Is The Upcoming iPad Pro For You?

Several months before the actual release, there was quite a lot of chatter about a much bigger iPad. Of course the discussions were quite animated to say the least because producing such a large tablet seemed to contradict the recent trend towards shrinking gadgets.A few weeks ago though, the rumors were finally confirmed and the iPad Pro was announced and will be available in November.

What then is the iPad Pro and is it the tablet for you?

The iPad Pro is a 12.9 inch tablet designed to compete with the Galaxy Tab, Galaxy Note and the Microsoft Surface. It has an A9X processor and has a quad speaker layout. Like the Note, it will allow input via Apple pencil and like its competitors, can be outfitted with a keyboard. Despite its large screen, the implementation of variable refresh rates, which are a first for Apple tablets, allows for a 10 hour battery life. Definitely enough for the power user.

Designed with the professional in mind

With such impressive (and expensive) specifications, it is clear that this is indeed the iPad for professionals. Seeing the widespread use of iPads in business, the Pro allows for a much better interface for presentations whether face to face, or streamed to a projector. The bigger screen also facilitates the creation of illustrations particularly when the optional Apple pencil is used.

With much more screen real estate, creating music with Garageband is much easier as well. While its still smaller than a regular keyboard, those 3 inches go a long way in freeing the creative mind from the smaller boundaries of the old iPad.

Who should buy it?

Those who wish to be on the bleeding edge of technology, this is a must have gadget. The iPad Pro represents a new genre in iPad computing and will probably give rise to other new products and applications.

For the other power users, its probably not that cut and dried. This is because the iPad Pro falls squarely between the iPad and the MacBook. Having IOS and OSX does have its advantages which many power users may prefer. This is why these users carry an iPad AND a MacBook. For these users, the iPad Pro is overkill and they may not cherish having to bring another gadget along.

However, there is a large class of users that carry either an iPad or a MacBook. This is probably the main market for the Pro. These users may have found themselves often wishing that they either had their MacBook (for bigger screens) or their iPads (for more portability). The iPad Pro gives them the best of both worlds.

The iPad Pro has yet to be released so it would be interesting to see how things will play out once its out on the market. No doubt, there is a lot of excitement and anticipation right now and there is every reason to expect this product to be flying off the shelves. Once the initial frenzy has died down and the iPad Pros are put to good use, then it will become clear what direction it will take, and the user profile will be much clearer. At that point, the decision to buy will be much easier. But given the reputation of Apple products, many people will just opt to buy this the first chance they get. 

Count me in.