There’s a lot of talk on the internet around the new iPad pro’s being able to be used as a main working computer/ device. Although I find the idea an interesting premise, I struggle to see many people being able to do this.
Despite the fantastic hardware within the iPad Pro’s, as tablets , they are still only really a sup’d up mobile phone running on IOS. I do not mean to do them a disservice, as they are capable of quite a lot, and are remarkable little machines in their own right. However, being a creative person, they are not idea for a lot of what I need a main computer to do.
With that said, they are fantastic devices to have. Not only can they be used as a tool to advance a main computer device (Duet and Astropad come to mind), but they allow certain creative sides to be explored. A good example of this would be Procreate. Now, this app will not be for everyone, but this app along with the Apple Pencil show just how far the iPad Pros have come along.
As a musician, the iPad is not that great for general recording. In fact,my back ground in music technology and live performing alone tells me they are not adequate for my needs. Are they capable of making recordings? Yes. Are they capable of editing? Yes. However, they are extremely limited in that regard. They could be used to record parts and then import onto a main system.
As a photographer, the iPad has more than a few uses. Full lightroom app? Sadly not. Lightroom mobile, although handy in a cinch, is something I just don’t consider to adequate for my needs. With that said, Affinity photo is an app I would love to get my hands on - perhaps in the near future. However, the Astropad app used in tandem with the full lightroom app on a main MacBook is a fantastic tool for photography. This is one of the main reasons I picked up an iPad Pro. Duet is another handy app for photography; the ability to edit and still have a main screen/ finder open on a second screen is handy.
So what about for the average Joe just wanting something to surf the net, listen to music, and play games on? Yes these machines can do this all day long. It is perfectly plausible for someone to use the iPad Pros specifically for these things, and the hardware allows it to be very fast, and the speakers (although nothing special in music gear terms), are good for a portable device.
My conclusion is that the iPad Pro is a fantastic secondary device to have. It can be used in a lot of situations to aid main devices, and can be a stand alone internet surfing device. It is also a fantastic tool for those of us that are creative. Does is replace a 16GB ram IMac or MacBook Pro? The answer is no. I fear that as long as iPad Pros only run on IOS this will not be the case. Does it rival the Microsoft Surface Pro? No, as that is basically a laptop in a tablet running on windows. There seems to be a lot of videos on the toob about iPad Pros been handy devices for students, and I can see why this might be. Overall it s a fantastic piece of technology, and a large number of people will find it very useful.
All the best folks! - Sly