Apple iPad Pro M5: So Powerful Yet Still Not A Laptop

TL;DR The iPad Pro proves that tablets can now match and even exceed laptops in raw processing power, especially with desktop class chips and premium accessories. However, despite costing over ₹2.5 lakh in India when fully configured, it still cannot replace a laptop for most users. The limitations lie in the operating system, not the hardware. Constrained multitasking, restricted file management, limited background processing, inconsistent external display behaviour, and incomplete professional software support prevent it from functioning as a true general purpose computer. The iPad Pro excels as a companion or specialised creative device, but laptops remain essential for unrestricted, long term professional computing.

The Promise That The iPad Pro Appears To Make

The moment Apple placed a desktop class chip inside the iPad Pro, the narrative around tablets shifted dramatically. The device was no longer framed merely as a consumption or creativity tool, but as something far more ambitious. When benchmark charts began showing performance figures that rivaled and sometimes exceeded premium laptops, the assumption felt natural. If the chip is powerful enough, then surely the device should be capable enough. This assumption becomes even stronger when the iPad Pro is paired with its official keyboard, stylus, and high storage configurations, pushing the total cost well beyond ₹2.5 lakh in India.

At that price, buyers are no longer comparing across categories casually. They are evaluating opportunity cost. They are asking whether this single device can truly replace a laptop, remove the need for a second computer, and serve as the primary machine for work, learning, and long term use. The promise seems logical on the surface. Apple controls the hardware, designs the chip, and builds the software ecosystem. Yet despite all this vertical integration, the experience repeatedly falls short of laptop replacement expectations. The gap is not obvious in quick demos or isolated tasks, but it becomes unavoidable during sustained, professional, or complex daily workflows.

Desktop Level Chips Do Not Automatically Create Desktop Level Computing

The core misunderstanding around the iPad Pro begins with the assumption that chip capability equals computing freedom. A processor can be extraordinarily powerful, but if the operating system restricts how that power is used, the end result is still limited. Desktop computing is defined not just by performance, but by openness. A laptop allows users to decide how resources are allocated, how long tasks run, and how many processes coexist. The iPad Pro does not offer this agency, regardless of how capable its silicon may be.

The tablet operating system is designed around protection, predictability, and efficiency. These goals are valuable for casual users, but they conflict with the expectations of professional computing. Background execution is limited. Inter app communication is constrained. System level access is restricted. The result is that the chip often waits idle while the software prevents it from being used fully. This creates a strange imbalance where the hardware is overqualified for the environment it exists in. Paying a premium for unused potential feels unsatisfying, especially when alternative devices allow users to push hardware as hard as needed without artificial ceilings.

Why Price Changes The Standard Of Judgement

Price matters because it defines tolerance. A ₹60,000 device can ask the user to adjust habits. A ₹2.5 lakh device cannot. At premium pricing, buyers expect control, not guidance. They expect flexibility, not guardrails. The iPad Pro crosses into a pricing tier where laptops offer near unlimited flexibility, deep software ecosystems, and decades of established workflows. In that context, the question is not whether the iPad Pro is impressive. It is whether it is complete.

The answer becomes clearer when real work enters the picture. Tasks that involve multiple apps, persistent processes, or complex data structures reveal friction quickly. The user begins to adapt their workflow to the device instead of the other way around. They wait for exports to finish before switching apps. They restructure files to suit app boundaries. They accept that some professional tools are unavailable or reduced. At this price point, these compromises feel unreasonable. A premium laptop does not ask the user to think this way. It simply allows work to happen.

Multitasking That Still Feels Like A Simulation

Multitasking on a laptop is organic. Windows exist independently. Applications remain active regardless of focus. The user builds a workspace that matches their thinking process. On the iPad Pro, multitasking exists, but it is still mediated through modes and rules. Apps must agree to participate. Layouts are predefined. Window placement is limited. The system decides what is allowed more often than the user does.

For light usage, this feels modern and clean. For real productivity, it feels constraining. Consider a workflow involving research, writing, data validation, and communication. On a laptop, these coexist naturally across multiple windows. On the iPad Pro, the user must constantly manage layouts, switch contexts, and reorient themselves. The cognitive load increases not because the work is harder, but because the system insists on being involved in every transition. Over long sessions, this friction accumulates into fatigue, which is precisely what a primary computing device should avoid creating.

File Systems Are About Trust And Control

A laptop operating system assumes the user knows what they are doing. It exposes the file system openly and allows software to interact with it freely. This openness is not accidental. It is the foundation of professional workflows. Developers manage codebases. Designers manage asset libraries. Engineers manage datasets. Business users manage years of documents and records. All of this relies on predictable, transparent file handling.

The iPad Pro still treats files as something that must be mediated. Files often belong to apps rather than the system. Moving data across tools can feel indirect. External storage works, but not with the same confidence as on a laptop. Automation is limited. Scripts and background file operations are constrained. These are not edge cases. They are daily realities for professionals. When a device cannot be trusted to handle files openly and predictably, it cannot replace a laptop, regardless of processing power.

Professional Software Is Defined By Depth Not Speed

The presence of professional app names on the iPad Pro creates a sense of parity that does not fully exist. Desktop software earns its reputation through depth. Features accumulate over years because professionals demand them. Plugin ecosystems grow. Scripting becomes essential. Integration with other tools becomes non negotiable. Tablet versions, even when well designed, often prioritise accessibility over completeness.

This difference becomes painful over time. A task that is routine on a laptop may require workarounds on the iPad Pro. Export formats may be limited. Automation may be unavailable. Background processing may be restricted. None of these issues matter in isolation. Together, they change how long work takes and how much mental energy it consumes. Professionals notice this immediately because productivity is about flow. Every interruption breaks concentration. Paying premium prices for a device that interrupts flow undermines its claim as a laptop replacement.

External Displays Reveal The Platform’s Limits Quickly

Connecting a laptop to an external monitor expands its usefulness instantly. The operating system adapts naturally. Windows spread across screens. Productivity scales with space. The iPad Pro, despite improvements, still treats external displays as an extension rather than a native environment. Behaviour varies by app. Window management remains constrained. Resolution and scaling options feel secondary rather than central.

For users who rely on desk setups, this alone is disqualifying. A primary computer should feel more capable when connected to a larger workspace, not merely different. The iPad Pro feels powerful but hesitant in these scenarios, as if it is not entirely sure it belongs there. That hesitation is unacceptable at premium pricing. External display support is not an advanced feature. It is a basic expectation for a laptop replacement.

Input Systems Still Prioritise Touch Over Precision

The keyboard and trackpad accessories for the iPad Pro are excellent in isolation, but the platform still treats them as optional. Touch remains the primary interaction model. This leads to inconsistencies. Some actions require touch even when using a keyboard. Shortcut support varies widely. Pointer behaviour changes between apps. Over time, this erodes efficiency.

Laptops are designed around precision input. Every interface element respects keyboard navigation. Every interaction can be completed without lifting hands. Muscle memory develops and remains consistent across software. This consistency is what allows professionals to work quickly without thinking about the interface. The iPad Pro interrupts this rhythm because it was never designed to prioritise keyboard and pointer usage at a system level. Accessories cannot change foundational design decisions.

Background Processing And Long Running Tasks Still Suffer

A laptop assumes that work may continue even when the user looks away. Exports run. Servers stay active. Scripts execute. The iPad Pro prioritises responsiveness and battery life, which means it limits background activity aggressively. Tasks may pause. Apps may suspend. Long running processes require constant attention. This changes how work is planned. Users must wait for tasks to finish before switching contexts. They must monitor progress actively. This behaviour is acceptable on a mobile device. It is unacceptable on a primary work machine. Professionals expect tools to work independently once tasks are initiated. A system that requires babysitting undermines trust, regardless of how fast it can process data when active.

Longevity Is About Flexibility Not Just Performance

The iPad Pro will remain fast for many years. That is not in doubt. The real question is whether it will remain suitable. Professional needs evolve. Tools change. Workflows grow more complex. Laptops adapt because their platforms are flexible. New software appears. Old workflows continue to function. The iPad Pro remains excellent within its defined scope, but that scope does not expand easily. When someone spends over ₹2.5 lakh, they expect a device that can grow with them. A laptop often becomes more useful over time as users discover new tools and workflows. The iPad Pro often reaches its limits quickly once those workflows move beyond what the platform encourages. Longevity is not just about speed. It is about relevance.

Why This Matters More For Indian Buyers?

In India, premium technology purchases are rarely casual. Buyers expect long service life, broad utility, and strong return on investment. A device at this price is expected to serve multiple roles over many years. The iPad Pro excels as a secondary device, a creative tool, and a portable companion. As a sole machine, it asks for compromises that Indian buyers are less willing to accept. Serviceability, adaptability, and workflow freedom matter deeply. A laptop offers these qualities consistently. The iPad Pro offers them selectively. That difference defines its role. It is an exceptional device that does not replace a laptop because it was never designed to assume that responsibility fully.

Conclusion: Why Power Alone Is Not Enough?

The iPad Pro proves that hardware performance is no longer the limiting factor in mobile computing. With a chip powerful enough to rival laptops, it challenges traditional assumptions. Yet even at a total cost exceeding ₹2.5 lakh, it cannot replace a laptop because it does not offer the same freedom, control, and flexibility that professional computing demands. The limitation is not silicon. It is philosophy. A laptop trusts the user. The iPad Pro guides the user. That distinction defines the entire experience. Until the platform evolves to prioritise openness over protection, no amount of processing power will change the reality. The iPad Pro is best understood not as a laptop replacement, but as a powerful complement. It excels within its boundaries, but it does not remove the need for a true general purpose computer.