iPad Pro, the fantastic device I can hardly recommend
Apple’s top of the line tablet is a fabulous device. However, I struggle to suggest it to anyone.
The iPad Pro is in a weird spot. On the one hand, it is priced like a laptop, especially if you get the accessories like the Apple Pencil and the magic keyboard. On the other hand, it tries to be different from laptops, with features like the excellent touch screen and iPadOS. Even on Apple’s website, the company advertises it as the computer that isn’t a computer.
However, precisely the combination of the laptop like price and the tablet-like features put the iPad Pro in the weird spot it currently is.
The iPad Pro’s problem
Getting work done on an iPad Pro is incredible. Everything feels responsive, the magic keyboard is a blast to type on, and if I need to draw something, the Apple Pencil has my back. Answering emails, browsing the web, and even writing scripts and articles on the iPad is where the device shines.
However, as soon as the tasks go beyond office work, I feel kind of limited by the iPad Pro compared to a regular laptop. In my opinion, handling files feels unintuitive on the iPad, especially when working with the magic keyboard. Additionally, multitasking is also compromised compared to a fully-fledged computer operating system. There are several more small things that sometimes ruin my experience on the iPad Pro and bother me.
There are workarounds for all these problems, and I could still complete them on the iPad Pro. Nevertheless, these issues still take a toll on my productivity. Hence I switch to working on the laptop where I don’t have said problems.
The issue is that many people don’t have the luxury of just switching to their laptop and continue working when they already invested their money in an iPad Pro. Hence, people have to find ways to work around the shortcomings of the iPad.
Who should get an iPad Pro?
Browsing the Apple’s product website of the iPad Pro, it looks like the iPad Pro is perfect for students, artists, and people who need to sketch things a lot.
In my opinion, the iPad Pro is the device for people who already own a laptop and want to have the best accompanying device to it. As previously mentioned, sketching, taking handwritten notes, and getting light office work done feels almost magical on the iPad. Hence, if you already have a laptop or computer for all the other stuff you may need to get done, the iPad Pro is the best accompanying device you can get.
Furthermore, if the primary device you already own, happens to be an Apple computer or laptop, having an iPad Pro to go with it, is flat out the best combination to get work done.
Who should not get an iPad Pro?
Even though Apple advertises the iPad Pro as a laptop replacement, in my opinion, the iPad does not replace a laptop. So, anyone looking for a new computer or laptop should not get an iPad Pro.
I understand that, especially as a student, the iPad Pro’s features are amazing tempting, I would advise you to get a real laptop.
I am a student, and some of the iPad’s features are things that convinced me to get it additionally to my MacBook Pro, but if I had to choose between the two devices, I would always go for the laptop.
A computer OS provides much greater flexibility compared to the iPad’s beefed-up mobile OS. Even though buying a laptop can mean sacrificing the touch screen and decreasing portability, the laptop’s OS’s advantages are worth it.
When using the iPad Pro as a laptop, the shortcomings of iPadOS compared to macOS or Windows are apparent. You can’t resize the windows like on a computer, iPadOS restricts you in how you multitask.
For example, when writing a paper, I usually have word open, some tabs in safari as well as music. So while on an actual computer, I can create separate windows for different tabs and quickly adapt my workspace to my needs, the iPad Pro restricts me in that. I can have three apps on my screen at most, with one being only partly visible because the third app, in slide-over view, covers the underlying application.
As a final note on this topic, I also wouldn’t recommend the iPad Pro to people who already have a laptop but are on a tight budget. If you really need a touch device to sketch or take notes, consider another iPad like the iPad Air or the regular iPad. They also support stylus input, and it is awesome on these devices as well.
Your purchase decision
Whether you should get an iPad Pro or not mainly depends on two questions. Do you already have a laptop, and can you afford the iPad Pro? If the answer to either one of these questions is no, I would strongly suggest you delay the purchase of an iPad Pro. In my opinion, having a capable laptop is a better value for almost everyone than having an iPad Pro.
Also, if you aren’t sure you can afford the iPad Pro, getting a less expensive device like an iPad with the first generation Apple Pencil is still a remarkable combination.
However, if the answer to both is yes, then the iPad Pro is undoubtedly the right device for you. After all, it still is a fabulous device to get work done and integrate into your workflow.
Stay safe
Raffael