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

[xraydoc]

My iPad Air 2 (and the iPad Air before that) have already pretty much replaced my laptop.

Nearly everything I needed to do from my laptop I can do from my iPad. Edit and project PowerPoint and Keynote files, type most documents, manage calendar and email, do minor photo editing (cropping diagrams, tweak contrast/brightness/saturation, etc.), read, download and mark up PDFs, light spreadsheet work...

All can be done on my iPad. And all of this is what earns me most of my income.

My laptop is a 2011 MacBook Air 11" with a battery that lasts about 3 hrs as long as the screen isn't too bright. And I've not yet needed to replace it. I go weeks without touching it.

I have two desktops, one at home and one at the office, for the heavy lifting - a 2013 iMac and a new Mac mini.

I'd say my usage is 80% iPad, 19% desktop and 1% laptop.

Please tell me exactly how can i upload my resume to employer's website from iCloud? Apparently, you cannot.

Second, please tell me how to access stuffs on iCloud drive when I am offline? Becuase not everybody going to buy LET version of iPad.

Good points, however... while iOS's Safari should be upgraded to do it (Apple, are you listening?), there are 3rd party browsers that will allow you to upload documents. I keep one on my iPad just for situations like this (iCab is what I use).

Second, there are several file management apps (GoodReader, Documents) to store documents locally for when you don't have wifi or LTE access.

 

[dimensional]

If Apple is going to make me choose between iOS and Windows I will choose Windows.

If I have to choose between OS X and Windows I will choose OS X.

 

[Precision Gem]

My iPad Air replaced my Mac Book. I actually gave my Mac book away. With the iPad Pro & keyboard, this to me, will become a great tool when I travel and need to type more than a few words. Typing on the screen of the iPad has always been slow, this will be a nice upgrade.

What Tim Cook said is true, the device for "many" not all, will be a PC replacement. "Many" people I know have already replaced their PC with just their smart phones. Not everyone writes code. Most people who use a computer really use very little horse power, and are for the most part doing email and web browsing. As far as processor speed, for most a Pentium 1 would be fine.

 

[Codeseven]

The main difference between Surface and iPad Pro:
Surface: a desktop OS put on tablet with keyboard with mostly desktop apps.
iPad Pro: a touch-based OS put on tablet with keyboard with arguably MORE touch-based applications.

Right now, because of depth of Windows apps and OS X apps, iPad Pro may have less capacity than those notebooks.
However, in the long run, given the speed of evolution of Apple's A CPUs, iOS (annual), etc iPad will exceed capacity of Surface or Macbooks and it seems that A9X is a hell of CPU. So, skate where the puck WILL be be, not where it has been. Split screen addresses multitasking, new keyboard input system addresses precise input and so does the new pencil. Its gonna be quite a formidable tool, very FUTURE oriented.

Totally agree.

I wonder if what this device appears to be now, it's uses, capabilities and intent, will be vastly different from what it will become in the near future. Apples bold statement suggesting an iOS device can replace a PC is a hint at what direction it is going and what has probably been brewing behind closed doors for quit some time now. All of the iPP's blatantly obvious to us 'Pro' shortcomings could be understood and put into perspective if we knew what they have known and planned for long ago. This first itineration is just a hint at what's to come. If they showed us the iPad Pro's roadmap of what's already planned for it's future it might be quit the eye opener.

Ok, I just pulled all of that out of my arse But, hey, what if there's some truth in all that?

 

[dk001]

Rhonindk, why do you say Airdrop no? Actually it should be faster (wifi ac mimo) than cable (usb2) on the latest devices.
Btw: imovie supports 4k on the iPad pro, Air 2 (wasn't supported originally, but imovie was updated recently with Air 2 4k support) and iPhone 6s

We (work) tried doing a 4k video recently - started with a 2 minute then split to 2 1 minute - for editing and display for an upcoming conference. Use a work 6S+ (not mine) and tried to AD it to an iMac our Sales group has. Would not work. It would connect but failed to transfer. Had an IBM support guy (does our iOS support) try to help .... no luck. Apple tech support was unable to help remotely and indicated 4k / AirDrop failures was a documented issue. Support recommended cabling it in - we did. The video was not the best - looked choppy. Finally went with a DSLR for our shot and dumped that to the iMac. Came out great. ( I was an observer in this - it was my process improvement that was being shot).

Good to know on iMovie for the iPad. Thx

 

[H2SO4]

How so? It uses the file system that everyone including you keeps on whining about.

But I left out the simplest option: it gets synced automatically between the photos apps on your devices.

Surely you can stink this up also. So just go ahead and tell us how ridiculous and unprofessional this all is.

You are joking right?
Let me stink up part of what you’ve said - It uses the file system that everyone including you keeps on whining about. - That’s the ALWAYS there filesystem that you don’t need an internet connection for. See a problem here do you?

If Apple is going to make me choose between iOS and Windows I will choose Windows.

If I have to choose between OS X and Windows I will choose OS X.

You’re not quite limited in the same way with a Mac as you can run both Windows and OSX side by side if you want to but I am with you on the rest.

 

[nt5672]

Go to any college or coffee shop, everyone has a MacBook not an iPad

But everything they are doing in college or the coffee shop is doable on the iPad pro. You don't need a MacBook to tweet and post to Facebook.

 

[JD10]

iPad Pro replace a Mac, really?

What version of the JDK runs on iPad Pro?
What version of R and R-Studio run on the iPad Pro?
How many TB of storage in the iPad Pro?
What version of Eclipse runs on the iPad Pro?
What versions of Virtual Box run on the iPad Pro?
What version of Maven runs on iPad Pro?
(etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, ...)

While I like the iPad Pro and may eventually buy one, I don't think it is ever going to replace my Mac Pro (late 2013). And I'm not going to willingly give up the Mac Pro because I never ever want to go back to Windows!

 

[wigby]

Sorry but no one in this forum seems to be looking at the big picture and stats that Cook sees. We all know that about 90% of Mac/PC users use their computers only for email and browsing. Some of those people occasionally need to read an SD card or move a file from one device to another that is not as easy to do in iOS as it is in a PC. He's looking at the big picture here so stop getting hung up on the fact that it's called the iPad Pro. It's probably not for you but you also probably represent a very small minority of users.

 

[nt5672]

If Apple is going to make me choose between iOS and Windows I will choose Windows.

If I have to choose between OS X and Windows I will choose OS X.

This is the future.

 

[usarioclave]

The benefit of the Surface it it runs Windows. The problem with Surface is it runs Windows.

Putting Windows in a different form factor isn't going to mitigate all the issues associated with Windows the platform. By moving to iOS your attack surface area gets very, very small relative to Windows. The downside is that it makes a compromise of the management system much more of a disaster.

 

[nebo1ss]

But everything they are doing in college or the coffee shop is doable on the iPad pro. You don't need a MacBook to tweet and post to Facebook.

You need to convince them of this. Because he is right. I spend a lot of time in Coffee shops and never see an IPAD mostly MacBooks which far outnumber any other brand.

 

[Dmunjal]

My iPad Air replaced my Mac Book. I actually gave my Mac book away. With the iPad Pro & keyboard, this to me, will become a great tool when I travel and need to type more than a few words. Typing on the screen of the iPad has always been slow, this will be a nice upgrade.

What Tim Cook said is true, the device for "many" not all, will be a PC replacement. "Many" people I know have already replaced their PC with just their smart phones. Not everyone writes code. Most people who use a computer really use very little horse power, and are for the most part doing email and web browsing. As far as processor speed, for most a Pentium 1 would be fine.

I agree with you. You're the type of user that will buy an iPad Pro. But you're already an iPad user and will likely just be an upgrade. So, Apple prevented you from looking at the SP4. But did they convert a Windows laptop user? No.

The IPP is a defensive product, not a game changer.

 

[dk001]

In the end it comes to one simple fact: iPad's are in a market decline of 20%+.
How on earth is the iPad Pro going to reverse that trend?
Answer: It's not.

 

[xraydoc]

Jeez guys. He said for many people an iPad Pro can replace a laptop. He didn't say for everyone. He didn't say for computer scientists or hard core programmers. He didn't say for people editing 3 hours of 4K video. He didn't say for people running three virtual machines at the same time. He said for "many people."

Go in to a library or a coffee shop or kitchens in peoples homes and see how many of those could be replaced with an iPad or iPad Pro. I bet you many can.

I don't think anyone at Apple is under any delusions that an iPad Pro will be a suitable replacement for people coding in PERL, Java or whatever the current language du jour is.

It's like you all think Tim Cook is speaking solely to you.

And just because the name of the device is "iPad Pro" doesn't imply that all computer professionals should run right out and buy one. A "pro" can do other things besides run compliers and Photoshop.

 

[avanpelt]

Tim and Eddy must be smoking the same stuff. Do they really think all people do with their desktops and notebooks is consume? Eddy admits to primarily using the iPad Pro for consumption and he is blown away by the stereo speakers. That's cute. I, for one, don't get paid to consume -- I get paid to create. And there's not an iOS app that would allow me to do my job (3D medical modeling). My MacBook Pro isn't going anywhere.

 

[Aluminum213]

But everything they are doing in college or the coffee shop is doable on the iPad pro. You don't need a MacBook to tweet and post to Facebook.

Please tell me how it's easier to have a Word document, safari and maybe one of two other programs running simultaneously and constantly switching back and forth between them.... on iPad then on OS X?

I have an iPad and I do use it, but when it comes to any type multitasking it's not convenient to use

 

[davidwes]

Can it run Xcode or other IDEs? No. Can it run any of the full desktop Adobe Suite? No. Can it run the full MS Office Suite? No.

Can it replace notebooks for "many, many people"? No.

Seriously, how many people do you know run any of those things (other then maybe MS Office - which is now on iOS)

 

[QCassidy352]

I personally know teachers, sales professionals, company directors, one lawyer and several medical professionals who use Tablets in their work, all day long....they don't really need file systems beyond something like Dropbox or iCloud Drive, and they definitely don't need a mouse, and they don't develop programs

To each their own, but as a lawyer, I can tell you that I find the concept of using an iPad only for legal work to be absurd. I absolutely need a file system, absolutely need dual monitors, and need an optical drive, just to start. Word on iPad is absolutely painful compared to on PC or Mac if you're trying to do something remotely complicated like a brief. And don't even get me started on all of the proprietary legal software that doesn't run on OS X, let alone iOS.

This idea that only "creative professionals" or app designers need a full OS is nonsense. A lot of us do.

 

[goobot]

And yet the original iPad replaced the desktop for many, many people...I know many people that have done this. Are the programmers? No. Gamers? Engineers or architects or pro photogs, etc? No. But this needs are specific and require specific power and software specs. But don't fool yourself by these examples...
Have some perspective, everyone's computer does not need to meet YOUR needs. For the vast majority and iPad would be more than enough for day to day operations.

I haven't met a person yet in real life that has an iPad as their main computer. So no, not many many.

 

[xraydoc]

Tim and Eddy must be smoking the same stuff. Do they really think all people do with their desktops and notebooks is consume? Eddy admits to primarily using the iPad Pro for consumption and he is blown away by the stereo speakers. That's cute. I, for one, don't get paid to consume -- I get paid to create. And there's not an iOS app that would allow me to do my job (3D medical modeling). My MacBook Pro isn't going anywhere.

Then, big surprise, the iPad Pro is not for you.

I do plenty of 3D medical imaging myself (cardiothoracic radiologist; use mostly TeraRecon and Siemens, plus Osirix on my Mac). But I'm under no delusion that an iPad Pro is going to do this for me. But it sure as heck will replace a laptop for most Word, Keynote, PowerPoint, email and web access I need to do. That stuff is what I do on the go, plus meeting notes & sketches with the Apple Pencil... I don't need my TR Intuition workstation in an iPad portable format. Guess they made the iPad Pro for me, not you.

 

[MrCrowbar]

You need to convince them of this. Because he is right. I spend a lot of time in Coffee shops and never see an IPAD mostly MacBooks which far outnumber any other brand.

Makes sense. Using an iPad in a starbucks is awkward as you gotta prop it up and move your arm a lot. With a laptop, you can keep one hand on the beverage and another one leisurely resting on the trackpad. You also only mess up the trackpad (easy to clean) with your buttery fingers, not the display.

 

[xraydoc]

To each their own, but as a lawyer, I can tell you that I find the concept of using an iPad only for legal work to be absurd. I absolutely need a file system, absolutely need dual monitors, and need an optical drive, just to start. Word on iPad is absolutely painful compared to on PC or Mac if you're trying to do something remotely complicated like a brief. And don't even get me started on all of the proprietary legal software that doesn't run on OS X, let alone iOS.

This idea that only "creative professionals" or app designers need a full OS is nonsense. A lot of us do.

So you don't ever use a laptop then, since you need dual monitors and an optical bay, right?
Or could you do a big percentage of your work on something light and thin, then do the rest when you get back to your desk?

If so, an iPad Pro may be useful. If not, then don't buy one. But there's no need to get angry at Tim Cook and Company for making one. How dare they.

 

[driftless]

No it won't.
Via iCloud won't work - tried it - file too big. Airdrop? No. Not sure if iMovie supports a true 4k format. I know it is supposed on the Mac but not the iPad.
For me to get it off my 6S+ I had to go the USB cable route. Nothing else worked.

I added, from an SD card, 24GB of video to Photos on my iPad without a problem, it went to iCloud when I was on WiFi. The new iOS iMovie is supposed to support 4K, I use FCPX and haven't tried iMovie. You may want to check to see if you have the latest version of iMovie.

 

[xraydoc]

Makes sense. Using an iPad in a starbucks is awkward as you gotta prop it up and move your arm a lot. With a laptop, you can keep one hand on the beverage and another one leisurely resting on the trackpad. You also only mess up the trackpad (easy to clean) with your buttery fingers, not the display.

Really? This is the argument for laptop vs. iPad? Or are you being facetious?