The note between traditional computing methods has been easy eroding during the last few contemporaries of Apple product . The Mac has long been Apple ’s go - to workstation , but with the introduction of the Modern M4 iPad Pro , there ’s a viable option to be weigh for your serious project .

The powerful M4 iPad Pro has overwhelming computing power , a gorgeous screen , and a MacBook - comparable Magic Keyboard .   Consumers have always show interest in throw a touch - cover Mac but since Apple wo n’t oblige , the iPad Pro is the next best thing .

But can the iPad Pro be a competent Mac replenishment ? Considering the iPad Pro ’s pure power , it looks like a gibe - dunk , but outside of that , the limitations of the platform linger . Let ’s look at how end the iPad Pro is to being a workstation that user can rely on .

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The iPad Pro’s stunning display is great for professionals.

iPad Pro: The hardware is impressive

The iPad Pro has extraordinary performance chops , beating the well - seasonedM3 in bench mark tests . The new iPad Pro also has an tolerable 8 GB of RAM , or 16 GB of RAM in the 1 TB model .   With the high tier of computer storage for the iPad Pro , the M4 has more Aries and one more CPU kernel , consanguineal to how Apple does MacBook Pro tiers of upgrades – take it as a foretoken of the iPad Pro being a real Mac replacement . The 10 - gist GPU and 16 - core Neural Engine provide more processing power .

The iPad Pro ’s sensational display is great for professional person .

Thiago Trevisan / Foundry

Mac Pro and iPad Pro

The iPad Pro’s stunning display is great for professionals.

It get even safe . The iPad Pro’standem OLED displayis a beauty to behold . With a arresting 264 pixels per inch and 120Hz Pro Motion refresh pace , there is not much to plain about . A nano - texture interpretation with 1 TB and above models gives professional exploiter an choice for brilliant workings precondition . add together beautiful and precise colors , and it vie with much more expensive monitors . for certain , the 13 - inch iPad Pro is still diffident of the 16 - inch MacBook Pro in size , but it more than makes up for it with its touchscreen flexibility .

Apple also released the newMagic Keyboard   for iPad Pro . design to look even more like a MacBook Pro keyboard , it now also boast a purpose quarrel full of utility . Together with a responsive touchpad , the haptic nature of the iPad Pro is unmatchable by any MacBook Pro .

The new Magic Keyboard enhances the iPad Pro ’s functionality . The Apple Pencil Pro give the iPad Pro an vantage over a MacBook .

Magic Keyboard Apple Pencil Pro

The new Magic Keyboard enhances the iPad Pro’s functionality. The Apple Pencil Pro gives the iPad Pro an advantage over a MacBook.

With such a suite of hardware utility on iPad Pro , it is well-situated to overlook theApple Pencil Pro . Newly plan with new tricks up its sleeve , this is the ultimate tool for artists and productivity users who need that refinement only afford by a style .

Taking all that the computer hardware has to offer under consideration , we can confidently say that the M4 iPad Pro does have what it takes to become a Mac replacement . But it ’s not all about hardware .

iPad Pro: Here’s the catch

The iPad Pro computer hardware can surely have you race down the main road of productiveness , but then you stumble a bottleneck : iPadOS . iPadOS just is n’t designed for day-by-day product on a larger exfoliation , but Apple has carefully curated a entourage of apps that are designed specifically with iPad Pro users in thinker to make it a valuable pecker in smaller instance .

Final Cut Pro and Logic Proare just two of the heavy - hitting apps that are being tuned for the iPad experience . Both make great use of the M4 chip in the iPad Pro . The intuitive control have also been fine - tune up , making it a pleasant overall experience for creatives .

But then there are issues with the way iPadOS behaves when power users judge to force it beyond its limits . iCloud and the file system of rules have been great additions to the iPad Pro , but the file system is still substandard to macOS . It ’s a lot easy to organize expectant project on a Mac .

iPad Pro iPadOS

Then there ’s the ability to multitask . On iPadOS , it can roam from useful to frustrative . Stage Manageris a effective theme in theory but incompetent in its execution for resizing and adjusting window .

At Apple ’s recent WWDC , the push into AI ( a.k.a . Apple Intelligence ) was on full display , and the iPad Pro seems like an idealistic platform for such feature article . Apple gave immediate demonstration of AI feature that are come , but until it ’s actually in the hand of exploiter , the computer software user experience is still vague . We can desire for practical use of goods and services of AI since the iPad Pro is one of the first former devices at the helm of whatever AI goodies Apple intends to spread across its lineup .

As a skin senses platform , iPadOS does have its welfare and works slap-up . The software interaction with the Apple Pencil Pro is fantastic , with impressive details such as the coming into court of the Pencil Pro trace and the Modern power play function .

Final Cut Pro on iPad Pro

The new Final Cut Pro includes new features that make it a better tool on the iPad Pro.

iPad Pro: Situational use cases

Apple is careful not to completely cannibalize its MacBook Pro lineup , leaving the iPad Pro just capable enough to attract some recession users , but the iPad Pro can certainly be a ranking laptop computer replacement for the right-hand drug user . One major egress , disregardless of the use casing : Leontyne Price . The iPad Pro can easily go beyond the $ 2,000 mark when to the full adorn with its accessories and higher - final stage specs . There are other iPads in Apple ’s card for budget constraint , but this makes the iPad Pro a seemingly high - end product that needs to compete on merits against the MacBook card . Here ’s how the iPad Pro go , based on the use case .

The home user : If all you need is a tremendous webcam twist , couple on with a filmdom and competent keyboard , the iPad Pro has you covered . iPadOS offers easy access to apps such as Mail , Safari , Messages , FaceTime , and even Keynote , Numbers , and Pages . It can link up to large monitor , making it punch above its weighting when more CRT screen real land Is needed . The iPad Pro also has a predilection for being an entertainment power station thanks to its gorgeous screen door , fast ironware , and access to medicine and video streaming apps .

The Modern Final Cut Pro includes fresh features that make it a better shaft on the iPad Pro .

iPad Pro Mac Pro

The iPad Pro can be just as good as a Mac in certain situations.

Thiago Tresvian / Foundry

Creative pro : There ’s a good selection of apps uncommitted for amateur and expert users , but professional may not find the apps they need . The Apple Pencil Pro is a crucial tool that has no equal on the MacBook . With one of the best OLED screen usable , together with Pencil Pro , artists will find no privation in such a machine . photographer can also find plenty of portability and usefulness with iPad Pro , and the nuance of picture touchups can be gentle for some on this machine . With third - party software such as Adobe Photoshop , there is a breadth of capabilities baked into iPad Pro .

concluding Cut Pro : Apple has been clear a big push into Final Cut Pro for iPad Pro . With nicely all right - tuned control , and the power to use the iPad Pro itself to capture images , it ready a good case for usability for all but the most power users .

Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4, 2024)

Logic Pro : Logic Pro for iPad Pro , much like Final Cut Pro , take advantage of the powerful computer hardware plant within to make soft work of most workflows in a neat , portable equipment . While power users will still want to exploit with a full - fledged macOS background for large undertaking , this is a step in the direction of making the iPad Pro well - rounded .

3D nontextual matter and gamers : The 10 - core GPU within the iPad Pro has up to four times faster rendering functioning than the M2 crisp , together with beam of light tracing capabilities . It may not match the performance of a Windows PC with a distinct GPU , the iPad Pro can surely move with competent gaming performance as shown by Resident Evil 4 and similar championship .

The iPad Pro can be just as salutary as a Mac in sure situation .

Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M4, 2024)

iPad Pro: It can replace a Mac (mostly)

The iPad Pro can clear replace many subroutine for most user who typically bank on desktop or laptops . It has the power for a wide range of job from word processing , television redaction , and even pin - point nontextual matter piece of work . The iPad Pro has a great form factor and its thin and portable nature can best even the midget MacBook Air – it can be used more comfortably in nomadic or non - traditional employment situation .

However , iPadOS does n’t always keep up with the needs of more need users who may shy away from the lack of competent file direction . And while the iPad has a great software library , many professional apps are n’t on the iPad . The macOS ecosystem is still immense and full of choices for such users .

The iPad Pro remains a valiant challenger to the Mac ( more now , the MacBook ) . With the upcoming updates to iPadOS and more AI technology , it could become a more viable political platform that replaces the Mac .

Get more information about the iPad Pro .

Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4, 2024)

Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M4, 2024)