iPad Pro as laptop: Apple's new ads show tablet benefits

The iPad is better than ever thanks to the changes brought in iOS 11 joined by the Apple Pencil and smart keyboard. Though it's not anywhere close to replacing the MacBook for those who need a laptop, it is a great substitution for many casual users and comes with many benefits over a notebook. Apple has highlighted those various uses and benefits in a new series of advertisements.

Though Apple doesn't plan to replace the MacBook with the iPad, it doesn't shy away from showing how its tablet could be a better option for some users, at least in some situations. Take, for example, the cramped airplane cabin in the video below, one where laptop users struggle for space but the iPad user gets along just fine without a flat surface.

Another short video add (below) demonstrates how the iPad alongside the Apple Pencil can help cut down on the amount of physical paperwork someone has to deal with, instead enabling everything to exist conveniently as digital files. Apple's stylus joined by the right apps can be used to annotate documents, draw, sign paperwork, and more.

That benefit doesn't exist only for adults in the workforce, though. Apple also released a notes advertisement targeting the iPad and Apple Pencil at students as a lightweight (and easier to search) alternative to paper notebooks. Of course, you need either an iPad Pro or the new iPad 2018 model to use the Apple Pencil, which is sold separately.

Finally, we have a video showing the iPad as a sort of one-size-fits-all device for many items you'd otherwise drag around. Diaries and physical books become digital notebooks and ebooks, freeing up space in a bag and reducing the travel load. Not familiar with the latest iPad models? We've got a review of the iPad 2018 slate here and a comparison between the iPad Pro 9.7 and 10.5 here.