Can the iPad Pro Replace Your Laptop?
The Powerhouse iPad Pro
The iPad Pro is truly a powerhouse device packed with immense processing power. Powered by the lightning fast A9X chip, the iPad Pro delivers greater CPU and GPU performance than 80-90% of portable laptops shipped in 2015. With its powerful internals, the iPad Pro is able to handle intensive tasks like 3D modeling, video editing and more with ease. The device is armed with a gorgeous 12.9-inch Retina display with 5.6 million pixels, offering an incredibly immersive viewing experience.
Unique Productivity Features
Along with raw power, the iPad Pro comes equipped with unique productivity-enhancing features. The pressure sensitive Apple Pencil allows for natural note-taking and drawing directly on the large display. Users can precisely mark up documents, make illustrations and sketches like using a real pencil. Additionally, the optional Smart Keyboard cover transforms the iPad Pro into a fully-fledged laptop with proper keyboard for typing long documents on-the-go. With these productivity accessories, the iPad Pro aims to offer a true laptop-like experience.
Versatile Creative Tool
Creatives such as designers, architects and engineers find the iPad Pro to be an indispensable creative tool. Its large high-resolution display is perfect for viewing and editing high-res images, CAD drawings and renders with clarity. The Apple Pencil further enhances the creative workflow, enabling precise selections, annotations and edits. Pro-grade apps like Procreate harness the full power of the iPad Pro, allowing digital artists and illustrators to create works of art that was previously only possible on full-blown desktop workstations.
Entertainment Hub
In addition to productivity and creativity, the iPad Pro also delivers an unmatched entertainment experience. Its nearly borderless edge-to-edge Retina display transforms any media into an immersive cinematic experience. Whether you’re streaming movies and shows or reading ebooks and magazines, everything looks fantastic on the large vibrant display. Videos and games also look incredible with true-to-life colors and details. The iPad Pro allows you relax and unwind while being fully entertained without any fan noise or heat like a traditional laptop.
Few Drawbacks
While the iPad Pro boasts impressive power and productivity features, it still falls short in a few areas compared to a traditional laptop. It only runs Apple’s mobile iOS instead of the full-fledged macOS, limiting software compatibility to optimized iOS/iPad apps. The device also lacks certain ports available on laptops like USB-A and SD card reader. Additionally, the large glass display has a higher chance of fingerprints, smudges and scratches compared to a laptop screen over long-term use.
Suitable Replacements?
For basic activities like web browsing, media consumption, note-taking and light productivity tasks, the iPad Pro delivers a laptop-like experience and can definitely replace an average laptop. However, for heavy tasks involving CPU/GPU-intensive work like programming, 3D modeling, video/photo editing would still require a proper laptop or desktop. The iPad Pro excels at specific creative workflows but cannot be a true one-to-one replacement for all laptop users due to limitations in software compatibility and ports. Ultimately, your specific workflow and needs would determine if an iPad Pro could become your primary mobile device replacing your laptop.
The Future is Now
While not a perfect all-in-one replacement, the iPad Pro represents the massive strides made towards transforming tablets into true mobile productivity powerhouses. With each new generation, iPads are tapping deeper into territories hitherto dominated by traditional laptops. Thanks to its powerful hardware, unique input accessories support and ever-growing selection of professional apps, the iPad Pro delivers an experience unheard of even just a couple of years ago for tablets. As software continues evolving to support advanced workflows, the iPad Pro could very well replace laptops for many creative professionals in the very near future. The future of work mobility is here with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
