5 Reasons Why iPad Pro2020 Can't Replace My Laptop

5 Reasons Why iPad Pro2020 Can't Replace My Laptop

The iPad Pro 2020 has all the elements of a laptop replacement. Finally, cursor control will be available throughout the OS, the Magic Keyboard will surpass the current Smart Keyboard Folio, and the iPad OS will come into its own when it comes to multitasking.

I am most excited about Apple's new Smart Keyboard coming in May. It has the same scissor-style mechanism as the new MacBook Air and 16-inch MacBook Pro, a backlit layout, and most importantly, a built-in trackpad.

Another plus: the iPad Pro will feature a cantilever design with adjustable viewing angles up to 130 degrees. But even with all these reasons to be excited, I'm not ready to replace my MacBook Pro with an iPad Pro. The reasons are as follows.

As someone who uses Chrome on a daily basis for surfing the web, it's sad that this browser looks like a smartphone app stretched out on a 12.9-inch screen. For example, using the Parsely website to check real-time traffic on Tom's Guide only shows one column of data instead of two.

To make matters worse, Chrome for iOS has no bookmark bar; there is plenty of room for one on an 11" or 12.9" display.

Another disappointment is that you cannot edit Google Docs directly in the browser. Instead, you have to jump to the Google Docs app, but the main view doesn't show as many tools as the browser; it's too much work to get your daily work done on the iPad Pro.

And you thought the MacBook Air had fewer ports: the MacBook Air and entry-level MacBook Pro have two Thunderbolt 3 ports, but the iPad Pro has only one USB-C port; the Magic Keyboard adds a second USB-C port for pass-through charging, but still has only one USB-C port.

The iPad Pro does not have built-in Thunderbolt 3, so a separate adapter must be purchased to connect to larger displays. iPad Pro can be connected to a USB-C hub connected to a 4K LG monitor. error message stating that the Thunderbolt 3 accessory is not supported.

The power cable that comes with the iPad Pro is only 1 meter long, which is about the same length as the one that comes with the iPhone 11. This is ridiculous when you are trying to work from home and have to be on a power outlet to get a power source to replace your laptop.

Yes, the iPad Pro has over 10 hours of battery life in our tests, but it should be able to connect from a reasonable distance without having to purchase an additional long USB-C power cable ($19).

Storage for the iPad Pro starts at 128GB, half the 256GB that Apple offers for the MacBook Air. Of course, the iPad Pro is a different class of device, and we assume users will rely more on iCloud for storage. But getting half the storage for the same price still seems lame.

The iPad Pro 12.9-inch starts at $999, but the price increases as soon as you start adding accessories: buy a Magic Keyboard and the total suddenly swells to $1,349, $350 more than the MacBook Air and $50 more than the entry-level MacBook Pro 13-inch, and $50 more than the entry-level MacBook Pro 13-inch.

The Smart Keyboard Folio for the iPad Pro is a more reasonable $199, but I don't like the keyboard on this accessory and it doesn't have a trackpad.

The Apple Pencil is $129, bringing the total to $1,478. I'd want more than 128GB of storage; 256GB would be $100 more. At least the iPad Pro has a built-in cell phone as an option, but that costs another $250 and 5G is not available. I would use the cell phone as a hotspot.

Developers are obviously still figuring out how to optimize their apps for the new iPadOS 13. 4, That's why I don't dwell on the fact that text selection does not yet work in Google Docs or Microsoft Office for the iPad. Such a thing will be possible in time. But I have little confidence that the browsing experience, whether in Safari or Chrome, will be more like the desktop.

Apple also needs to better recognize that a keyboard is attached and react accordingly. If it's the home screen, it should be able to start typing to find apps; add in the iPad Pro 12.9" price and accessories, and other limitations to the laptop, and I'm happy to continue using my MacBook Pro for now.

.

Categories