iPad Pro ?
This is an honest review about the iPad Pro and whether or not it is considered a true pro tool. In this review, I will walk through hardware, software, positives, and shortcomings. This is based on my fourth generation iPad Pro 12.9 WI-FI only model with a magic keyboard and apple pencil.
Hardware
The hardware is beautiful between the high refresh rate screen and beautiful colors provided working on anything else after using the iPad Pro is difficult. It spoils the user with beautiful hardware that is not only eye-pleasing but comfortable for extended use. Everything fits together thoughtfully in a manner that makes any burnt out professional excited to hear and feel the response of the scissor-switch keys. The notion to counterbalance the top heavy laptop replacement by adding extra heft to the magic keyboard is one example of how much time Apple spends working perfecting the user experience. Excited to snap their Apple Pencil in place after a long day of mind mapping and writing down extensive notes for class knowing everything will be charged and ready for the next day of work or class.
My only hardware shortcoming is that there is only one USB type c port on the whole device. Yes, I know there are hubs and dongles for that, but for a company with so much experience developing high quality products, it’s a major oversight in my opinion.
Software
Another place the iPad Pro shines in day to day usage. From using a well organized markdown editor such as Ulysses or editing 4k video the iPad Pro shines in ways unexpected. Even on days where one might need a full-fledged browser Safari comes through in a jam with a desktop class browser. Don’t forget the scribble a feature that is often overlooked. This feature allows handwriting recognition into any application as long as there is a text box for input. As usual, though Apple is far from first to market with stylus input on a tablet they have the best experience by far leaving most competitors in the dust.
Unfortunately, this where the software starts to fall short. Once I start working on larger workflows such as coding, excel pivot tables, editing a resume, or performing a few application security basics the iPad falls flat. It has the hardware to these things with ease, but Apple has crippled this portion of the software. I could speculate but I will not.
Killer one is the inability to extend the display for all applications for a device that costs this much and is considered a pro tool, this relegates it to being a companion device, but not a standalone.
Killer two is I see tons of people attaching a second computer such as a raspberry pi or remoting into a second device just to justify that this is a full-fledged computer. These workarounds are great for people who were not aware of these shortcomings. However, those are workarounds to make a device that costs in the 1500 dollar ballpark to do the job it’s labeled to do which is to be a Pro device.
Can the Pro Title be Earned?
I have begun to lovingly refer to my iPad as the iPad Max because the pro name is a misnomer, better yet mislabeled. The easiest way to earn the Pro name would be to allow the iPad Pro to run Mac apps or even a full-fledged touch friendly MacOS. For professionals who do not deal with any code, excel, or any kind of web browser related work that requires plugins from Firefox or chrome this is a pro device. For everyone else, this device falls short. Below is a shortlist that would move the iPad Max to Pro level:
- More I/O ports
- Extend display natively
- Full Microsoft Office
- Full Google Chrome and Firefox
- Pro level IDE I.E Visual Studio Code || Sublime Text
Notice that I did not say that Apple should make MacOS applications completely available. This would be nice, but I understand that may cause a bit of competition between the iPad Pro and the MacBook Air. I cannot request a company to compete with itself, but we can request that Apple gives a full-fledged Pro device.
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