Are iOS 13's rumored features compelling enough for you to give iPads another try?

[EugW]

But not really. I mean, it'll probably be good for most users, but a real desktop browser allows third-party extensions, has a web inspector, and can be adjusted in size so responsive web sites can be viewed at different widths. I know most users don't necessarily care about that stuff, but since using my Windows tablet having a real desktop browser has been so much better of an experience.

I think the key point is what you've said yourself in your post. Most people don't care about all that. The main thing is that it's really annoying to get the cut down mobile sites on an iPad with a 10-13" screen. Just having the default desktop browser experience will go a long, long way to making the iPad feel more useful.

 

[canesalato]

But not really. I mean, it'll probably be good for most users, but a real desktop browser allows third-party extensions, has a web inspector, and can be adjusted in size so responsive web sites can be viewed at different widths. I know most users don't necessarily care about that stuff, but since using my Windows tablet having a real desktop browser has been so much better of an experience.

I would add that i use sites that only work on Firefox or Chrome, but on iOS we are stuck with Safari/webkit

 

[DNichter]

Just added bonuses for me. I am excited for iOS 13 though as it will definitely improve my workflows. Trackpad support will be nice to have when needed, multi/free floating windows better for multitasking, and I welcome a home screen redesign. Feels like the early OS X days.

 

[bluespark]

Top feature for me would be Bluetooth mouse/trackpad support. Not even in the regular user interface, but for text areas. I really have a hard time moving the insertion point, copy/pasting, etc. when writing text.

Forgive me if you know this already, but are you aware that you can press and hold on the spacebar to turn the text area into what amounts to a trackpad for putting the insertion point wherever you want it? I realize that doesn't entirely address what you were saying, but the way you put this suggested to me that you might not know about this very helpful gesture.

 

[Dave-Z]

Forgive me if you know this already, but are you aware that you can press and hold on the spacebar to turn the text area into what amounts to a trackpad for putting the insertion point wherever you want it? I realize that doesn't entirely address what you were saying, but the way you put this suggested to me that you might not know about this very helpful gesture.

Thanks, yes. It's physically tiring though when used with an external keyboard because the iPad is angled up like a monitor and you have to hold your arm in the air while trying to move the cursor, select text, etc.

 

[RevTEG]

Another try? I never left iPad. We’ve been getting along great since iPad one. I have a MacBook Pro that basically sits around doing nothing. I don’t even need a trackpad/curser as my years with iPad have made me prefer touchscreen interaction. Simply put, I prefer iOS over Mac OS for my workflow and travel needs. iOS 13 will most likely only continue to enhance it for me.
[doublepost=1556217758][/doublepost]

Thanks, yes. It's physically tiring though when used with an external keyboard because the iPad is angled up like a monitor and you have to hold your arm in the air while trying to move the cursor, select text, etc.

Physically tiring? If you have an iPad that works with the Apple Pencil then that could possibly help you with your reach? I use mine for that at times.

 

[Dave-Z]

Physically tiring? If you have an iPad that works with the Apple Pencil then that could possibly help you with your reach? I use mine for that at times.

I tried it but it just doesn't seem as easy as using a mouse cursor. My iPad's dying (touch issues) anyway so I don't use it much now.

 

[chfilm]

We will get desktop web browsing for sure this year. In fact, we can already do that right now, although it's a pain because we have to specifically request it for each site.

Well the problem is that right now, a lot of sites just don’t allow you to view their desktop version. There are some significant productivity issues because of this. Ever tried to use Facebook ad manager on iPad?
Not to speak about any tool like wix.com, and I come across problems all the time with websites, just don’t remember them right now.

 

[bluespark]

Thanks, yes. It's physically tiring though when used with an external keyboard because the iPad is angled up like a monitor and you have to hold your arm in the air while trying to move the cursor, select text, etc.

Okay -- just wanted to make sure as that does help a bit.

 

[rowspaxe]

I have no clue what the rumored features are, but I'm pretty much a die-hard iPad user (no computer in nearly 3 years). I can do pretty much anything I need to do with iOS, and anything useful that gets added will just be a bonus!

except simple cut and paste, but whatever. (not ios cluster-fux cut and paste where you take
a screen shot, then expand the screen shot, then create lasso in the screen shot, then cut that
and then cancel out of the screen shot window..and then paste"
And text cut and paste almost as bad.
[doublepost=1556222953][/doublepost]

We are oh, so close.

Not remotely close. But as I read these threads I keep asking myself: whats the point?
If you totally mic out you tablet to be a laptop--with mouse and keyboard cover--you
have lost the simplicty of the ipad. Just get two devices. It will cost (a little) more
but ultimately be more satisfying, certainly more productive.
[doublepost=1556223634][/doublepost]

Thanks, yes. It's physically tiring though when used with an external keyboard because the iPad is angled up like a monitor and you have to hold your arm in the air while trying to move the cursor, select text, etc.

Reality check. Thank you for making this essential point!

 

[EugW]

Not remotely close. But as I read these threads I keep asking myself: whats the point?
If you totally mic out you tablet to be a laptop--with mouse and keyboard cover--you
have lost the simplicty of the ipad. Just get two devices. It will cost (a little) more
but ultimately be more satisfying, certainly more productive.

I have two devices. Obviously, it's a major pain to carry two devices around.

On short non-work trips, I can just take my iPad. On work trips, I usually will need to take both my iPad and my MacBook, which is pretty annoying. I'd rather just take the iPad and a travel mouse, which I could sometimes do (but not all the time). Or I could take just my MacBook, but the MacBook isn't a great internet consumption device. For example, it's impossible to download Netflix episodes on a laptop, unless you bootleg them.

 

[sracer]

Well the problem is that right now, a lot of sites just don’t allow you to view their desktop version. There are some significant productivity issues because of this. Ever tried to use Facebook ad manager on iPad?
Not to speak about any tool like wix.com, and I come across problems all the time with websites, just don’t remember them right now.

Bingo. There's more to a desktop browser experience than having a mobile browser request the desktop version of a page.

This is one of the benefits that Chrome OS tablets offer. A true desktop-strength browser with support for plug-ins and extensions. The CTL chrome OS tablet has 4GB RAM, stowable stylus, already have all of the capabilities that we're hoping will be included in iOS 13, for $299. I'm tempted but I'll wait to see what Apple does with iOS 13... because I'd rather have an iPad.

 

[RevTEG]

I tried it but it just doesn't seem as easy as using a mouse cursor. My iPad's dying (touch issues) anyway so I don't use it much now.

You tried touch or the Apple Pencil as a cursor? It’s a bad deal if you have a iPad thats Apple Pencil compatible that’s already dying and having touch issues.

 

[rowspaxe]

You tried touch or the Apple Pencil as a cursor? It’s a bad deal if you have a iPad thats Apple Pencil compatible that’s already dying and having touch issues.

Don't over complicate it: the pencil is not an adequate mouse/trackpad replacement fpr people
using a keyboard cover--actually--it awful in that context
[doublepost=1556228945][/doublepost]

Bingo. There's more to a desktop browser experience than having a mobile browser request the desktop version of a page.

This is one of the benefits that Chrome OS tablets offer. A true desktop-strength browser with support for plug-ins and extensions.

Its even simpler: it you like to cut and paste text and images while browsing: forgett-about-it!

 

[Dave-Z]

You tried touch or the Apple Pencil as a cursor? It’s a bad deal if you have a iPad thats Apple Pencil compatible that’s already dying and having touch issues.

I have used both and neither really works for me for long form writing.

My 2nd gen. 12.9" is having the unresponsive screen issue. There are many threads here about it. Sadly I'm out of warranty so... sucks to be me.

 

[RevTEG]

Don't over complicate it: the pencil is not an adequate mouse/trackpad replacement fpr people
using a keyboard cover--actually--it awful in that context

I'm not over complicating anything. I only speak for me and my use case. You're the one that said the pencil is not adequate mouse/trackpad replacement for people. Well I haven't seen the research you must have done to speak for other people. Just because it's awful for you means it's awful for you. And you have to do what works best for you. Haven't owned a mouse in over 17 years. My kids have NEVER used one. I haven't seen the research but I bet the younger generation is using touch devices more than a mouse.

From a simple business standpoint, Apple could sell millions of of their mice by simply adding iPad support. Why wouldn't they do that if the masses wanted it?

Again, I don't claim to speak "for people", just me. Nor am I posed to options. I just know we get used to how we've done it for years. For me and my house, that's without a mouse. No big deal. I'm not anti-mice. lol

[/QUOTE]

 

[ssledoux]

Bingo. There's more to a desktop browser experience than having a mobile browser request the desktop version of a page.

This is one of the benefits that Chrome OS tablets offer. A true desktop-strength browser with support for plug-ins and extensions. The CTL chrome OS tablet has 4GB RAM, stowable stylus, already have all of the capabilities that we're hoping will be included in iOS 13, for $299. I'm tempted but I'll wait to see what Apple does with iOS 13... because I'd rather have an iPad.

I just can’t escape Apple’s lair. ;-p

Seriously though, I’m too invested in the ecosystem between phones, iPads, watch, etc. I like my devices to play well together.

In addition, I’ve just always preferred the iOS platform on the phones and iPads as compared to Google/Android/Windows.

 

[Digitalguy]

Bingo. There's more to a desktop browser experience than having a mobile browser request the desktop version of a page.

This is one of the benefits that Chrome OS tablets offer. A true desktop-strength browser with support for plug-ins and extensions. The CTL chrome OS tablet has 4GB RAM, stowable stylus, already have all of the capabilities that we're hoping will be included in iOS 13, for $299. I'm tempted but I'll wait to see what Apple does with iOS 13... because I'd rather have an iPad.

True, browsing will probably be better on Chrome OS even after IOS 13. But ipad is more than browsing. And I saying this as someone who is not in apple ecosystem, unlike many here (I have an iphone and a mac, but they are secondary devices, my main phone is an Android and my main laptops are on WIndows 10, only ipads are a "main" device for me). IPad is great accessories from third parties, android and Chrome OS don't come close. It's LTE for any model. It's choice of sizes, from 8in to 13in. It's great stand-by time. And it's CPUs that are 1 or 2 generations ahead of Android/Chrome OS. And some great pro apps that have no equivalent in other non desktop OS. It's will be easier for Apple to catch up on software (its more a matter of "if they want to" than "if they can") than for Android and Chrome OS to catch up with hardware (own and third party) and third party software.

 

[Macalway]

I wouldn't count on mouse support. This is a weak rumor. It's just the type of thing that gets people going, and therefore is likely to generate this type of rumor.

It's sad as it makes sense, so people are willing to make purchases of 1k around it. Shame

Fortunately we will know very soon. I say BS.

 

[jmarttu24]

Nope. Not getting one until external hard drives are supported. Pointless giving a device all that power and making it useless to designers who need the flexibility from transferring files from a device to a desktop at ease. Yes there is the cloud, but who has time to upload a 1gb photoshop file then redownload it and upload it again. Get your **** together apple.

 

[EugW]

Nope. Not getting one until external hard drives are supported. Pointless giving a device all that power and making it useless to designers who need the flexibility from transferring files from a device to a desktop at ease. Yes there is the cloud, but who has time to upload a 1gb photoshop file then redownload it and upload it again. Get your **** together apple.

I had some image files nicely organized previously on a USB drive. Plugged it into my iPad Pro and nothing was visible. The iPad Pro launched Photos but there was not a single image available for import.

I went back to the camera’s CompactFlash card, put that in a card reader, and plugged that into the iPad Pro. All the photos were there and available for import into Photos, but of course, not organized.

Irritating.

BTW, none of the files had been altered. They even had the original filenames. The only difference is they had been arranged into subfolders, and the parent folder was not named DCIM or whatever.

 

[sparksd]

I had some image files nicely organized previously on a USB drive. Plugged it into my iPad Pro and nothing was visible. The iPad Pro launched Photos but there was not a single image available for import.

I went back to the camera’s CompactFlash card, put that in a card reader, and plugged that into the iPad Pro. All the photos were there and available for import into Photos, but of course, not organized.

Irritating.

BTW, none of the files had been altered. They even had the original filenames. The only difference is they had been arranged into subfolders, and the parent folder was not named DCIM or whatever.

The DCIM folder name is the really critical element for it to be recognized.

 

[sracer]

I just can’t escape Apple’s lair. ;-p

Seriously though, I’m too invested in the ecosystem between phones, iPads, watch, etc. I like my devices to play well together.

In addition, I’ve just always preferred the iOS platform on the phones and iPads as compared to Google/Android/Windows.

Although I have a lot of gadgets, I take an old school approach with them. I'm the hub. I don't rely on my gadgets being interconnected. Different tools for different jobs with only a small subset of tasks being able to be done across multiple devices.

That allows me to have iPads for my tablets, Android smartphone, Windows/Linux/MacOS/ChromeOS notebooks, and iMac desktop.

I've tried diving in to Apple's ecosystem but I've always found limitations that prevented me from doing what I need to do and simply by swapping out one component for a non-Apple option, helped overcome that hurdle.

The lack of competition in the tablet space has allowed Apple to do their thing with the iPads. It was only because of serious competition from 7" Android tablets that Apple relented and produced the iPad Mini. In spite of the older external design, the Mini 5 has been a huge success for Apple and many happy customers.

The main reason why I want Chrome OS tablets to be wildly successful is because it will force Apple to respond... and I'd rather have an iPad (that can do the things that Chrome OS tablets can) than the alternatives.

 

[sparksd]

Although I have a lot of gadgets, I take an old school approach with them. I'm the hub. I don't rely on my gadgets being interconnected. Different tools for different jobs with only a small subset of tasks being able to be done across multiple devices.

That allows me to have iPads for my tablets, Android smartphone, Windows/Linux/MacOS/ChromeOS notebooks, and iMac desktop.

I've tried diving in to Apple's ecosystem but I've always found limitations that prevented me from doing what I need to do and simply by swapping out one component for a non-Apple option, helped overcome that hurdle.

The lack of competition in the tablet space has allowed Apple to do their thing with the iPads. It was only because of serious competition from 7" Android tablets that Apple relented and produced the iPad Mini. In spite of the older external design, the Mini 5 has been a huge success for Apple and many happy customers.

The main reason why I want Chrome OS tablets to be wildly successful is because it will force Apple to respond... and I'd rather have an iPad (that can do the things that Chrome OS tablets can) than the alternatives.

Yeah, just another old guy here with a hybrid mix with sufficient inter-connectivity to do what I need. Not interested in buying into an ecosystem - takes half the fun out of screwing around with these things.

 

[Hofstede]

Next would be a proper file system support. Safari should be able to download files without having to pass them off to some other app, I shouldn't have to install apps like PDF Expert to get a place to store things or for use as a means to access SMB and WebDAV shares and I should be able to connect storage devices and move stuff around.

It’s really inconvenient to download files with Safari on our iPad. For example, sometimes I have to download .rar files for work, and the iPad sucks.

To be honest the iPad Pros do not offer enough to justify their price.

When iPad does not qualify to be a primary device, this statement is always true. In my opinion, depending on how you use your primary device, iPad is becoming less complementary and more primary. But, for most of the people, it’s still a complementary but powerful device.

An Apple device with "trackpad support" and "free-floating windows" is a Mac!!!!!! An iPad is not for you. Maybe a MacBook?

I pretty enjoy the touch interface of an iPad. The utility of trackpad support is a doubt. But, free-floating windows are welcome.

3) Proper external storage support.

Although the future trend is to use cloud drive for work, at this moment the conventional way of work is to use external storage. iPad should allow the support of external storage.

Desktop Safari (by default) is a big time saver too.

We are expecting this too.