It’s hard not to look at the iPad Pro and think it was introduced at least partly because of competitive pressure from the Surface family of devices.

As a 2-in-1, the larger iPad Pro with its 12.9 inch screen and Apple Pencil offers tool that creative types love. Thanks to Apple’s A9X chip, this device performs like a respectable laptop, and with the addition of Apple’s Smart Keyboard it acts enough like a PC to satisfy a lot of use cases.

Where the iPad Pro stumbles is in the other things that make a PC a PC: USB connectivity (nope), mouse support (sorry), full desktop apps (although the available options are adequate), and access to the file system (will probably never happen).

If you’re not bothered by those limitations or the hefty pricetag, the iPad Pro is perfectly capable of playing the same role as a hybrid PC.

RELATED