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Any time Apple launches a new iPad people talk.

Tech enthusiasts, such as ourselves, but also regular folks.

iPad Pro OLED

For the more demanding among us, this just isn’t a viable reality.

Apple just has that brand appeal, people take notice.

Not just out-and-out Apple fans, either.

Regardless of differences, Apple is the ARM benchmark, so it’s the one everyone will compare to.

iPad Pro OLED hooked up to an external display

For the more demanding among us, this just isn’t a viable reality.

But I’m not interested in the hardware so much today.

And, ultimately, why I don’t bother anymore.

This new iPad Pro is fantastic.

Surface Pro X running Windows on ARM

The Surface Pro X is an ARM-powered Windows tablet, but can’t touch the popularity of the iPad. Which is a shame.

Very happy with it.

Except its also not a MacBook Air.

All this power and this 3 legged OS.

Microsoft Surface Pro 9…

Stage Manager is a weak simulacrum of a window manager.

The penny dropped when I invested in a cellular 12.9-inch iPad Pro back in 2019.

But I also tried to use it instead of a laptop.

Prime

After all, it was pretty huge, why would I want to carry an iPadanda laptop.

A lot of the time it wasn’t too bad.

But it’s that “3 legged OS” phrase that really sticks.

Microsoft Surface Pro 9…

It sums up iPadOS perfectly for the more demanding users among us.

I can already feel the wrath of the Apple fans bearing down upon me.

I’m not denying thatsomecould certainly make do with an iPad instead of a laptop.

Walmart - View Similar

The problem with iPadOS, to me, is that it feels intentionally limited.

Why doesn’t Apple have a touchscreen Mac?

Apple wants you to buy both a laptop and an iPad, right?

Surface Laptop 7

After all, it is, still, very much a hardware-first company.

My time trying to replace a laptop with an iPad was just frustrating.

Windows 11 doesn’t exactly help matters, being pretty awful to use on a tablet compared to iPadOS.

Surface Laptop 7

But that’s the thing.

TheSurface Prois a full PC inside a tablet.

The iPad Pro is an iPad.

Surface Laptop 7

Even if it’s less powerful (for now).

Why on earth isn’t it more popular?

We can probably lay that blame squarely at Microsoft’s door.

Surface Laptop 7

I guess we’ll soon find out with the bigMicrosoft event going down on May 20.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11 with Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite

Intel AI PC display at MWC Barcelona 2025

Microsoft Edge Vertical Tabs

Claude AI app by Anthropic is seen displayed on a smartphone screen.

Microsoft 365 Copilot rebrand for Microsoft Office

Diablo 4 Season 7 Season of the Witch

Marathon gameplay reveal

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the United Nations General Assembly seen on a laptop computer in Hastings on the Hudson, New York, U.S., on Tuesday, Sept. 22. 2020.

Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 deal

Promotional screenshot of characters from Zenless Zone Zero

MSI Claw 8 AI+ propped up next to an ROG Ally X on a table.