Last year I reviewed Apple's new iPad Pro and found that it was not quite the laptop replacement that we had hoped for. But with the new tablet that Apple announced last week, the company is closer than ever, especially once iOS 11 comes better.
I tested out the device for several days, on the road and at home. Apple lent me a 10.5-inch iPad Pro, which is the newest size - up from 9.7 inches, which has been the basic screen size for the iPad since it was first introduced. Apple also has a refreshed 12.9-inch iPad Pro. But the smaller iPad Pro, the company said, has become a customer favorite.
The bulk of the iPad's upgrade comes from the improvements of the screen. The display's size bump is noticeable, particularly when watching video, but it hasn't really added much to the device's weight (It's still pretty light at about a pound).
The larger screen makes typing on it easier, though for serious work you will still want to use the keyboard cover or another external keyboard. In fact, as with the previous generation of the iPad Pro, the tablet is best when you add on its accessories. That likely means Apple's $160 smart keyboard case and also the $99 Pencil, if you're looking to sketch. Those are costs you should consider on top of the iPad Pro's own $650 starting price tag.
The screen is the key component of the tablet, of course. Apple's improved the iPad's screen with something it calls ProMotion, which essentially optimizes your iPad's screen to display whatever you're looking at. Text is sharper. Video playback is smoother. Scrolling through a page feels less floaty, with a less noticeable blur in text as you race by and a more immediate clarity when you stop.
These are all small things - if you didn't know that the iPad Pro had a more responsive screen, you may not pick up on it yourself. I'm not sure I would have sensed that without being told to look for it. Still, it's a change worth noting because it improves your experience looking at the screen, particularly if you're doing a lot of online reading on the tablet.
With the addition of an Apple Pencil, the screen's improvements get a little more noticeable. As a person who still takes a lot of notes with paper and ink, I'm always interested when companies claim their tech can replace my ever-growing pile of notebooks. With this iPad Pro, Apple comes closer than ever to simulating that experience. It's more than adequate for jotting down notes during a meeting or for writing down a reminder.
The new size is certainly a plus if you're considering using the iPad Pro as a laptop replacement. For creative work and digital note-taking, you'll notice even less latency than before, which is saying something.
But, in one big way, reviewing the iPad Pro, now as a device for real work would only be telling half the story. The real changes to the iPad Pro, and all of Apple's iOS 11-compatible iPads, will come with the release of iOS 11 in the fall.
Based on the demonstrations Apple has shared, the software update will make the iPad much more like a laptop, using Apple's familiar file structure plus a number of multi-tasking features that will make it feel more robust. Once iOS 11 hits, it will be possible to run up to four apps on the screen at a time - two side-by-side, one floating and video in picture-in-picture. When the new operating system comes out, the combination of the slightly larger size, faster processing power and new software could make the new iPad Pro stand out against the rest of the line.
This may make the proposition more confusing if you've been considering something light like an MacBook Air (which hasn't been updated in years) against the tablet. If you're looking for something portable that you can watch videos on or use to write documents and emails, then it comes down to whether you want to be able to use a touchscreen or not.
Overall, if you have a first-generation iPad Pro and are happy with it, you may not find a compelling reason to upgrade to a new one. But if your laptop is getting up there and you're looking for a light device to replace it? The iPad Pro will soon be able to fill that gap with fewer compromises than ever.
The Washington Post
Tue Jun 13 2017
With the addition of an Apple Pencil, the screen's improvements get a little more noticeable.
Tindakan keras terhadap penjualan racun makhluk perosak haram - CAP
CAP menggesa Lembaga Racun Makhluk Perosak segera mengambil tindakan keras terhadap penjualan racun makhluk perosak haram di negara ini dan menguatkuasakan dengan tegas Akta Racun Perosak 1974.
SDG: UTP lahir pelajar berkemahiran, tinggi tanggungjawab sosial
UTP berhasrat mendidik pelajar bukan sahaja untuk mahir dalam aspek teknikal tetapi juga untuk menjadi warganegara yang bertanggungjawab dari segi kemahiran dan keupayaan sosial.
RUU 355: Pindaan perlu untuk praktikaliti, keadilan
Apa sahaja pindaan terhadap akta itu perlu berjalan selari dengan persediaan mereka yang bertanggungjawab melaksanakannya, seperti mahkamah syariah, pegawai penguatkuasa agama dan peguam syarie.
Kerajaan teliti kaedah baharu lantikan tetap
Kerajaan sedang meneliti kaedah baharu lantikan tetap bagi memastikan pengurusan kewangan negara yang lebih mampan.
Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Wilayah Persekutuan), Dr Zaliha Mustafa berkata hasil kajian tersebut akan dibentangkan kepada Jemaah Menteri untuk pertimbangan dan kelulusan.
Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Wilayah Persekutuan), Dr Zaliha Mustafa berkata hasil kajian tersebut akan dibentangkan kepada Jemaah Menteri untuk pertimbangan dan kelulusan.
PDRM gerak unit skuba forensik, K9 cari bukti hari ini
Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) akan menggerakkan unit skuba (Unit Forensik) serta Unit Anjing Pengesan (K9) ke lokasi penemuan mayat Nur Farah Kartini Abdullah, 25, di Kampung Sri Kledang, Hulu Selangor, pagi esok.
Timbalan Ketua Polis Daerah Hulu Selangor DSP Mohd Asri Mohd Yunus ketika dihubungi Bernama berkata proses mencari bahan bukti akan dimulakan sekitar jam 9 pagi di kawasan parit berhampiran ladang kelapa sawit berkenaan.
Timbalan Ketua Polis Daerah Hulu Selangor DSP Mohd Asri Mohd Yunus ketika dihubungi Bernama berkata proses mencari bahan bukti akan dimulakan sekitar jam 9 pagi di kawasan parit berhampiran ladang kelapa sawit berkenaan.
Dewan Rakyat: Langkah meknoktahkan kemisikan tegar di Sabah antara tumpuan hari ini
Langkah-langkah untuk meknoktahkan kemiskinan tegar di Sabah terutamanya di lapan daerah yang dikategorikan termiskin di Malaysia antara tumpuan persidangan Dewan Rakyat hari ini.
Kagame, menang 99.5 peratus pilihan raya Rwanda
Paul Kagame meneruskan khidmatnya buat penggal keempat berturut-turut sebagai Presiden Rwanda, selepas memenangi 99.15 peratus undi dalam pilihan raya negara itu.
Polis kerah lebih 300 anggota kawal perlawanan Piala FA
Seramai 351 anggota polis ditugaskan bagi mengawal perlawanan separuh akhir Piala FA antara Terengganu FC (TFC) dengan Selangor FC di Stadium Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin (SSMZA) Jumaat ini.
Perisik Korea Utara berpaling tadah
Seorang diplomat Korea Utara berprofil tinggi yang ditempatkan di Cuba dikenali sebagai Ri II Kyu, 52 tahun, berpaling tadah ke Korea Selatan.
Dua warga AS antara yang ditemui maut di bilik hotel di Thailand
Jabatan Negara Amerika Syarikat ambil maklum mengenai laporan mengenai dua warganegaranya yang ditemui mati di sebuah hotel di Thailand.
Anda kini boleh uji iOS 18 Public Beta
Walaupun iOS 18 Public Beta sedia dimuat turun, ia masih lagi dalam peringkat pembangunan dan ujian.
Apple sasar permintaan iPhone 16 lebih tinggi tahun ini, selari pengenalan integrasi AI
Apple turut menyasarkan pendapatan tahunan 2024 yang lebih tinggi, selari pengenalan ciri kecerdasan buatan pada sistem operasi mereka.
Peranti IoT baharu Apple untuk rumah tertiris dengan cip A18
Peranti ini dikatakan akan berada dalam kategori yang sama dengan HomePod dan Apple TV iaitu aksesori untuk rumah.
Apple dijangka mulakan pengeluaran AirPods dengan kamera inframerah menjelang 2026
Mengikut laporan awal, ia dikatakan akan diintegrasikan bersama penggunaan Vision Pro sekali gus memberikan pengalaman yang lebih baik kepada pengguna ketika memakai set kepala tersebut.
Suruhanjaya Eropah lancar siasatan ke atas App Store
Suruhanjaya Eropah akan meneliti amalan gergasi teknologi itu mengenakan bayaran kepada gedung aplikasi alternatif dan pembangun aplikasi setiap kali pengguna iPhone memasang perisian mereka.
Apple, Meta bincang kerjasama penawaran kecerdasan buatan
Antara perkara yang dibincangkan adalah mengintegrasikan model kecerdasan buatan yang dibangunkan Meta terus ke sistem Apple Intelligence.
Microsoft kembali atasi Apple, NVIDIA sebagai syarikat paling bernilai di dunia
Microsoft berada di kedudukan teratas dengan nilai pasaran $3.343 trilion (RM 15.75 trilion), dengan Apple di tangga kedua dengan nilai $3.191 trilion, dan NVIDIA pula dengan nilai $3.113 trilion.
Apple Store pertama di Malaysia guna tenaga lestari sepenuhnya
Ia akan dibuka secara rasminya pada 22 Jun ini, sekali gus memudahkan pengguna tempatan mendapatkan pelbagai produk Apple.
NVIDIA atasi Microsoft sebagai syarikat paling bernilai
NVIDIA, Microsoft dan Apple kekal sebagai syarikat yang mempunyai nilai pasaran melebihi $3 trilion.
Apple fokus pembangunan iPhone 17 yang lebih nipis untuk 2025
Apple dijangka memperkenalkan peranti-peranti lain yang nipis dalam tahun-tahun akan datang.