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What’s a Computer? iPad Software

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iPad Pro 2020 Front and Back showing screen and cameras

Last year, we started a series of articles discussing if the iPad Pro could replace a more traditional PC solution, and this article continues that series. This time we will be looking at the iPad’s software, comparing the functionality of its suite of applications to the expected norms of those found on a PC.

Productivity Software

Every day, millions use computers for work, school, and hobbies, each with their own needs to be met. Several software packages are used to accomplish these tasks such as Office suites, email clients, and to-do apps. Microsoft Office and Apple’s iWork are two of the most comprehensive packages, including features like a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation program, and much more.

Productivity software is one area where the iPad Pro shines. It does have the Microsoft Office suite and adequate email programs, but unfortunately, you will not be working on Microsoft Access databases, or other advanced Office related activities. However, you can use Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint or Pages, Numbers and Keynote in iWork to complete projects. You will also find email programs with organizational features to make your life easier as well. Google has also added its Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps to iOS, so there are even more alternatives to expand the iPad’s usefulness and integration for cross-platform collaboration.

Creativity Applications

Creativity tasks have become very popular with the powerful computers we have today, but can the same tasks be completed on an iPad? PCs and Macs have amazing software programs for creative professionals. Reaper, SoundForge, Audacity, and Logic are powerful tools for sound engineers, while video and photo designers have access to iMovie, Photoshop, and Pixelmator. The iPad Pro has a desktop class processor and GPU that allows creative professionals to make amazing music, and great visual creations while on the go. In fact, the iPad Pro will process 4k video faster than many high performance PCs and Mac, so in this case, the iPad does stand up to PC performance. The iPad Pro also has support for the Apple Pencil, allowing the user to create art on one’s device, then process it through an image editing solution. It also supports annotating documents and creating  drawings, whereas a PC user would need a device such as a Wacom for similar results.

Developer Applications

In an ever-increasingly connected world with computers being a mainstay in everybody’s lives, coding has become more prevalent. so Can users code the same solutions on the iPad Pro as they would on a PC or Mac? In short, no. The iPad Pro does not have the facilities for full software development. There are applications to write code, however, the iPad cannot compile apps for iOS or Android using currently available tools at the time of this writing. It seems that Apple may be moving the iPad Pro into the PC space, but it can’t fully be on the same playing field unless it offers the ability to build applications.

Currently the iPad Pro and other iPads have Swift Playgrounds, which lets you play games, and write code, but these code creations can only run on the iPad they are saved on, and can’t run independently. Swift Playgrounds is a start, but you can’t reach the command line or other areas that are important, if not essential, to programmers.

Web developers are in luck though. The iPad Pro has several apps that allow web developers to create websites, and there are now ways that you can test your website on the iPad with help from apps like Pythonista, where you can use Python to create small web servers.

File Management

iPadOS 13 introduces many changes to the Files application that brings it more in line with Finder on macOS. You can now view files in grid view, list view, and even detail view where you can see the file information before you open the document in question. The ability to connect to an external hard drive and a network server has been something the iPad operating system has needed for a long time, and you can finally accomplish this using the Files app. There are a few limitations here, but great strides have been made to update the iPad into a more useful storage device.

Conclusion

The iPad Pro still has some room to grow, but it is much closer to a computer replacement with iPadOS 13. We now have the ability to use automations and shortcuts, along with pro level applications to create productive solutions. We just need to see apps like Logic, Final Cut, and Xcode, and the iPad will be a proper computer replacement.

What is a Computer? iPad Pro Hardware

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Logitech Slim Combo Case for iPad Pro

During its latest iPad Pro ad, Apple asked the question, “What is a computer?” This is the second article written by iAccessibility that aims to answer this question. Our goal is to understand if the iPad Pro can replace the modern PC, and what kinds of accessories or apps one would need to accomplish this. Today, we will be looking at the iPad Pro’s hardware.

Form Factor

At the time of this writing, The iPad Pro comes in two variants: a 10.5 inch and a 12.9 inch. The 10.9 inch model is best suited for portability, whereas the 12.9 inch is best used in a sit-down environment, like at a desk. Both devices have a retina display, as well as 4 speakers that provide an  amazing sound experience. The 12.9 inch iPad Pro does have a better sound profile, but the 10.5 inch is still an amazing device for listening to audio. The 12.9 inch also contains more battery, but it does take longer to charge than its smaller counterpart.

The Processor

The 2017 iPad Pro models have an A10X hexa-core processor which has the power to out-perform some MacBook Pro models doing similar activities. This processor is not limited, as iPhone models are, by size or cooling, and can run for extended amounts of time at high speed.

Storage

The iPad Pro can be configured to have up to 512 Gigabytes of storage built in, which is the same as many MacBook Pro models. My MacBook Pro has a built-in 512 Gigabyte drive, but I went with the 256 Gigabyte iPad Pro.

Ports

The iPad Pro only has a lightning port and a headphone jack, which makes it very limited with regard to what devices can be used with it. It is worth noting, though, that the iPad Pro can support a USB 3 connection dongle so that you can plug in hard drives, microphones and other PC based equipment. You will need access to external power for this to work.

Wireless

The iPad Pro comes with your standard WI-FI and Bluetooth connectivity to connect to all modern routers and bluetooth devices. It also lets you connect to the Apple Pencil for on-screen writing.

iPad Pro Accessories

The iPad Pro allows you to connect a keyboard to the tablet through the smart connector, adding keyboard support without the need for Bluetooth. We will discuss keyboard cases in a future article, but it is worth noting that the Pro is more like a PC with this accessory. The Apple Pencil, while expensive, lets users have better control over drawing and graphics design on their tablets than most other devices like it. I personally think that the Apple Pencil is more accurate than the Surface Pen, or any similar stylus.

Conclusion

While the iPad Pro doesn’t come standard with a keyboard and mouse, it does have the necessary hardware and accessories to make it into a PC replacement with the addition of a smart keyboard and Apple Pencil. The speakers deliver beyond stellar sound, and the retina display is enough for any user to get the best viewing experience any laptop or pc could offer.

Going off hardware alone, the iPad Pro is a computer replacement.

First Look: 13 Inch 2016 MacBook Pro without Touch Bar

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image of MacBook Pro 2016 from iMore.com

Last week I had the chance to check out the 2016 MacBook Pro that is 13 inch without the new Touch Bar, and my thoughts on this machine are mixed. Here is what I observed.

Chasis

The 2016 MacBook Pros come in what feels like a new type of anodized aluminum unibody case. This case does feel stronger and more smooth than other models, and the Space Gray does look nice for a MacBook Pro.

Display

The new display on the MacBook Pro  is noticeably brighter, and thinner. It is so think that they removed the backlit Apple Logo to make the display thinner, which is not my favorite decision as the light up Apple logo is iconic to Apple’s product line.

Trackpad

The new trackpad on the 2016 MacBook Pro is considerably bigger than previous models. This allows for the user to have more working area to use for the ouse. One thing I noticed is that this makes there be less of a hand rest for proper typing, so one could not easily rest their hands on the MacBook without accidentally moving the mouse if a finger or palm hit the trackpad.

Keyboard

Apple has changed their laptop lines to use a new keyboard that uses better key design and prevents typical keys from breaking. These keys are flatter, and do not have as much key travel as previous keyboards. If you are familiar with the 12 inch MacBook then you will be familiar with this keyboard. I personally do not like the amount of travel the keys have, so I find it difficult to type on this keyboard. The keys do have slightly more travel then the MacBook, but they still do not have the amount of travel that comes on the 2015 MacBook Pro, which can be an issue for some. Many are able to adapt to these keys but many including myself prefer the previous keyboard style.

Ports

The 13 inch MacBook Pro without the Touch Bar comes with 2 USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports on the left side, and a headphone jack on the right. These ports are incredibly fast and powerful, but they are actually difficult to feel on the side of the machine to line up the device you are plugging in. This allows the machine to be thinner, but this may be an issue for users with low feeling in the fingers. With this model of the Pro, we also see the removal of the MagSafe charging port. On this model of the computer, one charges the machine by plugging the charger into any of the new USB-C ports. This now adds the risk of tripping over cables and pulling your computer off of whatever surface it is resting on.

Conclusion

The 2016 MacBook Pro strives to take us into the future with new display, keyboard, and connectivity technologies, but to do so, Apple has had to make sacrifices that remove features that users are used to having like standard USB ports, and a keyboard with more travel. In a few years we will not notice these changes and we will just accept them as standards, but until then it will be a rocky transition with a lot of cables hanging off of our MacBooks.

#iACast 12 – Digital Accessible Art!

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Image of Apple Pencil being used with iPad Pro on flat surface

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Episode Notes

It has been since December since we recorded a new podcast, so here is what we have covered this week.

  • We discussed the updates that have been made here at iAccessibility concerning the podcast and our website.
  • Review of the new iPhone 6s battery case
  • Discuss the pros and cons of removing the iPhone headphone jack in the iPhone 7
  • Discuss error 53 and what it means. We also touch on the new iOS date bug.
  • We discuss the latest news about iOS 9.3 which will come out to everyone in March
  • Apple is rumored to release the iPhone 5se next month, and we talk about what features it should have and if people want a 4 inch iPhone
  • We discuss the New Apple TV and if people still use it
  • Facebook is a modern name in browsing the web, but do we really need the app on our devices to use their services?
  • We discuss the latest in entertainment news, which include movies, gaming and books
  • The Apple Pencil is a new way to draw on a tablet screen, and you can learn how to pair it and draw with it by listening to this episode

We will continue this podcast each week now and all episodes have been migrated over to this site. If you do not see episodes 11 and 12 in your podcast app of choice then please unsubscribe and re-subscribe to our podcast and you should see the new episodes there.

iAccessibility is on slack at iaccessibildtyslack.slack.com We encourage everyone who wants to communicate on what we discuss to contact us and we can add you to the accessibility Slack community.

Slack is accessible and it will work with all modern screen readers on any platform.

Please email Michael Doise if you have any questions or suggestions for this podcast. You may also find us online at the social links below these show notes.

We hope you have enjoyed this podcast and will listen next week.

Is it an iPad Pro, or is it just a big iPad?

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iPad Pro with Smart Keyboard

So recently, Apple released the iPad Pro, and promised that this device would be a computer alternative, so  have decided to do as many have done and try to use the iPad as a main computer. In many wyas, the iPad Pro has things that are better than an iMac or Macbook, and in some ways the iPad Pro is not. In this article we will explore how it is better and how it is not.

Why the iPad is a computer Aleternative

The iPad Pro comes with a beautiful 12.9 inch Retina display that looks amazing for web design and other professional and creative ventures. The on screen keyboard is no longer the basic iOS keyboard we have come to know, but is now a full featured keyboard with a number row and the punctuation in the correct places. You can even press the shift key and find the question mark or number row characters as you would on the computer. The current version of iOS also contains more keyboard shortcuts like Command Tab to switch between apps.

Safari on the iPad Pro also behaves more like Safari on the computer. I am actually writing this article on my iPad Pro, and have full access to the Squarespace tools as if I was on my Macbook. The only thing I did not see is how to drag and drop items into the correct places.

The Sound quality on the new iPad Pro is amazing, in fact it really rivals the sound quality on many desktop computers.

The battery life on the iPad Pro is amazing as well. I unplugged the iPad around 8 this morning and have played games and surfed the web on it all day and the iPad is still at 82% battery life. This does outlast the Macbook or Macbook Pro’s battery life.

Photos look great on the iPad Pro. You can get a good look at your high resolution photos that you have taken on your iPhone 6s or 6s Plus and they will look amazing on the iPad Pro.

Another advantage of the iPad Pro is that it will eventually get USB 3.0 support. The iPad Pro does not currently have any usb 3 accessories but iFixit has determined that there is USB 3.0 support built into the iPad mainboard.

How the iPad Pro is not like a computer

While the iPad Pro has many features that make it comperable to a computer, it still has its limitations.

The iPad Pro does not have XCode or the professional Mac apps for creatives. While the iPad software can support it, Apple will not add these programs to their iOS devices at this point.

Podcasting is still difficult on the iPad Pro because of sound and audio input limitations. I do not know if you can hook up a USB Mic to it yet. That will be tried shortly. This is still where the MacBook has an advantage.

Many also do not like the fact that the iPad still does not have multi user support. I think this may be coming in iOS 10.

The last major issue with the iPad Pro is the lack of a filesystem browser. Apple has added iCloud Drive support, but I believe that you will always need Internet Access for this to work.

Conclusion

The iPad Pro is really Apple’s best creative device. If you need a device with a filesystem and full podcasting support, then use a Mac. If you do not need these features and want a touch centric device, then the iPad Pro is best for you. If you want a good device to watch movies and TV Shows then the iPad Pro is amazing. I even use it as my home speaker system if I just want to fill a room with audio. The iPad Pro’s 4 speakers really are amazing to hear, and no writing can express how well these things sound.

The big thing is that you will not be able to write code for apps or create the most professional movies with this device, but you can start a project on it and do the heavy lifting on a Mac.

Please let us know what you think about the iPad Pro and write how you use it or not use it as a computer.

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