Is the iPad Pro really more powerful than the retina MacBook

[maflynn]

I understand that there is only half a dozen or so apps that are specifically written to use it.

That's the thing that bothers me the most, Apple introduces a stylus and then restricts its use, I think it could be so much more useful but its only for note taking and drawing instead of using it as a pointing device.

 

[yegon]

I can see it being a real boon to creative types who draw. Equally, comics are magnificent on it.

I hear a lot about how good it is for Netflix etc around the house due to its massive screen, as if it's something new and unheard of - it's massive for a tablet certainly, but not much bigger than a rMB screen and smaller than a 15" laptop. In this regard I find a rMB miiiles better for video - only marginally heavier if you factor in a stand for the iPP, far better in terms of angling the display, and infinitely better on the lap.

Did like the speakers, hopefully come to the Air 3 next year. Be great for podcasts and spoken word stuff while doing mind numbing task in the house. The speakers aren't mind blowing though, and you'd always be better off using headphones or a quality BT headset/speaker.

Another consequence of the UI is loads of white, or bright, spaces that can be unforgiving to the eyes.

 

[SteveJUAE]

That's the thing that bothers me the most, Apple introduces a stylus and then restricts its use, I think it could be so much more useful but its only for note taking and drawing instead of using it as a pointing device.

Can't you tap with it instead of using your finger ? surely

I know the side by side (windows) is limited and no C&P from one to another etc etc

I can see it being a fun tool for easy photo touch up

 

[boltjames]

That's the thing that bothers me the most, Apple introduces a stylus and then restricts its use

This is an interesting new trend from Apple, you should see what's going on in the Apple TV forum over the voice remote that can't dictate text into any app search boxes.

BJ

 

[whodatrr]

Oversized tablet vs undersized notebook.

Me, I like the undersized notebook, but YMMV.

Regarding a raw power comparison, lack of power hasn't really been an issue with my tablets, lately. They all pop up browsers, view PDFs, or play the goofy tablet games I use well enough. So, more power doesn't really give me much there. And our rMBs (we now have two in the family) drive Safari just fine, as well as all the MS Office and light photo stuff that we do with them. So, again, more power wouldn't buy us much there, either.

At a certain point, speeds and feeds are just nice reads...

 

[maflynn]

Can't you tap with it instead of using your finger ? surely

On MacBreak weekly they were doing just that and it wasn't doing anything.

 

[SteveJUAE]

On MacBreak weekly they were doing just that and it wasn't doing anything.

I'm speechless ..........

 

[AdonisSMU]

From what I've read, this was one of the main complaints. The UI on the screen is not really optimized for the large form factor, and interacting with it (the sidebar of scrolling apps is horrible to scroll through) and the keyboard is the worst that apple produced.

I have both a MacBook and a iPad Pro and the keyboards are identical accept one is plastic and one is cloth like material. I love them both because I don't like lots of key travel and the behave similarly

 

[SteveJUAE]

I have both a MacBook and a iPad Pro and the keyboards are identical accept one is plastic and one is cloth like material. I love them both because I don't like lots of key travel and the behave similarly

What about the missing track pad, short cut/function/nav keys and backlight 🙂

 

[Serban]

yes the backlight is a must, but trackpad on a touchscreen device?
the trackpad was put on laptops to be the "touchscreen" of the laptop
whats the point to have both?

 

[maflynn]

I have both a MacBook and a iPad Pro and the keyboards are identical accept one is plastic and one is cloth like material. I love them both because I don't like lots of key travel and the behave similarly

The folks at MacBreak Weekly, were very critical of the keyboard, stating it was inferior to the SP4, and MacBook's keyboard. I've not played with it, so I'm only relying on others. I've read other people complain about it as well, though at this point I don't remember where.

 

[yegon]

Extensive experience of the rMB and used the iPP Smart Keyboard for 3 days prior to returning the whole shebang. Saying they're identical is frankly laughable.

I do believe the Smart Keyboard isn't too bad, if seen as a light(ish) cover with some added, useful functionality. Judged strictly by when you're bashing out letters and numbers on a desk, there are clear similarities.

The similarity ends when you move away from a desk, when the inevitable physical movement of the device on your lap comes into play, when you ponder the absence of the fn key and the F1-F12 keys, the stupidly placed keyboard language button, the lack of palm rest, the " feel" (admittedly hard to quantify and subjective) of the canvas keys both in texture and feedback that remind you that this isn't anything like a keyboard you're used too (good/bad thing dependent on taste). Admittedly an os issue, but the woeful number of shortcuts and the muscle memory that has you feeling for a trackpad like a ghost limb do not a great experience make imo.

As a cover, stand and minimalist desk dock I can see it's plus points, but saying it is identical to the rMB keyboard is, well, moronic. I admit my impressions were formed only from 3 days usage, but I can't see many of its shortcomings being resolved soon, and some of it's shortcomings are unresolvable in its current form.

tldr; handy in a pinch, but severely compromised.

 

[maflynn]

yes the backlight is a must, but trackpad on a touchscreen device?

I found out how necessary a backlight is with the SP3 and its keyboard. I was largely limited in its usage because the keys were not backlight. Once the SP4 type cover came out, viola life was great. I love typing on it, huge improvement, literally night and day.

Trackpad, well apple's philosophy for the iPad is that its a touch first device, where as the Surface Pro devices are a laptop first device. Both have their advantages/disadvantages. For me, I found the lack of a trackpad/pointing device to be too limiting, but that's for my usage needs.

 

[SteveJUAE]

yes the backlight is a must, but trackpad on a touchscreen device?
the trackpad was put on laptops to be the "touchscreen" of the laptop
whats the point to have both?

You could say what's the point of a KB on a touch device like the Ipad 🙂

Once you have your KB attached to your Ipad and it's mimicking a laptop you have to keep reaching up to navigate, not with a trackpad

 

[SteveJUAE]

The folks at MacBreak Weekly, were very critical of the keyboard, stating it was inferior to the SP4, and MacBook's keyboard. I've not played with it, so I'm only relying on others. I've read other people complain about it as well, though at this point I don't remember where.

I have also not seen one good review of the IPP KB one even said it's the worst KB Apple has ever produced

 

[AdonisSMU]

I admit my impressions were formed only from 3 days usage

I'd say it's moronic to call someone else a moron because they have a different opinion than yours on the two keyboards when you've only used both for a combined three days. Then even you say yourself they are similar only to later suggest people are moronic to state that they were near identical. What do you think similar implies? I've had my MacBook since it launched and I've had my iPad Pro keyboard for a week. I'm not speaking out of my real world experience with the keyboards over a much longer period of time and not speaking out of turn with less than three days of use on each device.

What about the missing track pad, short cut/function/nav keys and backlight 🙂

The trackpad isn't part of the keyboard. Clearly Apple doesn't think so either otherwise they wouldn't be selling them as separate from each other. I don't think I need to tell people function keys are missing they can look at the images on Apple's website for themselves and see that no function keys exist. IPP has some keyboard shortcuts because the ones I used with it seemed to work just fine for me. It's always a YMMV type of situation. That is implied.

In terms of feel when typing the two keyboards are very much close to being identical. I should've been more clear. 😕

That's the thing that bothers me the most, Apple introduces a stylus and then restricts its use, I think it could be so much more useful but its only for note taking and drawing instead of using it as a pointing device.

Thats what I use it for. I used mine to take down some notes. Notability, Notes, Pro Create, Evernote. The Pencil is restricted. Apple always does this at first. It's nothing new.

 

[yegon]

I have both a MacBook and a iPad Pro and the keyboards are identical accept one is plastic and one is cloth like material. I love them both because I don't like lots of key travel and the behave similarly

I'd say it's moronic to call someone else a moron because they have a different opinion than yours on the two keyboards when you've only used both for a combined three days. Then even you say yourself they are similar only to later suggest people are moronic to state that they were near identical. What do you think similar implies? I've had my MacBook since it launched and I've had my iPad Pro keyboard for a week. I'm not speaking out of my real world experience with the keyboards over a much longer period of time and not speaking out of turn with less than three days of use on each device.


The trackpad isn't part of the keyboard. Clearly Apple doesn't think so either otherwise they wouldn't be selling them as separate from each other. I don't think I need to tell people function keys are missing they can look at the images on Apple's website for themselves and see that no function keys exist. IPP has some keyboard shortcuts because the ones I used with it seemed to work just fine for me. It's always a YMMV type of situation. That is implied.

In terms of feel when typing the two keyboards are very much close to being identical. I should've been more clear. 😕


Thats what I use it for. I used mine to take down some notes. Notability, Notes, Pro Create, Evernote. The Pencil is restricted. Apple always does this at first. It's nothing new.

I apologise, sincerely. I didn't mean to imply you're a moron for one moment, just the idea that, as your og post said;

"I have both a MacBook and a iPad Pro and the keyboards are identical accept one is plastic and one is cloth like material."

I find this element of your post moronic given the difference in experience between the two. To me, that's as vague as saying one phone is identical to another because you can make calls and browse the web on it via a touch screen.

Equally, I did stress multiple times it's only my opinion.

 

[AdonisSMU]

I apologise, sincerely. I didn't mean to imply you're a moron for one moment, just the idea that, as your og post said;

"I have both a MacBook and a iPad Pro and the keyboards are identical accept one is plastic and one is cloth like material."

I find this element of your post moronic given the difference in experience between the two. To me, that's as vague as saying one phone is identical to another because you can make calls and browse the web on it via a touch screen.

Equally, I did stress multiple times it's only my opinion.

The context is clear in my original post that I was talking about the way the devices work as far as typing goes. I wasn't comparing stuff that exists on one and doesn't exist on the other. I did simplify my opinion down to one sentence. People should be able to understand similar doesn't mean same.

Sure take the sentence by itself and it means one thing even though I state in the very next sentence that they behave similarly... which is all that could happen given one is running iOS and the other is running OSX. iOS doesn't have/need a concept of many of the things you're claiming make the first sentence of my post moronic and/or never mattered to anyone including reviewers before iPad Pro got it's own keyboard.

 

[SteveJUAE]

The trackpad isn't part of the keyboard. Clearly Apple doesn't think so either otherwise they wouldn't be selling them as separate from each other. I don't think I need to tell people function keys are missing they can look at the images on Apple's website for themselves and see that no function keys exist. IPP has some keyboard shortcuts because the ones I used with it seemed to work just fine for me. It's always a YMMV type of situation. That is implied..

I think your trying to hard 🙂 just be happy you find it no compromise typing wise between your devices.

However Re Function Keys Comment, please follow your own advice as in there is no need to mention "one is plastic and one is cloth like material" as one can equally read/look at the images on Apple's website for themselves lol.

Personally, it looks horrid, folds like an origami exam, has poor support, no adjustable angle or backlight for quite a high price. Most reviewers are suggesting the Logitech one is better value.

 

[AdonisSMU]

I think your trying to hard 🙂 just be happy you find it no compromise typing wise between your devices.

However Re Function Keys Comment, please follow your own advice as in there is no need to mention "one is plastic and one is cloth like material" as one can equally read/look at the images on Apple's website for themselves lol.

Personally, it looks horrid, folds like an origami exam, has poor support, no adjustable angle or backlight for quite a high price. Most reviewers are suggesting the Logitech one is better value.

With all due respect, I think you're trying way too hard to disparage a device you don't own or don't know much about. That is clear. Just be happy with your Surface Pro 4...and let those of us who own iPad Pros and MacBooks discuss the similarities and differences.

No MacBook Pro has typing at an angle but you don't hear people complaining about it in reviews or otherwise. So maybe you want to stop being hypocritical about a non issue. The Logitech is almost the same price and is heavier and harder to detach.

There arent function keys in the software iOS. So....why would one need it on the hardware version? Again non issue. Function keys are a concept for legacy computing paradigms. There is no concept of that in iOS. You'd know that if you owned an iOS device. The oragami keyboard is in place of the kickstand and it's a trade off I and others are happy with and appreciate. What's wrong with Apple letting the users decide what they need?

rMB and iPP keyboards aren't that different in terms of feel that's the point. Any idiot could catch the context of my OP on the subject. Only a troll would use it to try and make it their moment to point out non issues as issues. The iPP keyboard is the right keyboard for the right computing paradigm. It's the iPad Pro equivalent of the rMB's keyboard.

 

[SteveJUAE]

With all due respect, I think you're trying way too hard to disparage a device you don't own or don't know much about. That is clear. Just be happy with your Surface Pro 4...and let those of us who own iPad Pros and MacBooks discuss the similarities and differences.

No MacBook Pro has typing at an angle but you don't hear people complaining about it in reviews or otherwise. So maybe you want to stop being hypocritical about a non issue. The Logitech is almost the same price and is heavier and harder to detach.

There arent function keys in the software iOS. So....why would one need it on the hardware version? Again non issue. Function keys are a concept for legacy computing paradigms. There is no concept of that in iOS. You'd know that if you owned an iOS device. The oragami keyboard is in place of the kickstand and it's a trade off I and others are happy with and appreciate. What's wrong with Apple letting the users decide what they need?

rMB and iPP keyboards aren't that different in terms of feel that's the point. Any idiot could catch the context of my OP on the subject. Only a troll would use it to try and make it their moment to point out non issues as issues. The iPP keyboard is the right keyboard for the right computing paradigm. It's the iPad Pro equivalent of the rMB's keyboard.

Still trying too hard and even further of your own subject 🙂

The real hypocrisy here is you now calling people names yet only to complain yourself a few threads above, tut tut

FYI I own a rMB not a SP4 and there is only so many times you can be wrong in one day and you have almost reach the limit, but please have the last word and prove my point 🙄

 

[AdonisSMU]

Still trying too hard and even further of your own subject 🙂

The real hypocrisy here is you now calling people names yet only to complain yourself a few threads above, tut tut

FYI I own a rMB not a SP4 and there is only so many times you can be wrong in one day and you have almost reach the limit, but please have the last word and prove my point 🙄

I have both a MacBook and a iPad Pro and the keyboards are identical accept one is plastic and one is cloth like material. I love them both because I don't like lots of key travel and the behave similarly

I clearly stated in the original post which you yourself quorted. Similar doesn't mean exact last I checked.

You brought up things that would've meant near exact functionality when I never said the two were exact to begin with. You were wrong on that count.

Secondly, I never called you anything. Point out where I called you a name. Also point out where I was wrong about the iPad Pro keyboard that you don't even own.... being similar in feel and behavior to that of a MacBook....which was the premise of the original post and for all intensive purposes was in fact the correct statement to begin with.

You're the one who brought up function keys and other stuff that doesn't apply to iPads or iOS in general and only apply when considering older computing paradigms. It is an arugment I didn't care to have to begin with. I wasn't looking for a critique of my post. My original post is technically accurate and sufficiently accounts for the differences in the keyboards. It's implied in my OP that iOS has differences...that doesn't mean the rMB's keyboard isn't similar.

 

[yegon]

To be fair, function keys do add some nice...err...functionality. Brightness, play/pause/back forward, app switcher (mission control key), and sleep. Had a Logitech keyboard briefly in the past for a previous iPad and these were handy then, would be even better now on a larger iPad like the Pro.

Old computing paradigms or not, the feature is supported in iOS and it's surprising Apple's own keyboard offering does without it.

Equally, regarding angling the keyboard and typing at an angle, isn't that more about angling the screen to the keyboard, which any Mac laptop can certainly do?

 

[lite426]

I have both a MacBook and a iPad Pro and the keyboards are identical accept one is plastic and one is cloth like material. I love them both because I don't like lots of key travel and the behave similarly

Hi Adonis, thanks for this. It was clear to me that you were referring to your opinion of the feel of the keys of the keyboard, not sure why the other posters are in convulsions over this. To call one person's opinion of something moronic, simply for being different to one's own, is in itself moronic. Maybe they take it as a personal vendetta that you'd dare compare a feature of their precious MacBook to that "god awful" iPad Pro. OBviously it doesn't have a trackpad, anyone can see that. You're an actual owner of both products so I feel you're far more qualified than them to actually make such comparisons. Can you tell me whether you find the Smart Keyboard to be quieter than the MacBook's?

 

[SteveJUAE]

I clearly stated in the original post which you yourself quorted. Similar doesn't mean exact last I checked.

You brought up things that would've meant near exact functionality when I never said the two were exact to begin with. You were wrong on that count.

Secondly, I never called you anything. Point out where I called you a name. Also point out where I was wrong about the iPad Pro keyboard that you don't even own.... being similar in feel and behavior to that of a MacBook....which was the premise of the original post and for all intensive purposes was in fact the correct statement to begin with.

You're the one who brought up function keys and other stuff that doesn't apply to iPads or iOS in general and only apply when considering older computing paradigms. It is an arugment I didn't care to have to begin with. I wasn't looking for a critique of my post. My original post is technically accurate and sufficiently accounts for the differences in the keyboards. It's implied in my OP that iOS has differences...that doesn't mean the rMB's keyboard isn't similar.

Ohh dear I don't know why I really bother, but to assist:

I certainly have not criticised your opinion on how you have found the typing experience on the 2 keyboards ,I have even said be happy, there is no conflict of opinions on this as I have not expressed one.

You said in your original posting "I have both a MacBook and a iPad Pro and the keyboards are identical accept one is plastic and one is cloth like material" please advise where "identical" means something different.

I'm sorry if you feel that we are only allowed to offer our opinion's on products we own, please ask for a change in forum rules to avoid future confusion.

I'm doubly sorry if you feel we are only allowed to stay a 100% within the contextual topic and it cannot be diversified in to other aspects whilst remaining on topic.

I'm triply sorry if you feel we can only respond with agreeable postings/replies to yours

You seem not to understand the implied meaning direct or indirect when you add words like "troll" or "idiot" in to a conversation.

Now if you want to make this conversation even more sillier than it has already become please feel free to get up extra early so you can post more erroneous replies, in one day