Apple is going way high end here with the new iPad Pros. The 12.9 inch model starts at the same price with the new MacBook Air, but it’s 128GB vs 256GB on the MBA.

Once you add in the Pencil and the insanely expensive Magic Keyboard, it will be the price of the MBP, but again it’s 128GB vs 256GB.

You have to be really sure of what you need when you buy this iPad Pro. If it’s gonna be your main computer, are you sure the MBA or the upcoming 14 inch MBP won’t be better for day-to-day productivity? If it’s gonna be your supplemental device to your main machine, are you sure the iPad Air/regular iPad can’t do the same job?

This post has been edited by stargazhe: Mar 19 2020, 01:15 AM

It has been an ongoing rumour that Apple will release new iPads and MacBooks with mini-LED display starting from end of this year.
I guess they won’t be replacing the current LCD models, but to be sold at a higher price (similar to iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro).

So... iPad Super Pro incoming?

If you are mostly using Office, the iPad Pro may not be the right choice for you. In my experience Excel is a pain in the a** to use in iOS/iPadOS. You will waste a lot of time on opening and closing multiple files.

No you can’t open 2 excel files side by side. The workaround is using Split View with one file in Excel and one file in Numbers. But that is provided that your spreadsheet is mostly basic data and doesn’t involve complicated formulas as Numbers may not be able to render them correctly. Numbers is aesthetically nicer looking, but functionality wise it is vastly inferior to Excel.

But on the other hand, Microsoft is due to release a new Office app for iPadOS (the iPhone app is already available) later this year. They may improve the multitasking experience with the update, but nothing is sure for now.

Have you considered the new MacBook Air instead? The iPad Pro is superior than MacBook Air in many ways, but macOS is just so much better in handling Office files compared to iPadOS. The MBA will have no problem with light photo editing as well.




This post has been edited by stargazhe: Apr 17 2020, 09:51 AM

If Apple is worried about cannibalization, they wouldn’t have come out with a 12.9 inch iPad Pro. Regardless of OS, it will definitely cannibalize sales of entry level MacBooks.

It is a strategic decision by Apple not to put macOS on the iPad Pro. For Microsoft, it was an easy decision to include full fledged Windows in their Surface Pro - Windows is their biggest strength. But that is not the case for Apple. macOS is nowhere as popular as Windows. On the other hand, the iPad is ubiquitous as a tablet. Even hardcore Android fans will agree that the iPad is better than any Android tablets available. It is smart for Apple to build on from the existing iPad user experience.

macOS is the present for Apple, while iPadOS is the future. To me, the beauty of iPadOS is all the additional features like Slide Over, Split View, and mouse support do not complicate the core experience of using an iPad. If you just want to use an iPad Pro to read, play games, or browse social media, it is as simple to use as any iOS device. But if you want to do more, the multitasking features are there. Don’t forget iPadOS now is still pretty much in the infant stage, so more powerful features will come.

Many children nowadays are growing up with iPads as part of their life. By the time they reach university, they won’t be looking to get a Windows laptop, or a MacBook. It would be the iPad Pro. 😉



This post has been edited by stargazhe: Apr 17 2020, 12:53 PM

Ohh so you are already using MBP 2017. So you are looking for a thin and light device supplementing your MBP? Then yea, no point getting MBA.

Generally I find when converting Word and PowerPoint files to Pages and Keynote, there is not much problem other than missing fonts. But I will always feel lost converting Excel to Numbers, as Numbers has a completely different layout and way of doing things. Try playing around the Numbers app on your MBP. If you have no issue with it then you won’t have any issue on the iPad Pro.

I believe it’s a problem from Microsoft, where whatever you copy out from Excel it automatically becomes a photo. If you use Numbers, you can paste it anywhere as a text, no problem.
I remember a while back you also asked about pasting values instead of pasting formulas in Excel. (It was you right?)
Well it used to be able to do that, but currently there’s a bug where the ‘Paste Special’ button just doesn’t do anything.
Sigh... I got so frustrated using Excel on the iPad that I bought a MacBook Air instead.

This post has been edited by stargazhe: Apr 25 2020, 08:50 PM

Word and PowerPoint for iPad now supports Split View

Trackpad support coming later this year.

Get a USB Type A male to Type C female adapter (make sure it’s not the other way round).

Ohh yea you’re right. I always got this mixed up. 😂