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

[canesalato]

For me it will replace my old MacBookPro, but as a power user I have a MacPro at home. Sadly I have to wait some weeks because of an unexpected car repair last week 8(

I'm sorry to hear...
well, the wait makes things better usually. =)

Having read the CEO's comments about PCs, what are Apple's future computer customers going to think about their commitment to the types of computers they want to buy with all the latest technologies and features? Tim Cook has essentially said that Apple is no longer interested in producing 'insanely great' computers. They don't believe in the product category because they can't make them for $100-$200, sell them for $400-$800 and crank out 10s of millions of them a quarter like they do with the iGizmos.

Tim Cook cares about 1 thing: money.
He is obviously trying to drive costumers toward the tablet, because it has better margins. But if people want to keep buying Macs, they will. And the Mac market will still be important. And he will believe in the Mac. Because he believes in what brings money.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

Can't even put the icons close together, Notebook replacement my ass.

 

[Dranix]

Yeah, at least I will know if a protective glass on the screen works fine with the Pencil

 

[driftless]

I'm curious how Apple plans to address the text selection issue iPads have.

What, exactly, do you mean by that? Is your comment app specific or is it a general iOS comment?

 

[canesalato]

What, exactly, do you mean by that? Is your comment app specific or is it a general iOS comment?

I believe he meant iOS in general.

 

[Digital Skunk]

I know I'm SOOPER late to the game but I'd like to take one more shot at beating that dead horse.

HELL NO TIM.

I do believe that the iOS ecosystem is stable and robust enough to replace some folks day to day laptop or desktop use but many many people still need that good ole file system and full blown applications as well as USB ports, and so many other things that the iPad still can't do as easily as a standard run of the mill desktop.

For personal use, sure. But then those people are really just looking to do what they already do with a smartphone but on a bigger screen.

 

[maxsix]

There will be a huge audience where it being 12.9" will be the special thing about it. Average people might not care about specs, might not care about the pencil, but say the screen is bigger and better than ever before and you'll get sales. Apple has that kind of reputation with normal people.

IF... and it's a big if, Apple was selling iPads at a very brisk record setting pace, I would agree with you.

I work in a huge international large scale engineering firm with locations around the globe, a company with lots of Apple enthusiasts. There was, and is, hardly any buzz about the Apple Watch, very few have bought and kept them. I bought one and returned it as did many of my counterparts. That's not being critical of the watch, it is what it is, and not for everyone.

I've only heard two men talk about the giant new iPad, and neither are going to buy one. This example is neither scientific or typical of the hoards of Apple enthusiasts within Apples customer base. I hope I'm wrong for Apple's sake. But my honest opinion on this product is it's of very limited appeal. Time will tell.

 

[AdonisSMU]

I believe he meant iOS in general.

Yes, trying to select text in iOS is a pain.

IF... and it's a big if, Apple was selling iPads at a very brisk record setting pace, I would agree with you.

I work in a huge international large scale engineering firm with locations around the globe, a company with lots of Apple enthusiasts. There was, and is, hardly any buzz about the Apple Watch, very few have bought and kept them. I bought one and returned it as did many of my counterparts. That's not being critical of the watch, it is what it is, and not for everyone.

I've only heard two men talk about the giant new iPad, and neither are going to buy one. This example is neither scientific or typical of the hoards of Apple enthusiasts within Apples customer base. I hope I'm wrong for Apple's sake. But my honest opinion on this product is it's of very limited appeal. Time will tell.

Among the engineering community who doesn't plan to use one you are right. For everyone else though you may be wrong about that. My non-engineering friends feel that's all they need. At least one of my engineering friends uses his Chrome Book almost exclusively for development tasks.

 

[HaroldXC]

iPad needs iTunes to do many things so you need a PC plus one needs a way to connect to lots of storage so the iPad need something like a USB port. Mind you, I love the iPad and will buy the iPad Pro the day it comes out, but replace a PC? Not yet!

 

[Larry-K]

As soon as they make it 4 inches bigger, and add a protective cover and a built in keyboard, I know I'll be buying one.

 

[maxsix]

Among the engineering community who doesn't plan to use one you are right. For everyone else though you may be wrong about that. My non-engineering friends feel that's all they need. At least one of my engineering friends uses his Chrome Book almost exclusively for development tasks.

Make no mistake, I do hope Apple sells plenty of the new model. I own so much Apple gear, computers, phones, pads, accessories, that the more successful Apple is the longer they will be around.

My Chromebook is lots of fun, it's surprising just how useful it is. I bought it just out of curiosity and find that I use it more than I anticipated. Not constantly because I have lots of laptops I rotate through so as not to get bored, but the Chromebook was quite a nice surprise. The laptop form factor is simply ideal for me.

It's the one reason I will not use an iPad for content creation. I've bought ZAGG, and several other keyboards just to see how close I could get to using it as a laptop replacement, but it's not even close for me. My iPad 2 Air is great for video, movies and such but that's it.

 

[trifid]

I see only one place where ipad pro can shine: schools. I wish I had one of these when I was at school, trying to take notes in math, physics, graph theory etc was quite painful on a laptop

 

[Dmunjal]

I see only one place where ipad pro can shine: schools. I wish I had one of these when I was at school, trying to take notes in math, physics, graph theory etc was quite painful on a laptop

Chromebooks are already winning in schools. Half the cost of an iPad. Zero maintenance.

I really love the IPP form factor and the hardware is best in class. But Apple, stop locking down iOS and give it some of the features that OSX already has. Create a separate branch just for IPP if needed.

 

[trifid]

Chromebooks are already winning in schools. Half the cost of an iPad. Zero maintenance.

I really love the IPP form factor and the hardware is best in class. But Apple, stop locking down iOS and give it some of the features that OSX already has. Create a separate branch just for IPP if needed.

I meant a paper-killer device, the ipad pro may be it, because a chromebook/laptop is good for typing on a keyboard, but it doesn't work for every subject. What I'd like to see is a device that replaces paper entirely, where you can do math, physics etc.

 

[Tikatika]

I never intended the Pro to replace my rMBP. But, I was really excited to buy it to replace my 64gb Air 2.

That is until I saw the price for the "low end" 32gb. Not even getting the pencil or keyboard, just getting a case and Apple Care + and paying tax, it would be pushing $1k.

I am all things Apple, but this greedy storage skimping and exorbitant pricing made me really angry. Sale lost.

 

[Shirasaki]

I'm curious how Apple plans to address the text selection issue iPads have.

In next generation, bring 3D Touch and do exactly what we do on iPhone 6s and plus.

Or alternatively, use pencil to draw a circle, and text within that circle will be selected. This is for iPad pro only.

I never intended the Pro to replace my rMBP. But, I was really excited to buy it to replace my 64gb Air 2.

That is until I saw the price for the "low end" 32gb. Not even getting the pencil or keyboard, just getting a case and Apple Care + and paying tax, it would be pushing $1k.

I am all things Apple, but this greedy storage skimping and exorbitant pricing made me really angry. Sale lost.

I will not buy it because of the same reason you have.
Too expensive and pencil is not included. Totally not understandable.

 

[xtshabi]

Clearly based on this thread, it is obvious that Apple needs to upgrade their iOS if they're going to take over the needs of the pro market.
But I'm not sure if that is necessary.
Pro market is a niche market.
Aperture, Mac Pro, etc etc... I think show that Apple is less interested in such niche markets.
I just hope they don't completely stop paying attention to the OS X because I would hate to move to Linux for my intel computing needs.

 

[ke-iron]

I'm not sure why Apple would even try to market the iPad Pro as a notebook and desktop replacement. Granted, an iPad may be enough for "many, many people" and their mobile iOS devices have been outselling Macs for some time, but are they no longer interested in selling notebooks and desktops? Or perhaps more to the point, are they no longer interested in selling you both?! I have always seen Macs and iPads as complementary products, not straight forward alternatives. Also not sure why people in here feel the need to argue which is better. They're both great at doing certain tasks, or being used in certain situations. As much as I love my new Retina MacBook, it's just awkward on the loo!

Pay attention. Apple is not and has never been marketing the iPad pro as a desktop or laptop replacement. Apple is saying that it will become the primary device for a lot of people by replacing their desktop or laptop they have for the things they use it for.

Know the difference in the meaning.

 

[kratos6666]

Small? The painting/drawing market is HUGE.

Still small market compare to overall

 

[Michael Goff]

Clearly based on this thread, it is obvious that Apple needs to upgrade their iOS if they're going to take over the needs of the pro market.
But I'm not sure if that is necessary.
Pro market is a niche market.
Aperture, Mac Pro, etc etc... I think show that Apple is less interested in such niche markets.
I just hope they don't completely stop paying attention to the OS X because I would hate to move to Linux for my intel computing needs.

If Apple is smart, they won't make any changes based on what the people in this thread say.

 

[xtshabi]

If Apple is smart, they won't make any changes based on what the people in this thread say.

Yeah. I hope they continue improving some of these niche (pro) products though.

 

[macfacts]

...

It has been explain many times by both Apple and your fellow forum members that OS X is not built for touch input.


A mouse for iOS. . .muhahahahahaha . . . you made a funny.

Imagine using the tablet screen as input to move a cursor on the screen like a trackpad on a macbook.

 

[happygodavid]

I certainly won't give up my MBP. But as a musician, I'm excited at the idea of a larger screen for displaying sheet music that's actually readable. Siggghhhhh... If only it wasn't a thousand bucks...

 

[ke-iron]

We're mostly tech geeks here, right? People come to us for advice on what to buy. What kind of person would you recommend an iPad Pro to?

Here is who I imagine making the recommendation to:
1. Right off the bat, they must express some willingness to spend about $1000. I just cannot imagine talking someone who says their max is $750 or so into the iPad Pro. If their particular usage really reflects the need for a tablet, the Air 2 is much much more affordable.
2. They must have some usage need that is geared more towards a tablet. I would say this means they expect to spend less than 30% of the time typing. Anything more than that and a proper attached keyboard becomes quite useful. Alternatively, if they name some apps they want to use that are only available on a mobile OS (like sketching apps), the tablet would be a good fit.
3. They must be willing to pay for iCloud monthly subscription or have a good usable alternative desktop/laptop. Without iCloud or another primary computer, there is really no way to reliably make backups of the iPad. If there is no other computer, then iCloud is pretty much a must.

So, to recap, the person who would get an iPad Pro recommendation must be willing to spend $1000+, type less than 30% of the time or desire to use some mobile-only app such as drawing, and either be willing to pay for iCloud or have another working computer on the side. That is a very narrow group of people.

You guys are so closed minded and I disagree will every thing you said.

1. People will buy the iPad pro for what it can do and how it benefits them. While the iPad Air 2 is much more affordable if they want an iPad pro for what it can do they will get it regardless of it being almost double the price. It's about what the iPad pro can do better than the other smaller iPads that matter.

2. iPads have proper keyboards for typing. Where do you magically pull a 30% or less for the time they will spend typing on the device? Sketching apps are far from the only apps that this device appeals to. Reading and writing apps will be a huge deal on this. Being able to read full pages without crop or full pages side by side in two apps open at the same time. Or reading a text book and taking notes at the same time. So many possibilities!

3. iCloud storage comes with 5gigs free and if that isn't enough people can pay for more storage. One dollar for 50 gigs a month. Every year since the introduction of iCloud the service gets better and better. There is now iCloud Drive for better management and sharing of documents and files.

So here is my recap. You are closed minded if you cannot see past the fact that drawing isn't the only good use for this device. Keyboards on iPads have been great for years and the iPad pro will have even better keyboards to type on with better connectivity using the new connection port. Most people won't mind paying one dollar a month for 50gigs once they understand what it is for and how it benefits them by having all their content saved and synced via iCloud. The iPad pro will outlast other current iPads simply because it is way more powerful and will be able to receive more future updates than the rest. It is simply more capable. There is no need for another working computer on the side for most tasks people do. It isn't a small group of people that will purchase the iPad pro, it's just a different group of people. The sales will be through the roof with this one. I see how this can benefit me more than my iPad mini and more than a standard sized iPad so I'll be picking my iPad pro up on launch day.

 

[BuddyTronic]

Until it can run full desktop apps, it won't be replacing my MacBook Pro.

Agreed, but the point might be that most people don't really use any applications. All they do is check Facebook, Browse the Web, Send Email and that sort of thing.

I'm like everyone else here - I couldn't live without my Macbook Pro, but I would highly recommend my sister to stick to an iPhone or an iPad rather than attempt to maintain a real computer.

I have a cousin who is still ranting about Megahertz and how many drive bays he has in his monstrous PC laptop, but what does he really do with his powerful machine? Nothing much actually! He has just grandfathered it in from the 1990's like it's still relevant. Like DVD collections, and even collections of downloaded movies - all pretty much irrelevant today.