Can the iPad Pro 9.7" Replace a PC? By Austin Evans

An entirely new iPad Pro where many of them will find it is their ultimate PC replacement. Alright, let’s see about that. On the surface the iPad Pro 9.7 inch looks just like the last few iPad Air models. That’s not exactly a bad thing, this is one of the thinnest tablets out there which paired with the light weight does a lot for in hand use. The 12.9 inch iPad Pro always felt a bit too big to me, it’s an absolutely giant tablet where the 9.7 feels more like the right trade off between screen size and portability. The aluminum build feels familiar if you’ve used pretty much any iPad ever, it might not be exciting but there’s no denying it’s a solid piece of hardware.

It’s one thing to make a nice iPad but it’s an entirely different story when you want to replace a PC. It does have a few things going for it. Inside it has reasonably decent specs with the Apple A9X, two gigabytes of RAM and up to a 256 gigabyte SSD. It compares decently with the Core i5 powered Surface Pro 4 which is absolutely no slouch, it even narrowly edges it out on on the graphics side. Apple claims it has more GPU horsepower than an Xbox 360 and I have no problem believing that, not only does it handle graphically intense titles easily but it’s seriously quick in day to day use.

App switching takes no time and even with several apps open and multiple browser tabs it doesn’t trip up. It might be clocked a bit lower than the 12.9 inch iPad Pro but it’s also got a much smaller screen to drive which more than evens the playing field. The hardware might be there but can iOS really replace Windows? My immediate reaction was of course not and it absolutely has its’ limits. You’re not going to find most pro oriented apps like Photoshop or a version of Chrome that supports plugins like Flash. While the App Store has a decent variety of games you certainly aren’t going to find PC caliber titles like in Steam, it might be a reasonably powerful iPad but this definitely won’t replace your gaming PC.

To be fair it probably can replace a laptop for most things though, web browsing feels right on par with new machines and there are a lot of solid iPad optimized apps available for everyday use like Spotify and YouTube. If you’ve used an iPad in the last couple years none of this will be a surprise but there are some pro oriented features. With the latest generation of iPads you get essential features like actual multitasking. While there’s a basic version of this on a few iPad models the Pro supports two full apps on screen at once which makes this actually usable as a work machine, simple things like being able to play a video in a pop up player is legitimately really useful. You can have the browser open on one side and Twitter on the other for example, not all apps support this just yet and it’s not as straightforward as a normal desktop with windowed programs but it is a step in the right direction.

The biggest thing that makes the iPad Pro even remotely usable as a laptop replacement is the Smart Keyboard. While the software keyboard on this size screen actually isn’t bad there’s no competing with a proper physical solution. That’s where the Smart Keyboard comes in, this is an accessory that neatly folds up as a cover when you’re not using it. It makes a big difference, iOS might not be designed from the ground up for keyboard use but this goes a long way in giving you more of a laptop feel. You’ve got traditional keyboard shortcuts like Command-Tab to pull up an app switcher and basics like Cut, Copy and Paste.

Some apps also have custom shortcuts like Tweetbot for quickly switching between tabs, it surprised me at just how much something simple like this immediately makes the iPad feel a lot more like a laptop. It’s not perfect though, there are small quirks that stem from iOS expecting a software keyboard but as a 9.7 inch tablet the biggest restriction is just the size, the keyboard is noticeably smaller than normal which takes some getting used to. There’s decent spacing and a reasonable amount of key travel but it feels more like the 12 inch MacBook keyboard than a traditional laptop. There’s also the Apple Pencil. I’ll be the first one to admit I have zero artistic skill so styluses usually aren’t even on my radar but I let my friend Matt Pearce give it a try.

It’s definitely giving you more precise controls, this doesn’t really matter that much in some apps but in some apps it definitely does. Any kind of drawing app, having the pressure sensitivity it also measures tilt control as well and that’s something that you know, you don’t have sensors in your hand transmitting to the iPad so you’re never going to get that with just your finger. So it really comes down to are you a person who consumes a lot of data off your iPad you probably don’t need it, if you’re a person who inputs a lot of stuff into your iPad then it’ll definitely come in handy. Not all of the changes are about productivity however. While the screen is still the same size and resolution it’s been upgraded with an expanded color gamut and an interesting feature called True Tone.

This uses a series of light sensors to not only adjust brightness depending on your surroundings but also the color temperature. It warms up the screen when you’re in normal lighting and cools it in other situations, you’ll probably want to turn this off if you’re working with things that rely on accurate color but it does a good job of making the screen easier on the eyes. Arguably the bigger upgrade is on the audio side, we’ve now got a pretty impressive four speaker setup. Not only does this deliver stereo sound but the volume is significantly louder compared to previous iPads. The camera has also seen a major upgrade, it’s the same 12 megapixel unit from the 6S Plus.

While this doesn’t do anything to make you less ridiculous looking for using an iPad to take pictures at least the photos you take will be solid. The video is no joke either, you’ve got the same video modes from the latest iPhone including up to 4K recording. It seems crazy but the iPad Pro could actually make a pretty solid all in one video shooting and editing machine. And that’s one of the things that makes this such an interesting product. As a tablet it really doesn’t get much better, this is a killer consumption device like iPads have always been.

It’s also made major strides toward becoming something you can do real work on, I’ve been using it for a few days now and the only time I’ve had to go to a regular computer is to edit video. Your mileage will absolutely vary but as ridiculous as using an iPad to replace a PC sounds it’s actually kind of doable? So would you guys ever replace your laptop with an iPad Pro? Let me know in the comments below and if you enjoyed this video and you want to see more like this definitely be sure to subscribe to the channel. Anyway guys thank you so much for watching and I will catch you in the next one.

Source : Austin Evans