iPad Pro Tidbits: A9X Outperforms MacBook, Apple Pencil is Weighted, T-Mobile Financing and More

[techwhiz]

Intel's Core-M processors are not about speed. They are about a tradeoff between sipping power and running a real x86 operating system.

It does not surprise me that the i5 is not impressive compared to an A9x. An i5 is how old?
Compared to a dual core or quad core i7, oh there really isn't one.

Also raw performance is just one aspect. You also need balanced I/O.
So to think the A9x is a desktop class processor with no real disk I/O or PCIe is just silly.

 

[MasterRyu2011]

There's no doubt this is the most impressive tablet anyone has ever built. Performance is staggering and all the reviews I've read are hugely positive.

If you want the best possible tablet experience, there is no doubt iPad Pro is the device you quite simply must own.

Kinda too big don't you think? Size does matter to some people. Why do you think more and more are opting for the Mini instead of the standard sized-one.

 

[laudern]

Just shy of AU$2000 for the 128gb with Pen and keyboard. I must be getting old and cynical because to me that is f**king expensive.

 

[usarioclave]

It's so biased these reviews just call it out for what it is! An oversized iPad air! iOS really shouldn't be used in any other form than on a smartphone.

A swimming pool is just a bigger bathtub! What a bunch of fools! Don't they get it?

 

[TheRealCBONE]

But why reinvent the cylinder? They should have used a hexagonal cross-section, then the Pencil wouldn't roll at all.

To get people to wax poetically about the attention to detail. Duh. That's Apple's version of "For teh lulz". "For teh slurp"? "For teh wax poetically about something trivial that we wasted time on instead of complaining about something sensible that we still haven't addressed, so that once finally we do by stealing someone else's solution, they can wax poetically about that"? Needs work.

The more Tim Cook craps on Surface products, the more scared Apple is. Coke doesn't crap on Pepsi, they just keep on doing Coke. Heh.

 

[MasterRyu2011]

Tim Cook/Apple is staying as far away from this hybrid tablet/notebook business as possible. Why would think of cutting into their revenue by giving customers one device that can perform both functions. If they wanted to, they can definitely make a device that can run both iOS and OSX; but why make customers buy one device when they can make you buy two It's a smart business strategy that only Apple can pull off because of the strength of their brand.

 

[dampfnudel]

Probably because you dont need it. What would be the point of putting a faster chip inside if all you need to do is playback a movie?

Game developers could possibly consider the ATV for some more intense multi-platform games, but just like the iPad Pro will be with the A9X, an A9X ATV would be overkill for the majority of users, at least for the next year or two.

 

[Max(IT)]

Surface Book is deluded? Tim, you'd sell a lot more of these iPad Pros if users were able to run OS X on it and pair a mouse with it. Better yet, let the iPad Pro run OS X and also run iOS apps. Best of both worlds, but then Apple would probably charge $1,299 minimum for it.

Let us speak about that in one year, comparing how many iPad Pro and how many Surface Book were sold worldwide...
BTW I don't want OS X on my iPad. Leave those half baked solutions to Microsoft.
Im happy to run OS X on my Macs and iOS on my iDevices, and they are integrated nonetheless ..

Hey Tim....The Surface Book may be deluded but it runs full desktop OS.

Being a notebook, that's quite normal.
As a "tablet", it is a very poor solution...

OK

I'll buy one when:

1. It comes with a physical keyboard.
2. It's as light as my MB 12"
3. It runs OSX.
4. It has a SSD with at least 500g
5. It will run xCode.
6. It has the full OSX file system.

Until then it's a big iPad, which has a place but falls short of an OSX based system.

Notice Microsoft has distance itself from the ARM processors and put its focus into the Intel, full featured side of the fence. Apple can mock all they want, but Windows hardware is gaining ground. Now if they can just run OSX on the latest Intel Surface and Book they might really have something.

I would love to use the "Pencil" on a touchscreen OSX MB 12" or some version as light!

looking at those benchmarks, "Windows hardware" isn't gaining anything...

So what? Not everyone needs Windows .

Correct it for you

 

[CEmajr]

Surface Book is deluded? Tim, you'd sell a lot more of these iPad Pros if users were able to run OS X on it and pair a mouse with it. Better yet, let the iPad Pro run OS X and also run iOS apps. Best of both worlds, but then Apple would probably charge $1,299 minimum for it.

They already have MacBooks which is what you just described.

 

[gijoeinla]

I think Apple is approaching the iPad Pro from the wrong angle. I would never give up my MacBook for one. I would much rather have a surface book if an i7 version didn't cost as much as as 27" riMac.

Don't you think you hit the nail on the head? You admit you'd never give up use of your laptop.

Do you think you speak for everyone or just yourself?

Do you think that there's literally millions of new people that clearly only know iOS and in fact ONLY use iOS and earth to everyone they probably don't even even own a Mac - wow earth shattering I know -- so YES there's enough of a market of people - potentially young professionals who will be able to plenty productive in our newer "dumbed down" society.

There's a vast mass market of people that use technology devices to CONSUME rather than theoretically PRODUCE like some us (don't let your head fall off here) old schoolers.

I've got a Mac Pro, Mac mini Server, iPhone 6s+, iPad Air, Apple TV 3, etc etc etc.

I think I can say with authority that one CAN produce CONTENT - some professional I might add -- on a iPhone, iPad etc. Yea I said that.

What's there to grasp about that? These devices shoot HiDef video etc they are very capable of being used professionally as is for various content creation objectives and it will only improve.. No yea buts needed. Times are changing. People and a generation or two will not even ever interact with a desktop or laptop. So?

 

[iSheepHunter]

Let us speak about that in one year, comparing how many iPad Pro and how many Surface Book were sold worldwide...
BTW I don't want OS X on my iPad. Leave those half baked solutions to Microsoft.
Im happy to run OS X on my Macs and iOS on my iDevices, and they are integrated nonetheless ..

Being a notebook, that's quite normal.
As a "tablet", it is a very poor solution...

No facts, just blind opinions along the lines of "I told you so because I told you so."

And see my IDC stats above. The iPad line is losing 15 to 20% of sales annually. Windows powered 2-in-1's, on the other hand, are almost doubling sales annually. No one needs to post any other unit sales figures because the iPad is already on track to be a low seller.

 

[KPOM]

The initial supplies seem to be selling out. Most models show "ships to store" right now.

 

[Moviemaker27]

FYI You CANNOT split the digital keyboard in two like you can on other sized iPads (to type with your thumbs). For some silly reason they disabled this feature, even though this iPad is HUGE and would really benefit from the feature.

 

[iSheepHunter]

The initial supplies seem to be selling out. Most models show "ships to store" right now.

I was wondering when the 100 iPad Pros they manufactured would sell out. Still took a while.

 

[TheRealCBONE]

To all of you who keep throwing out OS X as a good thing for a tablet. It's not. The OS is not made for touch. The apps do not have UI that would be good for touch. OS X isn't exactly swimming in applications as a desktop OS, and would be basically starting fresh with an OS not designed or optimized for touch/ARM and no applications.

At that point, might as well get a Surface.

They could make OS X touch friendly but that would eat into iPad sales (especially the portion of people that kluge the iPad into their workflow with accessories and other stupid things when they should just get a laptop), they could make iOS mouse friendly, but that would eat into OS X device sales. Safer to assume that they will never cross over until one or the other market has pretty much petered out.

 

[Arcus]

A motorcycle that has 85mpg but gas distance of 50 miles.

Thats called a Harley Davidson Sportster

 

[swingerofbirch]

What does it mean for a product to be deluded?

Tim Cook's vision of the iPad and his claim that he does nearly all of his work from it are concerning.

Apple had been innovating in huge ways, but it's Microsoft that is now really innovating. I haven't used the Surface products so I can't speak to them, but it's clear that they're a departure rather than more of the same. If anything the iPad Pro with its first party keyboard and stylus copies the Surface.

 

[iSheepHunter]

FYI You CANNOT split the digital keyboard in two like you can on other sized iPads (to type with your thumbs). For some silly reason they disabled this feature, even though this iPad is HUGE and would really benefit from the feature.

iOS is so bullet proof and well-conceived that it never needs updates. That is why it will kill OS X and Windows in 1 month from now. Not. XD

 

[Michael Goff]

They could make OS X touch friendly but that would eat into iPad sales (especially the portion of people that kluge the iPad into their workflow with accessories and other stupid things when they should just get a laptop), they could make iOS mouse friendly, but that would eat into OS X device sales. Safer to assume that they will never cross over until one or the other market has pretty much petered out.

That'd be more effort than you seem to be thinking.

 

[convergent]

Its really disappointing to hear that Tim Cook sees the Surface Book as a bad idea, because I was hopeful Apple would go more down this path. I think they could be leading in this space, but Apple is really not making bold innovation steps anymore... they are just making gentle steps from what they've done before. Even the new Apple TV ... adding apps... was a no-brainer that should have been done years ago. I think that some people will buy the iPad Pro for sure, but Tim is leaving a large part of the market untouched. Microsoft's new CEO is stepping up their game and they are hungry to get some big wins in the mobile space. I think the Surface Book will be a big hit if the price doesn't kill it. Will be interesting to see which one sells more in a head to head. I'd put my money on the Surface Book for now.

 

[califlorida]

Great piece of kit. Tons of people playing with it when I went in to pick mine up. Definitely a want in my region, I watched people lining up one after another to pick theirs up.

Wasn't too impressed by the Smart Keyboard. It was more expensive than the logitech, and even the Apple employee said he liked the logitech design better. I ended up leaving the keyboard be for now, and just got a regular cover. I am going to use the same wireless keyboard I've always used. I wasn't impressed with how big the logitech & apple keyboard made the total package. If you buy either, you're definitely getting into laptop size territory.

Also pretty bummed no Pencils in stock, and mine is still saying 2-4 weeks with an early Dec arrival. Apple employee told me NO stores got any pencils, but this is obviously false since I'm seeing plenty of them in the wild.

Guess I'll make due until the Pencil arrives, but so far exactly what I was looking for.... a faster bigger iPad.

 

[8281]

The reason why the iPad has been so successful is because it does not run OS X. There were tablet's 15 years ago running Windows and what a flop they were. If you need the portability of a tablet, but the power of OS X, you need the new Macbook. If you want to read a kindle book, pop something in your basket from amazon then have a whirl on candy crush you need Tablet. Its the right device for the right moment.

Great points, now sell me this $800 "pro" tablet that's running a big version of an OS I can get for $500.

 

[btrach144]

Agreed, however, to omit that off the list when it does come on MacBook Pro's is kind of silly. Of course it would completely skew the graphs because everyone knows that the Intel integrated video cards are rubbish.

You joined MR back in 2003 and you've only reached regular rank? Long time listener, first time caller?

 

[FasterQuieter]

Unbelievable that the ATV4 didn't got the A9X

I would have been shocked if it had. I was half expecting it to get the A7 with 1GB of RAM. It was uncharacteristically generous of them to equip this with 2GB of RAM. Besides, there are always yield issues with brand new chips. They need them for the premium products.

 

[flaw600]

Unbelievable that the ATV4 didn't got the A9X

Probably manufacturing concerns in terms of the number of chips that would need to have been built.