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Apple - False Advertising rant
- Thread starter Gaprofitt
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That you disagree does not make the ad a lie.
Forget "Pro" - I stopped carrying a laptop three months after the introduction of the original iPad - everything that I needed to do for my work while away from my desktop Mac (writing articles, email, importing/uploading photos, moderating message boards...) could be done on my iPad. 100% professional usage, lightweight/compact iPad.
Apparently, you think just 10% of iPad users use their iPads as I do, while the rest of the world just watches videos. Even if you're right about the other 90% (I think you're wrong), it doesn't mean iPads and iPhones aren't capable of doing professional computing work. It's like a suburbanite who buys a pickup truck or SUV but never loads it with a half-ton of crushed stone or engages the four-wheel drive. The vehicle doesn't lose those capabilities simply because an owner doesn't use them.
Product advertising is always about what can be done with the product, not about what can't be done (that's left to the competition's ads). Everything shown in the ad can be done with an iPad. Therefore, it is not false.
"What's a computer?" Indeed! Yes, iPad and iPhone are computers, by every classical definition. Apple, on the other hand, has carefully avoided labeling them as "computers" for understandable marketing reasons - there are large numbers of people for whom "computer" is a negative term (I won't pull an arbitrary percentage out of thin air). They may have had poor experiences with computers, or were so intimidated by the idea of computers that they wouldn't consider using one, or (mistakenly) thought, "I don't need one." How well do you think Apple would have done, had they said, "Replace your cell phone with a computer!"
This is all Steve Jobs' doing. His dream had always been to make computers accessible to the masses. Truly 'personal' computing means a computer for every person, and that's just about where we are today - computers that are so portable and easy to use that we're almost never without one. Are they as powerful as a supercomputer? No, but then, neither are PCs.
I have used an iPad Pro exclusively as my only computer for the last year and a half, and I use it for all personal things (paying bills, browsing the web, email, YouTube, etc.) as well as running my music production company (downloading and uploading sound files to FTP sites, editing music, converting music to different sound file formats, preparing contracts, creating and managing metadata spreadsheets, etc.)
It is able to do all of that just fine.
It is able to do all of that just fine.
There is already a lengthy discussion on this add in the comments from the Main Page article: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...uter-ad-focused-on-ipad-pro-features.2089059/
Any chance we can merge the threads?
Any chance we can merge the threads?
Actually, both me and my wife have switched from Surface Pros (both run full Win 10 and were comparable to a nice Windows laptop) to iPad Pro 10.5s.
The iPads have completely replaced our laptop usage and honestly work better for us. Battery life is superior, and we both have keyboards (I the Smart Keyboard, her the Brydge keyboard) for when we need to do any significant typing. The iPad Pro 10.5 (and 12.9) is absolutely a laptop replacement.
There’s an app for most everything you need to do, so no real losses there either. I mean, if you need to use Matlab or some kind of engineering software, a MBP or Windows device might be best for you, but for the average user, the iPad Pro 10.5 is plenty.
The iPads have completely replaced our laptop usage and honestly work better for us. Battery life is superior, and we both have keyboards (I the Smart Keyboard, her the Brydge keyboard) for when we need to do any significant typing. The iPad Pro 10.5 (and 12.9) is absolutely a laptop replacement.
There’s an app for most everything you need to do, so no real losses there either. I mean, if you need to use Matlab or some kind of engineering software, a MBP or Windows device might be best for you, but for the average user, the iPad Pro 10.5 is plenty.
Mad Mac Maniac
macrumors 601
It's funny how these threads just keep popping up over and over again.
Can an iPad do everything a Mac or a Windows PC can do? No. Can a Mac or Windows PC do everything an iPad can do? No.
The reality is that majority of the tasks for majority of people can be handled as good, or better, on an iPad as a Mac or Windows PC. Yes, it's true that every once in a while you'll run into a sticking point like "Oh I really need a USB/optical drive" but that's to be expected for any transition. Depending on the situation it can be either quite frustrating or easily solved. But that's like saying a car can't replace a truck because when you need to move furniture once a year your car can't handle it. True, the car isn't designed for that task. So what.
For me personally, I have a 2013 MBA and a 9.7 iPad Pro which I tend to use interchangeably based on which is closer, my mood, or the task at hand. Yes the MBA can be better at times for more complex tasks, things with lots of typing, or if you want a larger screen. I'm definitely transitioning myself away from the MBA. I can see myself using it for another 4-6 years and will likely be the last Mac that I own.
*sudden realization* Honestly, I could imagine myself buying a chromebook or windows PC before I get another Mac.
Can an iPad do everything a Mac or a Windows PC can do? No. Can a Mac or Windows PC do everything an iPad can do? No.
The reality is that majority of the tasks for majority of people can be handled as good, or better, on an iPad as a Mac or Windows PC. Yes, it's true that every once in a while you'll run into a sticking point like "Oh I really need a USB/optical drive" but that's to be expected for any transition. Depending on the situation it can be either quite frustrating or easily solved. But that's like saying a car can't replace a truck because when you need to move furniture once a year your car can't handle it. True, the car isn't designed for that task. So what.
For me personally, I have a 2013 MBA and a 9.7 iPad Pro which I tend to use interchangeably based on which is closer, my mood, or the task at hand. Yes the MBA can be better at times for more complex tasks, things with lots of typing, or if you want a larger screen. I'm definitely transitioning myself away from the MBA. I can see myself using it for another 4-6 years and will likely be the last Mac that I own.
*sudden realization* Honestly, I could imagine myself buying a chromebook or windows PC before I get another Mac.
Trooooooooooooolllllll.....
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I tried that for a year. Windows 10 is pretty awesome and I thought a good user interface and cloud services would make caring about what OS i’m using obsolete... not so much. While I like Windows, there’s just nothing like an integrated Apple experience. In a way, for me, it’s almost better to remove a primary desktop completely from the experience rather than try and replace a Mac with Windows.
Don’t get me wrong, I still love my Alienware and will be holding on to it for Mixed Reality and some app development, but the MacBook will be my primary desktop.
Ok, so I studied Computer Sciences starting in 1977. Have created software since then. The iPad is a computer. Dongarra (you know who that is, don't you? ) checked the iPad 2 and found that it would have made it to the top of the 1984 Top 500 Supercomputer list. I measured myself that a rather ancient iPad 4 can do about 7 billion floating point operations per second with pure C++ code.
You are right, it's not more a computer than an iPhone. Which is a computer.
Computers can be attached to peripherals. These include printers, monitors, scanners, etc. No i'm not talking Airprint which works with 10% of printers. Computers work with external hard drives, computer's have full operating systems. Computers can run full versions of software, lightroom, photoshop, Vmware workstation. Real computers allow you to run different operating systems.
I never said the Ipad was a horrible device, wasn't capable of doing a lot of tasks, etc. It's however not a computer, it's a tablet.
I never said the Ipad was a horrible device, wasn't capable of doing a lot of tasks, etc. It's however not a computer, it's a tablet.
And that is your own personal definition. I’m retired now but in my 45years of hw-sw-systems development I worked with a lot of computers that did not fit your definition.
This definition of a computer is only in your head.
Also, some of your requirements are a bit anachronistic. External hard drives aren't so much the point as external storage, which iPads do connect to (and wirelessly, which is more convenient in a lot of ways). vmware workstation has its uses, but there are a wide variety of cloud VM services available. Why not use one of those? Photoshop is great and incredibly useful, but it's also horrible. I know massive number of people have gotten used to its UI but you would never design a UI like that today (or if you did, no one would use your software). And yet they are stuck because they would alienate so many existing customers if they gave the UI the complete overhaul it needs. At least the iPad provides an opportunity to make a new and better UI (though it will take many years for a new app to attain even 50% of the utility of photoshop.)
I can connect my iPad Pro to all sorts of peripherals like a keyboard, Camera Adapter, SD Card reader, Apple pencil, BT speakers.
I can print from my iPad to any wired printer as long as I have a wifi bridge. Pretty simple actually. And Airprint works great and satisfies your peripheral challenge. I can use my iPad as an extended monitor. I can use my iPad directly as a scanner, no need to connect to one.
So does my iPad.
What about a microcontroller? PIC Microchips? What about PCI boards that run their own programs before any OS can take control? Computers can run native code without any installed OS.
Granted, but I can create the same work of art on my iPad using Procreate as well as I can on my Mac running full verison of PS.
Microwave ovens, Dishwashers, TV Remotes, Cars, all contain computers.
I can accomplish all my work on my iPad. Therefore your statement only applies to yourself.
I understand that, if all you do is e-mail and watch Youtube. I'm an engineer though, working for Vmware.
So then your point is that the iPad can not replace your current computer and not that the iPad is not a computer. Because it certainly is.
And, I am a network Admin. I don't just watch youtube or just do e-mail. But thanks for the narrow minded, sweeping, general assumptions.
You realize it called a "tablet" as a result of dropping the word "computer" from the name of it's form factor, "Tablet Computer" right? Between language evolution and marketing, we've come to simply call them "tablets" - easier than calling them "tablet computers" all the time. Just like we use "PC" as shorthand for "personal computer".
Do what? Connect peripherals?
Bluetooth, WiFi, Lightning or (if you have the iPad Pro) Smart Connector.
Specifically, I was interested in connecting to a SD Card Reader, External HDDs (presumably with wifi?), and printers (wifi too?). Thank you.
Note: I do not know how iOS 11's Files app works with these solutions, but my guess would be it doesn't.
SD Card reader: If you're just transferring photos, Apple sells a lightning to SD Card reader (https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MJYT2AM/A/lightning-to-sd-card-camera-reader?fnode=91). It's really not meant for anything else.
Mass Storage:
There are several USB Flash Drives that have built-in Lightning connectors (as described here: https://9to5mac.com/2015/03/20/the-best-iphoneipad-usb-flash-drives-with-lightning-connectors/). There are also external hard drives that can be used with lightning. Usually these work through a companion app.
The other option is to connect through WiFi. There are many Hard Drives that offer connectivity through WiFi (sometimes labeled as "Personal Cloud")(https://9to5mac.com/2015/03/12/best-external-hard-drive-for-mac-ios/) - these also (generally) use a companion app.
Edit: Sorry, forgot about Printers.
Most compatible printers work trough WiFi and AirPrint. You don't need a specific App, but the printer needs to be AirPrint compatible (then you can print from any app that supports printing).
A less elegant solution is to print via e-mail (if your printer supports it) or to Fax to your printer (though both of these need an App from the app store.
Thanks.
SD card reader I wanted for documents and some video files not pics. The Wifi drive is what I think I will investigate further and also the USB flash drives.
Thanks again for the heads-up.
Check out wireless FileHub - I use one with a 4TB HDD:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016ZWS9ZE
And Meenova uSD card reader:
http://www.meenova.com/st/p/dash_i.html
I have the Dash-i Plus. Both this and the FileHub work great with my iPad.
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