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

[spiderman0616]

I'll just leave this here: https://www.macstories.net/stories/rediscovering-the-mac/

The iPad Pro is such a wasted opportunity, and I think it stems from Apple not wanting to cannibalize its own product lines. They want users to double dip on iPad's and Macbooks.

And it works! I've always felt like Apple does a really good job making you want to have access to the ENTIRE ecosystem. For example, I'm back on Mac full time for productivity, but I find the Apple Pencil to be such an important piece of my day to day workflow that I feel like I also need an iPad. (the iPad mini 6 w Apple Pencil has been a WONDERFUL Mac companion). It's not even just FOMO. Apple products make so many things easier for me during the day, I feel like they are indispensable. They of course are not--I lived just fine without Apple before--it's just that so many things are so much easier now.

I'm not sure iPad Pro is so much a wasted opportunity as it is a victim of Tim Cook pushing a little too hard at the beginning of his tenure as CEO. It seemed obvious to me that there was a lot of pressure on him to release something new, and I think it's why the first Apple Watch felt so rushed as well as why he was so vocal about the iPad Pro replacing the Mac at first. Notice, he has WAY backed off of that messaging now. I think he just got over-excited and over-enthusiastic that first year because he wanted to hit the ground running. That doesn't take away from what a great job he's done since, and it's really just a theory I have. Obviously I'm not sure if that's really what the situation was.

 

[Slimmyhendrix]

I think the iPad Pro m1 11” works great for many things but also has obvious limitations because of iPadOS. Issues like iPadOS Microsoft word vs macOS Microsoft word there are missing functions on the iPad that you need for basic use. There are many apps that work good for coding but again it’s not a desktop. Pythonista works excellent on iPadOS. Media: Plex works great. If you don’t have Plex, VLC works perfect if you load onto your iPad the movies for travel and you can connect to a tv via iPad with usbC to hdmi adapter. I have a pen and it works good for notes, coloring apps but I am not a graphic designer so don’t know full use functions. I 100% agree the files app is garbage on iPadOS and apple marketed the pro as a desktop replacement which it clearly isn’t.

I bought my iPad for school use and movies on vacation and it’s worked perfect for me. I also have a 2014 MBP maxed out 15” and it does my desktop stuff the iPad doesn’t.

 

[JCCL]

It is very frustrating. Ah well executed iPad Pro could give the Surface Pro devices a run for its money. Imagine just a hybrid device that could seamlessly switch from iPad OS when used as a tablet to full MacOS when docked or hooked to a keyboard. The hardware could definitely handle it, so why are they holding it back.

Until this is implemented I have no use for a big overpowered iPhone that is the iPad Pro - and instead the Surface Pro will continue to be my go-to solution for hybrid devices. The UI could be much better, especially in tablet mode, but it is the device that fits best to my workflow.

 

[Ludatyk]

Note it’s not the iPad in general he’s giving up on, it’s the iPad as a professional productivity device he’s questioning. It’s not that the iPad Pro is bad, it’s that the new Macs are THAT GOOD.

And to be honest, I don’t think he will ever return.

Because it’s one of the most annoying thing about the iPad… it’s competing against an established platform (macOS) in itself is still improving. And Federico has always been that person you look forward to being this iPad-leading individual and now he decided that Apple doesn’t see the iPad in the way he envisions it. And David Sparks of Mac Power Users gave up on the idea of trying to lead an iPad-first workflow.

Back at WWDC last year, Steve Troughton Smith looked within some code sharing details of what might be virtualization coming to iPadOS and later came to find nothing came of it last year at WWDC. Situation like that, I’ve decided to tread lightly when it comes to potential features coming to the iPad. We all of the tech world knows, the hardware isn’t the problem for the iPad… it’s the software.

 

[spiderman0616]

And to be honest, I don’t think he will ever return.

I don't think he will either. I went through this same thing with my iPad usage when the original three M1 Mac models came out. The first time I experienced macOS running on M1 it felt like everything old was new again.

That's not necessarily bad news for the iPad though. I am surprised by how much more I'm enjoying my iPad usage now that I'm not using it as a laptop. And honestly, I can have my cake and eat it too, because now that most iPads have USB-C, I can always hook it up on my desktop and use it with keyboard and mouse on a big screen if I'm longing for the old iPad Pro days.

 

[Macative]

Yeah...there is nothing wrong with iPad software. It is the perfect consumption device, has been since day 1, and does exactly what it is supposed to do.

People trying to shoehorn it into other roles are the problem. Not the device, or the software. Admittedly, Apple loves to pretend like iPad is something else in some of its marketing, but not in any of its actual actions, so you would think customers would be able to see that for what it is.

iPad, and the tablet form factor in general, has limited potential that is not ever going to change. It's great at being what it is...an iPad, and it doesn't need to change either. Macs are for work.

 

[AlaskaMoose]

Yeah...there is nothing wrong with iPad software. It is the perfect consumption device, has been since day 1, and does exactly what it is supposed to do.

People trying to shoehorn it into other roles are the problem. Not the device, or the software. Admittedly, Apple loves to pretend like iPad is something else in some of its marketing, but not in any of its actual actions, so you would think customers would be able to see that for what it is.

iPad, and the tablet form factor in general, has limited potential that is not ever going to change. It's great at being what it is...an iPad, and it doesn't need to change either. Macs are for work.

If Apple sells keyboards with touch trackpads and other, they are in fact advertising the iPad as being somewhat similar to a laptop. Not only that, but Pages and other iOS apps are similar to the OS-X. But while the app, "Pages" for example, is supposed to be somewhat similar in functions, their respective menus are completely different, and the iOS Pages lack "import and export" features. A lot of people would buy an iPad thinking that it is an inexpensive laptop. As for me, the problem with the iPad is the software. It would be nice if I can start creating a Pages document on my MacBook, transfer it to my iPad, and continue working with it on my iPad while I travel. But iOS "Pages" doesn't have a well designed menu.

 

[pdoherty]

I'll just leave this here: https://www.macstories.net/stories/rediscovering-the-mac/

The iPad Pro is such a wasted opportunity, and I think it stems from Apple not wanting to cannibalize its own product lines. They want users to double dip on iPad's and Macbooks.

This leaves them open to competitors like Microsoft and their Surface and some Samsung tablets that can do both. Most customers don't like obvious gouging for no real consumer benefit.

 

[spiderman0616]

Yeah...there is nothing wrong with iPad software. It is the perfect consumption device, has been since day 1, and does exactly what it is supposed to do.

People trying to shoehorn it into other roles are the problem. Not the device, or the software. Admittedly, Apple loves to pretend like iPad is something else in some of its marketing, but not in any of its actual actions, so you would think customers would be able to see that for what it is.

iPad, and the tablet form factor in general, has limited potential that is not ever going to change. It's great at being what it is...an iPad, and it doesn't need to change either. Macs are for work.

I think the "Why would you ever buy a PC again?" remark from Tim Cook was what sent people down that path, and I think it was wildly misinterpreted as "this replaces the Mac" rather than "this can replace complicated Mac AND PC setups that most people never needed in the first place". Apple is coming at this from a different direction than people are envisioning. They are making the iPad into a better, more powerful IPAD every year, rather than slowly into a new kind of Mac.

With all their devices being part of a "universal" OS now, the iPad is a device I think will always be a refinement of the Mac, not a replacement for it.

 

[spiderman0616]

This leaves them open to competitors like Microsoft and their Surface and some Samsung tablets that can do both. Most customers don't like obvious gouging for no real consumer benefit.

I'm not sure that's true. I'm sure they keep one eye on those companies, but neither of them has been much of a threat thus far.

 

[Digitalguy]

I think that at this point Apple has heard the message. They know that, for the Pro line, iPadOS 16 is a make or break moment (as Federico said). And honestly I think they are preparing some decent improvement. Definitely not MacOS (dual boot or virtualized), that is never happening, and maybe not something exceptional, but given the low expectations anything more substantial than the lackluster 14 and 15 will be praised.
Personally, I love the iPad for what it is and I have never seriously considered it as a laptop replacement (except with remote desktop, but that does not count...). I am not pissed off that my 12.9 M1 pro cannot do this or that because I mainly bought it to watch videos, browse and use as a laptop monitor (sure, if it was much more capable I would have bought the 16GB RAM version, as I do with laptops, but that's the only thing that would have changed).
Having said that, I would be more than happy if Apple made some radical changes (extended display / desktop mode, much improved split screen, Finder level file app, option to swap to disk and to keep specific stuff in memory, etc.) and, let me be a bit mean for once, I would be so satisfied to see all the iPad purists be pissed off....? (I am joking of course, instead of being pissed off, they would probably finally realized that having more options do not change how iPadOS works, just adds to it...)

 

[Macative]

If Apple sells keyboards with touch trackpads and other, they are in fact advertising the iPad as being somewhat similar to a laptop. Not only that, but Pages and other iOS apps are similar to the OS-X. But while the app, "Pages" for example, is supposed to be somewhat similar in functions, their respective menus are completely different, and the iOS Pages lack "import and export" features. A lot of people would buy an iPad thinking that it is an inexpensive laptop. As for me, the problem with the iPad is the software. It would be nice if I can start creating a Pages document on my MacBook, transfer it to my iPad, and continue working with it on my iPad while I travel. But iOS "Pages" doesn't have a well designed menu.

As I said, if you don't understand that the iPad is just iPad and will always be, that's your fault.

 

[rkuo]

And it works! I've always felt like Apple does a really good job making you want to have access to the ENTIRE ecosystem. For example, I'm back on Mac full time for productivity, but I find the Apple Pencil to be such an important piece of my day to day workflow that I feel like I also need an iPad. (the iPad mini 6 w Apple Pencil has been a WONDERFUL Mac companion). It's not even just FOMO. Apple products make so many things easier for me during the day, I feel like they are indispensable. They of course are not--I lived just fine without Apple before--it's just that so many things are so much easier now.

I'm not sure iPad Pro is so much a wasted opportunity as it is a victim of Tim Cook pushing a little too hard at the beginning of his tenure as CEO. It seemed obvious to me that there was a lot of pressure on him to release something new, and I think it's why the first Apple Watch felt so rushed as well as why he was so vocal about the iPad Pro replacing the Mac at first. Notice, he has WAY backed off of that messaging now. I think he just got over-excited and over-enthusiastic that first year because he wanted to hit the ground running. That doesn't take away from what a great job he's done since, and it's really just a theory I have. Obviously I'm not sure if that's really what the situation was.

I never gave up the Mac, but as someone who travels, why should I have to carry a MacBook and an iPad when they both have the same damn hardware inside in similar form factors? The Apple I love wouldn't shy away from cannibalizing two product lines to make an even better, more innovative product.

Or maybe at least just charge more for the privilege by making it a third product line. That's such a good option for them I don't even know why they aren't doing it. Call it the iBook or something.

The accountants running the show instead of the tech heads is the kind of thinking is what Steve always warned against.

There's literally no reason the iPad Pro at this point can't run macOS. It has a pointing device and keyboard support.

 

[Digitalguy]

I never gave up the Mac, but as someone who travels, why should I have to carry a MacBook and an iPad when they both have the same damn hardware inside in similar form factors? The Apple I love wouldn't shy away from cannibalizing two product lines to make an even better, more innovative product.

Or maybe at least just charge more for the privilege by making it a third product line. That's such a good option for them I don't even know why they aren't doing it. Call it the iBook or something.

The accountants running the show instead of the tech heads is kind of thinking is what Steve always warned against.

There's literally no reason the iPad Pro at this point can't run macOS. It has a pointing device and keyboard support.

100% agree, except to "there is literally no reason". The reason is cannibalizing Macs... I am sure they'll give the iPad external display support with windowed apps, and many other "pro" features, but not MacOS. An iPad with a much more capable iPadOS would not cannibalize the new Macs, as long as it cannot run MacOS / Mac apps.
But I agree with you, it would be great for users to be able to have both in one device and only carry one.
There are rumors of an hybrid device (a Mac keyboard + an iPad) but I am skeptical. If the device ends up not only costing as much as a MacBook + iPad pro but also weighing as much (see the similar Surface Book) then there is little point other than having cellular on MacOS. Cellular another limitations (of Macs in this case) that apparently makes no sense...
I used to carry cellular iPad pro 11 + Magic keyboard in remote desktop as my "laptop on the go", but in some areas cellular signal was poor so I finally gave up and bought a cellular Thinkpad, at least if I have no internet I can still do some work...

 

[AlaskaMoose]

I think the "Why would you ever buy a PC again?" remark from Tim Cook was what sent people down that path, and I think it was wildly misinterpreted as "this replaces the Mac" rather than "this can replace complicated Mac AND PC setups that most people never needed in the first place". Apple is coming at this from a different direction than people are envisioning. They are making the iPad into a better, more powerful IPAD every year, rather than slowly into a new kind of Mac.

With all their devices being part of a "universal" OS now, the iPad is a device I think will always be a refinement of the Mac, not a replacement for it.

The iPad could be to a MacBook much like the Surface is to the PC. The Mac OS-X is great but iOS is not. Both are "software," and it is where the iPad lags (I am referring only to the Apple iOS apps). I retired from a University a couple years ago, and a lot of students leave their heavy laptops at home or the dorms, and bring the Surface to the classroom. People's best experiences with the Mac relate to OS-X. The Mac exudes quality and looks, and the OS completes the experience. This is more difficult to do in the PC market because of the great number of PC manufacturers. However, MS Windows completes the experience to PC users, and if you look at how Windows has evolved through the years, a lot of its features are somewhat similar to OS-X, specially Windows 7.

 

[Digitalguy]

The iPad could be to a MacBook much like the Surface is to the PC. The Mac OS-X is great but iOS is not. Both are "software," and it is where the iPad lags (I am referring only to the Apple iOS apps). I retired from a University a couple years ago, and a lot of students leave their heavy laptops at home or the dorms, and bring the Surface to the classroom. People's best experiences with the Mac relate to OS-X. The Mac exudes quality and looks, and the OS completes the experience. This is more difficult to do in the PC market because of the great number of PC manufacturers. However, MS Windows completes the experience to PC users, and if you look at how Windows has evolved through the years, a lot of its features are somewhat similar to OS-X, specially Windows 7.

No, the iPad could be much more than the Surface. It's not true that MacOS is great and iPadOS is not. iPadOS is great for many tablet use cases, just not for many types of (paid) work (which often require desktop only software). Surface is good as a lightweight laptop that can be used with a stylus, but as a tablet it's quite heavy, and can also be hot and noisy depending on the model. And not great without a keyboard, especially the file manager... Only the iPad could be a great tablet and a great laptop if Apple allowed both OSs, but it's not in their interest.

 

[Abazigal]

This leaves them open to competitors like Microsoft and their Surface and some Samsung tablets that can do both. Most customers don't like obvious gouging for no real consumer benefit.

I suspect sales of surface style devices haven’t been exactly popular, so Apple probably doesn’t feel too threatened in this regard.

 

[Digitalguy]

I suspect sales of surface style devices haven’t been exactly popular, so Apple probably doesn’t feel too threatened in this regard.

Just a bit of history... Originally it was Microsoft who felt threatened by the iPad (after the success of the iPhone) and that's why they created the Surface and made the crazy choice of a touch first Windows 8 (both launched in 2012)
The Surface did sell but not a ton, until the Surface pro 3 changed things and become very successful, hitting over a billion dollar in sales. Apple, in turn, felt threatened and decided to make the iPad Pro AND (people forget this) the 12in Macbook, so instead of merging MacOS and IOS they made a large iPad with pen and keyboard and a very light MacBook to compete with the Surface. Since then the hardware in the Surface pro has not evolved much (except very recently) while the iPad pro has made huge improvements. Surface is now much more a light and versatile laptop than a tablet.

 

[xraydoc]

If Apple sells keyboards with touch trackpads and other, they are in fact advertising the iPad as being somewhat similar to a laptop. Not only that, but Pages and other iOS apps are similar to the OS-X. But while the app, "Pages" for example, is supposed to be somewhat similar in functions, their respective menus are completely different, and the iOS Pages lack "import and export" features. A lot of people would buy an iPad thinking that it is an inexpensive laptop. As for me, the problem with the iPad is the software. It would be nice if I can start creating a Pages document on my MacBook, transfer it to my iPad, and continue working with it on my iPad while I travel. But iOS "Pages" doesn't have a well designed menu.

Not sure about all the Import features, but Pages for iPadOS definitely has Export capability (PDF, Word, ePub, RTF and Pages Template).

It will import Word and RTF, I know for sure.

 

[AlaskaMoose]

No, the iPad could be much more than the Surface. It's not true that MacOS is great and iPadOS is not. iPadOS is great for many tablet use cases, just not for many types of (paid) work (which often require desktop only software). Surface is good as a lightweight laptop that can be used with a stylus, but as a tablet it's quite heavy, and can also be hot and noisy depending on the model. And not great without a keyboard, especially the file manager... Only the iPad could be a great tablet and a great laptop if Apple allowed both OSs, but it's not in their interest.

Perhaps I wasn't clear about the OS and iOS. OS-X coupled to the Apple apps, is what makes the Mac experience. In this case, as I create a document in Pages, for example, the text and other menus are concise (text, color, size, tables, and so on are found in the menu). But if I launch Pages in my iPad and try to create a new document from a blank page, I have to fumble around looking not only for the menu, but for the text type/size/color, formats, and so on. .The iPad is great, but the Apple apps are lagging when compared to the same apps for OS-X.

I am not comparing the iPad to the Surface. All I said is that the iPad can be to the Mac what the Surface is to the PC. In relation to weight, the surface is heavy and so a 12" iPad with a touch/trackpad keyboard. However, the Surface is already designed as a laptop running on Windows 11. It means that any document you create on a PC looks identical in the Surface, menus and all, and is lighter than most PC laptops, which makes it perfect for travel. The iPad is much like an oversize iPhone. It is neither here or there since it hasn't found its place.

 

[AlaskaMoose]

Not sure about all the Import features, but Pages for iPadOS definitely has Export capability (PDF, Word, ePub, RTF and Pages Template).

It will import Word and RTF, I know for sure.

Pages doesn't have an import feature. Well, I haven't been able to find it. The same for Safari, and Contacts. If those features would be present in these apps, one could easily move contacts, bookmarks, and pages documents from a thumb drive to the Download folder in the iPad, and then import them in Safari, Contacts, and Pages. The iPad relies on syncing. I just looked at a MS Word blank document for the iPad, and the document has a very nice menu.

 

[Beavix]

I'll just leave this here: https://www.macstories.net/stories/rediscovering-the-mac/

The iPad Pro is such a wasted opportunity, and I think it stems from Apple not wanting to cannibalize its own product lines. They want users to double dip on iPad's and Macbooks.

I have always admired Viticci for his infinite patience and perseverance in using the iPad. Reading his articles, I realized how complicated it is to use an iPad for anything other than consuming content and simple tasks. He seems to be giving up now.

 

[giffut]

Call me Ishmael, but closest thing we have is the 9th gen iPad. Only thing it lacks is the bezels there could stand to be slimmer for what you're looking. AFA everything else goes, they'll continue throwing those in for a few reasons:
1) Others want these features. AFAIK, people still use their iPads a lot to capture pics and vids
I don't use my ipad for video and photso. Not even emergencies since I almost always have my phone on me (I still haven't figured out how to transfer multimedia off my iPad to my Windows PC) :|
2) Removing them removes value from the device, which means Apple won't be able to charge as much
The usual... components and labor cost 'x' to put in, but they can charge 5x to 10x to consumers, so they're leaving $$ on the table by removing those.


For me, my phone is a Pixel 4A. It's a relatively small screen (displays is only 2.7" wide). iPhone equivalent is the SE. It's a good phone overall, but the screen is too small for certain games and apps. For web browsing, it works for shorter usage, but for extended web browsing, I'm going to get a bigger phone for sure (probably the Pixel 6/Pixel 6 Pro if it goes on sale, or the upcoming 6A). At home, I prefer to just web browse on my PC. Got a nice 27" monitor for that. On the road for more committed trips, I'll have my Chromebook on me (nice 14" screen, and it's excellent for web browsing)!

You need to install iTunes for Windows. It gives you drivers for connecting your iPhone via USB. It is then visible via the explorer sidebar. You can use Microsoft Photos App to import all of your phots/videos. It works ok.

 

[BhaveshUK]

I never gave up the Mac, but as someone who travels, why should I have to carry a MacBook and an iPad when they both have the same damn hardware inside in similar form factors? The Apple I love wouldn't shy away from cannibalizing two product lines to make an even better, more innovative product.

Or maybe at least just charge more for the privilege by making it a third product line. That's such a good option for them I don't even know why they aren't doing it. Call it the iBook or something.

The accountants running the show instead of the tech heads is the kind of thinking is what Steve always warned against.

There's literally no reason the iPad Pro at this point can't run macOS. It has a pointing device and keyboard support.

This exactly! I have an M1 iMac and an iPad Pro 2020 which I'll be holding onto for as long as possible. But as someone who is having to travel a lot now, and who has a bad back, I have no interest in having to purchase a MacBook in addition to my current Apple devices and carry two devices whilst traveling. The extra weight adds up for me. All of this has led me to start looking outside of the Apple ecosystem which may be a counterpoint to Apple's desire for maximum revenue if they're purposefully limiting iPad OS.

I've been a fan of iPad since the iPad 2, but my needs have grown so much over the past year and and I'm looking elsewhere for a device to travel with because the iPad no longer meets all my needs. I'm going to vote with my wallet and not purchase any future iPads until iPad OS evolves into something which will fulfil the on-the-go needs I now have.

Perhaps I wasn't clear about the OS and iOS. OS-X coupled to the Apple apps, is what makes the Mac experience. In this case, as I create a document in Pages, for example, the text and other menus are concise (text, color, size, tables, and so on are found in the menu). But if I launch Pages in my iPad and try to create a new document from a blank page, I have to fumble around looking not only for the menu, but for the text type/size/color, formats, and so on. .The iPad is great, but the Apple apps are lagging when compared to the same apps for OS-X.

I am not comparing the iPad to the Surface. All I said is that the iPad can be to the Mac what the Surface is to the PC. In relation to weight, the surface is heavy and so a 12" iPad with a touch/trackpad keyboard. However, the Surface is already designed as a laptop running on Windows 11. It means that any document you create on a PC looks identical in the Surface, menus and all, and is lighter than most PC laptops, which makes it perfect for travel. The iPad is much like an oversize iPhone. It is neither here or there since it hasn't found its place.

I agree about the app experience lagging. I have noticed that Pages on Mac OS and iPad OS may run the same underneath, but from a user experience perspective, it's like having to learn two separate apps because button placements are so different. Equally, Pages on iPad lacks feature parity so you may come across an instance where you have to move from the iPad to your Mac to complete a task. It's a similar experience across most apps on iPad OS where they are lacking features, and I believe that's what largely leaves people looking for a laptop replacement dissatisfied.

I tested the Surface Pro 8 in store the other day as it's one option I'm seriously considering. It felt notably lighter than my iPad Pro 12.9 with Magic Keyboard. But I don't think it's an iPad competitor and leaving the store I was left with this impression: iPad is the much better tablet with a wonderful touch-based interface and some incredible drawing/ note taking applications. However, for many people trying to use it as a "laptop replacement", there will be limitations and bottlenecks. The Surface in contrast is a laptop in a tablet body that can do all your work needs and has the ability to draw on screen with desktop design applications - you compromise heavily on the tablet experience. They serve different purposes and the user will need to decide what they ultimately need.

The iPad fills a niche very well for a lot of people. If you don't fit in that niche, the iPad can suddenly feel very limiting, so I do empathise with OP and others on this thread who feel the device doesn't do enough. But equally, I feel it's important to understand what a device can do for you, and where it fits in your life, before pulling the purchase button. Don't just go off the marketing/ hype and do your own research always. I purchased my iPad Pro 2 years ago when I did my research and saw it would fit my needs at the time. Over the last year, my needs for a device have grown and so I am no longer considering an iPad for my next purchase because I know iPad doesn't fit those needs and I'm not going to try to force it to.

 

[Abazigal]

I have always admired Viticci for his infinite patience and perseverance in using the iPad. Reading his articles, I realized how complicated it is to use an iPad for anything other than consuming content and simple tasks. He seems to be giving up now.

I think starting a blog chronicling your experiences with using an iPad (and only an iPad) for work made sense at the start when it was all he was doing, and truth be told, I have learnt a lot about iPad productivity from following his blog since I got my first iPad in 2012. I wasn't quite ready to go all-in the same way he did, but his advice has helped me in accomplishing way more on my iPad than I otherwise would have.

However, his business has greatly expanded both in scope and scale. He has his own team now, they are producing a ton more content compared to before, and I feel there just comes a point where trying to manage everything from an iPad is simply no longer feasible.

Times change, needs change, and that's just the way she goes. ?