Apple first introduced us to itsiPad Pro lineback in 2015, at a time when the tablet computer landscape was in a very different place. This was beforeiOSwas forked into a dedicated OS for the iPad, and before mobile chipsets began to give laptop processors a proper run for their money.
A lot has changed for the iPad Pro in only a short period of time – we now have models that ship with the sameApple Siliconfound in theMacBook Air, a dedicated windowing mode in the form ofStage Manager, and, yes,even a calculator app.
However, even with these undeniable advancements to the product line, the iPad Pro continues to be a difficult tablet to recommend to all but the most ardent Apple loyalists. Mobile-first hardware is no longer a bottleneck, butiPadOSholds back the iPad from exercising its potential.
Why there’s never been a good time to get an iPad Pro
Despite its powerful hardware, the iPad Pro is hard to justify – it’s own operating system is holding it back.
Setting the stage (manager) for Pro-level iPads
When the very first iPad Pro came to market, I struggled to understand its appeal. It was large and unwieldy, and its pricey bespoke Smart Keyboard accessory felt superfluous to the tablet experience. Most consequentially, the iPad Pro ran a scaled up version of iOS – Apple’siPhoneoperating system.
This strategy of a mobile-first software experience played a critical role in cementing tablet computers as a genuine product category.
This strategy of a mobile-first software experience played a critical role in cementing tablet computers as a genuine product category. Apple’s decision to ship the original iPad with iOS as opposed to macOS was the right call, in retrospect. The iPad provided a streamlined user interface that made content consumption more pleasing than on either a smartphone or a laptop.
Unfortunately, this interface paradigm simply didn’t scale for productivity-based computing workloads. The company’s arch-rival Microsoft seemingly had a leg up, shipping its ownSurface Pro tabletswithfull-fat Windowsand all its desktop OS glory. And so, Apple began to rapidly evolve the iPad Pro experience – until it didn’t.
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All the groundwork has already been laid
Apple needs to take another step of ‘courage’
The iPad Pro’s hardware rapidly evolved – we got thinner, uniform bezels, seriously speedy processors, 120Hz refresh rate displays,Thunderbolt 4USB-C connectivity, impossibly thin chassis, and much more.
In the intervening time,iPadOS has also evolved, but not nearly to the same extent. Additions such as a native mouse cursor, Stage Manager app windowing, broader USB peripheral support, and more are all appreciated and necessary software improvements. Unfortunately, this rate of innovation has plummeted over the past couple of iPadOS software generations.
This is a problem because Apple has gone 90% of the way to making iPadOS a viable ‘pro’ computing platform, but hasn’t taken the final steps to solidify its commitment to the category. All the groundwork is in place, but small iOS-isms hamper the broader computing experience.
Apple has gone 90% of the way to making iPadOS a viable ‘pro’ computing platform, but hasn’t taken the final steps to solidify its commitment to the category.
I can only imagine that Apple is dragging its feet for the sake of avoiding MacBook cannibalization, but the end result is distressing: an expensive M4 iPad Pro that can’t play audio from two sources simultaneously. Apple is no stranger to cannibalizing its own products, havingwiped its own iPod product lineoff the map for the sake of the iPhone. The company needs to harness the same ‘courage’ it’s had in previous years, and fix iPadOS once and for all, even if it means stabbing the Mac in the back.
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As it stands, it’s hard to justify dropping top dollar on an iPad Pro. Apple has backed itself into a corner here – the less expensiveiPad AirandiPad minilines successfully fill the content consumption niche, and Apple Silicon-powered MacBooks fill the workstation-on-the-go niche.
There are several small iPadOS tweaks that need addressing in order for the iPad Pro to transcend beyond simply being a showcase piece.
There are several small iPadOS tweaks that need addressing in order for the iPad Pro to transcend beyond simply being a showcase piece. Most of these are small and yet consequential: multi-user support, improvements to the file manager app, remappable mouse controls, and better audio input/output controls immediately spring to mind.
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The Vision Pro headset is too expensive, and too experimental
In the long term, Apple appears to be looking towards a mixed reality future for personal computing. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are both incredibly promising and rapidly evolving technologies, but they’re still baking in the oven. The company’s ownVision Pro headsetis impressive, but far from mainstream.
iPadOS needs to receive some proper attention, to get the iPad Pro past the finish line
In the short-to-medium term, tablet-first computing looks to be a viable solution for most consumers.Google certainly thinks so– the search giant has been busy investing in the Android tablet ecosystem in a big way. More and more people are using mobile devices as their primary computing hardware, as opposed to traditionallaptopsanddesktop PCs.
The iPad Pro is an incredible piece of hardware, possibly Apple’smost flexible product categoryto date. iPadOS needs to receive some proper attention, to get it past the finish line and transform the iPad into a truly pro-level tablet computer.
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