“When Apple first launched the iPad back in 2010, it was quite emphatic that the emphasis for this new category of device was on content consumption rather than content creation — entertainment rather than work, in other words,” Cliff Joseph writes for ZDNet. “With iPad sales falling in recent months, Apple has clearly decided that the time is right for an iPad update that puts productivity front and centre.”
“The iPad Pro delivers the performance of a pretty respectable laptop, and is more than capable of running Microsoft Office as well as more demanding graphics and video applications. With that in mind, Apple has also backtracked on its traditional opposition to accessories such as keyboards — which was based on its argument that the iPad was never intended to replace a laptop,” Joseph writes. “The pressure-sensitive Pencil works well, and is likely to prove popular for design and graphics work.”
MacDailyNews Take: Not making a keyboard is not the same as opposing keyboards. Bluetooth keyboards for iPad have been around for as long as iPad has existed. And, when, specifically, did Apple make the “argument that the iPad was never intended to replace a laptop?”
“On the side of the unit are three little circular electrical contacts that Apple calls the Smart Connector. This is primarily designed to provide power and data for Apple’s Smart Keyboard, but it can be used by third-party developers as well, and has already given rise to keyboard alternatives such as Logitech’s CREATE keyboard (which we rather like). Apple also told us that the Smart Connector could be used to develop docks and other devices,” Joseph writes. “There’s little doubt that that the iPad Pro will have instant appeal for creative users in fields such as design, graphics and photography. However, its larger screen and enhanced performance also offer business users a genuine alternative to a laptop when running Microsoft Office and other productivity apps.”
Read more in the full article here.
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