For many casual users, it is in fact the only computer they need. Am I right in thinking that what you find annoying is people who imply that just because it's the only computer *they* need, it should be the only computer anyone needs?
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iPad How come MacRumors hate the iPad?
- Thread starter Zest28
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I am not sure hate is the correct or only word but yes there is lots of negativism around. The most polite explanation is a great inability to understand others computing needs.
because people who gather on macrumors are more likely to be advanced users i suppose
ask those ipads lover what they do on their ipads
most ppl i know use them for watching movies and videos so yeah ofc they love it
ask those ipads lover what they do on their ipads
most ppl i know use them for watching movies and videos so yeah ofc they love it
I used to be a big iPad Pro fan ever since I bought my Space Grey Wi-Fi 2020 iPad Pro 12.9" 512GB back in the spring of 2020, but the software stagnating and still being useless and buggy all those years later has made me give up on it. Now, I just use my dad's MacBook Pro until I have enough money to buy my own, and often go many days or weeks at a time without touching my iPad at all
My Mac can definitely do more “mainstream professional” stuff (not alternative uses cases, though), but I’d say everything is more enjoyable on the iPad. A traditional PC will never be able to rival the pleasant UX an iPad gives when i.e. surfing internet. I think that’s the main reason the iPad is so successful: Macrumors is pushing Apple to bring the iPad to areas where it will be always worse than a Mac; Apple, hopefully, the other way around.
The Mac very much WAS being neglected in favor of iPads. Why do you think MacRumors own Buyers Guide listed just about every Mac model, laptop as well as desktop, as Do Not Buy for years? Why did so many professionals (not the prosumers masquerading as professonals) jump ship to other platforms/not upgrade their current machines/software?
Apple (read: Timmy C) very much pimped iPads at every opportunity he could at the expense of the Macintosh and it bit him and Apple in the ass.
It's in line with the Grand Theory of Apple (which I admit remains largely a fan theory).
Where Apple seems to have dropped the ball at is that at some point, the iPad just stopped advancing in meaningful ways. It was able to replace a laptop for the general, less tech-savvy crowd for the more mundane, everyday tasks and that was pretty much it.
I think you're misconstruing things just a tad here, at least as far as your thread title. The problem on Macrumors is that a lot of the people who post here are enthusiasts, some of which have even been around since the beginning. The iPad has kind of been moving their cheese, so to speak, since 2010 and they have raged against it on these forums since 2010. Not saying they're unjustified, just saying it's been happening forever. I wouldn't say it's about "hate" for the iPad though--there's just a subset that really likes to complain.
But it doesn't matter. At all.
I think it's much simpler than all that. I think that iPads, and even more so iPhones, are now truly the easy to use computers for "the rest of us". If that's the kind of computing your prefer, now is the greatest time to be alive and be in the market for an iPad or iPhone because they're amazingly powerful and capable and accept inputs that traditional computers don't. Macs remain the professional computers for people that need a lot more freedom and power and want more granular control over their system. If that's the environment you prefer, now is the greatest time to be alive and be in the market for a Mac because they are mind-blowing and feel like tech that shouldn't exist yet.
In the end, isn't it just the market shaking out like Steve Jobs predicted with most peoples' main computers being their iPhones and iPads and then a much smaller group needing Macs/PCs?
My advice though--seriously--just use what works for you. Let the forum people scream on the forums. It has not meaning or consequence to your life. For example: I am 100% in love with my iPad mini 6, and if you go by what people say about it here, I should never have bought it. I use it every day in conjunction with my Mac and the integration sometimes just feels like straight up software magic.
I don't think I have seen "hate" for iPad on MR, with maybe the exception of the confusing iPad line up in the past few years.
That said, there has been some confusing Mac line up as well lately, not as bad as the iPad, but still, the distinction between some Mac models are starting to get blurred.
I think that is basically it.
The iPad would probably be the preferred for many more on MR if it was actually capable of doing more, but it is very limited by SW.
I do like my iPads, but I cannot picture it ever being a replacement for most of my Macs, unless Apple drastically changes the iPad, gives it MacOS, and makes it able to connected to a TB dock with a monitor, external drives, keyboard, mouse, etc..
While at home for most things, I prefer using my iPad over my iPhone, but my Macs are always preferred over anything else. I even prefer texting with my Macs over my other Apple devices.
Just because a product outsells another product doesn't make it preferred, nor better.
That said, there has been some confusing Mac line up as well lately, not as bad as the iPad, but still, the distinction between some Mac models are starting to get blurred.
Many people already provided excellent answers to this, such as the iPad being cheaper, and the MR crowd is more likely to be into stuff that the iPad just isn't good at.
I think that is basically it.
The iPad would probably be the preferred for many more on MR if it was actually capable of doing more, but it is very limited by SW.
I do like my iPads, but I cannot picture it ever being a replacement for most of my Macs, unless Apple drastically changes the iPad, gives it MacOS, and makes it able to connected to a TB dock with a monitor, external drives, keyboard, mouse, etc..
While at home for most things, I prefer using my iPad over my iPhone, but my Macs are always preferred over anything else. I even prefer texting with my Macs over my other Apple devices.
Another thought that I don't think anyone has really mentioned yet in the thread.
Just because a product outsells another product doesn't make it preferred, nor better.
Not sure if anyone mentioned, but you actually get a better battery life on MBA/MBP M1/M2 vs any iPad. That alone might be worthy reason to avoid iPad.
If you want a tablet form factor, then a Mac is not the answer.
Yes, exactly. Ever since I got my first laptop, I wanted to detach the keyboard when I was just reading. I still keep a desktop for things that are better done on a physical keyboard, but 90% of my computer usage is just reading. So I spend most of my time on my iPad.
There is streak of hardware envy as well. The clamshell form factor is 30+ years old and can be best used at a desk. Dynamic switching between creative (pencil), desktop (Magic Keyboard)) and relaxed ("sofa") usage is an attractive and modern solution. Most of the complainers are describing software and usage patterns best done at a desk and therefore a Mac.
Even in this thread, "I cannot do X" and it is not for "Pro work" pops up when they really should explain why iPads is a torn in their eyes especially when perfectly good Macs exists. Why complain over iPads when a perfectly good alternative exists?
Even in this thread, "I cannot do X" and it is not for "Pro work" pops up when they really should explain why iPads is a torn in their eyes especially when perfectly good Macs exists. Why complain over iPads when a perfectly good alternative exists?
Because it is a tech forum, where users know the iPad could be both the best tablet and the best non high-end laptop in the world, but Apple wants it to be a device with a very limited OS, in order to push people into buying both an iPad and a MacBook.
I think it's as much hate as it is frustration:
Essentially all iPads launched in the last 5 years are incredibly capable and can do a lot of cool things.
It's the best tablet ever. And, by comparison to tablets made by other brands, it's essentially perfect in terms of specs and build.
But that's what's so terrible about it -Despite how great and popular it is we most likely will never see any iPadOS versions of apps like Logic Pro, Final Cut, or other big apps from other companies.
It's the whole "mini Cooper with rocket engines" analogy -iPads Pro and the latest Air models could run what Macs do. But aren't allowed to for no convincing reasons.
Then there's the whole mess of Apple deciding which iPads can and cannot run.
Many reasons.
I think that there are some justified reasons and some less justified ones.
For instance
- Macs lack cellular, for some inexplicable reason, contrary to some Windows PCs and iPads, and some users would love to have cellular on the go.
- Apple no longer makes devices under 1kg with Apple Silicon and some people would like that kind of ultra portability (although to be honest, once you add the Magic Keyboard even the 11" is over 1Kg, but still lighter than a MacBook air).
- Some people would like to have both a computer (for work) and a tablet (for creative and relaxed purposes) when they travel, and a "double duty" iPad with both iPadOS and MacOS could act like or probably better than a Surface pro for that.
You will have people arguing that cellular is stupid, other saying that the MacBook air is light enough as it is and others saying that bringing 2 devices instead of 1 is not the end of the world and it's actually better in the end, but I can see the point of those wanting to have everying in one device (and at that point the one device should be the iPad since it's much easier to give iPad a dual boot or virtualized MacOS than giving Macs pencil support, convertible form facor etc.)
Personally I use Windows, so I don't have these Mac limitations, and iPad for me is a tablet and laptop companion, but if I hated Windows or preferred Macs I could be wishing I had such a device.
This does not mean that what the OP said is true, far from it, but many of the criticisms of iPad (mainly the iPad pro because it has the same guts as the Mac and costs as much) come from people wanting to have this device as their main device (everywhere or even just on the go) instead of both a Mac and an iPad, but feel limited by the OS and lack of desktop software.
I love my iPad, you should consider that Internet forums like reviews are full of whiners and people who want to show anger and hate towards someone or something, so the perception is distorted.
It's not a Mac and it's not even a computer. It's a big screen iPhone. My M1 "Pro" iPad just collects dust because it is the same size as my m2 Air and only does what my iPhone does. I love my mini 6 and I tote it with my computer.
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I think you should look into the definition of a computer.
Yes, it it a confusion for some about the iPad Pro and the SoC. I fully understand the desire to have MacOS on the iPad but then it works like a modular Macbook Air rather than a iPad.The iPad is tied to touch rather than keyboard and pointers.
Semantic question: Is an Intel based Mac running Windows a Mac or a Windows machine?
For me it’s because, despite their efforts, you simply cannot multitask on an iPad. It’s incredibly clunky for various reason such as: strange window management, inactive app refresh, audio output management, etc.
All of this just works on a desktop OS.
But I don’t hate iPads. They are fine for light browsing and streaming.
All of this just works on a desktop OS.
But I don’t hate iPads. They are fine for light browsing and streaming.
That is simply ridiculous. As other members have already posted, MacRumors members are typically more power users and thus, prefer the Mac over the iPad. I can appreciate the audience the iPad targets; it simply isn't me. I am not, however, afraid of it.