Don't have an Apple Watch, either. Apple also should have had horrible sales of it, and people should trust Apple less with delivering outstanding, useful products because of these recent product launches. The integrity has been lost as of late. Will Apple find it again? Maybe, but I think people need to stop throwing their money at half baked products that are not moving the needle.
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iPad Pro Review Roundup: Powerful Creative Canvas, but Not Quite a PC Replacement
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Don't have an Apple Watch, either. Apple also should have had horrible sales of it, and people should trust Apple less with delivering outstanding, useful products because of these recent product launches. The integrity has been lost as of late. Will Apple find it again? Maybe, but I think people need to stop throwing their money at half baked products that are not moving the needle.
Seems like the A9X chip and Pencil are very impressive pieces of tech but iOS still needs some improvement. My guess is Apple will continue to add iPad specific features to iOS.
Just curious why you refer to it as "iWatch"?
Right because tech reviewers = "the people".
Just curious why you refer to it as "iWatch"?
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As a PhD student I'm pretty excited about this product.
Perfect for annotating slides/notes (which all of my professors provide before class and I currently annotate using my iPad and a crappy stylus). It's also perfect for reading research papers and reviewing and editing papers (both things I do with my iPad now - but a bigger screen and non-crappy stylus will help).
I currently carry both an iPad and a 15" MacBook Pro. That won't be changing as my major is Computational Engjneering so I need to write code all day long. Different devices for different purposes.
Students are going to LOVE this new machine... And there are a LOT of students out there...
Perfect for annotating slides/notes (which all of my professors provide before class and I currently annotate using my iPad and a crappy stylus). It's also perfect for reading research papers and reviewing and editing papers (both things I do with my iPad now - but a bigger screen and non-crappy stylus will help).
I currently carry both an iPad and a 15" MacBook Pro. That won't be changing as my major is Computational Engjneering so I need to write code all day long. Different devices for different purposes.
Students are going to LOVE this new machine... And there are a LOT of students out there...
I agree. However - at this price point - I think many would either get a cheap(er) PC (dekstop or laptop), tablet or keep a Mac. In other words - those who would already use an iPad for the tasks its best for already have an iPad and/or might desire a bigger one. I don't see a bigger tablet as a driving force to get people to ditch other computers in favor of this (only).
I know, that's one Walt Mossberg quote that's not going to make it to a keynote slide.
And for a vast majority of the average PC market, this device does just that. This device is not meant for software developers or high-end content creators. The 'pro' moniker is aimed at writers, artists, doctors, building inspectors, etc.
I already barely touch my tower Windows PC or my MacBook Pro because I do most things on my iPad mini Retina or my iPhone 6Splus.
What I want an iPad Pro for is very niche, very specific art related purposes, using the Apple Pencil. That's also what my daughter wants it for. She would also like the large display for her sheet music.
Unfortunately it's not affordable for us right now. And while I didn't mind being a first generation guinea pig for the Apple Watch, which I also had specific use cases in mind for, I don't want to try another first generation product that costs what the iPad pro does.
As with the Apple Watch, I think it's a nice product for the buyer who knows what it can do and already has ideas for making use of its capabilities.
What I want an iPad Pro for is very niche, very specific art related purposes, using the Apple Pencil. That's also what my daughter wants it for. She would also like the large display for her sheet music.
Unfortunately it's not affordable for us right now. And while I didn't mind being a first generation guinea pig for the Apple Watch, which I also had specific use cases in mind for, I don't want to try another first generation product that costs what the iPad pro does.
As with the Apple Watch, I think it's a nice product for the buyer who knows what it can do and already has ideas for making use of its capabilities.
One conclusion I gather from the article picture, is how poorly Apple is utilizing the space of the home screen, it's arguably stale springboard metaphor looks disappointing on this system.
I am still excited to get one of these for my run and gun photo work, but hope that Apple rethinks some of the key points of iOS, to better fit this device.
I am still excited to get one of these for my run and gun photo work, but hope that Apple rethinks some of the key points of iOS, to better fit this device.
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If you can pigeon hole types of "work" into an app or a few apps that go well together and that constitutes all of your "work" this could maybe be your only device.
Or you can work exclusively with an online filesystem like Adobe's Creative Cloud. There's definitely a lot of preliminary design and artistic planning and mock-up work that can be done on the iPad Pro before you take it back to the office and finalise on the Mac - that's still two devices. This is still probably it's biggest strength right now and it's not surprising.
If you're an online writer and can access your images and text files and edit your website (maybe via an app?) you can make use of the larger screen and the new keyboard accessory and split screen will work well to view front end and back end of your website at the same time.
There are "Pro"fessions this can work for. Play to it's strengths and there's a market.
A lot of other things are going to rely on a filesystem for some time, though.
Or you can work exclusively with an online filesystem like Adobe's Creative Cloud. There's definitely a lot of preliminary design and artistic planning and mock-up work that can be done on the iPad Pro before you take it back to the office and finalise on the Mac - that's still two devices. This is still probably it's biggest strength right now and it's not surprising.
If you're an online writer and can access your images and text files and edit your website (maybe via an app?) you can make use of the larger screen and the new keyboard accessory and split screen will work well to view front end and back end of your website at the same time.
There are "Pro"fessions this can work for. Play to it's strengths and there's a market.
A lot of other things are going to rely on a filesystem for some time, though.
Hey, the hardware is great. If I have a criticism, it's battery life. The original iPad had 10 hours five years ago; let's see an improvement to 15. Shame that it's stood still all these years.
But the real problem is iOS. I want to be able to create smart playlists in the music app. I want to be able to print to pdf everywhere. I want to be able to open all file types. Try opening a plain text document in iCloud Drive on the iPad—it opens it by default in Numbers!
We need iOS to grow up and become as functional as OS X if the iPad is to truly replace the computer. It's frustrating that the basic functionality I mention above is still missing on iOS, as there is no reason why it should be. The iPad is plenty powerful enough. It's as though Apple is afraid of granting it the power in case their Mac sales fall off a cliff.
I think they should let go of their fear and finally raise the status of the iPad to the Mac. They will make us happy and foster loyalty in the long term.
Isn't that what it's all about?
But the real problem is iOS. I want to be able to create smart playlists in the music app. I want to be able to print to pdf everywhere. I want to be able to open all file types. Try opening a plain text document in iCloud Drive on the iPad—it opens it by default in Numbers!
We need iOS to grow up and become as functional as OS X if the iPad is to truly replace the computer. It's frustrating that the basic functionality I mention above is still missing on iOS, as there is no reason why it should be. The iPad is plenty powerful enough. It's as though Apple is afraid of granting it the power in case their Mac sales fall off a cliff.
I think they should let go of their fear and finally raise the status of the iPad to the Mac. They will make us happy and foster loyalty in the long term.
Isn't that what it's all about?
I quite like the look of it. Including the keyboard (which I would need), it comes out price-comparable to the 12" macbook, which i've been lusting after for a while. Honestly, now, the only thing I'd need the laptop for over the ipad is... my job. (java developer.) So if I lost my job the ipad pro would be fine... except for not being able to afford it!
Oh you didn't buy an Watch? Oh, this isn't your post I quoted from the Watch 42mm Space Grey order thread? Hmm...
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I think this is a winner for conceptual folks. I see this (with the pencil) as a great device for capturing and refining ideas (graphics, flow charts, reaction schemes, retouching photos, etc).
For programmers or people who are keyboard centric, or dependent on a file system, iOS is not a "Pro" environment and neither would the iPad Pro in its current incarnation. I however am looking forward to getting my hands on this and putting one in my artist-daughter's hands and see what happens. I only regret that I have to wait a week or so for the pencil to see the drawing apps really shine. Comments from Pixar and Disney artists have me excited. If it is as good as they say, I can see this being the go-to device for graphics professionals or those folks who love free-hand sketching ideas (wood working projects, house and yard remodeling) i.e any place where more formal applications are too constraining and can't capture ideas as fast as you can scribble them.
For programmers or people who are keyboard centric, or dependent on a file system, iOS is not a "Pro" environment and neither would the iPad Pro in its current incarnation. I however am looking forward to getting my hands on this and putting one in my artist-daughter's hands and see what happens. I only regret that I have to wait a week or so for the pencil to see the drawing apps really shine. Comments from Pixar and Disney artists have me excited. If it is as good as they say, I can see this being the go-to device for graphics professionals or those folks who love free-hand sketching ideas (wood working projects, house and yard remodeling) i.e any place where more formal applications are too constraining and can't capture ideas as fast as you can scribble them.
As a creation tool, the iPad Pro is getting closer to a laptop...but it's still not quite there. Until it can run OSX it won't be a replacement. Simple as that. And until it can be connected to a larger monitor, it won't be a desktop replacement for the home either. It's a start, but Apple has a long way to go. No matter what Tim Cook says, "most" people who need a computer will still buy a MacBook or IMac.
I don't expect this gen iPad Pro to be a huge seller but I think eventually it could be. It's hard to review because people are coming at it from the standpoint of can it replace my existing laptop. Right now, no. But who knows what the tech landscape will look like 3-5 years from now. iOS needs work but the hardware blows me away. I think Apple's most important acquisition to date was PA Semi. The silicon team at Apple is doing some amazing work.
So far, from my reading the reviews are inline with my thoughts, its fast, its expensive, the screen is gorgeous and it has the potential of being THE go to machine for some people. iOS seems to be the weak link in the product, not that its a weak OS, just a mobile OS. I think it would be a huge winner if it was running OS X, but that's just my $.02
You sure seem comfortable lecturing the entire world on what they should do, want, and buy. It's rather sad that you can't seem to accept that others use things you don't and that it isn't up to you how others spend their money. Why do you concern yourself with something which is so clearly none of your business?
Apple made some things you don't want. Others bought them. You chose not to. Congratulations?
I realize that by definition a Mac is a personal computer ie. a PC. But since Apple is not in the business of stopping people from buying Macs, has it ever occurred to anyone that post-PC is just a marketing term to get people to stop buying Windows compatible computers? They don't want you to buy an iOS device instead of a Mac OS X device, they want you to get both.
Indeed.
Can you imagine Walt saying something like that when Steve Jobs was alive? Goodness, no.
Times change.
Judging from the outrage about the Pro on Internet forums, this is a guaranteed hit.
Ultimately - it's a bigger and more powerful iPad. If you couldn't/wouldn't "computer" on one - then there's not much/enough "new" here.
I think the bigger work to be done is on the OS. Clearly the hardware is powerful enough.
True on the line I highlighted, but you have to recognize that the majority of people that buy computers are NOT the people that frequent tech sites. I'm sure many people here like to believe otherwise but it's the plain truth that techies and tech-enthusiasts are in the minority.
There are still a great deal of people with big clunky desktop setups at home that do no more than type up emails, create simple documents and spreadsheets and watch YouTube videos. And then you have the corporate people that need an iPad Pro for much of the same things that people do at home. The real truth about enterprise is they don't get all "complex" with computers as some people think and an iPad Pro would be a perfect desktop replacement for either home or use for many people .