iPad Pro Does the iPad Pro make sense anymore?

[spiderman0616]

I personally have decided an ipad is a consumption device only for me, I much prefer getting real work done on a desktop with a huge widescreen display with full keyboard and mouse...yeah I can do some things on the ipad but it's not my cup of tea and heck even on a laptop can be limiting...

As someone who's been full time iPad for years, I have been using my iPad for both consumption and creation, even for intensive tasks like graphic design. I've made some truly great stuff with my iPad and Apple Pencil. I've even been using it for my day job instead of my Mac when I want to work anywhere other than my office.

The mental struggle I started having with the iPad was 100% because of the new M1 Macs. It has nothing to do with how great I think the iPad is, but it has everything to do with how much better the Mac has instantly become with Apple Silicon. Other than the Apple Pencil, which I don't use nearly as often as I used to, it takes all the benefits I felt like I had from being iPad-only and blows them out of the water.

I don't need two big screen devices in my setup. iPhone 12 Pro Max is a big enough consumption screen for me. So the iPad is gone and I'm anxiously awaiting my M1 Macbook Air.

 

[spiderman0616]

Apple’s mistake in a way was to push the iPad as a mac like device with keyboard and mouse, rather than develop strong UI for touch and pencil precision accuracy, and get the 3rd party developers on board and to see where it goes. If you are using it mostly with keyboard then it doesn’t make sense with all its limitations not to prefer a Mac or PC O/S.

I have been thinking about this same thing a lot lately. Back before the iPad Pros came out, I had given up on the iPad and switched over to a MBP full time. I felt like I had hit a plateau as far as what I was going to be able to do with the iPad's OS, and the only device that could take me further was the Mac. iOS had gotten better and better over the years, but then felt like it had hit a point where it was being iterated upon, not majorly improved. That ended with the iPad Pro, and I gladly switched back to that full time once they came out.

But now I've hit a plateau again. As I grew to depend more and more on my iPad as my main computer, I naturally upgraded to the 12.9" model eventually, and also got a Magic Keyboard for it the second those were available. I loved that setup so much as a laptop that I eventually stopped bothering using the iPad as a tablet and started just using it as a laptop. And that also meant that I stopped bothering with the Pencil too.

So the M1 Macs put me at a crossroads. The iPad has always been a tablet first and a hybrid device and/or laptop second. But what I had done to it was turn it into thicker, heavier, more expensive laptop than the Macbook Air. Now there was an M1 Macbook Air that had not only taken back the performance crown, but also had all the advantages of the iPad (other than the touchscreen/Pencil support). It's a laptop first, it runs cool so I can comfortably use it on my lap or in bed without roasting my skin, it's infinitely more powerful, and it's easier to carry than the iPad Pro with all the accessories attached to it.

Long story short, my iPad Pro has been shipped off to its buyer, and my M1 Macbook Air is supposed to be here next week. My iPhone 12 Pro Max is now going to be my phone and my iPad, and I'm fine with that. I plateaued on the iPad again not because I can't do what I need to do on it, but because the new Macs are SO MUCH BETTER than both the iPad and the Intel Macs that came before them. macOS once again seems like the more exciting and powerful platform, and the iPad Pro feels, dare I say, irrelevant?

That's not to say I think iPads in general are irrelevant. I love iPads, and always will. I just wonder if maybe the top end iPad should be the current iPad Air. Add quad speakers and ProMotion to it and figure out a way to keep the price down, and you have an iPad that will sell like hot cakes, even more so than it already is. Let the M1 Mac mini and iPad Air take over as the entry level laptop instead of the iPad Pro.

I feel like Steve Jobs and Tim Cook both might have marketed the iPad into a corner for several years. Tim Cook has backed off of that a little bit now, but the whole "why would you ever buy a PC again now that we have iPad Pro" has been completely negated by the M1 chip. There are more obvious reasons than ever to buy a Mac instead of an iPad Pro. If you HAVE to have a touch screen and Pencil, obviously the iPad is still the only choice. But all its other advantages are now gone.

 

[emembee]

A touch interface is what makes an iPad an iPad, and using gestural control and possibly haptic/contextual menus or similar. Why use a desktop quality app on the iPad unless you can also use it with touch. Also a lot of younger people are very used to touch so it can be exploited and developed but so far Apple and devs have not delivered. Nevertheless it is my favourite Apple device, maybe due to its simplicity and also has generally less bugs than Mac OS, cant speak for Windows.

 

[spiderman0616]

A touch interface is what makes an iPad an iPad, and using gestural control and possibly haptic/contextual menus or similar. Why use a desktop quality app on the iPad unless you can also use it with touch. Also a lot of younger people are very used to touch so it can be exploited and developed but so far Apple and devs have not delivered. Nevertheless it is my favourite Apple device, maybe due to its simplicity and also has generally less bugs than Mac OS, cant speak for Windows.

The iPad is actually the computer I always daydreamed about having as a kid, and the only Apple device I have upgraded almost yearly other than my iPhone. I think the combo of iPhone/Watch/Airpods Pro is my favorite thing Apple is doing right now, but iPad has a special place in my heart for sure. I don't even have a problem with the pro apps for it. I love LumaFusion, all the Affinity apps, Procreate, etc. All awesome apps, all very powerful, and all run great on the iPad. I have been blown away by the stuff I have been able to do with it, and when I tell people I did it on an iPad they are shocked.

It's just that the touch interface is not what draws me to the device. It's the cool operating temperature, power, and battery efficiency that draws me to the iPad. The touch screen has become secondary, especially with the Magic Keyboard. The M1 Mac has not only convinced me that it's worthwhile to go back to the Mac full time, but also that the Mac has been held back for SO LONG by hot, inefficient, slow Intel chips. M1 is an absolute revolution (in my opinion) and that's going to be uncomfortable for some iPad users. I just chose to embrace it and jump in. This is going to be fun.

 

[KittyKatta]

So the M1 Macs put me at a crossroads. The iPad has always been a tablet first and a hybrid device and/or laptop second. But what I had done to it was turn it into thicker, heavier, more expensive laptop than the Macbook Air. Now there was an M1 Macbook Air that had not only taken back the performance crown, but also had all the advantages of the iPad (other than the touchscreen/Pencil support). It's a laptop first, it runs cool so I can comfortably use it on my lap or in bed without roasting my skin, it's infinitely more powerful, and it's easier to carry than the iPad Pro with all the accessories attached to it.

I see a lot of people following that path:

- iPad to work alongside MacBook
- iPad to replace MacBook
- MacBook to replace iPad

While I dont want to use the term “failed experiment” because the current iPad is an amazing device that does replace a computer for many. BUT.... I do feel that the iPad Laptop is an experiment whose results fell far short of potential. After this many years there is NOTHING that should have restricted the iPad from being a form-factor choice rather than a platform compromise. Yet many (not all) ended up with an overpowered tablet dressed up in MacBook clothing.

And now that an actual MacBook is showing what could have been on the iPad then it’s bringing a lot of people back to 2015 and questioning if they want “an iPad to replace a laptop” or “an iPad to work alongside a laptop”.

(BTW, for me I am still after an iPad to REPLACE a Laptop. But I have also accepted that this product is not it so I moved from 12.9 to 11 and am much happier with a companion product rather than a MacBook replacement).

 

[jimmy_uk]

I see a lot of people following that path:

- iPad to work alongside MacBook
- iPad to replace MacBook
- MacBook to replace iPad

While I dont want to use the term “failed experiment” because the current iPad is an amazing device that does replace a computer for many. BUT.... I do feel that the iPad Laptop is an experiment whose results fell far short of potential. After this many years there is NOTHING that should have restricted the iPad from being a form-factor choice rather than a platform compromise. Yet many (not all) ended up with an overpowered tablet dressed up in MacBook clothing.

And now that an actual MacBook is showing what could have been on the iPad then it’s bringing a lot of people back to 2015 and questioning if they want “an iPad to replace a laptop” or “an iPad to work alongside a laptop”.

(BTW, for me I am still after an iPad to REPLACE a Laptop. But I have also accepted that this product is not it so I moved from 12.9 to 11 and am much happier with a companion product rather than a MacBook replacement).

But then this pattern will repeat again - and this is how Apple make record amounts of money. People will move over to the laptops again and then over the next 2-3 years the iPad will be reimagined/upgraded and the swing will start all over as people get bored of the laptop life. It's genius - just trickle the technology and upgrades.

 

[spiderman0616]

I see a lot of people following that path:

- iPad to work alongside MacBook
- iPad to replace MacBook
- MacBook to replace iPad

While I dont want to use the term “failed experiment” because the current iPad is an amazing device that does replace a computer for many. BUT.... I do feel that the iPad Laptop is an experiment whose results fell far short of potential. After this many years there is NOTHING that should have restricted the iPad from being a form-factor choice rather than a platform compromise. Yet many (not all) ended up with an overpowered tablet dressed up in MacBook clothing.

And now that an actual MacBook is showing what could have been on the iPad then it’s bringing a lot of people back to 2015 and questioning if they want “an iPad to replace a laptop” or “an iPad to work alongside a laptop”.

(BTW, for me I am still after an iPad to REPLACE a Laptop. But I have also accepted that this product is not it so I moved from 12.9 to 11 and am much happier with a companion product rather than a MacBook replacement).

The thing that's kind of weird for me is that an iPad Pro almost 100% CAN be my laptop, even for my job related stuff, and has been for years. The problem is that I've hit a wall again as far as how productive I can be on it. I'd consider myself a power user of the iPad--I use all the multitasking features and gestures, the trackpad support comes naturally because I already knew how to use it in macOS, and the 12.9" screen is certainly large enough for content creation. Affinity Photo and Designer have been a dream to use on the iPad Pro with Apple Pencil.

But as Apple tends to do here and there throughout history, they have come out of left field with this M1 chip that is so powerful and efficient, even after we all knew it was coming and thought we knew what to expect, that it made me completely re-think what kind of gear I want to be using. The main draw to the iPad (its versatility as a touch screen tablet/art pad) has been overcome in my mind by all the benefits of the M1 Mac, especially the ones that were specific to iPad (operating temperature, speed, battery life).

This is a sea change in computing, and probably more of a sea change than some people are realizing right now. The iPad Pro is surely going to get an A14z or something like that, and might get back up to par with the Mac as far as speed, but I still think Apple has now re-positioned the Mac as the more exciting platform. M1 is going to change everything again.

 

[spiderman0616]

But then this pattern will repeat again - and this is how Apple make record amounts of money. People will move over to the laptops again and then over the next 2-3 years the iPad will be reimagined/upgraded and the swing will start all over as people get bored of the laptop life. It's genius - just trickle the technology and upgrades.

Exactly right--this is the second time I've gone through this, and I'm sure it will happen again down the road.

I think the problem for the iPad though is what I mentioned earlier--it got marketed as an in between device first, then a computer, then a computer alternative, then a magical slab of glass that can turn into anything you want, then the clearest expression of a personal computer, etc.

The messaging has been ever-evolving because I think Apple is still trying to figure out where the iPad fits. I'm just kind of tired of waiting on the software to catch up to the hardware. I wish I had access to exact sales numbers and metrics for this stuff. I would love to know who's using what machines and what skus of those machines to do what kind of work. I feel like the iPad's core user base is still the $329 base model. I was definitely an outlier as someone using it as their main laptop for all these years.

 

[emembee]

M1 is an absolute revolution (in my opinion) and that's going to be uncomfortable for some iPad users. I just chose to embrace it and jump in. This is going to be fun.

It's still just a Mac with the same bloated software and bugs till they are fixed, it doesn't matter how fast or cool it is and without touch you have to use decades old keyboard commands. Touch with the pencil and multiple gestures offers a lot of potential as I see it but we are nowhere near to this and I fully understand the exit that looks to be coming, though I am planning to hold on, just in case

 

[jwolf6589]

I

I personally have decided an ipad is a consumption device only for me, I much prefer getting real work done on a desktop with a huge widescreen display with full keyboard and mouse...yeah I can do some things on the ipad but it's not my cup of tea and heck even on a laptop can be limiting...

I use mine mostly for reading books which cannot be done well with a desktop. On a plane I can sit comfortably and read a book. I use it for watching movies also among other tasks. Very handy device the iPad mini 5 is.

 

[jwolf6589]

Exactly right--this is the second time I've gone through this, and I'm sure it will happen again down the road.

I think the problem for the iPad though is what I mentioned earlier--it got marketed as an in between device first, then a computer, then a computer alternative, then a magical slab of glass that can turn into anything you want, then the clearest expression of a personal computer, etc.

The messaging has been ever-evolving because I think Apple is still trying to figure out where the iPad fits. I'm just kind of tired of waiting on the software to catch up to the hardware. I wish I had access to exact sales numbers and metrics for this stuff. I would love to know who's using what machines and what skus of those machines to do what kind of work. I feel like the iPad's core user base is still the $329 base model. I was definitely an outlier as someone using it as their main laptop for all these years.

Plenty of hospitals use iPads and they are easier than laptops to enter patient info. Plenty of service techs use iPads as again they are easier than laptops. I know last 2 jobs I have had we have used iPads. Here every tech gets one.

 

[George Dawes]

Gaming on the iPad wipes the floor with gaming on the Mac

 

[spiderman0616]

Gaming on the iPad wipes the floor with gaming on the Mac

True, but I've found gaming a lot more uncomfortable on the iPad than on the iPhone unless I lug my controller around with me. And gaming might really change on the Mac now that it's so much faster.

 

[spiderman0616]

It's still just a Mac with the same bloated software and bugs till they are fixed, it doesn't matter how fast or cool it is and without touch you have to use decades old keyboard commands. Touch with the pencil and multiple gestures offers a lot of potential as I see it but we are nowhere near to this and I fully understand the exit that looks to be coming, though I am planning to hold on, just in case

Absolutely. Totally agree with this. I'm super comfortable moving back and forth between macOS and iOS because I use both every day of the week, but the iPad has more potential as far as UI. I just think developers need some more nudging from Apple, and iPadOS needs to move on from where it is now. I am just (again) at a point where iPadOS isn't moving fast enough for me personally. I've been completely taken off guard by this realization, but it seems obvious to me suddenly.

 

[sparksd]

Absolutely. Totally agree with this. I'm super comfortable moving back and forth between macOS and iOS because I use both every day of the week, but the iPad has more potential as far as UI. I just think developers need some more nudging from Apple, and iPadOS needs to move on from where it is now. I am just (again) at a point where iPadOS isn't moving fast enough for me personally. I've been completely taken off guard by this realization, but it seems obvious to me suddenly.

How could Apple nudge developers? By reducing its fee? A developer will respond to profit, not to any other encouragement on Apple's part.

 

[muzzy996]

How could Apple nudge developers? By reducing its fee? A developer will respond to profit, not to any other encouragement on Apple's part.

That is the one thing that I've always wondered. I know this is but one example but its a big one for me; iOS has had the ability to do split view for years on iPad and many developers still don't support it. Frustrating as hell as the inconsistent behavior brings the platform down IMO.

 

[emembee]

I think developers may not think they can ask for a desktop price, one of the issues with the App Store, too much free or very low priced software so customers balk at paying even 10 USD or GBP for something . Compare that to how much mac software used to cost say 5 to 10 years ago ...

 

[spiderman0616]

How could Apple nudge developers? By reducing its fee? A developer will respond to profit, not to any other encouragement on Apple's part.

By insisting that they make their iPad apps compatible with the newest iPadOS features. That was one of the big things holding me back as I got used to multitasking with the Magic Keyboard and using app pairings like I would use Spaces on a Macbook. I really didn't have much of an issue with the multitasking itself--I know others will disagree. My main issue was that so few of the apps I use regularly didn't support it.

For example, I am a Twitter junkie, and that is an app I'd love to have paired in one spot with a Safari window but also have it in slideover too in case I'm doing something and need to quick check Twitter. But if you put Twitter in slideover and then pair it with another app somewhere else (or vice versa) that kills it in the other spot because it doesn't support multi window. Same deal with Slack, which I use daily as well. iPadOS causes me to spend too much time re-configuring my app pairings because it's so easy to accidentally kill a window.

This is a minor gripe, and not something I'm not willing to work around on iPad. Again, I LOVE the iPad. It's just that I'm in another new phase in my computing and in Apple's product line where the iPad Pro isn't such a clear choice for me anymore, and those minor issues start looking more glaring when you suddenly have a machine like the M1 Mac available.

 

[KittyKatta]

Gaming on the iPad wipes the floor with gaming on the Mac

But if Macs can run iPadOS games then doesnt the potential of Mac gaming get a pretty gigantic boost?

Obviously you cant translate touch based games as easily, but if its a controller game then it may become more appealing to play games on Mac (or the updated AppleTV... if that ever comes out)

 

[spiderman0616]

But if Macs can run iPadOS games then doesnt the potential of Mac gaming get a pretty gigantic boost?

Obviously you cant translate touch based games as easily, but if its a controller game then it may become more appealing to play games on Mac (or the updated AppleTV... if that ever comes out)

Yep. The iOS apps sound like they're kind of wonky right now, but that's going to improve, and I feel like it's going to happen pretty quickly.

 

[ader42]

To me it’s all about the right tool for the job.
I hardly use my iPhone anymore, especially given I’m more house-bound in this covid world; but primarily due to not enjoying a tiny-screen experience anymore.
I use my iPad daily for browsing, emails, reading, a bit of gaming - all on the sofa.
I don’t use the MBP as I’m no longer contracting, son uses it for games and homework.
I use my iMac for Xcode and other Mac tasks that are not practical on iPad.
I just upgarded to an iPadPro and Magic keyboard with a view to using it for some writing that I am finding a little cumbersome on an iPad. I want to do it on the sofa not at a desk so we’ll see if it works out. It might be I need a light laptop like the MBA for this purpose...
But I find iPads such a nice experience still, less kit more screen (I can take the iPad offf the keyboard for most tasks).

 

[SkiHound2]

I personally have decided an ipad is a consumption device only for me, I much prefer getting real work done on a desktop with a huge widescreen display with full keyboard and mouse...yeah I can do some things on the ipad but it's not my cup of tea and heck even on a laptop can be limiting...

That's largely been my take. Great for reading, perusing the web, viewing phots, watching videos, keeping tabs on email. I've loved it for travel. One small device I can have tons of books, magazines, videos.... I've never used anything like a magic keyboard and could imagine that could alter my opinion. I really think these kinds of preferences are pretty idiosyncratic. We all have different uses and preferences for user interface.

 

[scupking]

I think with the M1 airs Apple needs to lower the price of the iPads now. The pro 11 should start at 699 if its only going to have 128gb for it’s base storage.

 

[johnmarki]

For my uses, the iPad Pro is a must-have secondary device/peripheral. The ability to use it as a second screen and drawing tablet with Apple Pencil support is a game changer. I may be in the niche, but unless the MacBook Pro, or Magic Trackpad, get a full color, retina trackpad with Apple Pencil support, I cant see myself ever iPad Pro-less. Consumption wise, the Pro is perfect for me as its just a slab without any keyboard to tag along. I love the workflow balance Apple has created with their devices and I'm really excited about Apple Silicon and its potential going forward. But I can see how having less devices would benefit most users outside of my individual needs/uses.

 

[KittyKatta]

I think with the M1 airs Apple needs to lower the price of the iPads now. The pro 11 should start at 699 if its only going to have 128gb for it’s base storage.

This is Apple. They wont lower the iPad price, they will raise the price of the next gen M1 (And then they’ll raise the price of the next gen iPad)