The Magic Keyboard and Pencil Pro Pro: The Case for a More Extensive Benchmark of Precision Mechanics
The new Pro is appealing because of its two new accessories, the Apple Pencil Pro and the upgraded Magic Keyboard. The Magic Keyboard looks and feels really nice. Its aluminum body and enlarged trackpad are much higher-end than what we’ve seen from previous versions. Typing on it felt a lot like typing on my MacBook Air, which was pretty clearly the goal.
The larger model feels more comfortable to hold and use than before, because it is so large. (And it’s technically even larger now, up to 13 inches from 12.9 before1) It is hard to tell the difference between the Pro and the Air from across the room, but it is a big difference for someone who has carried an 11-inch Pro for about a year and a half. I’ve got the biggest question at the moment, is the new Pro too thin? There are always tradeoffs when using a device like this, it feels rigid and sturdy enough in my hands. We have a lot of testing to do.
The Pencil Pro: What’s going on with the new M4 processor, and how Apple is putting it to the test?
As for the M4 chip powering the whole thing? Well, we’ll have to see. For most uses, the iPad has had more than enough horsepower for a long time — the M4 is clearly meant to power extremely intense use cases, like the new multicam setup in Final Cut Pro or some of the more advanced artistic features in apps like Procreate. The demo was short so it was fast. The iPad is pretty much always super fast.
It will be a lot easier to use the machine when there are a row of function keys at the top. (Though iPadOS is still not a particularly great operating system for the trackpad in particular, but we’ll have to wait for WWDC to see if Apple improves that.)
The Pencil Pro… well, it feels like the Pencil. The Pro has a screen that is smooth and fast, and I felt the feedback when I drew around on the screen, which is a nice addition to the setup. I am not an artist so we need someone to test this more thoroughly. Most of the best features of the Pencil Pro will be provided by third-party developers.
The iPad Pro is not an iPad for casual consumption, at least for the 11 inch and 13 inch models. The Pro looks like it holds up the tradition nicely, because Apple likes to do best hardware work on its highest-end devices.
Since 2020, Apple has exclusively launched its M-series processors alongside another Mac. That’s no longer the case as Apple unveiled the all-new M4 chipset debuting inside the new iPad Pro.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has mentioned the company’s artificial intelligence features on its earnings calls both in February and earlier this month. Although Apple didn’t get into AI-specific features, it’s seemingly laying the AI groundwork with the new M4.
