iPad Apple's Forgotten Purpose: What Happened to the iPad's Original Intent?

[I WAS the one]

Hey everyone,

I've been pondering over something lately, and I couldn't help but notice how Apple seems to have lost sight of the original purpose behind the iPad. Remember when it was positioned as the perfect middle ground between a computer and a laptop? A companion device, ideal for light work, school tasks, or on-the-go productivity?

But now, take a look at the current iPad lineup. The prices have skyrocketed, putting them in the range of high-end laptops, yet they can't even run a basic macOS. It's perplexing. Why invest in an iPad when you can get a more versatile and capable laptop for less?

Think about it: for illustrators, photographers, writers, and professionals alike, the iPad falls short in comparison to laptops. It lacks the flexibility and power needed for intensive tasks. Sure, it's great for consuming content or casual browsing, but when it comes to serious work, it just doesn't cut it anymore.

I miss the days when the iPad was a budget-friendly option for those who didn't need all the bells and whistles of a full-fledged computer but still wanted something more substantial than a smartphone. It's disheartening to see Apple prioritize profit margins over the original vision of the iPad.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you believe Apple should refocus on the iPad's roots and offer more affordable options that cater to productivity needs? Let's discuss.

 

[DerKommissar]

I think the 10th gen iPad does just that. With the price drop, it's now a great device for the price. Apple has done a good job, in general, of keeping an affordable iPad model around. My only current complaint is that the apple folio keyboard is way overpriced for the market. It should run around $100.

 

[linkgx1]

I think, ironically, the iPhone is the cause.

When we look at the time the iPad was release, there was the philosophy phones should be as soon as possible/thumb sized.

The release of the Galaxy Note really changed what people were willing to carry. Mainly because it made use of the extra real estate quiet well.

Apple caught wind of it and then started making their phones larger, starting with the iPhone 6 Plus. I think another factor was many countries with emerging economies started with smart phones as their first/only computer. So it makes more since to get an all-in-one device with the biggest feasible real estate.

 

[apostolosdt]

I own an iPad Mini, 5th gen., just wi-fi and 64GB. A great buy, cheap but competent. It is my “MacBook”, for I don’t have one 😉. What I’m trying to say is that, if you stay away from purposeless spendings, iPads still fill the gap the OP mentions.

 

[NT1440]

Hey everyone,

I've been pondering over something lately, and I couldn't help but notice how Apple seems to have lost sight of the original purpose behind the iPad. Remember when it was positioned as the perfect middle ground between a computer and a laptop? A companion device, ideal for light work, school tasks, or on-the-go productivity?

But now, take a look at the current iPad lineup. The prices have skyrocketed, putting them in the range of high-end laptops, yet they can't even run a basic macOS. It's perplexing. Why invest in an iPad when you can get a more versatile and capable laptop for less?

Think about it: for illustrators, photographers, writers, and professionals alike, the iPad falls short in comparison to laptops. It lacks the flexibility and power needed for intensive tasks. Sure, it's great for consuming content or casual browsing, but when it comes to serious work, it just doesn't cut it anymore.

I miss the days when the iPad was a budget-friendly option for those who didn't need all the bells and whistles of a full-fledged computer but still wanted something more substantial than a smartphone. It's disheartening to see Apple prioritize profit margins over the original vision of the iPad.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you believe Apple should refocus on the iPad's roots and offer more affordable options that cater to productivity needs? Let's discuss.

The base iPad is extremely capable, and cheap 🤷‍♂️

 

[masotime]

Yeah I'm not sure I understand the purpose of this thread. The iPad and/or iPad Air serves the "forgotten purpose" perfectly well as far as I know.

"the perfect middle ground between a computer and a laptop? A companion device, ideal for light work, school tasks, or on-the-go productivity?"

It's not like the OS on iPad regressed since it was first introduced. What exactly is the expectation here?

 

[rui no onna]

What are your thoughts on this? Do you believe Apple should refocus on the iPad's roots and offer more affordable options that cater to productivity needs? Let's discuss.

They do offer more affordable iPad options.

The iPad Pro is for those who want all the bells and whistles.

For majority of consumers, the $349 iPad would handle their needs just fine.

The iPad Air is a good middle ground. It runs all the apps that the M4 iPad Pro does and at $599, the price is in the same ballpark as the $499 OG iPad (probably cheaper after factoring inflation).

 

[Branaghan]

As long as people continue to pay whatever they ask, they will continue to get rich and only improve very little their stuff. For example, what really changed in terms of batteries? Nothing, it's the same 10 hours, and quick degradation after a few years.

The last iPAD I bought was the 10.5 back in 2017.

 

[JonnyMacx86]

I think, in hindsight, it’s easy to forget that the device needed to be positioned that way when it was first introduced. We had never seen anything quite like it before and for the first year all the detractors called it a big iPod touch anyway. It’s a platform for people who want to do things in the digital space without the heavy lifting of a desktop OS. Now almost fifteen years later, there’s more flavors. Makes sense to me.

 

[TracerAnalog]

Hey everyone,

I've been pondering over something lately, and I couldn't help but notice how Apple seems to have lost sight of the original purpose behind the iPad. Remember when it was positioned as the perfect middle ground between a computer and a laptop? A companion device, ideal for light work, school tasks, or on-the-go productivity?

But now, take a look at the current iPad lineup. The prices have skyrocketed, putting them in the range of high-end laptops, yet they can't even run a basic macOS. It's perplexing. Why invest in an iPad when you can get a more versatile and capable laptop for less?

Think about it: for illustrators, photographers, writers, and professionals alike, the iPad falls short in comparison to laptops. It lacks the flexibility and power needed for intensive tasks. Sure, it's great for consuming content or casual browsing, but when it comes to serious work, it just doesn't cut it anymore.

I miss the days when the iPad was a budget-friendly option for those who didn't need all the bells and whistles of a full-fledged computer but still wanted something more substantial than a smartphone. It's disheartening to see Apple prioritize profit margins over the original vision of the iPad.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you believe Apple should refocus on the iPad's roots and offer more affordable options that cater to productivity needs? Let's discuss.

Original iPad was $400-$600 in 2010, that is $700-$1000 in 2024. The current iPad costs $300-$400 and does the exact same thing as the original, albeit in a lighter package and much faster. Apple has expanded the iPad range upwards to do more for different needs even faster. Bigger screens, better tech all around.

I don’t agree that Apple lost the iPad’s original purpose. It’s still there, but you can get better screen tech, with faster performance for a lot more money if you want.

 

[Lobwedgephil]

Hey everyone,

I've been pondering over something lately, and I couldn't help but notice how Apple seems to have lost sight of the original purpose behind the iPad. Remember when it was positioned as the perfect middle ground between a computer and a laptop? A companion device, ideal for light work, school tasks, or on-the-go productivity?

But now, take a look at the current iPad lineup. The prices have skyrocketed, putting them in the range of high-end laptops, yet they can't even run a basic macOS. It's perplexing. Why invest in an iPad when you can get a more versatile and capable laptop for less?

Think about it: for illustrators, photographers, writers, and professionals alike, the iPad falls short in comparison to laptops. It lacks the flexibility and power needed for intensive tasks. Sure, it's great for consuming content or casual browsing, but when it comes to serious work, it just doesn't cut it anymore.

I miss the days when the iPad was a budget-friendly option for those who didn't need all the bells and whistles of a full-fledged computer but still wanted something more substantial than a smartphone. It's disheartening to see Apple prioritize profit margins over the original vision of the iPad.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you believe Apple should refocus on the iPad's roots and offer more affordable options that cater to productivity needs? Let's discuss.

For what you want, you have just iPad, which is cheaper then original iPad. Or the Air with similar pricing to original. The Pro gives people who want to do more, the option. Good to have options.

 

[I WAS the one]

you can get better screen tech, with faster performance for a lot more money if you want.

I want to share my perspective with you so that you can better understand where I'm coming from. My daughter uses an iPad 9, while I have an iPad Pro 12.9 2020. The primary disparity lies in the screen quality and size; otherwise, both devices operate on the same iOS and support identical apps. Among the applications I utilize are LumaFusion, Cubasis 4, Affinity Suite, Textastic, Procreate, Nomad 3D Sculpt, along with Office 365 suite and various productivity tools like Gladys, Notability, Documents, and Timemator.

These apps perform reasonably well on both the iPad 9 and the Pro. Occasionally, I do experience some lag on the iPad 9, particularly when handling audio and 3D tasks, but it's not significant enough to hinder my workflow. Charging $2000 solely for a larger screen feels disrespectful, especially when considering that the internal specifications, such as processors or GPU performance, aren't fully leveraged without macOS. It's akin to putting an airplane engine in a Prius—impressive on paper, but impractical in practice. So, what does "Pro" stand for in this context? It seems to denote features that professionals may theoretically need but can't effectively utilize in this environment.

It's a bit of a stretch, isn't it? Just to clarify: I invested $1500 in my iPad Pro and $500 in the iPad 9 (mainly for additional storage), while its standard price was $329. Frankly, I fail to see the advantages of my iPad Pro purchase. It seems like they've overlooked the fundamental purpose of the iPad. If they're going to label it as "Pro," they might as well include macOS functionality.

 

[oneMadRssn]

I miss the days when the iPad was a budget-friendly option for those who didn't need all the bells and whistles of a full-fledged computer but still wanted something more substantial than a smartphone.

There is no rule that says the only way to buy an iPad is new.

Bang for buck, I still think the 2018 iPad Pro can't be beat. Other than the older SoC (which is still perfectly fine for pretty much all tasks except intense Final Cut Pro work), it's better than the new iPad Air in every way: better screen, better audio, faceID, etc. And they can be had for ~$300 in good condition (half of what a new Air costs).

 

[Devyn89]

Pro has always meant Apple’s best version of something that they charge a premium for. Think about AirPods Pro, there’s nothing professional about them, but they are the best AirPods Apple sells with noise cancellation. iPad Pro is the same, it’s the best version of the iPad with the best display, size, performance and accessory support.

There’s very few apps you can‘t run on a MacBook Air that you can run on MacBook Pro, the pro is just faster. iPhone is slightly different for this year to the staggering of the chips between pro and non-pro, but likely it will be the same in the future. iPad is the same, no exclusive apps but they run better on iPad Pro.

If you don’t want it then don’t get it but I love my iPad and I’m fine with paying MacBook prices for a premium experience so stop thinking that because you don’t want something that no one else wants it or doesn’t have a use for it.

 

[Digitalguy]

I want to share my perspective with you so that you can better understand where I'm coming from. My daughter uses an iPad 9, while I have an iPad Pro 12.9 2020. The primary disparity lies in the screen quality and size; otherwise, both devices operate on the same iOS and support identical apps. Among the applications I utilize are LumaFusion, Cubasis 4, Affinity Suite, Textastic, Procreate, Nomad 3D Sculpt, along with Office 365 suite and various productivity tools like Gladys, Notability, Documents, and Timemator.

These apps perform reasonably well on both the iPad 9 and the Pro. Occasionally, I do experience some lag on the iPad 9, particularly when handling audio and 3D tasks, but it's not significant enough to hinder my workflow. Charging $2000 solely for a larger screen feels disrespectful, especially when considering that the internal specifications, such as processors or GPU performance, aren't fully leveraged without macOS. It's akin to putting an airplane engine in a Prius—impressive on paper, but impractical in practice. So, what does "Pro" stand for in this context? It seems to denote features that professionals may theoretically need but can't effectively utilize in this environment.

It's a bit of a stretch, isn't it? Just to clarify: I invested $1500 in my iPad Pro and $500 in the iPad 9 (mainly for additional storage), while its standard price was $329. Frankly, I fail to see the advantages of my iPad Pro purchase. It seems like they've overlooked the fundamental purpose of the iPad. If they're going to label it as "Pro," they might as well include macOS functionality.

So your point is, don't make a $1000+ iPad pro unless you put MacOS on it. That's a debate that has been discussed thousands of times here. Regardless of their reasons (which have been debated too, with the main being that's is more profitable for Apple to sell 2 devices), Apple doesn't seem to have any intention of doing it, at least for now and removing options would not benefit people who are not buying the pro but would penalise those who want the absolute best hardware experience with the iPad

 

[TracerAnalog]

I want to share my perspective with you so that you can better understand where I'm coming from. My daughter uses an iPad 9, while I have an iPad Pro 12.9 2020. The primary disparity lies in the screen quality and size; otherwise, both devices operate on the same iOS and support identical apps. Among the applications I utilize are LumaFusion, Cubasis 4, Affinity Suite, Textastic, Procreate, Nomad 3D Sculpt, along with Office 365 suite and various productivity tools like Gladys, Notability, Documents, and Timemator.

These apps perform reasonably well on both the iPad 9 and the Pro. Occasionally, I do experience some lag on the iPad 9, particularly when handling audio and 3D tasks, but it's not significant enough to hinder my workflow. Charging $2000 solely for a larger screen feels disrespectful, especially when considering that the internal specifications, such as processors or GPU performance, aren't fully leveraged without macOS. It's akin to putting an airplane engine in a Prius—impressive on paper, but impractical in practice. So, what does "Pro" stand for in this context? It seems to denote features that professionals may theoretically need but can't effectively utilize in this environment.

It's a bit of a stretch, isn't it? Just to clarify: I invested $1500 in my iPad Pro and $500 in the iPad 9 (mainly for additional storage), while its standard price was $329. Frankly, I fail to see the advantages of my iPad Pro purchase. It seems like they've overlooked the fundamental purpose of the iPad. If they're going to label it as "Pro," they might as well include macOS functionality.

It seems you feel that the iPad Pro is overpriced and doesn’t add enough to the original iPad’s vision. I see your point and respect your opinion!
I myself use Logic on the iPad Pro, and the more RAM, storage and processing power the better for my workflow. I flip between my Mac desktop and iPad when recording and producing. I record with the iPad and MacBook interchangeably, with my audio interfaces connected via USB C. Typically 40-60 tracks, with lots of plugins, and latency cannot be low enough for me. I also edit 4K videos from my DJI and add my own soundtracks. All that is not easily done with the normal iPad. The freedom I have is great: record in my full studio, take my iPad and arrange or produce those recordings on the couch. Then back to the big rig and pick up from there.
For me: Pro all the way😊

And yes, it’s very expensive. No discussion there.

 

[rui no onna]

Charging $2000 solely for a larger screen feels disrespectful, especially when considering that the internal specifications, such as processors or GPU performance, aren't fully leveraged without macOS.

This seems to be a weird time to complain about this when Apple just released a 13" iPad Air starting at $800 ($500 less than base 13" iPad Pro) with the highest capacity 1TB wifi model at a fairly reasonable $1299 ($600 less than the 1TB 13" iPad Pro.)

 

[ThunderSkunk]

The iPad Mini (1-5) has proven itself the most useful electronic device of my entire 5 decades on this earth. Since it *just* fits into a back pants pocket, jacket pocket, or small camera bag, it goes with me everywhere. Everything I used to use an iphone for, the mini does more comfortably and often more thoroughly, but with the additional utility of the apple pencil. This means instead of using a phone to tell people I’ll look at their work when I get back to a computer, I now simply open the drawing on the spot, sketch whatever notes or redline changes, and in seconds its off my plate, without adding any tasks to my to-do list. All the “moments in between”, those minutes i see people looking at social media on their phones (it does seem to be the task that phone-sized devices are suited for when you have a couple minutes to kill) the mini lets me be creative, sketching and drawing ideas out anywhere. It also makes for a perfect size GPS display in my car mount, is easy to see in the periphery without taking focus from the road. It’s also loud enough as a decent portable audio device without sounding like a cranked phone, or requiring a speaker system, but with the 3.5mm audio jack it can plug into everything ever made.

The 6th generation throws a lot of the utility out by removing the home button, leaving only a barely visible power switch, and relying on that or raise-to-wake to turn the device on. In a pinch i’m flipping the thing around trying to find the little switch, bc leaving raise-to-wake on turns the big display on constantly with movement, eating through battery quickly. And without a headphone jack, audio is reliant on AirPods which are notoriously unreliable and short-lived.

The trouble I have with the larger ipads is that since they are not mobile devices like the mini but instead stay-at-work (or home) devices, they directly compete with my MacBook Pro and surface tablet for my attention & budget. With iPadOS, the big iPad doesn’t really do what either of those others do, it just does what the mini already does. And when it comes time to decide where to spend the money, the Surface gets top priority because it runs windows, an old MacBook Pro is secondary because MacOS does everything non-windows. Theres no point in adding a pricey function-redundant iPad in third. …If the iPad ran MacOS I’d finally replace the old MBP with it and finally be free from its antique typewriter interface, but since Apple refuses to put all the pieces together, i’m not putting money into another MacBook Pro or an iPad Pro.

So by ditching intel completely, and then removing all the features they could from the mini and pricing the ipad pros like computers but restricted to a mobile os, Apple first fragmented their new product line and then ensured that no part of it makes sense to buy. Not a place I’m real happy to find myself as a lifelong fan of this company.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

Hey everyone,

I've been pondering over something lately, and I couldn't help but notice how Apple seems to have lost sight of the original purpose behind the iPad. Remember when it was positioned as the perfect middle ground between a computer and a laptop? A companion device, ideal for light work, school tasks, or on-the-go productivity?

But now, take a look at the current iPad lineup. The prices have skyrocketed, putting them in the range of high-end laptops, yet they can't even run a basic macOS. It's perplexing. Why invest in an iPad when you can get a more versatile and capable laptop for less?

Think about it: for illustrators, photographers, writers, and professionals alike, the iPad falls short in comparison to laptops. It lacks the flexibility and power needed for intensive tasks. Sure, it's great for consuming content or casual browsing, but when it comes to serious work, it just doesn't cut it anymore.

I miss the days when the iPad was a budget-friendly option for those who didn't need all the bells and whistles of a full-fledged computer but still wanted something more substantial than a smartphone. It's disheartening to see Apple prioritize profit margins over the original vision of the iPad.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you believe Apple should refocus on the iPad's roots and offer more affordable options that cater to productivity needs? Let's discuss.

I think there is a lot of rose tinted glasses going on here.
The iPad hasn’t necessarily changed, it has just expanded. Much like the iPhone and iPod had also done.

The iPad was absolutely never a budget option.
$499 for 16 GB in 2010 was absolutely competing with some low-end PC’s that dominated it specification for specification.

Also, if we include inflation, the iPad Air with M2 is still less money than what that original $499 from 2010 is worth today.

Even during the iPad sales peak, it was absolutely not a budget option.
In 2013 when its main competitors were $200 Kindle fires and Nexus sevens, the iPad mini was $399. Double the price of the competition..

 

[Lift Bar]

It seems you feel that the iPad Pro is overpriced and doesn’t add enough to the original iPad’s vision. I see your point and respect your opinion!
I myself use Logic on the iPad Pro, and the more RAM, storage and processing power the better for my workflow. I flip between my Mac desktop and iPad when recording and producing. I record with the iPad and MacBook interchangeably, with my audio interfaces connected via USB C. Typically 40-60 tracks, with lots of plugins, and latency cannot be low enough for me. I also edit 4K videos from my DJI and add my own soundtracks. All that is not easily done with the normal iPad. The freedom I have is great: record in my full studio, take my iPad and arrange or produce those recordings on the couch. Then back to the big rig and pick up from there.
For me: Pro all the way😊

And yes, it’s very expensive. No discussion there.

So many important libraries and plugins aren’t available for iPadOS. Not sure what advantage there is over a macbook for Logic work, unless you’re using the iPad as an extra interface which is useful for sure, but normal hardware interfaces are too.

 

[masotime]

If they're going to label it as "Pro," they might as well include macOS functionality.

Hidden agenda revealed. It’s yet another “iPad Pro needs macOS” thread.

I respect the opinion on this matter, not so much the clickbait title.

 

[boston04and07]

Think about it: for illustrators, photographers, writers, and professionals alike, the iPad falls short in comparison to laptops. It lacks the flexibility and power needed for intensive tasks. Sure, it's great for consuming content or casual browsing, but when it comes to serious work, it just doesn't cut it anymore.

This may well be true for you, but it isn’t for everyone you cited here. I am a professional - an attorney, specifically - and I’ve been iPad only since the 10.5 Pro. I think it’s been at least 6 or 7 years now. Even then, and certainly now, the iPad had more than enough power for my daily tasks - researching case law, reading long (sometimes hundreds of pages) PDFs and ebooks, preparing trials, writing briefs and memos, managing my calendar and task list, taking notes in meetings….the list goes on and on. Many professionals need access to a desktop level file system, or the fastest internals possible for rendering high resolution videos, or coding, etc, but just as many true professionals don’t need any of that to get their actual work done. Those people are of course underrepresented in forums such as this, which attract those of us who are interested in technology, but they still exist. And I think they represent a large portion of iPad buyers - we just don’t hear from them as much because they don’t care enough to comment on it.

But yeah, a lightweight, touch-capable, 5g capable, easy to use computing device is really ideal in so many fields.

 

[Channan]

Sure, it's great for consuming content or casual browsing, but when it comes to serious work, it just doesn't cut it anymore.

Since many others have already mentioned the cheaper iPads that are still available, I’ll address this part.

What exactly is “serious work?” What specifically does your laptop do that you can’t do or at least find an alternative for?

 

[Lift Bar]

Since many others have already mentioned the cheaper iPads that are still available, I’ll address this part.

What exactly is “serious work?” What specifically does your laptop do that you can’t do or at least find an alternative for?

Mostly running various pro apps as well as sound files with multiple libraries that don’t work on iPadOS. As well as having a file system which makes work easier to organize and not just extremely cumbersome.

The iPad is great for marking up documents though. Otherwise I’d rather use a Mac.

 

[Gregintosh]

$499 was the first price of the iPad in 2010. According to an inflation calculator that is equivalent of $714 today. So even the iPad Air at $599 is CHEAPER today than the original iPad (in terms of real dollars).

The iPad 10th gen which is $349 today would have cost $243 in 2010. So meaning to say, the basic iPad for basic needs (and one can argue the 10th gen iPad is still way more capable and has more features) has dropped in HALF in real dollars.

So with all that, I would say the iPad is still fulfilling that role. The existence of a more premium option (the Pro which is $999, or $697 in 2010 dollars) doesn't mean the iPad product category as a whole steered away from the original vision or became overpriced at all.