iPad Pro 2024 Review in Progress: Why Not Make This a Mac?

trisno widodo
3 min readMay 14, 2024

Apple has long championed the iPad Pro as a device that blurs the lines between tablet and laptop. With the 2024 iteration, the question looms larger than ever: Why not just make this a Mac? Here, we delve into the capabilities, features, and limitations of the latest iPad Pro to understand its position in Apple’s ecosystem and the potential it holds for professional and creative users.

Design and Display

The 2024 iPad Pro maintains its sleek, modern design with a few subtle refinements. The device is slim, lightweight, and features Apple’s signature build quality. The ProMotion XDR display remains one of its standout features, offering stunning color accuracy, brightness, and a buttery smooth 120Hz refresh rate. This display is perfect for creative professionals who need precise color representation for photo and video editing.

Photo by Rendy Novantino on Unsplash

Performance and Specifications

Under the hood, the iPad Pro 2024 is powered by Apple’s latest M3 chip, which promises significant performance improvements over its predecessors. With up to 16GB of RAM and storage options ranging from 128GB to 2TB, the iPad Pro can handle demanding tasks with ease. Benchmark tests show that the M3 chip performs on par with the latest MacBook Pro models, blurring the line between tablet and laptop performance.

Software Experience

The most significant distinction between the iPad Pro and a MacBook lies in their operating systems. The iPad Pro runs on iPadOS, which, while powerful, still lacks some of the flexibility and capabilities of macOS. For instance, multitasking on iPadOS, though improved, isn’t as seamless as on macOS. Professional software like Final Cut Pro and Xcode are either unavailable or limited in their iPad versions, which can be a deal-breaker for some users.

Accessories and Versatility

Apple continues to enhance the iPad Pro’s versatility with accessories like the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil. The Magic Keyboard transforms the iPad Pro into a quasi-laptop with a trackpad and comfortable typing experience. The Apple Pencil is indispensable for artists and designers, offering precision and responsiveness that few competitors can match. However, these accessories add to the overall cost, making the iPad Pro a pricey investment.

Battery Life and Connectivity

The 2024 iPad Pro offers impressive battery life, easily lasting through a full day of work or play. It also boasts improved connectivity options, including Thunderbolt ports, which enable faster data transfer and support for a wider range of peripherals. The addition of 5G ensures that the iPad Pro is ready for the fastest mobile internet speeds available.

The Case for a Mac

Despite its many strengths, the iPad Pro still leaves some users yearning for a Mac. The macOS environment offers a more traditional desktop experience with greater software compatibility, enhanced multitasking, and a wider array of professional tools. For users deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem, the choice between an iPad Pro and a MacBook can be challenging, especially given the overlapping capabilities facilitated by the M3 chip.

Conclusion

The 2024 iPad Pro is a technological marvel, pushing the boundaries of what a tablet can do. Its performance, display quality, and versatility make it a compelling choice for creative professionals and power users. However, for those who rely heavily on traditional desktop software and multitasking capabilities, a Mac might still be the better choice.

In essence, the iPad Pro 2024 continues to straddle the line between tablet and laptop, excelling in many areas but still not fully replacing a Mac for all users. As Apple continues to innovate, the convergence of these devices seems inevitable, but for now, the choice largely depends on specific user needs and preferences.

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