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

[Dealmans]

See, to me that is like saying I'm selling my boat and going to get a car. Yeah, they both can get you rto places, but they are not nearly the same thing. To me, a laptop and a tablet are two entirely different experiences, even though both are computers.

I have 24" iMac too in my home office and 13 max, so might run with them for awhile and see what happens, my M1 12.9" was $1800AU but I got $180 tax back so $1620, and have sold it for $1400, so really only cost me $200 for near a year.
It mainly get's used for video in my office which I can use the iMac anyway and for and browsing on the lounge at night which my max will do, probs overkill for the the price tag, so getting out while some re sale in it. I never liked the magic keyboard or Logitech combo I tried and sold them.
I use a kindle for books.

To me a iPad has really just been a big iPhone.

 

[bassexpander]

See, to me that is like saying I'm selling my boat and going to get a car. Yeah, they both can get you rto places, but they are not nearly the same thing. To me, a laptop and a tablet are two entirely different experiences, even though both are computers.

The good news on the competition front is that Xiaomi now has the Mipad 5 (total Ipad ripoff, right down to the hardware and OS look that has a great but still very fast CPU in the Snap860). This won’t seem like it matters much in America, but where it matters is in terms of competition against Samsung in Asia. This pad is offering more desktop-like functionality, excellent speed for Android pads, and a copy of Apple’s look (enticing to people with low incomes). It’s too much of an Apple clone to sell en-mass in America, as is. They are shameless. My students in Korea are taking notice.

Xiaomi is shaming Samsung to up the ante in the sub-$400 market, which will then push Apple to give us more at that price to stay on top. Android tablet makers have always hobbled devices in the sub-$400 range so that they offered very inferior specs to entice them to pay very high prices to get into the Goldilocks zone. This has allowed Apple to flourish with old tech on the base Ipad, while charging much more for the newer hardware. Xiaomi is turning everything on its head, and sales are huge.

Xiaomi is really working hard to grab the market, and Android OS is changing to be more desktop-like. Apple will need to up the ante and allow more pad functionality and allow better pad specs to trickle down to the cheapest pad.

Competition is good.

 

[Abazigal]

Xiaomi is really working hard to grab the market, and Android OS is changing to be more desktop-like. Apple will need to up the ante and allow more pad functionality and allow better pad specs to trickle down to the cheapest pad.

Competition is good.

I doubt competition will work out the way you envision.

For one, I don’t think better desktop functionality is going to appeal to that many people, and I don’t think Apple is going to feel threatened by cheap android tablets. The value proposition is still unchanged - better app selection, better integration with the Apple ecosystem, longer software support.

Competition isn’t anywhere as relevant as meaningful competition. This ain’t it.

 

[subjonas]

“iPad has become quite useless and I regret purchasing it”

The title of this thread is worded incorrectly. The iPad has not lost any functionality.

An accurate title would be: “I don’t need my iPad anymore and I regret purchasing it”
There’s a big difference.

 

[Digitalguy]

“iPad has become quite useless and I regret purchasing it”

The title of this thread is worded incorrectly. The iPad has not lost any functionality.

An accurate title would be: “I don’t need my iPad anymore and I regret purchasing it”
There’s a big difference.

An even more accurate title would be "iPad pro did not get the software improvement I was expecting given the hardware and I regret purchasing it".
That's what happens when someone buys on hope or expectations. Personally I have never been disappointed by iPads (except for the bright spot) because I bought them for what they were, and any software improvement has been a bonus. The main reason I bought my M1 12.9 is to have more RAM, as my 2018 was reloading too much, especially Safari tabs. And because I wanted a cellular model to take on holidays. I didn't buy it to do my work on it. And if no game changing updates come with iPadOS 16, 17 etc, I won't love my M1 pro any less.

 

[monkeybongo]

I really love the new iPad Pro's particularly with the higher refresh rate screen. I found it works to replace some of my tasks that I do on my Mac, but definitely not all of them. I would have liked it to have the ability to install MacOS especially with the Magic Keyboard.

However, I have found that current integration makes it work well beside a MacBook Air better than a second screen. I can use continuity and iCloud copy and paste side by side. If I look for an article in one device, I can copy the text to move it to other where I'm editing a Word document. I can use the same trackpad seamlessly. If I use GoodNotes, it has a both a MacOS and iPadOS app which I can scribble notes on my iPad and syncs up changes over iCloud on my Mac where I can take over.

Honestly, I'm little disappointed that it hasn't taken off as a tier 1 gaming device since it's so powerful but the games really aren't great on the App Store. That being said, I play COD Mobile on this and it's insane how well it runs, it's a little unfair that I'm using it while some kids is using a tiny screen iPhone 6.

 

[Goodrich]

The iPad M1 works very well as a travel device. Although I use it mainly for on the go browsing, it also allows me to process my 47 Megapixel pics on the way home. I do sometimes also carry a MacBook Pro, but the M1 ones, although performant, are heavy, so really only usable if you have a table in front of you (ie, not on the bus or many trains).

 

[eicca]

I can wait two weeks to see if WWDC reveals anything useful, but I will probably be replacing my iPad with an M1 MacBook Air.

-I'm sick of Files, the terrible use of screen space and the syncing inconsistencies that constantly result in lost data.
-I'm sick of not being able to have more than one audio event playing at once.
-I'm sick of having to waste the entire screen on something tiny like playing an audio file.
-I'm sick of being forced to use the whole screen for two tasks maximum.
-I'm sick of the unbelievably-clunky multitasking. I want to do two simple things, then switch to two other things, without wasting all kinds of time playing scrapbook shuffle with the app cards.

Really I'm just irritated that these things can't do what a decrepit old 2011 MacBook does easily for me. Freaking M1 iPad Pro has like ten times the power of said MacBook but just can't do basic tasks in a simple fashion.

Anyway that's my rant. I know the iPad isn't for me. I just can't understand who it IS for and why they keep selling. Every use case I can think of, a MacBook does it better (with the obvious exception of the pencil). Maybe if they cost LESS than a MacBook I wouldn't be so grouchy.

 

[rui no onna]

Anyway that's my rant. I know the iPad isn't for me. I just can't understand who it IS for and why they keep selling. Every use case I can think of, a MacBook does it better (with the obvious exception of the pencil). Maybe if they cost LESS than a MacBook I wouldn't be so grouchy.

People who want a tablet rather than a laptop.

 

[kristalsoldier]

Anyway that's my rant. I know the iPad isn't for me. I just can't understand who it IS for and why they keep selling. Every use case I can think of, a MacBook does it better (with the obvious exception of the pencil). Maybe if they cost LESS than a MacBook I wouldn't be so grouchy.

Just addressing the part in bold.

It’s perfectly understandable (at least to me) why the iPad as a device (considered in the abstract) may not be useful for you. It’s software limitations are obvious and in many ways, the way Apple prices the premium versions makes the ROI calculation sometimes difficult to swallow.

That said, your key question was: who is it for?

I am one of the people for whom the ipad is ideal. I sy this having first tried out a number of Android and Windows tablets. While they have all been good in their own ways, as much as I initially resisted the lure of the ipad, I had to accept that it was a device uniquely designed to - or so it seemed to me - to address my specific needs.

My work involves a lot of reading and note taking. When I say a lot of reading, I mean a lot! The ipad - as much as I hate to say it - has an excellent ecosystem for doing just that. Further, it’s aspect ratio is ideally suited for reading. The Pencil works flawlessly on various note apps (I limit myself to Apple Note and more heavily on OneNote). I am constantly using OneDrive to access my files. And the best of all - when I step out of my apartment with my phone, and my laptop, I am not simply carrying my “office” with me, I am also carrying my reference library which has a little over 8000 texts. That means I can literally sit anywhere (assuming I have a network connection of some kind) and work or engage in non-work related activities.

Others - I am sure - will have other use cases involving editing photos or videos or mixing music and other lot of sophisticated activities, but my example stands as one very basic instance where the iPad has proven to be an essential part of my kit and thus my workflow.

Let me also say this: Just because I seem to be singing paeans of the iPad, that in no way means I am in the Apple ecosystem. I most certainly am not. I use a Samsung S22Ultra as my phone and a ThinkPad Carbon as my trusted laptop. In that sense, I am a digital mongrel. The Microsoft office suite including OneNote connects my devices as does some platform agnostic apps for social media and messaging.

So, as you can see, in a limited sense, the answer to your question is: It (the ipad, that is) is for me! Or, someone like me!

Edit: I forgot to add - I have two iPads, the 2020 11” IPP & the iPad Mini 6, and yes, they play different (but in some cases overlapping) and essential roles for me.

 

[MajorFubar]

I can wait two weeks to see if WWDC reveals anything useful, but I will probably be replacing my iPad with an M1 MacBook Air.

-I'm sick of Files, the terrible use of screen space and the syncing inconsistencies that constantly result in lost data.
-I'm sick of not being able to have more than one audio event playing at once.
-I'm sick of having to waste the entire screen on something tiny like playing an audio file.
-I'm sick of being forced to use the whole screen for two tasks maximum.
-I'm sick of the unbelievably-clunky multitasking. I want to do two simple things, then switch to two other things, without wasting all kinds of time playing scrapbook shuffle with the app cards.

Really I'm just irritated that these things can't do what a decrepit old 2011 MacBook does easily for me. Freaking M1 iPad Pro has like ten times the power of said MacBook but just can't do basic tasks in a simple fashion.

Anyway that's my rant. I know the iPad isn't for me. I just can't understand who it IS for and why they keep selling. Every use case I can think of, a MacBook does it better (with the obvious exception of the pencil). Maybe if they cost LESS than a MacBook I wouldn't be so grouchy.

It could be me writing this. Particularly the audio thing. Having only just upgraded my ancient iPad Air 1 to a new iPad 9 I couldn't wait to see if they'd improved the multitasking situation so I could have Music playing my choice of, err, music, while I watched 'My Mechanics' YouTube channel on silent. Big fat no. Still. I could do this on my 2010 Mac Mini. I don't regret updating my iPad, it hopefully resets the obsolescence clock for a few more years, but after all this time, really basic functionality is still very very limited.

 

[Mainsail]

People who want a tablet rather than a laptop.

I agree with this. An iPad is first and foremost a tablet. It is ideal for reading/reviewing and marking-up. Also, it is superior for drawing and creating diagrams/sketches. Finally, it is excellent for meeting and lecture notes. When used as tablet, most of the frustration melts away for me. When I try to use it as a laptop, I almost instantly get frustrated.

BTW - if one’s uses don’t include much of the above activities, or an individual prefers paper and pencil for these activities, then I agree….just own an MBA and be done with it.

 

[Dealmans]

iPads were around a long time before pencils, bit dumb that train of thought. We have never used pencils. Oldies use iPads with 4/5G as their computer too, don’t need wifi and great for travel.

 

[MajorFubar]

I agree with this. An iPad is first and foremost a tablet. It is ideal for reading/reviewing and marking-up. Also, it is superior for drawing and creating diagrams/sketches. Finally, it is excellent for meeting and lecture notes. When used as tablet, most of the frustration melts away for me. When I try to use it as a laptop, I almost instantly get frustrated.

Anecdotal evidence time again, but I think everyone was perfectly happy with this view until Apple started fitting M1 processors into them, meaning you then could spend as much (or more) on an iPad as an equivalently-powered Macbook, without the benefit of it really excelling at anything you can't do with a cheap iPad 9. EDIT: Oh I forgot the pencil of course. Where would we be without being able to draw pretty pictures with a pencil on a $1K+ tablet.

 

[rui no onna]

Anecdotal evidence time again, but I think everyone was perfectly happy with this view until Apple started fitting M1 processors into them, meaning you then could spend as much (or more) on an iPad as an equivalently-powered Macbook, without the benefit of it really excelling at anything you can't do with a cheap iPad 9. EDIT: Oh I forgot the pencil of course. Where would we be without being able to draw pretty pictures with a pencil on a $1K+ tablet.

Pretty much almost every post here is anecdotal.

The 2018 iPad Pro with A12X pushed the iPad Pros to the $1K mark.

I’ve been watching the evolution of Apple chipsets. M1 may be revolutionary for Macs but for iPads, the M1 was simply natural progression from the A12X/Z (an A14X/Z if you will).

As for the Pencil, I seem to recall some Wacom stylus setups costing more than the iPad Pro.

 

[Superman730]

Which is why for the first time I’m considering going to a iPhone pro max next time. My wife always ask me why do I like watching shows on my phones and such. The truth is it’s just easier and quicker. When the TV (even Apple TV) the interface is just so much work. Waiting for the TV to turn on waiting for the receiver to kick in and all. Especially with kids around I need something that I have with me at all time and can more or less do it all (other than computing). Even WFH meeting is mostly done on the phone anyways. I might get the iPad mini for reading but that’s pretty much it.

Tbh if you are just thinking about getting it for reading, just get a Kindle. It's cheaper, crazy lightweight, and better on your eyes. I have an iPad Mini (which I love) but I read almost exclusively on my Kindle. I got a strap for it that let's it just kind of... rubber band to my hand so I barely even have to hold it no matter what position I'm in.

 

[aajeevlin]

Tbh if you are just thinking about getting it for reading, just get a Kindle. It's cheaper, crazy lightweight, and better on your eyes. I have an iPad Mini (which I love) but I read almost exclusively on my Kindle. I got a strap for it that let's it just kind of... rubber band to my hand so I barely even have to hold it no matter what position I'm in.

Yea I tried but I can’t deal with kindle. It’s so slow at doing anything. I know people love it, but I just can’t.

 

[sparksd]

Yea I tried but I can’t deal with kindle. It’s so slow at doing anything. I know people love it, but I just can’t.

I have a newest gen Kindle Oasis but only use it if I'll be reading in sunlight; I prefer my 12.9 Pro and Mini 6 for book reading, even in bed.

 

[jdb8167]

Anecdotal evidence time again, but I think everyone was perfectly happy with this view until Apple started fitting M1 processors into them, meaning you then could spend as much (or more) on an iPad as an equivalently-powered Macbook, without the benefit of it really excelling at anything you can't do with a cheap iPad 9. EDIT: Oh I forgot the pencil of course. Where would we be without being able to draw pretty pictures with a pencil on a $1K+ tablet.

For me it wasn't that Apple put the M1 in an iPad Pro but that Apple had put an M1 in a MacBook Air. For years I hoped that Apple would give the iPad Pro real pro functionality because it had superior hardware in many ways than a MacBook. The screen was excellent, the battery life was phenomenal and best of all, fast speeds without a fan. But when Apple introduced the M1 Macs and didn't improve iPadOS, the point of an iPad Pro became ambiguous.

I like iPads still but I can't really see why I would buy a new iPad Pro. Right now I've switched to an iPad mini and since I have an M1 MacBook Air, I don't miss the iPad Pro at all. The mini has most of the unique iPad features and is smaller and less expensive. I don't need the iPad mini to do anything that my MacBook Air already does better. Unless Apple decides to give the iPad Pro more functionality, I can't see why I would ever buy one again.

 

[Superman730]

I can wait two weeks to see if WWDC reveals anything useful, but I will probably be replacing my iPad with an M1 MacBook Air.

-I'm sick of Files, the terrible use of screen space and the syncing inconsistencies that constantly result in lost data.
-I'm sick of not being able to have more than one audio event playing at once.
-I'm sick of having to waste the entire screen on something tiny like playing an audio file.
-I'm sick of being forced to use the whole screen for two tasks maximum.
-I'm sick of the unbelievably-clunky multitasking. I want to do two simple things, then switch to two other things, without wasting all kinds of time playing scrapbook shuffle with the app cards.

Really I'm just irritated that these things can't do what a decrepit old 2011 MacBook does easily for me. Freaking M1 iPad Pro has like ten times the power of said MacBook but just can't do basic tasks in a simple fashion.

I'm not as angry as you are about it, but I do agree with all your points here as to why you would choose the laptop over the iPad. My iPP was an impulse purchase when I broke my iPad Mini at the start of the pandemic and needed it for WFH workflow. It was good for that for a while until my job increased security measures and you could no longer use your own devices to connect to the servers. Now this is a glorified laptop that never leaves the magic keyboard and is used for some screen sharing of a headless Mac Mini (easier to do with macOS), minor web browsing (more efficient with a laptop), and video player when the family wants to see something together (admittedly better on the iPad due to apps being more streamlined than their web-based counterparts). For me, a good mix of devices is a laptop (pro or air would work for me) and an iPad mini. I like having a tablet for video viewing, gaming, and quick tasks and the mini fills that void easily. I like having my phone but the larger screen, yet still being able to use it one handed aspect of the mini appeals to me.

 

[bondr006]

I can wait two weeks to see if WWDC reveals anything useful, but I will probably be replacing my iPad with an M1 MacBook Air.

-I'm sick of Files, the terrible use of screen space and the syncing inconsistencies that constantly result in lost data.
-I'm sick of not being able to have more than one audio event playing at once.
-I'm sick of having to waste the entire screen on something tiny like playing an audio file.
-I'm sick of being forced to use the whole screen for two tasks maximum.
-I'm sick of the unbelievably-clunky multitasking. I want to do two simple things, then switch to two other things, without wasting all kinds of time playing scrapbook shuffle with the app cards.

Really I'm just irritated that these things can't do what a decrepit old 2011 MacBook does easily for me. Freaking M1 iPad Pro has like ten times the power of said MacBook but just can't do basic tasks in a simple fashion.

Anyway that's my rant. I know the iPad isn't for me. I just can't understand who it IS for and why they keep selling. Every use case I can think of, a MacBook does it better (with the obvious exception of the pencil). Maybe if they cost LESS than a MacBook I wouldn't be so grouchy.

My M1 iPad Pro 11 replaced my MBP for use in my real estate and property management business and totally streamlined my workflow, reduced steps I had to take, makes the work easier, and a lot more fun. I work with contracts, forms, docs, pdf's, take a huge amount of notes, sketch house dimensions, take pictures for my listings, communicate(messages and email), and do a bunch of scanning. Working with documents, pdf's, contracts, and forms is so much easier for me. Editing, marking up, and then sending to clients is all done within the app, and reduces the amount of steps it takes to communicate. The iPad also reduced the amount of hardware devices I needed, and condensed them all into one really portable device that actually makes my work more easy and convenient. You can deny it's a computer all you want but when I head out the door, it is my main go to computer that does more, does it easier, does it faster, and does it in less steps. I really look forward to grabbing my iPad computer when I go to work, and feel great relief that I don't have to deal with a clunky and cumbersome laptop computer any more.

I know this isn't everyone's use case scenario, but it darn sure works for me. People just need to take the time to become more acquainted with iPadOS and realize that it is not MacOS and not Windows. It is an tablet OS that works differently but is no less useful. I never thought I'd be able to replace my MBP and use my iPP for work, but I was wrong.

 

[JahBoolean]

No one I know under 30 has iPads, all use MacBooks and iPhones.

you obviously did not set foot on campus recently

 

[jdb8167]

People just need to take the time to become more acquainted with iPadOS and realize that it is not MacOS and not Windows. It is an tablet OS that works differently but is no less useful.

Unless you need to do something that is impossible on the iPad. Like format a USB drive for example. There are many examples of things that can't be done on the iPad and unless Apple decides to cooperate, they will never be possible. It is harder to find examples like that on a Mac. Even things like not having rear facing cameras or an Apple Pencil can have solutions by getting compatible hardware. Those hardware solutions are definitely less convenient but still possible unlike the iPadOS situation. That makes iPadOS less useful for many people.

 

[BigMcGuire]

I have been without an iPad since April 1st. Wow. Almost 2 months. After having an iPad since the iPad 3. I'm a voracious reader and can do 50-60 books a year on top of regular news article reading and my own hobby reading. My iPad 11 Pro has been my main source of written word consumption since 2018 (up till April 1st).

Last two months - while my M1 MBP and my iPhone have been great, I find I do not read as much as I used to. Reading on my iPhone 13 Pro Max starts to hurt after an hour whereas I could read on my iPad Pro 11 for 5-6 hours straight with no strain. My MBP screen is so reflective that I find reading on it for long periods of time to be not as comfortable as the iPad (despite utilizing Sepia, brightness, etc).

I have a matte Samsung 32' 4k monitor for my MBP that I find reading to be pretty pleasant on. But I sit here all day working and the last place I really wanna be after work is ... here.

I put an iCarez Matte screen protector on my iPad and my iPhone.

So now I'm getting the urge to go buy an iPad again. Drop $519 on a refurb iPad Pro 11? Just get a 128GB base iPad Pro 11 for the extra ram for $800? Do I want to use an iPad just for book reading or also for my article/news consumption?

One thing I've really enjoyed over the last few months is going back to paper notes. I have 3-4 clipboards with high end printer paper that I use for my note taking. I don't think I can go back to the Apple Pencil ever again. (I write pretty small and slanted).

I even considered a $450 open box iPad mini for book reading.

So for my usage: I think the 13 Pro Max is ALMOST THERE. I've finished two books on it these last few months. I really don't want to drop $500+ on another device that I feel like I need to use. But I want to. I bought a nice MBP April 1st and justified it by selling my high end iPad Pro 11.

Just wish Apple Books on the iPhone would utilize all of the screen space in portrait mode like so many other apps do. I'm so tempted to get a base iPad Pro 11 just to enjoy reading more. Or even an iPad Air 5!

 

[Dealmans]

you obviously did not set foot on campus recently

no but my daughter has/is