After reading some comments, is interesting how some are looking forward to use an iPad to replace a notebook. That's exactly what MS did with the Surface Pro, a tablet that can be used as a full notebook. Many people thought it was a bad idea, but now Apple is doing it. Maybe MS was right from the beginning.
It's not a competition between a laptop and tablet. Different people want to use their computers in the manner they want. I love iPadOS being a touch first system, but the issue is or was Apple designed the iPad as a tweener device between an iPhone and a Mac. That's great for basically the vast majority of iPad buyers, but there is niche who want all the features seen in a PC operating system. That doesn't mean making it a laptop, but having all these PC features - page file on, arbitrarily sized and overlapping apps, shell access, external monitors, etc - so that people can do more with a touch based OS on a tablet.
I wouldn't use it like a laptop. I'd used it flat on a table, with the software keyboard and basically touch only. If I can dock it to a keyboard, great. Use it as a desktop? Great. But first and foremost, it has to remain a touch OS.
After reading some comments, is interesting how some are looking forward to use an iPad to replace a notebook. That's exactly what MS did with the Surface Pro, a tablet that can be used as a full notebook. Many people thought it was a bad idea, but now Apple is doing it. Maybe MS was right from the beginning.
It's not a competition between a laptop and tablet. Different people want to use their computers in the manner they want. I love iPadOS being a touch first system, but the issue is or was Apple designed the iPad as a tweener device between an iPhone and a Mac. That's great for basically the vast majority of iPad buyers, but there is niche who want all the features seen in a PC operating system. That doesn't mean making it a laptop, but having all these PC features - page file on, arbitrarily sized and overlapping apps, shell access, external monitors, etc - so that people can do more with a touch based OS on a tablet.
I didn't thought of a competition at all, but more about Apple changing. Since day one, Surface was a tablet that can be used as a notebook. The approach was different from Apple, that, as you said, designed the iPad to be a device between the iPhone and a Mac. But now Apple have a desktop class CPU in the iPad. And every year they are adding more features to make the iPad similar to a laptop, or more specifically, a Surface Pro. My Surface Pro from 2015 had most of the features Apple have been adding to the iPad Pro the last 7 years, like the Pen, Windows Hello, Multitasking, keyboard w/ trackpad and support for mouse and external monitors. I agree with you that most iPad buyers are happy with the iPad as a tablet. But I don't think the group of users that want the iPad just to be a tablet is niche or small. If that was the case, I don't think Apple would be making the changes we are seeing.
I wouldn't use it like a laptop. I'd used it flat on a table, with the software keyboard and basically touch only. If I can dock it to a keyboard, great. Use it as a desktop? Great. But first and foremost, it has to remain a touch OS.
I have used my Surface Pro 4 as a laptop, and while is not the best experience, is usable. And I agree that the iPad is a better optimized device with touch. But the Surface Pro is a better device as soon as you add a keyboard / trackpad or external monitor.
danvm said: But I don't think the group of users that want the iPad just to be a tablet is niche or small. If that was the case, I don't think Apple would be making the changes we are seeing.
It's small, otherwise it would be more popular. It's basically MS holding the fort on a tablet form factor these days in the Windows world, with a few followers. Most other OEMS are laptops with touchscreens or 2-in-1 form factors where the keyboard is part of the laptop, and which are used as a laptop 99% of the time. The slate tablet with keyboard accessory is fighting for sales among the other two, and I don't think its gained much ground market wide after the initial penetration. Even MS has added the other two form factors in their Surface lineup, and that diluted the tablet/slate form factor's market penetration, with people buying a Surface Laptop or a Surface Studio Pro devices rather than a Surface Pro.
Microsoft has been doing this a lot longer than in their Surface hardware era. It's been about 2 decades since Windows Tablet PC edition came out, and virtually all of the form factors that Surface devices have has came out before. I think the Surface hardware is basically an evolution of the Tablet PC hardware years before, with the full functionality of Windows plus stylus input. It's a primarily keyboard and mouse UI, with stylus input in tablet modes. MS gave it a go with a primarily touch interface with Windows 8, but has retreated imo with Windows 10+.
My biggest fear with the iPadOS software changes is that Apple makes it so that keyboard and mouse or stylii are required for us. Every software feature should be touch first. This rumored 14.1" iPad is interesting as 14.1" is 8.5x11.3. 11.3 inches is an interesting number as it is exactly 15 full space keys, or a touch wider than the Apple laptop keyboard. That could be a sign that they are thinking about refining the software keyboard. A 14.1" iPad could have a full space 15 key wide software keyboard, be it 4 row, 5 row, or 4.5 row, further improving touch keyboard productivity. Or if in portrait, it's an 11 key wide keyboard, with a lot more vertical space for apps. That all sounds nice for touch UI stuff. Something the size of 8.5x11 also very nice for drawing.
I have used my Surface Pro 4 as a laptop, and while is not the best experience, is usable. And I agree that the iPad is a better optimized device with touch. But the Surface Pro is a better device as soon as you add a keyboard / trackpad or external monitor.
I think the Surface Pro tablets are used as laptops 99% of the time. I've heard that the Surface Pro keyboard take-up rate is more than 1. That is, MS has sold more Surface Pro keyboards than they have sold Surface Pro devices. That essentially means they are primarily used as laptops.
The difference to me is that the iPad is a touch OS device. While it can be used as a laptop, or a desktop, I hope it remains a touch OS device, even as more and more software comes. That means the continuing evolution of the software keyboard, button/action targets or finger tap sized, so on and so forth.
danvm said: But I don't think the group of users that want the iPad just to be a tablet is niche or small. If that was the case, I don't think Apple would be making the changes we are seeing.
It's small, otherwise it would be more popular. It's basically MS holding the fort on a tablet form factor these days in the Windows world, with a few followers. Most other OEMS are laptops with touchscreens or 2-in-1 form factors where the keyboard is part of the laptop, and which are used as a laptop 99% of the time. The slate tablet with keyboard accessory is fighting for sales among the other two, and I don't think its gained much ground market wide after the initial penetration. Even MS has added the other two form factors in their Surface lineup, and that diluted the tablet/slate form factor's market penetration, with people buying a Surface Laptop or a Surface Studio Pro devices rather than a Surface Pro.
Microsoft has been doing this a lot longer than in their Surface hardware era. It's been about 2 decades since Windows Tablet PC edition came out, and virtually all of the form factors that Surface devices have has came out before. I think the Surface hardware is basically an evolution of the Tablet PC hardware years before, with the full functionality of Windows plus stylus input. It's a primarily keyboard and mouse UI, with stylus input in tablet modes. MS gave it a go with a primarily touch interface with Windows 8, but has retreated imo with Windows 10+.
My biggest fear with the iPadOS software changes is that Apple makes it so that keyboard and mouse or stylii are required for us. Every software feature should be touch first. This rumored 14.1" iPad is interesting as 14.1" is 8.5x11.3. 11.3 inches is an interesting number as it is exactly 15 full space keys, or a touch wider than the Apple laptop keyboard. That could be a sign that they are thinking about refining the software keyboard. A 14.1" iPad could have a full space 15 key wide software keyboard, be it 4 row, 5 row, or 4.5 row, further improving touch keyboard productivity. Or if in portrait, it's an 11 key wide keyboard, with a lot more vertical space for apps. That all sounds nice for touch UI stuff. Something the size of 8.5x11 also very nice for drawing.
I have used my Surface Pro 4 as a laptop, and while is not the best experience, is usable. And I agree that the iPad is a better optimized device with touch. But the Surface Pro is a better device as soon as you add a keyboard / trackpad or external monitor.
I think the Surface Pro tablets are used as laptops 99% of the time. I've heard that the Surface Pro keyboard take-up rate is more than 1. That is, MS has sold more Surface Pro keyboards than they have sold Surface Pro devices. That essentially means they are primarily used as laptops.
The difference to me is that the iPad is a touch OS device. While it can be used as a laptop, or a desktop, I hope it remains a touch OS device, even as more and more software comes. That means the continuing evolution of the software keyboard, button/action targets or finger tap sized, so on and so forth.
Again, I don't think Apple is investing time and R&D for a niche / small group of users. Based in what I have seen, it's clear that they are making the iPad similar to a Surface device. Yes, MS now have traditional notebooks and desktops in their lineup, but I think this was expected, considering they want have a stronger presence in the PC market.
IMO, I would not fear iPadOS changing. I had a Surface Pro 4, and had no issues using touch and keyboard / trackpad in the same device. Still, what ever Apple do, there will be compromises. I have seen them with my SP4 and I can see them in iPadOS 16. Still, I was very happy with my SP4, and I don't see any reasons for customer be happy with iPadOS benefits / compromises.
And I agree with you that iPad is a touch OS device, and a better tablet that a Surface Pro. At the same time, I think Surface Pro is a better device when you attach a keyboard + trackpad / mouse.
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I wouldn't use it like a laptop. I'd used it flat on a table, with the software keyboard and basically touch only. If I can dock it to a keyboard, great. Use it as a desktop? Great. But first and foremost, it has to remain a touch OS.
I have used my Surface Pro 4 as a laptop, and while is not the best experience, is usable. And I agree that the iPad is a better optimized device with touch. But the Surface Pro is a better device as soon as you add a keyboard / trackpad or external monitor.
Microsoft has been doing this a lot longer than in their Surface hardware era. It's been about 2 decades since Windows Tablet PC edition came out, and virtually all of the form factors that Surface devices have has came out before. I think the Surface hardware is basically an evolution of the Tablet PC hardware years before, with the full functionality of Windows plus stylus input. It's a primarily keyboard and mouse UI, with stylus input in tablet modes. MS gave it a go with a primarily touch interface with Windows 8, but has retreated imo with Windows 10+.
My biggest fear with the iPadOS software changes is that Apple makes it so that keyboard and mouse or stylii are required for us. Every software feature should be touch first. This rumored 14.1" iPad is interesting as 14.1" is 8.5x11.3. 11.3 inches is an interesting number as it is exactly 15 full space keys, or a touch wider than the Apple laptop keyboard. That could be a sign that they are thinking about refining the software keyboard. A 14.1" iPad could have a full space 15 key wide software keyboard, be it 4 row, 5 row, or 4.5 row, further improving touch keyboard productivity. Or if in portrait, it's an 11 key wide keyboard, with a lot more vertical space for apps. That all sounds nice for touch UI stuff. Something the size of 8.5x11 also very nice for drawing.
I think the Surface Pro tablets are used as laptops 99% of the time. I've heard that the Surface Pro keyboard take-up rate is more than 1. That is, MS has sold more Surface Pro keyboards than they have sold Surface Pro devices. That essentially means they are primarily used as laptops.
The difference to me is that the iPad is a touch OS device. While it can be used as a laptop, or a desktop, I hope it remains a touch OS device, even as more and more software comes. That means the continuing evolution of the software keyboard, button/action targets or finger tap sized, so on and so forth.
IMO, I would not fear iPadOS changing. I had a Surface Pro 4, and had no issues using touch and keyboard / trackpad in the same device. Still, what ever Apple do, there will be compromises. I have seen them with my SP4 and I can see them in iPadOS 16. Still, I was very happy with my SP4, and I don't see any reasons for customer be happy with iPadOS benefits / compromises.
And I agree with you that iPad is a touch OS device, and a better tablet that a Surface Pro. At the same time, I think Surface Pro is a better device when you attach a keyboard + trackpad / mouse.