You would think that with Apple being one of the bigger names out there in the market, when they announced that the iPad Pro, which had much speculation months prior was finally coming out, there wouldn’t be so much indecision regarding actually purchasing the gargantuan sized tablet. So what’s actually drawing you to it? What’s holding you back?
For me, being an iPad Mini Retina user looking at the iPad Pro, there are a few things that intrigue me. I have a 128GB iPad Mini Retina, and it suits me just fine, but I’m just like some of you. If three people say it’s good, then I might be swayed into buying it. But one thing has hindered me a bit. For such a beautiful tablet, sporting an A9x chip, it’s certainly faster than other tablets out there on the market, so for a tablet the size of your already functional Macbook, why not have some form of a REAL desktop experience on the device?
Now I’m not saying I need a USB slot on my tablet, or some SD card reader (because we know Apple doesn’t do the whole expandable memory and er… “Stylus” thing.. until now), but something has to give. My attempt to be financially frugal when it comes to if I would get this iPad Pro starts with the question from earlier. Why not have the ability to use some of the functions from your MacBook on your tablet, especially with the price models being almost similar.
For a tablet that comes with a new keyboard and a “pencil”, I’m not completely sold on this at all. Then to add that this first iteration of the large tablet doesn’t even have that “revolutionary 3D Touch” feature, is it just worth it to save myself $1000 and wait until the iPad Pro 2? Or what about just getting a “can-do” tablet, like the upcoming Surface Pro 4, which I’m sure will be around the same price tag.
With Christmas right around the corner, and money burning a hole in our wallets, Apple certainly has a way of making us want things we don’t necessarily need, especially a 32GB tablet the size of your laptop for $800. With apps and graphics expected to grow in size as a result of the larger screen retail, does the cost justify what you’re getting?
Sure you can say, the MacBook is a real computer and the Pro is that fine line between a tablet and a laptop substitute for things like travel, but if that’s what Apple was setting us up for, then they really missed the mark, mainly by not including even the most basic MacOS functionality!
What are your thoughts on the iPad Pro, and will you be purchasing when you have the opportunity? Sound off in the comments.
I am not spending that level of money for something running iOS. If I was spending that much, I’d be all over a Surface Pro, simply because you have a vaster universe of powerful apps available.
As I’ve said elsewhere – I have the Surface Pro 3 and it’s got some serious drawbacks. I also have a <acBook 12" Retina and it's been the best mix of power and convenience for me. But if the iPad Pro offers a decent stylus/notetaking experience, I would seriously look at it and consider it. Most of the key apps I use daily are available for iOS and and many casual games I like that aren't on my Mac or Surface Pro. So for me, it might end up being a viable choice.
I think it’s funny when someone says they are “not spending that amount of money for something running iOS”. Sorry but if you have an iPhone (and I know you don’t Carly) You did spend that much for an iOS device.
Having used a Surface 3 (not pro but still) running Windows 10 w/ MS’s stylus – I can tell you, the Surface is not an iPad killer. Honestly, they are two different devices, with 2 different use cases. The Surface is a PC w/ tablet features. The iPad is a tablet w/ PC functionality.
Ultimately, as much as you might want to do a head to head “which is better” – the reality is that the choice should depend on what you want to do with it. The iPad Pro has settled the argument of whether the iPad is content consumption or creation – especially with the current and pending support from Microsoft, Adobe etc.
The number of available applications is a non-issue as well. As long as item X has the 4 or 6 applications you really need to do your job, the extra 10k that are out there are insignificant. The number of people who end up buying an iPad Pro for no other reason than the pencil and the Adobe image app that was demo’d will probably be surprising. Similarly – the number of people who buy a Surface Pro because they use Windows at work – and their expense report app can run on it will be just as shocking.
I think the more interesting question to ask is – what are you getting and why? What is the one app or feature that tips you toward one over the other.
Since when is iOS NOT a ‘real’ OS?
I think that you have fallen into the ‘cool kid anti-Apple’ trap of raging against things that don’t have much specific meaning.
The iPad and Surface are not the same type of device – the Surface is a mediocre tablet and the iPad is a mediocre laptop.
And they are BOTH over-priced if what you really want is a portable Windows 10 laptop! Grab a Dell XPS 13 for an awesome laptop for less than an i5 Surface Pro, or an Alienware 13 for an excellent gaming machine – also for less.
But you have to ask – WHAT do you want and WHY? I got rid of my iPad because I thought with the MacBook Air I wouldn’t need one – but I found that the I really missed it for a number of reasons and have no regrets buying one … just as I’ll have no regrets buying an iPad Pro if I do.
I have contemplated the Surface Pro (and even Surface 3), but these are not inexpensive, and compared to the devices I just mentioned, they offer a poor value. Sure you get Windows 10, and the ability to load ‘real’ programs – but what does that really mean? So many people use Google Docs or the core Office features – all of which work great on an iPad, and web browsing, email, instant messaging, Netflix & Hulu, Spotify, and so on.
I like having ‘real’ games – so I have the Alienware, because the Surface Pro is NOT a gaming laptop. I also like having my statistical software – so I want a quad-core i7, not the dual core i7 in the Surface Pro.
I have plenty of criticisms about the iPad Pro – price, lack of 3D Touch and no clear ‘must have’ app at release – but the lack of Mac OS X is not among them. And I REALLY don’t think that aspiring to be like the Surface is a winning strategy.
I’d like to try the iPad Pro before I completely dismiss it, but at the moment I’m not sure how a larger iPad would serve me better than the iPad Air 2 does or (for the price) an actual laptop with an attached keyboard. I guess I need to actually get one in my hands.
I agree – on the one hand it will be thinner and lighter with keyboard attached than my Air 2 with Belkin … but it is pretty big length & width – bigger on both sides than the MacBook 12, and wider than the MacBook Air 11.6 or Dell XPS 13!
I struggle with the value prop on this one.