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joeblow7777

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Sep 7, 2010
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Or at least, the iPad as we know it.

Okay, that was a click bait title, but bear with me. The fact that new 10.5" iPad Pro replaces the 9.7" model, as well as the upcoming iPad exclusive enhancements to iOS, has got me thinking of something. Apple really wants the iPad to replace your laptop. You're thinking, "no kidding! What else is new?" but the thing is, they're not really even giving us much of a choice anymore. If we look at the iPad line-up, on the one side we have these two larger than ever, high priced "Pro" models. On the other side, we have the 2017 iPad built in the chassis of the original iPad Air from 2013, and the Mini 4 which is almost 2 years.

One side is getting all the love from Apple, and the other side harkens back to a time when the iPad was specifically designed to fill its own niche between a laptop and a smartphone, not replace either. It seems that Apple is moving the iPad away from its roots, and I always thought that would be a good thing, but now I'm wondering if it really is.

I like that my iPad is my pick-up-and-go device for web surfing, YouTube, Facebook, checking my email, and other simple tasks. It can do these things quicker and easier than my laptop, but also better than my pocket-sized phone. But as iPads (and accessories) become almost as big as ultraportable laptops, not to mention as expensive, I'm starting to wonder if that happy middle ground isn't being lost. Ironically, several years ago when the iPad first debuted, I said that I saw no point in buying a tablet if it couldn't replace my laptop. Now I'm starting to wonder if we're losing some of the advantages of the tablet form factor in order to make it more laptop like in function. I realize now that if I really wanted a tablet that would replace my laptop, I would have bought a Surface Pro by now. So now where do we turn for a tablet that is just a great tablet?

Just food for thought.
 
Still the iPad. Why would it not be a great tablet? It didn't lose functionality, it was only added. You can easily ignore the new features if you want to. It's still a better tablet than it is a laptop, even though it's become a much greater laptop with the update. If you're looking for a cheaper iPad without extra features, go for the cheaper one.
 
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Still the iPad. Why would it not be a great tablet? It didn't lose functionality, it was only added. You can easily ignore the new features if you want to. It's still a better tablet than it is a laptop, even though it's become a much greater laptop with the update. If you're looking for a cheaper iPad without extra features, go for the cheaper one.

But what it's losing is the form factor, and the sub-laptop price. I'll have to see how much bigger the 10.5" Pro is than the traditional 9.7", but I feel like the latest iPads aren't the same, have on your nightstand and comfortably pick up and web surf while lying on your back, devices. That's where my tablet beats my laptop and my phone.
 
Or at least, the iPad as we know it.

Okay, that was a click bait title, but bear with me. The fact that new 10.5" iPad Pro replaces the 9.7" model, as well as the upcoming iPad exclusive enhancements to iOS, has got me thinking of something. Apple really wants the iPad to replace your laptop. You're thinking, "no kidding! What else is new?" but the thing is, they're not really even giving us much of a choice anymore. If we look at the iPad line-up, on the one side we have these two larger than ever, high priced "Pro" models. On the other side, we have the 2017 iPad built in the chassis of the original iPad Air from 2013, and the Mini 4 which is almost 2 years.

One side is getting all the love from Apple, and the other side harkens back to a time when the iPad was specifically designed to fill its own niche between a laptop and a smartphone, not replace either. It seems that Apple is moving the iPad away from its roots, and I always thought that would be a good thing, but now I'm wondering if it really is.

I like that my iPad is my pick-up-and-go device for web surfing, YouTube, Facebook, checking my email, and other simple tasks. It can do these things quicker and easier than my laptop, but also better than my pocket-sized phone. But as iPads (and accessories) become almost as big as ultraportable laptops, not to mention as expensive, I'm starting to wonder if that happy middle ground isn't being lost. Ironically, several years ago when the iPad first debuted, I said that I saw no point in buying a tablet if it couldn't replace my laptop. Now I'm starting to wonder if we're losing some of the advantages of the tablet form factor in order to make it more laptop like in function. I realize now that if I really wanted a tablet that would replace my laptop, I would have bought a Surface Pro by now. So now where do we turn for a tablet that is just a great tablet?

Just food for thought.

you make some good points and reason i picked up the 2017 Ipad. I knew the newer models would be pros, for what i use the ipad for its tough to jusify a grand, but easier under $500
 
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you make some good points and reason i picked up the 2017 Ipad. I knew the newer models would be pros, for what i use the ipad for its tough to jusify a grand, but easier under $500

Exactly, but based on the current trend, is it possible that in the future there will be no non-pro options for those of us who just want a simple and affordable tablet? Or that those options will become even more of an afterthought?
 
But what it's losing is the form factor, and the sub-laptop price. I'll have to see how much bigger the 10.5" Pro is than the traditional 9.7", but I feel like the latest iPads aren't the same, have on your nightstand and comfortably pick up and web surf while lying on your back, devices. That's where my tablet beats my laptop and my phone.

I don't understand how it'd be losing the form factor or why you couldn't just pick it up off your nightstand and browse as well. The dimensions are:
  • 2016: 9.45 x 6.67 x 0.24 in
  • 2017: 9.8 x 6.8 x 0.24 in
It still only weighs 1lb. The price has increased, but again, there's the $329 option.
 
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That's exactly why I prefer the mini form factor, it's a great in between device. I have no interest in using my tablet as a laptop, nor do I want to spend long amounts of time on my phone. It does seem like Apple abandoning the mini and making the 9.7 bigger even slightly is heading towards tablets as computers only and de-emphasizing their position between phones and computers.

But then again this was a pro-only update. Maybe the non-pro line can continue to fill this gap. I'd love to see a 9.7 inch screen in an 8 inch form factor. No reason the bezels can't get smaller on tablets aimed for consumption.
 
I don't understand how it'd be losing the form factor or why you couldn't just pick it up off your nightstand and browse as well. The dimensions are:
  • 2016: 9.45 x 6.67 x 0.24 in
  • 2017: 9.8 x 6.8 x 0.24 in
It still only weighs 1lb. The price has increased, but again, there's the $329 option.

You're right... for now, at least. But I'm thinking of the trend of larger, increasingly expensive iPads. One could argue that the more they become like laptops the less they are like tablets, which has been a common complaint of critics of the Surface.
 
Or at least, the iPad as we know it.

Okay, that was a click bait title, but bear with me. The fact that new 10.5" iPad Pro replaces the 9.7" model, as well as the upcoming iPad exclusive enhancements to iOS, has got me thinking of something. Apple really wants the iPad to replace your laptop. You're thinking, "no kidding! What else is new?" but the thing is, they're not really even giving us much of a choice anymore. If we look at the iPad line-up, on the one side we have these two larger than ever, high priced "Pro" models. On the other side, we have the 2017 iPad built in the chassis of the original iPad Air from 2013, and the Mini 4 which is almost 2 years.

One side is getting all the love from Apple, and the other side harkens back to a time when the iPad was specifically designed to fill its own niche between a laptop and a smartphone, not replace either. It seems that Apple is moving the iPad away from its roots, and I always thought that would be a good thing, but now I'm wondering if it really is.

I like that my iPad is my pick-up-and-go device for web surfing, YouTube, Facebook, checking my email, and other simple tasks. It can do these things quicker and easier than my laptop, but also better than my pocket-sized phone. But as iPads (and accessories) become almost as big as ultraportable laptops, not to mention as expensive, I'm starting to wonder if that happy middle ground isn't being lost. Ironically, several years ago when the iPad first debuted, I said that I saw no point in buying a tablet if it couldn't replace my laptop. Now I'm starting to wonder if we're losing some of the advantages of the tablet form factor in order to make it more laptop like in function. I realize now that if I really wanted a tablet that would replace my laptop, I would have bought a Surface Pro by now. So now where do we turn for a tablet that is just a great tablet?

Just food for thought.

I agree, Apple is Really Creating a Distinctions between classes as in society Pro and Non Pro devices

Just last Year, people were enraged because the new iPad Pro 9.7" cost $599 for 32GB while their iPad Air 2 cost $499 but with 16GB but they don't look at all the massive features the iPad Pro Delivered back then.

Now today's 10.5" iPad Pro costs just $50 More than with A Better Display, iOS 11 makes it like a MacBook Pro Touch Bar, New Apple Pencil features and speed. And 64GB of storage.

I am so Glad I invested in a 9.7" Pro last year. And look forward to the 2018 10.7" OLED iPad Pro
 
That's exactly why I prefer the mini form factor, it's a great in between device. I have no interest in using my tablet as a laptop, nor do I want to spend long amounts of time on my phone. It does seem like Apple abandoning the mini and making the 9.7 bigger even slightly is heading towards tablets as computers only and de-emphasizing their position between phones and computers.

But then again this was a pro-only update. Maybe the non-pro line can continue to fill this gap. I'd love to see a 9.7 inch screen in an 8 inch form factor. No reason the bezels can't get smaller on tablets aimed for consumption.

I agree with everything you've just said. I still have some hope that there will be a new Mini or bezelless 9.7" model in the future.
 
Roots? Did you ever own the original iPad? It was a monster. The fact that they are marketing a "pro" model should imply that there is, at least for now, a non pro model. If you want basic, what does it matter if the non-pro's tech is a bit dated by the current pro's standards? Pick what works for you.
 
Didn't Apple just release a refreshed 9.7" iPad at a great price?

I guess you are saying that the "newest and best" iPad will always now be an iPad pro - you can't get the "newest and best" without spending a bunch of money. But that shouldn't matter, just buy what you want.
 
You're right... for now, at least. But I'm thinking of the trend of larger, increasingly expensive iPads. One could argue that the more they become like laptops the less they are like tablets, which has been a common complaint of critics of the Surface.

I don't think that complaint will happen for the iPad unless iPad gets macOS without any optimization for touch, which won't happen. Apple's finally been able to find a nice balance between a laptop and tablet with this update imo. It gave the iPad a lot of the functionality of a laptop, but still in a tablet-based OS.
 
Now I'm starting to wonder if we're losing some of the advantages of the tablet form factor in order to make it more laptop like in function.

What are your examples of this? I don't see how giving people the option to do more laptop-like functions is the same thing as missing out on the advantages of a tablet. If you don't like the new file app, drag-and-drop or the Smart Keyboard cover don't use them. Your iPad will still do all of things that it did before these things were offered. Meanwhile, increasing functionality means that the iPad appeals to a broader range of users.
 
I agree with everything you've just said. I still have some hope that there will be a new Mini or bezelless 9.7" model in the future.

I noticed that every year Apple tends to rotate its focus amongst products. Right now I see the 2017 iPad as a stopgap measure (hence no fancy keynote for it).

At some point Apple could potentially rotate back to a "consumer-level" iPad and enhance it. Personally I can see the value of a thinner, lighter but less feature-filled iPad (no keyboard / pencil / etc.) - similar to the niche that the 12" MacBook fills. Hopefully the same will apply to the iPad Mini.

Frankly I think this is a good thing for Apple. Instead of trying to update everything at once, they're taking the time to really update their products properly. True, it means longer cycles, but the consumer gets more meaningful updates. A win, I think.

However, I'd really like Apple to drop the price of the iPad mini 4 by another $100....
 
I like the dichotomy they have set up. There is the iPad for people who want to replace their laptop and the iPad for people who just want a media consumption device, and the price gap between those two is massive. Should be pretty easy for a buyer to figure out into which bucket they fall.
 
Didn't Apple just release a refreshed 9.7" iPad at a great price?

I guess you are saying that the "newest and best" iPad will always now be an iPad pro - you can't get the "newest and best" without spending a bunch of money. But that shouldn't matter, just buy what you want.

They did indeed recently release a new 9.7" model, and the only advantage it offers over the nearly 3 year old model it replaced (the Air 2) is a faster, but still nearly 2 year old, processor, while at the same time being thicker, heavier, and actually downgrading the display. That's part of my point. Is this the treatment that non-pro iPads get now?

What are your examples of this? I don't see how giving people the option to do more laptop-like functions is the same thing as missing out on the advantages of a tablet. If you don't like the new file app, drag-and-drop or the Smart Keyboard cover don't use them. Your iPad will still do all of things that it did before these things were offered. Meanwhile, increasing functionality means that the iPad appeals to a broader range of users.

I've tried to explain that my issues are with how the hardware is changing. There's now no such thing as a "premium" iPad that is less than 10". I feel that this is telling of Apple's intent to focus on laptop functionality over tablet functionality in the future.

m8 just buy the older iPads that have less features. problem solved.

I guess part of what I'm saying is that there doesn't seem to be a middle ground. It's Pro, budget, or a Mini that hasn't been updated in almost 2 years.
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Actually, you are a dupe.

The Pro 9.7 will be the shortest lived iPad of them all. Poor battery life to boot.

I'm not sure how that comment contributes anything besides trying to make someone feel bad about their purchase. How long lived the Pro 9.7 is is a matter of how long it receives support and runs smoothly, not how long it was the newest model.
 
How long lived the Pro 9.7 is is a matter of how long it receives support and runs smoothly, not how long it was the newest model.
Agreed. I upgraded to the 9.7 Pro 256GB because I was just a wee bit short of wanting to tear my hair out whenever I used my iPad Air 16GB (slow, storage always full).

Regardless of the release of a new and improved 10.5 model now, ~15 months later, getting the 9.7 Pro when I did has saved me a lot of frustration. Amortizing the cost during that time frame, it's ~$70/mo or ~$2.33/day. With how much I use it, it's been well worth it even if I stop using it today. Goodness knows I've spent more than that on a 1-2 week vacation.

Honestly, I wish I had upgraded to the Air 2 128GB back when it was first released. Would've saved me a great deal of grief from October 2014 to March 2016.
 
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