What would make the new iPad "Pro"

[thedon1]

What do you think the new larger iPad needs to be considered "Pro"? You can already use a keyboard with an iPad air 2. You will also be able to run side by side apps.

Is the presumably sold separately stylus the only difference??

There has to be some other implementation within iOS 9 that is specific to that hardware. I can't imagine them segmenting app support and restricting things from the Air.

What do you guys think they could add to make this a different enough product from the Air 2?

 

[keysofanxiety]

What do you think the new larger iPad needs to be considered "Pro"? You can already use a keyboard with an iPad air 2. You will also be able to run side by side apps.

Is the presumably sold separately stylus the only difference??

There has to be some other implementation within iOS 9 that is specific to that hardware. I can't imagine them segmenting app support and restricting things from the Air.

What do you guys think they could add to make this a different enough product from the Air 2?

A tablet can never fully be a replacement for a dedicated workstation in my experience, and I really don't think Microsoft have cracked it with the Surface. If the screen is much larger, and consequently the tablet itself, that will immediately offer many more options with regards to multitasking, utilising screen space, and having a better battery/CPU. This opens up a world of possibilities for what an iPad can be capable of.

There are already a number of apps available such as Logic Remote, which I would consider to be a useful addition for 'Pro' users. Although the iPad itself is not the 'Pro' bit of the hardware, it works in sympathy (boy do I sound like Jony Ive) with the application, to offer a much better user experience and workflow.

I believe that if the iPad Pro was to happen, it would be a similar sort of thing to this. For instance, the iPad would do a little bit of the processing, or utilise the magnetic timeline in Final Cut Pro X as an example. I think it would be difficult to offer a tablet as a full replacement for a machine, simply due to the immediate limitations of the user interface. Historically Apple have been quite good at realising this, which is especially evident with them not putting in a touchscreen, instead opting to further innovate their trackpad technology and gestures (which I sincerely believe is the right course of action).

TL;DR: there's a lot of potential for it to be a very useful tool, but I don't think Apple would reasonably market a larger tablet as being a suitable replacement for a MacBook Pro.

 

[Will0827]

A tablet can never fully be a replacement for a dedicated workstation in my experience, and I really don't think Microsoft have cracked it with the Surface. If the screen is much larger, and consequently the tablet itself, that will immediately offer many more options with regards to multitasking, utilising screen space, and having a better battery/CPU. This opens up a world of possibilities for what an iPad can be capable of.

There are already a number of apps available such as Logic Remote, which I would consider to be a useful addition for 'Pro' users. Although the iPad itself is not the 'Pro' bit of the hardware, it works in sympathy (boy do I sound like Jony Ive) with the application, to offer a much better user experience and workflow.

I believe that if the iPad Pro was to happen, it would be a similar sort of thing to this. For instance, the iPad would do a little bit of the processing, or utilise the magnetic timeline in Final Cut Pro X as an example. I think it would be difficult to offer a tablet as a full replacement for a machine, simply due to the immediate limitations of the user interface. Historically Apple have been quite good at realising this, which is especially evident with them not putting in a touchscreen, instead opting to further innovate their trackpad technology and gestures (which I sincerely believe is the right course of action).

TL;DR: there's a lot of potential for it to be a very useful tool, but I don't think Apple would reasonably market a larger tablet as being a suitable replacement for a MacBook Pro.

Under that usecase the iPad pro doesn't justify it's existence because that isn't something the iPad can't already do, not ment to be a condescending response in anyway just that many wonder why it's being made and why not just continue to upgrade the current 9.7 iPad. The Air 2 if the geekbench scores are anything to go by about on par with a 2011 MBP and there aren't many applications that are pushing the hardware to it's limit, so what exactly would the pro be offering that wouldn't be able to be done by current iPads now.

 

[keysofanxiety]

Under that usecase the iPad pro doesn't justify it's existence because that isn't something the iPad can't already do, not ment to be a condescending response in anyway just that many wonder why it's being made and why not just continue to upgrade the current 9.7 iPad. The Air 2 if the geekbench scores are anything to go by about on par with a 2011 MBP and there aren't many applications that are pushing the hardware to it's limit, so what exactly would the pro be offering that wouldn't be able to be done by current iPads now.

Agreed, which makes me question why Apple would even release such a product. If they go the way of the Surface (OS X running on touchscreen), I'd be very disappointed with their short-sightedness.

 

[bh85]

I know I will be buying new iPad Pro (or +) just because of the screen size. While I do like my iPad Air, sometimes I wish it had a bigger screen. If it was me, I would call it a +, since everyone thinks that because it has a "Pro" in the name, it should be desktop/laptop replacement. I do however think 4 speakers are necessary for something that covers that big of an area while holding a tablet. You want sound to be able to travel and give you a true sound field. I also believe that there needs to be a very good keyboard available and stylus. I wish it had touch pad and mouse cursor. This can be very useful if you are doing work in Excel or Word. Some type of file management would be nice too. A folder where you can save files in. All in all I welcome this new big iPad. I know businesses will jump on it.

 

[Will0827]

I know I will be buying new iPad Pro (or +) just because of the screen size. While I do like my iPad Air, sometimes I wish it had a bigger screen. If it was me, I would call it a +, since everyone thinks that because it has a "Pro" in the name, it should be desktop/laptop replacement. I do however think 4 speakers are necessary for something that covers that big of an area while holding a tablet. You want sound to be able to travel and give you a true sound field. I also believe that there needs to be a very good keyboard available and stylus. I wish it had touch pad and mouse cursor. This can be very useful if you are doing work in Excel or Word. Some type of file management would be nice too. A folder where you can save files in. All in all I welcome this new big iPad. I know businesses will jump on it.

Any particular reason why you wouldn't get a Retina macbook over the iPad pro.

 

[bh85]

Any particular reason why you wouldn't get a Retina macbook over the iPad pro.

First, its lighter - more portable. Second, I like the touch screen and can hold it closer to my eyes while resting on my chest.

 

[sartrekid]

What do you think the new larger iPad needs to be considered "Pro"? You can already use a keyboard with an iPad air 2. You will also be able to run side by side apps.

Is the presumably sold separately stylus the only difference??

There has to be some other implementation within iOS 9 that is specific to that hardware. I can't imagine them segmenting app support and restricting things from the Air.

What do you guys think they could add to make this a different enough product from the Air 2?

The only device that would deserve the title "pro" would be, to me, a "hybrid" iPad; one where you could use iOS and OS X alike. That won't happen because OS X is not touch-friendly. Running applications side by side is the absolute minimum it should be able to do, but there's got to be more than that to distinguish it from the regular iPad functionality.

 

[Will0827]

First, its lighter - more portable. Second, I like the touch screen and can hold it closer to my eyes while resting on my chest.

I agree with you on those points which and i am of the crowd that wants a tablet as their main device with the option for a keyboard which would pull me towards the surface only because the applications i need for what i do don't have an equivalent iOS version. I think more than anything else the iPad pro is to offer the choice of multipurpose device in the way the surface is multipurpose, the advantage that the iPad Pro would offer is the apps will be built for it in mind as far as touch first interface would go. Microsofts problem with the surface and windows 10 on tablets in general is while yes they can run the apps you already use, those apps aren't optimized for the touch screen and it seems developers aren't going out of their way to update their interfaces, where as iPad versions of those bigger more "pro" apps are sort of another version and built for the iPad in mind. Guess i answered my own questions i had in mind.

 

[bh85]

The only device that would deserve the title "pro" would be, to me, a "hybrid" iPad; one where you could use iOS and OS X alike. That won't happen because OS X is not touch-friendly. Running applications side by side is the absolute minimum it should be able to do, but there's got to be more than that to distinguish it from the regular iPad functionality.

Hopefully, tomorrow Apple will surprise us?

 

[sartrekid]

Hopefully, tomorrow Apple will surprise us?

Yes, that'd be awesome if they did.

 

[bh85]

I agree with you on those points which and i am of the crowd that wants a tablet as their main device with the option for a keyboard which would pull me towards the surface only because the applications i need for what i do don't have an equivalent iOS version. I think more than anything else the iPad pro is to offer the choice of multipurpose device in the way the surface is multipurpose, the advantage that the iPad Pro would offer is the apps will be built for it in mind as far as touch first interface would go. Microsofts problem with the surface and windows 10 on tablets in general is while yes they can run the apps you already use, those apps aren't optimized for the touch screen and it seems developers aren't going out of their way to update their interfaces, where as iPad versions of those bigger more "pro" apps are sort of another version and built for the iPad in mind. Guess i answered my own questions i had in mind.

Would of been nice it it was a hybrid OS. Where you can switch between OSX and IOS. Then you would be able to call it full laptop/desktop replacement. I don't think Apple would do this because it would hurt their new 12" Macbook. iPad was never meant to replace your laptop/desktop. Even though, this is possible, Apple will never do this.

 

[sracer]

What do you think the new larger iPad needs to be considered "Pro"? You can already use a keyboard with an iPad air 2. You will also be able to run side by side apps.

Is the presumably sold separately stylus the only difference??

There has to be some other implementation within iOS 9 that is specific to that hardware. I can't imagine them segmenting app support and restricting things from the Air.

What do you guys think they could add to make this a different enough product from the Air 2?

The answer will obviously differ from person to person.

I own a variety of tablets, 2-in-hybrids, notebooks, etc. and based on my experiences here is what I think could differentiate the iPad Air 2 from a (still mythical) Pro:

• Larger form-factor. 9.7" is fine for many uses, but 11"-12" could be of great benefit for additional use cases.
• 1st party keyboard cover. Apple could design the iPad Pro and keyboard cover that is something beyond what is currently capable with things like the Logitech ultrathin keyboard cover (which I own and find to be excellent). It could include a proprietary connector rather than simply being a bluetooth keyboard.
• Support for pointing devices. At the very least, Apple could update the bluetooth stack to include profiles for mice, trackpads, etc. Additional support would need to be added to iOS itself to detect a pointing device and display a pointer and recognize button clicks. Android does a fine job with that out-of-the-box and there was/is mouse support for jailbroken iOS devices.
• Support for active stylus/digitizer. Technology (both hardware/software) has improved to make this a viable addition.
• Addition of a "shared" filesystem. Contrary to popular belief, iOS has a filesystem, but it is not implemented in a conventional way. Data files are silo'ed or sandboxed for a particular app. That was fine early on in iOS' life but there needs to be a way for multiple apps to easily and seamlessly access shared data.
• NOTE 1: any support for keyboard, mouse, stylus would still be optional. I believe that the above items are possible to implement without compromising the purposes that Apple has for the iPad.
• NOTE 2: this is in addition to the new capabilities of iOS9 (like multiwindow).

 

[macduke]

First and foremost Apple needs to have developers on board to develop professional-level creative apps. But it also needs the hardware to back up those professional level apps.

It needs a minimum quad-core A9X with 4GB of RAM and needs to start off at 64GB of storage with options for 128GB and 256GB.

It needs to have pressure-sensitive stylus support for designers and artists to use. Force Touch would also be useful for shortcuts for people editing video or for quickly bringing up contextual menus to switch brushes, etc.

To be clear, I don't think this device will come anywhere remotely close to replacing a Mac for video editing or animation, but I think it could come close as a replacement or additional on-the-go tool for many photographers, musicians, and illustrators/digital painters/etc. I'm a professional creative and as long as they make Macs I'll buy one—but I would LOVE to have a professional tablet device that I can draw and sketch out ideas on without using some half-baked flakey bluetooth stylus, or something that has enough RAM to handle multitasking without freaking out or process some RAW files. The iPad Air 2 does a decent job at multitasking—at least with the built-in apps in iOS 9. And it's great at keeping things loaded in memory for single application tasks such as Safari—especially when compared to devices like the iPhone 6 Plus. But I think for this to be considered in any way a pro device it needs to have double the RAM of whatever the current iPad has. It needs to stay ahead of the curve and earn that price point. Professional app developers can't build their apps on limited specs.

As far as software features, I would LOVE for it to connect to a Mac to be used like a Wacom Cintique. Furthermore, it needs a better file management system than iOS currently has. Lastly it needs to be able to support at least a certain subset of USB 3 devices, with app store apps being able to contain drivers to load up scanners, printers, external USB drives, mini and other sound interfaces and controllers, etc. You have to be able to get content on and off the device from various inputs for it to be considered pro. It's not just about being bigger and better for multitasking alone. You have to be able to work with the various parts of a project and bring them together to create a whole. That's where the Mac has always excelled.

I think Apple would be smart to make this device quite capable, but also build an infrastructure to make it blend seamlessly into the Mac experience. Access to all of your projects and continuity between professional apps is key so that you can work back and forth between the two systems. They need to blend better.

As far as accessories and inputs, I think a keyboard accessory and stylus accessory are a must. I know stylus is a dirty word, but for many creatives it's a necessity. For many people a proper keyboard is also a requirement. I've had an iPad since day one and I'm still not very fast at typing on one. I can tap out a text faster on my iPhone than write anything on my iPad. Hopefully they can improve the virtual keyboard with Force Touch but I think a keyboard accessory is needed. Many third party accessories are less than ideal. But I think where Apple could take it to the next level is building in touch support on the keyboard. Being able to scroll a website from the keyboard by swiping on it. Think about the keyboard cursor "mouse" of sorts in iOS 9. Think about using a touch sensitive low-profile keyboard to manipulate that. Think about the butterfly mechanism in the MacBook and how great that would be in an thin iPad keyboard cover accessory.

I've wanted an iPad Pro for years. I'm glad to see that many of the things I've predicted it would have seem to be rumored to be coming. I doubt it will fulfill my complete wish list above, but I'm hoping by the second generation there will be more professional-level apps and advanced software features. Unless they can knock out everything above this year, I'll likely be waiting until the next autumn event.

TL;DR: iPad Pro needs professional app developer support, faster with more RAM than the standard iPad, software level features for project management and inputting/outputting data, and accessories that take it to the next level.

 

[michaelz]

I will order one if it can run latest OS X. Otherwise, it is just a bigger iPad

 

[Dave245]

We are jumping the gun I think, IOS 9.1 may have some features that we don't know about for the iPad Pro, I'm just hoping it is announced tomorrow!!!!

 

[ValO]

I will order one if it can run latest OS X. Otherwise, it is just a bigger iPad

It can , but it won' t.

And the fact that it could run OSX, makes it different from the other ipads.

 

[thedon1]

The stylus being built by Apple and working with force touch really do appeal to me as it'd be a great tool to sketch and prototype on.

The thing is, does that mean they won't implement force touch on the iPad Air? Even if it's not included this year, it probably will be next year, especially considering the phones will have it.

Then there's the issue of 3rd party apps. If Apple made an app that required the A9X, that's an exclusive app for this year, but what about next year when the iPad air has the A9X? The app can't really be exclusive anymore. Apple could still create a drawing app, video editing app etc and make them exclusive to the Pro, but 3rd parties won't be able to and wouldn't want to.

The screen having a better resolution is a differentiator of sorts though.

A big one for me would be having some sort of iPad version of Xcode. Maybe 1st party exclusive apps will be the unique selling point, especially if they have the connectivity with Mac equivalents as other users have spoken about.

 

[ValO]

Ipad air 3 won' t get the a9x used in the ipad pro.
My guess is:
Ipad pro: 4 core a9 soc with 12 graphic cores and 4 gb.(A9XL??)
Ipad air 3: 3 core a9 soc with 8/9 graphic cores and 2gb. (A9X lite???)

Just my guess. They will never put the same soc in the ipad air 3 as the ipad pro.

 

[thedon1]

That's not enough to start a new product variant though

 

[Piggie]

Perhaps if you can run the full version of AutoCAD on an iPad in a genuinely usable way then it might be a PRO product.
And perhaps Photoshop and 3dStudioMax also.

Get it running all those programs, and full versions of Office and I think we'd be happy to call it pro.

 

[lympero]

Xcode on iPad pro would make me buy it day one!

 

[Piggie]

As I said In my previous post.

If it can't run PROFESSIONAL mainstream software that professionals use around the world every day, how could it ever be called a "PRO" Professional product, and be taken seriously ?

 

[michaelz]

If VM Ware Fusion can run on it, I will call it iPad pro

 

[ValO]

As I said In my previous post.

If it can't run PROFESSIONAL mainstream software that professionals use around the world every day, how could it ever be called a "PRO" Professional product, and be taken seriously ?

You have to start somewhere. It will have the hw to run professional mainstream software. The third parties just have not developped it. But herhaps there will be some pro apps developped, when it starts to sell. Let' s wait what apple has to unveil tomorrow.
You can' t call it " ipad pro in 1 year"