Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
The body of all Surface devices are made of VaporMg metal... why do you say that it is plastic?

It sure didn't feel like metal when I was trying one in the Microsoft store. It felt flimsy and flexible.

What do you mean when you say that it falls over?

The time I tried it at the Microsoft Store, I got dirty looks from one of the salespersons when i drew on it it with the stylus, it flopped backwards with a loud crash. The kickstand gave out, and the Surface flopped backwards.

----------

I really wouldn't care if it was just a current iPad with a 12" screen, and a built in full-capability Wacom digitizer with stylus support. Really. I would pay $999 for this.

Exactly this.. I would considering buying a Cintiq companion hybrid or the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2, but after owning the Note 10 and Nexus 7, I won't touch another Android device again.. ever.
 
The time I tried it at the Microsoft Store, I got dirty looks from one of the salespersons when i drew on it it with the stylus, it flopped backwards with a loud crash. The kickstand gave out, and the Surface flopped backwards.

Which model was this?
 
Well, the kickstand design has been much improved since then. The latest Surface doesn't fall over.

Yeah. I think it being bigger and having an infinitely adjustable kickstand would improve its stability. I don't really know, I've never used a surface.
 
Yeah. I think it being bigger and having an infinitely adjustable kickstand would improve its stability. I don't really know, I've never used a surface.

We bought a Surface Pro 3 when it came out last summer. We tried it for a few days before deciding to return it. The kickstand worked fine and it never felt like it would collapse or fall over. And the screen was gorgeous. But it felt like a laptop -- it was almost as big as my 13 inch MacBook Air and almost as heavy. If we had been looking for a laptop, it might have been a keeper, but what we wanted was a tablet. And the Surface wasn't really a tablet.

I think for the iPad Pro to work as a tablet, it would have to weigh about the same as the iPad Air, while having a bigger screen. In fact, ideally, the bigger iPad should weigh LESS. Because if two objects are the same weight, but one is bigger, the bigger object is more awkward to handle. If the iPad Pro is bigger AND heavier than the Air, I suspect it would be too unweirdly to be a tablet. This is the main reason why I think Apple has not released a bigger iPad yet -- they can't get the weight down enough.
 
What does everyone think for gaming? I enjoy driving games from time to time, but will the iPad Pro be inappropriate for this type of game due to the size and heft of the device?

I am simply trying to imagine what uses will be better on the Pro size and which will be inferior?
 
What does everyone think for gaming? I enjoy driving games from time to time, but will the iPad Pro be inappropriate for this type of game due to the size and heft of the device?

I am simply trying to imagine what uses will be better on the Pro size and which will be inferior?

Some games will probably work very well on this thing. Apple's processors are constantly evolving, and if this has an A9X, with 12-core graphics, a lot faster in terms of processor speed, and 4GB RAM, then there will be a good chance that better games will be made for it. They might even make a gaming controller for it, who knows? It would be good for the big screen, where it would be a bit weird to use that huge thing for standard tablet gaming, so instead you could just stand it up and use a controller.
 
Anybody know how to put an image onto this thread? Only I took a photo, so now it's in my iPad photos app, and I want to put it into this thread, but I don't know how.
 
Anybody know how to put an image onto this thread? Only I took a photo, so now it's in my iPad photos app, and I want to put it into this thread, but I don't know how.

Click on "attach files" in the additional options section of the posting interface.
 
What kills new software is backwards compatibility.

I know many won't agree here, but I wish, every few years, pick a number you like. They did a 'Games Console' move and said, ok, this is a new system from scratch, won't run old apps.

So the devs know the new OMG FAST model IS the new base model, and they don't need to worry about their new app/game running on something 5 years old.

We never every move forward fast when we have backwards compatibility as it always ruins things.

During Apple's, Atari's Commodores etc, early years things moved and improved at an amazing speed as every time a new model came out, programmers wrote new things for the new models.

Sometimes, you need to force them to support something new. and dump the old.

Given that iPad apps are cheap it's no big deal anyway.
 
What kills new software is backwards compatibility.

I know many won't agree here, but I wish, every few years, pick a number you like. They did a 'Games Console' move and said, ok, this is a new system from scratch, won't run old apps.

I've been saying the same thing for several years. I wish Microsoft would do the same and just wipe the slate clean like they did back in the early 90's when they introduced Windows NT.

This is what usually causes system instability when you try and move forward but have to support the past. I wish Apple did the same with OS X. Just make a cutoff point and say this OS is entirely new. If you want to run older programs keep your computer and we'll support it via security updates for X amount of years.

Your example is another reason why i'm puzzled by Apple's instance on continuing to sell outdated hardware as the original Mini. That has a bleed over effect on to the software because even though it's outdated hardware, it's being sold as current.
 
i always imagine if i have a product combining 'Thinkpad yoga' which has touchscreen, digitizer stylus, fold into pad mode, PLUS apple design.....
in other words;
a foldable or keyboard removable macbook air........

that would be an ultra ultra-book
 
They might even make a gaming controller for it, who knows?

Bluetooth gamepads for iPads already exist. I imagine they will remain compatible with the next generation, too. It's a bit awkward unless you have a stand, and that gets you right into laptop territory again.

I'd still prefer a hybrid device over a 12" only-tablet.
 
I've been saying the same thing for several years. I wish Microsoft would do the same and just wipe the slate clean like they did back in the early 90's when they introduced Windows NT.

This is what usually causes system instability when you try and move forward but have to support the past. I wish Apple did the same with OS X. Just make a cutoff point and say this OS is entirely new. If you want to run older programs keep your computer and we'll support it via security updates for X amount of years.

Your example is another reason why i'm puzzled by Apple's instance on continuing to sell outdated hardware as the original Mini. That has a bleed over effect on to the software because even though it's outdated hardware, it's being sold as current.

Wow, did not think anyone would actually agree with me!

I think it depends what generation you are.

I'm from the generation where the brand new OMG never seen it before hardware went along with the brand new OMG never seen anything like it before software.

Both aspects were the wow factor, a clean sheet on both sides and you waiting for all the new amazing software to be built just for this new amazing hardware.

Nowadays, it seems this generation would find that totally and utterly unacceptable and would not be interested in anything that does not run software from the last 20 years!

I'm not saying do that every year, but perhaps 5, and without question after 10 years we could all do with a fresh start computer.

The software publishers can then make brand new, far better versions of their current software that fully takes advantage of the new hardware in every way, rather than worrying about it not running very well on some 5 year old thing.
 
Click on "attach files" in the additional options section of the posting interface.

Thanks. Well this is an illustration based on my wish list. If anybody disagrees with what this should look like, then say
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    1.2 MB · Views: 99
I think it depends what generation you are.

I'm from the generation where the brand new OMG never seen it before hardware went along with the brand new OMG never seen anything like it before software.

Both aspects were the wow factor, a clean sheet on both sides and you waiting for all the new amazing software to be built just for this new amazing hardware.

Nowadays, it seems this generation would find that totally and utterly unacceptable and would not be interested in anything that does not run software from the last 20 years!

It's not generations. It's hobbyists vs people who use computers just to get things done. Tech enthusiasts want to see hardware pushed to the limits so don't mind throwing out old software to get the new wow factor. People who just use computers to do their jobs don't want to learn new software when the 20 year old software works just fine.

It's just that in the past, the majority of people who used computers were tech enthusiasts, but now business users are the majority.
 
Sorry for the bumps.
I've heard people say that this might have a 8:5 or a 3:2 aspect ratio, like the other pro tablets. Does anybody think that this it's a good idea? In the first place they made it like this to be a good experience for everything in portrait and landscape, then they brought out to the iPad mini to keep it as a good tablet experience, and not like a phone, and I think that this one will have a 4:3 because it won't be awkward to use in portrait, like the other pro tablets. And also, it would offer much more real estate than an 8:5 12.2 inch screen (80.3 sq inches vs just 66.9 sq inches). What would you say would be the reason for them to put a wider screen onto this? Some people say it would improve split screen multitasking, but would it really? I want to hear some opinions.
 
Hi all,

I really enjoyed reading this thread and I would like to contribute my thoughts.

For my use case scenario, a 12.9'' hybrid iPad Pro with a 4:3 aspect ratio would be perfect. My main use for this hybrid tablet would be surfing the internet, reading scientific publications and journals (therefore iOS in portrait mode without keyboard) as well as writing and editing heavy text documents (therefore OSX in landscape mode with keyboard).

My argument for such an device comes from the fact, that the common intersection of Letter/A, P4 and A4 measures about 21 cm × 28 cm and has the aspect ratio of 3:4 (Diagonal: 35 cm (13,8''). This size is also commonly used for the exchange of documents and files internationally (according to Wikipedia).

So personally, I definitely would want the 4:3 ratio, but probably not the full 13.8'' diagonal because that (plus the bezels) would make the device unhandy. Surface Pro 3's 12'' is too small, but 12.9'' seems like a good compromise. With the touch screen, you could zoom in if needed.

Other requirements for a such an iPad would be a magnetic cover case for screen protection and to use it in kickstand mode, Retina display with 300 dpi, 4GB of RAM, 1x USB-C, bluetooth (for a keyboard) and in best case a stylus.

CPU/GPU-wise the next generation of ARM processors or Intels Core M at 5W TDP should have enough power to run the Retina display decently smoothly. For such an tablet I would be willing to pay a price of 999$ and beyond.

That said, coming from a Surface Pro 1 and a Macbook Air (Apr-2014) that by now I think I know these devices limitations pretty well ;-)

Cheers, M.K.
 
Hi all,

I really enjoyed reading this thread and I would like to contribute my thoughts.

For my use case scenario, a 12.9'' hybrid iPad Pro with a 4:3 aspect ratio would be perfect. My main use for this hybrid tablet would be surfing the internet, reading scientific publications and journals (therefore iOS in portrait mode without keyboard) as well as writing and editing heavy text documents (therefore OSX in landscape mode with keyboard).

My argument for such an device comes from the fact, that the common intersection of Letter/A, P4 and A4 measures about 21 cm × 28 cm and has the aspect ratio of 3:4 (Diagonal: 35 cm (13,8''). This size is also commonly used for the exchange of documents and files internationally (according to Wikipedia).

So personally, I definitely would want the 4:3 ratio, but probably not the full 13.8'' diagonal because that (plus the bezels) would make the device unhandy. Surface Pro 3's 12'' is too small, but 12.9'' seems like a good compromise. With the touch screen, you could zoom in if needed.

Other requirements for a such an iPad would be a magnetic cover case for screen protection and to use it in kickstand mode, Retina display with 300 dpi, 4GB of RAM, 1x USB-C, bluetooth (for a keyboard) and in best case a stylus.

CPU/GPU-wise the next generation of ARM processors or Intels Core M at 5W TDP should have enough power to run the Retina display decently smoothly. For such an tablet I would be willing to pay a price of 999$ and beyond.

That said, coming from a Surface Pro 1 and a Macbook Air (Apr-2014) that by now I think I know these devices limitations pretty well ;-)

Cheers, M.K.

Hi, thanks for the contribution
I agree with you about some things like screen size, and if it does this, this iPad could essentially replace a pad of paper, just as long as they put a stylus and a good notes app which you can draw in
As for processing, I also agree with you. I think Apple might throw in a coprocessor with more advanced architecture, maybe even Intel. I think Apple should take a leaf out of Sammy's book with two processors, one high power and one low power
 
It was much easier for Microsoft to make a unified OS, Windows tablets use basically the same hardware as low-end PCs and already come in different screen sizes. Yet it STILL flopped because they didn't take into account the two different methods of input.

Windows 8 tablets have not flopped!

What are you talking about??!!!!
 
Windows 8 tablets have not flopped!

Actually, considering Microsoft's might and how widespread Windows is, the popularity of Windows tablets is rather dire. The same goes for software support, which is very underwhelming by pretty much any standard you apply. I use a Windows laptop, my company's main piece of software is Windows only (soon changing), so all things equal I would definitely like using a Windows tablet for convenience, and yet here I am, using iPads and an Android tablet.

Battery life of those cheap Windows tablets is terrible. The only real choice here is the Surface Pro, but that is in a wholly different price category than an iPad (and the software issue still remains).

I'm not sure that Windows tablets "flopped", but they are a whole lot less successful than I imagined they would be.
 
Actually, considering Microsoft's might and how widespread Windows is, the popularity of Windows tablets is rather dire. The same goes for software support, which is very underwhelming by pretty much any standard you apply. I use a Windows laptop, my company's main piece of software is Windows only (soon changing), so all things equal I would definitely like using a Windows tablet for convenience, and yet here I am, using iPads and an Android tablet.

Battery life of those cheap Windows tablets is terrible. The only real choice here is the Surface Pro, but that is in a wholly different price category than an iPad (and the software issue still remains).

I'm not sure that Windows tablets "flopped", but they are a whole lot less successful than I imagined they would be.

I definitely think that software is the main issue. The surface is a great tablet, but, it runs Windows 8, which is an OS which failed to fuse mobile and desktop. It's not really good enough. I'm not too sure if 10 will solve that problem, but if it does, then it will definitely put Ms back up there. The conversation was about fusing iOS and OS X, wasn't it? I think Apple would do it by making a new OS from the ground up than suits both form factors
 
Actually, considering Microsoft's might and how widespread Windows is, the popularity of Windows tablets is rather dire. The same goes for software support, which is very underwhelming by pretty much any standard you apply. I use a Windows laptop, my company's main piece of software is Windows only (soon changing), so all things equal I would definitely like using a Windows tablet for convenience, and yet here I am, using iPads and an Android tablet.

Battery life of those cheap Windows tablets is terrible. The only real choice here is the Surface Pro, but that is in a wholly different price category than an iPad (and the software issue still remains).

I'm not sure that Windows tablets "flopped", but they are a whole lot less successful than I imagined they would be.
Considering how late in the game Microsoft was this go-round (keeping in mind that this is essentially the 3rd wave of tablets) and they stumbled out of the gate with the whole Windows RT thing, it's amazing that Microsoft has been able to gain as much attention with the SP3 as they did.

I think that the bigger issue is going to be the cheapo Windows tabs that have 1GB RAM (not really a problem) and 16GB storage. There's only 8GB free after the OS is accounted for and after the first few rounds of updates that drops to around 3GB. The more that people buy these poor quality devices the more tarnished the Windows tablet experience will be.

But there are some good quality tablets being produced... the Dell Venue 8 Pro is a top seller (for good reason). The ASUS T100 is as well. My recently purchased Acer Aspire Switch 11 has shown that there is some creative people in these smaller players.

A major factor will be Windows 10.

Supposedly Microsoft has reworked how updates are handled with Win10 which will reduce the footprint after updates. There is going to be more intelligent switching between tablet-style operation and notebook.

And lastly, as slow as it has been, there are more Modern UI apps being released which is helping to improve the Windows tablet touch experience.

All that to say, there is definitely a desire and demand for well-designed hybrid tablet/notebook devices. At this point in time I have refrained from purchasing an SP3 (opted for the Acer Switch 11) until I see what Apple produces.

I suspect that if Apple does NOT produce an iPad Pro this year then we'll see a surge in Windows-based tablet/notebook hybrids.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.