Don't know if I'd say joke, but it certainly is a specialized tool. For a certain type of user, iPP will probably be a dream. But these will be fairly specific use cases, given the cost of entry.
What we're seeing form the Apple side is a cadence of very elegant and specialized tools (watches, iPP, etc.). Their vision is to build the best possible dedicated tool for a specific job. The plus side is that, if you're willing to buy and carry all that stuff, you're set. The downside is that you'll have to buy and carry all that stuff. Buy more stuff is the mantra. And here's the thing about all that stuff - you don't only have to buy and carry it, you have to maintain it. 20 years ago, most families had a family desktop. When technology got better, we'd upgrade the desktop, maybe dedicating the old one to the kids. Nowadays, we're maintaining: Desktops, laptops, tablets, phones, phablets, gigantic tablets, hybrids, TV boxes, etc. You don't only have to buy this stuff, you have to keep it current.
And I think that this is the heart of the issue - Apple is a hardware company that wants to sell more stuff, while Microsoft is a software company that wants more seats.
What we're seeing from the Microsoft side is an emphasis on building fewer things that can do more. IMOHO, Microsoft doesn't make the best laptops or tablets, but their devices are good enough for both tasks. Your stuff does more is the mantra.
I appreciate that they are two very different views of the world, and I think it's a good thing for the industry. Personally, I don't think I'll ever buy another iPad, as that function has been replaced with my SP3, because it's just too nice to switch from play to real work mode in a second. I'll keep iOS on my phone, for the time being. I'll keep OS X on my main desktop, because I still find it to be the most productive desktop. I'm also locked into the Apple ecosystem, which makes switching hard. But the surface has my tablet duty and I suspect over the coming year or two that it will take on the laptop role as well.
Frankly, I've got device fatigue. If Apple's vision is that I need to keep buying dedicated large tablets, desktops, medium tablets, laptops, watches, rings and necklaces, I don't know how long I'll hang? A few years form now, I would actually like to see a Surface Pro 6 take over all of those roles, except for the phone. We'll see?
But again, this is a very personal thing. There is no right or wrong answer here. Im willing to put up with a device that's 90% as good as a dedicated laptop and 85% as good as a dedicated tablet, because it can do both functions. Others would prefer to carry around two devices, in order to get the best experience on both sides. The choice is now yours... we live in great times!
