you touch the display.

That seems to make sense, but I've heard designers mention before that absolutely flat tablets are very difficult to pick up from flat tables; it's almost like a suction effect. Maybe Apple wanted to avoid that here?

 

[coolkid93]

64gb as the entry level option for 800 bucks is just uncalled for in 2018. Should of started at 128gb and up honestly

 

[silentmajority]

Always amused at the “shock and anger” that I read when Apple releases a new product with price. People on MacRumors should know by now that Apple is not your cheapest option.

 

[digitalm3]

The important function of file system is to let all apps to works it (transparently for the user) and not to have a special app for it.

Again this is a function of the operating system not the file system, the file system is strictly for storage and has no baring on how the Apps use it. It is also a function of the operating system to restrict apps from using storage from other apps which is what you are talking about.

I don't see either being an argument for iPad vs MacOS, they are both extremely functional and versatile and to think that one can do things the other can't is well narrow minded. It is up to the apps to deliver the functionality and the only real argument here is the fact that Apple has placed more restrictions on iOS than MacOS.

 

[Fzang]

Engadget says the iPad Pro is starting to feel more like a proper computer, thanks to the angular "no-nonsense design"

Dummest thing I’ve read in a while.

 

[deebinem]

That camera hump...

I thought the exact same...

 

[sniffies]

Can you attach Pencil to all four sides or just the top?

 

[Nuno Lopes]

I don’t expect the newer version to be cheaper. The same price or a little bit more is acceptable but it’s like £200 more. I think there needs to be a kid tier iPad for those who don’t want a pro but want more than the budget iPads.

I don’t expect to be neither cheaper or more expensive. I expect to new version to be better and at the same price. Not something that rises price %20 per year or so. Otherwise how much would we be paying now ... $2000 for the base model, because the iPad 1 cost $499? No of course not.

They are playing the price game now against their customers to see where they crack much as people do in the the stock market!!!! That is why Wall Street loves them. But when it cracks it will not be Tim picking up the pieces, or the least they believe they can put them together very quickly.