Apple Launching A9X-Based 12.9" iPad Pro in November for $799+

[MacAddict1978]

Ok, so, I can't have been the only one that laughed when they introduced 'Apple Pencil' and the fact they had a video for it!

That said, like most of what Apple does, they manage to take something that other people have done, but advance and expand upon it. And actually making it really good. Easy to laugh at to begin with, but actually looks very useful!

I don't see where in this case they made it "really good" over the competition advanced or expanded. It's a crippled wanna be Surface Pro. Unless you are comparing it to Samsung's pro tablet... which is actually pretty good and due for a refresh.

The iPad Pro is a blow up iPad with the innards the iPad air will get as hand me downs. It really can't be taken seriously as a pro-device running the same IOS as all the other models (or IOS at all for that matter).

Sorry, but I really think Microsoft is winning this segment. Even Apple devout are loving on the Surface. Now that the mess of Windows8 is solved... it's a near perfect machine. Can't wait for the 4, and I can actually do pro work on it. Oh, and the for the same price tag, get laptop specs.... and that's what I REALLY want to see from Apple. They should have been first to that party, not last.

 

[manu chao]

...Windows 10...

But not everybody is happy with

I'm not sure if it was shown in the keynote, but in case anyone wondered as well... they didn't increase the amount of icons on the Homescreen

If print text on a larger piece of paper, you normally also don't increase the number of characters per line. It's about readability. Sure we can quibble about the best number of icons for readability, but just blindly increasing that number with the screen size is certainly not the best solution.

Look at Launchpad on the Mac, it also doesn't increase the number of app icons shown as you go to larger screen size. And if you ever have seen a 24" monitor where the Desktop was filled with folder or file icons, finding the one you are looking for by scanning the monitor is not that easy (in particular if the icons are very similar as they tend to be on computers).

 

[LittleChief]

Amazing device. But no file system no buy.... It still can't replace fully a MacBook.

Easy fix IMO...

Download this: https://readdle.com/products/documents and pretend it's the Finder. Done.

 

[MacAddict1978]

I doubt that. The Surface 3 is for people who need a laptop replacement. The iPad Pro is for people who want a 'better' tablet to complement their computer.

I don't think you get it. No one wants an iPad pro in this form. It's a big iPad, nothing more. Apple does a great show of bragging about whats under the hood.... and it's not impressive under the hood of ANY iPad. High end competitors best the iPad in every way.... storage, processor, match display performance and often for the same or less.

People want a tablet that's portable to complement their computer use, which is what they have already. People who want bigger are people who present to clients, businesses who want to display as a kiosk interaction point, or have some more hardcore productivity. This crosses the line where a more professional level of app is needed with more desktop like or desktop use.

I have no doubt someone out there that just has to buy anything apple makes will line up and buy this.... and they'll be putting it on ebay after realizing they'd be better off with something else.

What Apple needed the Pro model to be was more like a touch based MacBook Air with a keyboard accessory.

There is also no reason why IOS apps cannot run natively on OSX.

I think after years of bashing MS on their strategy, they are realizing they need in on that but can't do it that way. They have to lay a trail of bread crumbs for a few years, make people buy enough crumbs that they could have bought a loaf of bread, and then sell them bread by the loaf after dishing it out in slices. It's kind of their business model for all their products, but hey, it works for them. They'd be stupid not to if people are stupid enough to accept that.

 

[manu chao]

If anything, Apple should give the whole MacBook line touch screens instead of making a huge iPad. That would make so much more sense. And give the performance upgrades to the MacBooks instead of the iPads, BTW. The iPad Pro is a laptop missing its keyboard and running a phone OS. Totally pointless.

What do people use their touch screens on the laptops actually for? I've never seen anybody actually using a touch screen on a laptop.

 

[Pilgrim1099]

I agree with you here, - this is the reality. For now.


But I really want Wacom to be innovative again.

For example, by:

- developing new or drastically improving their never-changing ancient input tech (still awful parallax, precision on the edges and ever buggy drives, especially for OSX).

- releasing a Cintiq Companion product, which is silent and with battery lasting more than 3-4 hours of use.

- making such Companion finally lightweight, with screen aspect ratio suitable for artists and Adobe RGB colour gamut coverage (instead of current sRGB).


As you see, my wish list is rather short...
I wouldn't even complain about the price, then...

Granted, I think Wacom is trying to improve on the Cintiq or Companion lines. Although, I have never used nor seen the Cintiqs in person and would've loved to have one, had I the money. However, the Companion was owned by a fencing student's father who got it two years ago. I thought it was pretty neat.

However, the old school Intuos line has been quite stable and I use it for the work I do at my home studio ( Intuos 4 model ). It takes a bit getting used to when looking at the screen.

The problems you have listed are not unheard of and in fact, one prominent concept artist/illustrator, at one point, mentioned hating the Cintiqs due to the heat on the glass when drawing and slight tracking issues with the stylus. This was brought up in an online chat and live demonstration of this particular concept art group that is affiliated with the Concept Art website.

Sure, the Companion looks a bit heavy and one I had reservations on the actual operating system whether if it could run or some of the apps I own. It would be nice if it had an Adobe RGB as another profile, but CMYK has great value if the project is going to be on print.

I have Procreate and SB Pro on my original iPad and they work okay. Just not super fast or smoothly like the current generation I hoped for. I knew that Apple could do so much more with that. I do remember Wacom sending out a huge survey about their portable products about two years ago and this is what I think is where Companion was born out of that.

 

[MacAddict1978]

We could equally say the Surface is running a freaking desktop OS. That's right, an OS designed and taylor made for a mouse and keyboard on a tablet to be used with touch and without a keyboard or mouse. (Now, the Surface is more like an ultralight laptop and is not used as much as tablet without a keyboard.)

You can argue that a phone OS is useless for a tablet. But we can equally argue that a desktop OS is useless for a tablet. And we might both be right. But that doesn't tell us anything whether a tablet OS should be closer to a phone or a desktop OS. However, given that a tablet is primarily used with your fingers, I think we can argue that a phone OS is much closer to an ideal tablet OS than a desktop OS relying on mouse and cursor.

The os on the surface pro is full designed for and optimized for touch. It's not running Windows 7... it's running 10. Even 8 was optimized for touch.

 

[Blublub]

Maybe it's just me, but I would've thought there is a big market out there for folks looking for a larger screen iPad primarily for reading magazines and textbooks and maybe some light photo editing. That audience might be fine with iOS since most have Macbook Pros for real work. But a paltry 32 GB for $700 with STILL no expansion possibilities and apparently no major RAM bump? Even the reality distortion field can't convince me to pony up and I was ripe for the plucking.

 

[manu chao]

I can't think of why anyone would use this over the Retina Macbook except for artists and stuff. Cause they are almost the same except the Macbook runs OSX

Very few people will use this 'over their Macbook'. The vast majority will use it alongside their Macbooks for some tasks.

 

[Even Longer]

Procreate is good and all but even you have to admit, that besides a few apps like procreate -> there aren't really many that can keep the pace up to SERIOUS productivity desktop class apps.

There is no photoshop, no illustrator, heck not even sketch or rhino 3d in a way that makes it comparable to their desktop siblings.


Will these ever be coded? I dont know , the iPad Pro would need some serious traction for that. because these apps could barely be used on the smaller ipads. Whereas on the surface pro line the apps already exist all you would need is a skin to make it a bit more touch friendly perhaps.

Yes, generally I agree, BUT after the evaluation of Surface Pro 3:

- it is still getting loud and hot while using most of pro apps, especially Mischief.
- it's stylus doesn't have any tilt sensitivity and I couldn't get the pressure curve to feel natural, even after adjustments in Surface Hub.
- it is running Windows. Yes, it is a "full" OS, but getting back to it after using OSX/iOS exclusively for years was hard (of course, this one is more or less reflectin my personal tasted an experience).

 

[manu chao]

Eh, I'd say the 3 is more like a tablet that can do some laptop related tasks in a pinch, moreso than a proper laptop replacement. That's more the Pro's area of expertise.

Yeah, the screen size of the Surface 3 is more netbook than laptop territory.

 

[heeloliver]

I like it. It could replace my MacBook Air, now that it has a keyboard and a nice processor. Also split screen took long enough but at least it's here. The pen looks very nice, very natural. It is cool to see you only need to charge it for a minute and it's charged for a few hours.

 

[JGowan]

Seriously. A giant iPad. And runs iOS.

Seriously. Can be used with keyboard and electronic pen/pencil. Seriously. People always gonna bitch.

 

[manu chao]

I don't think you get it. No one wants an iPad pro in this form. It's a big iPad, nothing more.

And that is why I want it. Your position sounds as if you think that nobody wants a tablet that runs iOS, regardless of screen size. How come that Apple is still selling 60+ millions of iPads per year?

People want a tablet that's portable to complement their computer use, which is what they have already. People who want bigger are people who present to clients, businesses who want to display as a kiosk interaction point, or have some more hardcore productivity. This crosses the line where a more professional level of app is needed with more desktop like or desktop use.

And the iPad Pro is not portable enough for those uses? Even though it weighs pretty much the same as the original iPad?

 

[Scarpad]

I think what makes and breaks a device is he apps it runs and both android and Microsoft lack in quality tablet apps , Apple doesn't. The pro has an edge based on its App Store alone

 

[ActionableMango]

Ones that had a magnetic port for charging and data transfer?

No. That's a fair point.

 

[manu chao]

That's the problem. The apple site doesn't mention it whereas Surface Pro has about at least 4 GB of RAM to start with on top of the existing internal storage.

I expected better out of iPad Pro but they screwed up royally by not adding memory expandability and OS X compatibility to run full desktop class applications on the go.

The MBA and MBP seem to do pretty well without having memory expandability.

 

[manu chao]

"As soon as you have a stylus, you're dead."

- Steve Jobs

Which referred to devices that required a stylus to operate. Unless I am mistaken, the iPad Pro can be operated without a stylus.

 

[notrack]

Easy fix IMO...

Download this: https://readdle.com/products/documents and pretend it's the Finder. Done.

Not really, unfortunately. It's an os-level thing that can't be compensated by a third party app.

 

[manu chao]

Yeah, you need at least 4GB ram to do decent photo editing, and at least 8GB for video. 2GB just isn't enough for a "pro" machine.

So how come the iPad Pro can 'edit' three 4K video streams in parallel?

 

[Even Longer]

Granted, I think Wacom is trying to improve on the Cintiq or Companion lines. Although, I have never used nor seen the Cintiqs in person and would've loved to have one, had I the money. However, the Companion was owned by a fencing student's father who got it two years ago. I thought it was pretty neat.

However, the old school Intuos line has been quite stable and I use it for the work I do at my home studio ( Intuos 4 model ). It takes a bit getting used to when looking at the screen.

The problems you have listed are not unheard of and in fact, one prominent concept artist/illustrator, at one point, mentioned hating the Cintiqs due to the heat on the glass when drawing and slight tracking issues with the stylus. This was brought up in an online chat and live demonstration of this particular concept art group that is affiliated with the Concept Art website.

Sure, the Companion looks a bit heavy and one I had reservations on the actual operating system whether if it could run or some of the apps I own. It would be nice if it had an Adobe RGB as another profile, but CMYK has great value if the project is going to be on print.

I have Procreate and SB Pro on my original iPad and they work okay. Just not super fast or smoothly like the current generation I hoped for. I knew that Apple could do so much more with that. I do remember Wacom sending out a huge survey about their portable products about two years ago and this is what I think is where Companion was born out of that.

The only problem is: they are not trying hard enough...

Yes, indeed:

- Intuos 4 worked right, as those Graphite did before.

- Intuos 5 was the same Intuos 4, but with touch layer (with ever buggy touch drivers, which drove us crazy sometimes)

- Current Intuos Pro is just rebranded Intuos 5, with no innovation happened in-between.

- Cintiqs... Yes, Cintiqs do get the real job done, despite of their own annoyances. We got used to those annoyances over time, but only due to lack of real alternatives. Yet...

 

[Renzatic]

So how come the iPad Pro can 'edit' three 4K video streams in parallel?

You can probably do light editing a'la iMovies using 2GB, considering it it's only storing small clips in memory that are being streamed in and out as they're spliced together. What it isn't doing is applying multiple realtime processed filters, holding on to various levels of undo, and all the other bells and whistles you'd get from Final Cut, After Effects, and the like.

Editing three 4k clips at once, even in something as basic as an iMovies like setup, is a testament to the Pro's memory bandwidth and the processing speed of Apple's A series chips. But it needs more RAM to get into the real high end stuff.

 

[Larry-K]

"As soon as you have a stylus, you're dead."

- Steve Jobs

Even sooner in his case.

 

[manu chao]

but everyone i know who was holding off on the surface pro for apple to enter the fray are more than disappointed - they're going to buy a surface pro. all that mattered to (i'd say) the majority of art/design/visual/musician types were hoping for was desktop class software for their portable tablet experience.

You don't snip your fingers and have a touch-based UI for your desktop OS. It took Microsoft many years to come from Windows 7 to Windows 10 (if we take the comments here that Windows 10 now really is fully useable via a touch interface as a reference point). If Apple wanted to evolve OS X towards being able to be fully useable via touch, this would be a long process during which you would see many individual steps before you would see a useable product (and the initial release of Windows 8 definitely wasn't a fully useable product via a touch interface). You'd see an evolving of the OS X UI towards touch-friendlyness years in advance before a tablet with a version of OS X would ship.

 

[Renzatic]

The only problem is: they are not trying hard enough

That's a problem inherent with any monopoly, which Wacom has enjoyed for many a year now. Since no one's been able to match them in quality or mindshare, they don't have to innovate. They know you're either going to buy their stuff, or settle with a half-assed alternative you'll get rid of in a few months to buy their stuff.

Only now are they finally seeing some real competition. Thing is, it's all potential. MS has a great digitizer, but it only supports 256 levels of pressure, and none of the other high end features that come standard with Wacom's more expensive offerings. Apple has just now advertised that their stylus has the fancier features, but...how well do they work, what's the pressure sensitivity? None of their pen tech is proven yet.

Wacom might now have something to maybe worry about later, but right now, they're still the stylus kings.