iPad Pro Apple has given up on the iPad

[Night Spring]

That makes no sense, on one hand to remove it from portables, but include it on a brand new 2023 mac device...

To me, the logic seems to be that they kept the headphone jack on Macs, but removed it from mobile devices. That is, Apple thinks wireless audio is suited for mobile situations, while when computers are being used at desks, wired audio connections still make sense. Personally, I wouldn't use a wired headphone/earphone with a laptop while on the go, but may use the audio jack to hook up a speaker if I'm at home.

 

[ericwn]

My points are ...
1: The ipad is a brilliant device, it showed a level of innovation at the time, a decade+ ago that we all loved Apple for..
2: Since the introduction of the ipad, the needs of users has evolved, and this has not been reflected in the types of ipads available..
3: There has been no attempt by Apple to listen to the users, to separate the ipad into 2 ranges, ipad and ipad pro..
4: The Pro should have some sort of pro level innovation, and by innovation, something new, not something rehashed, Apple has in a decade not even tried, there has been no ipad with an SD card slot, or any sort of slot for a professional level card, none..No P2, no SD Card, no nothing..and this is very strange, as yes a lot of professionals use ipads for dally use, they are using consumer devices...

In almost every aspect of human activity, we have tools, tools that the average DIY dad uses, and tools the professional uses, they are the same type of tool, but built to 2 very different standards, drills, trucks, tape measures, and so on..

20 yrs ago, when Apple went from Motorola to Intel, G range to Mac, 2 laptops were created, plastic and aluminum, the plastic was for children, it was BTO, not upgrade-able, then the aluminum, it had a replace-able battery, RAM you could change, the internals designed to make changing out hard drives and the super-drive easy..This was called the MacBook Pro.. the idea that professionals would invest in upgrades, they could buy a couple of batteries, and swap them out to extend time off mains, this was a great innovation, taking an old idea, making it even more functional, perfect...

Now the macbok air, macbook pro are the same, limited ports, no way to upgrade, yes designed to make you buy a more expensive device each and every time you reach a limit in your workflow, say 8GB RAM is not enough, go to 16GB...

The ipad was a great device, it had 2 problems, getting data to and from was at best cumbersome, ok, for the 1st couple of generations, fine, but then when Apple releases the "Pro" then you sort of expect the device to be more, than the original to be innovative and advanced, to be able to do more, be more than before..

Not just more expensive for the sake of being more expensive, If the best "specced" out ipad pro cost $500 I would buy 2, no question, having 2 would be a huge blessing, I could use one at the office, and 1 at home, as a 2nd monitor, instead of the macbook air...

The ipad has benefits of being mobile, easy to use on public transport, but the size needs to be limited, the ipad mini for me was the ideal size, just big enough to fit in my hand bag, but not so big it does not, or I need a 2nd case just for the ipad.. The only issue, the small capacity onboard storage...

Over the life of the product, I would have invested in SSD replacement, had this been available, the same applies to the macbook pro from 2013, or my 2020 M1 macbook air, I would have over the decade have invested in Apple through upgrades, when the macbook pro from 2013 reached the end of it's development, I would have a great laptop that still has a long life, but with a bigger SSD, more RAM, and I would still have my M1 mac air, I would since 2021 have upgraded the SSD, the RAM, spent money in the apple store if I could, I want to spend money at Apple...

If Apple said ok, for a one time $500 replacement you can have a macbook pro that has been designed in such a way that you can upgrade the RAM over time, replace the SSD, has a replace-able battery, SD card slot, USB C on both sides, and mag safe for power, I am camping at the mall, no question... I would upgrade often...

Ipads are extremely useful tools, DIY dads at home that make the occasional bookshelf or table, they do not need a $1000 drill, they need a $50 drill that if it lasts 3 years was a great investment, the DIY dad buys the ipad, he does not need the ipad pro, for his needs, he buys a dongle for $49,99, but for the professional in the creative space, that works hard all day, the ipad pro, with loads of ways to adapt this device, a modular sort of thing, innovation at play, just making ideas here, just thinking out loud.. So that you could be more productive.. Hardware and software both need to be useful to professionals at a level that is above that of the average users...That is the point of Pro as I see it...

Apple has not tried, no, there has been no evidence of any sort of engagement by Apple to show they do in fact innovate.. Video editors wrote a letter to Apple, pleading for support, updates, and well nothing but a bunch of Marketing 110 garbage was published by Apple... Writing that letter was a mistake..

Apple does not like being told what to do.. Apple will do as Apple pleases and we must make workarounds to solve obvious solutions that Apple refuse to implement... Apple has given up on creatives is a fact borne out of the evidence of no innovation in over a decade..The hardware and software do not support the needs of professionals, the "PRO" moniker is a big *uck you from Apple...

So much energy for something you are so against. Had I this much true dissatisfaction with a company I’d be long off to the next better product.

 

[ericwn]

That keynote proved that Apple has lost the ability to innovate, nothing new was introduced, just a lot of useless ideas no one cares about, nothing new, and the visionpro is not new, it is a silly toy, made on the cheap to solve problems no one has, and with a 2 hour battery, really for a $2 trillion company, with some of the best brains on salary, 2 hour battery, and a stupid cord?

Nothing new for the ipad, proving once again that Apple has given up on the ipad.. No new solutions, no mention of fixes/updates to the files app, to solve the number 1 complaint, external SSD support... Really it was a boring waste of time, no mabook pro, just a stupid 15 inch air...with 2 ports... Apple is not trying, it wants so hard to get away from hardware, that is very obvious... Before they would spent a large portion of the WWDC on the new Mac OS, the visionpro got over 25%, and the watch maps more than Sanoma...A very confused WWDC keynote..

Yup they have failed when all it took was to put an sd card slot into the device.

 

[ericwn]

Using adaptors, along with power is a world of hurt, 3.5mm worked for decades, it was/is a universal standard that has decades of life left, maybe even 120 years, well in to 2100, to remove it was petty, seeing as Apple included it in the 2023 M2 Macbook air.. so the argument Apple makes about it, is stupid, if Apple believed 3.5mm was broken, useless then why include it in the 2023 Macbook air?? That makes no sense, on one hand to remove it from portables, but include it on a brand new 2023 mac device...

So take it off certain models, and leave it on others, using dongles is a world of hurt, it solves problems that were never problems, if you want to listen and charge, you take the risk, but to force everyone, man low blow.. Apple is just not thinking the problem through...

World of hurt is ended by a readily available adapter piece. Real world keeps spinning regardless.

 

[darngooddesign]

That keynote proved that Apple has lost the ability to innovate, nothing new was introduced, just a lot of useless ideas no one cares about, nothing new, and the visionpro is not new, it is a silly toy, made on the cheap to solve problems no one has, and with a 2 hour battery, really for a $2 trillion company, with some of the best brains on salary, 2 hour battery, and a stupid cord?

Nothing new for the ipad, proving once again that Apple has given up on the ipad.. No new solutions, no mention of fixes/updates to the files app, to solve the number 1 complaint, external SSD support... Really it was a boring waste of time, no mabook pro, just a stupid 15 inch air...with 2 ports... Apple is not trying, it wants so hard to get away from hardware, that is very obvious... Before they would spent a large portion of the WWDC on the new Mac OS, the visionpro got over 25%, and the watch maps more than Sanoma...A very confused WWDC keynote..

Well that certainly is an opinion.

The M2 MBPs already exist and the M3 isn’t out yet so which MBP were you expecting?

And to your point about a card slot in the iPad, professionals use SD, CF, or XQD, so which one should Apple include that doesn’t mean the other users need to use an adapter, and you hate adapters? Just connect your camera via USB-C. I’m happy that my MBP has SD because that’s what my cameras use, but it does nothing for the other card formats.

 

[thadoggfather]

To be honest considering how not far along iPad is 13 years later and being SJ’s baby and released under his leadership but passed to Tim only what 1.5 years later, the path seems grim for this brand new product the Vision Pro but guess that’ll remain to be seen

ironically without a vision the product line will continue to spin its wheels in terms of software innovation or lack thereof

 

[subjonas]

I didn’t say it was a good idea, I don’t really have an opinion on it. I don’t use headphones with my iPad, nor need a jack on it.

My point is that it’s gone. It has been for years. Are people just going to complain about it for eternity? It’s not coming back.

Further more, you can get it back via a tiny adapter attached to your headphones, and you can charge it at the same via a slightly larger adapter, and you can have a way better equivalent port if you’re into music production using something else entirely via the tb port.

Again, the adapter is an imperfect (annoying) workaround for the reason I stated earlier.

No one can say anything definite about the future, except for death and taxes, as they say. I’m sure a lot of people thought Apple would never revert back to scissor switch keyboards. I don’t think the headphone port will return to the iPhone, but I think it could for the iPad because the iPad is supposedly more of a work device like the Mac, or becoming one.

But regardless of how small the chances are, as long as things aren’t “perfect”, people will always say something about it. Just the way it is.

But don’t worry, people tire out and eventually complain less and less. Actually, I find complaining about the complaining only serves to stoke the fire, as evidenced here. I wouldn't have talked about it if it hadn’t been debated here.

 

[sparksd]

Again, the adapter is an imperfect (annoying) workaround for the reason I stated earlier.

No one can say anything definite about the future, except for death and taxes, as they say. I’m sure a lot of people thought Apple would never revert back to scissor switch keyboards. I don’t think the headphone port will return to the iPhone, but I think it could for the iPad because the iPad is supposedly more of a work device like the Mac, or becoming one.

But regardless of how small the chances are, as long as things aren’t “perfect”, people will always say something about it. Just the way it is.

But don’t worry, people tire out and eventually complain less and less. Actually, I find complaining about the complaining only serves to stoke the fire, as evidenced here. I wouldn't have talked about it if it hadn’t been debated here.

This looks like a lot of the discussions we have here -

 

[Fraserpatty]

If you don't like earbuds, there are bluetooth headphones.

I don’t want Bluetooth near my brain Period.

 

[darngooddesign]

I don’t want Bluetooth near my brain Period.

Plug your wired headphones into an adapter; some even have a good DAC which will give superior sound to a regular 3.5mm jack. If you leave the adapter connected then it’s just part of the cable instead of a dongle. Besides, musicians have been using adapters for decades since audio plugs and headphones come in several plug sizes.

 

[pdoherty]

No one can say anything definite about the future, except for death and taxes, as they say. I’m sure a lot of people thought Apple would never revert back to scissor switch keyboards.

Did they?

 

[Fraserpatty]

I didn’t say it was a good idea, I don’t really have an opinion on it. I don’t use headphones with my iPad, nor need a jack on it.

My point is that it’s gone. It has been for years. Are people just going to complain about it for eternity? It’s not coming back.

Further more, you can get it back via a tiny adapter attached to your headphones, and you can charge it at the same via a slightly larger adapter, and you can have a way better equivalent port if you’re into music production using something else entirely via the tb port.

I got that adapter, and after I had plugged it in and then tried to charge my battery with my charger it wouldn’t work. I tried several different chargers and it wouldn’t work. For a while, I thought my battery must’ve died, but it was a problem with the port brought on by using Apple’s own Adapter. Apple simply wanted to sell their Bluetooth ear devices. That’s why they took away the headphone jack. And I noticed in Yesterdays developers conference that they mentioned the headphone jack being present on one of their macs they were selling. So Apple knows that this is a device people want For professional work. When you pay iPad Pro prices, they need to have the headphone jack and I will complain about it forever even knowing that it will make no difference.

 

[subjonas]

Did they?

I’m just assuming. Maybe not. But I’m sure there have been people who have made a wrong assumption about Apple not reversing course. Not that that’s really crucial to my point.

Actually another thing regarding complaints that seems to be true—the smaller the actual issue (pain) that the complaint is, and/or the smaller the group of people that it affects, the less frequent or loud the complaint will be. So if it’s a small issue for a small group, you’ll rarely hear about it. If it’s a big issue for a small group, or a small issue for a big group, you’ll hear about it every so often. The butterfly keyboard was a big issue for a big group, so the complaint was very loud and constant, which is why it got reversed.

 

[JamesMay82]

Good post to the original op and i agree as I don’t understand where the iPad belongs in the world. Yes for the artists and designers i get it, old people who aren’t computer savvy and children who tend to all their school work via apps i get.

For the general consumer it’s good for basic email, web browsing and content consumption but its hard work with word and excel documents which basic office admin. As an example i just tried to do a common vlookup in excel which is a daily formula most people use and I couldn’t even open to excel documents side by side. It would just open up one over the other so I couldn’t cross reference.. maybe you can and I’m missing something? But if you can it’s not very intuitive. Which is why a laptop or desktop will always trump a iPad.

after this recent wwdc ive really fell out of love with my iPad and its just got no chance of getting better it feels like…

 

[sparksd]

Good post to the original op and i agree as I don’t understand where the iPad belongs in the world. Yes for the artists and designers i get it, old people who aren’t computer savvy and children who tend to all their school work via apps i get.

For the general consumer it’s good for basic email, web browsing and content consumption but its hard work with word and excel documents which basic office admin. As an example i just tried to do a common vlookup in excel which is a daily formula most people use and I couldn’t even open to excel documents side by side. It would just open up one over the other so I couldn’t cross reference.. maybe you can and I’m missing something? But if you can it’s not very intuitive. Which is why a laptop or desktop will always trump a iPad.

after this recent wwdc ive really fell out of love with my iPad and its just got no chance of getting better it feels like…

There's this -

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com...=Touch, hold, and drag a,open it side-by-side

Not intuitive.

 

[Ludatyk]

There's this -

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com...=Touch, hold, and drag a,open it side-by-side

Not intuitive.

When you mention its not intuitive... I'm curious, in what way? I think from a perspective of a Windows or maybe a Mac user, having to drag an app to open side-by-side might seem nonintuitive (because those users are accustomed to the action of clicking File -> Open New Window).

But from the standpoint of interacting on an iPad... is that really the case? Because dragging and dropping is the essential way of multitasking... instinctively I know if I'm currently using the Excel app and I drag another Excel app on screen it will open a new one.

Maybe, I'm looking at it wrong... but when I think of something not being intuitive its a factor of it being difficult to use or understand. Now, if there's a feature missing on an app... that's more to do with the developer.

 

[sparksd]

When you mention its not intuitive... I'm curious, in what way? I think from a perspective of a Windows or maybe a Mac user, having to drag an app to open side-by-side might seem nonintuitive (because those users are accustomed to the action of clicking File -> Open New Window).

But from the standpoint of interacting on an iPad... is that really the case? Because dragging and dropping is the essential way of multitasking... instinctively I know if I'm currently using the Excel app and I drag another Excel app on screen it will open a new one.

Maybe, I'm looking at it wrong... but when I think of something not being intuitive its a factor of it being difficult to use or understand. Now, if there's a feature missing on an app... that's more to do with the developer.

Non-intuitive to a new user or someone who hasn't used multi-windowing on an iPad. I tried the directions as in the link I provided and got the "Multiple windows not supported" message (Microsoft 365).

 

[darngooddesign]

Non-intuitive to a new user or someone who hasn't used multi-windowing on an iPad. I tried the directions as in the link I provided and got the "Multiple windows not supported" message (Microsoft 365).

Heck, Excel isn’t intuitive to a new Excel user.

 

[sparksd]

Heck, Excel isn’t intuitive to a new Excel user.

And I found the issue - Multiple windows are not supported in Microsoft 365 but I downloaded the standalone Excel app and it does support multiple windows.

 

[JustinePaula]

I concede that Apple, Tim knows me better than anyone on the planet, that his decisions about all tech is to be regarded as of the best there has every been, he cannot do anything wrong, he has never once made a bad decision about any tech related product or service, Apple is the very best, Apple know what is best for everyone... Apple believe in the ipad, and that we should all just trust 100% in the wisdom of Tim!!!

 

[darngooddesign]

I concede that Apple, Tim knows me better than anyone on the planet, that his decisions about all tech is to be regarded as of the best there has every been, he cannot do anything wrong, he has never once made a bad decision about any tech related product or service, Apple is the very best, Apple know what is best for everyone... Apple believe in the ipad, and that we should all just trust 100% in the wisdom of Tim!!!

Instead of letting Tim Cook live rent-free in your head, and agitate you unnecessarily, buy a different brand tablet which does what you want. Meanwhile my iPad Pro does great for my work and causal needs, and while I have some complaints none of them are major. It's the most used, least essential device I own and I'm ok with that.

 

[Night Spring]

It's the most used, least essential device I own and I'm ok with that.

That's the weird thing about the iPad, isn't it? You'd think your most used device would also be your most essential device, but no. I need my iPhone and Mac, because they perform essential functions the iPad doesn't -- iPhone for connectivity when going out, and Mac for file management/backup. But the iPad is by far my most used device, and one I'll miss the most if I had to do without. I keep wondering how things ended up like this. Most of the time I don't think about it, but when I start thinking about it, like I am now, this dissonance bothers me.

 

[xxFoxtail]

After Monday’s keynote, I kind of figured Apple just doesn’t really see the iPad as the future of computing anymore. I got overly excited to see that the iPad finally got webcam support (even more excited when I found out that my capture card let me play my Nintendo Switch inside the FaceTime app…). Something PCs and Macs supported for decades now.

The iPad is improving, but incredibly slowly. I enjoy it for what it is, though I wish it could do more - like Xcode, or even give me a way to run Mac apps on it. Part of me thinks the iPad is just on life support now, waiting for the time when they can integrate whatever from it into the Mac and iPhone. One day, we’ll probably be able to connect an iPhone to an external screen and have stage manager support, or we’ll have a Mac convertible tablet; I can see the iPad possibly being phased out within the next ten years.

In hindsight, I think my favorite part about the keynote was the announcement that the M2 MacBook Air is going down in price. That pushed me to buying a refurbished one and possibly selling my iPad.

 

[Night Spring]

Part of me thinks the iPad is just on life support now,

I kind of agree with this sentiment, but I think it's more likely to be replaced by the Vision Pro (if/when the price of VP comes down), not any combination of Mac/iPhone.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Apple seem to have given up on everything apart from the headset