"We believe that iPad is the perfect expression of the future of personal computing."

So said Tim Cook at the introduction of the new iPad Pro 9.7 last week. It’s exactly the kind of phrase you expect from Cook’s Apple: spoken humbly, but revealing a huge ambition. It mixes a thing that’s familiar (the good ol’ iPad) with an idealistic goal. And Apple likes to workshop these phrases until they have a fine, chamfered edge — it’s not "the iPad," it’s just "iPad." It’s a little confusing, but it’s definitely compelling, and when you first hear it you really want to buy in.

Everything I just said about that phrase also applies to the new iPad Pro itself. It looks so much like the iPad Air 2 that you’ll mistake it for one when you see it, yet the insides are so much more powerful it’ll blow your hair back. It’s packed with a weapons depot of "bests" for a tablet: the best screen, the best speakers, the best camera, the best processor.

All those bests could convince you that this PC could replace a laptop. Apple’s Phil Schiller certainly thinks so. When he introduced the iPad Pro, he said "There are over 600 million PCs in use today that are over five years old. This is really sad! These people could really benefit from an iPad Pro."

But even if the people who own those old PCs are interested, there are still a lot of reasons to doubt that this particular iPad is the one that will revolutionize personal computing. Doubters (myself included) are standing at the ready to blast some holes in that vision. This is easily the best iPad ever made, but can it really do all the computer things it takes to actually replace your computer?

To those doubters, the iPad speaks another expression: Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.

The most important thing to know about the new iPad Pro isn’t the specs or the speed — it’s the price. It starts at $599 for the 32GB model. It’s difficult to even compare that price to the just-reduced iPad Air 2, since Apple has set up the storage options for these models differently — but in general you’re looking at a $150 or more price differential. And if you’re really going to use the "Pro" in the iPad Pro version, you’ll probably want to pony up for the 128GB model, which is $749. Oh, and you will also probably want the Smart Keyboard for $149, and maybe the Apple Pencil for $99.