Apple’s new iPad Pro is aimed at anyone still using an old PC

Last week, Apple Inc’s marketing chief Phil Schiller said that the new iPad Pro of the company is aimed at the ones who still use an old PC. So far, there isn’t any assurance over whether Apple’s iPad Pro can withstand that promise or not. Firstly, it doesn’t have some tools that are must for PC-like work, mainly a mouse or a trackpad.

Moreover, Apple will reduce the utility of the tablets by making it harder than it must be for workplace software creators to earn money via its App Store.

As there is much competition in this field with competitors including Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp., in the race to come up with hybrids of tablets and PCs that can work as both, Apple has missed a golden chance to dominate the touch-based world it led with the iPhone.

Though a decline has come in the sales of PCs, they are even then a huge market, with nearly 280 million sold previous year, mainly to businesses. However, the iPad Pro can’t be called a laptop replacement. It has drawbacks about which was once Apple executives argued that they are deal breakers for doing ‘real work’ on a PC.

Back in January 2014, when competitors introduced touch screen laptops, Craig Federighi, Apple’s head of software engineering told MacWorld, said, “it’s obvious and easy enough to slap a touch screen on a piece of hardware, but is that a good experience? We believe, no”.

But after eighteen months, Apple came up with something extremely like what was earlier criticized by Mr. Federighi, a touch-screen tablet equipped with a keyboard.

Presently, the iPad Pro has got mixed reviews. The Journal’s Joanna Stern has felt sorry for the absence of a trackpad, highlighting the oddity of going for a tablet to take the place of a PC.