iPad Pro Hands-on Makes the Case for Productivity Uses, Apple Pencil Is Excellent

[TrueBlou]

The thing I don't get with the desire for a desktop OS on a tablet is that it's fairly redundant in a way. The limiting factor is not the iPad or iOS. It's the companies who make the apps. The iPad is a computer, iOS is an operating system, both designed to offer a good mobile experience rather than a hybrid desktop/mobile OS.

A bigger screen, more horsepower and a new input option should change thinking, not operating systems. All thats needed are apps which offer compatible, if not like for like features, to their desktop counterparts and offer complete compatibility between them. Where's the problem with that?

As for sharing files between people and systems, there are numerous ways this can be done quickly and efficiently regardless of which operating system you use.

When you stop thinking of iOS as a poor cousin to a desktop operating system, there is really very little it couldn't do if the applications supported it. iOS and the underlying hardware provide a modern, powerful combination that is capable of significantly more than just playing Candy Crush.

 

[SHNXX]

Ugh I want it now

 

[Capt T]

Creativity on SP4:
Onenote
Illustrator
Photoshop
Lightroom
Premiere
Autocad
Solidworks

Creativity on iPad Pro:
iDraw
Pixelmator

I would still need a real laptop for autoCAD and the Adobe products...no way for the work I do in those could a SP4 handle it. Anyone that uses those applications truly for work would be miserable on a SP4, same as on a net book. Now if all you are doing is looking at those files and no real work then maybe...but an iPad can do that too.

When anyone quotes off those types of programs are good on an SP4 you know they don't really have a clue how to use them. If you truly use those programs professionally, you would want at a Laptop with better specs be it mac or Windows. It would be a nightmare waiting on premiere on an SP4 to render out a 4K video of any length while onsite with a client standing over your shoulder.

There is nothing any more pro about the surface than the iPad. Both are a secondary tool for pros. For consumer/hobby bases either is fine. IMO the iPad wins hands down for less fiddly os, better touch interface, and battery life for using onsite as a secondary tool to my laptop. Laptop for at a table, iPad for wandering with all the pertinent info for the project in a light easy to access while standing package that will last the day on one charge.

 

[TheHorrorNerd]

I belive that only pro industry artist that use macs are music producers (logic pro and pro tools) and designers second. In movie productions macs are almost extint and in buisiness applicasions they were newer significant factor. And with ridiculus price increses macs will be even less of a factor in pro industry.

Wait what? What studio do you work for that doesn't use macs?

 

[StoneJack]

if anything, Pro doesn't mean complicated. Actually, simple and laser focused OS is much better in terms of productivity than something which requires constant tinkering just to work. Thats why iOS based iPads will be always immensely more effective for their tasks than a Windows machine or even OS X machine. But remember that this also depends on the task, of course. Coding is more a desktop/notebook thing, while sketching is far more tablet thing, etc. CAD drawing is best done by mouse, while drawing can be done by pencil. However, its now that CAD drawing can be done on iPad Pro and its a revolution in tablets.

Wait what? What studio do you work for that doesn't use macs?

He works for a studio which uses Microsoft Paint as a main image editing program

 

[MH01]

I'll preorder it and give it a go. Though I suspect the iPad Air 2 is a better device for my needs.

The iPad pro will appeal to many that work with a stylus based computer

 

[LovingTeddy]

What if someone doesn't need a full desktop OS or doesn't care about Windows? Why do people assume their needs are everybody else's needs too?

Then they can use iPad Air 2 or iPad mini.

I am working as Financial Advisor, I do not need pro machine to do my job, but iOS just does not cut. For every client, there are bunch of files need to print and saved. Can you imagining printing 40 pages client file using iOS without option for changing print properties? Without file system, how could I short files for each clines? With iOS how could I open multiple Word documents at one time?

Seriously, iPad Pro does not deserve Pro name, it is just bigger iPad Air with Stylus support.

If anyone does not need Pro stuff or does not care Windows. Get iPad Air and/or MacBook. Spending thousand of dollar on iPad Pro is huge waste of money.

 

[MH01]

Wait what? What studio do you work for that doesn't use macs?

Due to the lack of support for Mac Pros and software, many studios have switched.

Your comment would be a lot more relevant 5-10 years ago.

 

[LovingTeddy]

The thing I don't get with the desire for a desktop OS on a tablet is that it's fairly redundant in a way. The limiting factor is not the iPad or iOS. It's the companies who make the apps. The iPad is a computer, iOS is an operating system, both designed to offer a good mobile experience rather than a hybrid desktop/mobile OS.

A bigger screen, more horsepower and a new input option should change thinking, not operating systems. All thats needed are apps which offer compatible, if not like for like features, to their desktop counterparts and offer complete compatibility between them. Where's the problem with that?

As for sharing files between people and systems, there are numerous ways this can be done quickly and efficiently regardless of which operating system you use.

When you stop thinking of iOS as a poor cousin to a desktop operating system, there is really very little it couldn't do if the applications supported it. iOS and the underlying hardware provide a modern, powerful combination that is capable of significantly more than just playing Candy Crush.

For one thing, tell me how could I open multiple Word documents on iOS devices at one time? For my work. I constantly need open more than one word document, excel document and webpages. How the heck do I do with iOS devices.

YEs, iOS itself is not full OS for doing multiple things at one time. And without actual file system, it is making things even harder for lots of people

 

[MH01]

He works for a studio which uses Microsoft Paint as a main image editing program

Real pros use an Etch a Sketch!!!!

Adobe, MS paint, all amateurs !!!

 

[Capt T]

For one thing, tell me how could I open multiple Word documents on iOS devices at one time? For my work. I constantly need open more than one word document, excel document and webpages. How the heck do I do with iOS devices.

YEs, iOS itself is not full OS for doing multiple things at one time. And without actual file system, it is making things even harder for lots of people

How do I use a hammer to saw a board in half? Know your tool. If you need all that the iPad is not the tool.

As to the file system....use goodreader or other apps like it. They have been around since the first iPad.

 

[whiteboytrash]

Would love the pencil in an iPad Mini.
I want to take notes on a Mini. I don't want another laptop.

Apple, if you want to separate me from my money, give me an iPad Mini that works with the Pencil.

My sense is the next round of iPads will be Apple Pencil compatible.

 

[Kissaragi]

To be fully compatible with Mac, we need a Mac tablet.

Or pro apps for iOS. I hope adobe are working on a full version of photoshop for iOS

 

[MacAddict1978]

This is an intriguing device, can't wait for the inevitable smackdowns with the iPad Pro and the Surface Pro 4. I wonder if the iPad would end up better with productivity apps though? Might have a play if I ever see one in a store.

How on earth would any iPad have better productivity apps than a Surface with a full fledged OS that runs universal and desktop apps, including the full (un-crippled) Adobe Suite? The surface is more pc than tablet, but with all the joys of a tablet. There is no contest between the two. It's apple and oranges.

If Apple ever creates a device that blends IOS and OSX, then it would be a smackdown. Currently, it's not.

Then add into the Mix the SurfaceBook.... and.... well, MS has truly returned to form as an innovator while Apple continues to disappoint in that area.

 

[wigby]

Logic Pro Remote on this size screen is enough reason for mix engineers to pick one up

FCPX remote is what I've been dreaming about for years.

 

[Manderby]

I don't need to know how to cook in order to tell whether a particular dish tastes great or not.

That is what you believe for yourself and you may very well keep that believe because it is your right to comment on any thing you like no matter if you are an expert or not and you may very well believe on even if there will be reviews (yes, there will be as soon as the device is out) which provide real facts and sound data which might state otherwise.

Amongst experts, such a statement is not sound. And that is the only thing that matters. You saying that you like a specific dish will immediately be viewed as uninformed, ignorant or even snobbish chit chat amongst those really being cooks and finally recognizing the dish as mediocre by a professional opinion. And when the Pros in the end say no, the device might very well end up as a dust collector.

This is supposed to be a Pro device. So far, no Pro has had his hands on the stylus and shared any insight. And that makes all statements non-sound. That was what I was trying to say.

 

[shandyman]

I think it's a huge compromise to not include another input method, i.e. a trackpad. Imagine yourself with a word document and the web browser open side by side, and having your fingers move up from the keyboard to the screen just to surf the web and type; it's not a utility solution and isn't well-thought out.

Moving up to touch the screen is barely much more than moving to touch a trackpad, and even less hassle than having to use a mouse....

 

[TrueBlou]

For one thing, tell me how could I open multiple Word documents on iOS devices at one time? For my work. I constantly need open more than one word document, excel document and webpages. How the heck do I do with iOS devices.

YEs, iOS itself is not full OS for doing multiple things at one time. And without actual file system, it is making things even harder for lots of people

I also often need to switch between different documents and apps quickly.
On my iPad I can have two apps side by side in split view if I need to. If I need more apps than that, I use the task switcher, or more often, I swipe four fingers across my screen to quickly move between the apps I need, hardly a difficult task and it happens instantly.

When I'm working with multiple documents in a single app, I've abandoned the archaic notion of documents being open simultaneously. I tap the Documents button (or the back arrow in Word) tap on the other document I need and continue whatever I'm doing, no changes are lost as everything auto saves. The entire process takes two taps and about a second. Never really had a problem with that.

 

[Abazigal]

That is what you believe for yourself and you may very well keep that believe because it is your right to comment on any thing you like no matter if you are an expert or not and you may very well believe on even if there will be reviews (yes, there will be as soon as the device is out) which provide real facts and sound data which might state otherwise.

Amongst experts, such a statement is not sound. And that is the only thing that matters. You saying that you like a specific dish will immediately be viewed as uninformed, ignorant or even snobbish chit chat amongst those really being cooks and finally recognizing the dish as mediocre by a professional opinion. And when the Pros in the end say no, the device might very well end up as a dust collector.

This is supposed to be a Pro device. So far, no Pro has had his hands on the stylus and shared any insight. And that makes all statements non-sound. That was what I was trying to say.

I am sorry, but this is one of the most elitist statements I have ever heard. And who are these self-styled "pros" supposed to be?

How is the success of the iPad dependent on their stamp of approval?

I have a colleague who teaches music and is interested in the iPad Pro for apps like Garageband on a larger screen. Is she any less "pro" than someone who might use photoshop on said device?

If I like a dish, I will buy it and eat it, even if it is universally condemned by so-called "food experts". I have enjoyed watching movies that were supposedly given poor grades by movie critics. And if I think the iPad Pro has any merit, I will get one, regardless of what these "Pros" say.

 

[macfoxpro]

I agree. I only want it for the pencil because I'm an artist. I could also see people would want it to hand write for school or work, or for other specific apps that require pen or touch ui, such as certain music apps. Other than those, I don't know why a general consumer would want one. Too big and expensive.
I really think Apple made this for niche work/hobby scenarios, but they're trying to market it to the general public as well just to get as many sales as they can. Makes business sense but it's causing a lot of confusion for people.

I am a "general consumer".
I want one to read emails, browse the Internet and watch videos.
I am really looking forward to it.

 

[Mackinjosh]

If only it ran a real OS.

 

[Am3r1ca16]

There's nothing pro about this.should have just called it the ipad plus. Surface 4 is better than this in every way.

 

[Altis]

if anything, Pro doesn't mean complicated. Actually, simple and laser focused OS is much better in terms of productivity than something which requires constant tinkering just to work. Thats why iOS based iPads will be always immensely more effective for their tasks than a Windows machine or even OS X machine. But remember that this also depends on the task, of course. Coding is more a desktop/notebook thing, while sketching is far more tablet thing, etc. CAD drawing is best done by mouse, while drawing can be done by pencil. However, its now that CAD drawing can be done on iPad Pro and its a revolution in tablets.


He works for a studio which uses Microsoft Paint as a main image editing program

Neither OS X or Windows need any more "constant tinkering" than iOS.

I can't think of much that I can do better on an iPad than a laptop. Desktop operating systems are far more capable of using several applications and instances at once. I struggle just to select text properly on the iPad, let alone reference another document/application while writing in another.

You're still better off with a Surface for CAD.

 

[Xtremjeepn]

That. Apple are masters of planned obsolescence.

Apple's hardware outlasts most in the industry by wide margins. There are far more older iPhones, MacBooks and iPads still being used than their equivalent competitor devices.

Continually improving software to take advantage of newer, faster hardware is not "planned obsolescence" for older hardware. It's simply the evolution of a product.

Keep your older device on its original hardware and it will run as originally intended.

...and actually Apple made a huge step towards making its older devices last longer when they made it possible for people to download the latest compatible version of apps. Instead of being forced out of apps because a developer added features that didn't work on previous devices.

Then they can use iPad Air 2 or iPad mini.

I am working as Financial Advisor, I do not need pro machine to do my job, but iOS just does not cut. For every client, there are bunch of files need to print and saved. Can you imagining printing 40 pages client file using iOS without option for changing print properties? Without file system, how could I short files for each clines? With iOS how could I open multiple Word documents at one time?

Seriously, iPad Pro does not deserve Pro name, it is just bigger iPad Air with Stylus support.

If anyone does not need Pro stuff or does not care Windows. Get iPad Air and/or MacBook. Spending thousand of dollar on iPad Pro is huge waste of money.

Honestly, you're doing it wrong then. It's not the device but your way of going about it.

I owned a successful financial planning business (sold and retired from it now).

We went to iPads when they first came out. We had to change our way of thinking and doing things and amazingly the iPads saved a ton of time and resources.

We wasted thousands and thousands of dollars every year printing things that did not need to be printed. Sounds like you are doing the same.

We went to digital storage of files a long time ago. Files that compliance could look over anytime they want from any place they want. No more having to drive to your office just to check over a few applications.

Clients LOVED having all documents emailed to them, or posted on a secure client file site. Much easier for them to store and look up later when they want. They hate having paper to take home and later shred.

The only thing that ever needed printed were signature pages that didn't allow e-signatures, and even that has changed hugely.

 

[shandyman]

Creativity on SP4:
Onenote
Illustrator
Photoshop
Lightroom
Premiere
Autocad
Solidworks

Creativity on iPad Pro:
iDraw
Pixelmator

Still cannot beat Surface or MacBook for that matters. I just cannot think doing photoshop or other using finger. We need pointing device do do all these editing. Even if Adobe release full Photoshop for iOS, it would horrifying to use.

I didn't forget them. I left them out because they're not even remotely in the same class.

iMovie??? iMovie for iOS, vs... Premiere? You have either never used iMovie for iOS & realized how poor it is at doing anything beyond making trailers for home movies from templates, or you've never used Premiere and realized how much more there is to do with video. And that's just the first example.

One is a capable machine, one is a cute novelty.

Your original post was comparing "creativity"--not complexity. As someone who teaches a university course on creating with the iPad I know that one's creativity on the iPad is limited only by one's ideas, and that those ideas can be expressed with both ease and power. I'm talking about original expression, and not "trailers for home movies from templates."

The iPad may not be the tool for you, but it is far more than a cute novelty.

Right... Because its the same old soup, but warmed-over... Is sooo good. Yum! I love it (sic)


Why on earth do you really need a file system.
All I want if I'm running anything is accessing exactly data needed for the task
- wherever I am I, that's all I really care about.

It could be on the device, another device, the cloud, the moon, a social network, inside a third party source, I don't care and I don't want to manage it.

- Spending the hell of a time to organize files hundreds of thousand files accross dozens of devices machines is not my idea of fun

That's coming from someone who has 20T of storage and countless Unix servicers on her own network and a hell of a home "network". I've dealt with file systems since the 1970s and the shine is off....

The file system paradigm is really close to being kicked to the curb; only inertia and ingrained old habits sustain it.

Considering the huge quantity of tablets in the enterprise, real work is already being done on them and it's just starting.
Tablets are still quite new. Talk to me in 5 years.



It's not less than a computer if a computer is nOT WHAT YOU NEED.
Then, it's the computer that's the on the "less" side of the equation.

The problem is, people are stuck with archaic mindsets, with file systems, mice, etc. Old habits die hard, sadly. People need to get with the times and embrace the new way of doing things. There are many companies that are ditching old 'File System' ways of doing things. Even with Microsoft, Office 365 is being pushed more for businesses than ever before, moving things to cloud based ways for working. So all those people stating businesses need file systems, are just being closed minded.

As for people saying about there being no complex/detailed/fully fledged apps, these are coming. The Keynote demoed a few, plus Adobe are working on versions of their apps for iPad Pro. They look that are going to be just as good as the desktop ones.

I'm sure the haters and naive people will poo-poo all this though....