Surface Book and Pro 4 now on sale

If I superglue a keyboard onto an iPad and install Office, have I made a laptop? Otherwise, you’re effectively buying a crippled device that’s capable of so much more with the right tools. Although smartphones have grown larger and laptops have gotten more versatile, the Apple iPad mini 4 has become so functional, it actually makes for an ideal travel gadget for a workaholic on the go. “They will start using it and conclude they no longer need to use anything else, other than their phones”, Cook says.

Interestingly enough, Joanna Stern from The Wall Street Journal believes the iPad Pro is the future of computing. “When paired with the Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil, the iPad Pro’s tablet personality recedes, and a workhorse steps forward”.

Apple’s recent quarter also marked the first time sales checked in below the 10 million mark since mid-2011.

All the while, the Mac has never been stronger.

Apple also said it redesigned the touch subsystem of the iPad Pro’s Multi-Touch display specifically for the Apple Pencil to “dramatically reduce latency and deliver incredible accuracy for activities like fine art illustration and detailed 3D design”. Previous editions were from third party companies and worked via BlueTooth, but because this is a native product to the Apple family, it’s hooked up to the iPad through a Smart Connector and charges naturally through the device. Initially positioned between the iPhone and the MacBook, the iPad was the quiet ignored middle child, but now its gotten a little too hot for its own good, and needs the size to show for it. But a replacement for notebooks and desktops? Most consumers would rather have a less expensive unit.

Sure, these updates all sound awesome, but the other thing that’s changing is the starting price: The iPad Pro will set you back at least $800. For instance, here’s Walt Mossberg writing for The Verge.

The report also cited a rumor that the update on the iPad will most likely happen in 2016 and unlike the iPad Pro, will probably be done without much fanfare as the rest of the company’s flagships.

During Apple’s last press conference, Microsoft’s Products manager, Kirk Koenigsbauer, was invited on stage to demo how Microsoft Office will work on the iPad Pro and iOS 9. And it’s designed for one user. He found that even his “one-year-old maxed out MacBook Pro”, which is more powerful than a MacBook Air, was “rivaled by an iPad in performance benchmarks”.