In November 2015, almost five years ago, good old Tim Cook launched a daring threat with the launch of the first iPad Pro: It would come to permanently replace the personal computer. It is true that a server could not help but smile, and surely in a Podcast you will have heard me say that good old Timmy came out of pot. However, looking at it with perspective I begin to think that what Apple meant by that was that we were living in a transition, that it would not arrive tomorrow, but it would eventually arrive. In fact, I think 2020 is definitely the year the iPad has retired to the personal computer, and these are all the reasons for it.
Putting ourselves in perspective
Certainly and as I have said before, I was one of the first to laugh when Tim Cook mentioned that the iPad would retire the computer, and that is that despite having a product from each Apple category in my setup, the truth is that if I had to bet on my MacBook or my iPad I would have been quite clear (special mention to the "would"). However, these latest movements and the fact that Apple has been determined not to let the iPad range die may have opened my eyes.
Far from continuing with a product that was in low sales hours, Apple has revitalized it by launching different models, different powers, different sizes and above all different functionalities. Nor happy with it, it has been accompanied by improvements in hardware, accessories and functionalities that until now were nothing more than a dream for those of us who used the iPad in a traditional way.
Price is no longer an excuse
The first iPad Pro was launched at 899 euros, nothing more and nothing less. It was impossible to defend your purchase against that of a personal computer with iOS as the operating system, insufficient accessories, very limited connectivity and other features that essentially made it a large and powerful iPad, without more. The matter has been progressing little by little until the iPad Pro of today, where we can even find a USB-C ... Who was going to tell us? But The real big moment comes in 2019, when Apple launches a 10,2-inch entry-level iPad compatible with Smart Connector keyboards. and even a built-in trackpad, now choosing a laptop over a 2019-inch iPad (10,2) is much more difficult.
This iPad has a base storage of 32GB for its 379 euros and it is true that the Logitech keyboard with trackpad starts at 149 euros, but finding discounts on the keyboard and on the iPad is common (personally I have managed to access the combination of both products for those 379 euros). Therefore, you could get an iPad with all the peripherals of a computer for a price that will range between 400 and 500 euros, the usual price of the laptops that most users carry, ideal for university students, home use and education sector, without a doubt. If I had to choose between an iPad 10,2 and a laptop right now, it would be clear to me.
iPadOS: Marking the before and after
The other big stumbling block was clearly iOS, This version of the system was mainly focused on consuming content, making our lives easier, but it was a huge obstacle to the productivity of any user, definitely the iPad could never have posed a threat to the PC with iOS as the operating system. With the arrival of iPadOS we have an almost perfect hybrid between macOS at the level of connectivity and productivity, and iOS at the level of simplicity and functionality.
In addition, With iPadOS 13.4 it seems that Apple has been clear that it is time to launch an offensive And with functionalities such as the mouse and user interface refined, iPadOS is now a mature system that meets the challenges of everyday use for most users. In fact, from my point of view iPadOS 13.4 would make the daily life of the usual Windows 10 user much easier, leaving aside many unnecessary configurations and focusing on what is important: Consume multimedia content (the applications are much more polished), take advantage of the office features (with the entire Office suite), create and edit content easily, avoiding day-to-day computer swings.
From tablet to hybrid, the leap of the iPad
With the iPad you buy a tablet that can become a hybrid with a single accessory, and in fact hybrids are proliferating thanks to the search for comfort and simplicity of those who do not have an excessively complex work tool on their personal computer. You can be watching your favorite series on the couch with your iPad, taking advantage of its high quality screen and the good sound it offers, to place the keyboard with trackpad in an instant and manage those emails that customers do not stop sending you, make a series of documents and end up interacting with the Public Administration through its online platforms.
It is true that the iPad still has a long way to go, Although applications such as After Effects, Pixelmator or Microsoft Office have worked hard to implement their versions for iPadOS, there are still a number of functionalities and tools that perform much better on macOS that in iPadOS, and therefore there is still a long way to go, that is why the iPad is not going to completely bury the PC, but it is going to host a good handful of its users.
The PC will still have its place
As I have said before, the iPad does not come to permanently bury the PC, it will simply relocate its place in jobs, high-quality content creation and much more intensive use. But for the home user, it makes no sense to tie to a laptop in terms of price, durability, upgrades, and software environment. This 2020 seems the year in which the user is definitely going to start rethinking whether to buy an iPad or a PC, and that before was reason for laughter.
Sorry, but if we add a keyboard with trackpad to a tablet, we support mice, stylus and other peripherals, and its operating system becomes something capable of multitasking and performing more tasks than the usual multimedia consumption and games. of a tablet ... what we have left is nothing more than a computer.
So I would rather say that the iPad, which was born as an iPhone passed through the rolling pin of a pastry chef, has become a computer with computer power and computer capabilities.