The Apple iPad Pro is the latest tablet from the Cupertino giant, but this time, the company is not only marketing it as a tablet but also as glorified a laptop replacement. Does the device live up to what Apple wants it to be, or is it just a big iPad?
Several critics have dug into the iPad Pro and are making their voices heard after the review embargo was lifted recently. The consensus right now is that the iPad Pro is the first tablet to actually feel like a content creation tool, rather than just an entertainment device.
According to Federico Viticci from MacStories, Apple has positioned the iPad Pro to be more productive, and it works. This is mainly due to the keyboard accessory and the Apple Pencil, all of which transform the iPad Pro from a mere tablet into something different, but not quite a PC replacement.
Viticci also stated that he does not see himself using a Mac as his primary source of computing ever again.
Lauren Goode from The Verge had problems with the iPad Pro's split screen mode. This is because the device only allows for two apps to be side-by-side at any given time. She also said it is not possible to control things with a trackpad, which is correct since the keyboard accessory does not have a trackpad attached.
Also from The Verge is Walt Mossberg, who gave his own take on the iPad Pro. Mossberg claims that he is sticking with his iPad Air because the iPad Pro is not for him. In his view, Apple is targeting those who want something simple for graphics related work. However, for the regular Joes and Janes, the iPad Pro is just an iPad and won't do much about making them want to switch from a computer.
Interestingly enough, Joanna Stern from The Wall Street Journal believes the iPad Pro is the future of computing. She thinks the bigger tablets will push the traditional computers into retirement, a sentiment echoed by some in the tech world for the past couple of years. However, she did state that for now, the iPad Pro is just an excellent, really big iPad.
Overall, most reviewers agree on one thing: the iPad Pro has plenty of good things and it's an impressive tablet, but it's no laptop replacement.
