Am I the only one who thinks the Pro is a joke?

[turbineseaplane]

so same work has the same level of how is easy to do it on an ipad mini with 7.9" and low specs VS 12.9" with highest specs?
OR
12" Macbook vs 27" iMac ?
keep dreaming...the real estate and better specs is nice to have and ease your work very much

How can you disagree that "professional" means different things to different people?

The right tool for the right job - "Bigger or Faster" doesn't necessarily have anything to do with if it helps people most effectively get a job done.

Some "professionals" will need and want and prefer a small device for their jobs.

Apple's "pro" moniker has largely turned into a marketing schtick at this point. It used to be very different.

 

[Macalway]

Invariably, when the title of the tread starts with "Am I the only one to think....."

There is a fight coming

 

[turbineseaplane]

Invariably, when the title of the tread starts with "Am I the only one to think....."

There is a fight coming

True enough.

 

[whodatrr]

The iPad Pro is also a victim of tablet fatigue.

I think that there are other factors playing into this as well - Long story short, tablets aren't as sext as they once were; at least not $1,000 sexy. This is probably for a few reasons:

1. SmartPhones are good - for content consumption and communications, today's smartphones are good enough for most. They're fast, have great screens, lots of horsepower and they're always with us.
2. Tablets are cheap - You can get a Kindle Fire with an SD expansion slot for $50. I buy my kids the same tablet, with a protective case, a no-questions damage warranty, and a year of all the educational games/books/videos they want for $100. A tablet that costs 10-20x more had better deliver some serious value. Again, I can buy 20 Kindle Fires for the price of one iPP. The $50 Kindles are no joke either. They're good enough for many. and the $100 kids' edition is actually better for younger kids than an iPad. The OS is simpler for kids, it has parental controls, and comes with just about all the content/apps you'll every need already baked in.
3. Laptops are small - My 2015 MacBook isn't exactly a burden to carry around.
4. Hybrids - For people who don't absolutely need a dedicated tablet, this is a compelling proposition - tablet and laptop capabilities combined.

A few years ago, tablets were big news. But now that so many households have 5-10 of the things floating about, they're not as sexy.

Still, I don't think the "Pro" moniker i a joke. There are some professions and certainly some professionals for whom this will be a useful tool. I just don't think there are many of them, and I certainly don't count myself on that list.

 

[maxsix]

I don't believe it's a joke, but I do question why Apple spent the time and money to build a larger iPad.

They stood firm for years before finally listening to customer demand for the mini.

They stood firm for years while they watched vast numbers of customers buy and rave about the benefits of a large screen smartphone.

Apple loves to Stand In Defiance.

Public acceptance of Apples Hypocrisy must be around 95% all Apple does is change its mind, their cult like following that marches in lockstep, changes with Apple, sings their praises and Apple laughs all the way to the bank.

Clever, Cunning and In Control!
Apple Wins.

 

[driftless]

So, while I appreciate that the iPad Pro is a larger tablet with a lot more power. What is it going to run that makes it "Pro"? It will still be running apps from the App Store (a lot of these apps still don't take advantage of the potential of the iPad Air 2.) so I really don't understand how it is "Pro" in any way, shape or form?

Most other tablet in the class of the iPad Pro run desktop OS and desktop applications. And have great storage capacities.

Also the fact that apple decide to make a 32GB and 128GB is just a slap to the consumer. Why no 64GB? 32GB is barely enough nowadays yet you either have to get by with 32GB or pay big bucks for the 128GB.

This product to me (purely opinion) seems like a money grabbing gimmick.

I am guessing that you are not a professional, a creative professional, nor an enterprise user. I am also guessing that since you are none of the above that you can't appreciate the iPad Pro. Sorry to be rude, but this product is not for you. FWIW - I think that this product is perfectly placed for creative professionals, folks who want to watch videos while traveling or at the cabin, professionals like architects, doctors, creative professionals, etc. I don't understand the fascination with OS X, it probably because those apps are the only ones that your know and you can't grasp what iOS can do. It is shocking how little imagination some Apple customers have.

 

[driftless]

Yeah it's still going to use the same apps that the iPad mini uses. The thing is though, what other software can it run? Unless developers start making apps exclusive for it.

Given what apps like Adobe already have out there?

 

[maxsix]

On a whim I just took a 3/8" thick piece of cardboard and cut it out to iPad Pro size.

Wow! A huge slab is what it is.

Of my Apple stuff I own here are my favorites

15" MBP
13" MBA
9.7" iPad Air 2
5.5" iPhone 6 Plus

What they all have in common... is for my preference to buy the largest display each model offers.

I have Zero interest in iPad Pro.
I'm positive it'll be a wonderful tablet but not one I'll be buying.
It will be interesting to see consumer reaction to this huge iPad.

 

[turbineseaplane]

On a whim I just took a 3/8" thick piece of cardboard and cut it out to iPad Pro size.

Ha! I thought I was the only crazy one doing that.

It's HUGE! haha
Will be very cool for certain uses and very unwieldy compared to previous iPad's for some people's usage.

 

[rowspaxe]

It think "Pro" is really just now short for "Pro-vide us more money"

Whats the difference between a MBP and a Las Vegas pro? 50 bucks

I don't understand the fascination with OS X, it probably because those apps are the only ones that your know and you can't grasp what iOS can do. It is shocking how little imagination some Apple customers have.

iOS can't do photoshop, maya or toonBoom. That doesn't mean there isn't a lot of great functionality in iOS apps. But a lot of people work in communities where they use the same applications--often for reasons of file exchange. Personally I think the ipp is a cool secondary, or tertiary tool--and 32 gb is not unworkable for a sketch device

 

[rowspaxe]

I'm positive it'll be a wonderful tablet but not one I'll be buying.
It will be interesting to see consumer reaction to this huge iPad.

Its not really that big as a sketch/art tablet. It will be awkward for one handed use--which is the context many here see as the default for tablet use. I wish they had made it 15".

 

[Buringcoals]

I am extremely excited for the Pro. I have always thought the Air was to small. The pro is perfect for me, much faster, more battery, bigger screen and best sound. I might not even get rid of my Air 2. But I bet it hardly gets used after I have my pro. Can't wait to try StarWars uprising on the pro. Glad they are listening.

As long as Samsung sells a 10.1 and a 12" so will apple, basically Apple is just installing a new competitor and filling another gap in their sizing. The minute it drops it will still outsell the Surface 3:1.

 

[Serban]

How can you disagree that "professional" means different things to different people?

The right tool for the right job - "Bigger or Faster" doesn't necessarily have anything to do with if it helps people most effectively get a job done.

Some "professionals" will need and want and prefer a small device for their jobs.

Apple's "pro" moniker has largely turned into a marketing schtick at this point. It used to be very different.

i didn't said that.
i said ipad mini is just a consumer product
if you do some light work (here is not included browsing the web etc) , the same work that you do on your mini, you can do it on the ipad pro even faster or easy using 2 apps perhaps etc...try 2 apps on the 7.9" and try 2 apps on 12.9"
divide in half and you get each app to be on 4" and 6.5" respectively .

 

[Serban]

long story short...the ipad mini is the entry level of ipad family, while the 12.9" is the pro highest ipad
it's so easy to understand IF you are pbjective

 

[sjleworthy]

You take it personally? I guess you're one of those people who has their value as a person attached to their device.

I own plenty of things that many/most others ridicule as being a joke. The latest one is the Surface 2. I love it. It's more "pro" than the iPad Pro" and yet it is the laughing stock of the tech community. Doesn't bother me one bit.

not really attached to my tech, the point i was more trying to make was what a person who thinks the pro is a joke what then thinks of the people who avidly buys them? not too bothered

 

[Freyqq]

And another thing - the Pencil! After saying styluses were a joke for decades, they introduce it like it's a radical innovation. And they sell it as a separate product.

Three Years from now, Apple will introduce a radical new concept - the 2in1 Hybrid device!

Sad to say, but there's Apple with Jobs, and Apple without him. Apple seems to be on an innovative decline, while somewhat surprisingly Microsoft is the one taking big risks. Yes, Win 8 was bit of a failure, but kudos to them for tying something radical. And Win 10 seems to be getting that Vision right, as does the Surface and some of the OEM products.

Apple stood out early one in Jobs' 2nd term, because Microsoft was in a terminal loop and PC manufacturers were all about pumping out cheaper products at lower margins. Jobs lead the way by being the first to make PCs that people really wanted to buy for their attractive form and noticeable ease of use, while the others were just pushing ugly boxes with improved speeds and feeds. But today, quite a few vendors have that playbook.

Now, Apple is the one in the terminal loop of incremental innovations, pitching each iteration as the next big thing.

Apple has chosen to to make 2 great devices instead of one good device that does both. This is a reasonable strategy for now, but others have shown (Microsoft Surface) that 2 in 1 is possible with minor compromise. Convergence happens with every device eventually, when that compromise is minimized. For instance, an iPhone is also a great camera and has a flashlight, GPS, and music player. Previously, those were all separate devices. Eventually, all laptops will be 2 in 1s, but there's still plenty of room for that transition to happen. I think they have an opportunity here with the ipad pro to create the impetus for developers to port pro apps. That could pave the way for the iPad Pro to become their first 2 in 1 device.

 

[Undo]

Am I the only one who thinks the Pro is a joke?

I agree with the thoughts of others. The iPad Pro will run apps that allow people to be more productive than they are on current iPads, as was demonstrated on the keynote reveal stage. Will the iPad Pro allow people to be as productive as they are on a Mac or MacBook? Likely not. The iPad Pro is still an iPad...first and foremost. It’s not a “MacBook Touch (with optional keyboard)”.

But, whereas the current iPads are mainly consumption devices, the iPad Pro will appeal to those who also want more productivity out of an iPad. It will appeal to them for its features and accessories, and because it’s a given that developers will soon produce apps that will take advantage of its potential.

I thought about the Disney and Pixar folks who field-tested the Pro. It looks like an ideal tool for the early creative work on 3D animations, even while the artists are sitting at a conference table or in a bar or on a couch at home. Then their illustrations can be transferred to a pro workstation for 3D modeling later.

That’s just one use case. It’s just one way the iPad Pro can be used on a professional level. Can Disney and Pixar do early design work on a current iPad with current apps? Surely. But not at the higher level that the iPP will evidently allow.

The iPP doesn’t need the OS, apps, and storage of a desktop to define it as a professional’s tool (regardless of whether someone actually uses it as a professional, or as a student, hobbyist, or general consumer). It just needs a feature set that enables higher caliber productivity than other members of its own class. I think “productivity” is the keyword in everyday practice, over the word “professional.”

I’ll be watching the reviews to see if my humble opinion falls flat. Then I’ll buy one anyway. I’ve been waiting to buy an iPad ever since the first one was too small.

 

[sracer]

not really attached to my tech, the point i was more trying to make was what a person who thinks the pro is a joke what then thinks of the people who avidly buys them? not too bothered

That would be the definition of "taking it personally". You made that association between the tech and the person buying the tech, the OP didn't.

It's okay. Many people to get emotionally involved in/attached to their devices.

 

[Macalway]

Really, joke or not, i'm feel the need to try it, and not just a store look.

 

[AppleRobert]

I am guessing that you are not a professional, a creative professional, nor an enterprise user. I am also guessing that since you are none of the above that you can't appreciate the iPad Pro. Sorry to be rude, but this product is not for you. FWIW - I think that this product is perfectly placed for creative professionals, folks who want to watch videos while traveling or at the cabin, professionals like architects, doctors, creative professionals, etc. I don't understand the fascination with OS X, it probably because those apps are the only ones that your know and you can't grasp what iOS can do. It is shocking how little imagination some Apple customers have.

Whom you have this bucketed for as a product who this is perfectly placed for is by far percentage wise not the audience that will buy it. Apple has reeled in Joe/Jane consumers once again.

 

[Macalway]

Whom you have this bucketed for as product who this is perfectly placed for is by far percentage wise not the audience that will buy it. Apple has reeled in Joe/Jane consumers once again.

Come again?

 

[rowspaxe]

I thought about the Disney and Pixar folks who field-tested the Pro. It looks like an ideal tool for the early creative work on 3D animations...

That’s just one use case. It’s just one way the iPad Pro can be used on a professional level. Can Disney and Pixar do early design work on a current iPad with current apps? Surely. But not at the higher level that the iPP will evidently allow.

Is there really a non design/art "pro" use for the ipad pro? If the pencil is exceptional--it may be the best written notes device? Absent any graphic application, I am not sure who needs/wants this for productivity.

 

[turbineseaplane]

i didn't said that.
i said ipad mini is just a consumer product
if you do some light work (here is not included browsing the web etc) , the same work that you do on your mini, you can do it on the ipad pro even faster or easy using 2 apps perhaps etc...try 2 apps on the 7.9" and try 2 apps on 12.9"
divide in half and you get each app to be on 4" and 6.5" respectively .

Serban - you simply don't get what I'm saying. Depending upon the professional job in mind, the BETTER tool can very much be the smallest device.

"Pro" to Apple has no bearing on use case reality of a device necessarily. It's just marketing speak for them mostly.

The user determines what is most useful for a professional application by how they use the device and which device, not Apple.

 

[Codeseven]

Does the Pro really need all that additional power just to run a touch screen and a stylus?

Many have said that even the Air 2 is overpowered.

I'm wondering if the developers of the Pro intend it's future to be much more than just an Air 3 with a couple new features.

Won't iOS 9 continue to be developed, expanded and what might it's developers already have in store for the Pro?

Might software developers be in the process of taking advantage of the larger screen, power and stylus to bring much more powerful and capable 'professional' apps to the Pro?

The device hasn't even hit the market yet. It's way too early to judge exactly what it is, what it's truly intended for and what it will become.

Will I buy one? Maybe, maybe not. At this early point, how would I know? Too many unanswered questions and I haven't even touched one yet.

 

[Dave245]

Does the Pro really need all that additional power just to run a touch screen and a stylus?

Many have said that even the Air 2 is overpowered.

I'm wondering if the developers of the Pro intend it's future to be much more than just an Air 3 with a couple new features.

Won't iOS 9 continue to be developed, expanded and what might it's developers already have in store for the Pro?

Might software developers be in the process of taking advantage of the larger screen, power and stylus to bring much more powerful and capable 'professional' apps to the Pro?

The device hasn't even hit the market yet. It's way too early to judge exactly what it is, what it's truly intended for and what it will become.

Will I buy one? Maybe, maybe not. At this early point, how would I know? Too many unanswered questions and I haven't even touched one yet.

The iPad doesn't need all that power just to run the touch screen and a stylus, the power is probably for future apps, desktop class apps, it's not just iOS 9 features, iOS 10 will probably have features for the iPad Pro, at this stage we just don't know (like you say) but Apple would not have created it if there wasn't a reason or need. Personally I think Apple is pushing the power of the iPad for better apps (just look at the new Adobe apps for the iPad pro). We will have to wait and see what apps are developed and released.