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Apple

Apple Announces a New iPad Pro and Signals the End is Coming For Laptops (inputmag.com) 201

Posted by msmash from the what's-a-computer dept.
Despite COVID-19 forcing Apple to close down all retail stores outside of China indefinitely, the company just announced a new 11- and 12.9-inch iPad Pro (starting at $799 and $949, respectively). From a report: Last refreshed in 2018, the new iPad Pros come with a faster A12Z Bionic chip equipped with an 8-core CPU and GPU, a new ultra-wide camera and a "LiDAR scanner" for AR. However, the most surprising (or not surprising) announcement is a new Magic Keyboard accessory with a trackpad (which starts at $249). Simply put: Apple just turned the iPad Pro into a laptop. The gap between an iPad Pro and Microsoft's Surface Pro is now narrower than ever before. This could mean the beginning of the end for MacBooks. There's lots to unpack about the new iPad Pros.

Apple is saying the A12Z Bionic chip has an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU, but stopped short of saying how much faster it is compared to the A12 Bionic in the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro. Apple only says the gigabit-class LTE is 60 percent faster and the battery life is still the same 10 hours. The cameras on the back look like the iPhone 11 Pro's triple-camera setup at first glance. But they're not. First, the ultra-wide camera is 10 megapixels versus 12 megapixels on the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro. And second, the third lens isn't a telephoto lens, but a "LiDAR Scanner" which Apple says improves AR applications. The LiDAR Scanner "measures the distance to surrounding objects up to 5 meters away, works both indoors and outdoors, and operates at the photon level at nano-second speeds."
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Apple Announces a New iPad Pro and Signals the End is Coming For Laptops More

Apple Announces a New iPad Pro and Signals the End is Coming For Laptops

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  • Really? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by jwymanm ( 627857 ) on Wednesday March 18, 2020 @09:03AM (#59844138) Homepage
    You want to say a slate that overheats if it runs too fast is going to replace laptops? Something that needs a keyboard attachment that effectively converts it to a poor performing laptop is going to replace a laptop? Seriously?

    • Re:Really? (Score:5, Funny)

      by nospam007 ( 722110 ) * on Wednesday March 18, 2020 @09:17AM (#59844188)

      "You want to say a slate that overheats if it runs too fast is going to replace laptops? Something that needs a keyboard attachment that effectively converts it to a poor performing laptop is going to replace a laptop? Seriously?"

      Yes. Who needs a keyboard, if you can just say to an iPad: "Hey Siri, tell my mom I'm a bit peckish" and a few minutes later your mom puts a plate with sandwiches on the stairs of the basement where you live.

      In the era of laptops she even went down the stair to serve you, but now she's a risk-patient and afraid you'd give her the boomer-remover virus and you'd have to make your fucking sandwiches yourself.

    • Re:Really? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Darinbob ( 1142669 ) on Wednesday March 18, 2020 @10:28AM (#59844416)

      Articles from journalists. They really don't understand laptops or even desktops for that matter. It's probably great for writing up articles (though they keyboard will need higher quality and ergonomics first). But for a lot of real work it'll be difficult - can it run a VM so you can get to your Linux or Windows applications? Will it run Outlook, the almost universal enterprise requirement for all workers? Can you run a full system build and not have it melt? Can it run games that aren't just matching bubbles in a row? Can you have 10 documents and 5 spreadsheets up and active a tthe same time (given that even two apps at once on an ipad with split screen doesn't work so well yet)? Can you plug a monitor into it so you can get a reasonable sized display for viewing during the full workday?

      A tablet is an adjunct to a computer at the moment. It won't replace the computer except for those who don't do much beyond browsing the web.

      • It can run Outlook and all the other Office products, yes.

        I'm using Outlook and Teams on my phone right now (with Microsoft's authenticator app), and my company doesn't need to manage my device at all, and I like mobile Outlook and Teams FAR better than the desktop versions. (I'm still connected through a VPN to my work machine so I can actually program, but my phone is by far superior for the communication stuff, no contest.)

        You have plenty of valid points, but that's not among them.

        • I have outlook on my ipad and iphone, but it sucks compared to the desktop version. Well, the desktop version sucks too, but not as much. But they're also going to the cloud as well, which is a security drawback but is probably why this is working.

          There are things that Microsoft Exchange can do that aren't a part of your standard IMAP style mail server, and if everyone avoids those then Exchange can die and go away. Probably the biggest is integration between calendar and email. But every now and then som

          • Yeah, but that's basically an application level problem, not an OS-level one. (Or in the case of ActiveX, that's a problem that you can't step around with an Apple device period, and has nothing to do with the split between iOS and macOS).

            Anyway, that's the one place where support is broadly good out of your list. Otherwise, yeah, the iPad doesn't necessarily measure up. Since I'm working over VPN with Remote Desktop, that's the big stumbling block. Even if that worked on the iPad, I'm already down to 1 mon

            • Yeah, but that's basically an application level problem, not an OS-level one. (Or in the case of ActiveX, that's a problem that you can't step around with an Apple device period, and has nothing to do with the split between iOS and macOS).

              Anyway, that's the one place where support is broadly good out of your list. Otherwise, yeah, the iPad doesn't necessarily measure up. Since I'm working over VPN with Remote Desktop, that's the big stumbling block. Even if that worked on the iPad, I'm already down to 1 monitor at home over my usual 3 at work, so the main limiting factor of the iPad would be screen real estate.

              Tech writers do love writing these sorts of headlines, though. Apple makes desktop computers because they fill a useful niche. I have no idea why anyone would think that making iPadOS better means they're signalling the end of laptops. :P

              Jump Desktop works fine with RDP or VNC. And iOS and iPadOS certainly support VPNs. I have used those to access Windows servers at work through our VPN, clear back to my iPhone 4s.

              As far as multiple monitors, that is supported, too.

              Most iPad Apps simply mirror the iPad display; but it does appear that some apps will allow separate display content on an external monitor with iPadOS, so it obviously isn't a hardware limitation. You can use either a USB-C display adapter/dock or directly drive a USB-C Display.

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by rho ( 6063 )

        You say that, but for probably 70% of people who "work on a computer" could do their work on a fast iPad with a keyboard. They're the same people would could probably be moved to a Raspberry Pi 4 and be perfectly happy.

        (I'll grant that full Outlook integration could be a deal-killer for some portion of that 70%.)

        If you're a developer, this is a positive move forward IMO. We're reaching a point where the front-end is becoming commoditized and programmers can go back to doing real work on the backend.

      • Re:Really? (Score:5, Informative)

        by R3d M3rcury ( 871886 ) on Wednesday March 18, 2020 @12:47PM (#59845138) Journal

        But for a lot of real work it'll be difficult [...]

        I sometimes get grumpy about this phrase: "real" work.

        can it run a VM so you can get to your Linux or Windows applications?

        Nope. On the other hand, I could connect to a VM which runs Windows or Linux and access my applications that way. Why do I need to run the VM locally? Not to mention this is running ARM, so I may not want to deal with CPU virtualization and the performance hit.

        Will it run Outlook, the almost universal enterprise requirement for all workers?

        Yes. [apple.com]

        Can you run a full system build and not have it melt?

        Not sure what you mean by this. Sounds impressive, though.

        Can it run games that aren't just matching bubbles in a row?

        I've seen some pretty impressive looking racing games for iOS, so I would assume yes.

        Can you have 10 documents and 5 spreadsheets up and active a tthe same time (given that even two apps at once on an ipad with split screen doesn't work so well yet)

        Probably not. Split screens show two. On the other hand, I see most Windows users don't have 10 documents and 5 spreadsheets up on the screen at the same time.

        Can you plug a monitor into it so you can get a reasonable sized display for viewing during the full workday?

        Yes. [9to5mac.com]

        Now don't get me wrong--I'm not saying that the iPad will take over the laptop. What you're seeing, though, is a bit more specialization. Rather than everybody having a laptop, some will choose this option. I'd consider it for "management" tasks like reading emails, chatting with the team, scheduling meetings, and stuff like that. No, it's not replacing my developer machine. And if I can have only one computer, I'll keep the dev machine. But if I can have a second machine for all that stuff, it's not a bad thing...

        • On the other hand, I could connect to a VM which runs Windows or Linux and access my applications that way. Why do I need to run the VM locally?

          A local VM doesn't need a recurring payment for a cellular Internet connection in order to work while away from Wi-Fi coverage. Nor does it need a recurring payment to lease a cloud server on which to run the VM, nor a recurring payment to upgrade your home Internet connection from the basic NATted service level to one that can accept incoming connections to your home server.

          Can it run games that aren't just matching bubbles in a row?

          I've seen some pretty impressive looking racing games for iOS, so I would assume yes.

          For example, the "Your next computer is not a computer" [youtube.com] video shows off a racing game.

          But I haven't seen a lot of game genres that wor

      • But for a lot of real work it'll be difficult - can it run a VM so you can get to your Linux or Windows applications?

        And people who do real work don't understand laptops either clearly. There's an entire universe of different use cases between "I only watch Netflix and browse Facebook", and "I need to run a VM so I can get applications from 2 OSes at once on the go".

        That's also why laptops range in price from $300 to $6000. For some people in that range, they should have an iPad. For some people in that range they should have a slate device. For some people in that range they need a proper dedicated laptop.

    • You want to say a slate that overheats if it runs too fast is going to replace laptops? Something that needs a keyboard attachment that effectively converts it to a poor performing laptop is going to replace a laptop? Seriously?

      In many cases yes. The vast majority of laptops on the market are utter garbage and run slower than a thermally limited slate device (the latter often being somewhat higher end). Now it's not going to replace you desktop replacement laptop, or your gaming laptop, or your {insert whatever you call the equivalent of a workstation laptop}. But most people's use case sits on a very VERY long grey area between "I use my laptop only to watch Netflix" and "I hack the Gibson while computing the digits of Pi on my l

    • To be clear: Apple is not the ones saying that these are notebook replacements. That would be the hack "journalists" who wrote TFA.

      If Apple saw these as notebook replacements, why the fuck would they release a new MacBook Air on the same day?

      People keep on with this "iOS will replace macOS someday soon, and x86-64 will be replaced by ARM64 Real Soon Now(tm)" trope every time Apple releases a new version of their A-series CPU. Yet they keep buying Intel CPUs and putting out new Mac models...

  • Maybe for Apple laptops (Score:5, Insightful)

    by drinkypoo ( 153816 ) <drink@hyperlogos.org> on Wednesday March 18, 2020 @09:04AM (#59844144) Homepage Journal

    If you don't need a keyboard and an accurate pointing device that doesn't obscure the screen all the time, then a tablet may be a solution. For everyone else, the laptop is going to stick around for the foreseeable future.

    Apple has been making their laptops worse for some time, so it might look to them like people don't want laptops. But what's true is that people don't want Apple's new laptops. They want faster versions of their old ones, from back when they were good.

    • Nothing you said was accurate, or reflected summar (Score:5, Informative)

      by SuperKendall ( 25149 ) on Wednesday March 18, 2020 @10:10AM (#59844346)

      If you don't need a keyboard and an accurate pointing device that doesn't obscure the screen all the time, then a tablet may be a solution.

      A new low for Slashdot posters, not even reading the summary which mentions the new iPad has a Smart Keyboard WITH TRACKPAD.

      But beyond that, it shows that you don't even understand the platform at all as for a long time now they've had the Apple Pencil, which does not obscure the screen and is a far better pointing device for some applications (like drawing or photo retouching) than at the trackpad.

      Apple has been making their laptops worse for some time

      The only thing people were unhappy about was the keyboard and they have a completely new one they released last year which fixes all problems. Do you even tech news bro?

      • The first thing I do with a new laptop is disable the trackpad.

        • I would say it would depend on the Laptop. Some Laptops have a really good track pad, that doesn't go crazy when you hand goes near it, and is honestly more accurate and useful then a mouse. Other Laptops I need to disable them, as it makes my mouse go crazy.

        • The first thing I do with a new laptop is disable the trackpad.

          That's because you're used to shitty, non-Apple trackpads.

          They really do have that together far better than everyone else.

        • FYI, pointer support on iPadOS includes mouse support too

      • Come on, StuporKendall, no one can possible take the crown for "lowest of the low" from you.

        Also, the new iPad does NOT have a keyboard or trackpad, those are extra cost options. The iPad is still a tablet with all the liabilities the OP was referring to.

        Also, the "Apple Pencil", when used, obscures the screen, the very point being made.

        You certain "the only thing" people complain about with Apple notebooks is the keyboard? How would you know, blind tribalist that you are?

    • I believe the point being made here is that Apple now will be offering a smart-case with a trackpad for the new iPad Pro. This basically negates the issue you suggest, in that it offers an accurate cursor when you want it, along with the touchscreen and stylus options for input too.

      • So they essentially made a shittier laptop.

        A tablet certainly has its uses but IMO they're actually pretty limited. The moment you want to do anything but read a book/web page, you'll want a stand and/or a keyboard and/or mouse and you would've been better off with a laptop to start with.

        • So they essentially made a shittier laptop.

          A tablet certainly has its uses but IMO they're actually pretty limited. The moment you want to do anything but read a book/web page, you'll want a stand and/or a keyboard and/or mouse and you would've been better off with a laptop to start with.

          I would imagine that 90% of non-engineering college students would actually be happier with this combination than with a MacBook Air.

          In fact, most college students would do just fine with a $329 10.2" 7th Gen. iPad, an aftermarket "Pencil" (some are available as low as $37) and an aftermarket case with bluetooth keyboard (and even a trackpad). There are several, from about $35 to just under $100. Here's a few at random:

          https://www.amazon.com/iPad-7t... [amazon.com]

          Here's one with backlit keyboard, (no doubt a shitty) Tr

    • If you don't need a keyboard and an accurate pointing device that doesn't obscure the screen all the time, then a tablet may be a solution. For everyone else, the laptop is going to stick around for the foreseeable future.

      Apple has been making their laptops worse for some time, so it might look to them like people don't want laptops. But what's true is that people don't want Apple's new laptops. They want faster versions of their old ones, from back when they were good.

      In NO way is the 2019 16 inch MacBook Pro "worse".

      Scissor keyboard is BACK, baby!
      Configurable up to a 2.4/5.0 GHz 8 core i9
      Configurable up to a AMD Radeon 5500M w/8 GB of GDDR6 RAM
      Drives up to two 5k External Displays, or four 4k External Displays. And still supports the internal Display!

      https://www.apple.com/macbook-... [apple.com]

  • Not for me (Score:5, Interesting)

    by CastrTroy ( 595695 ) on Wednesday March 18, 2020 @09:06AM (#59844152)

    Until they ship a real OS on there, there is still a huge need for real laptops. I think the Microsoft Surface product is a much better idea if you need something ultra portable. Does iOS allow me to run a web server or database server? How about a virtual Linux box under a VM. Can I write and compile code and hook up to 3 external monitors if I want? Can I even properly use a mouse without some kludge that just kind of works? A device like the iPad Pro might suffice for some people, but there's a large number of people who use their laptops for serious work, and an iPad Pro running iOS in its current form cannot possibly do the job.

    • Until they ship a real OS on there, {...} Does iOS allow me to run a web server or database server? How about a virtual Linux box under a VM. Can I write and compile code {...? ...} an iPad Pro running iOS in its current form cannot possibly do the job.

      Unless you plug a Raspbeery Pi 4 into its USB-C port (4: because it can be powered by and share network over its port). Then the iPad Pro is a stylish glorified terminal to your Linux Box, which alows you to do all of the above (but is only limited to 2 extra external monitors :-P ).

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      And the tiny screen. The iPad has USB-C but you can't do anything useful with it like connect a decent monitor.

      Remember though that the primary markets for Apple laptops are hipsters writing novels in Starbucks and students who want to be fashionable. For them a latte-proof iPad with retro pen input device is exactly what they want. The walled garden is exactly what Apple wants too.

      • And the tiny screen. The iPad has USB-C but you can't do anything useful with it like connect a decent monitor.

        Remember though that the primary markets for Apple laptops are hipsters writing novels in Starbucks and students who want to be fashionable. For them a latte-proof iPad with retro pen input device is exactly what they want. The walled garden is exactly what Apple wants too.

        Read before posting:

        https://9to5mac.com/2018/11/07... [9to5mac.com]

        And that article is out-of-date. There are even more options these days. See this video. He stupidly tries out the USB Mouse and Keyboard with a FPS game instead of a Word Processor, etc.; but the rest of the video is quite informative:

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]

      • Remember though that the primary markets for Apple laptops are hipsters writing novels in Starbucks and students who want to be fashionable.
        Most Mac users are either:
        a) tired of windows and scared of linux
        b) developers
        c) creative art, like fashion industry

        However if I would need to write a novel I obviously would use my Mac ...

    • Until they ship a real OS on there, there is still a huge need for real laptops. I think the Microsoft Surface product is a much better idea if you need something ultra portable. Does iOS allow me to run a web server or database server? How about a virtual Linux box under a VM. Can I write and compile code and hook up to 3 external monitors if I want? Can I even properly use a mouse without some kludge that just kind of works? A device like the iPad Pro might suffice for some people, but there's a large number of people who use their laptops for serious work, and an iPad Pro running iOS in its current form cannot possibly do the job.

      I'm pretty sure that Apple is under absolutely no delusions that people who need such capabilities will be using an iPad.

      That's why they make real laptops and desktops, too. from the MacBook Air to the Mac Pro, and everything in-between.

      Idiot.

  • We hear this every year (Score:4, Interesting)

    by SiliconJesus ( 1407 ) <siliconjesus@gm a i l . c om> on Wednesday March 18, 2020 @09:07AM (#59844156) Homepage Journal

    There are different and distinct uses for tablets and laptops. Until we get full power-user options for tablets such as shell access and the ability to install arbitrary files, its hard to do all workflows through a tablet. Even being able to ssh into a remote service and do tests, its still not completely viable for many of my workflows. The one advantage the Microsoft Surface has is that its a full Win10 operating system on standard processors, giving me a lot of flexibility without having to root the device.

    I'd love to see VSCode or similar programs take this on as a challenge and provide the ability for me to work with my git repos, and provide some remote shells to test my code in. With Azure its all within their ecosystem if they are willing to spend the time / energy.

  • What if I want a second volume inside the device? (Score:3)

    by sandbagger ( 654585 ) on Wednesday March 18, 2020 @09:10AM (#59844174)

    Say for large databases? Or just to be difficult?

    • Say for large databases? Or just to be difficult?

      I'm sure there will be a dongle for that, attractively priced at several thousand dollars per unit. You'll also need the dongle-expander if you want to charge it or listen to music at the same time. Plus the dongle-mitigation device and the dongle power management block. You'll probably also need the dongle traffic-controller just to be on the safe side.

      Sure, it'll all run you about $10K, but just think of all the courage you'll have by the time you're done!

      • Say for large databases? Or just to be difficult?

        I'm sure there will be a dongle for that, attractively priced at several thousand dollars per unit. You'll also need the dongle-expander if you want to charge it or listen to music at the same time. Plus the dongle-mitigation device and the dongle power management block. You'll probably also need the dongle traffic-controller just to be on the safe side.

        Sure, it'll all run you about $10K, but just think of all the courage you'll have by the time you're done!

        Or how about a USB-Dock for about $30?

        Idiot.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      Same thing you do with an Apple laptop: buy a dongle.

      Attach some storage or a gigabit network connection. Whatever you do don't open it. I'm actually surprised that they still use screws on Mac laptops when all their other products are glued together.

    • Do you actually store large databases on your Personal Computer?

      For the past 25 years of my professional life, I have always had a Database Server that ran on a Computer outside my personal device. This has been a good thing.
      1. I am more apt to screw up my personal computer, crash the OS, break the filesystem....
      2. To move the data changes over to production, would mean I would have to over the network transfer Hundreds of Gigs of data
      3. There are large files sitting on my drive, and a database engine runn

  • What about the OS? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Applehu Akbar ( 2968043 ) on Wednesday March 18, 2020 @09:13AM (#59844180)

    It ain’t a laptop unless it runs a computer operating system. In this case it would be the long-rumored unified version of macOS that incorporates iOS. Although this year’s hajj has been canceled because of plague, there will be a virtual June pilgrimage in its place. That is where software announcements typically get made.

    • Re:What about the OS? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by jellomizer ( 103300 ) on Wednesday March 18, 2020 @10:57AM (#59844572)

      How is iOS not a computer Operating System?

      Your phone has A CPU, RAM that communicates over a Bus. It is nearly as much a computer as your laptop is. It is just smaller, with perhaps some additional integrated components. But it still fits the Von Neumann architecture.

      Or is a Computer to you a TV with a typewriter smashed together.

      • But [an iPhone or iPad] still fits the Von Neumann architecture.

        How does the user of the computer write a program to the computer's program storage memory and then execute it? That's the key difference between a general-purpose personal computer and a jail: the person who owns it controls what computing is done. Last I checked, building and loading substantial programs for an iPhone or iPad needed a $799 dongle called a Mac mini.

    • It ain’t a laptop unless it runs a computer operating system. In this case it would be the long-rumored unified version of macOS that incorporates iOS. Although this year’s hajj has been canceled because of plague, there will be a virtual June pilgrimage in its place. That is where software announcements typically get made.

      Hey stupid! macOS and iPadOS (and TVOS, iOS and I think even WatchOS) are based on (Open Source) Darwin.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

  • lol (Score:5, Funny)

    by ceoyoyo ( 59147 ) on Wednesday March 18, 2020 @09:13AM (#59844184)

    Apple releases a keyboard accessory for a tablet.

    "Apple signals end of laptops."

    Sure.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Kohath ( 38547 )

      "Apple signals end of laptops."

      Sure.

      Yeah. Dumb predictions are dumb. Stop pretending to know the future.

    • Re:lol (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Nidi62 ( 1525137 ) on Wednesday March 18, 2020 @09:23AM (#59844206)

      Apple releases a keyboard accessory for a tablet.

      "Apple signals end of laptops."

      Sure.

      Hey, no one else has shown this kind of courage before!

    • Apple releases a keyboard accessory for a tablet.

      "Apple signals end of laptops."

      Sure.

      Where does it say that Apple "Signals the end of laptops"?

      It is just saying that, for some use-cases, an iPad is now a viable alternative to a laptop.

      And they're right.

  • Great for people who like golden cages (Score:4, Insightful)

    by DrXym ( 126579 ) on Wednesday March 18, 2020 @09:16AM (#59844186)
    Not so great for people who like to install their own software on their own computer.
  • iPhone 11 phones have A13 CPUs, not A12. This one appears to be derived from the A12 chip used in the iPhone XS/XR phones, and the prior-generation iPad Pro (just going off of the name).

    Nothing here says that they're getting rid of the MacBook lineup. Those are still quite popular, and if you need a desktop computing experience for productivity, there's no reason to pick an iPad over a MacBook. You even need a Mac to make iPad apps. They've been making the iPad better but there are still tons of thing

  • No they didn't* (Score:4, Insightful)

    by npcole ( 251514 ) on Wednesday March 18, 2020 @09:23AM (#59844204)

    Well, they didn't signal the end for laptops. I don't see that anywhere. They looked at the fact that many iPad users buy a keyboard and then they added one of their own to their product line that is better than most of the competition.

    But if they want people to keep making apps for their devices, they are going to need people to have computers that aren't locked down with iOS.

    If what you want to say instead is -- Apple's hardware is now getting so good that you could almost imagine running some kind of version of Mac OS on it, then I agree. Though I wouldn't want to try to do anything too processor intensive.

    But then what that would really mean is that Microsoft has been right in the long term about having laptops that turn into tablets and vice versa, and Apple has been wrong, wouldn't it?

    I'm writing this on an iMac, by the way.

    • Re:No they didn't* (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Papaspud ( 2562773 ) on Wednesday March 18, 2020 @09:34AM (#59844234)
      It better be a good keyboard- $250 is pretty damn expensive....until you consider $1000 monitor stands- the world of apple.

      • ....until you consider $1000 monitor stands

        I honestly thought that was a joke the first time I heard it. I figured The Onion had done it again, but nope...

        For $1000 you can buy one hell of a laptop, but on Planet Apple that just gets you the thingy that holds the monitor.

        • There's a huge amount of aluminum and engineering that goes into each one of those. That still wouldn't account for the cost, but then you have to realize that it's aimed at institutional buyers that want a very good stand, and they don't want to have to screw around with finding options. It makes sense when you think about this being sold to some sort of studio, and they just want a complete package that takes no effort to set up, and they'll pay whatever.

          Anyone that's paying the money to buy the monitor p

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      Tablets are an ergonomic disaster for doing serious work on. Tiny screen, and you would need an arm to hold it up at eye level so you aren't hunched over it.

  • The only "signal" that the end is coming... (Score:4, Insightful)

    by mark-t ( 151149 ) <markt AT nerdflat DOT com> on Wednesday March 18, 2020 @09:30AM (#59844222) Journal
    .... for laptops is in the title of the article. At least according to the information in the article, Apple did nothing to insinuate that such an occurrence is in any way something that Apple is seriously considering. It was an author speculation, and nothing more. That it might be true that a powerful tablet and keyboard could make a perfectly fine laptop substitute for many people does not mean that the laptop market is somehow too small or niche for a company like Apple to ignore.

    • That it might be true that a powerful tablet and keyboard could make a perfectly fine laptop substitute for many people does not mean that the laptop market is somehow too small or niche for a company like Apple to ignore.

      Yup, we've heard tech "journalists" saying this for almost a decade now. A handful have made a point of repeatedly saying "my daily computer is an iPad". But, apparently, the author of this article just caught on.

      I have known a few people (teenagers, actually) who got along just fine with an iPad and a keyboard. Funny thing, though - when they went to college, they bought laptops.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by tepples ( 727027 )

        Funny thing, though - when they went to college, they bought laptops.

        Particularly because iPadOS blocks the installation of software needed to complete coursework in freshman "introduction to programming and problem solving" class.

    • Not all articles claiming the end of a product category are false. For example, a December 2012 article correctly predicted the end of 10.1" display laptops [slashdot.org] in favor of tablets designed to double as makeshift laptops.

  • My kid bought an iPad and an iBook (along with an iWatch and an iPhone, though the iWatch was a gen1 refurb).

    The reason Nintendo collapsed their console & portable markets is that phone sales basically killed their portable sales. The risk of launching a new portable to compete with phones was high and they were lagging in the console space where competition was getting insane, so they put the two markets together.

    Apple doesn't have this problem. If my kid could've gotten away with it she'd have

    • My kid bought an iPad and an iBook (along with an iWatch and an iPhone, though the iWatch was a gen1 refurb).

      The reason Nintendo collapsed their console & portable markets is that phone sales basically killed their portable sales. The risk of launching a new portable to compete with phones was high and they were lagging in the console space where competition was getting insane, so they put the two markets together.
      Fortunately, your kid is much smarter than you; you don't even know that Apple hasn't made an "iBook" for over a decade. And they have never made an "iWatch".

      Moron.

      Apple doesn't have this problem. If my kid could've gotten away with it she'd have bought an iMac too. Apple users just want Apple stuff, and Apple will keep selling it to them if they keep buying it.

  • The existence of a (relative to a laptop) crappy keyboard/trackpad accessory for the iPad does not signal the end of MacBooks.

    • The existence of a (relative to a laptop) crappy keyboard/trackpad accessory for the iPad does not signal the end of MacBooks.

      Guess that depends on if Apple is actually dumb enough to believe their own marketing, and stop making Macbooks altogether.

      And when it comes to the idiot Marketeers, I never underestimate their ability to get it dead fucking wrong.

      • I expect that Apple is finally trashing the Macintosh Line slowly.
        In some ways it is kinda sad, but if you check its history, the Macintosh was mostly Steve Jobs crazy push, that had left Apple to near bankruptcy. As there were points where the updated version of the Apple ][ systems such as the Apple ][e was technically superior the the Macintosh had A GUI, and a Color Screen.

        However with Jobs gone, we no longer have the passion to keep this product line alive anymore, and the people at Apple without the e

      • The existence of a (relative to a laptop) crappy keyboard/trackpad accessory for the iPad does not signal the end of MacBooks.

        Guess that depends on if Apple is actually dumb enough to believe their own marketing, and stop making Macbooks altogether.

        And when it comes to the idiot Marketeers, I never underestimate their ability to get it dead fucking wrong.

        Sigh.

        Apple never said (or even implied) that. It was the click-bait-y assertion of the author of the article. Nothing more; nothing less.

  • From my experience tablets and laptops are completely different use cases. I have a Surface and bring it with me on business trips. It's very light weight and the battery lasts a good long time. The keyboard is...not bad...but nothing to write home about (no pun intended). It seems well suited for things like watching Netflix on the plane or casual web surfing. Typing up emails or long form documents? Not so much. But for things you tap or swipe it's fine.

    A laptop is a productivity machine. I need an excell

  • Looks like Apple still wants to keep "real" laptops. iPadOS and and MacOS are still separate and Apple wants to avoid a "Windows 8" situation.

    • The new MacBook Air even has 10th-generation intel CPUs, storage starts at 256GB instead of 128GB and there's a 16GB RAM option although I can't remember if the previous model also had that option.

  • With a desktop for long form, graphics and video...the iPad Air ( Gen 7) is the perfect RoadWarrior.

    AAPL need to plug the hole in the iPad design that Musicians need ports before EOL the laptop. iPad sorely misses the spec for music creation, performance and hardware support.

  • Ipad mostly useless for me. (Score:3)

    by big-giant-head ( 148077 ) on Wednesday March 18, 2020 @10:28AM (#59844418)

    Like all other developers, the IPad is mostly a toy until you can run dev tools on it!!!!! I have one at work that I use in meetings to look at email and Jira via web browser ... but thats about it. Apple is about to slit their own throat and release a bunch of hardware that no developer can use, including their own. Waiting for the 'Genius' of Tim Cook to finally fail. The dude has about as much creativity as a card board box.

  • Tablet Marketing Doesn't Follow Logic (Score:3)

    by AlanObject ( 3603453 ) on Wednesday March 18, 2020 @10:35AM (#59844450)

    I didn't see where Apple said that the "laptop" was done. Even if it were true they wouldn't have said so because they wouldn't want to impact their current sales of laptops.

    Did laptops "end" desktop systems? Hardly. Of course there has been some migration -- I don't have a desktop anymore because a MacBook Pro is good enough for nearly any software development. But Dell and others still have tons of desktop models to sell.

    The headline is clickbait. Delusional clickbait.

  • Really? You're going to use that for actual - you know - work? I guess if all you do is kickstart VMs all day, or monitor web traffic on a switch, OK. For anything else? Good luck...

  • Consumption vs. Creation, Life in a Walled Garden (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Proudrooster ( 580120 ) on Wednesday March 18, 2020 @11:01AM (#59844590) Homepage

    iPad = Consumption Device
    Laptop = Creation Device

    Can I install Visual Studio Code, Python, and a Web server on an iPad?
    Can I install unsigned software on an iPad that didn't come from the Apple Store without the hassle of Sideloading?
    Can I dual boot an iPad to an alternate OS for software that doesn't run under padOS?
    Can I plug an iPad into the network using gigabit ethernet?
    Can I author optical media using an iPad?

    If Apple heads down this road they might as well rename the company Nokia and switch to handsets only.

    A better plan might be integrating the iPad into the screen of a MacBook then you have a 2-in-1 device.
    Just pop the screen off and consume, then pop it back on to do work.

    Mark my words, VR and AR and gimmicky limited use case contrivances similar to 3D Television. The optical quest glasses are cool, but I am not going to wear them all day.

    • Right now VR is good for games, but AR will only really take off when it's integrated into normal-looking glasses. Nobody wants to do AR through a looking glass (iPhone/iPad).

    • Mark my words, VR and AR and gimmicky limited use case contrivances similar to 3D Television.

      Silly comparison. 3D television offered users nothing beyond a dimension of existing content they were already consuming. VR adds a whole new set of possibilities for gaming. AR adds a whole new set of possibilities for industries. Both of them have very real world use cases, 3D TV did not, not the least because the technology behind it was utter rubbish.

  • Can it run any OSX app? Have a calibrated display or one that can be calibrated? No? Then the laptop must remain.

  • We've read this before. Desktops and laptops are still here. I am typing on one right now.

  • I mean every year Apple announces a new iPad, Apple also announces a campaign that the laptop and the PC is dead. Who remembers this cringe worthy piece of comedy marketing: Apple is running an ad where a kid asks, 'What's a computer?' [businessinsider.com]

    Yawn. New iPad comes with accessory bought after market and already owned by every iPad owner. The PC is dead again. News at 11.

    • I understand why you'd be whinnying, but when it comes to tablets vs. laptops, I'd say it's horses for courses.
  • Laptop users that want to get real work done need a real desktop OS with access to a filesystem you can organize and manage as you want.

    The walled garden of iOS and iPad OS has fun features for media consumption and light work, but it's a far cry from an actual laptop.

    It's like the book 1984 and Apple's trying to get people to use Newspeak instead of all of the English language.
  • Every year they try to sell us on the idea that we don't need a computer, just an iPad. While at the same time trying to tell us that it's as capable as computer running a desktop OS -- it's not.

    I switched from OS X to Windows full time about 5 years ago. It was well worth the time and effort. Now I only use Macs for compatibility testing.

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