About iPad Pro, we knew almost everything before it was officially unveiled. Not entirely clear was just how he will be positioned. Another form factor of the popular tablet? Full replacement of laptop-based mobile operating system? A specific instrument for the representatives of creative professions? After the official premiere the to understand the essence of the phenomenon was difficult. And even now, after – almost – two months of active work with the iPad Pro, I can’t clearly tell what the device is and who needs it. So this material is not the classic view – you know, what is tablet screen, memory, and how much it costs.
Apple iPad Pro official portrait
I tried for a time to abandon the laptop and perform everyday tasks on a tablet with iOS. Perhaps my personal example is not enough show and I have specific work and lifestyle, therefore for cleanliness of experiment the preparation material I had to connect the artist who was able to test all the features iPad Pro paired with a smart stylus (Pencil) and share your thoughts.
First, it is beautiful
The new iPad Pro is typical Apple, in a good way. He is handsome, charming, laconic and minimalistic. No cheap plastic finish used only glass and aluminum.
The tablet is impeccably built and wonderfully practical
As independent device for iPad Pro is absolutely impossible to find fault, however, the concept of a tablet involves active interaction with other gadgets, including Apple branded accessories. And with that – suddenly – a complete failure! But first let’s talk about the good.
General view of the iPad Pro
On the case the iPad Pro includes all the same elements as on the iPad Air and iPad mini. Due to the fact that the overall size of the device is significantly increased, it seems that the buttons became smaller. Appeared only additional magnetic connector on the left side (it is used to connect Apple keyboard to Smart Keyboard) and a second pair of speakers, now four of them.
The best speakers reveal their potential in a horizontal orientation – then they are located on the sides and radiate sound at will.
The tablet is impeccably built and wonderfully practical
But do not think that Apple actually uses different speakers, the frequency division is performed programmatically, and, if you expand iPad Pro 180 degrees – changing the orientation of the speakers. In short, it’s a pure marketing trick, but we must pay tribute – the iPad Pro doesn’t sound worse than the 13-inch MacBook Pro, not to mention all the other iPads.
IPad screen Pro
The screen is definitely the strong side of the tablet. Let me remind you, the resolution of the 13-inch IPS-matrix (actually, the 12.9 inches) is 2732х2048 pixels. This is even higher than the 15-inch MacBook Pro. The pictures are outrageous, the color reproduction is natural. However, the maximum brightness the iPad Pro is lower than that of the iPad Air 2 is noticeably, if you put both the tablet around, but even if you really decide to replace my Air 2 on Pro, then no difference will not notice. However, you will regularly notice how unpleasant look of the app, not optimized for the bigger iPad.
The back case of the iPad Pro
The screen in combination with speakers the iPad Pro makes a surprisingly nice device for watching videos and playing games. Several times I took the plate to the flight – it is with great success has replaced the original multimedia system on Board, and the battery is enough without a break to watch movies on a flight from Moscow to Hong Kong.
iPad Pro Smart cover
With video no problems – Pro iPad easily plays videos in 4K resolution, but the quality of games has not so much. However, the developers update their games much faster than the creators of applications for work.
The difficulties of transition
Optimized apps the iPad Pro has problems. Apple, of course, immediately created a section in the App Store (even two) with software and games for iPad Pro. And the producer tried best: branded app become not only look beautiful in high resolution, but also acquired new functions based on the capabilities of the iPad Pro and the Pencil. For example, in the Notes (Notes) one-touch mode of the sketch with different tools for drawing. However, third-party developers have been slow to update their apps, and Apple has still work to do – on the Podcasts app, for example.
Clients Facebook and Twitter began to support iPad Pro immediately after his arrival
But some, for example, Dropbox, updated, no hurry. Remember what he looked like iPhone apps running on iPad in mode a twofold increase? About the same thing you will see on the screen of the iPad Pro.
Technical difficulties in General should not arise – the battery life has not changed (it still is 9-10 hours in active mode), but the performance has increased an order of magnitude, it is noticeable even compared to the iPad Air 2, which actually cannot be called slow.
iPad Pro as the primary tool of a journalist
Two weeks I tried to survive with the iPad Pro, without the help of a laptop, but all attempts were failed. I clearly defined a minimum set of functions: email, messengers, notes, text editor (Pages + Google Docs), app for reading news, photo processing and working with very specific CMS in your browser.
Apple iPad Pro combined with the Magic Keyboard and Pencil
Of course, such work is unthinkable without the keyboard – I can reply to the message with the onscreen keys or type the address, or record a short note. But when it comes to writing text in large volumes, without a hardware keyboard can not do. Apple Smart Keyboard for the whole time of my acquaintance with iPad Pro in Moscow and did not deliver, so I had to use wireless Keyboard Apple Magic, which comes bundled with the new iMac. With her on the iPad Pro’s normal typing was just sitting at the table (however, the table also folding airplane is quite enough), but on the knees of these two devices will not put. Rather keyboard is great, but the iPad is much heavier than her, and it becomes very difficult to balance. Drop knee on a hard surface he can and not to worry.
iPad Pro and Smart Keyboard
The second point was not obvious – mobile apps. In Adobe Photoshop on a PC or Mac I work in semi-automatic mode, actively using hot keys. Mobile version of this package only has one name, but from the point of view of opportunities it is not Photoshop, but rather an enhanced version of the filters from Instagram. And, of course, no hot keys it does not work. At all. But this is more a question for Adobe than for Apple.
iPad Pro and Smart Keyboard
System admin, we use on Ferra.ru that worked beautifully in Safari – hotkeys worked in almost all cases.
Inking using Apple Pencil I generally never useful
I used to record on tape, and important announcements or slides from presentations to pictures. But even a quick photo for iPad Pro – enjoy below average. First, the tablet is heavy to hold it in outstretched arms and press the trigger is not easy. Secondly, it attracts too much attention for this purpose is better.
iPad Pro, side view
In General, in my case the experiment failed – I wasn’t able to fully do their jobs, abandoning the laptop. A much more logical choice would have been mini iPad 4 without keyboard – to use it for reading and watching videos when the laptop is exhausted or uncomfortable. However, all this text I heroically wrote on the Apple Magic Keyboard in the Pages app. That is, it is not very convenient, but possible.
Touted multitasking was a sham
Yes, I can simultaneously view tab in the browser and page in a text editor – before it was lacking. But any real multitasking (like OS X) can not be and speeches. You can separately display the picture from a video player, or Skype/FaceTime over the top of the screen, but this is not necessary to have iPad Pro iPad Air 2 multitasking works just as well. Except that on the small screen meaning in all this becomes even less.
the iPad Pro as a tool of Illustrator
Perhaps the main target audience is the iPad Pro – artists, graphic designers, illustrators and representatives of other professions draws. Apps for drawing on the iPad before it was a lot, but the iPad Pro has given additional impetus to this genre. You can draw a finger, but with Apple Pencil becomes more like working with a paintbrush, marker or pencil.
For quick sketches and good sketches updated application Notes. Yes, there are some tools, but for graphical notes this is more than enough. But the main thing – all the pictures are synced and immediately available on iPhone and on MacBook. Similar applications there is Adobe Sketch, which looks nicer and contains a lot of tools, but in General is not so easy.
For more serious work there is Procreate is one of the most powerful application for drawing at all. It has a lot of, all the tools can be flexibly configured, there is even support for layers (especially true when working with watercolor palette), in General, this is not a gimmick, but a very serious tool that successfully replace Adobe Illustrator on the computer. A small timelapse video below shows the process of creating illustrations in Procreate on the iPad Pro.
On the road, the iPad Pro is much more convenient than a MacBook with the “vacoom”, but with the move to withdraw from this combination hard – you need at least six months to test the tablet in a variety of professional tasks. From the point of view of the artist, the potential Pro-version of the iPad is just huge. But it would be better to allow the Pencil to realize the compatibility with the iPad Air.
What is the result?
Above I mentioned that Apple had been large problems where never before they were not. Apple stubbornly continues to ignore one of the most convenient in terms of domestic technology – NFC. No, technically, such a module in the devices is that it uses a payment system Apple Pay, but in Russia it does not work. But the accessories are connected via NFC happens all the time. Imagine how cool it would be if the Pencil be automatically connected to the iPad Pro touch! But simple and obvious way – not for Apple. The company literally came through the back entrance.
What I mean? With the stylus it is necessary to remove the cap, then insert the pen into the Lightning connector on the bottom (think, by the way, about what the total length of the design and how “convenient” to do it on the go!), to wait a couple of seconds, remove the stylus and get to work. You know, I really want to go to Joni Quince and ask in a whisper: “Dude, you’re just kidding, right?” And then, you will not be able to connect with one touch to portable speakers, headphones and other compatible devices – will have to do it the old-fashioned way via the settings menu.
Abe Simpson expressed surprise at the iPad Pro
Sorry not had a chance to work with the Apple Smart Keyboard in combat, but I took the time and tried to ponabirat the text in a real Apple store. The keyboard is quite suitable for typing large texts – there is a clear tactile response, hands don’t get tired. However, there is one “but”. In the official Apple store in Russia this keyboard more than 13 thousand rubles. Nearly 8 thousand stands Pencil.
For a set of iPad Pro with LTE module and accessories you will have to pay more than the laptop
I have even more to say, for the money (108 thousand) you will be able to afford not just abstract laptop, MacBook, or MacBook Air, but still not in the most modest configuration. iPad Pro has been a very specific device: the majority of people its just not needed for everyday tasks it offers about the same that the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 4. Only much more expensive.