14 DAY TRIAL // Back when the idea of an iPad first came out, users were dreaming of a touch-screen MacBook. The computer would have left the keyboard aside and replace it with a nice, big multi-touch screen.
Apple, however, had other plans and they gave us the... big iPod touch. Years after that and some of us are still in the market for an iPad with pro features.
What do you call "Pro"?
Let's take them one by one. The iPad is simply an amazing device. It has the advantage of running millions of apps from the AppStore. It's a thin, light, beautifully designed computer with a gorgeous retina display. Apple went over their way and has managed to reinvent the device through yearly iterations, hence the iPad Air 2 is the most advanced unit anyone wants.
Is it, really? Sure enough, the lightning connector makes a world of difference if you compare it with the old mini or micro USB ports from other tablets. The device comes with enough capacity to make it count and the accessories provided by Apple are great! (especially the leather case).
Getting back to the whole "pro" features, what does the iPad miss to become a pro version of itself? Some would ask for a larger screen. Sure enough, the 9.7" display may not be enough. Others may like to have a keyboard or some faster internals. How about an improved OS that gives the user the opportunity to switch accounts so that he can give it to his kid while at home and have the productivity tools and apps he needs while at work.
The iPad pro would have better speakers and a larger battery. That's going to be helpful for pro users.
When is the iPad Pro coming?
Some said the iPad pro may be announced together with the Apple Watch. I strongly believe iOS, in its current iteration, is not an Operating System for an iPad Pro.
However, the iPad Pro is here and it's pretty awesome. The newly announced MacBook IS the iPad Pro we've all been waiting for. Think about it! It takes all of the above and gets them even further.
The early-2015 MacBook is a great concept. Apple has done it again. They've reinvented the notebook just like they did with the first model MacBook Air. A thinner-than-thin device, with only one universal port, with no fans and a huge battery that powers the gorgeous Retina display is what the iPad users have been asking for 5 years now.
Who needs a touchscreen?
What makes this device a "Pro" one and not a dumbed-down version of the MacBook Air is all of the above. Apple managed to shrink the logic board, add more batteries and a full-sized keyboard in a package that fits a 12" screen.
Touching that screen makes it a non-Pro device. We all know the iPad is a device made to consume media, no matter how much Apple markets it as content-creation hardware. You still feel stupid for filming or taking pictures with it, and no real work can be done with it unless you are a real pro and know how to use all the apps and tools available in the AppStore.
For a "Pro" experience you need a keyboard. In order to be productive and stay on top of your game as a developer or user, you need to be able to type on real keys, not virtual ones.
And another great discussion point to the "Pro" level of the new computer is the fact that this is the best up-to-date device running OS X Yosemite.
What will make this device even better?
Sure enough, there will be users that complain about the fact that the new MacBook only has one USB - C connector and a headphone jack. I guess it's absolutely pointless to remind you how we've all criticized (myself included) the fact that the first MacBook Air did not have an optical drive.
As a mac user, when was the last time you actually needed to stick a DVD or CD in your computer? I've had my old (non-retina) MacBook Pro before that since 2008. In seven years I've used the optical drive no more than five times. That would be less than once every year.
Having more ports on a computer would only increase its thickness. Sure enough, the new MacBook is not for everyone. I use the USB port on my current Retina MacBook Pro and the SD card slot at least once a week, so the new computer is not for me. I wouldn't want to keep it tethered to all sorts of adapters and extra cables or, even worse, keep an expansion dock behind it.
But nothing can make this device better. It has everything it needs for a computer of 2015. OK, the FaceTime camera is low-res and the processor is still a low power one, but you can do everything you would do on an iPad Pro faster and better.
When was the last time you took your iPad in bed with you and decided it was no good because it didn't have USB ports, and SD Card slot or a VGA connector? Yes. That's right! The dawn of a new type of device has come and it's called "Wireless productivity."
PS: Why would they kick out the MagSafe? That's the most amazing little thing Apple has ever created!