Watching my Tigers beat Clemson for a FBS College Football National Championship! Well, I’ll be watching the game on a tv along with my Wife, Mom and Dad, but I will be using the 12.9″ screen of my iPad Pro to keep up with some of ESPN’s other feeds for the game. They go all out for Playoff and Championship Games and my tablet will help me take advantage without the need or any channel flipping.
The iPad has been with us for almost 10 years now and the personal computer hasn’t died. If anything, Windows PC and Mac sales have recovered from past swoons. They aren’t growing as fast as they once did, but they are stable.
The Microsoft Surface has been around for close to 7 years, but all laptops haven’t suddenly adopted its unique 2-in-1 design. Some have, but the traditional laptop form factor is still with us today, and still makes up the majority of sales in the category. However, these facts do not change the fact that the Post-PC Era is very, very real.
After summing up the iPad over the last decade yesterday, now it’s time to turn to the platform’s immediate future. So what can we expect as far as new hardware and improvements to iPadOS? Here are a few completely unscientific predictions with absolutely no sources for the new year ahead.
We are just a few hours from the close of another decade and it’s a natural time to look back and see just how much things have changed in the last ten years. One of those big changes for Apple fans like myself has been the iPad.
Whether it’s an iPad, an iPhone, an Apple Watch or even a HomePod or AirPods Pro, a brand new Apple gift for Christmas is super exciting. However, if it’s something new to you, it can also be a bit confusing.
So here is a personal question for you. For those of you looking to get an iPad for yourself or someone else this Holiday season, which one do you want? Now that we have a tiered tablet lineup that covers a full range of features, sizes and price points, which one best lines up with your priorities?
I’ve been a big fan of the Brydge Keyboard since I got one for my 12.9″ iPad Pro earlier this year. However, they don’t come cheap at $169.99 retail. That’s a lot to take on faith when you are interested in testing the waters, but you aren’t totally convinced that a product is right for you. It worked out for me, but you can’t always count on that.
The iPad Pro has some limitations when you compare it to a traditional laptop with a touchscreen and pen compatibility. I think any fan of the device who’s honest with themselves understands that. There are fewer of them than there used to be thanks to Apple’s efforts to beef up the iPad on the software side over the last three years. The release of iPadOS this summer was a another big step in this process, freeing the iPad from the hardware and software schedule of the iPhone.
Ming-Chi Kuo has a new report that clarifies some previous information he released back in October. In that previous note, he predicted that Apple would release new iPad Pros with new Mini-LED displays in the Fall of 2020 with a new MacBook coming the following year. Now he saying that it will be the 12.9″ Pro alone that gets a Mini-LED display in the third quarter of next year.
First of all, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. If you are celebrating here in the US today, I hope you are having a wonderful day filled with family, fun and lots of good food. I am looking forward to heading next door (yes, my Holiday travel is absolutely BRUTAL) and partaking in our family’s traditional feast in about an hour. I can’t wait. For our fairly large crew, turkey is the sideshow. My Mom’s Chicken and Dumplings and Dressing are the stars of the show. I skipped breakfast to make room, so now I’m really hungry.
Ok, back to business…
I’ve been a big fan of my Brydge Bluetooth Keyboard for the 12.9″ iPad Pro since I got one back in July. So much so that my Pro rarely gets used without it now. I gave it a brief overview this Summer right after getting it and came away very impressed. My opinion hasn’t changed over the months since.
The keys are close to the same size, spacing and quality that you get with a good laptop keyboard. The key action is responsive and has a pleasing feedback. The backlight is bright. The docking clips allow you to position the iPad at almost any angle you choose. Their Silver, Space Gray and Gold are a perfect match for each iPad color. It’s just a great product, all the way around. The magnetic cover that protects the back of the iPad is a nice touch, as well.