In the construction industry currently, a iPhone and a iPad are critical when going to a job site (for pictures and note taking RFI's), those that use Apple devices get the job done faster and on time, and it's the combination of fast hardware and software nothing else comes close.
And if your kid is at Jr high and above good note taking is king, I almost wish I was back at school after watching this guy working with notability (10 dollar program) and a 10.9 iPad. www.youtube.com/watch?v=waR3xBDHMqw&frags=pl,wn
I would ask a different question. Do you need an iPad to be April, and are you willing to pay that price? For me I need an iPad to do a limited number of things, and for that I am willing to pay only so much. At this price point. I’d rather buy a laptop which can fundamental do so much more. For the form factor of an iPad and for what I needed to do give me something in the $500 range with a keyboard. Or wait, I already have them. I bought an iPad Pro 9.7 inch lashed year 128 GB. For less then $550. Or a simple answer, by the products that fits the need for as little as you can. Spend the rest on your loved ones.
So wait until the current model is no longer being produced and grab it at a discount is what you are saying?
You have price limit others may not have that same limit. That doesn’t mean that the iPad Pro is not worth what Apple is asking. Which is how it seems you feel when you mention spending the difference on your loved ones?
Honestly this logic can can be applied to almost any purchase. It will always be cheaper if you wait.
In the construction industry currently, a iPhone and a iPad are critical when going to a job site (for pictures and note taking RFI's), those that use Apple devices get the job done faster and on time, and it's the combination of fast hardware and software nothing else comes close.
And if your kid is at Jr high and above good note taking is king, I almost wish I was back at school after watching this guy working with notability (10 dollar program) and a 10.9 iPad. www.youtube.com/watch?v=waR3xBDHMqw&frags=pl,wn
As a contractor I work across sectors. In oil & gas we used a tablet app to view 3D schematics of ocean rigs, and inspectors could make virtual notes on various pieces of equipment as they walked the rig.
But that’s not real work? It’s not consumption, it’s not art/drawing. It’s work.
I’ll put aside the small niche use of pro artwork/photo editing with the Apple Pencil (or simple point of sale registers). Also, any tablet/large smartphone can be used for basic note taking/form input in the field (such as in a doctor’s office). That doesn’t make it a professional computer device. Why?
* ~$1000 Laptops are commonly used by professionals which can completely do all their job computer tasks. The test is whether the 2018 iPad Pro could completely replace a laptop for typical professional work. In most situations I know of the 2018 iPad Pro falls short. - For instance in an office setting with multiple computers for basic word processing, email, video attachments, database programs. Hardware: The 2018 iPad Pro can connect to a larger monitor with the iPad + Apple Pencil trying to act as a trackpad/mouse substitute. (Complete control of the UI by the Pencil would be needed.) But to charge the 2018 iPad at the same time needs a dongle. If one gets a video (with sound) to review, you need a dongle to work with wired headphones+charging+video out. I haven’t heard if that’s possible with the 2018 iPad Pro yet. The 2018 iPad Pro needs more ports. Software: besides problems with file management, iOS needs multiple floating windows, including in the email app, for better work flow. - The 2018 iPad Pro falls short to replace a laptop in typical basic office work.
Those are going to certainly vary by job, which is what I said right at the inset. In my previous job as a Digital Marketing Manager, I used the iPad just fine work. It is roughly the same price as a laptop, affords more portability, and a lot of software is cheaper. It can easily do word processing, email, video attachments, and databases (I used several apps to tap into web-apps for DBs, as well as MySQL and SQL DBs). Some companies use proprietary software or others that may not be represented on iPad, but that isn't the tablets fault.
I also don't see the issue of one port. When connected to most USB-C monitors, the tablet charges at the same time, so a non-issue. Otherwise, it still lasts many hours before needing to be charged. It could powered up over lunch, or a cheap adapter can be picked up, a minimal expense for a workplace. Headphones can be Bluetooth which would nullify that issue as well. Most offices used shared document solutions such as cloud storage or private servers, which all can be accessed on iPad, again, not an issue.
I know it won't fit in many offices yet, but many offices can easily use iPads as computer replacements.
All of these arguments are ultimately going to boil down to use case. But there's really only one that transcends devices, and that's the ability to use a keyboard without lifting your hands up to touch the screen to navigate, or worse yet, pick up and put down a pencil to do it. The iPad fails when using it with an attached keyboard because there is no other quick way to navigate without taking your hands awkwardly off the keyboard (arrow keys limited functionality notwithstanding), in a manner that is hardly ergonomic or productive.
That ergonomics of the keyboard accessory limit usability isn't stopping me from purchase today, but as I have a first generation iPad Pro 12.9, I'm willing to wait for iOS 13 and presumed support of attached drives, and the release of the pro apps like Photoshop that are on the way.
I did get to the Apple store and tried the attached keyboard for the new iPad Pro 12.9, and found the keyboard action surprisingly improved, in my opinion, over the one I purchased for my current 12.9. Adding a touchpad and necessary UI and API for that would go far to create a notebook analog with the iPad Pro.
One thing that I would like to see is a future feature where I could "stream" still images from the buffer in my DSLR/MILC camera directly to the iPad Pro (or an iPhone for that matter) as I shoot, which would definitely be a challenge of WiFi peer to peer bandwidth, even given the deep buffers of current cameras. The fallback would be to stream out of attached storage, in my case an XQD or SD card. I would prefer that this happen in a screen off mode in my backpack, possibly controlled from an Apple Watch or iPhone, such that I needn't physically access that iPad at all while shooting images. That would definitely give me benefit of a 1 TB storage capability.
~$1000 Laptops are commonly used by professionals which can completely do all their job computer tasks.
I'd argue that laptops (notebooks) are not really professional either unless your job specifically requires mobility. I only use my MBP when on the road. If I am in the office or at home I almost always prefer my iMac or Mac Pro primarily due to the poor ergonomics of both the notebook and the iPad. It is much better when your monitor is at a natural height for viewing without hunching over or tilting your head down putting strain on your neck.
I’ll be more clear. A laptop can be used as a desktop while connected to a larger monitor at natural height. That’s how I’ve used them in my company. There are many jobs where employees work in an office and also have meetings in the field. In my company if the worker had a laptop, they would unplug it from the monitor for use outside of the office. * A laptop is a professional computer device because it can do desktop office work and then be taken into the field as the job requires. This double use is cost effective. For typical professional work the iPad Pro can’t easily do basic desktop business tasks as I described.
Again, I see a misunderstanding of what a computer really is, or what’s needed.
no computer can do the full range of work. All computers can only do a certain portion of it. The question is how this is defined. Can you edit a 2 hour motion picture on a laptop? Well, not really. So does that mean it’s not a professional computer? No really.
we can all select our range of tasks that need to be done, and see how well a device fits into that. If it fits for some, and not for others, then that’s pretty normal.
but some people are being deliberately myopic about this. You are being deliberately myopic. Thousands of organizations, including those in government use iPads every day, for what one must call “professional work”. Because these are professionals using them. I would imagine that the millions of people doing their work on iPads would be more than annoyed if you called them unprofessional because that’s how they work. Because professional work is not what YOU define it to be.
Yes, I agree that it depends on the work demands.
But, without evidence other than my own experience, I think most "pros" are doing the traditional laptop tasks that he references -- rather than, say, photo editing. So, I would agree with him based on the functional needs of "most" professionals".
I think part of the difficulty lies in Apple's use of the word "Pro".
It would be more proper and correct to call it "Power User" -- but that lacks the ring that marketing needs...
In fact, many pros don't have a need for the highest performance machine. While the needs of many amateurs far exceed those of a pro.
I'm not recommending dropping the "pro" monicker, just recognizing that functional requirements have little to do with whether or not one is generating money from them.
The mistake Apple made was orienting the camera and sensors in portrait mode. The iPad will be used in landscape mode nearly all the time by most people, so it’s very easy for your thumb to cover the Face ID sensors when holding the naturally. The sensors should have been on the hinge cover (long) side.
And the pencil attachment / cover should have been designed to charge and store the pencil inside the cover, not outside.
Otherwise I love the device...
I’m not sure why the comparison between iPads and laptops is always one-way in favor of the laptop. There are a lot of things my iPad does better than my laptop. For example, my iPad Pro is my favorite way to take notes. Goodnotes and the Apple Pencil are an amazing combination. I love making graphs and flowcharts in Grafio using the Apple Pencil. And I do a lot of PowerPoint presentations directly from my iPad. (Though I wish MS would bring feature parity to the animation controls for the iOS version.) And, again, I can markup changes to the deck with my Apple Pencil. The iPad also makes for a great portable photo editing platform. Using Canon’s Connect app I tether my DSLR wirelessly to my iPad to control my photo shoots and preview on the fly.
The iPad can do all of these things while being lightweight, easy to carry around and use, and with all-day battery life. I am really stunned at how great the battery life is in the new iPad Pro 11”. I can use from 8 AM in the morning to late in the evening without having to charge it.
Just came out of the Apple Store - had my iPhone 6S Plus battery replaced - and I did check the 2018 iPad Pros out. I’m definitely in technolust with them, much more so than the iPhone XS models.
Stunningly beautiful hardware. Beautiful thinness. Amazing displays. Amazing performance. Everything that has been said about them has already been said. Would rather replace my 1 year old iPad Pro 10.5 with an 11 than replace my 3 year old 6S Plus with a XS or XS Max. If Apple uses this ID for the 2019 iPhone models, they would be amazing. Either I go through the rigors of finding a good buyer, lose money trading it in or I wait. I always wait as that means better accessories (leather case please) and improved software, which is surely to come in 12.2, 12.3 and 13.x, and I can waterfall the 10.5 down to the kiddios.
The matte Pencil is nice to hold, pleasant to use. I do not like the magnetic charging connection it uses as it is something that is begging to be placed on incorrectly and something that is easily jarred loose. The tip has to point towards the power and volume buttons. People place them on the wrong way on the Apple Store units. I think I prefer the old way where a charging plug is on the end and it charges in about 2 to 3 minutes. Just don’t like it hanging off the device like that as its “resting” place.
Didn’t bother to check out the Keyboard Folio. A nice leather case would be interesting for this hardware. Or perhaps, just a magnetically attached back cover, a base, that doesn’t cover the sides. I do not like the camera bump, not at all, but I do like the scanning capability and occasional back camera usage. I would back down to something like a 5 MP or 8 MP back came if it means no camera lens protrusion. Hence, why I find a pure back cover an intriguing idea.
I wouldn’t get hung up on whether it is a Pro device or not. “Pro” isn’t short for professional in my book. It’s short for proficient. It’s for people who can maximize the use of the software and hardware to its fullest capabilities, and often require more than it delivers. There will be a large fraction of users who will want more performance than the A12X delivers. Jason Snell came up with a good headline for it: ”A computer, not a PC”. An iPad Pro, and by that I mean 10.5” and larger models, can replace many of the workflows that PCs are used for, just not all of them. For the vast majority of users, it will perform the same or better than a PC would.
But we definitely need to be critical of Apple to implement functionality to do all of the arbitrary workflows that a computer can do. The current UI really doesn’t scale well to 13” displays. Just implement overlapping views and be done with it. The I/O (both Lightning and USBC) need to be improved to support as wide a set of devices as possible, ideally everything PC support. More tunnels need to be built between the app sandboxes. Shell access should be enabled. The virtual memory system should be turned on.
You are incorrect about how the Pencil needs to be placed. It doesn’t matter which way. It’s also very easy to,place it. To do so, you bring the Pencil close to the center of the top, facing either way, and the iPad graphs it, and you see the “Apple Pencil” window, which almost immediately shows the charge battery in green, meaning it’s charging, and the amount it’s charged. I’ve been using this since the 8th now, and it works very well. It’s also not that easy to dislodge the Pencil from its perch. I’m not saying that a decent blow won’t do it, but it stays there if you swipe it a bit.
The new pencil seems to be a great improvement. The charging setup for the old pencil was incredibly unwieldy - I’m always afraid I’m going to knock it and break off the connector. Having an 8” pencil sticking straight out of the bottom/side of your ipad is a surprisingly un-apple setup. The new design is safer, easier to keep the pencil handy, easier to keep it charged and better all around. I just wish they would have let people use the old pencil with the new ipad, but that’s unlikely to be an issue for me.
The idea that a single device has to take over your entire workflow in order to be considered "professional" is a fallacy. For example, how many cameras does a professional photographer own? It's not going to be a single device.
I’m currently using the 10.5 iPad Pro, just waiting for availing in my country to get the 11. As far as iPad v laptop goes, the iPad is used 90% of the time. The Macbook is only around because there isn’t an Indesign alternative for iOS atm.
Attaching a keyboard to an iPad is a compromise on portability and ease of use, as well as on battery. The iPad is designed to be used without attached keyboard and I am writing this on an iPad laying flat on the table. It is not different than typing on a hardware keyboard. That keyboard/trackpad/mouse/macOS issue was resolved years ago with 12” Macbook, which provides the power of macOS in an iPad footprint/portability. Apple releases clearly defined, complete and consistent products, not toaster/fridges.
For millenials a keyboard is an area on the screen with the alphabet acted upon with two thumbs. There is also a weird clickety clack one on dad's desk...
I’ll just put my 2¢ in to say I don’t believe in using the term “Pro” for anything because it’s too open for interpretation, too indeterminate. Just as any shade tree mechanic can hang out their shingle and call themselves an automobile repair shop too many in the tech, especially the tech blog world, fancy themselves “professionals” when in reality they are just tinkerers. And one “Pro’s” needs and wants can vary greatly from person to person. Claiming to be a “Pro” also inflate one’s influence and credibility where it might otherwise not be credible at all. That’s the thing about the anonymous Internet. You CAN’T believe anything your read.
Attaching a keyboard to an iPad is a compromise on portability and ease of use, as well as on battery. The iPad is designed to be used without attached keyboard and I am writing this on an iPad laying flat on the table. It is not different than typing on a hardware keyboard. That keyboard/trackpad/mouse/macOS issue was resolved years ago with 12” Macbook, which provides the power of macOS in an iPad footprint/portability. Apple releases clearly defined, complete and consistent products, not toaster/fridges.
For millenials a keyboard is an area on the screen with the alphabet acted upon with two thumbs. There is also a weird clickety clack one on dad's desk...
"Attaching a keyboard to an iPad is a compromise on portability and ease of use, as well as on battery. The iPad is designed to be used without attached keyboard and I am writing this on an iPad laying flat on the table."
You may be right but to do that for long periods of time while looking down at the tablet ends up being a strain on your neck.
Attaching a keyboard to an iPad is a compromise on portability and ease of use, as well as on battery. The iPad is designed to be used without attached keyboard and I am writing this on an iPad laying flat on the table. It is not different than typing on a hardware keyboard. That keyboard/trackpad/mouse/macOS issue was resolved years ago with 12” Macbook, which provides the power of macOS in an iPad footprint/portability. Apple releases clearly defined, complete and consistent products, not toaster/fridges.
For millenials a keyboard is an area on the screen with the alphabet acted upon with two thumbs. There is also a weird clickety clack one on dad's desk...
"Attaching a keyboard to an iPad is a compromise on portability and ease of use, as well as on battery. The iPad is designed to be used without attached keyboard and I am writing this on an iPad laying flat on the table."
You may be right but to do that for long periods of time while looking down at the tablet ends up being a strain on your neck.
People have been looking down at things flat on a table for centuries, reading books, writing and drawing on paper, cooking and who knows what else activities. It’s no more a problem then any other activity vis-a-vis repetitive stress injuries.
I've been wondering if the Marzipan project, which is described as allowing developers to bring iOS apps to the Mac, isn't also a strategy for bringing a pointing device to iOS. When they bring pointing device support to UIKit, it should work on iOS just as easily as macOS. I'd be very surprised if they don't do this. The questions is when.
You are incorrect about how the Pencil needs to be placed. It doesn’t matter which way. It’s also very easy to,place it. To do so, you bring the Pencil close to the center of the top, facing either way, and the iPad graphs it, and you see the “Apple Pencil” window, which almost immediately shows the charge battery in green, meaning it’s charging, and the amount it’s charged. I’ve been using this since the 8th now, and it works very well. It’s also not that easy to dislodge the Pencil from its perch. I’m not saying that a decent blow won’t do it, but it stays there if you swipe it a bit.
I’ll check it again the next chance I get. Of the four 2018 iPad Pros I saw, two of them had their Pencils loosely hanging from them. So, perhaps they were sticking on with one magnet, ie, the Pencil was two far up the side and was hanging on with the opposable magnets.
I've been wondering if the Marzipan project, which is described as allowing developers to bring iOS apps to the Mac, isn't also a strategy for bringing a pointing device to iOS. When they bring pointing device support to UIKit, it should work on iOS just as easily as macOS. I'd be very surprised if they don't do this. The questions is when.
Or Apple doubles down and brings a touch screen to the Mac. At this point I wouldn’t be surprised, given how conflicting their positions are. They claim a Mac can’t have a touch screen because it would be hard to use requiring a user to lift their hands off the keyboard in an unnatural position to select items, while they market an iPad with a keyboard that requires the user to do exactly that. And at the same time, they say the iPad can’t have a mouse or trackpad because it’s easier to touch the screen and use a pencil, despite marketing it for use with a keyboard, removing their fingers from the screen. So it all depends on how Apple plans to reconcile this disparity. Only allowing iOS apps to run on Macs that support touch screen displays encourages customers who want to run them to upgrade their Macs. Adding a mouse to an iPad is a much less profitable path.
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And if your kid is at Jr high and above good note taking is king, I almost wish I was back at school after watching this guy working with notability (10 dollar program) and a 10.9 iPad. www.youtube.com/watch?v=waR3xBDHMqw&frags=pl,wn
You have price limit others may not have that same limit. That doesn’t mean that the iPad Pro is not worth what Apple is asking. Which is how it seems you feel when you mention spending the difference on your loved ones?
Honestly this logic can can be applied to almost any purchase. It will always be cheaper if you wait.
But that’s not real work? It’s not consumption, it’s not art/drawing. It’s work.
I did get to the Apple store and tried the attached keyboard for the new iPad Pro 12.9, and found the keyboard action surprisingly improved, in my opinion, over the one I purchased for my current 12.9. Adding a touchpad and necessary UI and API for that would go far to create a notebook analog with the iPad Pro.
One thing that I would like to see is a future feature where I could "stream" still images from the buffer in my DSLR/MILC camera directly to the iPad Pro (or an iPhone for that matter) as I shoot, which would definitely be a challenge of WiFi peer to peer bandwidth, even given the deep buffers of current cameras. The fallback would be to stream out of attached storage, in my case an XQD or SD card. I would prefer that this happen in a screen off mode in my backpack, possibly controlled from an Apple Watch or iPhone, such that I needn't physically access that iPad at all while shooting images. That would definitely give me benefit of a 1 TB storage capability.
The iPad can do all of these things while being lightweight, easy to carry around and use, and with all-day battery life. I am really stunned at how great the battery life is in the new iPad Pro 11”. I can use from 8 AM in the morning to late in the evening without having to charge it.
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For millenials a keyboard is an area on the screen with the alphabet acted upon with two thumbs. There is also a weird clickety clack one on dad's desk...
You may be right but to do that for long periods of time while looking down at the tablet ends up being a strain on your neck.