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I don't think it's a joke. I think the hardware is probable "pro" compared to the iPad Air 2. The added accessories help too. Like many have said, I think it really needs a software boost from iOS and apps from the store. While I don't know exactly what it needs in iOS (and I'm not jumping on the file system wagon yet), Apple should do something to make it's iOS experience different than the Air/Mini models. I think that will help sales as well.
 
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Personally I think the iPad Pro is also a money grabbing exercise from Apple, I am sitting here waiting for something that will really make me want sell my rMBP.

You can use the same analogy and say, "I see a paintbrush, but I'm sitting here waiting for something that'll really make me want to sell my pen." Meanwhile, the artists have grabbed that paintbrush and have created something wonderful.

I paid a lot of money for my iPP 12.9, and I think it's worth every penny. The creative opportunities it allows me is priceless.
 
... so I really don't understand how it is "Pro" in any way, shape or form?

No, "Pro" is a literal suffix here. It's "Pro" in that it's being used extensively (albeit mostly as a secondary device) by professionals working with graphics design and associated stuff. I.e. as a Wacom Cintiq replacement for Professional artists and designers.
The confusion here is that everyone's got used to "Pro" being a marketing gimmick for "Elite consumer".
 
It's a Pro iPad not a Pro MacBook. It's great for people who always wanted a an iPad which they can write on. Like my sister. She's a medical student. She hasn't touched her desktop in weeks and does not own a laptop. Just the 9.7" Pro. She can do everything on it. She loves the choice of medical apps for iOS and her Word requirements are more than enough with the Pencil. For her, it's God send. It turns on instantly, don't have to worry about malware and system maintainance and best of all, lasts all day on a charge. And she works very long hours. I remember she tried the Surface Pro 3 and it used to be dead within 5-6 hours. The Pro lasts her the entire ridiculously long 12+ hour hospital shifts.

But me? I'm an engineering student. I need to run advanced Fluid Dynamic simulations while my Excel VBA script extracts results from 5gb+ files and plots them. Can the iPad do that? Heck no. Even if it did I wouldn't even attempt it. But I recognise that and instead of complaining on the forums, decided to purchase a MacBook Pro. Heck even the MacBook Pro isn't enough. I run my simulations on a 32 core Intel Xeon with 128gb of RAM :)

But my university pays for that heh
 
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No, "Pro" is a literal suffix here. It's "Pro" in that it's being used extensively (albeit mostly as a secondary device) by professionals working with graphics design and associated stuff. I.e. as a Wacom Cintiq replacement for Professional artists and designers.
The confusion here is that everyone's got used to "Pro" being a marketing gimmick for "Elite consumer".

If you ask me the problem is Apple contributing by making the term meaningless. They KNOW it's an entry level computer, but they are using terms like "pro"....because they are charging so much money. But really they know they are selling a basic computer.

There is nothing "pro" about the message below. We are merely fast forwarding from netbooks a few years ago, here.

AUG 1, 2016 — 23:53 CEST
Apple Airs New iPad Pro Commercial, Asks “What’s a Computer?”
BY FEDERICO VITICCI
Apple Airs New iPad Pro Commercial, Asks “What’s a Computer?”

https://www.macstories.net/news/apple-airs-new-ipad-pro-commercial-asks-whats-a-computer/

Apple posted a new iPad Pro commercial today, highlighting the nature of the device as a new kind of computer.

The ad follows a simple model: it showcases common usage of an iPad Pro with accessories, apps, and system features that aren't available on traditional computers. The video jumps from showing the Apple Pencil to mentioning the iPad's touch screen, the detachable Smart Keyboard, and apps like Office and Procreate that offer unique functionality on iOS 9. At the end, iMessage in Split View and Picture in Picture (also two features of last year's iPad-focused iOS 9 update) make an appearance.

In the narration of the ad, Apple explains:

Just when you think you know what a computer is, you see a keyboard that can just get out of the way. And a screen you can touch and even write on. When you see a computer that can do all that, it might just make you wonder – "Hey, what else can it do?"

The video closes with the tagline "Imagine what your computer could do if it was an iPad Pro".

The iPad Pro's new commercial comes at an interesting time for Apple. The company announced its latest iPad, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, as the "ultimate PC replacement" for Windows switchers, but its upcoming iOS 10 update only includes minor iPad changes – a departure from iOS 9's iPad breakthroughs. On the other hand, the iPad line recently returned to revenue growth after several quarters, likely thanks to the iPad Pro and its higher selling price.

Explaining to consumers how an iPad can be a PC replacement and, at the same time, a new take on desktop computing has always been one of Apple's toughest propositions. This new iPad Pro commercial seems to start from the basics again, asking what a computer truly is and how it can be different. It'll be interesting to see if a wider marketing campaign and more commercials will follow.

You can watch the video below.

 
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You clearly do not understand the user nor the device!.

Oh, I understand it all thanks, sharing my opinion.
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You can use the same analogy and say, "I see a paintbrush, but I'm sitting here waiting for something that'll really make me want to sell my pen." Meanwhile, the artists have grabbed that paintbrush and have created something wonderful.

I paid a lot of money for my iPP 12.9, and I think it's worth every penny. The creative opportunities it allows me is priceless.

I guess this would only apply if your an artist, which I am not.
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Never did buy a rMBP -- beautiful screen, but heavier than I wanted. I can say, however, that my MacBook Air is sitting in my closet collecting dust since I got the 12.9 iPad Pro. I still have my iMac which I use a few times a week, mostly for file management tasks. For everything else, I use my iPad Pro.

From what you say I will still take it as many people would still want a secondary iMac or MBP rather than purely using an iPad/iPad Pro as the main device.
 
From what you say I will still take it as many people would still want a secondary iMac or MBP rather than purely using an iPad/iPad Pro as the main device.

I agree that most people will want to keep a Mac or PC around, but if you only use the Mac/PC a few times a week, it's not really the main device any more. The iPad is the main device, and the Mac is the secondary.
 
I agree that most people will want to keep a Mac or PC around, but if you only use the Mac/PC a few times a week, it's not really the main device any more. The iPad is the main device, and the Mac is the secondary.

By this definition your smartphone, is actually your primary computing device. Because you use it almost every waking minute of the day. And it is less capable than both a tablet and a..."Personal Computer", which you use much less often.

So all smartphones must be "Pro" then...

Just kidding....well maybe.
 
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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 have always felt it wasn't much of an improvement over iPad Air 2. No faster than other iPads, and that $100 pencil is worthless, imo.
 
Hard to say - it's definitely not a laptop replacement, but it's one of the best media consumption devices out there.
 
For what I use it for, it is definitely a desktop replacement, and for that matter, it's a MacBook Pro replacement as well. ;)

1. Web search
2. Email
3. Online banking
4. Photos and music
5. Some simple games
6. YouTube
7. Pages
8. Some movies, when the TV is occupied by someone else
 
By this definition your smartphone, is actually your primary computing device. Because you use it almost every waking minute of the day. And it is less capable than both a tablet and a..."Personal Computer", which you use much less often.

So all smartphones must be "Pro" then...

Just kidding....well maybe.

Well, if in fact you use your smartphone "almost every waking minute of the day" then yes, I'd say it is your main computing device. Me, I only use my iPhone when I go out, and if I know I'm going out but will have serious chunks of time sitting indoors, like at a friend's house, I bring my iPad. So I use my iPhone a lot less than my iPad.

And let's not get hang up on the "Pro" moniker, I've used a lot of computers as my main device, and none of them were called "pro" anything.
 
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Well, if in fact you use your smartphone "almost every waking minute of the day" then yes, I'd say it is your main computing device.
It is but, the analogy then is: we are then looking at a situation where you might commute to work everyday on a bike.... but it still wouldn't make the car in your garage that you use 2-3 days a week any less valuable. Or less valuable than the bike.

Or another analogy would be: eating at McDonalds everyday doesnt turn it into a gourmet experience. It just means you dumbed down your taste buds.

Downsizing your expectations, does not automatically diminish the experience of better, more costly options.

I'm not snob - I listen to MP3s too. But I still understand what a WAV or FLAC file is and I'd always pay more for it.


And let's not get hang up on the "Pro" moniker, I've used a lot of computers as my main device, and none of them were called "pro" anything.
I didnt call up the "Pro" tag. Apple did. To support price jacking.



For what I use it for, it is definitely a desktop replacement, and for that matter, it's a MacBook Pro replacement as well. ;)

1. Web search
2. Email
3. Online banking
4. Photos and music
5. Some simple games
6. YouTube
7. Pages
8. Some movies, when the TV is occupied by someone else

As a I noted above. You do all that on your 4" phone too. i guess we dont need any computers any more.

Ring me when the next Iphone is designed completely on an iphone and built in factories run only on ipads. Then I will gladly go along with the "Pro" name and price tag.

Until then, I'll call it what is......
 
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The irony of this "pro" device is that it's perfect for casual uses (web browsing, light email, entertainment consumption). It's also nice for some fine art tasks. But I went to an Apple store last week and presented the associates with various work scenarios, asking them if the large iPad Pro would be useful as a 2nd computer or backup computer. They said unequivocally "no, you'll need a mac for that". Some of my scenarios were: 1) receive a zip file, unpack it, open the variety of file formats contained within, edit some, re-zip and send back. 2) design and render a final EPS of a logo, deliver to client. 3) Moderate formatting in Word, but nothing fancy, like set my own indents on the ruler.
I had other scenarios in mind, but we stopped there because the answer was clear.
Adobe makes a variety of apps for it, but they are all feature-reduced and intended for starting a project, or capturing ideas, but not creating the final execution of those ideas. In their promotional videos, the user moves from the iPad to a computer to continue working.
The Pencil was very nice. Although most of the Pencils on display had dead batteries. The one I found that worked had 4% charge remaining. (Probably more a failure of the associates' display maintenance than the battery, I'll mention it.)
 
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1) receive a zip file, unpack it, open the variety of file formats contained within, edit some, re-zip and send back

There are apps that lets you zip and unzip files on the iPad. Editing files will require you to pass files to other apps, then pass them back to the file zipping app. So this CAN be done on an iPad, but the process is more cumbersome than on a Mac/PC.
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It is but, the analogy then is: we are then looking at a situation where you might commute to work everyday on a bike.... but it still wouldn't make the car in your garage that you use 2-3 days a week any less valuable. Or less valuable than the bike.

Or another analogy would be: eating at McDonalds everyday doesnt turn it into a gourmet experience. It just means you dumbed down your taste buds.

Downsizing your expectations, does not automatically diminish the experience of better, more costly options.

Not saying that the iPad (or smartphone) is better than the desktop. But I do use my iPad a whole lot more than my desktop. I think the device you use the most is your MAIN device, which may or may not be your BEST device.
 
There are apps that lets you zip and unzip files on the iPad. Editing files will require you to pass files to other apps, then pass them back to the file zipping app. So this CAN be done on an iPad, but the process is more cumbersome than on a Mac/PC.
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Yes, agree. The Apple Associates did not know this, which is bad for Apple, but I figured it out. However it's not much fun, you can't quick-preview things like you can on the Mac, it's inefficient, and the types of edits I can do to those files are limited by the apps on the iPad, which are in many cases not as full-featured as on the Mac. I think until the iPad gets a real file-management system, and real multitasking, it can't be a true computer replacement (other than casual uses). For what a real professional would call "pro" scenarios, Windows-based tablets that run full Windows are far better at being "pro" tools. The super-thin Macbook would be a better "pro" travel tool, at similar pricing and weight. Pity it doesn't have cellular options, which traveling professionals would highly value.
 
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I can see why some would say ipad pro is money grabbing item...but for those who use it will understand that it's a cool device. For me...i like to feel that every morning good vibe....feeling happy with my ipad pro 12.9.
th-1.jpeg
 
I don't think the IPP is a joke. In fact, it is a nice piece of hardware but maybe aimed at a different audience than it's competitors target. The IPP would be an ideal device for an artist. It also is the optimum consumption device. It also offers better battery life than its competitors.

For the typical student or business user, however, I think the Surface Pro 4 is a more powerful device. It has pen capabilities and also runs full-scale desktop applications like the MS Office suite and all other Windows apps. Are they all optimized for touch, no, but with the SP4 you have a good keyboard complete with a trackpad as well as touch and pen. The apps that are optimized for touch like OneNote tend to be far more capable than iOS apps. In terms of multi-tasking Windows is far more powerful than iOS. In terms of expansion, the SP4 has a USB 3 port, MicroSD and an optional dock where the IPP has none.

I own iOS, Mac, Windows, Android, Chrome OS and Linux devices so I'm hardly a Windows Fanboy (I prefer OS X to Windows) but I just feel the SP4 brings so much more to the table than an IPP for most people (certainly not all).
 
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The surface book weighs a metric ton...and that's a big deal when you're trying to be mobile. It's not a tablet at all...it's a laptop that desires to be marketed in a tablet space.

Surface Pro 4: 786g
iPad Pro 12.9": 723g
Not quite a metric ton anymore, huh?
 
Not a joke. It could probably cover a lot of what I do at work really well: Organisational documents, emails, making animatics, etc. However, there is a significant portion of work it can't do, that I need a Mac for. And as I love my Mac, and my Mac fulfils 100% of my computing needs, I'm never going to buy an iPad.

Then again, I might not be the typical user, as one of the ultra-thin laptops would make a very nice secondary machine, run all the apps I need, yet I have no intention of getting one of those either.
 
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 see what you're saying and as someone who has this as well as both a 2015 15 inch Pro and the 2016 MacBook, I can kind of see where Apple is coming from here. A lot of Apple's core fanbase in the past have been designers, editors and anyone creative. With the success of iPod, iPhone etc, they obviously are going for the mainstream to make more $$ hence why programs like Final Cut and Logic have suffered.

I'm a musician and use my MacBook Pro for a lot of recording and it works great for it - but for every day use for people in my family, my friends, most of what they do media consumption, social media and visiting websites. When it comes to these tasks, I genuinely believe the Pro provides a beautiful experience and would be sufficient for a huge portion of the consumer market. Yes, it's expensive but that's what people expect with Apple. A beautifully designed, easy to use stable product that they can relate with that burns a big hole in their pocket (lol). Being in sales, I have to say this device is an absolute dream for me in front of clients. I can demonstrate our app on a huge screen, have the ability to be on the internet the whole time without having to tether to a phone or to find a wifi connection and its portability means it can go anywhere.

I think it cops a lot more than it deserves to because everyone compares it to the Surface Pro. I've used both and even though the iPad is 'limited' in the desktop format, in terms of smoothness and reliability it blew the SP4 out of the water.

My only gripe with iOS is the inability to save documents and files properly. I really hope they change this soon.
 
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