Apple’s iOS 11 turns the iPad Pro into the only device your family needs

“My children have grown up using iPads. Yes, they’ve had that unnerving ability to swipe-to-unlock from the age of two. The devices get used for all manner of things, from homework research to Netflix and YouTube to video calls with grandparents,” Andy Robertson writes for Forbes. “It’s been a great addition to family life, although not without headaches, arguments and sneaky under-the-covers screen time.”

“As they’ve got older they have gravitated towards our laptop and desktop computers for their school project work. With three of them, and limited proper computers it’s a juggle to make this work,” Robertson writes. “The last couple of weeks we’ve been testing the iPad Pro — and iOS 11 for the last couple of days. It’s been a revolution in ways I hadn’t expected. The fight for proper desktop computers has suddenly got easier as they are more than happy to use the iPad Pro and Smart Keyboard combo for writing and research.”

“My youngest had resisted this transition, though, until I installed iOS 11 the other night. I came down the next day to find him writing away at a school project about dinosaurs,” Robertson writes. “‘The iPad’s turned into a MacBook, Dad,’ he said as I walked into the room. Slightly confused, I quizzed him further and he gave me a tour of the new features of what he now calls his ‘MacPad’ …All in all the new iPad and iOS combo has become a family essential for us, and made some of our older tech obsolete.”

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: As our own SteveJack remarked seconds after Apple’s Craig Federighi unveiled iOS 11’s new features (namely, Multi-Touch Drag and Drop, the new Dock, and the Files app):

Finally, the promise of iPad is realized.SteveJack, MacDailyNews, June 5, 2017

What’s more natural than dragging and dropping with your finger? It’s certainly more natural than doing so with a mouse. With iOS 11, many people’s biggest conundrum for their next road machines went from MacBook vs. MacBook Pro to 10.5-inch iPad Pro vs. 12.9-inch iPad Pro. — MacDailyNews, June 9, 2017

iPad Pro. The future of computing is here (or will be, as soon as iOS 11 is released this autumn).MacDailyNews, June 23, 2017

SEE ALSO:
Apple’s iPad Pro is now a true photographer’s tool – June 26, 2017
10.5-inch iPad Pro: Back on an Apple computing device, but not in the form I anticipated – June 23, 2017
Apple’s powerful, new 10.5-inch iPad Pro is a typing champ – June 22, 2017
Apple’s iPad Pro and iOS 11 will finally kill the MacBook Air – June 21, 2017
How Apple’s iPad Pro’s 120Hz ProMotion technology works – and why it’s awesome! – June 21, 2017
Tim Bajarin: Apple’s iOS 11 finally brings Steve Jobs’ vision for the iPad to life – June 20, 2017
Macworld reviews Apple’s 10.5-inch iPad Pro: ‘If any iPad replaces the MacBook, it’s this one’
Tuesday, June 20, 2017

CNBC review: In the market for a new tablet? You should buy Apple’s new 10.5-inch iPad Pro – June 17, 2017
TechCrunch reviews new 10.5-inch iPad Pro: ‘Apple pays off its future-of-computing promise’ – June 14, 2017
Apple’s game-changing 12.9- and 10.5-inch iPad Pros arrive in stores – June 13, 2017
Jim Dalrymple reviews Apple’s new 10.5-inch iPad Pro: Highly recommended – June 12, 2017
LAPTOP reviews Apple’s new 10.5-inch iPad Pro: Amazingly fast performance beats most Windows laptops – June 12, 2017
Ars Technica reviews Apple’s 10.5-inch iPad Pro: Much more ‘pro’ than what it replaces – June 12, 2017
These go to 11: Apple makes iOS more Mac-like and iPad’s promise is finally realized – June 9, 2017

32 Comments

    1. My real work is text, art, and photography.

      For those functions, the magic combo of iPad Pro and Pencil is unbeatable.

      Looking forward to OS11 to ramp that up a further level.

        1. Though a fantastic supplemental tool, in a great many instances, art on iOS blows, too. My productivity level is about a kajillion times higher on my Macs. Love the pencil, though, it’s awesome.

    2. That’s absurd. Just because the iPad doesn’t function in the same way as a computer doesn’t make it a toy. iPad serves many useful functions. IOS 11 is the next big step in its evolving functionality.

  1. “Apple’s iOS 11 turns the iPad Pro into the only device your family needs”

    Really? As long as you don’t mind losing the individual logins/profiles you enjoy on your Mac (and the other more obvious features).

    1. Yes login profiles would be a VERY welcome addition to the family iPad, especially for families with younger children. You really don’t want your 4 year old playing with the Files app.

  2. Have to beg to differ – MacBook Air still a workhorse – 1000s of files in 1000s of folders, still generating files on keyboard, scientific data analyses, reports and image manipulation. Perhaps some of these tasks can be done on iPad (I have iPad Air 2) but for day to day computing, I can’t see me ever typing on iPad or generating scientific papers for peer-review on iPad.
    Writing short blogs, doing your FaceBook/Twitter/social media things is easy enough, but writing a 5000 word document with track changes from multiple authors etc on iPad? Suspect not for me. Others’ mileage may vary…

    1. I’m still waiting for Apple to integrate Pages with the iPad Pro.
      You might not generate papers but it sure would be useful to be able to edit/correct/ mark up with the pencil – just as you would do with a hard copy document.
      Many people spend their entire working day reading and commenting on paper – nice if this could be done without having to print it out first.

      1. Yes…not being able to sign a freaking document in pages…but being able to do it in word…is just a little bit frustrating..
        I shouldn’t have to convert to pdf then sign. At least pages could do signatures like the Mac version can..if settle for that

  3. Some people still need a truck. When my son and I watched the iOS 11 on iPad Pro during the WWDC keynote – we both saw that the practicality of the iPad just took a huge leap in functionality.

    It was the first time in years that I really wanted to upgrade to a new iPad with Apple keyboard and stylus. I still need a laptop for some tasks but I’m testing out the beta for IOS 11 and more and more, I’m using my iPad Air again.

  4. Most people’s “real work” would be hell for me, unless the arts were involved. But the argument that there can only be one device, replacing all or any other devices, is absurd. An iPad is not a Mac, a Mac is not an iPad. A Surface is a platypus POS. I myself Need a phone, pad, and Mac. Not a watch, however. But the point is, it’s not a competition. For some people, a phone is all they need. For others, more.

    1. “A Surface is a platypus POS.”

      You should study the platypus more, it’s features are uniquely tuned to make it both an excellent swimmer and capable of moving well on land. It is therefore a well-adapted all-around mammal.

      To relate it back to the subject: I accomplish all my daily work and leisure, including usage I could never do on an iPad (workstation with multiple screens, print to any printer in the office, handwritten notes in word, access files on the server, local-stored & sync’d cloud files for offline use, etc) on my Surface Pro. So I find I need only two devices: a Surface Pro and a phone. You have to juggle three, and I bet spent about $1,800 more than I did for your workout.

      So you might want to think a little longer before you bash people who decided to go a different route than you.

  5. Some of these posts are, again, showing how people are extremely self-centered in their belief that what they need to do with a “computer” is the same for everyone else, which is ignorant.

    First of all, the “keyboard” argument is moot, you can hook a keyboard up to the iPad, IF YOU NEED TO!!! But… YOU DON’T HAVE TO.

    Try removing the keyboard from a traditional desktop – you’re completely screwed. Those systems are almost completely reliant on the keyboard and a pointing device. Seemingly almost as much as people who can’t do any “real” work without them.

    It doesn’t matter what computer you use, if you’re going to do a lot of text input – you’re going to want a hardware keyboard – especially if that’s what you’re used to. If you’re going to do a lot of drawing, you’re going to want a stylus of some kind. Both of these are true regardless of what type of computer you’re using… whether it’s on a tablet or on a traditional PC.

  6. Very cute that this guy got such a positive experience from his kids. Now let’s look at how this “pro” devices fares from an actual adult professional (from recent article posting):

    Joshua Topolsky, former editor-in-chief of The Verge and Engadget released a few tweets which will attract Apple fanboy suicide bombers in droves..“If you think you can replace you laptop with this setup, you cannot. Imagine a computer, but everything works worse than you expect. That is the new iPad”..
    “I have no doubt it’s a very powerful piece of hardware, and the screen is gorgeous. Garageband is a lot of fun to play with. But this doesn’t COME CLOSE to replacing your laptop, even for simple things you do, like email”..
    He adds that Apple’s keyboard cover is “a f#%! atrocity. A terrible piece of hardware. Awkward to use, poor as a cover. Okay in a pinch if you need something LIKE a keyboard.”..
    “I don’t think it’s a very good product. But guys the iPad has been around forever and it still feels half-assed. I think a lot of people are willing to contort themselves around a bad UX because marketing is powerful.”

    So you go ahead and quote the kiddee experience, I’ll take it from the professional.

  7. While I can understand a person on a budget preferring a single device, I prefer a family of devices each optimized for a particular task.

    Apple Watch for notifications
    iPhone for portability and audio calls
    iPad for drawing, long form reading and limited data entry when a table is unavailable
    MacBook for long form data and text manipulation done on the road
    iMac for for long form data and text manipulation done at its most ergonomically comfortable.

  8. I noticed you removed my post linking to the article where the verge professional executive tried to use the iPad Pro as a pro device and trashed it.

    Guess the truth is too rich for MDN’s blood.

  9. No two person’s needs are EXACTLY the same. I have the 12.9″ iPad Pro, 1st Iteration, and will not be getting the 2017 iteration but will probably get the next upgrade. I will, of course, upgrade to iOS 11, day one.

    That said, yes, the iPad is 99 percent all I need. The only thing missing for me, a retired businessperson, attorney, professor and more, and wish so much to make the iPad complete would be for Apple to allow the iPad to get to http://www.icloud.com and do want the Mac can do. And secondly, I wish Apple would create an iOS version of the true iTunes that would give us all the opportunities that we get in iTunes on a Mac. Finally, why iPad users can’t back up to a hard drive such as my Time Machines just lying around idle after selling my iPad Air and iMac.

    With those three things, for me the iPad would be complete. In fact, I wish someone would shed some light on why Apple prevents iOS devices from being backed up to third-party backup servers such as Mozy, iDrive and Carbonite when Android can. In fact, why can’t we back up a Hard Drive by any Manufacturer using WiFi or Wired? And what would be so hard to have a real iTunes on the iPad, written, of course, for iOS?

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