Pro Pretense

There seems to be this big misconception about the "Pro" devices, mostly introduced by Apple's push of the more expensive and feature-rich variants of their products. So we have not only the "Pro" MacBooks, but also "Pro" iPhones, "Pro" iPads, "Pro" AirPods". And Pro of course means business (as opposed to leisure). But in fact this is all so misplaced and (again) mostly serves the marketing (and sales) to siphon more money for the products.

Let's face it: there is very little "Pro" things you can do on an iPad. Not to mention an iPhone or, especially, AirPods. The concept of "Pro" comes from "professional use" or - in other words - using to conduct a profession.  This originates with traditional professional tools, like workshop tools (made of better steel) or electric tools like drills (made to withstand more cycles / working hours). Yes, a mechanic in a workshop will most likely benefit from using professional tools. But again, do you seriously think you can run business on an iPad (even the "Pro" version with proper accessories)?

Scott Jenson has a great article on files (and why we absolutely need them). He, again a d again, reminds us that iPad is a consumption (as opposed to creation) device. I could not agree more (and I have expressed this view here on this blog multiple times). Scrolling and flicking is what those touch-screen devices are best at. But there are three fundamental things preventing even the most "professional" iPad from becoming a creation device, which somehow defines true professional use:

1. Lack of precise pointer / cursor control. Despite the super convenient way of how capacitive-touch displays deal with bare fingers, the touch targets must be big and no one has solved the lack of pointer precision when using just fingers. Grab a mouse and suddenly you are in a different galaxy.
2. Uncomfortable multitasking. Despite possibilities of having multiple applications side-by-side, a proper computer (with a desktop OS) is - again - an another galaxy in multitasking. As a matter of fact I rarely even attempt to multitask on an iPad - this is awkward, and unproductive,
3. Lack of files (see above). For all the arguments in details read Scott's article.

Having said all that, I'd say my daily use of an iPad is probably close (time-wise) to the use of a desktop computer. There is so much valuable digital content these days and touchscreen devices are awesome at following / consuming that content. Just don't fool yourself in even trying to think a touchscreen device (even a "Pro" one) would replace a good old personal computer.