Tim Cook: iPad Pro Will Replace Notebooks and Desktops for 'Many, Many People'

[peterdevries]

So I can get an
iPad Pro (128GB) with pencil and keyboard for $1217 (USD)
or All with keyboards and with more storage that is expandable:
MacBook Air $899
MacBook Pro $1099
MacBook $1299
MacBook Pro Retina $1299

Hmmm, something seems wrong with the pricing model...

Still, it will sell and sell. And the reason is because people have different needs and maybe do not see the comparison the way that you do.

They might have the following reasoning behind it: I don't need a fixed keyboard and using my Cintiq on the go is a chore. The iPad Pro with pen suits my mobile needs better than a laptop with all the peripherals needed.

 

[Even Longer]

Constantly bringing up the speakers because that's the only thing going for it. Oh and I guess the Styl- oops, the Pencil.

Indeed: Styloops characterises that it quite precisely.

 

[elmaco]

So no, tablets will always be behind desktops when it comes to raw computing power simply because desktop chips can fit more transistors. The iPad will never catch up.

You don't need the transistors to be in the iPad, they can be available in the cloud. That's the trend, more and more moving over to the cloud.

 

[iBug2]

We bought my mom a macbook 5 years ago, she asked for an iPad mini last year, so we got her one. Now the macbook is pretty much sitting without getting any use. So even an iPad mini was a total replacement for her because what she does is facebook email and browse web. That's it.

 

[Piggie]

but its literally running an OS that was initinally invisioned for a 3.5 device ...

Yes, 100% correct.
And even worse than that... We have a user interface on a brand new 12" screen device, that was designed just for a 3.5" screen to be easy to use with fingers on a tiny screen, and they have just magnified this up from 3.5" to 12" without any changes.
It's criminal.

If you has asked Apple way way back then, about their user interface for their, then new 3.5" iPhone and talked to them in public about magnifying this up to 12" they would of said that would be stupid.
but that's what they have done.

 

[fox evo]

I have a feeling they know where they going with this product, but of course there not going to introduce everything in the first generation. Is like the new macbook.

 

[laudern]

So I'm assuming apple will never bother with any type of blood glucose monitoring thanks to the fda process. Great.......

 

[roadbloc]

Many many people maybe. But not me.

 

[peterdevries]

So I'm assuming apple will never bother with any type of blood glucose monitoring thanks to the fda process. Great.......

That doesn't have anything to do with the FDA process. Regulatory approval of blood glucose monitoring devices takes 6 months on average, which is within the yearly update cycle of many of Apple's products. There most likely are other reasons behind this. Most importantly that none of the new glucose monitoring methods that do not use lances and strip are anywhere near the accuracy or reliability.

 

[MH01]

Really, you need a desktop to "code" a web page!!!! What? Come on, you can "code" most things (and I'm being very loose here in calling any of this coding), with a text terminal running 20 years old hardware. Even more old school dev can be done straight on a server somewhere (could be half way around the world...), where you're Ipad is merely a remote.

I'd gather most people who think they need a desktop, merely are USED to their desktop. So, it's more changing tools that's the bother/inertia and not the inadequacy of the Ipad per say.

Yes, there are some tasks were a Ipad just doesn't work, but they are fewer than most think.

Clearly you are not developer, or have ever developed in a structured environment . What nonsense!

 

[skaertus]

The fact that the CEO of a tech company that sells computers does not seem to care about computers, don't think they are really necessary and is encouraging consumers to buy something else instead is worrying. Why would I think of buying another Mac when Tim Cook himself does not think it is relevant anymore?

 

[Calle68]

The approach by microsoft with Surface Book is far better in looking at (or even creating) people needs.
One example: when you want to become productive, an USB (whatever) port is essential! I'm a musician, and it is unbelievable the absence of a port to which I can connect a USB keyboard. No Tim, you are not right.

 

[6836838]

The Surface could do that. But not this big iPad.

 

[Gudi]

The fact that the CEO of a tech company that sells computers does not seem to care about computers, don't think they are really necessary and is encouraging consumers to buy something else instead is worrying.

If you don't know iPads are computers, you shouldn't buy a Mac anyway.

 

[peterdevries]

The approach by microsoft with Surface Book is far better in looking at (or even creating) people needs.
One example: when you want to become productive, an USB (whatever) port is essential! I'm a musician, and it is unbelievable the absence of a port to which I can connect a USB keyboard. No Tim, you are not right.

Aren't there any bluetooth keyboards? edit: just looked, there are.

In addition: I use my iPad for productivity: emails, office presentations, excel and word. I mail my files and do not need a USB port.

When will people learn that their use case is not all of other people's use case? What works for you does not have to for me and vice versa.

 

[maflynn]

The SP3 has for the most part, but I cannot see the iPad Pro doing that. Lack of a desktop OS, desktop Apps, price are just a number of limiting factors. I think it will be popular but I don't see it being crazy popular. (I have been wrong before)

 

[zhenya]

Yes, 100% correct.
And even worse than that... We have a user interface on a brand new 12" screen device, that was designed just for a 3.5" screen to be easy to use with fingers on a tiny screen, and they have just magnified this up from 3.5" to 12" without any changes.
It's criminal.

If you has asked Apple way way back then, about their user interface for their, then new 3.5" iPhone and talked to them in public about magnifying this up to 12" they would of said that would be stupid.
but that's what they have done.

The interface was first intended for an iPad-like device, but Apple decided to focus on getting the iPhone out first. I'd say the interface is exactly as they intended. http://www.imore.com/history-ipad-2010

 

[itguy06]

You don't need the transistors to be in the iPad, they can be available in the cloud. That's the trend, more and more moving over to the cloud.

And around and around we go. From centralized computers to decentralized computers back to centralized computers.

 

[rctlr]

The iPad has got a lot of people using technology - most certainly the under 10's and the over 60's, it's an interface to the www and services there of.
The iPad pro, I feel is just a larger one of those. Granted some people will find ways of using it that cannot really be done on the Standard Sized iPad, but I do not think it will replace the secretaries computer at her desk, making appointments in outlook for the boss, the blogger, the troll, and definitely not the developer.
I use a Macbook Air, and productivity is 65% in terminal, 20% in IRC and the rest in email/web. I know there are a few apps which can give me that capability on my iPad, and at a pinch I can use it in emergencies, but the screen would have to split 4 times for an iPad Pro to be anywhere near productive for me for regular use.

 

[tigres]

Not being part of the many many does not surprise me anymore with Apple. Still loving on my MBA for 100% personal & business use daily (VMware anyone?), I cannot see a day that it can be replaced by an iOS device. A surface perhaps can do it however...but it's that old "ugh, windows full time" that turns me off.

As of late, I have skipped the Watch, iPad's, and 6s. My 2013 MBA cannot be replaced by anything similar in the current pipe that is worth spending the $ on.

My last purchase was a 15" maxed out MBP for my son @College who was need of replacing a 13" old MBP that was not cutting it for his coursework. As I think back, I used to frequent large purchases w/apple; but not any longer.

 

[mr.bee]

hmm, people here shoot this concept down without thinking this through:
an average consumer:
* web, video, music, mail, pictures, netflix....
* bank, finance...
* basic word/pages document
* basic sheets (if needed)

These are the computing needs of my mother, an average consumer, and will be easily handled by the iPad pro. So in this perspective Tim Cook is absolutely right, and the iPad pro will suit for many many customers.

Where does it get difficult:
* process flows in iOS are a pain "it's a copy/paste instead of transformational"
* niche software

Where do things get ridiculous on this forum:
* I need to have the same filesystem I looked at since 25 years ago!
There's nothing wrong with the way IOS handles documents, the phobia people have that they HAVE to see their little filelist is indeed old-fashioned. What Adobe is doing with their cloud solutions is actually almost exactly the same then what IOS is doing. I'm not saying that IOS handles files perfectly for the moment, there's indeed a lot of room for improvement, but it's not a deal breaker and in the end might be a good/better alternative.

 

[Keirasplace]

It's amazing that 5 years after the first iPad was introduced people keep asking this. The explanation is very simple:

Most private people only use their laptop for email, internet and Facebook. And most business people use only Office in addition. All of these are available on tablets, hence the continuing transition of many people from notebooks to tablets. With the continuing release of ever more powerful apps on tablet platforms this is likely to continue.

Was that so hard to come up with yourself?

Also, going to a subscription model, which many former big desktop app makers are doing, plays in FAVOR of the tablet. The buying a big app, for the big machine, is coming to an end.

Bizarely, splitting functionality in many pieces instead of a monolitic MS paradigm of the big software, is basically the Unix philosophy. It simplifies design and makes software more robust and less bloated. It also allows a piecemeal constant upgrade of the various parts (part of the whole agile engineering thing).

 

[Lennholm]

"PCs are going to be like trucks. They are still going to be around. However, only one out of x people will need them."
- Steve Jobs

For a lot of people, this idea that only some people need a full fledged laptop or desktop computer is already a reality. Us techie people don't see it though, because we love our computers. We're the truck drivers.

Really? I don't think I know a single person below the age of 70 who doesn't own some kind of PC (and the others don't own any smart devices either) and most of the people I know are non-techies. People still always get a PC first, then they get their smart phone, then they might also get a tablet but it's mostly the gadget freaks that takes it that far.

 

[mattopotamus]

Many many people? I guess that's less than a handful in my perspective. The thing isn't much more useful than a 300$ iPad Mini and it can cost as much as a MacBook, I guess there are only a few artists that can take advantage of the Stylus game for real

I am glad this was the first comment. It is such a niche product and for "many many" people it is nothing more than a giant iPad at double the cost.

 

[mattopotamus]

This is true.

I have a wide network of people across all ages and professions, and it's quite surprising how many people tell me that they barely touch their computer because the iPad does everything they need.

If I didn't need a computer for work, I could easily use just a tablet in my personal life. That is the problem though....so many of us need a PC/mac for work b.c of things like office or proprietary software.