Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Phil Schiller Says iPad Pro Can Both Supplement and Replace the Mac

Don't agree with him often, but Phil is 100% right this time. The iPad Pro is an excellent addition to your computing setup and since I have the iPad Pro, I use my MBP or Mac Pro much less.

iPad is go-to for everyday tasks like mails, browsing, listening to music. Much more effortless and comfortable to use on a couch or on the go. It also is my go-to device for pro tasks like planning, concept drawing, showing projects on the go.

I use the MacBook for heavy duty computing with "real" apps, writing longer texts, drafting documents and surfing with many tabs. The Mac Pro is for the real big data handling. Everyone has its use case and the combination, handoff and Apple ecosystem is what makes it really great.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SEmAN, 6803390, GuruZac and 2 others
Say what you want, my iPad Pro 12.9" 2nd gen (w/ Apple Pencil) is rotting away while I keep using my MacBook Pro. Again I got duped, after dropping the iPad 2-3 years ago. I understand the value of the device and I truly realise YMMV but right now there's an ugly situation going on with niche exclusive features to one device or the other (Apple Pencil, macOS, etc) and then MASSIVE overlapping so right now Apple's vision is all kinds of messed up in that area. Users cannot benefit from the full breadth of functionality Apple develops and offers without buying expensive redundant devices. We need to move towards integration, and the sooner the better.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LeahJoFoxtrot
Altis said:
Sure, it's just because people are hung up and can't adapt....

It couldn't possibly be the actual limitations of the device that make it ill-suited to many tasks.
Click to expand...

Yup, definitely. Can it do every task out there? No. Can every computer do every task out there? No. That's why we have plenty of choices for the right tool, but it's certainly a very capable computer that can handle a large amount of tasks for the majority of people. Not recognizing this or seeing it as a viable computer is extremely short sighted and is typically reserved for those holding on to the old desktop mentality that think a real computer is only one that can code or run specialized software. It's time to move forward.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 6803390, Niklas_nick and Brammy
I do believe that Schiller is full of it. That is my honest opinion. It seems in his interview he goes out of his why not to say outright that the desktop/laptop is going to become irreverent kind of what has happened with other technologies like the tube TV, music player and phones.

As someone who owns more iPads then one should ever owned, I can say the iPad still has a long way to go before it replaces the laptop. To be honest, Microsoft is closer to that than Apple is right now.

I find the iPad confining and limiting. Especially with the tasks and work, I have to do. He is right that the iPad is not for everyone. But the lack of a current pro option in desktops and the terrible excuse for an update with the MacBook Pro. Apple can kiss a 500 plus company goodbye.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tywebb13
Do i scene Phil is loosing this game ?

He's back tracking on what he said before.

Its gone from "It's a primary device" to "it only becomes a primary device when i travel, but at home i use a Mac"
 
Apple might be laying the foundation for the long term dismantling of the Mac lineup.
 
AlexH said:
Apple might be laying the foundation for the long term dismantling of the Mac lineup.
Click to expand...

I agree. I think it will stick around for some time still, but I think they are likely working on a replacement for macOS that runs on their own chips, is more secure, and has a closed off app store.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 6803390
AlexH said:
Apple might be laying the foundation for the long term dismantling of the Mac lineup.
Click to expand...
Apple is only days away from releasing their most powerful Mac ever.

Apple is laying the foundation for the long term revitalization of the Mac lineup, I guess you meant to say.
 
PickUrPoison said:
Apple is only days away from releasing their most powerful Mac ever.

Apple is laying the foundation for the long term revitalization of the Mac lineup, I guess you meant to say.
Click to expand...

yeah, I'm a big iPad Pro user, and I love using it, and my Mac, but I don't see the Mac going away for a long, long time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 6803390 and tkermit
I feel this has always been Apple's position. Phil just repeated the arguments in forums (like this one for example lol) - iPad works for some, others need a Mac.

But I do wonder when that divide will be less explicit. I don't think desktops will be going anywhere anytime soon but with the advancements in tablets, a true "Pro" iPad could really diminish the need for a laptop too. It'll take some time but I don't see how/why laptops would remain the standard between mobile and at-home/work.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DNichter
My iPad Pro has replaced my personal laptop, especially since I got the Smart Keyboard. I do all my daily computing (e.g. email, browsing, youtube, read, catch up on news, etc) on it plus it's just capable enough for me to be able to do my job when I'm traveling (I'm a software engineer that works on remote servers. I can VPN in, open a terminal, etc). Hell, I've even done frontend web development for a very large application on it. I mainly got it so I can travel lighter (I travel a lot and every ounce counts); I didn't realize how much I'd actually use it. I use it more than my phone, laptop, and gaming PC combined.

I even routinely VPN into my home network and remote desktop into my windows PC when I'm away and it works just fine. I've even done that to get into one of the PC games I play so I could take advantage of an in-game sale on items while I was away.

Granted, I wouldn't want to use it full time for work; I use a work-issued MBP for that. I of course would rather have a laptop but the only times I need to work while I'm traveling for personal reasons is when it's an emergency and, for that, the iPad more than meets my needs. If it was a work related trip, of course I'd take the MBP.

Of course there will always be people who need a "real computer" but the iPad can indeed be a suitable replacement for lots, even engineers like me. If I wasn't into PC gaming and wasn't such a tech geek, I'd probably only have an iPad and no other computer. Unless I get a contracting job where I have to supply my own laptop, I don't see myself ever buying another laptop again.

teknikal90 said:
issue is price.
Noone runs out of the door to pay $1000 for a device that maybe can replace their trusty $1000 computer.
Click to expand...

I did because it was much more portable than my current (personal) laptop and any other laptop I could have purchased instead. I wasn't expecting it to be able to completely replace my personal laptop when I bought it but it thankfully has. I was strongly considering a MB or MB Air instead but I have no regrets at all.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: SEmAN, 6803390, DNichter and 1 other person
Niklas_nick said:
Don't agree with him often, but Phil is 100% right this time. The iPad Pro is an excellent addition to your computing setup and since I have the iPad Pro, I use my MBP or Mac Pro much less.

iPad is go-to for everyday tasks like mails, browsing, listening to music. Much more effortless and comfortable to use on a couch or on the go. It also is my go-to device for pro tasks like planning, concept drawing, showing projects on the go.

I use the MacBook for heavy duty computing with "real" apps, writing longer texts, drafting documents and surfing with many tabs. The Mac Pro is for the real big data handling. Everyone has its use case and the combination, handoff and Apple ecosystem is what makes it really great.
Click to expand...
I frequently have my iPad Pro set up next to my MacBook Pro for studying and other tasks. It is a killer combo and is very productive for me. I’m still quite puzzled at some of the comments. Where did Phil say the iPad Pro IS a replacement for Macs or computers for EVERYONE? He never stated that. Why aren’t people getting this...
 
  • Like
Reactions: SEmAN, 6803390, Niklas_nick and 1 other person
GuruZac said:
I frequently have my iPad Pro set up next to my MacBook Pro for studying and other tasks. It is a killer combo and is very productive for me. I’m still quite puzzled at some of the comments. Where did Phil say the iPad Pro IS a replacement for Macs or computers for EVERYONE? He never stated that. Why aren’t people getting this...
Click to expand...

Because it's annoying Phil likes to blur the lines between tablets and computers. A tablet is great for consumption or as supplementary device, but masquerades as "pro" now to pretend like it can replace computers. This asinine "What's a computer" shtick is Balmer-level bad.
 
deanthedev said:
And here we go with the condescending posts claiming all iPad users are non-tech, simple minded people.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Hi, I’m a “non tech-savvy grandfather” who is selling my MBP because I just don’t need to have a $1000+ item gathering dust in my office. I haven’t used it since I got my 12.9 IPP, because the IPP is simply better for MY life. I travel a lot. My job is teaching online, for which I need video conferencing and drawing on a virtual whiteboard. Beyond that, I do typical tasks of email, browsing, games, etc.

The MBP is lovely, but it’s just a more powerful computer than I need, and it’s heavier than I need and requires an additional item (Wacom tablet) for my daily work. So why insult me for doing what works best for me?
 
  • Like
Reactions: SEmAN, HopefulHumanist, 6803390 and 1 other person
He is right though. You can replace web-browsing and Facebooking on the Mac with an iPad. But you can also replace the iPad with an iPhone. It literally does the same crap as an iPad, which is also why its sales numbers are down.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LeahJoFoxtrot
Interview: Apple's Phil Schiller on How the iPhone X 'Seemed Impossible at the Start'

Article Link: Phil Schiller Says iPad Pro Can Both Supplement and Replace the Mac[/QUOTE]

When Tim Cook spouted similar silliness the the iPad Pro first launched (and I do have one), I said, "There goes Mac development." And, sadly, we saw the MacPro has not been updated in many years, ditto on Mac mini, and it took forever for the MacBook Pro with its distinctly non-pro, flaky keyboard. Real page layout, audio, video, photo editing, web design professionals as well as 3D animators, engineers, programmers and many more "pros" need to put files where they want them, connect various peripherals, output to a variety of formats, use much more storage than is available on any iPad (cloud storage is not fast enough or secure enough), organize files, share with others users on various platforms, etc. I'm sure many Apple employees involved in the above would like to say the same thing but can't. Apple: you can sell me an iPad Pro AND a MacPro AND an iPhone AND a MacBook.
 
jujufreeze said:
Because it's annoying Phil likes to blur the lines between tablets and computers. A tablet is great for consumption or as supplementary device, but masquerades as "pro" now to pretend like it can replace computers. This asinine "What's a computer" shtick is Balmer-level bad.
Click to expand...
I think there is a disconnect here. Some people ARE in fact replacing their computers with just an iPad Pro. It does all tasks for THEM that their older laptop/desktop did for them. That qualifies as a replacement for them. Phil never said it replaces all computers in all situations. But the reality is, the iPad Pro, especially running iOS 11, is blurring the lines. It is more productive than a standard tablet for many people. I’m not a power user and the iPad Pro for me is unable to replace all tasks, but I take the iPad Pro with me to all my classes and work 90% of the time. That qualifies as a partial computer replacement for me. That’s what Phil is saying here.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DoubleFlyaway, SEmAN, 6803390 and 1 other person
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back