Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Status
The first post of this thread is a WikiPost and can be edited by anyone with the appropiate permissions. Your edits will be public.

flobach

macrumors regular
Jun 23, 2008
144
133
Germany
What is / are the main ergonomic pain points you're running into with this combo?
Hunched over at a desk or couch: rounded neck, back and shoulders. I use it both folded with the keyboard as well as naked as a tablet (the latter beiing not as bad), but it’s not a device for sitting down for a good amount of time and doing focussed work. At this time for me it’s a mainly a companion Device, and it’s not for the lacking wanting or trying.
 

sparksd

macrumors G3
Jun 7, 2015
9,997
34,309
Seattle WA
Hunched over at a desk or couch: rounded neck, back and shoulders. I use it both folded with the keyboard as well as naked as a tablet (the latter beiing not as bad), but it’s not a device for sitting down for a good amount of time and doing focussed work. At this time for me it’s a mainly a companion Device, and it’s not for the lacking wanting or trying.

Do you have the same issues with a laptop?
 

sparksd

macrumors G3
Jun 7, 2015
9,997
34,309
Seattle WA
Yes. But I only use my laptop on a Nexstand (like the roost) and with an external monitor. Laptop so I can work in office and at home (windows work machine).

ah, got it. I also use my laptop with a 24" 4K monitor, keyboard & mouse and find smaller screens difficult to do much work on. I use my 12.9 Pro on a stand, elevated about 4-5" above the desk top.

If the iPad supported full aspect ratio on a monitor, do you think you would use it more?
 

Puonti

macrumors 68000
Mar 14, 2011
1,567
1,187
Hunched over at a desk or couch: rounded neck, back and shoulders. I use it both folded with the keyboard as well as naked as a tablet (the latter beiing not as bad), but it’s not a device for sitting down for a good amount of time and doing focussed work. At this time for me it’s a mainly a companion Device, and it’s not for the lacking wanting or trying.

Yeah the display height is a big one, same with laptops. I use my iPad with an external keyboard and trackpad either on a regular or standing desk, but probably for shorter continuous periods of time than you would (if not for the ergonomics).

I've been considering a desk stand for the iPad to raise it to eye-height, but haven't come across a compelling one yet.
 
  • Like
Reactions: secretk

Nugget

Contributor
Nov 24, 2002
2,167
1,466
Tejas Hill Country
If the iPad supported full aspect ratio on a monitor, do you think you would use it more?

A large display is a lot less useful if you can’t fill it up with apps. iOS really shows its limitations to me when you try to give it regular computer peripherals.

Using iOS reminds me of those users who maximize every window so they only see one app at a time. We used to make fun of those people.
 

flobach

macrumors regular
Jun 23, 2008
144
133
Germany
I’ve gone deskless using my iPP+MK. No ergonomic issues at all.
How/where do you use it? Used to have an 11“ MBA, was a great little thing. Up until my early 30‘s didn‘t bother me, but a few years on from that I notice I need to keep a better posture or live with the consequences (not willing to do that!)
 

flobach

macrumors regular
Jun 23, 2008
144
133
Germany
ah, got it. I also use my laptop with a 24" 4K monitor, keyboard & mouse and find smaller screens difficult to do much work on. I use my 12.9 Pro on a stand, elevated about 4-5" above the desk top.

If the iPad supported full aspect ratio on a monitor, do you think you would use it more?

I have tried many setups. Had the IPP9.7 when it was released in 2016, connected it to an external monitor and keyboard, but obvs there was no mouse support back then. Tried and tried, couldn’t get it to work for me. Then iPadOS 13.4 brought mouse support, connected my IPad Air 3 to a mouse and monitor, but the pointer implementation is OK...but not for full time work IMHO. Great to use for quickly pointing to something as my iPad is my secondary device under my external monitor (Logitech mouse and keyboard that can switch to both work laptop and iPad), but even if full aspect ratio were to be implemented, the pointer doesn’t do it for me.

I have come to realise that the iPad is a tablet, a great one, but a tablet. And a Mac is a Mac, and is the machine to use for desktop work. Maybe that will change in the future, but for now, That’s what works best for me.

No doubt I‘ll keep trying to use the iPad more and more in my workflow, its just so damn cool!
 

Seanm87

macrumors 68020
Oct 10, 2014
2,209
4,410
A large display is a lot less useful if you can’t fill it up with apps. iOS really shows its limitations to me when you try to give it regular computer peripherals.

Using iOS reminds me of those users who maximize every window so they only see one app at a time. We used to make fun of those people.

That seems like a very strange thing to make fun of people for.
 

nightlong

macrumors 6502a
Jun 16, 2012
864
168
Australia
What is / are the main ergonomic pain points you're running into with this combo?

if you type for long periods of time you shouldn‘t be looking down as you do with all of these attached keyboards, the iPad should be at eye level. you also should have your wrists up, level with your elbows, not on the desk with your fingers reaching up to the keyboard. these are very sure ways to get severe neck pain and RSI in your wrists.

i use a detached keyboard with the iPad on a stand at eye level
 
  • Like
Reactions: secretk

Abazigal

Contributor
Jul 18, 2011
20,392
23,894
Singapore
A large display is a lot less useful if you can’t fill it up with apps. iOS really shows its limitations to me when you try to give it regular computer peripherals.

Using iOS reminds me of those users who maximize every window so they only see one app at a time. We used to make fun of those people.

You know what’s the sad thing about this statement?

I have never seen an iPad user tell a Mac user they’re wrong for using the tool they prefer, but I constantly see Mac users telling iPad users they’re wrong for using the iPad and having the gal to tell others they can use it too.

Without realising it, Mac users are now crapping on iPad users the very same way that windows users used to treat Mac users in the past.
 

subjonas

macrumors 603
Feb 10, 2014
6,257
6,737
You know what’s the sad thing about this statement?

I have never seen an iPad user tell a Mac user they’re wrong for using the tool they prefer, but I constantly see Mac users telling iPad users they’re wrong for using the iPad and having the gal to tell others they can use it too.

Without realising it, Mac users are now crapping on iPad users the very same way that windows users used to treat Mac users in the past.
I recall seeing iPad evangelists saying that Macs are antiquated, so it has happened. But yes it’s much rarer compared to the reverse.

If we had a way to connect the iphone to the ipad pro for backup purposes, the iPad would be one step closer to replacing the laptop or Mac mini (for average use).
But how about backing up the iPad? iCloud? But iPhone can back up to iCloud too.
 

sparksd

macrumors G3
Jun 7, 2015
9,997
34,309
Seattle WA
You know what’s the sad thing about this statement?

I have never seen an iPad user tell a Mac user they’re wrong for using the tool they prefer, but I constantly see Mac users telling iPad users they’re wrong for using the iPad and having the gal to tell others they can use it too.

Without realising it, Mac users are now crapping on iPad users the very same way that windows users used to treat Mac users in the past.

I started working in s/w & h/w back in 1971 (yes, I'm retired now) and I think I have seen users of every system crap on others for what they use. You see similar in the photography and audiophile worlds, among others - it's a long tradition that will never end. What I do/use is better than what you do/use.
 
  • Like
Reactions: secretk

flobach

macrumors regular
Jun 23, 2008
144
133
Germany
if you type for long periods of time you shouldn‘t be looking down as you do with all of these attached keyboards, the iPad should be at eye level. you also should have your wrists up, level with your elbows, not on the desk with your fingers reaching up to the keyboard. these are very sure ways to get severe neck pain and RSI in your wrists.

i use a detached keyboard with the iPad on a stand at eye level
What stand do you use?
 

Apple_Robert

Contributor
Sep 21, 2012
35,669
52,493
In a van down by the river
I recall seeing iPad evangelists saying that Macs are antiquated, so it has happened. But yes it’s much rarer compared to the reverse.


But how about backing up the iPad? iCloud? But iPhone can back up to iCloud too.
Being able to backup the iPad and iPhone using only one’s iPad would be a great feature. I don’t see Apple allowing that, though.
 

subjonas

macrumors 603
Feb 10, 2014
6,257
6,737
Being able to backup the iPad and iPhone using only one’s iPad would be a great feature. I don’t see Apple allowing that, though.
Back up the iPad to the iPad? Oh maybe you mean back up to a local external drive directly from the iPad. If so, yes, having something like time machine (versioned backups) for iPad is one of the things that is critical for me before I could get rid of my Mac. Of course there should also be an easy way to view and restore specific data and apps rather than the entire system. But yeah, I don’t know how likely that is.
 

Apple_Robert

Contributor
Sep 21, 2012
35,669
52,493
In a van down by the river
Back up the iPad to the iPad? Oh maybe you mean back up to a local external drive directly from the iPad. If so, yes, having something like time machine (versioned backups) for iPad is one of the things that is critical for me before I could get rid of my Mac. Of course there should also be an easy way to view and restore specific data and apps rather than the entire system. But yeah, I don’t know how likely that is.
Yes, now we are on the same page. I have an external T5 Toshiba drive that would be perfect for backing up the iPhone and iPad itself. I asked the people that make the iMazing app for Mac, and they weren’t interested in creating a iOS version of their app for such purposes. I think we will have to rely on another third party developer to create such an app.
 

subjonas

macrumors 603
Feb 10, 2014
6,257
6,737
Yes, now we are on the same page. I have an external T5 Toshiba drive that would be perfect for backing up the iPhone and iPad itself. I asked the people that make the iMazing app for Mac, and they weren’t interested in creating a iOS version of their app for such purposes. I think we will have to rely on another third party developer to create such an app.
That would be great but can a third party app back up the entire system though? I would think mainly just photos.
 

nightlong

macrumors 6502a
Jun 16, 2012
864
168
Australia
What stand do you use?
I use a few which give different angles. A plastic one from Ikea, folding metal one With two legs which has no brand name on it, and one that clamps on a table with a gooseneck and spring loaded clamps that I got from Amazon called Lamicall, I also use that on the sofa so if I fall asleep the iPad doesn’t fall on the floor.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.