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Apple Shares New 'What's a Computer' Ad Focused on iPad Pro Features

lordofthereef said:
A computer runs OS X.

No but seriously. I’d be the first in line for an iPad that runs OS X. Dual boot is fine too.
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I really don’t understand why they’re not doing this. I’ve had an iPad off and on since the 3rd generation and I think the ability to dual boot would put this thing light years ahead of all of the competition.

It’s frustrating when you need a computer just to do a certain task that the iPad is fully capable of hardware-wise, but completely incapable of software-wise.

The only reasons I can think of that they haven’t gone for a dual boot iPad are:

1. They want to focus their resources on creating the best touch-based tablet experience.
2. It would cannibalize Mac sales.

But those reasons aren’t good enough in my opinion.
 
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oneMadRssn said:
How long is this beginning going to last? We've been seeing that term thrown-around since 2011, maybe earlier (according to Google trends, there was a substantial uptick of this term in 2005 and 2006). So far, it looks like we're in a computer-accessories era.

I just find it absurd that a kid wouldn't know what a computer is, and say it in such a smartass way. I knew what a telegraph was, even though I never used one. "What's a computer?" "That think your parents use to make money and buy you nice creative toys like your ipad."
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I mean, it was an ad. I think Apple was just trying to make a point. We are already in the post PC era. Many people are going iOS only or only use a Mac for very specific tasks (this likely won't ever change). Individuals and companies are all working towards becoming more mobile. It allows for greater flexibility and collaboration.
 
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Monsieur Arykovère said:
I really don’t understand why they’re not doing this. I’ve had an iPad off and on since the 3rd generation and I think the ability to dual boot would put this thing light years ahead of all of the competition.

It’s frustrating when you need a computer just to do a certain task that the iPad is fully capable of hardware-wise, but completely incapable of software-wise.

The only reasons I can think of that they haven’t gone for a dual boot iPad are:

1. They want to focus their resources on creating the best touch-based tablet experience.
2. It would cannibalize Mac sales.

But those reasons aren’t good enough in my opinion.
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Retrofitting a desktop oriented OS would be a poor hack. The iPad’s beauty is that it’s a touch first OS. As for cannibalizing, I don’t think they care as long as people are buying Apple devices.
 
Monsieur Arykovère said:
I really don’t understand why they’re not doing this. I’ve had an iPad off and on since the 3rd generation and I think the ability to dual boot would put this thing light years ahead of all of the competition.

It’s frustrating when you need a computer just to do a certain task that the iPad is fully capable of hardware-wise, but completely incapable of software-wise.

The only reasons I can think of that they haven’t gone for a dual boot iPad are:

1. They want to focus their resources on creating the best touch-based tablet experience.
2. It would cannibalize Mac sales.

But those reasons aren’t good enough in my opinion.
Click to expand...

While I wouldn't necessarily hate a dual boot option, I bet it's pretty complicated on their end. I am no engineer, but two processors, different components that are needed to handle things on iOS and the macOS side. It would get very messy. Let alone keeping it thin, light, and battery efficient. Personally, I think they are better off doing what they are doing. Focusing on bringing more and more desktop-like features to iOS.
 
Durrr... what's a computer, mom?

Hey mom, what's a mouse?

Mom.. moooooooooooommmmmmm how the hell am I supposed to edit a spreadsheet? This is infuriating!!

Mom, why isn't there some sort of computational device which would allow me to organize files into folders, easily multitask, and provide amazing flexibility in peripherals?
 
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spazzcat said:
Computers crash all the time losing your data. You can multitask with iPad, Word auto saves on the iPad. I've never had an issues organizing my files on my iPad, that apps for that, several of them and best part is they sync files and organizing to my other devices. You clearly have never used an iPad...
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I don't know what computers you have in mind, they simply don't crash on me. It's mostly programs that do crash and even they are not as frequently crashing as mobile apps, and they are prone to crashing when they are facing RAM limits. On top of that, if you switch to just one other app in multitasking which uses just enough RAM to wipe the memory of your other seemingly always autosaving app and after switching back just return to its start screen, finding out that it's actually not autosaving, you might understand why it's often downsized to being a toy. Being at the mercy of the respective developer of every single app you need to have a workaround for that problem is not something one can call professional. I have an iPad myself and I like how it's acting as a bridge device, but it stays that way for as long as its infrastructure behaves that way.
To sum things up, there are important things missing that most professional and casual users need a computer:
- a native (not 3PP) files system to access ANY resources (attached storage, network storage/NAS, folder and partition management; using keyboard shortcuts. You can't even access your Apple Time Capsule's files without 3PP apps.
- the ability to install software depending on the developer, rather than the opinion of the manufacturer of the OS (you simply enjoy not using Little Snitch, do yo you?)
- the ability to choose versions of the software you use, depending on your use case
- downloading without installing
- the ability to program apps or anything else, performing even more or less complex (interface) design projects, handling fonts, media assets, storage, peers and sharing or organizing the files and assets in a way that makes the work progress worthwhile, not to mention having to create literally complex results like a game as Battlefront II which is using two iterations of its engine in one game

While I do graphics design, I do not consider myself as a professional because for as long as complex work can be over your head and there's no such disgrace to language as a pro-professional, I'm just a mere user. Maybe not just a mainstream consumer, but certainly not a professional, but being called that just because I use select software which iPads cannot run is but a joke.
 
mi7chy said:
Until an iPad can do basic things like restore another iPad it's not even close to being a computer replacement.
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How often are you restoring your devices? For the frequency at which I need to restore a device, I’ll make an appointment at the Apple store or borrow a computer. Everyone has a use case. These discussions always seem to bring out people’s inflexibility and rigid beliefs. For me, my iPhone is my main computer. My data is decentralized. I can view my photos and videos and music from my tv, iPad, watch... ask google Home in my kitchen what’s on my calendar. I do various paperwork, signatures etc. on my iPad. I’ve used my MacBook Pro maybe three times in the past year. I’m an average user. I get many professions and uses require a Mac, or a PC for that matter. But I think the point is a computer is the tool you happen to use.
 
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Brammy said:
I use EasyBib's web page. Even if I am writing on my Mac I've come to prefer it more than a standalone app like EndNote. I've never really been a big fan of "Cite While You Write" anyway. I've always had the habit of entering in the citation in a manager and then just manually putting (Author, p666) where I need to.

You can export the EasyBib references in an easy manner to put in Word and Pages.
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heck, this is the present. I don't know about you, but I probably spend 12+ hours a day starting a darn screen.
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I also use EasyBib. Accessible anywhere, I can store project bibliographies, etc. It’s just another example, for me, of being portable and nimble. My iPadPro is part of that strategy. I’ve never been more productive.
 
makitango said:
...

While I do graphics design, I do not consider myself as a professional because for as long as complex work can be over your head and there's no such disgrace to language as a pro-professional, I'm just a mere user. Maybe not just a mainstream consumer, but certainly not a professional, but being called that just because I use select software which iPads cannot run is but a joke.
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Your doing graphics design, of course and iPad isn't going to work for you... Using an iPad as computer isn't going to work for every task other computer can do, just like your not going to play graphic heavy games on an MacBook...
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flottenheimer said:
Well, according to the ad, it clearly needs a keyboard.
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I was at a conference a few weeks ago. I used my iPad Pro and Pencil the whole week. My MacBook never left my room. I don't own a Smart Keyboard.
 
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I have found the iPad a more reliable device than the Mac. I only just had to false restart Finder on my iMac because it failed to respond - a far more frequent occurrence than the iPad ever crashing
 
I cannot remember the last time I have needed to do a DFU restore of my device. Maybe when a beta went bad. But people who run beta iOSs aren’t a good example. Even a month ago when I had some weird iCloud issue on my iPP I just did a reset from the settings menu and restored from iCloud backup.

I get the need to use USB devices, but in practice for me it’s rare I need to it. So much of my data is in the cloud these days. Most of the time it is photos, which iOS actually can kinda handle from a remote device anyway.

But the people who need to access terabytes of files on storage devices aren’t ideal candidates for an iPad-only lifestyle. I can’t use my Mac to do my day job (I need Visio and OmniGraffle doesn’t cut it for that compatibility), but that doesn’t mean my Mac is a boat anchor.

I am able to do a lot of work on my iPad. Even my day job as a Business Analyst I can do a lot of work on my iPad if I want to. It’s pretty much Word macros, Tableau, and Visio I need something other my iPad. Writing the basics of my requirements documents I can do on my iPad fine.
 
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spazzcat said:
Your doing graphics design, of course and iPad isn't going to work for you... Using an iPad as computer isn't going to work for every task other computer can do, just like your not going to play graphic heavy games on an MacBook...
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I was at a conference a few weeks ago. I used my iPad Pro and Pencil the whole week. My MacBook never left my room. I don't own a Smart Keyboard.
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If you mean light photoshopping with some layers, effects and stuff, sure, you can do that. Or even illustration works a charm, maybe even better in some areas thanks to the Pencil. But there is a reason why you can't use Sketch or Adobe XD on mobile (what hell it would be to also having to do Responsive Design projects on an iPad), and it's because the people who publish these products have to use them, too, and you can be damn sure they would love to bring this to the iPad, but it just won't work unless the environment fits the need. Saying it can is like telling an astronaut he can get to space with a plane and its co-pilot.

I live together with a media composer who is using Premiere and After Effects (his entire studio retired Final Cut a long time ago because, well, they know better than me, and I can imagine using its iOS counterpart doesn't make it better) and an architect using AutoCAD, and iPad just doesn't offer the workflow, besides the performance. You just need a desktop OS to being able to juggle with multiple applications, using clipboard effectively, managing temporary and permanent media assets you need for your projects and handling performance, spaces and screens. Anyone who is using more than spreadsheets, docs, Dropbox and Instagram should understand this.

And I hope you didn't have to type during that conference, or else I would hate to be you or feel your fingers.

PS: You can easily play The Arkham series on a MacBook, and they are not light graphic games. The user decides, not the product, at least on your personal !computer!.
 
The iPad is one of my favorite devices, but it’s because I use it to do things that it’s suited for—not as a substitute for another tool. It’s hypocritical that Apple is insinuating that the tablet is comparable to a laptop or desktop PC after Ive informed the public that it uses the iPhone for tasks or activities that it wasn’t meant for. Similarly, the iPad has unique capabilities and capable processing power, but it has UI limitations that make it a poor choice for many common PC tasks.

The tablet is best when it’s used as the thing that it emulates. It’s ideal for composing freestyle media like illustrations. It’s convenient for longform reading and websurfing. It’s a lousy tool for tasks that involve a lot of keyboard input. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be necessary to attach a physical keyboard. Which begs the question: what happened to Apple’s belief that reaching over a keyboard to use a vertical touchscreen was bad ergonomics? It was their excuse for not pursuing a touchscreen laptop or desktop, yet that is what they essentially allowed an iPad to become.
 
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Of course you can do 99% of what this can do on a chrome book for 1/8th the price, this what schools have already figured out. Although I do love my iPad pro!
 
Rogifan said:
When has Apple ever said Macs don’t need to exist? all Apple is doing is saying iPads are computers too. iPads are for more than just watching video and checking email. If iPad isn’t a real computer why the heck did Microsoft develop Office apps for it?
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I guess you didn't read what I wrote.

Nevermind...
 
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A computer is a device where a user can modify the bios, boot loader, and has read/write access to any file at the raw disk level.
 
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