Can iPad Pro replace laptop?

[jlc1978]

True, but these are software limitations, the hardware is capable. The A9X chip is quite powerful and they have married it to a buss system that accesses storage the way a laptop accesses it's hard drive -- as opposed to previous iPads that used protocols comparable to accessing a memory stick (much slower). I have to believe Apple is working behind the scenes to develop apps that will take advantage of all this power (and encouraging other developers as well).

Yes, I would think Apple is working to overcome the software limitations so the hardware's potential is realized. Hardware generally outpaces software in new technology since developers need to understand and learn the potential of the machine. Once Apple and other developers exploit more fully the hardware's capability and find ways to duplicate the functionality of a laptop for a broader range of users then the tablets will start to replace laptops; just as laptops replaced desktops for a large segment of the user base.

There's sort of a grand tradition in the Apple world (and really all tech) of effectively funding the future by buying on the potential of these machines as much as their present. I've read various threads where people are advising buyers to get the Air 2 over the 9.7 iPP because, unless you have a specific need for the pencil, you really won't see more than a subtle difference between them. That's probably true to a certain extent in May of 2016 but iOS 10 is coming soon and we may start to see these Pro iPads separate from the older models not longer after. Kinda fun to think about huh?

I guess it's a case of today's needs and value point vs unknown future needs; and it is fun to think about.

 

[Booji]

True, but these are software limitations, the hardware is capable. The A9X chip is quite powerful and they have married it to a buss system that accesses storage the way a laptop accesses it's hard drive -- as opposed to previous iPads that used protocols comparable to accessing a memory stick (much slower). I have to believe Apple is working behind the scenes to develop apps that will take advantage of all this power (and encouraging other developers as well).

There's sort of a grand tradition in the Apple world (and really all tech) of effectively funding the future by buying on the potential of these machines as much as their present. I've read various threads where people are advising buyers to get the Air 2 over the 9.7 iPP because, unless you have a specific need for the pencil, you really won't see more than a subtle difference between them. That's probably true to a certain extent in May of 2016 but iOS 10 is coming soon and we may start to see these Pro iPads separate from the older models not longer after. Kinda fun to think about huh?

It's exciting! I like where it's going and perhaps one day we will see the end of the boring laptop (for most of us at least), replaced with something much more fun. The iPad certainly is, and I wish it could be the only device I need. Some day, and I think it's not that far off.

 

[Wildkraut]

The Hardware is capable, yes. But the sad part of this is, that Apple is senseless *virtually* limiting iOS in many levels on purpose. I love to take the Calculator as an proof of example, because any Apple Engineer could adapt the existing Calculator App in a day or less to fit size wise to the iPad(s) screen. But they simply don't care, or have other priorities. So i wouldn't place my bet on iOS10 to decide if I go with an iPad Pro or not.

 

[Night Spring]

The Hardware is capable, yes. But the sad part of this is, that Apple is senseless *virtually* limiting iOS in many levels on purpose. I love to take the Calculator as an proof of example, because any Apple Engineer could adapt the existing Calculator App in a day or less to fit size wise to the iPad(s) screen. But they simply don't care, or have other priorities. So i wouldn't place my bet on iOS10 to decide if I go with an iPad Pro or not.

That's such a meaningless example. Calculator app has been missing from iPads since the very beginning, so it's been what, 6, 7 years? And think of all the features that has been added to iOS during those years. I don't understand why Apple never released a calculator app for iPad, but the lack of one seems totally irrelevant to whether Apple will continue to improve iOS.

 

[richpjr]

That's such a meaningless example. Calculator app has been missing from iPads since the very beginning, so it's been what, 6, 7 years? And think of all the features that has been added to iOS during those years. I don't understand why Apple never released a calculator app for iPad, but the lack of one seems totally irrelevant to whether Apple will continue to improve iOS.

Don't forget the missing weather app!

 

[sracer]

There's sort of a grand tradition in the Apple world (and really all tech) of effectively funding the future by buying on the potential of these machines as much as their present. I've read various threads where people are advising buyers to get the Air 2 over the 9.7 iPP because, unless you have a specific need for the pencil, you really won't see more than a subtle difference between them. That's probably true to a certain extent in May of 2016 but iOS 10 is coming soon and we may start to see these Pro iPads separate from the older models not longer after. Kinda fun to think about huh?

Yep, definitely fun to think about.

But I'm failing to come up with something that Apple could introduce with iOS 10 that would be exclusive to the 9.7 Pro but not the Air 2. It is possible that iOS 10 could require more horsepower to perform the same tasks, but I can't come up with something in iOS 10 that would further support/enhance the Pencil, True-Tone, and Smart Connector that would make the 9.7 Pro more appealing/useful than it already is.

 

[richpjr]

Yep, definitely fun to think about.

But I'm failing to come up with something that Apple could introduce with iOS 10 that would be exclusive to the 9.7 Pro but not the Air 2. It is possible that iOS 10 could require more horsepower to perform the same tasks, but I can't come up with something in iOS 10 that would further support/enhance the Pencil, True-Tone, and Smart Connector that would make the 9.7 Pro more appealing/useful than it already is.

How about multi-user support?

 

[Wildkraut]

That's such a meaningless example. Calculator app has been missing from iPads since the very beginning, so it's been what, 6, 7 years? And think of all the features that has been added to iOS during those years. I don't understand why Apple never released a calculator app for iPad, but the lack of one seems totally irrelevant to whether Apple will continue to improve iOS.

Well many of *to the user visible* features Apple added are nothing soooo special from a developers perspective.
Specially with all the already existing code base from OS X. Core features is another story!

You say it 6-7 years and they didn't manage to add a simple Calculator or Weather App to iOS.
But managed to invest resources into the development of an highly demanded *cough,cough* Music Memo App.
Not to forget they kick existing Apps like flux, to bring their own innovation*cough,cough* called Night Shift.

They just wan't to make your wallet, bleed.
They keep features on purpose aside, to have something to show and make you wan't the next device, and limit it virtually to this new device. Like Siri(4->4s),Night Shift,Adblocker, etc. the list is long.

I still like Apple somehow, but less and less because of all these virtual limitations they add to their platform.
[doublepost=1462298350][/doublepost]

How about multi-user support?

They won't add multiuser anytime to iOS soon, this would cut their profits.

 

[sracer]

How about multi-user support?

Why would that feature be exclusive to the 9.7 Pro? It could come to the Air 2 as well. I suppose that Apple could incorporate that as an artificial restriction.

 

[Night Spring]

But I'm failing to come up with something that Apple could introduce with iOS 10 that would be exclusive to the 9.7 Pro but not the Air 2. It is possible that iOS 10 could require more horsepower to perform the same tasks, but I can't come up with something in iOS 10 that would further support/enhance the Pencil, True-Tone, and Smart Connector that would make the 9.7 Pro more appealing/useful than it already is.

Apple always comes up with SOMETHING that is exclusive to the latest generation devices. It's usually something nobody has thought of before, but we all want it once we hear about it.
[doublepost=1462298804][/doublepost]

Why would that feature be exclusive to the 9.7 Pro? It could come to the Air 2 as well. I suppose that Apple could incorporate that as an artificial restriction.

I think Siri was like that. Jailbreakers managed to get it working on earlier devices, but Apple made it exclusive to iPhone 4s or whichever it was.
[doublepost=1462299231][/doublepost]I

But managed to invest resources into the development of an highly demanded *cough,cough* Music Memo App.
Not to forget they kick existing Apps like flux, to bring their own innovation*cough,cough* called Night Shift.

They just wan't to make your wallet, bleed.

Music Memo is a free app, and night shift is a feature built into the OS. Not sure how wither contributes to making my wallet bleed.

Yes, Apple does sometimes keep features exclusive to the most recent devices, but they've been doing that as long as I've been buying Apple products. Can you tell me when they didn't use to do that?

 

[jlc1978]

That's such a meaningless example. Calculator app has been missing from iPads since the very beginning, so it's been what, 6, 7 years? And think of all the features that has been added to iOS during those years. I don't understand why Apple never released a calculator app for iPad, but the lack of one seems totally irrelevant to whether Apple will continue to improve iOS.

The search function acts as a calculator, but unfortunately doesn't use RPN

 

[Wildkraut]

Apple always comes up with SOMETHING that is exclusive to the latest generation devices. It's usually something nobody has thought of before, but we all want it once we hear about it.
[doublepost=1462298804][/doublepost]

I think Siri was like that. Jailbreakers managed to get it working on earlier devices, but Apple made it exclusive to iPhone 4s or whichever it was.
[doublepost=1462299231][/doublepost]I

Music Memo is a free app, and night shift is a feature built into the OS. Not sure how wither contributes to making my wallet bleed.

Yes, Apple does sometimes keep features exclusive to the most recent devices, but they've been doing that as long as I've been buying Apple products. Can you tell me when they didn't use to do that?

Music Memo don't make your Wallet bleed, it's free.
But they keep Weather and Calculator exclusively to the iPhone. They wan't you to buy both.

Well, I'm not aware of any limitations of essential OS X features.
E.g. like iMac 2015 gets something, and 2014 don't, with both running the same OS X version.
So with Mac OS X they are still doing this right.

 

[nj-morris]

Depends. I use an iPad Air 2 as my main device. No laptop, use my phone less than others.

 

[Night Spring]

But they keep Weather and Calculator exclusively to the iPhone. They wan't you to buy both.

I'm sure Apple loves it when we buy both, but are you seriously suggesting people will buy an iPhone just because they want weather and calculator? When there are plenty of free weather and calculator apps for the iPad in the App Store?

As for Macs, I admit I haven't paid enough attention to Mac OS updates to know if a 2010 Mac gets all the same features as a 2015 Mac. I do know that my 2010 MacBook Air got so slow after installing Yosemite I've stopped using it. Perhaps it would have been better if they left out some features and made it faster.

 

[richpjr]

Why would that feature be exclusive to the 9.7 Pro? It could come to the Air 2 as well. I suppose that Apple could incorporate that as an artificial restriction.

Technically, no reason but could be something that differentiates the Pro versions from the rest. Just speculating.

 

[hiddenmarkov]

The Hardware is capable, yes. But the sad part of this is, that Apple is senseless *virtually* limiting iOS in many levels on purpose.

This is the issue. Some pro apps out there just can't carry over because of iOS. They rely on deeper system access not there. Or giving users that access. Or require working in apple's frameworks. When an app goes into areas apple does not like (and did not foresee happening but code allows) it gets pulled/submission denied.

Examples: this is what killed inspiration for night shift iirc...the app that change screen warmth working the code as not intended. I have a fan/temp application that used to be an app store available app that is now vendor only provided on MBP. Apple didn't dig how it did its voodoo magic, its no longer releasable on the store.

iOS this is a deal breaker for some pro apps. Conversion time to release and apple says we don't like how you work things...denied.

At least with MacOS (or other less restrictive OS' on full blown tower/laptops) there is option B....file server your files as a vendor/dev in some way. Except for 2 applications the rest of the apps used on my MBP do not have app store release. Some of them can't. They use stuff not accepted under submission rules. They pay for a dev license so its not them being cheap, they install not tripping the software guardian in the OS which is an ability paid dev license grants with a code to use. They just can't/don't sell on the store.