Introduction
I was pretty dumbfounded when I saw Apple’s ‘Let Loose’ event. The technology on display is great. An iPad Pro with an M4 chip, a tandem-OLED display, and it is only 5.1mm?
Sign me up!
However, reality struck me like a ton of stones. It’s still running the iPadOS, an iOS with a different coat of paint. The thought of a highly slim iPad excited me, so I spent money on it. I attempted to utilize it as a substitute for my MacBook Air.
Here’s what’s personalized.
The Hardware Is Already Great
Integrated Cellular Is Just Amazing
A Physical Keyboard Is Needed
iPadOS Holds the iPad Back
The Hardware Is Already Great
The biggest thing about the new iPad is that it uses an M4 chip, a chip that’s the iPad before the MacBooks. I might have an explanation for why Apple is doing this. Generally, iPads are refreshed every two years, so Apple is trying to stay ahead of the curve by introducing the M4 chip early, so the current iPad is powerful enough to get most tasks done till the release of the next iPad.
This lets me, and many others, speculate whether the iPad Pro would be more powerful than the current generation of M3 MacBooks. While the iPad isn’t he isn’t the highest variant of the M3 chip, it’s still mighty, especially when talking about the form factor. Tasks like music creation, video editing, and gaming are handled excellently on the M4 chip.
The new iPad also uses tandem-OLED technology, essentially using two OLED panels on top of each other. This allows for higher brightness while staying energy efficient, which increases the lifespan of the screen. The point is that the hardware in the new iPad Pro is almost perfect, making me scoff at the software running on the iPad(More on that later).
Integrated Cellular Is Just Amazing
The concept of having cellular phones on a laptop or tablet isn’t new. However, with the iPad so close to being a MacBook replacement, I want the next MacBook to have the capability.
Some models of the iPad Pro include cellular data, which adds around $200 to the price tag. A cellular connection will also require an extra data plan, but that fit would mean that I can take my iPad Pro anywhere without having to worry about connecting to public WiFi.
MacBooks don’t have grated cellular data, so I always looked for public WiFi. These aren’t fair to get any work done, and many security issues exist. Since I can’t rely on the iPad to get my work done when I’m out, I take my trusty MacBook and connect it to an Xfinity hotspot (available across the country) to do most of my work.
A Physical Keyboard Is Needed
While the iPad is plenty powerful, it doesn’t have all the hardware needed to substitute it for a laptop. You can go for Apple’s $300 Magic Keyboard, but it has some flaws.
While the metal body is excellent, the entire body wobbles a lot when using the iPad’s toiPad’seen when using the magic keyboard. The updated magic keyboard has a different weight distribution than the previous models, making the iPad too heavy.
This meant I had to be extremely careful when using the touchscreen since I didn’t have an iPad with the magic keyboard to topple over.
At the $300 price point, I expected a lot more from the Magic Keyboard since better alternatives are available for half the price.
iPadOS Holds the iPad Back
This brings me to my biggest complaint with the iPad, its software. iPad Pro succeeds in a lot of ways when talking about replacing the MacBook, but the software just isn’t the best.
iPadOS is pretty much iOS from iPhone with some added-on features. The software is designed with a touchscreen in mind, and the keyboard functionality is an afterthought. If you think about the iPad as a tablet, it’s greatest if you’re using it as a laptop-like device, you’re fa; you’ree problems.
For example, the iPad still uses the mobile version of Google Chrome, which doesn’t offer extension support. Microsoft Word for iPad also lacks many of the features of the desktop version.
Key Takeaways
- There are a lot of problems with the device, even with the Magic Keyboard.
- Using the iPad with M4 feels like the power is going to waste.
- Still, the iPad is not a viable substitute for the MacBook.
- The iPad has macOS or a dual-OS system.
