With iOS 11, Apple’s iPad Really Could Be Your Next Computer

I’m a big iPad fan, and these days I do nearly all of my work on it. I love the advantages in mobility, size, and weight, and I’m quite drawn to its uniquely personal experience of touching content, apps, and data.

At the same time, the iPad is not without its obstacles. App Store economics have posed challenges for developers, and growth has slowed in recent years. As an aside, though, I think it’s worth noting the iPad still outsells the Mac by nearly three-to-one. Plus, somewhere around 2015, the iPad hit a milestone of selling more total units in half a decade than the Mac in its 30 year history.

But as an iPad user and watcher, I feel like things are looking good. So good, in fact, I think there are some great reasons for many to give the platform a look with fresh eyes and an open mind.

iPad Pro

iOS 11

After using the public beta, I cannot stress this enough: iOS 11 is a colossal leap forward. From drag-and-drop to new multitasking tools, I find some workflows easier on iOS versus macOS now. That will only get better in the fall once iOS 11 ships and apps can publish updates to support it.

Great entry price if you don’t need Pro

The iPad Pro is the best iPad Apple has ever shipped (I’m typing this on Apple’s new iPad Pro 10.5-inch). But if you don’t need all that power, the 2017 iPad is a fantastic deal at $329. For many, it could be an extremely affordable and portable computer, even if you add a hardware keyboard for convenience.

iPad Pro beats some MacBooks in speed tests

Apple does not toss the ‘Pro’ monicker around lightly, and the iPad Pro is no exception. For those who do need a powerful tablet, the latest iPad Pro line beats some recent MacBook models in various benchmark tests. It’s seriously powerful.

The Pro line is now in sync

If you followed the rumors in 2015, you weren’t surprised when Apple debuted its first-ever, jumbo-sized iPad in the fall, the 12-inch Pro. But I was a little surprised when it followed up with a new 9.7-inch Pro that had a better display for color-centric work and larger 256GB storage option.

With the 2017 update, the iPad Pro lineup is now in sync. All features and storage options are available in both sizes. The only difference is that, for some reason, rose gold is not an option for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Next: Apple Pencil, Microsoft Office, and iPad Pro Apps

Page 2 – Apple Pencil, Microsoft Office, and iPad Pro Apps

Apple Pencil rules, even if you aren’t an artist

The Apple Pencil is simply an astounding piece of tech. Its speed, accuracy, and pressure sensitivity are truly something to behold, and it’s great for all kinds of uses beyond professional art.

iPad Pro and Apple Pencil

For instance, handwriting is better than ever. In iOS 11, apps will be able to search handwriting as if it were typed text. This is the best of both analog and digital worlds, as it were.

The Pencil is great for marking up documents, making diagrams, signing PDFs, and more. Plus, Apple now allows it to be used for navigating iOS, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Microsoft Office is great

I know many of you, including some TMO staff, live in Google Drive these days. But much of the world runs Office, and Microsoft now treats iOS as a first-class citizen. Office for iPad (and iPhone) is pretty darn powerful and, for the behemoth that it is, quite well designed.

There are a number of features that haven’t yet hopped over from the Windows and macOS versions, what’s there is really good.

Pro apps have arrived

The App Store still poses a number of challenges for developers in terms of building big, powerful apps and charging accordingly so they remain sustainable. But things have improved in the last couple of years. This is thanks in part to Apple finally taking store management away from Eddie Cue, who seems far more interested in scoring iTunes content deals and dancing on stage.

Developers have gained more flexibility in how they charge for apps, from new subscription pricing options to (finally!) being able to offer free trials, as The Omni Group has pioneered.

I’ve seen powerful, professional apps steadily arrive for myriad industries, from music to science to writing to design. The iPad is enjoying serious adoption from more companies and industries, big and small, than ever before.

Open your mind this fall

I hope iOS 11 will be a watershed moment for the iPad. It brings new ideas to bridging many workflow gaps people have requested.

Whether you’ve never really considered an iPad as much more than a Netflix box, or you previously shelved your interest after finding it didn’t have one app or another, I think this fall will be a great time to take a real hard look at its possibilities.

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