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

[bondr006]

There's definitely some competition on the hardware front. A Surface Laptop Studio just replaced my lot of devices (MacBook Air, iPad Pro 11", Windows 10 desktop) with no loss of features. Windows 11 works equally well with mouse, pen, or touch inputs.

During the fourth quarter of 2021, Apple shipped around 17.5 million tablets worldwide. The amount of units MS sells in the Surface line per quarter doesn't really count as competition.

 

[Ludatyk]

During the fourth quarter of 2021, Apple shipped around 17.5 million tablets worldwide. The amount of units MS sells in the Surface line per quarter doesn't really count as competition.

Tbh, that Surface Laptop Studio is admirable.

Imagine Apple building something like that which transforms into macOS when in laptop mode and iPadOS in tablet style. I have the upmost respect for what Microsoft is doing… when it comes to their hardware, that Surface Duo is a nice idea… but the execution is what’s missing.

If Microsoft didn’t placed that Surface Neo on hold… I would have really considered picking one up.

 

[bondr006]

Tbh, that Surface Laptop Studio is admirable.

Imagine Apple building something like that which transforms into macOS when in laptop mode and iPadOS in tablet style. I have the upmost respect for what Microsoft is doing… when it comes to their hardware, that Surface Duo is a nice idea… but the execution is what’s missing.

If Microsoft didn’t placed that Surface Neo on hold… I would have really considered picking one up.

The Surface products are nice products for sure. I have an SP6. I was just comparing numbers sold in reference to competition. The Surface tablet line doesn't hold a candle to the iPad line in terms of revenue, therefore not serious competition.

 

[MrTSolar]

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/apple-needs-to-give-us-the-80-max-charge-option-on-the-iphone.2365460/post-31653730

Due to events ^, all I have to say now is:

 

[Rafterman]

Tbh, that Surface Laptop Studio is admirable.

Imagine Apple building something like that which transforms into macOS when in laptop mode and iPadOS in tablet style. I have the upmost respect for what Microsoft is doing… when it comes to their hardware, that Surface Duo is a nice idea… but the execution is what’s missing.

If Microsoft didn’t placed that Surface Neo on hold… I would have really considered picking one up.

The Surface Laptop Studio is pretty imoressive. But I can't imagine using it in tablet mode anywhere other than on a desk is very comfortable. The Surface Pro is heavy for a tablet and the Studio is twice as heavy.

 

[Ludatyk]

For everyone here that is stuck between an iPad and a MacBook, it sure seems to be an answer. I have a really nice 14" laptop (which feels larger with the tall display. 3:2 FTW) that can instantly become a tablet without any changes to the DE except for the Taskbar spacing out the icons a bit. Buttons in Windows 11 are right-sized for both touch and mouse input, and the touchscreen responds almost identical to the iPad in all device orientations. The display even rotates by accelerometer.

Oh, I’m a fan of the Surface Studio. But in order to commit to that device… I’ll have to change my set up, which I prefer how it is now.

I was actually a fan of the Surface Book as well… I’m glad how Microsoft transitioned from it to the Laptop Studio, I think it’s an awesome device.

The Surface Laptop Studio is pretty imoressive. But I can't imagine using it in tablet mode anywhere other than on a desk is very comfortable. The Surface Pro is heavy for a tablet and the Studio is twice as heavy.

Well… in tablet mode. I meant in this format below.

Where the screen is in front of the keyboard and you can interact with it via touch. That’s my thought process with iPadOS… since macOS isn’t as touch friendly.

 

[shr631]

The fun factor is very important and often underrated. An example of this for me would be electric scooters. They are much simpler than traditional motor scooters or cars, and overall less capable, but people who don't use/like them fail to understand the fun factor of these vehicles and tend to snob them. When you are having fun doing something, to the point where you would even find an excuse just to use the device for the pleasure of using it even if you don't have work to do (just like you try to find an excuse to go somewhere because you enjoy so much riding an e-scooter) that gives you much more motivation, and having this motivation for work is great.

I agree, fun factor is pretty important and underrated or at least not mentioned enough. In fact I’m considering returning my MBA M1 to go back to my recent iPP 12.9 M1 & MK setup because of how fun it was. Looked so neat, had different inputs, immersive touch-first UI, that gorgeous XDR display. Plus, specific to my color choices, the white MK with the silver iPP with black screen looked like something years ahead of its time. I looked forward to using it and it’s compelling even now when I have a more capable MacOS device.

 

[Digitalguy]

Oh, I’m a fan of the Surface Studio. But in order to commit to that device… I’ll have to change my set up, which I prefer how it is now.

I was actually a fan of the Surface Book as well… I’m glad how Microsoft transitioned from it to the Laptop Studio, I think it’s an awesome device.


Well… in tablet mode. I meant in this format below.

Where the screen is in front of the keyboard and you can interact with it via touch. That’s my thought process with iPadOS… since macOS isn’t as touch friendly.

I had considered the SLS but more as laptop, as this is no tablet replacement for my use cases. It's a very nice and versatile premium laptop (120hz, amazing speaker, thunderbolt, nice folding mechanism) but I give priority to very light laptops and this isn't one. I still prefer to have great tablets and laptops separated, because if you want everything in one device you need to accept compromises. This one compromise a lot on the tablet side in particular, although it also depends on the use cases...

 

[rui no onna]

I had considered the SLS but more as laptop, as this is no tablet replacement for my use cases. It's a very nice and versatile premium laptop (120hz, amazing speaker, thunderbolt, nice folding mechanism) but I give priority to very light laptops and this isn't one. I still prefer to have great tablets and laptops separated, because if you want everything in one device you need to accept compromises. This one compromise a lot on the tablet side in particular, although it also depends on the use cases...

+1. Too many compromises when getting a 2-in-1/convertible. Hence, I'm sticking to my Windows laptop + iPad setup.

Admittedly, the only time I use the laptop is when traveling (so no access to desktop). Most of the time, the laptop's just collecting dust.

 

[Rafterman]

+1. Too many compromises when getting a 2-in-1/convertible. Hence, I'm sticking to my Windows laptop + iPad setup.

Admittedly, the only time I use the laptop is when traveling (so no access to desktop). Most of the time, the laptop's just collecting dust.

Though most 2 in 1s don't have a discreet graphics card for high end gaming.

 

[Digitalguy]

Though most 2 in 1s don't have a discreet graphics card for high end gsming.

Because that makes them even more compromised as tablets in terms of weight (see Rog Flow Z13, a surface pro clone, or surface laptop studio). The surface book could detach the dGPU but the tablet battery life was still terrible...

 

[dumastudetto]

It’s hyperobvious that consumers love best-of-breed products.
iPad Pro is a best-of-breed product.

 

[smorrissey]

I use my ipad pro 10.5 to watch movies in bed (instead of the PC) and to read news at the WC.

 

[Gudi]

We always knew the iPad was the computer for the elderly. ?

 

[paulcons]

A while back I complained pretty loudly about my 12.9 iPadPro and it's face-id and how god awful the touch interface was. Like it might take a dozen attempts, including pushing the power switch JUST to get it off the lock screen, or how it might take half a dozen swipes up to just exit an app. SOOO while there is NO way to really think that some ios engineer at the fruit actually heard/read me, along comes ios 15.4... holy ****, 90% of my complaints seem solved! Touch now works as expected pretty much all the time (so far, it's only been 2 days). AND I always kept my OS up to date on that tablet, opting for the upgrades as soon as I could... and it did go through several since I got it under a year ago and it only got fixed a few days ago.

 

[bondr006]

A while back I complained pretty loudly about my 12.9 iPadPro and it's face-id and how god awful the touch interface was. Like it might take a dozen attempts, including pushing the power switch JUST to get it off the lock screen, or how it might take half a dozen swipes up to just exit an app. SOOO while there is NO way to really think that some ios engineer at the fruit actually heard/read me, along comes ios 15.4... holy ****, 90% of my complaints seem solved! Touch now works as expected pretty much all the time (so far, it's only been 2 days). AND I always kept my OS up to date on that tablet, opting for the upgrades as soon as I could... and it did go through several since I got it under a year ago and it only got sixed a few days ago.

That is great to hear! Both my iPP and iPhone are behaving very well on 15.4 so far.??????

 

[paulcons]

The 2 big reasons I invested so heavily in my 12.9 was screen size and quality of mini LED backlights as I do watch a lot of video on it. NOW it has become a bunch more useful as I don't have to fight so much with it as I have been the last year... AND I find it kinda interesting how one OS rev changed all that.

 

[bondr006]

The 2 big reasons I invested so heavily in my 12.9 was screen size and quality of mini LED backlights as I do watch a lot of video on it. NOW it has become a bunch more useful as I don't have to fight so much with it as I have been the last year... AND I find it kinda interesting how one OS rev changed all that.

Well, I don't do a lot of movie watching on my iPP. It's funny that the roles are reversed for me with my hardware. Most people that have iPads and Macs use the iPad as the secondary or entertainment device. My Mac Mini is my secondary or entertainment device with the iPad Pro being a business first device. My iPad Pro truly replaced my MacBook Pro for my Real Estate businesses. I was also like you, finding it curious while at the same time proud of myself for finding a way to reduce my workflow and make my work fun again. iPads are wondrous and diverse tools that serve a wondrous and diverse world. I am quite happy to own and use my iPad Pro.

 

[Fred Zed]

An iPad is just that. An iPad to me, once you start adding keyboard and such might as well go for a MacBook imho. With iPads the experience I enjoy is holding it and navigating using gestures like an iPhone. Many folks seems to want to attain a full laptop experience with their iPads which will never happen.

 

[Fred Zed]

I got a great deal of use out of a first gen iPad Pro with the Smart Keyboard cover as a computer for school. It was just so much more portable than a laptop, and it had a physical keyboard, but I could take handwritten notes without a bulky convertible tablet PC and could use it one handed in portrait mode when standing or when I didn’t have sufficient desk space to use it with the keyboard (without that weird arm hook technique people use to cradle open laptops).

But why are people expecting to find a use case for both an iPad Pro and a MacBook Pro? That’s like buying two MacBook Pros (a 13” and a 16”) and trying to find separate use cases for both. The iPad Pro is a laptop replacement (and probably works as much for many people, as long as their workflows can be reliably replicated or improved upon), so you shouldn’t expect to find a use for it other than as a laptop with convertible features. Buying both and deciding you’d prefer the even larger screen and more beefy hardware of a MacBook Pro (which has the advantage of being directly compatible with your old workflow if you’re not coming from an iPad already) isn’t really a failure of the iPad Pro as much as it is a failure of your mental model as to what the iPad Pro is.

Respectfully the only failure I noticed is claiming the iPad Pro to be a laptop replacement.

 

[Fred Zed]

I have had a complicated relationship with iPads.

My first iPad was the iPad 3 in 2012. I was just finishing school and this was cutting edge at the time. I used to love it for games, reading etc and it basically replaced my laptop. At the time, I had no needs for any special software, it was simply just a media consumption device that was decently portable and did this well.

Fast forward a year or so and I decided to go to college (not university but the education between the age of 16-18) and quickly realised that I need a computer. At the time the iPad was positioned as an in between device and I didn’t have a laptop, so I bought a laptop (a new one, my old one was ancient by now). I then realised that when I was using my laptop more for things, I just didn’t bother to use my iPad as a consumption device all that often anymore as I would either be mobile using my phone or sat using my laptop. It basically because a glorified travelling media player.

Fast forward to 2018. I was well into my first course at university and I’d had a MacBook Pro for a while now alongside my studies. I decided to try the iPad 2018 12.9.. it had been a while since I’d had one and they had matured a lot to no longer be an in between decide but a ‘full computer’. I tried it out got the pencil etc and quickly found that I had no use for it. It was good for writing notes (but I preferred typing notes) and again I just used my laptop for 95% of the things. I decided to give it to my sister!

Now this is where it gets complicated and I’ve recently started to find an appreciation for them. So my attitudes towards tech generally has changed.. I’ve always been into tech and would be stupid when I was younger buying all the latest products just to have them and hopefully enjoy them or have a use, but quickly realised I didn’t need them at all. Now I view all items as tools, and this is a way better attitude to have. I am more conscious with purchasing decisions and need to find value and use case in them.

So anyway, 2021 comes around. My laptop needed to be replaced as it had finally giving up and I was due to start another university course in September. I had many options, buy a MacBook of some kind, buy a iMac (as of covid it’s 50% online and 50% in person so I thought just bring paper and pen in), buy an iPad, or a combination of the above. So I decided that after having a home office now due to covid, I would actually get an iMac as the new ones came out and I had been spending the majority of the time working from home and using a desk with a laptop. I did consider getting a MacBook and a monitor, but wanted a more elegant and sound solution so I went with the iMac.

Then came the decision for portability. I could go without anything which wouldn’t of been a massive deal at uni because I can just pen and paper, but what about long term if I needed to type stuff up away, Watch lectures online when not local, record lectures and also write notes and research. So I decided on getting an iPad. I settled on the 12.9 as I wanted the magic keyboard for typing as I cannot stand typing on a touchscreen for full document typing, and I wanted the full size magic keyboard. I got an Apple Pencil for making notes, annotating documents and now occasionally drawing during downtime. I knew it would work great in conjunction with the iMac (though I couldn’t have an iPad on its own because full desktop OS is way more intuitive for normal work loads, but iPads are more intuitive as note taking devices, research, an sometimes media consumption) especially with side car which was my big thought process. My iPad can work in conjunction with the mac and vice versa, instead of a laptop that would not be needed at home when I got the iMac, or only a laptop at all times which is fine for portable but wasn’t great at home (as I wanted a bigger decent home monitor, keyboard, speakers - an all in one, and something that was always there incase people at home used it).

The first few months I felt I had buyers remorse and wanted to return it - I had carefully thought about what I’d wanted to buy (an iMac and iPad as opposed to MacBook and monitor) and watched countless videos, but I just couldn’t get used to it. The problem was is that I just didn’t allow myself to get used to it naturally and see how it would fit into my work flow and use cases. But the more I used the device the more I found it was better at doing some key things.. it was great for writing up notes, great for reading my E books, great for research (both on the go and whilst using my mac as well), great as a second display for side car on the mac and I cannot understate how good this has been (and I’ve just been testing universal control and that seems very useful as well), great for watching videos on the go (when a laptop isn’t viable such as back of car). To me it was better in certain circumstances at some key things than another device can be. I don’t need full Mac OS when not home so for me it’s worked out well. I’d suggest by the way anyone who wants to type documents and use it as a laptop style at times get the 12.9 for full size screen and keyboard, but get a 11 if you want it as a tablet as I find the 12.9 isn’t portable in the sense you walk around with it in hand. I mainly use it sat down and rest it on my leg!

That’s my point that I’ve slowly realised. I’ve found over time it’s actually good at some key things in my use case that I’ve found I couldn’t live without. But if I didn’t have these needs then I wouldn’t have this iPad, at least a top end pro anyway. Maybe the base model normal iPad for reading and occasional on the go media. But that’s the thing, I actually now don’t have in my use case any need for a laptop. So to me a laptop would become useless… unless things change as they do. If I needed access to certain software on the go then of course I’d then need the tool for the trade. It’s about seeing what tools you need for what. I’ve learnt to reduce buyers remorse by reducing my number of purchases to only those that I ‘need’.

Sorry for the long winded. But thought I’d share my thoughts! My recommendation to yourself is see if you can find a use case for it seeing as though now you already have it. It took me a little to fully realise the potential - and I’m aware this has worked out for me but I’m sure other people even in similar situations it hasn’t, and there are issues with the iPad that could easily be addressed but apple just aren’t giving it the software optimisations it could do with to expand the use cases for some people. Or I’d suggest selling it if you can get a decent amount for it. In the future though I’d suggest seeing these devices as tools and making purchasing decisions that way. Trust me, I used to buy stupid amounts of things years ago. Right now I’d probably have the Display XDR connected to an iPad mini if I still had my old mindset 😂!

 

[bondr006]

An iPad is just that. An iPad to me, once you start adding keyboard and such might as well go for a MacBook imho. With iPads the experience I enjoy is holding it and navigating using gestures like an iPhone. Many folks seems to want to attain a full laptop experience with their iPads which will never happen.

I beg to differ. Not only did my IPad Pro easily replace my MacBook Pro for both my Real Estate businesses, it surpassed my laptop experience, cut down my workflow, and made my work fun again. I realize this works for my use case scenario and not everybody’s but there is a significant minority of people out there that can and have replaced their laptops with an iPad and love the experience like I do.

Never say never. ?

 

[Fraserh02]

View attachment 1976397

Don’t read it then? It wasn’t directed toward yourself..

 

[bondr006]

View attachment 1976397

Actually a lot of us read it. Most of us here have more of an attention span than that of a gnat.

 

[lazygolfer666]

Sold my iPad Air 4th gen a few weeks ago but already missing it. I’m thinking in getting the pro this time. At the same time was looking for MacBooks.
I had iPad Pro 2018 but sold it. I used MacBooks as well. What I could say:
IPad Air 4th gen but nice and ENOUGH, however the pro feels actually PRO, the promotion, Face ID was nice. I believe the M1 and mini led will be nice. That’s another thing: I always used 11 inches ipad but thinking in a 12.9. Definitely thinking in getting the Magic Keyboard and I think it will look great in a bigger screen but at the same time I’m afraid of losing what the ipad 11 inch is good for (and definitely better then any MacBook) which is the portability. I’m not sure how a 12.9 iPad will be on my sofa, bed or a flight where is I normally use it.
Since I don’t need the device (ipad or MacBook) for work I don’t NEED a MacBook however is always useful to have a good laptop. Just like someone said before: the fun factor is also important and I think the iPad can provide that.
I agree with people saying ipad os is very limited and I wouldn’t like to have MACOS on it however Apple really needs to invest more time in the os and not just adding a few things to make it different from the phone, I believe they also need to encourage developers to do more for the ipad.
Last but not least: question is if I should wait for the new iPad Pro with M2. I’m not in a rush and maybe could wait, we all want to have the latest device even if there’s not a big difference with the m1 iPad Pro.
Seems is a lot to consider and can’t make up my mind.