Review: Apple's 11-inch iPad Pro is stunningly powerful, with a few key limitations

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  • Reply 21 of 121
    knowitallknowitall Posts: 1,648member
    Apple should be bold and resolve this artificial divide.
    Clearly Intels days are over and Apple makes chips as powerful - in some directions multiple times as powerful - and 10 times lower in price.
    So clearly the iPad is the new computer.
    It’s fast enough to run Intel code simulated, but who wants that.
    MS software is almost always a sad affair no one wants to work with, really. It would be better for all if people have to find new ways or no way if there is no macOS equivalent.
    Apple has enough money for 100 years or more and is in a transition to be a social (enabling) company so that would be a perfect fit.
    edited November 2018 capt. obviouswatto_cobra
  • Reply 22 of 121
    tht said:
    The Pencil is thicker than the iPad? If so, if you lay it flat on a table, the Pencil will be dislodged?
    Check out the video to see this and other interesting shots. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 23 of 121
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    ....
    But, yes, Apple could do a ton to improve things. I think they need kind of a philosophical change, though... which maybe has begun (i.e.: files app). I think they started with this idea (which might have been Jobs'?) that such a device didn't need a file-system exposed to the user and those kind of things. That was a big mistake. People think in that way of organization, and I don't think that's just a legacy way of thinking.
    That was back in the early days.   As an analogy:  Back when phones were used as phones Steve also (correctly) said that hand size was the correct size for a phone.  But, times, technology and uses change.  I hope that Apple will be willing to change with them.  (I am quite sure they are able).
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 24 of 121
    knowitallknowitall Posts: 1,648member
    volcan said:
    sbills96 said:
    Mainly I use my iPad for movie viewing on long plane trips.  I'm curious to hear what others think.
    I haven't purchased any iPads recently. I tried to watch a movie on a plane using my iPad mini 3 using high quality noise cancelling on-ear headphones but the max volume was still not quite enough to overcome the background noise. I do have very acute hearing, but I was trying to watch a movie that had a lot of soft dialogue. I suppose an action thriller would be louder, but my genre preferences are documentaries, biographical, mystery or romantic films which are all fairly quiet.
    What brand and type?
  • Reply 25 of 121
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    dewme said:
    sbills96 said:
    I use my MacBook Pro for developing apps with Xcode.  Unless I can get the full experience of that on an iPad, I'll stick with my MBP.  I've heard podcasts with people speculating that there may be an "Xcode lite" available for the iPad around WWDC 2019 which I think would be interesting to play around with.  Mainly I use my iPad for movie viewing on long plane trips.  I'm curious to hear what others think.
    ... Even if Apple retrofitted the iPad Pro and iOS to fully support keypad and pointing device what you'd end up with is basically Apple's version of a Surface Book, i.e., a compromised notebook. At that point I'd much rather have all that power wrapped up in a MacBook Air .
    1)  There is no reason why adding an external keyboard and trackpad would compromise the iPad as a tablet even slightly.
    2)  While you (and many others) would prefer a full laptop to an iPad with an external keyboard and trackpad does not mean that everybody wants to either limit themselves to an either/or case or to have to buy two devices to fulfill all of their needs -- particularly if they only use laptop mode sporadically.
    mac_128mike54watto_cobra
  • Reply 26 of 121
    EXCELLENT analysis!   Thank You!

    Essentially:  iPad could be a laptop replacement, but Apple has reversed their course (or stalled it?) and so far, chooses not to go there.   It's not a technical limitation but an administrative one.   I find that sad.

    My personal experience last night with my 6th grade grandson doing his homework on his 3 year old HP:
    Grandson:   "This laptop sucks!   It's not working!"   (It was running slowly)
    Me:  "Use your new iPad that I just bought you."
    Grandson:  "No way, i love it, but it sucks for homework"

    Do I buy him an MBA or MBP?   Huh?  I just spent $700 on an iPad.  Now I'm supposed to spend $1,500-$2,000 on a tiny 13" MacBook to replace his 15" laptop?   I don't think so.

    Likewise:  CNBC summarized it this way:
    "I tested the new iPad Pro and it still can't replace my laptop like Apple says it can.
    Despite what Apple has said time and time again, I can't actually do work on the iPad Pro, which means it didn't replace my work laptop at all.
    I need to be able to write and chat in my corporate Slack chat app, draft up a story in the web browser, pop open the email app and edit photos, often all at once, or quickly switch between them without thinking. I can do all of this and switch between each app in seconds on a Mac or a Windows 10 computer mostly thanks to a mouse. But the lack of a mouse and a true multitasking environment makes all of this much more cumbersome on an iPad."

    I think Apple is painting themselves into a corner -- restricting MacBooks to THIS narrow niche (light, thin and expensive) and iPads to THAT narrow niche (content only).

    I find that frustrating:  I want to give Apple my money.  But I need them to produce a product that meets my needs or the needs of my grandson.   If the absence of that product were due to a technical limitation I would understand.   But, because it is either an administrative limitation or an inept design team (maybe both?), I find that disturbing and worrisome.




    While I appreciate your grandsons concerns, my experience has shown me different t. I am a high school science teacher and 3 years ago I decided to get the 12.9 pro with keyboard and pencil to be my primary (and only) computing device. (I do have a 2008 iMac that is really just an oversized backup sitting in a room rarely visited.) I chose to go that route as my iPad 2 was getting long in the tooth and so was my iMac. I opted for the iPad Pro instead of getting an iPad Air and a MacBook. The first year was a painful transition, I was constantly running into issues where doing something pretty simple, like copy and paste between programs (which I do a TON of), was ridiculously tedious. At times I would revert back and use a windows computer at work when I had a lot of things to move around. But as I problem solved these issues, I began to change my workflow. Then when iOS 11 came out, that changed everything for me, multitasking, drag and drop, folders app, multiple selections, etc. I can now count on one hand the instances in which I’ve HAD to use a PC at work to get something done in the past 8+ months. I honestly can’t provide an example what those instances were, I just know that I decided I would just jump over and do whatever it was on the PC.

    I also started my masters in education 3 years ago and have done all my work and research using my iPad Pro. I am currently writing my thesis and doing all the “teacher” things I need using this device. I will never look back. I for one appreciate Apple’s stance at not merging the two. It’s a different interaction with producing and consuming information than on a desktop/laptop. Is everyone able to use an iPad as their primary device? Absolutely not; but most people could. It does however, require effort in rethinking how you handle your workflow.

    On a separate note regarding your grandson saying that it sucks for homework, I’m thinking it’s more of the aggravation of having to make a change and the problem solving of how to do it differently, then it not being a device that is capable of meeting his needs as a middle school student. As for the CNBC comment, I’d argue that the reviewer was trying to fit the iPad into their workflow rather than figuring out the workflow that fits with the device (that’s if they truly wanted to make the switch). The best part of all of this for me is that now that I have made the transition, I know that iOS and iPad are only going to continue to improve and that will make me even more efficient. 

    Hope you find a solution that works for you,
    K
    StrangeDayscgWerkspscooter63kruegdudebrucemckevin kee
  • Reply 27 of 121
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    cgWerks said:
    GeorgeBMac said:
    ... My personal experience last night with my 6th grade grandson doing his homework on his 3 year old HP:
    Grandson:   "This laptop sucks!   It's not working!"   (It was running slowly)
    Me:  "Use your new iPad that I just bought you."
    Grandson:  "No way, i love it, but it sucks for homework"

    Do I buy him an MBA or MBP?   Huh?  I just spent $700 on an iPad.  Now I'm supposed to spend $1,500-$2,000 on a tiny 13" MacBook to replace his 15" laptop?   I don't think so.

    Likewise:  CNBC summarized it this way:
    "I tested the new iPad Pro and it still can't replace my laptop like Apple says it can.
    Despite what Apple has said time and time again, I can't actually do work on the iPad Pro, which means it didn't replace my work laptop at all.
    I need to be able to write and chat in my corporate Slack chat app, draft up a story in the web browser, pop open the email app and edit photos, often all at once, or quickly switch between them without thinking. I can do all of this and switch between each app in seconds on a Mac or a Windows 10 computer mostly thanks to a mouse. But the lack of a mouse and a true multitasking environment makes all of this much more cumbersome on an iPad."
    I think the iPad could become what he/we need if Apple works on the OS and makes a few crucial decisions. It just isn't there right now, and yes, because of a few decisions and the lack of some 'workflow' substance on the OS (and then more good 3rd party software that will follow).

    dewme said:
    ... Even if Apple retrofitted the iPad Pro and iOS to fully support keypad and pointing device what you'd end up with is basically Apple's version of a Surface Book, i.e., a compromised notebook. At that point I'd much rather have all that power wrapped up in a MacBook Air form factor and clamshell case rather than a tablet with a floppy keyboard and small trackpad. ...
    Well said. That's kind of how I feel about the laptop/tablet-as-laptop too.
    I guess the target market is those who can only have one device and try to suit all their needs? So, it ends up being a jack of all trades, master of none?

    But, I think with some work, they could eliminate enough of the downsides that it becomes more of a desktop/mobile divide rather than a tablet/laptop one. If the tablet can get good-enough, then I don't *need* a laptop, which eliminates a device if I want the power of a desktop... and then I don't need to try and make the laptop be a desktop either.

    As an aside, one thing I found in my time using my iPad for mobile, is that when going to meetings and such, the tablet was less socially intrusive than a laptop, or less awkward. I'm not sure how that would be now that people are more used to them, or just having lots of gadgets about while meeting. But, there was something different about just pulling out the iPad and folding it up on the smart cover, than pulling out a laptop. Of course, that also meant typing on the iPad screen... but for those situations, that was typically fine, too. Then I'd use a real keyboard for more serious writing (say, at a coffee shop, or at a seminar... if there was a table).
    I think equating an iPad with an external keyboard and trackpad to a Microsoft Surface is a bit like saying "Apple shouldn't make MacOS because it would be a failure like Microsoft Windows"

    It is a weak, unjustified excuse.  A false analogy.  Not a reason.
    mac_128
  • Reply 28 of 121
    @ " We discovered that iOS only recognizes and is able to import files that are within the DCIM folder and have names that are exactly 8 characters long with a three letter DOS-style suffix."

    Well, I'd been wondering if my USB-C external SSD drive could be used with this new iPad Pro. Looks like you've answered a resounding "No" to that question. 
  • Reply 29 of 121
    In the beginning hardware limited the software, so iOS was created.  Now software is limiting the hardware.

    IPads have evolved beyond a phone OS, but are getting hobbled by previous design decisions (multitasking/file management).

    I love my iPad but Apple is facing some difficult decisions (on the platform) going forward.  I’d like to see Desktop Stacks in particular....
    GeorgeBMacwatto_cobra
  • Reply 30 of 121
    knowitallknowitall Posts: 1,648member
    dewme said:
    sbills96 said:
    I use my MacBook Pro for developing apps with Xcode.  Unless I can get the full experience of that on an iPad, I'll stick with my MBP.  I've heard podcasts with people speculating that there may be an "Xcode lite" available for the iPad around WWDC 2019 which I think would be interesting to play around with.  Mainly I use my iPad for movie viewing on long plane trips.  I'm curious to hear what others think.
    I think I completely agree with your assessment and usage profile. I'm not sure where Apple will take the iPad Pro because it is now a 9 Pound Hammer being used to drive brads. Even if Apple retrofitted the iPad Pro and iOS to fully support keypad and pointing device what you'd end up with is basically Apple's version of a Surface Book, i.e., a compromised notebook. At that point I'd much rather have all that power wrapped up in a MacBook Air form factor and clamshell case rather than a tablet with a floppy keyboard and small trackpad. I love the iPad Pro but as Apple continues to refine it beyond the pinnacle of what we currently conceive tablets being used for, and with little regard to what the refinement does to the selling price, it has started to become a solution in search of a problem.  Another point is that oftentimes the price of a product goes a long way towards defining the applications for which the product will be used, regardless of what the product is actually capable of doing. When you've paid for the 9 Pound Hammer you're going to be looking for some bigass nails to drive. Perhaps apps requiring a 9 Pound Hammer will be coming soon. 
    It’s clear I think what the iPad is for.
    It’s a consumer and creative artist device.
    To run some games and enhanced reality all 10 billion transistors are needed.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 31 of 121
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,858administrator
    felix01 said:
    @ " We discovered that iOS only recognizes and is able to import files that are within the DCIM folder and have names that are exactly 8 characters long with a three letter DOS-style suffix."

    Well, I'd been wondering if my USB-C external SSD drive could be used with this new iPad Pro. Looks like you've answered a resounding "No" to that question. 
    We'll be talking about this in a bit. In short, you can, but that drive has to be formatted FAT with a DCIM folder. There can be other files NOT in the DCIM folder, but only the files that Photos knows how to deal with will be importable.
  • Reply 32 of 121
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    felix01 said:
    @ " We discovered that iOS only recognizes and is able to import files that are within the DCIM folder and have names that are exactly 8 characters long with a three letter DOS-style suffix."

    Well, I'd been wondering if my USB-C external SSD drive could be used with this new iPad Pro. Looks like you've answered a resounding "No" to that question. 
    We'll be talking about this in a bit. In short, you can, but that drive has to be formatted FAT with a DCIM folder. There can be other files NOT in the DCIM folder, but only the files that Photos knows how to deal with will be importable.
    Sounds like Apple simplicity ("Avoid Klingons") may be colliding with power and flexibility.  They tend to be antithetical to each other -- like matter and anti-matter.  It takes an extraordinary designer to overcome that -- and Apple, so far, has always been the best of the best.
    cgWerkswatto_cobra
  • Reply 33 of 121
    knowitallknowitall Posts: 1,648member
    felix01 said:
    @ " We discovered that iOS only recognizes and is able to import files that are within the DCIM folder and have names that are exactly 8 characters long with a three letter DOS-style suffix."

    Well, I'd been wondering if my USB-C external SSD drive could be used with this new iPad Pro. Looks like you've answered a resounding "No" to that question. 
    I’m a bit suspicious Apple hired a lot of flunked MS programmers, that would explain a lot of things.
    (That having been said, maybe they didn’t flunk at MS.)
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 34 of 121
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    felix01 said:
    @ " We discovered that iOS only recognizes and is able to import files that are within the DCIM folder and have names that are exactly 8 characters long with a three letter DOS-style suffix."

    Well, I'd been wondering if my USB-C external SSD drive could be used with this new iPad Pro. Looks like you've answered a resounding "No" to that question. 
    We'll be talking about this in a bit. In short, you can, but that drive has to be formatted FAT with a DCIM folder. There can be other files NOT in the DCIM folder, but only the files that Photos knows how to deal with will be importable.
    What is so ironic about that, is that it seemed like that was the whole reason for the move to AFS. I understand why they'd go with an industry standard for photographers and the like, but not to support their own format as well seems a little short sighted given the market this iPad is intended to address ...
  • Reply 35 of 121
    thttht Posts: 5,421member
    I also started my masters in education 3 years ago and have done all my work and research using my iPad Pro. I am currently writing my thesis and doing all the “teacher” things I need using this device. I will never look back. I for one appreciate Apple’s stance at not merging the two. It’s a different interaction with producing and consuming information than on a desktop/laptop. Is everyone able to use an iPad as their primary device? Absolutely not; but most people could. It does however, require effort in rethinking how you handle your workflow.

    On a separate note regarding your grandson saying that it sucks for homework, I’m thinking it’s more of the aggravation of having to make a change and the problem solving of how to do it differently, then it not being a device that is capable of meeting his needs as a middle school student. As for the CNBC comment, I’d argue that the reviewer was trying to fit the iPad into their workflow rather than figuring out the workflow that fits with the device (that’s if they truly wanted to make the switch). The best part of all of this for me is that now that I have made the transition, I know that iOS and iPad are only going to continue to improve and that will make me even more efficient. 
    Do you use an external keyboard?

    If these reviewers are using an iPad like a laptop, I submit that it won’t be a good experience at all. People have to be able to use the software keyboard to maximize an iPad’s strengths.

    iOS has drag and drop in a lot of places, gestures all over the place, moving the text cursor in multiple touchscreen ways, using the Pencil in many different ways. This needs to be done with the iPad flat on a table, horizontal. Using all these touch gestures and Pencil while an iPad is vertical or in a clamshell style configuration with external keyboard is nuts. All that touchscreen stuff just won’t work that well because the iPad is not stable while vertical, and users have to lift their whole arms to perform precise gestures. If a lot of manipulation is being done, users will tire pretty quickly doing gestures onscreen. These tablets must be used flat on the table to maximize multi-touch usage and enable fine grained control of objects with your fingers.

    The CNBC’s reviewer’s list of things he or she does is: use corporate Slack, draft up a story in a web browser, use email, and edit photos, typically with all the programs running and switching between these apps. This is eminently doable on an iPad with the software keyboard. Slack, any timeline app, can be in Slide Over, web browsers, email, files and photo editors in various Split Views or full screen views. Switching, drag and drop, and text insertion control are all gesture based, and should be just as fast as a macOS trackpad.

    With vector graphics apps, like OmniGraffle or even Keynote, where a user is creating diagrams, positioning elements, etc, are better with the iPad flat on a table. Drawing and writing with the Pencil is orders of magnitude better with the iPad flat versus vertical.
    mac_128GeorgeBMacwatto_cobra
  • Reply 36 of 121
    DAalseth said:
    The limitations seem to be tied to iOS. Apple is about halfway there with a true padOS, but they need to get going and finish the split. The iPad will always be crippled until they do. No, I don't want macOS on an iPad. It's not optimized for tablet use. And no I don't want a mouse. That would be redundant. But better access to peripherals, and external volumes would be a huge start.
    Actually, that’s kinda cool. The fact that the power of these iPad pros are so far ahead of the software. That means they will be viable for a very long time. iOS will eventually improve. Perhaps iOS 13 will really open things up. I’d much rather have software limitations than out of date hardware. Software can be improved and updated. Hardware you own. If it’s underpowered, you’re stuck. I am confident that iOS will catch up. Meanwhile, it’s comforting to know I won’t have to update my iPad. It will be ready to utilize the software changes when they come.
    chiamattinozDAalsethpscooter63watto_cobra
  • Reply 37 of 121
    cgWerkscgWerks Posts: 2,952member
    knowitall said:
    ... It’s fast enough to run Intel code simulated, but who wants that.
    MS software is almost always a sad affair no one wants to work with, really. It would be better for all if people have to find new ways or no way if there is no macOS equivalent. ...
    Well, not everyone gets the choice not to work with it. Plus, it isn't just about some app not being available, or having a better Mac alternative. A lot of people need to run VMs for development or testing. Like it or not, the MS/x86 world is around for along time, even if Apple makes exactly the right moves.

    GeorgeBMac said:
    That was back in the early days.   As an analogy:  Back when phones were used as phones Steve also (correctly) said that hand size was the correct size for a phone.  But, times, technology and uses change.  I hope that Apple will be willing to change with them.  (I am quite sure they are able).
    Well, he was correct about that. What changed was user's want of bigger screens to use phones as computer replacements. They are willing to trade off a more correct size for more screen real estate. What he said was correct, though, which is why I (and many others) want the SE to stick around. Since I have bigger-screen devices readily available, I'd rather have a correct-size phone.

    GeorgeBMac said:
    1)  There is no reason why adding an external keyboard and trackpad would compromise the iPad as a tablet even slightly.
    2)  While you (and many others) would prefer a full laptop to an iPad with an external keyboard and trackpad does not mean that everybody wants to either limit themselves to an either/or case or to have to buy two devices to fulfill all of their needs -- particularly if they only use laptop mode sporadically.
    I think it is more that a laptop is better designed to be a laptop than a tablet with add-ons. I'm not saying either should be available or not... to each their own. But, a tablet with a keyboard ≠ a laptop.

    sagan_student said:
    While I appreciate your grandsons concerns, my experience has shown me different t. I am a high school science teacher and 3 years ago I decided to get the 12.9 pro with keyboard and pencil to be my primary (and only) computing device. (I do have a 2008 iMac that is really just an oversized backup sitting in a room rarely visited.) I chose to go that route as my iPad 2 was getting long in the tooth and so was my iMac. I opted for the iPad Pro instead of getting an iPad Air and a MacBook. The first year was a painful transition, I was constantly running into issues where doing something pretty simple, like copy and paste between programs (which I do a TON of), was ridiculously tedious. At times I would revert back and use a windows computer at work when I had a lot of things to move around. But as I problem solved these issues, I began to change my workflow. Then when iOS 11 came out, that changed everything for me, multitasking, drag and drop, folders app, multiple selections, etc. I can now count on one hand the instances in which I’ve HAD to use a PC at work to get something done in the past 8+ months. I honestly can’t provide an example what those instances were, I just know that I decided I would just jump over and do whatever it was on the PC.

    I also started my masters in education 3 years ago and have done all my work and research using my iPad Pro. I am currently writing my thesis and doing all the “teacher” things I need using this device. I will never look back. I for one appreciate Apple’s stance at not merging the two. It’s a different interaction with producing and consuming information than on a desktop/laptop. Is everyone able to use an iPad as their primary device? Absolutely not; but most people could. It does however, require effort in rethinking how you handle your workflow.

    On a separate note regarding your grandson saying that it sucks for homework, I’m thinking it’s more of the aggravation of having to make a change and the problem solving of how to do it differently, then it not being a device that is capable of meeting his needs as a middle school student. As for the CNBC comment, I’d argue that the reviewer was trying to fit the iPad into their workflow rather than figuring out the workflow that fits with the device (that’s if they truly wanted to make the switch). The best part of all of this for me is that now that I have made the transition, I know that iOS and iPad are only going to continue to improve and that will make me even more efficient. 
    You should start a YouTube channel and document what you've learned.

    While I'll admit I'm behind the curve on not actually using iOS 11 on an iPad much yet, I'm familiar with some of the things you outlined, and I'm not sure how I can see how they would make an iPad as efficient as a desktop. They are great improvements, for sure... but there is still a way to go, IMO.

    I also appreciate Apple not trying to merge the two, though. I think that was a very wise decision, and we see how that is working out (or not) for MS.

    GeorgeBMac said:
    I think equating an iPad with an external keyboard and trackpad to a Microsoft Surface is a bit like saying "Apple shouldn't make MacOS because it would be a failure like Microsoft Windows"

    It is a weak, unjustified excuse.  A false analogy.  Not a reason.
    I don't think they were saying the two were the same, just equating some of how both conceptually/functionally fall short.

    seanismorris said:
    IPads have evolved beyond a phone OS, but are getting hobbled by previous design decisions (multitasking/file management).
    It has multi-tasking, it just needs refinement to be more productive with it. Also, just file-management isn't going to solve the problem (though it would help a lot). It also needs a better way of accessing and using files. 'Importing' a file into an app to use it, and then 'exporting' it back out - as new and revolutionary as iOS is - is archaic in terms of workflow.

    I seriously don't know what the original iOS architects were thinking in that regard. It seems they designed it for people who create a few files with each application with a completely app-centric workflow. How they didn't realize that all but the most basic users would quickly outgrow that, I don't know. It especially baffles me from a company that used to be the pinnacle of UI/UX/workflow.

    Mike Wuerthele said:
    We'll be talking about this in a bit. In short, you can, but that drive has to be formatted FAT with a DCIM folder. There can be other files NOT in the DCIM folder, but only the files that Photos knows how to deal with will be importable.
    Yeah, and that's completely ridiculous and unacceptable in terms of workflow. Apple has to address this before iOS should really have the 'Pro' and 'computer' categories apply, the way most people think of them (sure, my calculator is a computer of sorts, if we're going to get that loose with terminology).

    knowitall said:
    I’m a bit suspicious Apple hired a lot of flunked MS programmers, that would explain a lot of things.
    (That having been said, maybe they didn’t flunk at MS.)
    No, they were just trying to add the most basic of support for SD cards for photographers.

    mac_128 said:
    What is so ironic about that, is that it seemed like that was the whole reason for the move to AFS. I understand why they'd go with an industry standard for photographers and the like, but not to support their own format as well seems a little short sighted given the market this iPad is intended to address ...
    See the comment directly above. They just quickly half-@$$'d it (or more like 1000th).

    tht said:
    Do you use an external keyboard?

    If these reviewers are using an iPad like a laptop, I submit that it won’t be a good experience at all. People have to be able to use the software keyboard to maximize an iPad’s strengths.

    iOS has drag and drop in a lot of places, gestures all over the place, moving the text cursor in multiple touchscreen ways, using the Pencil in many different ways. This needs to be done with the iPad flat on a table, horizontal. Using all these touch gestures and Pencil while an iPad is vertical or in a clamshell style configuration with external keyboard is nuts. All that touchscreen stuff just won’t work that well because the iPad is not stable while vertical, and users have to lift their whole arms to perform precise gestures. If a lot of manipulation is being done, users will tire pretty quickly doing gestures onscreen. These tablets must be used flat on the table to maximize multi-touch usage and enable fine grained control of objects with your fingers.

    The CNBC’s reviewer’s list of things he or she does is: use corporate Slack, draft up a story in a web browser, use email, and edit photos, typically with all the programs running and switching between these apps. This is eminently doable on an iPad with the software keyboard. Slack, any timeline app, can be in Slide Over, web browsers, email, files and photo editors in various Split Views or full screen views. Switching, drag and drop, and text insertion control are all gesture based, and should be just as fast as a macOS trackpad.

    With vector graphics apps, like OmniGraffle or even Keynote, where a user is creating diagrams, positioning elements, etc, are better with the iPad flat on a table. Drawing and writing with the Pencil is orders of magnitude better with the iPad flat versus vertical.
    The answer almost has to be yes... they are writing a thesis!
    But, bingo! on most of the rest, except for some of that latter stuff being faster on iOS. I'd have to see that to believe it.
  • Reply 38 of 121
    cgWerkscgWerks Posts: 2,952member
    greenmeenie said:
    Actually, that’s kinda cool. The fact that the power of these iPad pros are so far ahead of the software. That means they will be viable for a very long time. iOS will eventually improve. Perhaps iOS 13 will really open things up. I’d much rather have software limitations than out of date hardware. Software can be improved and updated. Hardware you own. If it’s underpowered, you’re stuck. I am confident that iOS will catch up. Meanwhile, it’s comforting to know I won’t have to update my iPad. It will be ready to utilize the software changes when they come.
    I'm skeptical of that, though. It might well be powerful enough in terms of CPU/GPU, but with only 3 GB or RAM, I have to wonder how long THAT will be compatible with the demands of the more advanced software that is supposed to be coming along for iOS.

    The amount of RAM is pretty much what determined when iOS was no longer 'compatible' with every other iOS device in the past, not the CPU/GPU.
  • Reply 39 of 121
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    I agree, Apple doesn't want the iPad to replace your laptop, they want you to keep all your files in the cloud and use whatever device best suits the job you're doing at the moment. That model is better for Apple than replacing computers, because it means everyone buys 3 or 4 specialised devices.

    By the way a lot of sites are using video export to show how fast the iPad is. I'm sure that's an interesting and practical test for video/media people, but is it a good choice of test generally? Because everyone knows there's dedicated video processing hardware in many devices so its more likely you're just testing that (and the storage speed) rather than the general purpose part of the CPU.
  • Reply 40 of 121
    jkichlinejkichline Posts: 1,369member
    Hey everyone... go over to https://bugreport.apple.com/web/ and submit a bug demanding that Apple add external drive support to the Files app.  It's ridiculous that it's not there.  You can plug in any USB drive but you can't get to the data which is just dumb for a "laptop replacement".  If they add USB drive support to the Files interface, it would make it a much more viable alternative for a lot of people.

    The other missing piece is mouse support.  Now I was never a fan of adding it to a touch-based device, but the thing is that people look at the iPad vs. Surface and the surface can support a mouse so they go with that... because they *might* need a mouse.  Apple could see a Bluetooth mouse with multitouch and it would be a hit.  You can also then use the iPad on a desk without lifting your hand in the air to navigate things.

    They also need to actually support 4K like they said... that's still not working based on our tests with multiple devices.

    Also... they need to provide better second screen support.  Developers can support this as well, but it would be great to be able to flick apps to a second screen for monitoring things and use the main screen for touch and editing.
    pscooter63cgWerks
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