Many people believe that these new tablet/computer combos from the likes of Apple (iPad Pro), Google (Pixel Slate), and Microsoft (Surface) will be the future of computing, but they just aren’t good enough right now. I believe that Apple has already hit what they need to make the iPad Pro the future of computing.
From what I’ve seen, most reviewers look at these devices, especially the iPad Pro because of it’s “Pro” moniker, from the prospective of true “pro” user. I think Apple is taking a different prospective: a replacement for the average user. Someone who doesn’t really need all of the more “pro”-oriented features is the perfect iPad Pro customer. It has enough power for any work or games they want to do, it’s super thin, light, and portable, and has a great screen and camera. What more does the average person really need?
Those things listed are why the iPad Pro really has a great advantage over traditional laptops. No laptop that can do all the iPad Pro can do can be that thin, light, and quiet (because there’s no fans, so it’s always silent.) A small little slab of glass and metal that can be easily picked up and put in a backpack or purse while not feeling big, bulky, or heavy is much more appealing than a whole laptop.
I think iOS is also a big reason the iPad Pro is the future of computing. Yes, it’s limited, but that can be a good thing. Imagine someone who’s maybe a little older, and isn’t very tech-savvy. On a computer (especially Windows) changing some of the most basic settings can be difficult, sometimes requiring two or more apps to change a basic function, such as the screen saver. On iOS, there isn’t much you can get into that would mess up your computer and make it slow or buggy. iOS is also almost impervious to viruses. This means you never have to worry about what you are downloading. iOS is easy to use, but hard to mess up. The App Store also allows you to easily get an App for just about anything you could need.
The iPad Pro also has a great future. Obviously, there are some software-side things Apple could do to make the experience even better. One of these things is mouse support. I think that this can and will be happening for one reason: Project Marzipan. Project Marzipan is a new method Apple introduced last year for developers to take their iOS apps and put them on macOS, with mouse support. Check out the Home or News App on Mac to see what I mean. This could easily be put into iOS as a sort of mouse-mode.
