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

[barkomatic]

Prior to Apple silicon, intel macs sucked and frankly there were far better PC options. So, I got an iPad and PC laptop and that worked well. I used my pc only occasionally but the iPad all the time every day. Now my MBP has almost completely replaced my iPad usage and my PC is in the closet (It was starting to fail anyway)

I still prefer my 11 inch iPad when I go on short trips as it’s significantly lighter and easier to watch content in an economy class seat on a plane or train. I could use my 14 inch pro but it would be a little crampt. That being said, I’m not very motivated to replace my 2020 version any time soon. Maybe in another few years the iPad will be compelling again.

 

[spiderman0616]

Prior to Apple silicon, intel macs sucked and frankly there were far better PC options. So, I got an iPad and PC laptop and that worked well. I used my pc only occasionally but the iPad all the time every day. Now my MBP has almost completely replaced my iPad usage and my PC is in the closet (It was starting to fail anyway)

I still prefer my 11 inch iPad when I go on short trips as it’s significantly lighter and easier to watch content in an economy class seat on a plane or train. I could use my 14 inch pro but it would be a little crampt. That being said, I’m not very motivated to replace my 2020 version any time soon. Maybe in another few years the iPad will be compelling again.

I had an iPhone first, then an iPad, then a Mac. I held out for the Mac longest because I had a gaming PC back then and didn't need another computer. When I did finally get fed up with Windows and switch to Mac, I realized right away that the laptops were not going to work for me. The noise and heat and poor battery were just not going to cut it. So I went iPad/iPhone/Mac mini for a while, then got rid of the Mac mini too.

Now it feels like Apple's hardware lineup has been shaken completely up, and settled back in to what it SHOULD be. The most powerful tools in the lineup, the Macs, should PERFORM like they're the most powerful tools in the lineup. Up until last year, they definitely were not. My 2013 MacBook Pro didn't perform any better than my old PC laptops.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Prior to Apple silicon, intel macs sucked and frankly there were far better PC options. So, I got an iPad and PC laptop and that worked well. I used my pc only occasionally but the iPad all the time every day. Now my MBP has almost completely replaced my iPad usage and my PC is in the closet (It was starting to fail anyway)

I still prefer my 11 inch iPad when I go on short trips as it’s significantly lighter and easier to watch content in an economy class seat on a plane or train. I could use my 14 inch pro but it would be a little crampt. That being said, I’m not very motivated to replace my 2020 version any time soon. Maybe in another few years the iPad will be compelling again.

I spent most of last year without a personal MBP - and the year before that my 2017 MBP was really showing its age and was a personal space heater so I preferred to use my iPad Pro 11 when given the chance.

M1 completely changed that. Even though I wasn't intending to, I got rid of my iPad Pro 11 and use my M1 MBP more than ever now - and I've been using my iPhone a LOT more.

While I'd like to think that my desire to reduce my devices prompted this, looking back - the M1 really changed things. I can actually use my laptop on my lap without overheating. While I haven't been able to replace the readability of my iPad Pro... I'm still going on with this. I'm tempted to pick up an iPP but hard to justify the cost just for a book reader for me.

Obviously this applies to just me and my usage style.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Yeah…lol…and I don’t use the iPads that much for videos etc. For me, it’s primarily reading, annotating, writing notes, and browsing!

Mostly what I did with my iPad. Oh and an apple fitness screen. Lol

 

[SweetLou122]

I spent most of last year without a personal MBP - and the year before that my 2017 MBP was really showing its age and was a personal space heater so I preferred to use my iPad Pro 11 when given the chance.

M1 completely changed that. Even though I wasn't intending to, I got rid of my iPad Pro 11 and use my M1 MBP more than ever now - and I've been using my iPhone a LOT more.

While I'd like to think that my desire to reduce my devices prompted this, looking back - the M1 really changed things. I can actually use my laptop on my lap without overheating. While I haven't been able to replace the readability of my iPad Pro... I'm still going on with this. I'm tempted to pick up an iPP but hard to justify the cost just for a book reader for me.

Obviously this applies to just me and my usage style.

I think this debate has been going on since the ipad pro was introduced. In part self inflicted by apple as they immediately marketed the device as a laptop replacement when it very clearly wasn't (anyone remember the commercial). I bought in on the 2017 12.9 pro, mostly for note taking and classwork at the time. Tried to make it the only device but lack of multi tasking and clunky split screen eventually drove me to a 2017 mbp (with the infamous touch bar and much maligned keyboard). The mouse/cursor support imo was a huge step in the right direction but have yet to test it in person. Can anyone with the pre mouse support experience comment on how it has changed their use?

Fast forward 5 years, the 12.9 ipad pro still gets the most amount of use as a web surfing and simple media consumption device. The 2017 mbp as you mentioned was a slow space heater with bad battery life and has been replaced by the m1 mba (fantastic laptop but in my use case sits in my work bag most of the time). Looking to replace the 12.9 and am torn between the new 11 ipp with magic keyboard or a mini 6. Pro motion is very nice on the iphone 13pro but the mini form factor is fantastic. Ipad os 16 MAY push the device closer to a laptop replacement but as always and from the beginning ymmv. I have always been intrigued by the surface pro devices, and the sp8 is as close to a do it all device as I have seen. However, windows 11 is still not a touch 1st os, and sp8 is bigger and heavier even than the 12.9 ipp. (not to mention poor battery life, windows problems etc.)

In short, (from my expeience coming from the very early ipad pro days) apple silicon in the macbooks and imacs has dramatically closed the gap to the early ipad pros for battery life and in a sense, power. The incremental improvements in ipad os are not as impressive and, I think, continue to give the impression that the device is hamstrung by the os.

 

[spiderman0616]

I think this debate has been going on since the ipad pro was introduced. In part self inflicted by apple as they immediately marketed the device as a laptop replacement when it very clearly wasn't (anyone remember the commercial). I bought in on the 2017 12.9 pro, mostly for note taking and classwork at the time. Tried to make it the only device but lack of multi tasking and clunky split screen eventually drove me to a 2017 mbp (with the infamous touch bar and much maligned keyboard). The mouse/cursor support imo was a huge step in the right direction but have yet to test it in person. Can anyone with the pre mouse support experience comment on how it has changed their use?

Fast forward 5 years, the 12.9 ipad pro still gets the most amount of use as a web surfing and simple media consumption device. The 2017 mbp as you mentioned was a slow space heater with bad battery life and has been replaced by the m1 mba (fantastic laptop but in my use case sits in my work bag most of the time). Looking to replace the 12.9 and am torn between the new 11 ipp with magic keyboard or a mini 6. Pro motion is very nice on the iphone 13pro but the mini form factor is fantastic. Ipad os 16 MAY push the device closer to a laptop replacement but as always and from the beginning ymmv. I have always been intrigued by the surface pro devices, and the sp8 is as close to a do it all device as I have seen. However, windows 11 is still not a touch 1st os, and sp8 is bigger and heavier even than the 12.9 ipp. (not to mention poor battery life, windows problems etc.)

In short, (from my expeience coming from the very early ipad pro days) apple silicon in the macbooks and imacs has dramatically closed the gap to the early ipad pros for battery life and in a sense, power. The incremental improvements in ipad os are not as impressive and, I think, continue to give the impression that the device is hamstrung by the os.

I hate to say I agree with this, but I do. I love my iPad but the M1
/M2 Macs are now on a completely other planet as far as power and speed.

 

[Ludatyk]

I think this debate has been going on since the ipad pro was introduced. In part self inflicted by apple as they immediately marketed the device as a laptop replacement when it very clearly wasn't (anyone remember the commercial).

And it can be a laptop replacement... why does people believe this was all an act by Apple? I totally understand that given the time, people were frustrated with iPadOS limitations (and still is). But the possibility of an iPad Pro being a laptop replacement were valid.

It might not fit your lifestyle or workflow, but others can use it as a laptop replacement.... what's so wrong about that?

The mouse/cursor support imo was a huge step in the right direction but have yet to test it in person. Can anyone with the pre mouse support experience comment on how it has changed their use?

If you are heavy Mac/PC user the experience might seem different.

Tbh, I initially was against mouse support... but I've grown accustomed to it. The way Apple implemented mouse navigation on iPadOS is that it guides you... the cursor snaps on potential click-able objects. Similar to how Apple TV navigation works.

Fast forward 5 years, the 12.9 ipad pro still gets the most amount of use as a web surfing and simple media consumption device. The 2017 mbp as you mentioned was a slow space heater with bad battery life and has been replaced by the m1 mba (fantastic laptop but in my use case sits in my work bag most of the time). Looking to replace the 12.9 and am torn between the new 11 ipp with magic keyboard or a mini 6.

If your general use is web surfing and media consumption on an iPad... I'd suggest an iPad Mini.

In short, (from my expeience coming from the very early ipad pro days) apple silicon in the macbooks and imacs has dramatically closed the gap to the early ipad pros for battery life and in a sense, power. The incremental improvements in ipad os are not as impressive and, I think, continue to give the impression that the device is hamstrung by the os.

Apple has always reserved the Mac for heavy workflows... regardless of Intel or Apple Silicon. Portability has always been the iPad strong suit.

I agree, iPadOS has had incremental improvements... but I do think iPadOS 16 is the biggest and most substantial leap we have seen thus far specifically for M1 iPads.

 

[jwolf6589]

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.

What???? I love my Mini 6. I use it all the time to read books, watch movies and so forth. You don’t like iPad? Then don’t use it.

 

[jwolf6589]

Prior to Apple silicon, intel macs sucked and frankly there were far better PC options. So, I got an iPad and PC laptop and that worked well. I used my pc only occasionally but the iPad all the time every day. Now my MBP has almost completely replaced my iPad usage and my PC is in the closet (It was starting to fail anyway)

I still prefer my 11 inch iPad when I go on short trips as it’s significantly lighter and easier to watch content in an economy class seat on a plane or train. I could use my 14 inch pro but it would be a little crampt. That being said, I’m not very motivated to replace my 2020 version any time soon. Maybe in another few years the iPad will be compelling again.

Intel macs sucked??? Hey I have a 2020 MBP that is still running strong.

 

[SalisburySam]

Sometimes the Pro moniker has no real meaning…it’s the one you get if you want the 12.9” screen. As I did.

 

[ackmondual]

Some of you really have the blinders on with your Apple hate. There are SO MANY brands out there that use the word "Pro" in their higher end products. Rather than get your knickers all twisted up about how offended you are that YOU are a "pro" but don't feel a certain product is pro enough for you, how about just don't buy it and shut up? Why do people feel the need to dump all over others about the products they buy? Who cares?

Because when the shoe is on the other foot, others can't leave well enough alone to just not buy nonApple products and leave it at that. The hate also flows towards non-Apple products.

 

[rachislenska]

I am surprised by the poor opinions on intel MacBooks. I haven't used apple silicon macs so far. Waiting for the M2 air. It has been shipped! But when i made the jump to mac os from windows (Dell) in 2014 (13 inch MacBook pro, late 2013, base model) it was huge for me. SSDs were not that common in pcs at that point, maybe it was in high end ones. The load time was ultra fast compared to what i was used to. The battery life was huge! just huge!. Generally the mac os was far superior in my experience. And apart from situations i was working on Word with almost 25+ tabs open in multiple browsers i haven't noticed fan switching on.
8 Years on (im generally careful with my gadgets even though i don't baby it), im typing this post on the same MacBook pro, on Big sur. It's laggy when pressured. But when I need to use some current mid range i5/i3 PCs at work my 8 year old MacBook pro still feels snappy .I get a maximum 1.5-2 hrs battery life unplugged (still more than many current mid range windows i5). The screen coating damage (notorious in the MacBooks of that time period) has happened which is a disappointment, since I never used anything other than microfibre to dust off. Unless the hardware collapses i think i can push this to another 1-2 years.
Maybe the apple M silicon is such a huge jump that it is colouring the excellent intel MacBooks in a bad way.
Anyway once i finish the research paper im currently working on, and after the M2 MacBook has arrived I'm going to install some light weight linux distro in this for casual use. As i said maybe this can reach the 10 year use land mark.

 

[rachislenska]

And on iPads, I have never found it useless. Have had the initial iPad 2 which lasted me for almost 5 years intense use during my college days, and then my mother used it for another 4 years and finally had to retire it for good. Measly 512 mb ram can do only so much!
My current iPad pro 10.5 is serving its purpose. I have never tried to replace my Mac with an iPad, but it complements my workflow in an excellent manner. My main workflow includes word processing and Pages in iPad (a bit better than iPad OS Word) works almost as good as on mac, and its also much more portable than my MacBook pro. Also videos and reading is much better on iPad compared to my mac.
iPad is in a way a luxury unlike a Mac/PC or a mobile which for me is essential. But some things when done on an iPad is much better. Can I do it on a high end smartphone or Mac? of course. But on an iPad it feels much more intuitive. Can i live without an iPad? of course.
I think iPad os is not at a point where it can replace ur laptop. I don't think it can never fully replace a mac in my workflow. It's an excellent luxury device which complements what I have.

 

[SweetLou122]

And it can be a laptop replacement... why does people believe this was all an act by Apple? I totally understand that given the time, people were frustrated with iPadOS limitations (and still is). But the possibility of an iPad Pro being a laptop replacement were valid.

It might not fit your lifestyle or workflow, but others can use it as a laptop replacement.... what's so wrong about that?


If you are heavy Mac/PC user the experience might seem different.

Tbh, I initially was against mouse support... but I've grown accustomed to it. The way Apple implemented mouse navigation on iPadOS is that it guides you... the cursor snaps on potential click-able objects. Similar to how Apple TV navigation works.


If your general use is web surfing and media consumption on an iPad... I'd suggest an iPad Mini.


Apple has always reserved the Mac for heavy workflows... regardless of Intel or Apple Silicon. Portability has always been the iPad strong suit.

I agree, iPadOS has had incremental improvements... but I do think iPadOS 16 is the biggest and most substantial leap we have seen thus far specifically for M1 iPads.

Let me clarify the first point. I still do believe the ipad can be a laptop replacement for many people, and did so even at the time in 2017 when I bought into one of the first pros. It just so happened that my usage needs at the time were more varied, so I went back to macos (and windows) to fill in the gaps. My point was that Apple drew some ire (and still does judging from the original post in this thread, among many others) the way they marketed the devices. I don't really blame them by the way either. I believe people now know how powerful the apple silicon chips are in the Macos devices, and want more of those features on ipad os. Technically, an iphone (or any smartphone) could be a laptop replacement if your usage needs were met by that device, but thats not really the point being made here.

As with anything, you have to take forums with a grain of salt. The opinions represent a relative niche community, but are interesting for those wanting to dig a little deeper into topics. Do the majority of ipad users want to load mac os on their device instead of ipad os? Probably not, but you are going to have a group of people who are unhappy either way. The keys I have found to being happy with any device are doing a bit of research, tempering expectations, and being a little flexible. Like carmakers (or any industry) there are more and more options offered than ever before to meet needs or wants of more people. In a not too distant past, when you wanted an iphone you could have one size and one color (and only on one network Att!) So will we see a macbook with a touch screen at some point, or an ipad that runs some hybrid mac os platform? The answer is probably a definite maybe.

Until then, from the betas and short reviews I have seen about ipad os 16, I think it could be really promising.

Cheers

 

[BigMcGuire]

And on iPads, I have never found it useless. Have had the initial iPad 2 which lasted me for almost 5 years intense use during my college days, and then my mother used it for another 4 years and finally had to retire it for good. Measly 512 mb ram can do only so much!
My current iPad pro 10.5 is serving its purpose. I have never tried to replace my Mac with an iPad, but it complements my workflow in an excellent manner. My main workflow includes word processing and Pages in iPad (a bit better than iPad OS Word) works almost as good as on mac, and its also much more portable than my MacBook pro. Also videos and reading is much better on iPad compared to my mac.
iPad is in a way a luxury unlike a Mac/PC or a mobile which for me is essential. But some things when done on an iPad is much better. Can I do it on a high end smartphone or Mac? of course. But on an iPad it feels much more intuitive. Can i live without an iPad? of course.
I think iPad os is not at a point where it can replace ur laptop. I don't think it can never fully replace a mac in my workflow. It's an excellent luxury device which complements what I have.

It’s always easy to look to the past with 20/20 vision right? I grew up with Windows and started putting computers together as a kid. So, I consider myself fairly technical. Anyway, 2011 I got my first Mac and was just shocked how amazing the device was, how the OS stayed out of the way, and how the hardware was beautiful. My 2017 MBP was astounding - its i5 was great, and served me for almost 3 years.

That said, my M1 MBP blows that laptop out of the water with speed, battery life, and lack of heat.

So yes, I see your point. I switched from Windows to Mac in 2015 because of how amazing Mac was (intel at the time). I don’t think some of us are bagging on intel macs as much we’re amazed at how great M1 is. Now, I see some posters who thought intel MBPs were horrible - yeah, I disagree with that completely. You still see TONS of intel MBPs in academia/research/tech/etc.

I agree with other posters here. An iPad Pro 11 was my primary computing device for years. I got rid of it this year not because it sucks but because I found something else that I like to use better. I still think it’s an AMAZING device and if I had the $ available, it would still be in my hands now.

Very nice post!

 

[Ludatyk]

I agree with other posters here. An iPad Pro 11 was my primary computing device for years. I got rid of it this year not because it sucks but because I found something else that I like to use better. I still think it’s an AMAZING device and if I had the $ available, it would still be in my hands now.

Amen! Thanks for this post! Because a user prefers A over B doesn't mean B sucks. If the user believes that their workflow or lifestyle works better with A... then so be it.

But it's one of those situations where people argue over MJ and Lebron... who's greater? And the point is... they both are great. Obviously, people have their preferences... but there's no denying they both are great. And that's my thoughts with a Mac or iPad... they both are great devices, what's the point in arguing which one is better.

 

[pdoherty]

I hate to say I agree with this, but I do. I love my iPad but the M1
/M2 Macs are now on a completely other planet as far as power and speed.

They use the same CPU/RAM and disk, so that's solely a function of the OS and apps.

 

[spiderman0616]

They use the same CPU/RAM and disk, so that's solely a function of the OS and apps.

No matter the reason. The situation is what it is.

 

[Ludatyk]

No matter the reason. The situation is what it is.

I agree. But @pdoherty brought up a good point. That’s why you see so many people requesting Apple put macOS on an M1 iPad.

 

[jazz1]

I hate to say I agree with this, but I do. I love my iPad but the M1
/M2 Macs are now on a completely other planet as far as power and speed.

As an iPad Pro M1 owner (16GB RAM 1TB SSD), I am interested in the M2 MacBook Air. Would you specifically include the M2 MacBook Air in the "completely other planet as fare as power and speed"? I mostly am a consumer of content, not a producer of content. Though I do use Apple Photo app. for my own purposes.

Given my current iPad's specs. RAM/SSD I'm left wondering if I would need to bump up the specs. on the M2 MacBook Air to at least match the speed of my iPad Pro? Of course a big trackpad, and full sized keyboard are certainly a plus of the M2 MacBook Air vs. my iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard folio!

 

[spiderman0616]

As an iPad Pro M1 owner (16GB RAM 1TB SSD), I am interested in the M2 MacBook Air. Would you specifically include the M2 MacBook Air in the "completely other planet as fare as power and speed"? I mostly am a consumer of content, not a producer of content. Though I do use Apple Photo app. for my own purposes.

Given my current iPad's specs. RAM/SSD I'm left wondering if I would need to bump up the specs. on the M2 MacBook Air to at least match the speed of my iPad Pro? Of course a big trackpad, and full sized keyboard are certainly a plus of the M2 MacBook Air vs. my iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard folio!

If you have never experienced macOS running on Apple Silicon, I suspect the M2 MacBook Air will blow your mind. The M1 model still would too, for that matter. My wife is about to get the M1 Air for the upcoming school year and I am so excited for her.

It sounds like you don't use an Apple laptop at all currently, correct? If so, I think the form factor will be refreshing to you as well.

 

[Ludatyk]

As an iPad Pro M1 owner (16GB RAM 1TB SSD), I am interested in the M2 MacBook Air. Would you specifically include the M2 MacBook Air in the "completely other planet as fare as power and speed"? I mostly am a consumer of content, not a producer of content. Though I do use Apple Photo app. for my own purposes.

I'm confused... if you like to consume content, wouldn't your current iPad Pro Mini-LED be a better fit compared to the M2 MacBook Air?

Given my current iPad's specs. RAM/SSD I'm left wondering if I would need to bump up the specs. on the M2 MacBook Air to at least match the speed of my iPad Pro? Of course a big trackpad, and full sized keyboard are certainly a plus of the M2 MacBook Air vs. my iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard folio!

And you need more than 16GB/1TB from a device to consume content? But I'd agree that the trackpad on the Magic Keyboard should be much larger that's why I use a Magic Trackpad 2 when I'm at the desk.

 

[jazz1]

I'm confused... if you like to consume content, wouldn't your current iPad Pro Mini-LED be a better fit compared to the M2 MacBook Air?


And you need more than 16GB/1TB from a device to consume content? But I'd agree that the trackpad on the Magic Keyboard should be much larger that's why I use a Magic Trackpad 2 when I'm at the desk.

In order to get 16GB RAM I had to go with 1TB SSD. Why did I want 16GB of RAM you might ask? To be ready for the then rumored, future iOS. Did it pay off? I guess we will see with iOS16.

The iPad’s screen resolution is indeed very nice. I wonder if Macbook screens will ever get there?

 

[Digitalguy]

No matter the reason. The situation is what it is.

"as far as power and speed" they are exactly the same, it's on functionality that they are on a different planet (although some don't even agree with this)

 

[Ludatyk]

In order to get 16GB RAM I had to go with 1TB SSD. Why did I want 16GB of RAM you might ask? To be ready for the then rumored, future iOS. Did it pay off? I guess we will see with iOS16.

I believe it has paid off with iPadOS 16, but I cannot give you any testing to prove so... it's more of an experience. But I've come to the realization that having 1TB of storage is much better having than 16GB RAM.

The iPad’s screen resolution is indeed very nice. I wonder if Macbook screens will ever get there?

14" and 16" MacBook Pro are supposedly comparable to Mini-LED 12.9" iPad Pros. Given 14" and 16" MBP are marketed with XDR Displays and has ProMotion.