This was originally posted on Facebook on 2015-12-01. It’s not a very detailed review as it was intended for my non-technical friends and family. Reposting here as the size comparison with the MacBook will probably be interesting to others.

Talked with my dad earlier today and was raving to him how much I love the new iPad Pro. I’ve used every iPad since the original but this is the first one that has the potential to replace a laptop IMHO, at least for casual users or casual use by pro users. Case in point: it’s pretty much all I’ve been using for the last week and a half while I’ve been laid up at home recovering from my accident. The only things I’ve broken out my MacBook for are for Xcode, a second set of browser tabs for some Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping and to do some general maintenance on my development tools.

The iPro may be a REALLY BIG iPad, but it's also a really light laptop, depending on how you look at it
— Ben Chatelain (@phatblat) December 8, 2015

So, what’s so great about this? It’s “just” a bigger iPad, right? That’s exactly why!

I don’t even have my Apple Pencil or Smart Keyboard yet (both of which only work with the Pro), but this device finally makes sense because of the big screen.

Multiple Apps

iOS 9 introduces a new Split View feature where you can have two apps onscreen at the same time. The last 3 pictures in this set show this in action. This is only fully supported on the iPad Pro, Air 2 and Mini 4 right now. Developers do have to add Split View support to their apps, otherwise the 2nd app is only a temporary flyover (Apple calls Slide Over). Adding this support is trivial (took me 15 minutes to add it to a Kaiser app), but even Facebook hasn’t updated their app with support for this yet. Expect it to be added very soon.

Readability

I use glasses to see a computer screen clearly and without eye strain, even on a laptop. This is because the distance to the screen is right between near sight and far sight. An iPad (or any mobile device) is held nearer to the eyes so I don’t need glasses. Where a device this big excels is that everything is bigger and more readable. The size is so big that I can pull up a photo full screen and show it to someone across the room.

OK, enough selling, here are the pics. The smaller device is the 2015 12” MacBook. The gray silicone iPad Pro cover is top quality with plush microfiber inside.

Pictures

Glorious display. Also, this setup has a blue bias.

Not very exciting to look at, but I’m expecting this case to take the wear so the iPad can stay shiny.

So soft

Silicone case on left, naked iPad Pro on right

Huge 12.9” screen

I can’t wait until my Smart Keyboard arrives so I’ll have a stand+keyboard. I paired a normal Apple Bluetooth keyboard with the Pro earlier for some emails, but had to prop the iPad up on a book to use at a desk.

2 pound (.9 kg) laptop, 1.5 pound (.68 kg) iPad

The smaller one can be used to make apps for the bigger one. The odd shine is a cheap skin to prevent scratches.

Safari on the left and Notes app on the right.

Safari on the left and Mail on right composing an email with the split in the middle.

Again, Safari on the left and Mail on the right composing and email, but with the split moved to the right. Mail adapts to more of the UI on the iPhone.