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iPad Pro (2018) Review | A Computer for Everywhere
Apr 30, 2024
The iPad Pro is a fun, futuristic, familiar, and f.... pretty great. It’s versatile, and has more processing power that you’ll know what to do with. That’s why it’s my favorite computer to use anywhere I can. More Apple news: http://www.cultofmac.com Follow us! Twitter: https://twitter.com/cultofmac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cultofmac Instagram: https://instagram.com/cultofmac/
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Hey everybody, Ian here for Cultiv Mac, and for the past week I've been using Apple's
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brand new 12.9 inch iPad Pro, and I've got to say, it's been great
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I've used it at home and at work, in the kitchen and in bed, at coffee shops and on the couch
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And in every situation, it's been a delight to use. And it's replaced my iPhone and my MacBook in a ton of situations
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Before we can get into the actual using of the iPad, we have to talk about the design
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of this thing. The new iPad Pros are thinner and lighter than their predecessors, and are the first
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true design shift since the iPad was introduced 8 years ago. While old iPads sported rounded edges, thick bezels, and obviously the home button, the
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new iPad is flat, sharp, and industrial looking. Gone are the bezels and the home button, in favor of a mostly screen design, a gesture-based
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UI, and of course, Face ID. This new iPad Pro is nearing Apple's ultimate vision of what the iPad should be, a magical
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pane of glass that enables you to interact with the world. Outside of the design of the new iPads, there are a couple of accessories to look at before
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you can really get into the conversation about, can this be your computer
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The new smart keyboard folio, and the updated Apple Pencil. While these aren't mandatory for using the iPad as an iPad, and they also increase
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the cost by $329, they are tools that truly enable the iPad to earn its Pro name
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The keyboard folio, which retails for $199, connects magnetically to the back of the iPad
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while offering a tiny bit of protection. Thanks to the redesigned smart connector on the back of the iPad Pro, the new keyboard
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offers two viewing angles for comfort in different situations, unlike the previous smart keyboard
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Also unlike the previous smart keyboard, the new folio is a single piece along the
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bottom, which adds a ton of stability when using it on your lap or on an even surface
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Typing on the new keyboard feels much like the previous smart keyboard, with comfortable
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key spacing, decent key travel, and this soft-touch fabric covering. The only downside to the new keyboard is what happens when it's not in use
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Now with this new single-piece design, the keyboard folio, when flipped back, exposes
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all of the keys under your fingers. Fortunately, the keys are disabled, so accidental input isn't an issue, but it's still a weird
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design choice. The new Apple Pencil is another solid upgrade with the new iPad Pro, coming in at $129
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Unfortunately, the old Apple Pencil doesn't work with the new iPad, and the new Apple Pencil doesn't work with the old iPad
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It's a weird mess, but it's definitely a worthwhile improvement. Unlike the previous Apple Pencil, which charged through the lightning port and offered no
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clear storage solution, Apple has really knocked this one out of the park, with the new Apple Pencil connecting magnetically to the side of the iPad for both storing and
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charging it. The physical design of the pencil is new too. Unlike the glossy finish of the previous Apple Pencil, the new one is a soft matte finish
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and it also has a single flat edge unlike the previous pencil's entirely round design
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In use, I didn't personally notice a huge difference between the old Apple Pencil and
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new Apple Pencil's texture, but that's just me. The flat edge of the pencil is nice, and it helps orientate the pencil when you're
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trying to charge it on the side of the iPad, which is also very handy
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But as someone who only occasionally uses the Apple Pencil for input, I already see
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this new pencil as a nice step forward and a lot of market improvements
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So if you're a heavy relier on the Apple Pencil for getting your work done, this new change
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is likely going to be a huge win. Now that the hardware is out of the way, let's talk about actually using the iPad Pro
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Can it really be a computer, and what makes this iPad Pro so much better
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First off, there's Face ID. It's one of the first things you interact with on the iPad, and it's something you don't
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even see. Whenever you wake the screen, Face ID begins working in the background to unlock the device
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and giving you a seamless transition into your task, whatever it is you're trying to do
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With the iPad Pro, it works in any orientation, portrait, landscape, or even upside down
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The new gesture-based interface is another huge change with the iPad, switching from
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the home button design to swipe gestures very similar to the iPhone X
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Any iPad running iOS 12 can take advantage of most of these UI changes, with one or two
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small exceptions. Multitasking is another one of those features that exists across all modern iPads, but on
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the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, it feels far more practical. And these are actual iPad-class apps, not scaled-up phone-size apps
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It's the ultimate in multitasking experience. I personally use multitasking all the time to jump between apps, whether I'm researching
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and writing about something, or taking notes in a meeting, but also keeping up with that
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iMessage thread at the same time. Thanks to the new gesture-based UI and the incredible processing power of this new iPad
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Pro, it feels even smoother and easier than it ever has before
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And when it comes to using the iPad Pro as a computer, this is where things get really
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interesting and some of the debates get really heated. In my personal opinion, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro specifically feels like an iOS-based computer
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that can also do tablet things on occasion. What I mean by that is, it's big
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Even with the reduced bezels and thinned-out profile, the new iPad Pro and Smart Keyboard
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Folio together make for a fairly beefy package. Using it as a computer, on the other hand, feels fun and very futuristic
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I haven't had a chance to try out the 11-inch model yet, but I suspect that if you want
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a tablet first and a computer second, that's the model for you
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If you want an iOS-based computer that can also do some tablet things, you want the big boy
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Physical size aside, using the iPad adds a layer of convenience you don't get with a laptop
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I found myself wanting to keep the iPad nearby wherever I went
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At times when I would normally reach for my iPhone while watching TV or grab my MacBook
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to go to a meeting, instead I was using the iPad Pro for all of those tasks, making it
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far more universal and versatile no matter where I was or what I was doing
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The addition of USB-C on the new iPad Pro adds another layer to that use-it-everywhere-ness
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albeit there are some caveats. One of my most frequent tasks with my MacBook is editing photos that I've taken with my camera
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With the iPad Pro, it's as easy as using the SD card reader that I was already using
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with my MacBook and plugging it into the USB-C port of the iPad Pro, importing those images
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editing them and then posting them online or sending them off to another app, whatever
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it was that I would normally do with those photos. Unfortunately, Apple's current limitation on what USB devices and USB mass storage devices
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specifically can do with the iPad is one of the more infuriating things about using the
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iPad as a computer replacement. If you plug in a portable hard drive, a memory stick, or an SD card full of files that aren't
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photos or videos, as far as the iPad is concerned, they don't exist
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And that can be really frustrating. While this isn't something that impacts me personally with most of my files in either
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Dropbox or iCloud Drive, it is a hurdle that I expect Apple to change at some point in the future
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There's been a lot of talk online about Apple's positioning of the iPad against its MacBook
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lineup, some saying it's the future of computing while others say there's no way to replace
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stereotypical computer tasks with an iPad Pro. But for most people's use, the iPad Pro is as much a computer as they're ever going to need
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There are tons of incredibly powerful apps available for the iPad which enable it to do all kinds of professional things
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Obviously no one knows your computer needs better than you, so choosing to go to an iPad
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is an incredibly personal decision. Personally for me, I'm doing as much on my iPad as I can, but I'm also fortunate enough
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to have a Mac when I need to do Mac-type things. Apple has made it very clear that they still care about the Mac
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For people that think they need a Mac to do professional things, it's there for you
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For everything else, there's iPad. Thanks for watching, and we'll see you in the next one
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