Well this years WWDC conference has only been over for a couple of hours and already the accolades , the criticisms and the predictions have already pitched their stalls on the information superhighway. And to add to them I have a prediction of my own. Or at the very least, a personal affirmation.
So here goes; The new iPad Pro is a laptop killer.
When the iPad Pro was demonstrated 18 Months ago Microsoft, whilst showing off their new version of Office for iOS, said it was a perfect productivity tool.
While this might have been true for some, there were still many things that your average laptop user needed that the iPad could not deliver, at least not fully. However, with the new iPad Pro and iOS 11, all the compromises come to an end.
While it is important to mention that the new iPad Pro is faster the real breakthrough is increased screen size without making the form factor larger. Firstly this allows a manageable device to have a full sized keyboard, instantly making it more comfortable to use without needing to resort to the table top sized iPad Pro 12.9 inch model. At last you have a screen size worthy of productivity at the level the iPad promises to deliver without looking like you are carrying around furniture.
However it is the software that really makes the difference. The new, iPad only, features of iOS11 have really bundled up all the things that made iOS a challenge in business and put them to bed – with coco.
For starters the dock has been redesigned to be a closer cousin to the dock on the Mac. Of course apps can be launched from here but they can also be dragged to the screen to create a split screen to run two apps at the same time. And once there, text and photos can be dragged between them just like you would on a Mac.
The new interface also makes switching between apps much easier with the new – customisable – Control Centre.
There is also a way to view all your files – no matter where they might be stored, DropBox, iCloud, OneDrive – in a single window.
Using the new document scanner option in Notes a document can be scanned (and the scanner will automatically capture and adjust for angle) and using Markup, sign it and then email it off.
And while I am on the subject of signing things, documents that contain hand written notes are now fully indexed on the fly meaning they can be searched via Spotlight.
These are just some of the features specific to the iPad. I urge you to have a look at the full range here.
And, afterwards, stick your old iPad on eBay.
