Opinion: Why I Want a New MacBook Pro Instead of an iPad Pro

Over the past few years, I have wanted a new MacBook Pro. I have wanted the newest version of it ever since it was released in 2016. The idea of having more power, yet also having a thin and mobile design was also something that intrigued me.

I should additionally point out that an Appleosophy colleague and I have been discussing this very subject since he is more so a fan of the iPad Pro with the keyboard. 

I am not writing this to slam on my colleague. Despite our political differences, we agree on mostly everything, for the most part. We have come to know each other over the years and we know our likes and dislikes. However, despite our agreements, I have to say that even though we have made huge revolutions in the tablet market, I think I’ll still be asking that sales associate to bring my a MacBook Pro when the time comes. 

For those who do not know, I am currently using a mid-2012 MacBook Pro that is running the newest version of macOS High Sierra. It has 4GB of RAM (which is puny by today’s standards) and a 500GB HDD, as well as an Intel i5 processor.

The MacBook Pro that I would prefer to have would be the newest version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro in Space Gray with an i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, but no TouchBar.

Now, here is why I still prefer the MacBook Pro over the iPad Pro in 2019: 

I am an old-fashioned guy who likes something with a physical keyboard on it. The iPad Pro does have an Apple keyboard that I could buy with it, but the keys are simply too small for me. There are also third-party keyboard cases that could work. On the other hand, I don’t want to have to take the time and day to try out all of those keyboards. The possibilities are endless! 

Meanwhile, the MacBook Pro already has a keyboard that I like. Yes, it has that Butterfly Mechanism keyboard that not everyone is fond with, but it works just fine in the times that I have used it. 

One of the biggest things about wanting a new MacBook Pro is the ability to (somewhat) futureproof myself. I want a device that I can write articles on, edit video with Final Cut Pro (or other video editing software if needed), possibly edit photos one day and be able to do more multitasking than I can right now. 

The iPad Pro can edit video from apps like iMovie, you can edit photos on it and it can handle multitasking pretty well. With that said though, like I said earlier, I am old fashioned. I want something with a built-in keyboard, screen and trackpad. 

Another item that I want to focus on is the fact that when I write, I do it a lot while sitting down at a chair and I don’t want to be reliant on a desk to do my writing on. The iPad Pro can do a good job with writing on your laptop, but you have to write with a touchscreen. Writing on a touchscreen was fun when I was in high school because it was new and cool. As the years have gone by, though, I want to have my physical keyboard when it comes to a device that I will be using everyday to write on. 

This is not to say that I object to a touchscreen keyboard on something like a smartphone and want to go back to the old days of BlackBerry. I love the fact that my iPhone and iPad are touchscreen, it’s one of the things that makes them so great.

When it comes to writing professionally, I just want a laptop. Perhaps in a few years, something will change where I will want an iPad Pro or a device like it. For now though, I want a MacBook Pro and I don’t think that anything or anyone is going to change that right now.