14 DAY TRIAL // Apple unveiled the iPad Pro in September, and the device is scheduled to go on sale today, and there is no doubt that the company has very high expectations for what it calls its largest and most productive iPad to date.
While many have accused the company of copying Microsoft’s example, which invested millions in a tablet that can double as a laptop, Apple claims the iPad Pro is actually a worthy replacement for the traditional PC and laptop because it can do pretty much the best of both worlds.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook says almost the same thing as Microsoft’s former CEO Steve Ballmer did in 2012, when Redmond introduced the original Surface RT tablet: the iPad Pro, which has its own detachable keyboard and support for pen, can replace your laptop.
“I think if you’re looking at a PC, why would you buy a PC anymore? No really, why would you buy one? Yes, the iPad Pro is a replacement for a notebook or a desktop for many, many people. They will start using it and conclude they no longer need to use anything else, other than their phones,” Cook says.
“We’re OK with cannibalizing ourselves”
While this might sound very familiar to Microsoft enthusiasts, there’s also the other side of the story. If the iPad Pro can indeed replace a laptop or a PC (although the obvious limitations of iOS, the lack of mouse support, and the screen size don’t recommend it as an alternative), this basically means that it could also impact sales of Apple’s very own devices.
But that’s not at all a problem, Cook adds.
“I think it clearly created some cannibalization - which we knew would occur - but we don’t really spend any time worrying about that, because as long as we cannibalize [ourselves], it’s fine,” he explains.
Time will tell if the iPad Pro is indeed a PC killer, but there’s no doubt that competition in this side of the business is increased, and Microsoft has just got the best rival ever.