A few weeks ago we talked about AppleOS, the reason why macOS will not reach the iPad. In this article, I have already presented my opinion on a topic that has been around for years: what is an iPad and if it is a computer. In the same vein, today I would like to reflect on the iPad range itself, focus on what the last name Pro means.
What does the Pro last name mean in Apple products?
At first glance, the name Pro, which comes from a professional, means that we are in front of a more competent, more powerful and, in general, better team. Due to this perception of Pro devices, it is common to see people disappointed with the iPad Pro for not giving enough of itself. As if we expected a Mac Pro in iPad format. Something similar is happening with the iPhone and, to a much lesser extent, with the Mac, where the word Pro makes more of a difference than in any other product line.
Go ahead, pro, professional, is an overly generic term. There are thousands of trades, thousands. For me, as a tech publisher, an entry-level iPad, which allows me to develop my profession quietly, could be considered Pro. For my other job as an architect, nothing that isn’t a really powerful Mac can be considered Pro. what I mean is that Pro is a term that gives us the idea that we can do more, but it’s a idea so generic, that sometimes it can lose its meaning.
Apple isn’t playing the specs game, but …
It is seen in many manufacturers and the situation leads to comments like this: I will buy this windows because the processor is 2.3 instead of 2.1. Okay, fine, certainly the computer will have a more powerful processor, but maybe some other component, say RAM and its speed, makes this computer more inefficient than the “inferior” model.
Apple is not playing the specs game. It does not advertise the amount of RAM in its products, nor the speed of its processors. Apple sums it all up in one last name: Pro, Air, mini, or Max. Is there a big difference between the iPad Air and the iPad Pro? The name would say yes, but the reality is that there aren’t that many. Now according to whatever you want to do with it, the difference grows or practically disappears
If we plan to devote ourselves to photography, 3D modeling, or using our iPad to draw with an Apple Pencil, we will appreciate the iPad Pro’s camera system, LiDAR or ProMotion and we will notice the difference. In the meantime, whether we’re going to be using the iPad for office work, for writing, or just for browsing and reading, the difference between the Air and the Pro is completely diluted.
A device for every person vs a marketing branding
All of this brings me to the fact that Pro surnames, like others in different Apple products, serve more to distinguish devices than to faithfully reflect a condition that, due to its individuality, is unattainable. There can’t be an iPad Pro for every professional. The term Pro indicates that an iPad it is better on certain points or specifications
So when I hear comments like “the iPad Pro doesn’t have a Pro it should come with macOS” I wonder if Apple instead of selling the iPad, the iPad Air and the iPad Pro were selling the iPad Series 1, the iPad Series 2 and the iPad Series 3, to invent an example? Would we demand as much from the iPad Pro / Series 3?
Probably not, in any case one could say: Apple is expected to introduce an iPad Series 4. Something similar, in my opinion, we should understand when we see the iPad Pro.
In the end, the name of the devices should not prevent us from choosing the one that best suits our needs regardless of the name it bears. Whether it is an iPad Pro, an iPhone mini or a MacBook Air, if it corresponds to the use that we are going to give it, rest assured, the last name goes quickly in the background.
Pictures | Daniel Romero Dose Media