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

[James Godfrey]

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.

Right firstly…

Why did you sell you iPad Pro 2018?

As if that didn’t satisfy you the new 2021 model won’t either… it will do the exact same thing.

Now as for the benefits of the 12.9” yeah the miniLED is nice and the blacks look more black etc… but in general day to day use you barely notice any difference, it’s more for when your viewing HDR content, the promotion and Face ID are more what would gear me towards the pro over the miniLED display.

You say you want the Magic Keyboard too… for the price of the iPad and Keyboard that will likely come in at a higher price than a fully capable MacBook Air or entry MacBook Pro so really consider your use case before pulling the trigger as I can guarantee you will hit bumps with iPadOS where you will constantly have to find workarounds for your work flow or you will have to give in and fire up a laptop or computer.

As for waiting… currently the iPad is over powered and with M2 that will just make it even more over powered, power which is still not being used at this point, the only other thing you will be waiting for is wireless charging… is that important to you personally… it’s definitely not for most people.

In my opinion, I would just get yourself an M1 MacBook Air and a quality refurbished iPad Pro 11” that way you will have the best of both worlds and you won’t be spending a small fortune on what is basically a a single dumbed down laptop best suited for media consumption.

 

[lazygolfer666]

Right firstly…

Why did you sell you iPad Pro 2018?

As if that didn’t satisfy you the new 2021 model won’t either… it will do the exact same thing.

Now as for the benefits of the 12.9” yeah the miniLED is nice and the blacks look more black etc… but in general day to day use you barely notice any difference, it’s more for when your viewing HDR content, the promotion and Face ID are more what would gear me towards the pro over the miniLED display.

You say you want the Magic Keyboard too… for the price of the iPad and Keyboard that will likely come in at a higher price than a fully capable MacBook Air or entry MacBook Pro so really consider your use case before pulling the trigger as I can guarantee you will hit bumps with iPadOS where you will constantly have to find workarounds for your work flow or you will have to give in and fire up a laptop or computer.

As for waiting… currently the iPad is over powered and with M2 that will just make it even more over powered, power which is still not being used at this point, the only other thing you will be waiting for is wireless charging… is that important to you personally… it’s definitely not for most people.

In my opinion, I would just get yourself an M1 MacBook Air and a quality refurbished iPad Pro 11” that way you will have the best of both worlds and you won’t be spending a small fortune on what is basically a a single dumbed down laptop best suited for media consumption.

Thanks, you have a good point.
I tend to use and sell my devices from time to time. I had a MacBook Air 5-7 years ago. I had a MacBook Pro with Touch Bar for a few months and yes, had both iPads.
I was focused on getting a MacBook after selling my IPad Air, but just realised is going to be complicated to run Lineage 2 (Windows Game) due compatibility issues with VMWare/Parallels because of the M1.
But yes, MacBook Air still looks more useful. Magic keyboard looks nice but doesn’t seem very practical typing on the sofa just to give an example.
Thanks for the advise.. and you are right .

 

[justin0712]

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.

I was in the same boat as you. I had the 13” M1 MBP. I found myself not using it as much as I would like. I ended up selling it and going without for a few months. The Air 5 came and I bought the Combo case from Logitech. I have not put this iPad down since. The fun factor is back for me and I am happy.

 

[Rafterman]

I was in the same boat as you. I had the 13” M1 MBP. I found myself not using it as much as I would like. I ended up selling it and going without for a few months. The Air 5 came and I bought the Combo case from Logitech. I have not put this iPad down since. The fun factor is back for me and I am happy.

I had the 12.9 too and the Mini 6. The 12.9 was just too big and heavy for tablet use, so it stayed docked all the time. The Mini was great (would love a Pro version), but the 256GB storage was too small for my uses. Plus, I hated having two iPads. So I sold both and got the 11 Pro with 2TB. It's on the smaller, lighter side of the Mini, but still has the power of the 12.9, a good compromise.

 

[Fred Zed]

I was in the same boat as you. I had the 13” M1 MBP. I found myself not using it as much as I would like. I ended up selling it and going without for a few months. The Air 5 came and I bought the Combo case from Logitech. I have not put this iPad down since. The fun factor is back for me and I am happy.

That'll soon subside, the fun factor that is. Ive been there before, did a complete 360.

 

[Mainsail]

That'll soon subside, the fun factor that is. Ive been there before, did a complete 360.

360 or 180?

 

[justin0712]

That'll soon subside, the fun factor that is. Ive been there before, did a complete 360.

If you did a complete 360 then you are back to where you started. So essentially that means the fun factor will be there.

 

[sparksd]

360 or 180?

Left his head spinning ...

 

[shr631]

That'll soon subside, the fun factor that is. Ive been there before, did a complete 360.

Probably a 180 but I think I get your point. Sure I don’t expect the fun factor to last forever, and that goes for any device, object or experience. The important part for me is that I enjoy using it, look forward to it, and it does what I need to do with it. Some day it might not be as novel but it’ll still be a joy to use.

 

[Fred Zed]

Probably a 180 but I think I get your point. Sure I don’t expect the fun factor to last forever, and that goes for any device, object or experience. The important part for me is that I enjoy using it, look forward to it, and it does what I need to do with it. Some day it might not be as novel but it’ll still be a joy to use.

A 360, did what you currently have done then gone back again to MBP.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Right now I've got both. A MBP that I've always wanted and an iPad Pro 11. As expensive as these options are, they're really working well together. I feel like I should sell the iPad but ... when I want to read away from a laptop, the iPad is so great. Taking digital notes on Notability while recording audio is really convenient. Then, having a full blown MacBook is just indispensable when I want to do heavy duty work, read with dozens of tabs opened while taking notes, do some gaming (Age of Empires!), etc.

That fun factor is dangerous. It's caused a LOT of indecisiveness because I end up making a decision on the feeling of the moment and then later regret it. I find a few weeks and that "fun factor" goes away and one can really decide "how does this fit into my workflow?" Because, if you're like me, when I get a new device, I use it a LOT at first, then it slowly starts to fit into my daily life and then I get a good grasp of how I'll actually use it.

 

[pdoherty]

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.

How is that relevant to how the Surface works for him?

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.

So everyone who bought and uses a Surface and finds it better for what they do somehow is wrong and it's actually less useful than they believe, because less of them are sold?

 

[sparksd]

How is that relevant to how the Surface works for him?


So everyone who bought and uses a Surface and finds it better for what they do somehow is wrong and it's actually less useful than they believe, because less of them are sold?

My 16GB i7 Surface pro 7 sees about 90% of my usage, my 2021 12.9 & Mini 6 the other 10%, primarily because I can use it with a 4K monitor. Works great for me, no problems. I do use it off and on in tablet mode, too.

 

[bondr006]

How is that relevant to how the Surface works for him?


So everyone who bought and uses a Surface and finds it better for what they do somehow is wrong and it's actually less useful than they believe, because less of them are sold?

You are putting words in my mouth and and attributing thoughts to me that I never conveyed. I never once diminished the usefulness or quality of the Surface Pro devices. I have two of them and like them both quite a bit. The person I was responding to was talking about competition. I was simply referring to numbers of SP devices sold as compared to iPads sold. As you can see in my signature, I have been using Microsoft products since 1995 and enjoy using them as much as my Apple products. I also, up until a few months ago had this for my Avatar here since 2010 when I joined.

I was not comparing quality, I was simply comparing quantity in reference to the poster I was responding to. Read the context. I don't care what anyone uses. My viewpoint on that is everyone should use what they like to use best. Fortunately, I just love tech and live in the best of both worlds. So before you get all huffy and jump to conclusions and say something that makes you look ridiculous, put on your reading comprehension glasses next time you decide to respond to a post.

There's an old saying that I'd like to share with you.

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt." - Abraham Lincoln

 

[roach1245]

Surprised no one has mentioned this yet but I use an iPad as a second monitor every day on the go, through Sidecar (extended desktop of my M1 Max). Light weight portable, high resolution, all day battery and no cables, incredibly useful. Has become my main use case for it.

 

[roach1245]

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[kristalsoldier]

The problem is that's no longer really true today as the iPad never really managed to define exactly what it was that it could sustainably do better than smart phones or laptops, and thus never escaped that position as an "in-between" device. Therefore, as those devices have continued to improve, they've eaten away at the total addressable market for tablets. I think the best evidence for this is the almost complete death of Android (and other mobile OS vendor) tablets. If the market was viable, and truly offered something obvious over the alternatives everyone would be trying to get a piece of the pie, but aside from Apple, everyone else has given up.

In many ways you are correct. It’s just that at the time Jobs and the computing industry was looking at/projecting what devices like the iPad etc would do, they were also thinking that we would move into a ubiquitous “thin client” computing context. In such a context, the iPad would have been ideal (especially given its form factor). Unfortunately, that did not to pass. This has left us with the iPad both as a stand-alone device for many and a companion device also for many.

Sometimes I think that the “thin client” computing environment would have been really efficient; perhaps such an environment is still in the future for us, but I expect by that time we will have rollable screens, foldable devices of various types (as an aside, it’s funny to hear about foldable devices now, though, arguably, the laptop was the first real foldable device, which was not a mere show piece) etc.

The iPad would be a “natural” fit in that kind of a ubiquitous computing environment, perhaps even as a primary device of choice/necessity. But that day is not today.

 

[Retskrad]

I have a 14” MacBook Pro for video editing purposes. That’s it. I do everything else on the 2021 12.9 iPad Pro. For me, the iPad is just more enjoyable to use.

- The animations are more refined and more playful. In MacOS, everything is rigid and there is no ‘bounce’ when playing with UI elements.

- I like the Slider Over feature and I miss it when using the Mac.

- I like how the cursor on iPadOS snaps to elements. Again, it goes back to playfulness and being more fun. I also like that the cursor has this unique quality of accelerating and then smoothly de-accelerating. On Mac, the cursor abrubtly stops when it reaches it’s destination.

- And of course, the Apple Pencil is great. Reading and annotating PDFs is much better on the iPad.

From a corporate strategy standpoint, it behooves Apple to make iOS/iPadOS fun to use. They want you to have dopamine kicks when interacting with the OS. Apple is hooked on their cut of App Store purchases so they have a big incentive to make iPadOS a more appealing platform than its MacOS sibling. MacOS is the wild west and the App Store is dead. Apple can’t milk nearly as much money from users after selling them a Mac.

At the end of the day, I think people who grew up on Macs and PC’s fundamentally don’t understand how to be just as productive on the iPad. They take out their frustration out on the iPad. They don’t realize that they just don’t want to change their ways. They want Apple to make the iPadOS more like MacOS. Millions of iPad users, me included, want the iPad to be the iPad and the Mac be the Mac.

 

[progx]

If I could do a redo on my iPad past purchases it would look something like this

• 2011 iPad 2 32GB instead of 16GB
• 2017 iPad 5th Gen 32GB
• 2023 iPad 10th Gen 64GB

Felt the same way about my iPad Gen 6. It wasn’t that great after 1-2 years. I get it, it’s a base model and it started to really behave like one toward the end of last year too.

I traded up for the iPad Air 5. Love it. Great middle ground between the base and Pro. It’s being held back by the iPadOS, but I hope Apple will finally unleash these M1-based iPads from their shackles.

I’m debating on my next Mac, but I’m still not sure on which direction to run. Just renewed my AppleCare for another year on my late 2018 Mac mini, so I can hold on for another year (or three) until the next wave of Apple Silicon rolls out.

The Air 5 will be my placeholder until I decide. It’ll be either a mini, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro 13-inch or iMac. My current mini will become a home server whenever I decide my direction.

My iPad timeline:
2010 — iPad 2
2012 — iPad 3
2014 — iPad Air 2 (went 3 years without an iPad when I sold it in 2016)
2019 — iPad Gen 6
2022 — iPad Air 5

 

[rui no onna]

Felt the same way about my iPad Gen 6. It wasn’t that great after 1-2 years. I get it, it’s a base model and it started to really behave like one toward the end of last year too.

Yeah, iOS 15 especially is not forgiving on 2GB RAM iPads. This is why I’m eyeing A12Z+6GB and M1+8GB now for upgrading family member’s iPads.

Sure, I could get the 9th gen now and upgrade again after 2-3 years when the base would hopefully have at least 6GB RAM. For roughly the same TCO though (I don’t resell), I think Air 5 or discounted 2021 Pro offer very good longevity.

 

[Dealmans]

My 12.9” M1 iPad gets more use than my 13 pro max, such a great iPad. I use this stand on my office desk, fits with the folio case On perfect.
I also have a 24” iMac so the 3 together are perfect for my uses, tried the magic keyboard but sold it just didn’t use the keyboard/mouse enough, I prefer my iPads just as they are.
Have been using the new feature from iMac to iPad a bit with my trackpad which is cool.
For browsing on the couch the 12.9 with folio case is perfect, when I go to bed I swap to my 13 max ?

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www.amazon.com

 

[0194839]

Now, this will depend on the individual use case but I want to share my experience.

I bought iPad Pro 12.9 M1 6 months ago, I had the Air 2 previously. Initially I used to use it as a multimedia/Youtube device and was so impressed by the display and speakers. But as I bought the MacBook Pro 16, the use case of iPad Pro has completely diminished for me.

I mostly use my laptop and don't even pick up my iPad Pro anymore. I knew beforehand that iPad was severely limited in software. I don't know why this even exists anymore. Even the baseline MacBook Air has good value and could do heck more than the iPad.

Most of my gripes are with the software, it just cannot do much. It doesn't even have a good video player where I can watch local dolby vision content, the ones on the App Store are unnecessarily expensive. On my MacBook I can use Subler to convert an mkv DV file with 4-5 clicks and watch it on the QuickTime player. Everything is unnecessarily complicated on the iPad.

The files app is a hot mess as well on iPadOS 14. I haven't upgraded to the 15 as I have read posts about the battery life gone down to the *******. There isn't even the progress bar for copying/pasting files to and from the iPad and It sometimes fails when doing that. Every time I use the files app, I fold my hand and pray for it to go smoothly. The widgets on the iPadOS 15 has messed up the spacing on the home screen as well. Instead of adding some features the update has been an annoyance for the users. ymmv.

I am not an artist or a gamer. I did thought about picking up the Apple Pencil for the heck of it but I read forum posts about how it doesn't jive well with screen protectors so I just gave up on that idea.

Then I thought I could use it to read books but this damn thing is not that easy to hold or read on without getting fatigued eyes and hands.

It's a shame that such a good hardware is just completely hampered by the bad software experience.

For me, this has been the most regretful purchase I have ever made in my life. I am thinking about selling it but I don't know if it will fetch any good value where I live. I wished I had purchased a Mac mini or the Air instead of the iPad. Another Mac could have actually helped me in web development or other hobbies that I like exploring from time to time.

Such a subjective depressive post. “YMMV”, indeed.

 

[zidarko]

I'm rocking a new iPad Air 5 and it works well as a replacement for the first generation iPad Pro. Have yet to try to do any meaningful work on it.

I'm slightly resigned to it never replacing my MacBook Pro - not Air. Those (I had two) tend to barely last until the end of Apple Care.

 

[BigMcGuire]

While I wouldn't say I regret having ever bought iPads, my 16' MBP prompted me to sell my iPad Pro 11 - a form factor I've used HEAVILY for many years now. Do I think iPads are useless? Heck no. But how I read and consume - the MBP is working really well for me. Do I regret buying the iPad? No. In fact, I'm considering looking at a refurbished iPP 11 $512 because I miss the form factor. lol.

I tried hard to use my iPad Pro 11 as an only device - used it over a year as my primary device (I did not have a personal MBP at the time). I used it with a mouse/keyboard and a 4k monitor and while it was ok, I too am resigned to not having ONE device fits all. The iPad Pro is powerful and can be used for many things. IMO it compliments a laptop very well.

 

[ackmondual]

Out of my iPhone, MBP, Apple Watch and 2018 iPad Pro, the iPad is my least used device. Heck I even use my e-ink Kindle more than my iPad.

I can't see myself buying another iPad unless there's a fundamental shift in iPadOS, and I don't think that's going to happen.

I use my ipads as a gaming device. Some iOS games I'd like to continue using. I'm having fun with Apple Arcade, but I'll have to decide when the time comes whether or not I'd like to continue subscribing to it (some updates on a couple of games would do that trick). As such, I got the bare minimum... 9th gen, 64 GB, no cell. Storage may be a concern (curveball was I didn't it would include a trial of AA), but I should still be able to make it work.

For media consumption at home, definitely on the desktop PC. On the road, I prefer my Chromebook for internet stuff. Having a built in, large keyboard has be very useful, even if the device isn't as portable as a tablet.

I was in the market for a new tablet, was going to get Android, but figured I'll try another iPad. My last one was an ipad Air, first gen, from 2014 (released one year prior), and even then, getting it used for half off was what pushed me to buy!