iPad Pro iPad has become quite useless and I regret purchasing it

[Vulkan]

Up until recently, my main computer had been a 2013 Mac Pro. With 32gb of ram, for engineering and development it has no comparison. I also love the design of the system, all in one cylinder. I was surprised it was able to run Monterey on it. I dont expect it to be able to upgrade past Monterey.

So recently around the holidays I decided to get an M1 MacBook Air. I had it with 16gb of Ram and 1tb Storage, and it worked really great, nice performance, and light enough. But when I tried to connect it with my 2x 32” monitors, I was surprised that it only could support 1 only. I completely fell out of love with it.

I got lucky and sold it to a friend for his daughter, and after that, I decided to get an 16” M1-Pro w/32gb of Ram and 1tb storage… The mac is an absolute beast for the kind of work I do (i work with development, and macOS client platform engineering).

Since my main work Mac is the M1-Pro, that works extraordinarily with my 2x 32” 2k displays, I graduated my 2013 Mac Pro, into a mac server, where I run Docker and a bunch of contained services like Nextcloud, Rocket Chat and couple other things.

Why am I writing about mac’s in an iPad Forum and thread?

Well i wanted to make the premise where an iPad fits in my life. I recently bought a M1 12.9 iPad Pro w/128gb. To me the iPad is the in between device… in between what? Well my M1-Pro is my main work computer, and if I go work at a client’s location, i take it with me because its a MacBook Pro. My iPad is for light computing, when I get together with customers, or go to a conference thats what I take.

When I’m not working I like to read and browse the internet, so I always felt my previous iPad Pro 11, was good, but the screen was smaller and it made me squint more, so im hoping with the 12.9 i can read better. I know the new screen is going to be. Great for watching movies while my wife is doing her thing, or for travel.

I have an Apple Pencil and I use it for taking notes, and art therapy lol. I had to practice a lot because while the Apple Pencil does a really good job at being a Pencil, there is that translation of too smooth, when you use the Pencil, versus writing or drawing in a piece of paper. But like everything else, practice makes perfect. For note taking I use Notability, and for doodling or line drawing I use an app called Doodles. For painting I use Pro-Create, which is the best app for drawing or painting you will ever need and for $9.99 its a steal.

I will agree that I feel the M1 is under utilized, ad i was expecting that by this time around, even within the confinements of iPadOS, that we would be using apps that really took advantage of that M1 CPU. Why else would you put a desktop class CPU on a tablet? Also, if you are a scripter like me, Visual Studio Code web app https://vocoder.dev is an absolute must have.

As an avid gamer, i plan to use it to play some. Games i enjoy on the iPad Pro when im not at home. For gaming i have a 5950x w/32gb and a buttload of storage to play big games. I really wish Apple wasnt so stubborn and supported DirectX and/or Vulkan while Metal picked up speed…

Lastly like all of you i was hoping a macOS lite experience when Apple rolled out the M1 iPad Pro, I was disappointed, we couldnt do something like that from the get go… But I still have faith that at some point Tim Apple will come to his senses and give us that.

So TL;DR devices are what you make of them. I apologize if this went on too long but I wanted to give people an overview of my ecosystem, so you could see how my new M1 iPad Pro fits in….

PS. Dont get me started with Sidecar and Universal Control… its going to be great and I cant wait to use the latter in my workflow.

 

[Digitalguy]

No doubt Samsung really nailed it for the weight on their ultra. Bigger than the 12.9 iPad Pro but lighter. If people can find a way to prop it up without the keyboard to be used as a bed screen that would be amazing. Not sure why Samsung wouldn't sell a simple one piece stand for it that just props it up. If anyone wants to use it as a second monitor on windows, how are they going to prop it up as a monitor?

I don't find the 11 Pro big or cumbersome at all to take with me everywhere. But then again I've been using 2.1lb Surface Pros with the type cover in a sleeve and a 2lb USB-C battery pack (which makes it 4.1lbs) that it always had to be plugged into for years so the 11 Pro feels so much lighter. I agree that videos on the mini can be too small. Many websites in portrait mode on the mini are borderline too small too. I feel Apple should have made the mini 6 at 8.9" and not 8.3. the extra 0.5 inch would be really noticable.

I still prefer the aspect ratio on the iPad over the 16:10 on the ultra. But for content consumption 16:10 is far superior, no contest. The ultra would be killer for movie watching. I think Samsung set the bar even higher for the 2022 iPad pros.

the keyboard is detachable just like the surface pro, so you can only use the kickstand part. Samsung does not sell it separately, but you get it as a bundle for free with the keyboard on launch. As for aspect ratio, if I had to choose I would take the 4:3, as 16:10 is virtually useless in portrait mode for me. But fortunately I don't have to use and I can have both ?
I think people, especially in the Apple world, underestimate how many of these tablets Samsung is selling. I hear Apple fans wondering how people can spend over $1000 on an Android tablet, but they have no idea of the value that these tablets offer, especially with pen and keyboard included. They are literally flying off the shelves. And I say this as iPad fan who owns many iPad pros. The Samsung UI is way ahead of any other Android tablet UI, and even Android L is learning from it, the OS support is unmatched in the Android world (5 years of support). And the hardware is unique, a 14.6 oled screen at that weight, with those speakers, with pen and keyboard included. And even the app gap is slowly closing. But I don't this they need to reach app parity, because most people don't care about procreate or other pro apps, they want that huge screen at iPad pro weight first and foremost. That's something you simply cannot find with either Windows or iPadOS.

 

[ericwn]

Love my M1 iPad Pro 11. I am a Realtor and Property Manager, and my iPad Pro has completely replaced my MacBook Pro as my business device. The iPad Pro is literally the perfect computer for what I do.

Read the rest here

Love the post you made but the always on bold text is tiresome to read to be frank.

 

[GuruZac]

Love my M1 iPad Pro 11. I am a Realtor and Property Manager, and my iPad Pro has completely replaced my MacBook Pro as my business device. The iPad Pro is literally the perfect computer for what I do.

Read the rest here

Great post and thanks for sharing. I would agree with you pretty much across the board. I have been critical of iPadOS and Apple seemingly deliberately holding the iPad Pros back, but at the end of the day there is far more I love about my iPad Pro than dislike. I use my 12.9 iPad Pro with the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil 2 literally all day everyday as a medical student. It is such a productive device for me. Yeah the M1 feels a little wasted right now, certainly for my work flow, but the RAM is noticeable, and I’ll never complain about having too much performance. I look forward to Apple continuing to evolve iPadOS. It is dramatically better than it was in 2016 when I got my first 2015 12.9 iPad Pro. Have subsequently had the 2017 10.5. iPad Pro, 2018 12.9 iPad Pro, and now the 2021 12.9 iPad Pro and they’ve all been a joy to use and an incredible tool for me while I navigated undergrad, MCAT studying, and the past couple years of medical school. I will likely always own an iPad Pro, Magic Keyboard, Apple Pencil combo in whatever form that is. Just too well rounded for my needs.

 

[bondr006]

Love the post you made but the always on bold text is tiresome to read to be frank.

Fixed. Sorry about that. I just copied from Word on my desktop which for some reason, I had used bold.

 

[kc9hzn]

I posted a few days ago that I felt that I couldn't use my iPadPro as it's missing a database program (when Nixon works like an apple app then I'll reconsider.) I have since dedicated my iPad Pro to ultrasound scanning - attached by USB -C to a Butterfly IQ - and now every Mac product that I own has its function!

What kind of database program? Something more like a front end to a server-side database, a version of FileMaker that lets you design databases instead of just loading pre-made ones, or what Bento used to be (consumer friendly database that sacrifices RDBS features for simplicity)? I do legitimately miss Bento, and it had a great iPad app.

 

[kc9hzn]

For my own use case, I totally agree with this sentiment, and it's why I never bought a keyboard to use with my iPad Pro. But I can imagine someone, like a college student, wanting both a computer and a tablet, but maybe having a budget where they can only buy one device. With the combinations of hardware and software available now, I'd advise such a person to get a laptop, but I can see how a device that can switch between tablet mode and computer mode would be attractive to many people. A tablet is more relaxing for reading, light internet browsing, YouTube videos, etc., a full computer is better if you have to do heavy typing, coding, editing long papers, etc. My current setup is iPad + iMac, but if only I could afford one device, I'd probably have to settle for a laptop, which is the worse of both worlds for me. So I totally understand the frustration of people who want iPads to do more.

Actually, for most students, I’d suggest they get the tablet. It has the advantage of allowing for handwritten notes (I hated trying to take typed notes in Chemistry and Math, and handwritten notes was something I did with a first generation iPad and those touch screen styluses 12 years ago), and it’s generally a lot more portable. It’s also easier to set up a distraction free workspace on one than it is on a laptop. If you need specialty software for your program, that’s one thing (say, Mathematica, a compiler, AutoCAD, Adobe Illustrator, or something like that), but, if all you need is Microsoft Office or something like that, then an iPad should work just fine for you.

 

[Night Spring]

Actually, for most students, I’d suggest they get the tablet. It has the advantage of allowing for handwritten notes (I hated trying to take typed notes in Chemistry and Math, and handwritten notes was something I did with a first generation iPad and those touch screen styluses 12 years ago), and it’s generally a lot more portable. It’s also easier to set up a distraction free workspace on one than it is on a laptop. If you need specialty software for your program, that’s one thing (say, Mathematica, a compiler, AutoCAD, Adobe Illustrator, or something like that), but, if all you need is Microsoft Office or something like that, then an iPad should work just fine for you.

Even if it's the only computing device they have?

For those who can afford it, I'd absolutely recommend getting an iPad as a second device. But I'm skeptical many students will manage to get through 4 years of college with just an iPad. But granted, I haven't used the iPad Pro with the magic keyboard. Is the typing experience on that as good as on MacBooks?

 

[Isamilis]

Great post and thanks for sharing. I would agree with you pretty much across the board. I have been critical of iPadOS and Apple seemingly deliberately holding the iPad Pros back, but at the end of the day there is far more I love about my iPad Pro than dislike. I use my 12.9 iPad Pro with the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil 2 literally all day everyday as a medical student. It is such a productive device for me. Yeah the M1 feels a little wasted right now, certainly for my work flow, but the RAM is noticeable, and I’ll never complain about having too much performance. I look forward to Apple continuing to evolve iPadOS. It is dramatically better than it was in 2016 when I got my first 2015 12.9 iPad Pro. Have subsequently had the 2017 10.5. iPad Pro, 2018 12.9 iPad Pro, and now the 2021 12.9 iPad Pro and they’ve all been a joy to use and an incredible tool for me while I navigated undergrad, MCAT studying, and the past couple years of medical school. I will likely always own an iPad Pro, Magic Keyboard, Apple Pencil combo in whatever form that is. Just too well rounded for my needs.

Agree that too much performance isn‘t bad thing. For me, it means, the device will have longer life to keep up with the new OS and apps, also having best experience (audio & screen).

 

[kc9hzn]

Even if it's the only computing device they have?

For those who can afford it, I'd absolutely recommend getting an iPad as a second device. But I'm skeptical many students will manage to get through 4 years of college with just an iPad. But granted, I haven't used the iPad Pro with the magic keyboard. Is the typing experience on that as good as on MacBooks?

I mostly used my iPad, the primary exceptions were my programming classes and footnotes in Pages (both of which I used a Mac mini for). I haven’t tried it, but I imagine that Microsoft Word for iPad probably has better support for the latter (and newer Pages versions on the iPad might, too, this was four or five years ago at this point). There might have been an odd edge case or two, but a super cheap desktop OS running Windows or Linux likely would have addressed it just as well.

To answer your question about the Magic Keyboard, I don’t have first hand experience with it, but I believe it should be pretty comparable. But I honestly found Apple’s keyboard cover to be just fine (and really cheap mechanical Bluetooth keyboards are a thing now, thanks to the Gatreon clones of the Cherry MX chips). As a student, you could totally get away with the keyboard cover in class and use a better but bulkier keyboard in your dorm room.

 

[code-m]

Folk complain it's not a full blown laptop then complain about silly things like this. I have PCalc and Carrot Weather on my Mac and iPad. Solved.

Congratulations you have completely missed the point. Third party apps like the ones mentioned also exist on iOS so I guess native apps by Apple are not needed.

 

[kc9hzn]

Congratulations you have completely missed the point. Third party apps like the ones mentioned also exist on iOS so I guess native apps by Apple are not needed.

Actually, it’s totally a fair comment. macOS has a calculator app by default, I don’t think it has a weather app included (or, if it does, it’s literally the iPhone weather app running in Catalyst).

 

[code-m]

Actually, it’s totally a fair comment. macOS has a calculator app by default, I don’t think it has a weather app included (or, if it does, it’s literally the iPhone weather app running in Catalyst).

You are comparing iPadOS to macOS, it’s not even in the same league. I am waiting for the next 3D Disney/Pixar movie to be created on iPadOS in the next couple years.

You also make mention of macOS having a calculator app but no weather app, it seems Apple does not know where it’s going with iPadOS.

I guess to Apple iOS and macOS are more computers than an iPad considering both have default calculator apps.

 

[DeepSix]

the keyboard is detachable just like the surface pro, so you can only use the kickstand part. Samsung does not sell it separately, but you get it as a bundle for free with the keyboard on launch. As for aspect ratio, if I had to choose I would take the 4:3, as 16:10 is virtually useless in portrait mode for me. But fortunately I don't have to use and I can have both ?
I think people, especially in the Apple world, underestimate how many of these tablets Samsung is selling. I hear Apple fans wondering how people can spend over $1000 on an Android tablet, but they have no idea of the value that these tablets offer, especially with pen and keyboard included. They are literally flying off the shelves. And I say this as iPad fan who owns many iPad pros. The Samsung UI is way ahead of any other Android tablet UI, and even Android L is learning from it, the OS support is unmatched in the Android world (5 years of support). And the hardware is unique, a 14.6 oled screen at that weight, with those speakers, with pen and keyboard included. And even the app gap is slowly closing. But I don't this they need to reach app parity, because most people don't care about procreate or other pro apps, they want that huge screen at iPad pro weight first and foremost. That's something you simply cannot find with either Windows or iPadOS.

I had an Android tablet 5+ years ago and it was horrendous. Laggy, clunky and just not refined like iOS was. I know it's much different now with Samsung UI. Samsung android on their phones is near perfect. The only bad thing about Android tabs (even Samsungs) is the resale value on them is terrible. And I don't believe they get as long support as ipads do. This is why even if I had a use case for the ultra, I would be hesistant spending that much money on an Android tablet. The ultra will mainly appeal to the people who just want a massive screen for video watching. It will sell well.

For productivity, I think ipads aspect ratio is still far better. 16:9, even 16:10 sucks in portrait for notes, internet and running a lot of apps. It's just too narrow. This is why so many love to use their ipad in portrait because the aspect ratio is perfect.

 

[sparksd]

I had an Android tablet 5+ years ago and it was horrendous. Laggy, clunky and just not refined like iOS was. I know it's much different now with Samsung UI. Samsung android on their phones is near perfect. The only bad thing about Android tabs (even Samsungs) is the resale value on them is terrible. And I don't believe they get as long support as ipads do. This is why even if I had a use case for the ultra, I would be hesistant spending that much money on an Android tablet. The ultra will mainly appeal to the people who just want a massive screen for video watching. It will sell well.

For productivity, I think ipads aspect ratio is still far better. 16:9, even 16:10 sucks in portrait for notes and running a lot of apps. It's just too narrow.

Android version support is 3 years now, somewhat better than the earlier 2-year limit. I have 6 unused Android tablets, most of which I ended up installing custom ROMs on.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

The only bad thing about Android tabs (even Samsungs) is the resale value on them is terrible.

Yes and No. If you trade in a Sammy tablet to Best Buy or any other retailer, IDK if Apple takes Sammy tablets on trade, it will be terrible. That's NOT where you want to trade in your tablet. The best place is with Samsung during their pre-order sales when the new tablets get released or even BETTER during Samsung's Black Friday Event.

Samsung was willing to give me $350 on any iPad tablet towards the purchase of an S7 tablet last year. I then discovered that they were also willing to give me $350 for my Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 that I purchased from Amazon several years ago for $250. The value of the tablet last year was probably $5, maybe if that.

So I used my Galaxy Tab S2 and traded it in towards the Galaxy Tab S7+ 256GB model and Samsung threw in a pair of Galaxy Buds 2 for free. Total cost was $376 for a new S7+ and Galaxy Buds 2.

Trade smart, wait for the deals and you can snag a nice Sammy tablet with extra goodies thrown in for free for a fraction of the price.

That's why I didn't bite on the S8 Ultra and i'm waiting instead to see what Samsung's BF Event later this year looks like. I have a 6th Gen iPad i'd be willing to trade for another Samsung tablet.

 

[Digitalguy]

Android version support is 3 years now, somewhat better than the earlier 2-year limit. I have 6 unused Android tablets, most of which I ended up installing custom ROMs on.

No, Samsung flagships now offers 4 OS upgrades and 5 years of security updates. So you are covered till 2027. That's not far from iPads. And it will be years after the end of support before any app is no longer compatible...

 

[Digitalguy]

I had an Android tablet 5+ years ago and it was horrendous. Laggy, clunky and just not refined like iOS was. I know it's much different now with Samsung UI. Samsung android on their phones is near perfect. The only bad thing about Android tabs (even Samsungs) is the resale value on them is terrible. And I don't believe they get as long support as ipads do. This is why even if I had a use case for the ultra, I would be hesistant spending that much money on an Android tablet. The ultra will mainly appeal to the people who just want a massive screen for video watching. It will sell well.

For productivity, I think ipads aspect ratio is still far better. 16:9, even 16:10 sucks in portrait for notes, internet and running a lot of apps. It's just too narrow. This is why so many love to use their ipad in portrait because the aspect ratio is perfect.

I sold my S7+ plus keyboard and pen for 890 (8GB 256GB version with 5 years warranty bought for 1200). I consider this good resale value. I didn't expect it. The resale value is getting pretty good for these high end tablets.

 

[DeepSix]

Android version support is 3 years now, somewhat better than the earlier 2-year limit. I have 6 unused Android tablets, most of which I ended up installing custom ROMs on.

3 years is pretty good but isn't Apple support like forever? I have friends who are still using ipad 9.7" 4th or 5th generation with no issues. But they're also running old iOS versions but their ipads still work fine.

 

[sparksd]

3 years is pretty good but isn't Apple support like forever? I have friends who are still using ipad 9.7" 4th or 5th generation with no issues. But they're also running old iOS versions but their ipads still work fine.

Apple support runs 4-5 years.

 

[kc9hzn]

You are comparing iPadOS to macOS, it’s not even in the same league. I am waiting for the next 3D Disney/Pixar movie to be created on iPadOS in the next couple years.

You also make mention of macOS having a calculator app but no weather app, it seems Apple does not know where it’s going with iPadOS.

I guess to Apple iOS and macOS are more computers than an iPad considering both have default calculator apps.

I was responding to how people diss iPadOS because of the calculator/weather app business. macOS (or iPadOS, for that matter) is no less useful for “real work” because it doesn’t have a full weather app or stock app (or etc.), but some people in this thread have cited it as an iPadOS weakness. It’s a totally stupid claim, but it’s still one people make.

You can make an argument that iPadOS doesn’t enable pro apps or pro workflows (I don’t agree, I think it’s mostly a matter of third party devs, and even Apple to an extent, not wanting to undercut sales of their macOS pro apps by releasing an equally powerful iPad app). But that’s a completely different argument than the stupid argument that iPadOS isn’t good for “pro” work because it doesn’t have [default app on iOS missing in iPadOS that would not be considered pro-level in the first place].

 

[sparksd]

No, Samsung flagships now offers 4 OS upgrades and 5 years of security updates. So you are covered till 2027. That's not far from iPads. And it will be years after the end of support before any app is no longer compatible...

Ah, you're right -

https://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-android-updates-1148888/

Good to see. I'm also interested in the new Samsung tablet offerings. I tried the S7+ but ended up returning it.

 

[DeepSix]

Yes and No. If you trade in a Sammy tablet to Best Buy or any other retailer, IDK if Apple takes Sammy tablets on trade, it will be terrible. That's NOT where you want to trade in your tablet. The best place is with Samsung during their pre-order sales when the new tablets get released or even BETTER during Samsung's Black Friday Event.

Samsung was willing to give me $350 on any iPad tablet towards the purchase of an S7 tablet last year. I then discovered that they were also willing to give me $350 for my Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 that I purchased from Amazon several years ago for $250. The value of the tablet last year was probably $5, maybe if that.

So I used my Galaxy Tab S2 and traded it in towards the Galaxy Tab S7+ 256GB model and Samsung threw in a pair of Galaxy Buds 2 for free. Total cost was $376 for a new S7+ and Galaxy Buds 2.

Trade smart, wait for the deals and you can snag a nice Sammy tablet with extra goodies thrown in for free for a fraction of the price.

That's why I didn't bite on the S8 Ultra and i'm waiting instead to see what Samsung's BF Event later this year looks like. I have a 6th Gen iPad i'd be willing to trade for another Samsung tablet.

I didn't know Samsung gives more when using it towards a pre-order on a new launch product. I'm pretty sure Apple does not do this. From what I hear, Apple doesn't take non-ipad products on trade-in but I could be wrong. I still plan on giving the S8+ a try and comparing it to my 11 2021 ipad Pro and seeing which I prefer. iPad Pro 11 is going to be pretty hard to beat because I love this thing. I may not want another Android device but instead have the best of both worlds with an Android phone and iOS ipad.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

I didn't know Samsung gives more when using it towards a pre-order on a new launch product.

My S7+ is worth $600 and still is towards the purchase of any S8 tablet. I could have gotten the S8 Ultra 256GB for around $375 but I decided against it.

 

[DeepSix]

I sold my S7+ plus keyboard and pen for 890 (8GB 256GB version with 5 years warranty bought for 1200). I consider this good resale value. I didn't expect it. The resale value is getting pretty good for these high end tablets.

That's really good resale value. A lot better than any Surface Pros resale value which are horrendous since they always go on sale with heavy discounts and are easily found refurbed. Plus Microsoft has a crap trade-in program...wait I don't even think they even have one. A one year old Surface Pro you'd be lucky to get 65% back of what you paid.