Rumored 'iPad Pro' Dimensions and Features Again Seen in Renderings

[Will0827]

Has there been any mentioned of a touch enabled version of OSX, there was news that iOS 9 wasnt going to be much of a drastic change and not much atleast to my knowledge has made its way out in regards of the next update to OSX. Unless apple has been working on a merge of somekind of iOS and OSX while having work on iOS 7 and yosemite it maybe possible that that the iPad Pro will run iOS. Yes it will be a nicely spec machine and the possible stereo speakers and usb type c will be nice, but for already declining iPad sales the additional hardware doesnt seem like an incentive to upgrade over your current ipad or possibly macbook. Microsoft faced the problem with the weird space the surface and windows 8 were in but they rode the wave and now atleast have a bright side that Windows 10 and their philosophy and plan with it is looking pretty good and the surface pro 3 is gaining sales not iPad level but people are buying and their is interest in that type of device. The deciding factor will be the OS that this runs and if people can be swayed away from their Macbooks or current iPads.

 

[Mildredop]

It will NEVER run OS X. It will, hoever, probably run some enhanced version of iOS.

Why never?

 

[teslo]

Sure thing Skippy -- finger painting and toy pianos are important stuff.

what interests do you have, so that i might flippantly tell you it's silly or unnecessary in the scheme of things..?

rolling your eyes at two multi-billion dollar industries/professions? you do know of the concept of rough drafts or small jobs that don't warrant a desktop experience, right? i've gotten paid in full for an illustration job i did entirely in an adobe vector app on my iPhone 4 a couple years back. one of my buds made a few beats in garageband on his iPad and got over a grand for the 2 song delivery he did in about half a day. whatever dude. maybe you just don't have a creative bone in your body.

----------

Why never?

because armchair expertise.

 

[topmounter]

A bigger iPad isn't all that interesting to me. What I would find interesting is the 12" MacBook with a touchscreen and the ability to fold the screen back 180º into a "tablet mode".

 

[Kissaragi]

If it has a great pressure sensitive stylus then it could have a huge market with designers and artists. Without that then it seems like it would be a niche product at best.

 

[JonnyIreland]

Ahhhh, Unbox Therapy = The Master-(click)Baiter...

 

[teslo]

A bigger iPad isn't all that interesting to me. What I would find interesting is the 12" MacBook with a touchscreen and a the ability to fold the screen back 180º into a "tablet mode".

i was thinking a while back how cool a retractable keyboard would be... attached to a sheet of elastic or something that rolls up like window blinds into the top backside (inside the housing), allowing you to pull the keyboard from the bottom of the tablet and lock it at the 'hinge' ... would rather have this than a keyboard with no 'home' once you've undocked it. this is my biggest gripe about the Surface pro's form/function. loose external keyboard to put down somewhere and walk away from absentmindedly...

 

[zephonic]

This would be great for me. I use my iPad for reading sheet music on gigs, and the display is slightly too small to read charts comfortably.

I have always said that a U.S. letter (or A4) sized display would be brilliant for professional applications. For consumers it may not have much value.

But this device may just be part of Apple's larger strategy to gain foothold in enterprise.

 

[Traverse]

My only fear is that Apple will pour everything into this pro model and leave the other iPads behind.

 

[sracer]

Does anyone else feel that if this iPad Pro doesn't have a fusion of iOS+OSX operating system it's a no-go? I don't really see the purpose if an "iPad Pro" running on iOS...

I've been waiting for a REAL Apple tablet for quite some time now.

I don't feel that way.

I don't want the complexities of a desktop OS in tablet form. I believe that some minor tweaks to iOS could go a long way in making an iPad Pro very useful.

• Some visibility to the file system
• BT profiles and support for pointing devices
• multi/split window
• Expanded support for USB devices (eg. presentation remotes)

Having a Macbook Air replacement is not (or should not be) the goal of an iPad Pro. It should fill the gap BETWEEN the current iPads and Macbooks.

IMO anways.

 

[teslo]

I don't feel that way.

I don't want the complexities of a desktop OS in tablet form. I believe that some minor tweaks to iOS could go a long way in making an iPad Pro very useful.

• Some visibility to the file system
• BT profiles and support for pointing devices
• multi/split window
• Expanded support for USB devices (eg. presentation remotes)

Having a Macbook Air replacement is not (or should not be) the goal of an iPad Pro. It should fill the gap BETWEEN the current iPads and Macbooks.

IMO anways.

but this doesn't help anyone using their professional software, like FCPX, Logic, or Adobe... i think this neutrality on which OS they use is missing the point: this is supposed to be aimed at pros who are eyeballing the surface pro and waiting for apple to step it up. iOS would destroy this brand loyalty. i'd certainly throw up my hands and have a stab at Windows to be able to work with my programs in any monetized way.

 

[heeloliver]

Why never?

OS X is made for mouse/trackpad+keyboard
iOS is for touch input.

Simple as that.

 

[RogerWilco]

what interests do you have, so that i might flippantly tell you it's silly or unnecessary in the scheme of things..?

rolling your eyes at two multi-billion dollar industries/professions? you do know of the concept of rough drafts or small jobs that don't warrant a desktop experience, right? i've gotten paid in full for an illustration job i did entirely in an adobe vector app on my iPhone 4 a couple years back. one of my buds made a few beats in garageband on his iPad and got over a grand for the 2 song delivery he did in about half a day. whatever dude. maybe you just don't have a creative bone in your body.

My company produces equipment used to calibrate and test radar systems. We design and build custom-engineered products for customers around the world. I've used Macs since 1985 and the iPad since 2010. I had high hopes for the iPad but reality set in as it became clear that Apple couldn't care less about any uses besides viewing media. iPad sucks for anything requiring detailed entry, mechanical drawings, spreadsheets, technical illustrations, photo editing, etc., and it doesn't easily communicate data with CNC machines or test equipment. Did I mention it sucks?

 

[kring]

I really hope those spec rumors are wrong... otherwise this thing will be dead before it even gets off the ground. 2GB memory means it won't make it to iOS 9 without slowing down. and an A8-Anything is not enough to push any powerful apps. The iPad Air2 is good for the toy that it is, but if the iPad PRO is going to be a productivity tool then it needs to not be a toy and have real hardware specs since it's not upgradable and should last 3-4 years with anything that can be thrown at it from an OS and Apps perspective.

iOS 8 killed my iPad 3 - runs like a dog now. Safari can't load many pages because we are seeing many websites be 200MB just to load the landing page, way too much data for the small amount of ram and weak CPUs.

Also, battery life needs to be ABSURDLY long - like 7 days of light usage and two days of solid 12 hour usage. and 14 straight hours of MAX workload. This thing can't keep going back for recharges.

As many mention, the OS should really be OS X or a hybrid, iOS isn't cutting it unless iOS 9 becomes something entirely different, but early indicators say it's going to be a very minor refresh, mostly just under the hood improvements... so that won't do!

I would absolutely buy one if they do it right... Apple has only one shot to make the iPad PRO a real solution for the more powerful user, a bigger iPad Air2 is on very few peoples wishlist.

 

[playspeed]

It will might run OS Xi (eleven) - the one that unites OS X and iOS

 

[teslo]

My company produces equipment used to calibrate and test radar systems. We design and build custom-engineered products for customers around the world. I've used Macs since 1985 and the iPad since 2010. I had high hopes for the iPad but reality set in as it became clear that Apple couldn't care less about any uses besides viewing media. iPad sucks for anything requiring detailed entry, mechanical drawings, spreadsheets, technical illustrations, photo editing, etc., and it doesn't easily communicate data with CNC machines or test equipment. Did I mention it sucks?

right, well, you're on a thread that's discussing the improvement of the 'sucky' iPad (a concept i just destroyed with my examples of professional use. anecdotal, sure, but true, nonetheless - my bud and i can't be the only two iPad users who have successfully cashed in with its 'sucky' CPU and functionalities).

so what are you saying? an improved iPad we know almost nothing about will still suck? according to you, ok. i think the rumored iPad pro and Apple's partnership with IBM says more than you'd admit.

but clearly, we both are spouting opinions.

 

[Piggie]

Just 1 thing scares me.

Apple is in love Bezels, Apple adore large bezels, even the brand new ultra thin Macbook with the edge to edge keyboard had a god awful ugly wide bezel around the screen, unlike the sexy new dell with it's thin bezel design.

I love the idea of a large screen iPad, always have wanted one.

But for the love of god Apple, PLEASE don't put horrid ugly 1980's bezels around a beautiful screen.

Pleeeeeeeeeeeeese Don't!

 

[jonnyb098]

I think its kinda funny to have such a large tablet. But whatever gets Apple to actually go back and design iOS for the larger screen in a fashion like iOS 3,4,5,6 would be nice...not the actual look but the way older OS utilized the screen. This will also push lazy ass developers to better optimize for a larger screen.

 

[teslo]

Also, battery life needs to be ABSURDLY long - like 7 days of light usage and two days of solid 12 hour usage. and 14 straight hours of MAX workload. This thing can't keep going back for recharges.

yikes. do any devices anywhere (of apple/windows/samsung caliber) offer juice like this? i think you're hoping for a gen 3 or 4 released 'now', what with these requirements.

i have high hopes too, but i won't expect above and beyond a laptop experience.

 

[sracer]

but this doesn't help anyone using their professional software, like FCPX, Logic, or Adobe... i think this neutrality on which OS they use is missing the point: this is supposed to be aimed at pros who are eyeballing the surface pro and waiting for apple to step it up. iOS would destroy this brand loyalty. i'd certainly throw up my hands and have a stab at Windows to be able to work with my programs in any monetized way.

The iPad is already being used in professional environments. Quite a feat when one considers the current limitations/restrictions. While there are some who want to be able to use the same software on a tablet that they use on a desktop, the real power comes from apps optimized for touch. THAT is one of the reasons why the iPad succeeded where Microsoft's tablets 10+ years ago failed.

As one who has spent an inordinate amount of time on iOS, Android, and Windows tablets, I can say that desktop apps on a tablet attempting to use it as a tablet is terrible. Sounds great in theory, but in practice... terrible.

This is where the Surface falls short. A very fine ultrabook, sub-par tablet... not because of the hardware but because of the chronic lack of touch-optimized apps utilizing the Modern UI.

iOS has a rich app ecosystem, the iPad needs some hardware changes to move things forward... changes that up until this point Apple has been hesitant to implement. But like 7" tablets and phablets, Apple DOES respond to consumers... and sales of the Surface and other 2-in-1 hybrids will catch Apple's attention. (I did my part by purchasing an Acer Aspire Switch 11)

My previous post was addressing only the OS issue. There are hardware changes/additions to an iPad Pro that would facilitate greater use as well, such as including an active digitizer, and USB-C port.

 

[Cloudsurfer]

This could be an interesting successor to my 2010 MBP, if it does come with a USB connector and some sort of file manager. And of course an optimized version of iOS to take advantage of that huge display.

 

[teslo]

The iPad is already being used in professional environments. Quite a feat when one considers the current limitations/restrictions. While there are some who want to be able to use the same software on a tablet that they use on a desktop, the real power comes from apps optimized for touch. THAT is one of the reasons why the iPad succeeded where Microsoft's tablets 10+ years ago failed.

As one who has spent an inordinate amount of time on iOS, Android, and Windows tablets, I can say that desktop apps on a tablet attempting to use it as a tablet is terrible. Sounds great in theory, but in practice... terrible.

This is where the Surface falls short. A very fine ultrabook, sub-par tablet... not because of the hardware but because of the chronic lack of touch-optimized apps utilizing the Modern UI.

iOS has a rich app ecosystem, the iPad needs some hardware changes to move things forward... changes that up until this point Apple has been hesitant to implement. But like 7" tablets and phablets, Apple DOES respond to consumers... and sales of the Surface and other 2-in-1 hybrids will catch Apple's attention. (I did my part by purchasing an Acer Aspire Switch 11)

My previous post was addressing only the OS issue. There are hardware changes/additions to an iPad Pro that would facilitate greater use as well, such as including an active digitizer, and USB-C port.

oh, i agree with you on using the iPad in professional ways, i've done it myself. but did you use the surface 3 or the 2? i've heard the 3 was a big step forward, and it's the only one i've played with, but only for about an hour. photoshop seemed outstanding when i tested it. it's i'm sure a lot to do with personal preference tho.

edit: for me, iOS - AND garageband/imovie/pixelmatr etc will have to improve immensely to get what i want out of it. pretty much turn them into equally professional programs as their desktop counterparts, but then that would discourage people from buying the Logic/FCPX versions, so i dunno.

so i'm really hoping for OS X, no matter what the 'issues' will be with a first gen. i just think it's important for a lot of people who will buy a Surface in lieu of an ipAD iOS 'pro'. you may be completely right and most people will find the surface subpar as well, but this is a big deal for apple in terms of resurrecting tablet sale. imo

 

[kring]

yikes. do any devices anywhere (of apple/windows/samsung caliber) offer juice like this? i think you're hoping for a gen 3 or 4 released 'now', what with these requirements.

i have high hopes too, but i won't expect above and beyond a laptop experience.

Yeah, I think so. my iPad 3 gets 5+ days of light use, 2 days of medium use.. 6-8 hours of banging away on it... so basically I'm doubling the requirement and since the device is doubling (or even more) it should be able to handle that as long as the OS and HW are efficient.. the new iPad Air took a step backwards to save on weight and thickness... but I think (and others too have expressed) that thin/light is not always the best idea...

it's fine for the people who just play around with it as a toy, but if the PRO is going to be used for real work, they need to forget about saving 1mm at the expense of battery life.

it's very doable with today's technology, it what they need to choose to do.

 

[2457282]

They could also make the new MacBooks screen detachable like a surface (just better). The real challenges will be finding a cross between IOS and OS X, battery life and product name.

Yes! This is what I keep saying in all my posts. At this point the new Macbook looks almost like the I pad I am looking for. The only changes needed are to make the keyboard detachable (making the screen touchable) and to have all the iOS apps run on it.

Taking the ipad and growing it size wise does not make sense unless they add a keyboard and provide for multiple apps to run on the screen at the same time (aka OSX). I had been rooting for this option as that would mean an ARM implementation of OSX (i think Apple has been held back by intel's delays and would like to see Apple move away from them). But I am now thinking that with the Macbook they are closer going the other way (although that keeps intel around).

 

[Will0827]

Off topic, but im sort of looking forward to seeing what shade apple will throw in microsofts way in regards to windows 10 when talking about the next OSX. Sure the idea of one os for all before showing how everything will work wasn't the best, but after saying how things will play out for developers where the code from a functionality stand point is a single code base and the differences for the different devices will require small changes in regards to the UI/UX and how a single app release will work for all different devices and input methods looks very promising. I like what the ipad and tablets stand for and if the ipad pro ran a touch optimized version of OSX i would sell my macbook as soon as i can. The OS or general OS plans seems to be the biggest question in regards to this possible product.

Thinking back to last years WWDC there were a couple of sessions showing just a single app codebase just targeting the different devices on launch i believe. So they have an implementation of a one app idea i think they just have to ease the process of starting with one app and share more of the api's or all the api's between iOS and OSX and use what is needed where it is needed.