iPad Pro iPad Pro will be a failure...

[BenSCR]

I received my iPad Pro around 1hr ago. I'm still in the process of setting it up, so I haven't seen the full screen resolution yet (as I bought the iPad Pro not for the size but for the screen resolution). But at the moment I am a bit disappointed, as I find it too big, and most of all heavier than I thought it would be.

I hope I change my mind when I have it fully set up, and if the screen resolution is outstanding.

I was going to sell my iPad Air 2 but now I will keep it, as now that I have an iPad Pro I see it more as a computer than a portable device that an iPad is known for.

 

[masotime]

I ordered one , I'm just observing photos of it. Haven't got it yet..

I thought it was a joke at first- it's just daft !!!

Ah ok... yeah I guess that's why they decided to add that adapter. Pencils are in really high demand now....

 

[ahostmadsen]

My wife just got a Surface Pro 4, and there is a lot to like about it. The issue is that there are few apps that are touch optimized, and those that do exist work poorly. Even MS Office is not touch optimized (at least not in the sense of switching to a touch optimized mode when using in tablet mode). I think MS will have the issue that developers will think: why should I develop a tablet version of my program when it runs in desktop mode on Win 10? So there may never be many touch optimized programs.

Here I see Apple's game plan with iPad Pro. They tell developers: here is a piece of tablet hardware that is as powerful as a laptop. Now you can develop pro software. But I has to be touch optimized, you cannot put desktop software on the iPad Pro. Apple's issue is that developers may not do that.

So, different visions from Apple and MS. Not sure which one will win.

 

[Michael Goff]

Because bringing touch functionality to OS X is impossible right? Microsoft must be the exception, because they have super human powers...

I agree that desktop operating systems don't work well with touch, and people keep asking for OS X on iPad because they want a truly powerful OS matched with ultimate portability and the intimacy of touch. I agree. However, I think the answer, rather than trying to make iOS (an iPhone OS) something it's not, is the opposite. Why not develop a lightweight, touch optimised, user friendly OS X to run exclusively on iPad... An OS that looks like the love child of iOS and OS X. That is the answer and would be awesome!

When you watch a good sci-fi, such as Avatar, do you see people walking around with laptops? No, they all have tablets! Do you know why... Because laptops are old fashioned, cumbersome, heavy, prehistoric pieces of point and click! The future is tablets. We just need to work out the best way to bring it all together. Microsoft know this, even though they are barking up the wrong tree! I would say their answer seems like a quick fix, a bodge job if you will. We need something truly new!

They'd have to do massive changes to OS X to move it to touch. Say goodbye to the Global Menu Bar, for one.

 

[pika2000]

My wife just got a Surface Pro 4, and there is a lot to like about it. The issue is that there are few apps that are touch optimized, and those that do exist work poorly. Even MS Office is not touch optimized (at least not in the sense of switching to a touch optimized mode when using in tablet mode). I think MS will have the issue that developers will think: why should I develop a tablet version of my program when it runs in desktop mode on Win 10? So there may never be many touch optimized programs.

Here I see Apple's game plan with iPad Pro. They tell developers: here is a piece of tablet hardware that is as powerful as a laptop. Now you can develop pro software. But I has to be touch optimized, you cannot put desktop software on the iPad Pro. Apple's issue is that developers may not do that.

So, different visions from Apple and MS. Not sure which one will win.

Yes, those are the bets Microsoft and Apple put on the table. Microsoft is sticking with the Tablet PC formula, desktop OS except in sleeker hardware. Apple is going for a redesigned touch-focus OS (iOS) from the ground up. We will see who will take the cake in the end.

 

[George Dawes]

The mistake I made was that logitech backlit keyboard

It's an excellent bit of kit

BUT - HEEEEAAAAVVVVVYYYY !!!! It weighs as much if not more than a laptop now..
errr..whats the point ???

Also

The way it clips on - worried it's going to damage the iPad

 

[PTVMan]

Long time Apple user here...

The iPad Pro will be a big failure for Tim Cook. Really, he just doesn't have a long term vision for the tablet line. Bigger iPad with stylus, but same OS is honestly the dumbest thing Apple has come up with since the Apple Watch.

The iPad Pro needs to be able to run OSX or have some sort of file system as a lite replacement for a MacBook, otherwise it's just a glorified and expensive version of an iPad Air (which I sold to get a MBP)

Now I read Apple is investing resources to building a car. (Slaps forehead) Laughable Tim.

You have absolutely NO idea how Apple defines success or failure for the iPad Pro or any other Apple product line. But, pontificate on.

 

[daniel1948]

To all those who want their tablet to do more than it does now:

When I was 15 a computer was the size of a house. Transistors did not exist. When I was 18 I sat at a card-punch machine typing code, then handed in my stack of cards to be run on the room-size computer at night, and got my print-out the next morning. When I was 21 there was a computer the size of a very large office filing cabinet. It had two kilobytes of memory and could run programs up to 200 lines of code in Basic. My first computer, when I was 33 or 34, had 64 kilobytes of memory and two 5 1/4 inch floppy drives and it ran CP/M. Now I'm 67 and my iPod has more computing power than all the computers in the world had when I was 15, and more power than a supercomputer had when I was in my early 20's.

You want more from your tablet? Wait a year. In ten years you will look at tablets as unimaginably old-fashioned. I don't know what the next thing will be, but it will be something nobody has thought of yet, and it will make tablets and laptops obsolete.

 

[biscuitsxluv]

There's a need or want out there and I believe Apple is trying to fill some of those needs. Apple is using Samsung's business model. Having a product tier. Remember the iPhone C. Well, they don't even exist anymore in the stores. IPad minis will probably be next. Cheaper doesn't exactly mean better. The iPad pro might just be here for the long run.

 

[harriska2]

Or something like this for musicians:
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=975966512439692&id=193742123995472&refsrc=https://m.facebook.com/verge/videos/975966512439692/

I wonder if the new hardware with the ipad pro, and the larger size, might make StaffPad more adaptable to the ipad:

"One of the reasons I didn’t make StaffPad for the iPad in the end, was, although it makes business sense since everyone has an iPad, the design concessions were just too great. For example, you’d have to have a drawing mode, a navigation mode, or split the screen, which means that you wouldn’t have much room for your music; you don’t get the palm rejection. It makes the market much smaller, but it’s the only way I could design it how I really saw it to be."

 

[KPOM]

My wife just got a Surface Pro 4, and there is a lot to like about it. The issue is that there are few apps that are touch optimized, and those that do exist work poorly. Even MS Office is not touch optimized (at least not in the sense of switching to a touch optimized mode when using in tablet mode). I think MS will have the issue that developers will think: why should I develop a tablet version of my program when it runs in desktop mode on Win 10? So there may never be many touch optimized programs.

Here I see Apple's game plan with iPad Pro. They tell developers: here is a piece of tablet hardware that is as powerful as a laptop. Now you can develop pro software. But I has to be touch optimized, you cannot put desktop software on the iPad Pro. Apple's issue is that developers may not do that.

So, different visions from Apple and MS. Not sure which one will win.

Both are playing toward their strengths. OS X is a niche OS. Apple sells more iPads than Macs, and a heck of a lot more iPhones. So iOS is their platform of strength. Microsoft sells almost no Windows Phones, but they sell a lot of Windows licenses, so Windows 10 is their platform of strength.

My guess is that Apple gradually adds functionality to the iPad Pro so that it can replace the notebook for more and more people. That makes a lot more sense than trying to merge iOS and OS X, since doing the latter would require Apple to decide between ARM and Intel (and break compatibility on one platform) or try to emulate one platform on the other, neither of which is desirable.

They'd have to do massive changes to OS X to move it to touch. Say goodbye to the Global Menu Bar, for one.

They'd have to create a Rosetta Stone for ARM in order for OS X applications to even run at all. Could you imagine the toll that would take on performance and battery?

Microsoft is following a different path with Windows because they have no other choice. They tried writing Windows for ARM, but no one developed for it and the products didn't sell. Apple has lots of developers for iOS. They just need someone at Apple to convince Tim Cook, Craig Federighi and whomever else that they need to open up iOS a little more, particularly on the iPad. They don't need to turn it into an OS X clone.

 

[harriska2]

The only thing I really could not understand is why they released a 32GB modal. Surely a base 64GB made more sense given its market.

It's funny that you said that. I went to one of the Portland, OR apple stores yesterday and that was the ONLY model they had not sold a single one of (32gb). All others were sold out except a few gold 128mb wifi only. They had 5 iPad Pros on display with 3 pencils and 2 keyboards. It looked like they were well stocked (at least in the morning).

 

[harriska2]

the huge problems are missing manageable file system and how to manage different formats.

I'm going to have to agree to this. As I am trying different software to mark up a PDF file, I have to email it to myself so that I can open it in different software. Otherwise, it needs to support cloud (which not all do) or you use itunes to drag the files to the specific app. Not what I call user friendly.

 

[daniel1948]

There's a need or want out there and I believe Apple is trying to fill some of those needs. Apple is using Samsung's business model. Having a product tier. Remember the iPhone C. Well, they don't even exist anymore in the stores. IPad minis will probably be next. Cheaper doesn't exactly mean better. The iPad pro might just be here for the long run.

The iPad Mini is definitely here to stay! It's a very popular tablet that fills an important niche. A lot of people don't need a 9.7-inch tablet. The Mini is lightweight for travel, and easy to hold for reading an e-book. It's still what I take with me any time I'm going to have to wait for an appointment, so I can read on the Kindle app while waiting. The iPad Air is easier to type on and browse web sites and better for video (and the Pro more so) but for a lot of people that weight difference is critical. All three sizes are strong for their separate uses, and none of them are going away until tablets themselves step aside for something else altogether. (Eyeglasses with heads-up displays???)

 

[netdoc66]

I love mine. Needed a new iPad. This could replace my bedroom tv and once my "pencil" finally ships I will be prototyping mobile apps on it. I think the people that complain about it the most are those who have no imagination and or 0 creative skills. This is not for you if you fit into either of those categories.

 

[fieldsphotos]

I wonder if the new hardware with the ipad pro, and the larger size, might make StaffPad more adaptable to the ipad:

"One of the reasons I didn’t make StaffPad for the iPad in the end, was, although it makes business sense since everyone has an iPad, the design concessions were just too great. For example, you’d have to have a drawing mode, a navigation mode, or split the screen, which means that you wouldn’t have much room for your music; you don’t get the palm rejection. It makes the market much smaller, but it’s the only way I could design it how I really saw it to be."

I guess it will depend on if developers are allowed to make "Pro Only" apps that aren't compatible with regular iPads. Otherwise he will still have to add all the compromises in to support iPad airs and minis and stuff.

 

[daniel1948]

I love mine. Needed a new iPad. This could replace my bedroom tv and once my "pencil" finally ships I will be prototyping mobile apps on it. I think the people that complain about it the most are those who have no imagination and or 0 creative skills. This is not for you if you fit into either of those categories.

Oh, I don't know about that. I think unimaginative, uncreative people will still enjoy the iPad Pro for its larger size for media consumption, games, etc. Typing on it is easier (emails, journaling, etc.) and movies on it are better. I'm finding it to be just the right size for movies, and having speakers on both sides completes the experience, since now the sound is right, not all off on one side. Pinball HD Collection, which is a nice app on the iPad Mini and the iPad Air really shines on the iPad Pro. Can't really play while holding it, but in an easy char with it on my lap it's perfect.

I think the complainers are:

1. Apple haters. They will hate everything Apple.
2. People who want to be able to customize every aspect of their device. iOS is wrong for these people. Android is a better choice for them, if they're willing to accept its limitations. (Every OS has limitations.)
3. People who cannot afford a thousand bucks plus tax and more for peripherals and case. This really is a toy for the rich if you are not a professional artist or designer, and it's no fun watching the rich play with toys you cannot afford.
4. People who want or need a hybrid device. A tablet-laptop hybrid will always be a compromise: mediocre as a tablet, mediocre as a laptop. But some folks want or need to have both in a single device, and the iPad Pro is not that. It's not a substitute for a laptop, either. So for people who need a laptop this is the wrong device.
5. People who just like to complain. Nothing's perfect. You can accept that or complain about it. For some people, complaining is an enjoyable activity.

 

[spiderman0616]

I would be totally fine with doing everything on an iPad, and I don't even necessarily think you need an iPad Pro to do that. As it stands right now, about 99% of my personal computing time is spent on my iPhone or iPad (actually way more in favor of my iPhone. iPad rarely leaves the nightstand). The problem is that the people I work for would not be ok with that. I would be severely crippled by the iPad at my full time job. I need multiple monitors, the ability to look at more than two applications at once, multiple standard inputs, etc. I think that most people who work an office job in 2015 would probably agree, especially if your company uses any specialized proprietary software like mine does.

But the generation of kids coming up through school now and who will be joining the workforce in about 10 years--they will be expecting to do everything on touch screens. There are kids writing entire papers on their iPhones now! So the question is whether or not businesses give in to this trend, therefore pushing software and hardware development for the iPad version of iOS even more into the forefront, or will they instead stick to their guns and maintain their belief that some things are just better off on a "full blown computer"?

It is well documented on this very forum that I got rid of my iPad awhile back because I thought I should just do everything on my new rMBP from now on. It only took me about 2 weeks to realize that was a mistake and buy another iPad. Even I, as a 30-something who did NOT grow up with touch devices, realized after a few days that iOS is more likely to be my future main platform than OSX. The big question is whether my future bosses will go along with that or not. For now, I like having ALL the Apple OS's in my house as an option: Watch OS, tvOS, iOS, OSX, etc. Still a believer that OSX is the right tool for the job in a lot of situations.

But iPad Pro is not going to fail. It's going to be a big deal, and it's going to be a product I keep my eye on. I think by the time I need another new computer in a few years, the iPad Pro and iOS will be much more viable options as a full time laptop. The main thing holding it all back is iOS. We'll have to see if Apple lets it branch out into more than what it is, or if they continue leaving the "truck" work to the Mac.

 

[ragermac]

I am an Art Director with a very busy workflow. I have an iMac at work and for home, a 15" Macbook pro and an iPad Air 2 and now a Pro. I greatly benefit from each product for my creative work. I use the iPad for my sketches and storyboards and then transfer them over to my iMac. I think it is an excellent tool that will be greatly utilized once I receive the pencil. Still a very stupid decision to not have the pencil in stock.

 

[ragermac]

Oh, I don't know about that. I think unimaginative, uncreative people will still enjoy the iPad Pro for its larger size for media consumption, games, etc. Typing on it is easier (emails, journaling, etc.) and movies on it are better. I'm finding it to be just the right size for movies, and having speakers on both sides completes the experience, since now the sound is right, not all off on one side. Pinball HD Collection, which is a nice app on the iPad Mini and the iPad Air really shines on the iPad Pro. Can't really play while holding it, but in an easy char with it on my lap it's perfect.

I think the complainers are:

1. Apple haters. They will hate everything Apple.
2. People who want to be able to customize every aspect of their device. iOS is wrong for these people. Android is a better choice for them, if they're willing to accept its limitations. (Every OS has limitations.)
3. People who cannot afford a thousand bucks plus tax and more for peripherals and case. This really is a toy for the rich if you are not a professional artist or designer, and it's no fun watching the rich play with toys you cannot afford.
4. People who want or need a hybrid device. A tablet-laptop hybrid will always be a compromise: mediocre as a tablet, mediocre as a laptop. But some folks want or need to have both in a single device, and the iPad Pro is not that. It's not a substitute for a laptop, either. So for people who need a laptop this is the wrong device.
5. People who just like to complain. Nothing's perfect. You can accept that or complain about it. For some people, complaining is an enjoyable activity.

I agree with this.

 

[mangoman]

Were you able to get a Pencil? I'm genuinely interested.

I ordered through the Apple small biz team at our local store, so it's on the way. But...I really don't know if the pencil is shipping *with* the iPad.

 

[Night Spring]

Why not develop a lightweight, touch optimised, user friendly OS X t

You do realize that's what iOS is? As Steve Jobs said at the original iPhone introduction, iPhone runs OS X, and so has every iOS device after it.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

I don't agree with the OP. I think the iPad pro will be quite a success. There are many people for whom this is all the computer they need. Plus an iPhone and they are all set.

It is not a computer for me for many many reasons.

What I really think may be a mistake is not to release the Air 3 with pencil support right now. iPads are clearly on their way down from a sales perspective and keeping the old won't help.

 

[Night Spring]

I'm going to have to agree to this. As I am trying different software to mark up a PDF file, I have to email it to myself so that I can open it in different software. Otherwise, it needs to support cloud (which not all do) or you use itunes to drag the files to the specific app. Not what I call user friendly.

What apps are you using to mark up your PDF? Don't any of them use the "share" function to pass the file on to other apps? For me, it's been forever since I last had to email a file to myself, and I also can't remember the last time I had to relay a file through the cloud, unless I actually wanted a copy of the file to remain on the cloud. Usually, there's a way to get a file from one app to another on the iPad itself.

 

[ZombiePete]

I've made this comparison elsewhere as well, but a lot of the discussion around the iPP has reminded me a lot of the conversations being had when the Chromebook first started being released. A lot of people, particularly "power users", couldn't see the benefits of a web-only device because it didn't suit their needs and couldn't see beyond that. As time has worn on and Chromebooks have proven popular for a particular use-case, a lot of these same people still cannot fathom why anyone would want a Chromebook. It's a bit myopic, frankly.

I see the same thing happening here. The iPad is becoming something that you can genuinely use for productivity and as a replacement for a daily laptop, but some folks just aren't seeing the usefulness either because it's not living up to their expectations or because it doesn't suit their specific needs. It's a failure to recognize that we don't represent the majority and that there are lots of people who get 100% of their computing needs from an iPad. I personally have had a MacBook Air/Pro for the last several years, and I picked up an iPP today with the full expectation of it replacing my rMBP as my daily driver, because I know from experience that it will meet my needs. I understand that this isn't going to be true for everyone, but it's time for a reality check and to see that the old way of doing things with computers is slowly dying for a large group (if not the majority) of people.