The potential of the physical device is far ahead of its software capabilities, but you can't install your own OS or run your own applications.

That's the difference between these devices. One is a fully fledged computer where you can do whatever you want on it. The other is a glorified teletype terminal. It's fine that the iPad Pro isn't a fully functional computing device but the thing that is wrong is Apply positioning it as such.

Want to resize an image (not crop)? There's an app for that, but it's hard to justify paying $9.99 for a photo editor app when macOS Preview supports resizing built-in.

I do find I can focus on specific work a lot better on an iPad. It's so much nicer to use in an intangible way that makes me more productive doing specific tasks on iPad.

And in recent days, it has been a great videoconferencing machine (except the positioning of the camera is weird - it should be on the long edge). Why is the camera on the 'side'?

I also would like a second front camera that’s center top when in keyboard mode. It’s on the “side” because that’s top in portrait mode and Apple considers that the default orientation of the iPad.

It's a weird design choice to consider portrait the default, because all first-party accessories (the triangle cover thing, the keyboard cases and folios, and now the magic keyboard) are about using iPad in landscape. When using any of those accessories, the camera on the side is just weird.

You’re probably not going to see a native resize tool on iOS because Apple doesn’t want users thinking about pixels or file sizes, just saving everything and converting down only when needed (Mail’s small/medium/large sending, etc.)

For people for whom this fills an important use-case (there are a few really really killer ones, ask your designer friends), there's literally nothing else like it.

If you're happy with your laptop and mostly just browse the internet or consume media then you're probably just fine with the regular non-Pro iPad and it probably just acts a supplement rather than a critical device.

I would like to get this because it adds a trackpad, but $300 for a keyboard case is a bit too high, even for an Apple product. The fact that I'm even considering is goes to show just how much I use my iPad Pro in a variety of situations. It was a far better investment than my 13" Macbook Pro.

I may have fat fingers. Or maybe I'm just used to folios I have used in the past that actually latched physically around the ipad.

But I'm completely with you, either way, on the value of the trackpad. Not worth $300 to me.

> This is a good thing.

But it's a laptop that runs iOS instead of MacOS. This is not a good thing.

I resent that desktop apps can basically reach into any part of my computer, take 20 seconds to close when I tell them to exit, prevent my computer from shutting down, hog all my resources when I'm not using them, actively steal focus if they decide, fail to run because of some "missing dependency", and do a half-assed job uninstalling themselves.

UPDATE: Regarding the GUI git apps and Xcode's built-in git support, do you think that’s enough? In my anecdotal experience these are normally used as an accompaniment to CLI git, not a replacement?

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/working-copy-git-client/id8966...

Edit: but if Xcode has it built in even better!!

You mean this? https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sid-meiers-civilization-vi/id1...

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/starbase-orion/id438375580

What does one do, that the other couldn't?

Is it something basic like touch? or something slightly more complex (but evidently do-able) like a detachable keyboard?

Granted, your use case isn't entertainment, for the most part.

For the price, it should have included both of those.

I wonder if they figure everyone just carries a pen roll and Moleskine everywhere they go? I don't get it.

Specifically, I have caps lock mapped to backspace, and "delete" mapped to actual delete. This is deep in my muscle memory and I'm not interested in changing it.

I'm keeping an eye on things, and when I see that this affordance exists I'll probably get one. There are times when having a touchscreen laptop with a built-in cellular modem is just what I want.

- It feels like a missed opportunity to solve an ergonomics problem where the ipad could be raised higher to eye level. I realize this would require more keyboard weight though. It feels a bit odd to see photos like this: https://www.reddit.com/r/ipad/comments/g61v3c/twelvesouth_cu...

- The usb-c port on the hinge is strictly for charging only since ultimately it connects via the smart connector.

- It's a stretch but it would've been nice if the keyboard was wireless (like the brydge) so one could connect it to other devices.

I get that I'm likely not an ideal ipad user here though, but it seems like microsoft was stepping towards with their whole surface neo concept.

For anyone with personal real-world experience, what convinces you to buy an iPad Pro + Keyboard over an Air or vice-versa?

Add in a keyboard and touchpad that's good enough that I can fluently type on it, and I can imagine a lot of scenarios where I'd want to bring just it. Unfortunately most of them involve being able to leave my house and go somewhere else :/

I do need more control over the keyboard layout (see my other comment if curious), but will probably get this when that becomes possible.

I’ve been using an Air 2 since it launched in 2014. Added an Anker keyboard a few years ago and really like typing on it instead of the on-screen keyboard. Made doing crosswords and other stuff a lot easier.

Decided it was time to upgrade and figured I’d get the “best” and try to get another 6 years out of it.