For a review of the new M4 iPad Pro, wall street journalJoanna Stern spoke with Tom Borger, Apple's vice president of iPad and Mac marketing. Stern focused on comparing the iPad Pro and MacBook and asked some targeted questions about how Apple views the two devices.
Borger said Apple views the iPad Pro and Mac as devices that are meant to be used together. “We don't think of them as competing devices,” he said. “We think of them as complementary devices.” The iPad is a “touch-first device,” while the Mac is designed for “indirect interaction” with a mouse and keyboard, which he said Apple does. It's a point I've made over and over again over the years.
After Stern asked about the possibility of running Mac apps on an iPad or a Mac with a touchscreen, Stern went on to explain that macOS is for a completely different paradigm of computing. Borger said many of his Apple customers own both devices and use the iPad to “enhance” the work on his Mac with Continuity.
Asked if Apple would ever change its mind about touchscreen Macs, he wouldn't say no. “Oh, I can't say our minds will never change,” he told Stern.
Stern traded his MacBook for an iPad for his review and said the iPad is better in terms of portability, touch, and 5G connectivity, features not available on the Mac. Macs offered better port options (they had multiple ports), better software and multitasking, longer battery life, and better multi-display support.
You can read Stern's full review and interview with Borger below. wall street journal.
