Tim Cook is in London to promote the pending release of the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil. In addition to coverage by The Guardian (see this post about the UK surveillance bill), we’re also taking a look at coverage by the Telegraph.
From The Telegraph:
“I think if you’re looking at a PC, why would you buy a PC anymore? No really, why would you buy one?”, asks Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, who has just flown into Britain for the launch of the iPad Pro.
And:
“Yes, the iPad Pro is a replacement for a notebook or a desktop for many, many people. They will start using it and conclude they no longer need to use anything else, other than their phones,” Cook argues in his distinctly Southern accent (he was born in Alabama). He highlights two other markets for his 12.9 inch devices, which go on sale online on Wednesday. The first are creatives: “if you sketch then it’s unbelievable..you don’t want to use a pad anymore,” Cook says.
The second is music and movie consumers: the sound system and speakers are so powerful that the iPad appears to pulsate in one’s hands when one plays a video.
Of all those use cases, the most obvious to me is as an art creation tool. From what I’ve seen, the iPad Pro looks to be a world class solution, when paired with the right software.
As to a desktop/laptop replacement, that’s not as obvious to me. The biggest barriers that would keep me from replacing my MacBook Pro with an iPad Pro are the keyboard, the hinge that lets me instantly tilt the screen at any angle, and the availability of software that I use to create content.
I can type really fast on my MacBook Pro keyboard, much slower on any on-screen keyboard. The jury is still out on the usability of the built in keyboard case. At best, I suspect it will slow down my typing just a bit.
The ability to tilt my screen to adjust for glare/lighting is also important to me. If I hold the iPad in my hand, I can get that instant adjustment, but I’ve sacrificed ease of use, the ability to use the case as a keyboard.
Software availability will obviously vary with each user. I do a lot of writing and a smaller amount of graphic design and software development. The biggest issue is software development. A niche case. Until Xcode, or a truly useful alternative, is ported to iOS, there is no way for me to do software development anywhere else but on my Mac.
That said, for the consumption of information (web/email/music/video), the iPad Pro, combined with the Apple Pencil, looks to be an incredibly freeing experience. The display is plenty big (12 x 8.68 inches), and it is incredibly light (about 1.6 pounds, without the Smart Keyboard). If I’m traveling, the iPad Pro looks to be a fantastic solution.
Back to Tim’s Telegraph interview:
“I think if you have the larger phone, you’re less likely to have the iPad mini”, he says, though he insists that the demand won’t fall to zero.
Some consumers use the iPad mini to read in bed, he says, finding it more relaxing than using a phone and the busyness that goes with it. That won’t change, he believes. “But I think it clearly created some cannibalisation – which we knew would occur – but we don’t really spend any time worrying about that, because as long as we cannibalise [ourselves], it’s fine,” Cook laughs.
As I’ve said time and again, it’s all about the ecosystem. As long as people continue to stay within the Apple ecosystem, Apple can adjust the product line, trimming/replacing where necessary to keep their costs in line. Fantastic comment: Why worry about cannibalization? Make the adjustments to keep the ecosystem healthy and all will be fine.