Are iPads getting boring?

[Greenmeenie]

I’ve gotten so used to using an ipad, that going back to a laptop feels soooo strange. I constantly find myself tapping the laptop screen. Also, typing on the ipad screen has become second nature to me. I don’t even use a smart keyboard. When i am holding an ipad, i can type so easily with my thumbs. And when my ipad is on a table, i can type with my fingers faster than using a regular keyboard. I love it. I don’t think i will ever go back to a laptop again.

I have an imac as a heavy duty workstation at home, but i find myself using it less and less. Even for photo & video editing. I just find myself reaching for my ipad, even when at home. And next year when Adobe releases a full version of photoshop for the iPad, i may actually sell my iMac.

More and more, the iPad does it all for me. Creating content as well as lesiurely activities like surfing the web and watching movies. It’s really the perfect all in one device.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Is anyone actually using these things daily? I got me the ipad LTE 128gb 6 gen and after having it a couple months, its kinda gets boring and I hardly use it. I play maybe one game on it (War Robots), and maybe surf the web a little, but other than that I don't do much else. I prefer using my Note 8 since it's easier to surf using one hand.

Apple really needs to make iOS alot more useful on the ipad or add other features to spice things up, I'm now actually thinking of selling it. It's basically just a big iPhone, they need to make it more like a real computer. I just don't see the point of having ipads anymore if you got a big phone unless Apple adds some features you can't get on a phone.

I can say that I have used my iPad every single day from the day I got my first one years ago when Apple introduced. I do not play games but there is no better device for consuming the Internet for me.

 

[Falhófnir]

Yes. It is. And if someone at Apple would use their imagination and the full power of iOS, I imagine bringing my IPad home, using a usbc cord to attach an external monitor, and using it with a trackpad; preferably my iPhone laid flat, and a Bluetooth keyboard and making it a full on computer that I can also take with me as a simple tablet. Their vision seems limited when it comes to the iPad.

It would be cool if you could just hook it up to a screen and the iPad displayed a keyboard and trackpad so you just lay it flat in front of you and away you go... kind of like what Microsoft were aiming for with continuum but a proper one cable implementation which doesn’t mean you have to carry a dock, keyboard and mouse with you!

 

[jeyf]

I am committed to skipping the whole iPad technology. Just another mouth to feed and I dont work for Apple.

 

[rowspaxe]

Its such a flexible device, with so many great uses. Its not like siri where you can say
"no one needs this"! Maybe you just don't do ipad-ish stuff.

 

[Hanson Eigilson]

i have the 10.5 iPP and yeah it's pretty boring, use maybe 30 minutes on it weekly apart from work stuff.
The OS seems feature starved to me, poor in options and typing/productivity is a chore past the first line of text.

 

[SnacksGU]

It’s boring cause there is no new iPad Pro. If we ever get a bezel-less iPad with Apple Pencil two, Face ID, Super-Retina display, Improved Sound, BT 5.0, and an A12X processor... then it’ll get mind blowing...


But that’s a big IF and probably not going to happen because we want it, (when has Apple made something when fans want it?) :/


K.

Apple has made a killing on creating products we didnt know we needed, until we had it.

 

[HeyKatie]

I use my iPad mini 2 daily for reading and playing Best Fiends.

 

[jbachandouris]

i have the 10.5 iPP and yeah it's pretty boring, use maybe 30 minutes on it weekly apart from work stuff.
The OS seems feature starved to me, poor in options and typing/productivity is a chore past the first line of text.

I use mine less than that. I turn it on to check for app updates. Sometimes I'll use it to watch a game when the main TV is in use.

 

[smbu2000]

I just picked up an iPad again after not having one for a few months. Definitely missed having it around and it is much better for doing things at home compared to my phone. Moved back up to the bigger sized 12.9 iPP after having switched to the 10.5. Really nice having the big screen compared to the 5.8” on my X.

 

[CrystalQuest76]

If a person of limited imagination is only using the iPad as a media consumption device, it probably does look rather boring. However, if a person is creative, the iPad is an incredible tool for creating illustrations, photo editing and even multi-track video editing.

Just look what can be done with a single illustrative app in the iPad.

Then look what can be done for video editing.

I have also seen family member that is a contractor use the device to take photos of existing job sites and then integrate them into construction plans and business quotes.

then there are the productivity apps that apple includes on the iPad. Word processing, Spreadsheets, and of course presentation. I have seen family members create very innovative projects for their school assignments in middle school and elementary school just using the basic applications.

Yes, the device itself looks un-inspiring; its the apps and the imagination of the users that makes them interesting and inspiring. The plain looking devices holds insides that power those apps that software creators have built and they really are amazing. of course the original poster probably knew all this when they created their posting and just wanted some click-bait for people to post responses.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

Every iPad I've had has become pretty slow in app loading times after only 2 full iOS updates. It's longevity just doesn't seem worth it for me anymore.

 

[AppleHaterLover]

Every iPad I've had has become pretty slow in app loading times after only 2 full iOS updates. It's longevity just doesn't seem worth it for me anymore.

My iPad 3 indeed was entirely useless by iOS 8.

However my Pro 12.9 1st gen is flying on iOS 12.

 

[old-wiz]

I use my iPad Pro a lot for reading books on the Kindle app - it is much easier than carrying around real books. I also use it for mail and reading newspapers via their apps.

 

[Ixon2001]

I use my iPad 2018 mainly in the evening for internet, YouTube & abit of music listening, it's brilliant when the Wife got crap on TV such as Big Brother, Strictly ect.

 

[alex00100]

I'd say iPad are just starting to get exciting as they are finally getting separated from iPhones and getting unique features (like upcoming usb-c which can be huge if fully utilized and rumors of full photoshop on iPads)

 

[Ralfi]

Ugh that word...

If someone does their research, works out what an iPad can do & whether it suits their needs, then it won't get "boring".

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

My iPad 3 indeed was entirely useless by iOS 8.

However my Pro 12.9 1st gen is flying on iOS 12.

Seems like the Pros get a bigger jump in specs vs regular iPads.

 

[pika2000]

Is anyone actually using these things daily? I got me the ipad LTE 128gb 6 gen and after having it a couple months, its kinda gets boring and I hardly use it. I play maybe one game on it (War Robots), and maybe surf the web a little, but other than that I don't do much else. I prefer using my Note 8 since it's easier to surf using one hand.

Apple really needs to make iOS alot more useful on the ipad or add other features to spice things up, I'm now actually thinking of selling it. It's basically just a big iPhone, they need to make it more like a real computer. I just don't see the point of having ipads anymore if you got a big phone unless Apple adds some features you can't get on a phone.

LOL, boring? Obviously you found the iPad to be boring because you don't actually need it (but you bought one anyway for some reason). And now you want it to be like a real computer?

I use my iPad everyday, from browsing the net, email, photo editing, excel, word, games, video watching, etc. I bought the iPad because I find its use case. I wouldn't have bought the iPad if I don't need one.

So moral of the story, don't buy stuff you don't need. Sell your iPad, and be done with it. The iPad doesn't need to be like a "real computer." I mean as if you know what a "real" computer anyway. :shrug:

 

[kasakka]

To me a device being "boring" usually means it is a mature design with few real flaws. You don't think how exciting your washing machine is, you just use it and it does its job. Same with a smartphone or tablet. If you don't use it, sell it.

I use my iPad daily on the sofa.

 

[Greenmeenie]

iPads are as boring as the people using them. No offense to the original poster, but you just might not be the type of person the iPad is marketed to. Others like myself, use the iPad as their main computing device. To them it’s far from boring.

Having said that, the iPad is about to get the most radical redesign of their 8 year existence. So maybe they won’t be so boring to you then.

 

[muzzy996]

Having said that, the iPad is about to get the most radical redesign of their 8 year existence. So maybe they won’t be so boring to you then.

I’m thinking it probably will continue to be boring for the OP though since other than the form factor and maybe FaceID the functionality of iOS will remain the same on it. The new look will likely seem like putting lipstick on a pig to the OP. If they have no real use for the iPad then the refresh isn’t going to change that significantly.

 

[ericwn]

Every iPad I've had has become pretty slow in app loading times after only 2 full iOS updates. It's longevity just doesn't seem worth it for me anymore.

Can’t say that’s my experience. Especially iOS 12 has speed up the iPad experience significantly.

 

[masotime]

The iPad itself isn't getting boring, I contend it's the ecosystem that's getting boring.

Apple really needs to make iOS alot more useful on the ipad or add other features to spice things up, I'm now actually thinking of selling it. It's basically just a big iPhone

It's a large iOS device. It's not a phone.

, they need to make it more like a real computer. I just don't see the point of having ipads anymore if you got a big phone unless Apple adds some features you can't get on a phone.

If you want a real computer, why not get a MacBook? I'm not disagreeing, but this emphasizes my point - the ecosystem of things you can do on an iPad is limited.

I spend a lot of time on my iPad. It manages everything for me... investments, contacts, calendar events/appointments, notes, books, PDF files, world news/finances, communication (email, Google Voice) and of course some entertainment.

The iPhone is actually better for finance and time management in my opinion - its size makes it more private and on the go. In general, I find iOS devices far more secure for financial apps due to both the closed sandbox (much more secure than a shared file system), App Store and biometrics as opposed to laptops.

I couldn’t imagine doing all this on the tiny iPhone displays. The 9.7 size is perfect for me. It frees me from sitting and being anchored in front of the desktop. It’s portable and not cumbersome like a laptop.

Disagree for finance apps. Neutral on notes apps (do you really need a big screen for notes?). Agree for PDFs and reading in general (less interaction needed to get to content), but I find the iPad mini is much better for this (more book sized, unless you review papers/PDFs in A4/letter sizes)

I use mine to watch TV, play games, work, read books, do homework etc. I may not use it everyday but it’s an amazing tool.

• Watch TV - on the go? This is debatable, the iPhone is more portable and matches the aspect ratio of most movies (widescreen). At home? only if you don't have a large screen TV (this is me actually, so I agree)
• Play games - agree.
• Work - depends on what your profession is. Many STEM professions will find the app ecosystem lacking, but if your work revolves heavily around word processing, I think the iPad is sufficient.
• Read books - agree.
• Do homework - sounds legit, I don't know.

Yes. It is. And if someone at Apple would use their imagination and the full power of iOS, I imagine bringing my IPad home, using a usbc cord to attach an external monitor, and using it with a trackpad; preferably my iPhone laid flat, and a Bluetooth keyboard and making it a full on computer that I can also take with me as a simple tablet. Their vision seems limited when it comes to the iPad.

• Attaching monitors can already be done (lighting to HDMI, Airplay), You just don't agree with Apple's take on it (Apple TV required, misc. proprietary cables, etc).
• Trackpad - I don't understand this requirement. A MacBook is clearly what you need, I would not use an iPad, and Apple wouldn't want you to either.
• iPhone laid flat etc. - you're projecting your own vision for what you think the product should be. This may or may not be true, but it is not an objective analysis. Frankly the fact that competitors have this product (Samsung DEX) and that it doesn't seem to have gained much traction suggests this isn't the right approach. Let me know if I am missing something.

----

Barring the Apple Pencil, what you could do with the iPad 5 years ago is roughly what you can do with it today, which is really the biggest problem. Things are faster, the audio and video are better, but for several technical use cases, the software ecosystem isn't there yet.

It still remains largely a consumption device, and not significantly superior to an iPhone as a content creation device.

My personal use cases that still require a Mac are web development and photo editing, and that's to me the biggest problem of all.

The A11/A12 processors are absurdly powerful, but if software isn't there to make use of it, what's the point? I use 3 pieces of software heavily on my iMac - Final Cut Pro, Capture One Pro, Autopano Giga, and I utilize the Darwin command line to do a lot of web development. None of these are adequately replaced by the current software available on the App Store.

I don't agree with all the very PC-like requirements of having a Trackpad, USB-C monitor, docking solutions etc, but I do agree that Apple hasn't done enough to replace what can be done with a full laptop to be what can be done on an iPad. The hardware is more than sufficient, but if Apple doesn't incentivize developers to develop the software tools on iOS that match their Desktop counterparts, the iPad is going to stagnate.
[doublepost=1538334347][/doublepost]

Just look what can be done with a single illustrative app in the iPad.

Then look what can be done for video editing.

I have also seen family member that is a contractor use the device to take photos of existing job sites and then integrate them into construction plans and business quotes.

then there are the productivity apps that apple includes on the iPad. Word processing, Spreadsheets, and of course presentation. I have seen family members create very innovative projects for their school assignments in middle school and elementary school just using the basic applications.

This is one of the more useful / informative posts, I'd like to it discuss further:

• I definitely agree with illustration, if you have a use case for the Apple Pencil, the iPad definitely fulfills a distinct need neither an iPhone nor an iMac, and I daresay any competitor device currently can fulfill.
• Video Editing - I am skeptical, but admit I haven't really tried Lumafusion. I will admit to my own bias to prefer an actual file system when dealing with videos. Does LumaFusion have video stabilization and audio editing processing tools on par with Final Cut Pro?
• What apps does your contractor relative use? I am genuinely curious
• Word processing, spreadsheets, presentations - is an iPad really better than a Chromebook for students?

 

[rbrian]

I use my 12.9” iPad Pro for only two things - reading magazines, and watching TV. It’s better than a phone or a laptop for both of these - simpler than a laptop, bigger than a phone. For books I prefer a phone; I can hold it on one hand - the big iPad is pretty heavy, and unstable with the Smart Cover as a stand.

I fully admit the iPad is wasted on me - I actually use my Kindle Fires more! The 8” is ideal for controlling presentations using the MS Office Remote app, which isn’t available on iOS. Of course, you could use keynote remote with an iPad and Mac, but my Fire and Surface were £800 all in. Can you get a Mac and iPad for that? I also use it to display notes for my fitness class. It’s so cheap (I paid £49) that I can throw it in my gym bag without worrying. It seems pretty tough too; it’s survived being dropped and getting wet.

I’m evaluating a 10” too; it has a much better screen than the 8”, and is great for watching TV - the 16:9 screen is filled, so even though there’s less screen real estate than a 10” iPad, it’s all used, so the picture is the same size on a smaller device. It’s also much much cheaper; I paid £99.

I use Windows PCs too, for things that simply can’t be done on iOS - Excel with macros, intranet sites which are optimised for internet explorer 6, and barely work in modern browsers, and - this is the biggie - downloading the music tracks for my fitness class from a website. Can’t be done on iOS. To get it in my iPhone I have to download it on Windows, drag it into iTunes, and use a cable to sync. I thought it was 2018 - it feels like 2008! I can do it directly on Android! This is a major pain point for me, and together with the excessive price of new iPhones, has me coveting a OnePlus 6T, so the benefits of being in Apple’s ecosystem won’t apply.