iPad Pro beats 15" MacBook Pro Retina

[AppleGuy1993]

So I was just watching ZONEofTECH's new iPad Pro video and at some point he mentioned the benchmarks, CPU and GPU wise. GPU wise it's apparently faster than even the 15" Retina MacBook Pro's Intel Iris Pro graphics, as for the CPU, it's just 200 lower in Geekbench than the maxed out i7 on the 15" rMBP.

WOW!

Now I kinda want one haha!

I still wouldn't use one for heavy work. What do you guys think?

 

[Aluminum213]

Those benchmark tests are heavily skewed when comparing a mobile OS to desktop OS, keep that in mind before popping the champagne

 

[Michael Goff]

http://www.realworldtech.com/forum/?threadid=136526&curpostid=136666

 

[aevan]

With every new shiny tech there are people who buy it and claim it's a bigger deal than it is, and there are people who'd like to have it but don't, who claim it's not a big deal at all (mostly referring to that silly Verge article here, but also to a few comments on these forums)

The truth is - there is no way that the iPad Pro is faster in raw terms than a quad-core i7, but the fact they can even compare and we're talking about it, and the iPad's CPU is passively cooled, small and barely even warm during intense tasks - is amazing. And it feels fast. I have that MacBook Pro and an iMac 5K and a lot of things (due to software, not hardware) work slower on my Macs than on my iPad Pro: reading PDFs is noticeably slower, certain apps like Evernote or OneNote are much more choppy, even scrolling a page in Safari feels more zippy on an iPad. And compare smudging an image with a large smudge brush in Photoshop on a Mac and in Procreate on an iPad - iPad and Procreate win so much, it's not even funny.

Is the hardware faster? No. But it feels faster, and that's what matters most. Of course, it is also very limited compared to a Mac. I love Macs, I plan on using them for a long time and can't imagine pro work without them. But the iPad Pro is incredible and for a lot of tasks - it's just better. So, it is something to get excited over, even if we go over the edge a bit.

 

[xPad]

Those benchmark tests are heavily skewed when comparing a mobile OS to desktop OS, keep that in mind before popping the champagne

The OS really doesn't matter. Both are running an almost identical OS (Darwin / OS X based system) from a performance point of view.

The CPUs do have different strengths and weaknesses, and things like memory speed and storage access speed can also come into play. Just as an example, it's possible that the A9X has superior support for media transcoding, whereas the i7 may be better at processing a large spreadsheet or database.

But as a general guide, this shows amazing performance. Even if things are skewed heavily one way or the other, the iPad Pro is a phenomenal device, a true peer to the MacBook and MacBook Airs at the very least, if not the MacBook Pros as well.

 

[Piggie]

I've heard a few times now about a major mistake many are making when it comes to some benchmarks.
They are saying "Wow it's almost as fast as my MacBook or Windows Laptop" But are not realising, whilst the name of the benchmark is the same its a totally different one, written for low power mobile devices as opposed to full power computers.

Myself, I'm 100% for open honestly and WANT to have the very same benchmarks doing the same tests (maths/graphics) on both Tablets and Laptops so we can get a true idea of the speed differences now.

 

[xPad]

But are not realising, whilst the name of the benchmark is the same its a totally different one, written for low power mobile devices as opposed to full power computers.

That's not the case with Geekbench.

 

[newellj]

Amazing performance - but if it doesn't do what you need it to do and the MacBook does, it's just a big paperweight.

 

[biscuitsxluv]

Amazing performance - but if it doesn't do what you need it to do and the MacBook does, it's just a big paperweight.

I just purchased the pro. I think it's cool. lol Meaning I am feeling indifferent. I guess, I'll have to wait to get the pencil and see. But most apps don't even work with the pro. It's all fuzzy!

 

[tdale]

Amazing performance - but if it doesn't do what you need it to do and the MacBook does, it's just a big paperweight.

Yep a real computer vs a watch/read/play computer thanks to iOS artificial shackling of usability.

 

[newellj]

I just purchased the pro. I think it's cool. lol Meaning I am feeling indifferent. I guess, I'll have to wait to get the pencil and see. But most apps don't even work with the pro. It's all fuzzy!

Yep a real computer vs a watch/read/play computer thanks to iOS artificial shackling of usability.

I have no doubt that it's an amazing tablet, but I have no doubt that for many people it can't possibly replace a laptop (i.e., people who need, as you accurately say, more than a watch/read/play "computer").

The interesting thing to watch is how size is going to affect its appeal. I own and really like both the Mini and the 9.7" iPads, but a lot of people seem to feel that the 9.7" size is just too big. Compared to the Mini, the Pro is huuuuuuuuge - which is both a strength and a weakness, depending on what you wanted from your iPad.