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'iPad Pro' Said to Feature 12.2-Inch Display, 7-mm Thickness, Stereo Speakers at Top and Bottom
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Supposedly this is the tablet form factor that Steve Jobs first targeted that became the iPhone and then the iPad. Was told the original plan was a tablet computer with a screen size 8.5" x 11" in size replacing the most common size of paper used in photocopiers.
Issue always was the cost and availability of the LCD screen. The smaller the screen, the better the supply. Hence why the first iOS product was the iPhone. As the LCD supply chain matured, the screens get larger. Looks like the supply chain is now set of the 8.5" x 11" retina LCD screen as the margins of the rMBP are making way for iPad Pro.
This'll definitely be my next iPad.
Issue always was the cost and availability of the LCD screen. The smaller the screen, the better the supply. Hence why the first iOS product was the iPhone. As the LCD supply chain matured, the screens get larger. Looks like the supply chain is now set of the 8.5" x 11" retina LCD screen as the margins of the rMBP are making way for iPad Pro.
This'll definitely be my next iPad.
If this is going to be considered a pro machine, it will be interesting to see what happens with the iPad version of iOS. If this is going to be turning point when it is considered a true creative or productivity tool then iOS has to evolve to facilitate it. This could be a great thing for the whole iPad family.
The big deal is the screen size matching an 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper. Suddenly you have a portable display the same size as paper coming out of most photocopiers. Thus, no more scaling nor flicking of a single document page to read them.
This iPad has great potential to be the "paper replacement" that's been envisioned since the Xerox PARC Dynabook. Wonder if it will have a wireless backup triggered by being thrown off a cliff. (The old school here will get that joke.)
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My take is we'll see the dual app view release here in an iOS 8.2 or something like that next year. I don't see iOS 9 coming out for a good while.
The same could be said of a new MacBook Pro vs a 3 year old MacBook Pro... I'd even argue that an iPad air 2 is a *much* larger leap in performance and usability over an iPad 3 than a new MBP is compared to a 3 year old MBP.
In fact, I was playing around with an iPad Air 2 at the Apple Store today and was amazed at how big of an improvement it is over the iPad Air. Switching tabs in Safari is instant now (no longer reloads the page) and everything felt buttery smooth.
Downscaling would be required, no way around it unless Apple decides to upset their entire developer tools strategy. 2560x1920 is not a integral multiple of the 1024 x 768 point dimensions, so it would require rendering at 3X and then downscaling to the "2.5X" of the display. Since the physical ppi of such a display would be roughly the same as that of the Air, then the maxiPad would have a less sharp display than the Air.
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I'm wondering if I should hold out for this. I was hoping for something closer to 11" so this smaller sized rumor makes me happier. I wonder if they could further reduce the bezel? We need some rumors about a release date! Wasn't there one saying spring? I was all set to buy the Air 2 after the specs were unveiled but I didn't want to wait for it to ship. I thought I could find one in stores but haven't yet and now I'm on the fence. The Pro is probably what I really need because the software will be geared towards productivity. Since it's thicker (bigger battery) it will probably at least have a quad-core A8X running 1.8GHz or higher, 4GB RAM, higher-res display, pressure sensitive display for new gestures and drawing, and come in 64/128/256GB sizes. An SD card slot, micro HDMI port and micro USB port would sweeten the deal, but who knows. I'd like there to at least be limited driver support, like for hard drives and printers. Maybe this could be provided through apps and extensions? Split screen multitasking would be a must, and if the device has a wider aspect ratio then that would be easier to do. As for price, I think it would be $799/899/999 for 64/128/256GB.
I've also had the feeling that the rumored fanless 12" MacBook Air is also this device. Now that this device is rumored to be smaller, it falls in line with that theory even more. It would have a keyboard dock that you slot into, maybe connects with some contactsperhaps Thunderbolt? Perhaps the extra ports I mentioned earlier would be on the keyboard part. You could also have an extra battery in the keyboard. The performance would also be on par with the MacBook Air, and maybe that's why we haven't seen a retina version of the MacBook Air yet. When docked the iPad would transform into OS X mode, and allow trackpad use. An ARM version of OS X has been rumored for years. Is this it?
I've also had the feeling that the rumored fanless 12" MacBook Air is also this device. Now that this device is rumored to be smaller, it falls in line with that theory even more. It would have a keyboard dock that you slot into, maybe connects with some contactsperhaps Thunderbolt? Perhaps the extra ports I mentioned earlier would be on the keyboard part. You could also have an extra battery in the keyboard. The performance would also be on par with the MacBook Air, and maybe that's why we haven't seen a retina version of the MacBook Air yet. When docked the iPad would transform into OS X mode, and allow trackpad use. An ARM version of OS X has been rumored for years. Is this it?
Idk my iPads have served me very well over the years. I've been taking notes like this for years.
I've been writing my notes on my iPad for years using these two tools:
1. PDF Expert app ($10)
2. Adonis Jot Pro stylus ($29.99)
I've also purchased all 3 MS Surface Pros to determine if MS had finally achieved the best all around device. I returned all 3 of them.
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I would be all over an iPad 12.2 inch 
BUT only for playing around. The software needs to change BIG TIME, before the iPad can be used for anything but fun. iOS is terrible pain, just like Android, for work. But that could change
I'd love a 12.2 inch for playing though
BUT only for playing around. The software needs to change BIG TIME, before the iPad can be used for anything but fun. iOS is terrible pain, just like Android, for work. But that could change
I'd love a 12.2 inch for playing though
I don't know if it would be more popular. I have an iPad 4 and an 11" MBA. If my MBA could run OSX as-is and have the ability to remove the display and start working in iOS, THAT would be a very good thing, IMO.
MS Surface 1 and 2 had Wacom pens and the 3 is by N-Trig which leaves Wacom open to supply the pen for this device, I wonder....
What makes you think that? iOS has always been on a yearly upgrade cycle and there is no reason to think it won't be the same next summer.
One of the reasons why MS went with N-Trig is because they could embed their technology into the screen, rather than using a layer beneath it. Since Apple's always obsessive about thinness, I doubt they'd go with Wacom for the iPad Pro.
They'd probably use their own tech, or go with N-Trig themselves.
I don't know which would be more popular.
But Apple could be working on both, so maybe we'll find out which sells more.
A bigger screen is always nicer.
Otherwise people would not buy large screen TV's they would just watch all TV and movies on mobile phones.
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To be fair.
That simply shows that your needs can be met by the iPad running those apps, rather than anything negative towards the Surface Pro.
It would be like me saying I bought various iMac's but took them all back as the 2 programs on my iPad do what I want.
I'd like a Surface Pro type machine one day, simply because it CAN run all the types of programs that an iPad or similar tablet cannot, as they either simply don't exist at all, or the tablets just don't have the power to run such software.
Took me a while to understand what you wrote there. Some biochemistry mumbo jumbo.
Apple has done it again by developing a new unique product that only Apple could create the iSurface Pro.
I'll believe this fabled product when I see it. But it could be a step in the right direction for iPad. The one thing that seems to be holding the iPad back is it doesn't appear to be as productive as other devices. The Surface has a full desktop environment which allows you access to all programs available for Windows, allowing you to be as productive as you can be on a full desktop computer. Whereas the iPad isn't really marketed as a productive device. Well, it is...but not enough.
The iPad has to make do with apps that are designed around a touch screen interface which often removes a lot of the functionality of full desktop programs. Right now, the iPad feels like a giant iPhone or a giant iPod touch. That's all I really use mine as, it doesn't feel like a stand out device...just a bigger screen for browsing. In my opinion, Apple need to rethink the iPad and come up with something drastic. The iPad Pro may well be that change that the iPad needs. I think iPad needs its own version of iOS rather than just a 'scaled up' version. I dare say, it needs a desktop environment. I'm not saying the iPad needs to become a Mac but there have been mock ups of the iPad Pro running OS X. Maybe this is the direction iPad needs to go in.
We are clearly entering a post-desktop era. But tablets need to be a good enough replacement, offering all the same functionality...and more.
The iPad has to make do with apps that are designed around a touch screen interface which often removes a lot of the functionality of full desktop programs. Right now, the iPad feels like a giant iPhone or a giant iPod touch. That's all I really use mine as, it doesn't feel like a stand out device...just a bigger screen for browsing. In my opinion, Apple need to rethink the iPad and come up with something drastic. The iPad Pro may well be that change that the iPad needs. I think iPad needs its own version of iOS rather than just a 'scaled up' version. I dare say, it needs a desktop environment. I'm not saying the iPad needs to become a Mac but there have been mock ups of the iPad Pro running OS X. Maybe this is the direction iPad needs to go in.
We are clearly entering a post-desktop era. But tablets need to be a good enough replacement, offering all the same functionality...and more.
But as long as it runs iOS, how is that going to change? If it uses the same version as the iPhone and iPads, it is still going to be limited, IMO.
