One of the ways that Microsoft separated its Surface Pro 3 tablet from the competition was by equipping it with some ridiculously impressive hardware that put on the level of many high-end laptops. Apple, on the other hand, has opted to keep the iPad closer in power to a smartphone, which is fine, but considering how poorly tablet sales are doing right now it might be time to try something new. If Apple really wants the iPad to take on laptops, there are a few features that it needs to add first.
Visit any Apple blog these days, and you’ll likely find some heated discussion surrounding the iPad’s future—thanks in part to the fact that Apple reported another year-over-year decline in iPad sales in its most recent earnings report. Nobody is entirely sure why that’s the case. Maybe larger iPhones are eating into iPad sales. Maybe schools and businesses aren’t upgrading yet. Maybe iPad 2 owners are still happy with their devices. Maybe some folks who bought an iPad are realizing that it simply isn’t well suited for their needs and decided against upgrading. Maybe it’s all of the above. We can spend all day trying to figure out why iPad sales have slowed. Regardless, we at Macgasm all agree that the iPad has its place in the world, and that for some, it can be a perfectly suitable primary computer. Still, there are a few areas where the iPad comes up short. Here’s how Apple can address a few of the iPad’s limitations without sacrificing what makes it great.