iPad Pro: 6 Pros, 4 Cons For Business Users
The iPad Pro represents a sea change for Apple's tablet, which is now more than ever angling to replace your laptop.
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Apple revealed the iPad Pro on Sept. 9, a massive tablet aimed squarely at those looking to be productive on the go. The iPad Pro is clearly a shot across the bow of the Surface Pro, a tablet Microsoft claims is good enough to replace the ever-trusty laptop.
The iPad Pro is a steroid-infused beast of a machine that will appeal to many business users, but it's not for everyone.
Apple nailed the design. The iPad Pro is a larger version of the iPad Air 2, which is a slim beauty. It maintains the 4:3 screen aspect ratio, an ideal balance for work and play, and carries over the attractive aluminum casing without adding too much bulk.
CEO Tim Cook and his executives also decided to pull out all the stops with the iPad Pro by including a stylus called the Apple Pencil, an addition that is designed to give the tablet more functionality in the boardroom and office. This seems to have been one of the bigger steps for Apple, since the company had been allergic to the idea of a stylus for years.
[Want to see Apple's full fall lineup? Here's a look at the iPhone 6s, the iPad Pro, and Apple TV.]
The bigger question is: Can Apple make the tablet relevant? After all, iPad sales, along with other tablet sales, have stagnated or fallen in the last year as the smartphone has become the dominant device for consumers and business users. Is Apple's magic enough to ignite a market?
The enterprise market is not one that Apple actively seeks out, but the company has shown the ability not only to glide into it, but to dominate it as well. Just ask anyone using an iPhone who sits next to you in the office.
What else did Apple get right? What did it get wrong? What do you think? What are your favorite and least favorite features of the new iPad Pro? Please add to the discussion below.
Apple's iPad has featured a 9.7-inch display from day one. The iPad Pro stretches that to 12.9 inches. Moreover, the display offers a resolution of 2732 x 2048 pixels, making for 264 pixels-per-inch. That translates to more than 5.2 million pixels packed into the LCD. As always, the display is resistant to fingerprints and includes an anti-reflective coating. The surface area is quite large, and provides a compelling canvas for your charts, graphics, and presentations.
The A9x is Apple's newest 64-bit processor, an architecture that has reached its third generation. The A9x includes the built-in M9 motion coprocessor for improved handling of sensor data. Apple doesn't generally reveal clock speeds, or the number of cores in its processors. However, the company said the A9x delivers 1.8 times the speed of the iPad Air 2's A8x chip. Apple said the processor allows the iPad Pro to edit three 4K videos at the same time. That's a lot of power. (Curious about RAM? Adobe claims the iPad Pro has 4 GB of RAM, which is double the iPad Air's 2 GB.)
Apple's newest operating system makes the iPad Pro a smart machine for mobile professionals. For example, the size of the screen combined with iOS 9 gives the iPad Pro a full-sized software keyboard for typing. Further, the new split-screen multitasking powers in iOS 9 give the iPad Pro generous work spaces to make it easy for mobile professionals to work with multiple apps simultaneously.
The Smart Keyboard marks the first time Apple has designed a keyboard accessory specifically for its own tablet. It doubles as a cover and a fold-out keyboard for those who prefer typing on real keys. The Smart Keyboard uses the same lauded button technology found in the MacBook, which produces excellent travel and feedback. Further, using the keyboard leaves the entire display open as a workspace. It costs $169.
The Apple Pencil met with sniggers from the audience when it was revealed during the company's Sept. 9 media event in San Francisco. The late Steve Jobs, Apple's founder and former CEO, famously derided the stylus. Even so, the tools have come a long way since Jobs's time. The Apple Pencil is an active digitizer. According to those who tested it, it works perfectly. The iPad Pro is able to reject the user's palm (something that still plagues some tablets), allowing users to press lightly for thinner lines or press more firmly for thicker lines. Microsoft and Adobe demonstrated the strengths of the Apple Pencil on stage during the event. It costs $99.
The size and weight of the iPad Pro make it a more cumbersome couch companion than the iPad Air 2 or iPad Mini. Enhanced sound quality more than makes up for its girth. Every version of the iPad sold since 2010 has included a single mono speaker. The iPad Pro has four speakers, offering stereo sound whether the slate is held vertically or horizontally. Apple said the iPad Pro's speakers create three times the volume of the iPad Air 2, which means music, movies, and other content will be that much more immersive. The speakers react dynamically as users move the tablet around. Cool stuff.
A tablet this big should last longer than 10 hours on a charge. Apple has kept all its tablets close to the 10-hour mark with respect to battery life. The company could easily improve that. The iPad Pro, which is targeting mobile professionals, should offer at least 12 hours of battery life. The LTE-enabled iPad Pro drops battery life to 9 hours. Boo.
Good grief, the iPad Pro is expensive. The entry-level model starts at $799 (the same original price point as the entry-level Surface Pro 3). The $799 version includes WiFi and a mere 32 GB of storage. Bumping the storage up to 128 GB will set you back $949. Want LTE, too? Add another $130. The only 4G option costs a whopping $1,079 and forces buyers to include 128 GB of storage. It would be nice to see a 64 GB LTE option priced under $1,000.
The iPad Pro weighs in at 1.57 pounds. That's about a half-pound lighter than the MacBook, and half the weight of the MacBook Air. The thing is 12 inches long, 8.68 inches wide, and 0.27 inches thick -- dimensions that bring it close to the MacBook and MacBook Air. By itself the iPad Pro will be less of a drag on the shoulders of mobile professionals as they scurry through airports. So why is this a con? Because of all the accessories you'll end up schlepping along with it.
While the Apple Pencil's weight is likely negligible, the Smart Keyboard will add bulk and weight to the iPad Pro. How much? We don't know, Apple isn't saying. It's likely the Smart Keyboard puts the iPad Pro in the same weight category as the MacBook or even MacBook Air. If the keyboard negates any weight savings offered by the tablet, some business users might opt for a laptop instead.
This version is smaller, lighter, and less costly, yet offers almost all the same features as the iPad Pro. In fact, the only things the iPad Air 2 lacks that are found in iPad Pro are Apple Pencil, stereo speakers, and increased screen real estate. iOS 9 adds the same multitasking functions to the iPad Air 2, and the smaller tablet has the same battery life, pixel density, camera, and connectivity options of the iPad Pro.
Is an iPad Pro on your wishlist? Is it something you expect your business users to start demanding? Does it represent a viable laptop alternative for your mobile workers? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.
Is an iPad Pro on your wishlist? Is it something you expect your business users to start demanding? Does it represent a viable laptop alternative for your mobile workers? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.
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