So now that apple has finally caved and added trackpad and mouse support to their iPad,
they’re really trying to push their iPad as a legitimate laptop replacement.
Especially with their new iPad Pro and magic keyboard which has a back lit keyboard, an
extra USB C port so that you can charge your iPad but also still be able to have an accessory
plugged into your iPad… and more importantly, it also has a built in track pad.
Effectively transforming your tablet into a laptop that runs iPad OS.
But unfortunately, the magic keyboard won’t be available until later on… so if you want
to get the laptop experience with the iPad Pro right now you could go with the smart
keyboard folio and you can either pair it with a magic mouse or a magic keyboard.
Now after using this set up for the last week… yeah the iPad Pro could definitely act as
a replacement for a laptop for someone who is mostly using social media, consuming content
like videos, movies, or books, and mostly using word processing apps.
But is it the smartest investment out there…
I don’t think so.
This is the entry level iPad Pro which has an eleven inch screen which is gorgeous by
they way, and 128 gigs of storage which retails for $800.
But then if you add up the smart keyboard which retails for $180 and the magic mouse
which retails for $80… we’re looking at this set up costing us $1060 plus tax.
Or if we were to pair this iPad Pro with just the Magic Keyboard which is set to retail
for $300… this set up would cost $1100 plus tax.
And mind you this is the entry level setup
For the same amount of money you can literally get the new MacBook Air which starts off at
$1000 and you get a larger 13 inch screen and with 256 gigs of storage which is twice
of that of this iPad Pro.
But lets say hypothetically you’ll might be dead set on getting an iPad Pro cause you’re
interested in having a lot of power in a super compact form factor.
I still can’t help but notice some usability shortcomings that just make me want to go
right back to a normal sized laptop.
First off you definitely gotta get used to using this smaller keyboard cause it is noticeably
more cramped than the full sized keyboard found on a 13 inch laptop or wireless keyboard
that you might be using with your iMac.
And you know, a lot of people complain about the butterfly switches on the 13 inch MacBook
Pro, but I think the keyboard feel on the iPad Pro is way worse cause its just mush
city.
But after awhile you do adjust and learn to deal with it.
But one of the biggest reasons why I just miss using a normal laptop is cause this smart
keyboard just doesn’t allow you to fully adjust the angle of your screen.
Now the angle of the iPad is decent for like when you’re using it on a table, but if
you want to use it in bed… and lets be honest a lot of people use their laptops in bed you
just can’t tilt it up or down.
Now yeah you can definitely just hold your iPad… but that just gets tiring after awhile.
Now one of the coolest things about this case is just how you attach it to your iPad.
It just magnetically connects.
Now even though this is neat and all its definitely not my favorite.
Ive already had a situation where I was just opening up my iPad and it accidentally fell
out of the case and got damaged.
So if you’re accident prone you definitely want to watch out.
Or you’ll might want to go for a different case.
Now when it comes to the mouse support on the iPad Pro…
I actually have no complaints.
If you pair your iPad with a magic mouse, then using your mouse is just like using it
with an iMac.
The courser speed is about the same, you’ve got the same gestures so you can scroll up
and down or you can swipe between app pages and the courser is smart enough enlarge certain
elements or apps when you get near them.
It really does makes using your iPad much easier.
Cause personally im not the biggest fan of touch screens on laptops in general.
But what I did notice was that if you used a third party mouse with the iPad Pro then
it wasn’t as seamless as using a magic mouse.
In my case courser speed was much too high and I didn’t have a way to reduce it and
losing the gesture support really did handicap me whenever it came to navigating through
the OS.
So hopefully in the near future third party companies like Logitech will release an app
for iPad to that you can customize your mouse and set hot keys for their MX Vertical and
MX Master 3.
But when you put everything like the iPad Pro, smart keyboard and magic mouse… you
can really get some work done.
Now like I mentioned earlier typing on this smaller keyboard isn’t the best but you
do learn to adjust.
And since the iPad Pro is very powerful you can quickly jump in-between apps and have
multiple apps open at the same time cause this thing does have 6 gigs of ram.
And then thanks to the mouse support you can quickly navigate through pages and cut and
paste stuff just as you would with a normal laptop.
And like I mentioned earlier the iPad Pro is great for consuming content like books
or video just cause the screen on this thing just looks super vibrant.
But also the speakers on the iPad Pro sound really good as well.
I would even go as far and say that the speakers on the iPad Pro sound better than the speakers
on this 13 inch MacBook Pro cause they sound fuller and suffer from less distortion.
But so that you can hear for yourself we’re going to do a quick sound test.
And also the microphone on the iPad Pro and front facing camera make for great video calls
cause you sound and look great.
So if you’re someone that works from home a lot or if you just want to stay in touch
with family the iPad Pro can definitely come in handy.
But finally lets talk about the camera system on the back, there’s a 12 megapixel wide
angle and there’s a new 10 megapixel ultra wide.
And the ultra wide is great for taking pictures if either you’re in a cramped room or if
you want to capture a large subject but really can’t stand back too much.
Over all the cameras on the iPad Pro get the job done… but I can’t help but feel that
the image quality just isn’t as good as the iPhone XS Max, Pixel 4XL, or Samsung Galaxy
S20.
To me the shots from the iPad Pro are very soft and they can be noisy at times.
But you know what they say, the best camera is the one you have on you.
But something thats really interesting on the iPad Pro is the new LIDAR system.
Basically what this does is that it allows for augmented reality elements to have a better
footing whenever you’re moving your iPad around.
Cause lets say with my iPhone XS Max when ever I move around the AR Element might wiggle
around a little bit and even resize.
Where as with the iPad Pro the AR element is much better planted.
Since the iPad Pro has a much better understanding of its surroundings its able to better place
an object and keep it true to size.
Ultimately what this new Lidar system is its a new tool for developers to use to make better
and more accurate Augmented reality Apps.
Either they can make better games or tools for like previewing what furniture would look
like in your home.
This LIDAR system isn’t something that you’ll be using on a regular basis but it could become
a standard sensor soon cause its very likely like the next iPhone will also have a LIDAR
system as well.
Thus accelerating the developing of AR apps even more.
But like I mentioned at the beginning of this video… the iPad Pro can definitely be a
replacement for a laptop for some people.
Especially for people who mostly just use their laptops for social media, consuming
content, and word processing.
But is it the best investment out there…
I don’t think so.
If you pick up an entry level iPad Pro and pair it up to a smart keyboard and mouse like
I did or if it pair it up to the magic keyboard you’re still paying MacBook Air prices.
So I still feel that if you’re looking for a laptop… get a laptop.
I still feel that the iPad Pro and iPads in general are still companion pieces to your
full on computer.
Cause lets say for example me… ive found that the iPad Pro is great for loading up
scripts for my videos and I really like using this iPad as a second display with my iMac.
Or if you’re an artist then the iPad Pro can be great for creative applications with
the Apple Pencil.
So over all even though the iPad Pro is cool and all I still feel getting a proper laptop
is the better long term investment that doesn’t require any compromises.