iPad Pro Hands-on Makes the Case for Productivity Uses, Apple Pencil Is Excellent

With the launch of the iPad Pro coming up shortly, technology and education expert Fraser Speirs got some hands-on time with the device at an invitation-only event in London yesterday. Speirs has been sharing his thoughts from his one-hour session with the iPad Pro and its accessories and answering questions on Twitter, offering an interesting perspective on the user experience.

Overall, Speirs was impressed by the iPad Pro, finding it most ideal for productivity tasks in noting the device “is expansive where the Air 2 is intimate. It definitely has a ‘work’ feel to it, although photos/media are fantastic.” Multitasking in particular is “a whole different thing” on the iPad Pro with a true feeling of “two iPads stuck together,” an experience that makes it “a great device for serious work and creativity.”

If you’re the kind of person who uses Editorial, Keynote, Pythonista, Office, Adobe, Omni and Panic apps, you should look at iPad Pro.

— Fraser Speirs (@fraserspeirs) October 23, 2015

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Speirs is a bit less enthusiastic about other use cases, noting that “if you just use it to browse and Netflix” there may not be enough benefit from the iPad Pro to make it worth the increased size and weight compared to iPad Air 2. For reading, he feels “it’s not a device to snuggle up with” but would be solid for reference work.

Turning to the Apple Pencil, Speirs calls it “extremely impressive” and “certainly the best iPad stylus I have used by a country mile.” Palm rejection is described as “near-perfect” and the “best I have ever seen on iOS,” making for a smooth experience with writing and drawing apps.

Speirs was less impressed with the Smart Keyboard, calling it “a bit fiddly” due to its size and complexity but a “decent enough” keyboard. As far as the keyboard feel, Speirs compares it most closely to Logitech’s Keys-to-Go among accessories iPad users might already be familiar with.

For more of Speirs’ thoughts on the iPad Pro and its accessories, check out his Twitter timeline, which is full of tidbits and other impressions.

iPad Pro Case Announcements Rolling Out Ahead of November Launch

Announced alongside the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus at Apple’s “Hey Siri” event earlier in September, the iPad Pro has seen a little less coverage than the company’s new smartphone line thanks to its less immediate launch date of November. All the same, a few companies have confirmed accessory support for the 12.9-inch tablet, with detailed information and pre-orders already up for some of the third-party cases.

First is Waterfield’s zippered iPad Travel Express case, which the company has offered for the iPad Air 2 in the past, and will now provide versions for the iPad Mini 4 ($64) and all-new iPad Pro ($89). Waterfield promises that the durable case will store charging cables, power bricks, the new Apple Pencil, and can even fit the full iPad Pro alongside the Smart Keyboard accessory Apple also introduced on September 9.

The Travel Express case comes with an optional shoulder strap accessory, sold separately, that customers can purchase to carry their iPad Pro hands-free. Waterfield’s iPad Pro case is up for pre-order now, but the company notes that those who order now can expect a shipping date of about a week-and-a-half after Apple begins shipping the iPad Pro units to customers.

Brenthaven’s BX² Sleeve Plus acts as sort of an active-lifestyle counterpart to Waterfield’s more classically designed case, with a “patent-pending Secure Grip handle” to provide users with a strengthened hold on the case alongside the company’s “Xtreme Foam” outer layer providing drop protection from all sides. The $49.95 case — available for purchase today — also has a smaller outer pocket to fit a smartphone or charging cable, and comes in both blue/black and red/black color options.

Catalyst touts its upcoming case for the iPad Pro as “the world’s first fully-waterproof case” for the new Apple tablet, with a waterproof rating of IP68 that can submerge up to 2m. The company says that full functionality of the iPad Pro is kept in check thanks to an “integrated touchscreen film,” allowing users access to Touch ID and all the promised nuances of the Apple Pencil.

The case will also provide unobstructed acoustic emissions from the iPad Pro’s four speakers, thanks to the location of a handful of “acoustic membranes” on the case. The Catalyst Case for iPad Pro is the only option not up for immediate purchase or pre-order today, with the company encouraging users to follow them on various social media platforms and sign up for their mailing list to be updated on its availability.

As with any major product launch, there are also a handful of cheaper knock-off options for customers to consider. On Amazon alone the cheapest alternative for an iPad Pro case is $6.99, with a few other, more intricate cases going up to around $29.99. With a launch in November, customers who plan to purchase Apple’s new big-screen tablet have plenty of time to shop around for a suitable case option, and should probably keep in mind that Apple will introduce its own first-party options into the mix as we get closer to the device’s launch.

Apple’s iPad Pro has an unclear message at a big price

People from around the world shifted their attention to Apple on Wednesday afternoon as the company unveiled its latest round of hardware and software. Products given spotlight at Apple’s event included the Apple Watch, the new iPad Pro, a revamped Apple TV, and the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus. The iPad Pro is probably the most unique item shown in San Francisco that day. It has a large 12.9-inch display and is meant to be paired with a stylus and wireless keyboard. The company that typically plays it safe is entering uncharted territory that has already been discovered by others.

Apple has finally decided to follow the trend in increasing productivity with the Pencil and Smart Keyboard. But you’ll need to spend big to get the same productivity that can be had elsewhere for much less. These two accessories, both sold separately from the iPad Pro, are priced not even remotely aggressively. The Pencil and Smart Keyboard cost $99 and $169, respectively. And the stylus is one that requires charging. Now remember that Apple wants you to use the stylus and keyboard with the iPad Pro. Otherwise you might as well buy the smaller, more affordable iPad. Or perhaps you should look at another form factor.

Realize that the iPad Pro runs iOS. So your productivity efforts, despite the operating system being tailored for split-screen use, are still going to be limited. File management on an iOS device is laughable compared to Windows, OS X, and even Android. Think about what will happen when you need to open a ZIP file or something else that iOS jumbles to figure out. Designers and work-focused individuals are going to be a little hesitant to purchase the iPad Pro due to iOS’ limitations. The processing power and productivity available through the traditional desktop or laptop is much greater than what the iPad Pro offers.

Outside of design, the iPad Pro’s purpose is confusing. There is no real reason for anyone to choose this tablet over Apple’s very own MacBooks. The iPad Pro’s pricing ranges from $799-$1079. The MacBook Air, with its $899 starting price, brings a normal physical keyboard and an Intel Core processor. If having a stylus is that important, Microsoft and Lenovo are among the companies there to help. The Surface Pro 3 matches the iPad Pro’s starting price and comes with a capable stylus. Lenovo, too, includes styluses with many of its devices that have varying prices. In fact, Lenovo’s upcoming Miix 700 will cost less than the iPad Pro and come with a wireless keyboard. The Miix 700’s stylus is a separate purchase, one that will undoubtedly be cheaper than Apple’s Pencil.

Apple has priced itself out of a market before even entering.

The iPad Pro’s position is unclear. Who should be buying this tablet? Is it even a hybrid tablet-laptop? The form factor tells you this is a tablet; however, the accessories make it a hybrid. See the price and the confusion is furthered.

Apple is finally accepting your fingers coming off of the display despite the late Steve Jobs once saying “if you see a stylus, they blew it.” Just let it sink in, though, that using the iPad Pro the way that Apple wants you to will cost over $1,000 while not changing the fact that the product is limited.

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