Apple's latest iPad Pro ad asks, 'What's a computer'

2

Comments

  • Reply 21 of 53
    welshdogwelshdog Posts: 1,914member
    cnocbui said:
    A computer is something you wish you had when trying to use an iPad for any large task that requires and involves a lot of files.
    Well if you are dumb enough to choose an iPad to do such a task, then you can't really blame the iPad now can you?
    Rayz2016nolamacguy
  • Reply 22 of 53
    I love our iPad Pro, but the two things that hold it back from a general purpose laptop replacement -- for me -- are:
      1. File system (accessible across apps)
      2. Mouse

    I know many of you feel these are vestiges of "old tech", but a large segment of the buying public expects these in a computer.
  • Reply 23 of 53
    roake said:
    A computer is something that will run Logic Pro...
    Right. And for me, Lightroom+Photoshop. So I can access tens of thousands of raw files, use layers, layer adjustments, and masks with pixel perfect placement on a profiled screen and then make giant prints on a 9-color Epson, signed and sold. I know I'm in a tiny minority but that is my day to day realty and only reason I still use OS X. Everuthing else is iPhone/Apple TV. 
  • Reply 24 of 53
    why-why- Posts: 305member
    isn't an abacus technically a computer?
    lmagooRayz2016
  • Reply 25 of 53
    rogifan_newrogifan_new Posts: 4,297member
    welshdog said:
    cnocbui said:
    A computer is something you wish you had when trying to use an iPad for any large task that requires and involves a lot of files.
    Well if you are dumb enough to choose an iPad to do such a task, then you can't really blame the iPad now can you?
    So what is the iPad Pro for then?
  • Reply 26 of 53
    canukstormcanukstorm Posts: 2,741member
    dewme said:
    Not sure why people get uptight about calling an iPad a computer. The Apple Watch, iPhone, Apple TV, and iPod Touch are also computers. It really comes down to what you consider "work" to be. If reviewing and annotating a document or spreadsheet is "work" for you then whatever device you do it on is doing "work." If writing code is "work" for you then doing it one a notebook or Mac Pro or iPad pro is still "work." Just because some huge legacy application designed for last decade's platforms doesn't run on a modern handheld or padtop platform doesn't mean the modern computing platform is not a real computer. Heck, an iPod Touch is several orders of magnitude more powerful than the ancient PCs that earlier generations of professional programmers used for writing Turbo Pascal and Borland C++. Maybe it's the "work" tools that have not kept pace, with massive bloated monstrosities like MS Visual Studio 15 barely able to run acceptably on quad core Xeons with 16 GB of RAM and SSDs. (Is there a reason why applying a service release update on VS needs to take 6 hours to complete on a high end box?)

    Modern computing is all about being able to "work" wherever, whenever, and as opportunistically as possible and with very few compromises. It's not and never will be about one size fits all for every task. Having several different Apple form factors to choose from and making more and more content, of both production and consumption variety, portable across more platforms is a blessing that accentuates the Apple Advantage. Whether it's a handheld form factor or the iCloud, it's all part of the contiguous computing fabric that exists today. This diversity in computing capability and portability will only get wider and better in the future. New form factors will appear and existing form factors will evolve. 

    The cliche arguments and blog stock answers about what is production and what is consumption are moot unless you want to stay firmly entrenched in the past. It's not a zero sum game and overlaps in capability and capacity will continue to fluctuate. Eventually the legacy apps will fade and be replaced by modern apps that leverage a wider swath of the computing fabric. But there will always be certain computing form factors that have situational advantages over other form factors for specific purposes, times, and places.  And no, nobody is going to take away your big desktop box with 2D graphics. It may become less relevant or harder to justify, but it'll still have a place just like antique cars still have a place, like in parades, car shows, old timer reunions, museums, movie re-creations, etc.  
    "It really comes down to what you consider "work" to be"

    Agreed. It all boils down to jobs to be done. Pick the right device / computer for the task at hand. 
    nolamacguywilliamlondon
  • Reply 27 of 53
    canukstormcanukstorm Posts: 2,741member
    welshdog said:
    Well if you are dumb enough to choose an iPad to do such a task, then you can't really blame the iPad now can you?
    So what is the iPad Pro for then?
    The iPad Pro is a computer for those that don't want a "complex PC." 

    Here's a great article by Ben Bajarin that touches on this very topic. 


    https://techpinions.com/a-netbook-an-ipad-pro-and-the-surface-walk-into-a-bar/42332
    roundaboutnow
  • Reply 28 of 53
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    So what is the iPad Pro for then?
    The iPad Pro is a computer for those that don't want a "complex PC." 

    Here's a great article by Ben Bajarin that touches on this very topic. 


    https://techpinions.com/a-netbook-an-ipad-pro-and-the-surface-walk-into-a-bar/42332
    Wow. He really nailed it. 
  • Reply 29 of 53
    appexappex Posts: 687member
    "Apple's latest iPad Pro ad asks, 'What's a computer'?".


    A Mac, allowing my productivity work being done.
  • Reply 30 of 53
    cnocbuicnocbui Posts: 3,613member
    why- said:
    isn't an abacus technically a computer?
    Not unless you can program one.  I'd call it a calculator.
  • Reply 31 of 53
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,851member
    shev said:
    The MacBook Pro and Mac Pro are computers. You know, those dusty neglected things in the back of the cupboard that you haven't updated for 2 years but still charge $2,000+ for. 
    Neglected?  My old MBP 2010 15" i7 is in use all day, alongside a new 6 Core Mac Pro.  OK,  I have taken out the HD and replaced it with an SSD and maxed the RAM myself but it's still the same, basically an old 15"  i7 MBP.  

    Yesterday I made a clone with CCC of the 6 Core Mac Pro running 10.11.6 onto an external SSD.  Just out of interest I plugged this into my old MBP using a $7 USB3/2 connector and rebooted to the external SSD.  I didn't expect it to work but it did!  No driver issues, no CPU or GPU issues.  Everything worked including all the software.  The only thing I had to do was add the MBP as the second device for Adobe CC account (you are generously allowed to run on two devices, ok compared to Apple's 5 it's a crock but I digress) once done Muse, Photoshop etc. worked fine too.  

    I find it quite amazing that a 6 year old MBP can boot off the exact same drive as a new Mac Pro.  No insult to an iPad, but 'That's a computer!'  Today I'm gong to try the same trick with a clone of the new Mac Pro set up with developer macOS beta 4 and see how that boots on the old MBP.   I'm not holding my breath but fingers crossed.

    My wife and I own four iPads between us (two are older but still run the latest iOS) , so I am not based against iPads, I watch Netflix on my iPad my wife plays Scrabble.  She used a MBA all day for her Real Estate work.

    The point being, yes iOS is getting more powerful, a bigger iPad is great and you can add a keyboard, yay.
     ... but Apple, please keep making and updating those real macOS computers too!  They are worth every penny!
    edited August 2016 roundaboutnow
  • Reply 32 of 53
    dewme said:
    Not sure why people get uptight about calling an iPad a computer. The Apple Watch, iPhone, Apple TV, and iPod Touch are also computers. It really comes down to what you consider "work" to be. If reviewing and annotating a document or spreadsheet is "work" for you then whatever device you do it on is doing "work." If writing code is "work" for you then doing it one a notebook or Mac Pro or iPad pro is still "work." Just because some huge legacy application designed for last decade's platforms doesn't run on a modern handheld or padtop platform doesn't mean the modern computing platform is not a real computer. Heck, an iPod Touch is several orders of magnitude more powerful than the ancient PCs that earlier generations of professional programmers used for writing Turbo Pascal and Borland C++. Maybe it's the "work" tools that have not kept pace, with massive bloated monstrosities like MS Visual Studio 15 barely able to run acceptably on quad core Xeons with 16 GB of RAM and SSDs. (Is there a reason why applying a service release update on VS needs to take 6 hours to complete on a high end box?)

    Modern computing is all about being able to "work" wherever, whenever, and as opportunistically as possible and with very few compromises. It's not and never will be about one size fits all for every task. Having several different Apple form factors to choose from and making more and more content, of both production and consumption variety, portable across more platforms is a blessing that accentuates the Apple Advantage. Whether it's a handheld form factor or the iCloud, it's all part of the contiguous computing fabric that exists today. This diversity in computing capability and portability will only get wider and better in the future. New form factors will appear and existing form factors will evolve. 

    The cliche arguments and blog stock answers about what is production and what is consumption are moot unless you want to stay firmly entrenched in the past. It's not a zero sum game and overlaps in capability and capacity will continue to fluctuate. Eventually the legacy apps will fade and be replaced by modern apps that leverage a wider swath of the computing fabric. But there will always be certain computing form factors that have situational advantages over other form factors for specific purposes, times, and places.  And no, nobody is going to take away your big desktop box with 2D graphics. It may become less relevant or harder to justify, but it'll still have a place just like antique cars still have a place, like in parades, car shows, old timer reunions, museums, movie re-creations, etc.  
    "It really comes down to what you consider "work" to be"

    Agreed. It all boils down to jobs to be done. Pick the right device / computer for the task at hand. 
    It's all about the operating system and IOS in its current form, the way everything is locked down is clearly designed for consumption and casual light weight editing. Nothing currently beats a mouse and keyboard for getting shit done. The iPad Pro is awesome for getting laughs from the IT Department or from anyone who actually has a clue. :)

    When a week goes by without my girlfriend asking to use my Mac Book Pro to complete simple tasks she can't do on her iPad I may consider that you can do work on an iPad. I thought I could ditch my laptop for short trips but even with VPN and SSH apps loaded it's just too shitty and slow an experience that I just lug my laptop around.
      
      
      
  • Reply 33 of 53
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    k2kw said:
    shev said:
    The MacBook Pro and Mac Pro are computers. You know, those dusty neglected things in the back of the cupboard that you haven't updated for 2 years but still charge $2,000+ for. 
    This commercial makes me wonder why macOS can't work in multi-touch mode (like the Surface Pro / Surface Book are  supposed to do but don't quite)
    I think you answered your own question there.
    nolamacguy
  • Reply 34 of 53
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,757member
    lmac said:
    What's a computer? A computer is something you do work on. An iPad is something you consume media and play games on.

    Visiting the App Store will help you avoid posting nonsense like this. 

    The medium/device of preference has become just as important the medium/device that is traditionally best for the job. This has been going on for years now. 

    And to be fair, it's also about what you consider "work" to be. The defitinition is totally fluid at present. 
    edited August 2016 nolamacguy
  • Reply 36 of 53
    cnocbuicnocbui Posts: 3,613member
    shev said:
    The MacBook Pro and Mac Pro are computers. You know, those dusty neglected things in the back of the cupboard that you haven't updated for 2 years but still charge $2,000+ for. 
    Neglected?  My old MBP 2010 15" i7 is in use all day, alongside a new 6 Core Mac Pro.  OK,  I have taken out the HD and replaced it with an SSD and maxed the RAM myself but it's still the same, basically an old 15"  i7 MBP.  

    Yesterday I made a clone with CCC of the 6 Core Mac Pro running 10.11.6 onto an external SSD.  Just out of interest I plugged this into my old MBP using a $7 USB3/2 connector and rebooted to the external SSD.  I didn't expect it to work but it did!  No driver issues, no CPU or GPU issues.  Everything worked including all the software.  The only thing I had to do was add the MBP as the second device for Adobe CC account (you are generously allowed to run on two devices, ok compared to Apple's 5 it's a crock but I digress) once done Muse, Photoshop etc. worked fine too.  

    I find it quite amazing that a 6 year old MBP can boot off the exact same drive as a new Mac Pro.  No insult to an iPad, but 'That's a computer!'  Today I'm gong to try the same trick with a clone of the new Mac Pro set up with developer macOS beta 4 and see how that boots on the old MBP.   I'm not holding my breath but fingers crossed.

    My wife and I own four iPads between us (two are older but still run the latest iOS) , so I am not based against iPads, I watch Netflix on my iPad my wife plays Scrabble.  She used a MBA all day for her Real Estate work.

    The point being, yes iOS is getting more powerful, a bigger iPad is great and you can add a keyboard, yay.
     ... but Apple, please keep making and updating those real macOS computers too!  They are worth every penny!
    I think he meant that Apple have neglected them, but you have nailed it. A computer has an OS that allows the user a good deal of freedom to decide what to do and how to do it.  The iPad has the hardware of a computer but not the OS.

    OSX hides the Library folder, but you can unhide it.  Insert an SD card and the control freaks in Cupertino launch that pos Photos app, but you can go into terminal and pull the plug on that and stop it from happening (there should be a control panel setting to disable that nonsense).  You can download and install software from places other than those Apple approves of. The real differentiator is flexibility.
    edited August 2016 singularity
  • Reply 37 of 53
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    lmac said:
    What's a computer? A computer is something you do work on. An iPad is something you consume media and play games on. You could try to dig a trench in your ballet slippers, but workboots make more sense.
    weird, I can send emails and edit spreadsheets and word docs on my iPad. work. I also edit videos for my family and friends. 

     what am I doing wrong?
    edited August 2016 williamlondon
  • Reply 38 of 53
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member

    lmac said:
    What's a computer? A computer is something you do work on. An iPad is something you consume media and play games on. You could try to dig a trench in your ballet slippers, but workboots make more sense.

    Steve Jobs would agree with you. Let's not forget this slide of his from the iPad keynote:
    a slide from 6 years ago is not relevant today to anyone except trolls. its capabilities were different -- there was no Office on iOS then, Lightroom, etc...
    williamlondonroundaboutnow
  • Reply 39 of 53
    lmac said:
    What's a computer? A computer is something you do work on. An iPad is something you consume media and play games on. You could try to dig a trench in your ballet slippers, but workboots make more sense.
    That's a valid point, for people who dig ditches for a living. I don't.
  • Reply 40 of 53
    virtuavirtua Posts: 210member
    It doesn't do Logic Pro X!

    i actually have both sizes of iPad Pro which sounds like luxury but I really use them both a lot.... The smaller one for travelling and the larger one at home - I have the keyboards for both and use the pencil - and I use these all the time, so they have replaced my PC.    Apple has said its never afraid of cannibalism of its products but for some reason there's no Logic Pro or Final Cut Pro - these could easily be ported and used on an iPad Pro.  Garage band has improved dramatically, but it's not Logic Pro.  
Sign In or Register to comment.