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iPad Pro iPad has become quite useless and I regret purchasing it
- Thread starter igauravarora
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3 weeks ago I purchased a $2200 iPad Pro M2 and don't regret it a bit.
Back in April 2011 I was able to make $800 by responding to a couple of incidents, just because I was able to work from my iPad while on the road. It was easy to carry around, so it basically paid itself.
But I have to admit that after I bought it, the first 2 weeks I had second thoughts about it, and almost returned it. I'm glad I didn't. It was a new kind of device, and it was going to take a while to get used to it and put it to good use, instead of keeping it as a toy.
I always carry with me an iPad and most of the time I will bring a MBP, which I get to use 5% of the time. But I carry it in case I need it to do any specific work I couldn't do with my iPad, like running Windows in a VM for specific support cases. The iPad is my #1 mobile device after my iPhone of course.
But I do agree: it's glove that doesn't fit every person.
Back in April 2011 I was able to make $800 by responding to a couple of incidents, just because I was able to work from my iPad while on the road. It was easy to carry around, so it basically paid itself.
But I have to admit that after I bought it, the first 2 weeks I had second thoughts about it, and almost returned it. I'm glad I didn't. It was a new kind of device, and it was going to take a while to get used to it and put it to good use, instead of keeping it as a toy.
I always carry with me an iPad and most of the time I will bring a MBP, which I get to use 5% of the time. But I carry it in case I need it to do any specific work I couldn't do with my iPad, like running Windows in a VM for specific support cases. The iPad is my #1 mobile device after my iPhone of course.
But I do agree: it's glove that doesn't fit every person.
I’m the exact opposite of the op. I ditched my laptop for an ipad pro years ago and haven’t looked back. It does everything my laptop did & more… only better and in a lighter package. I type on it, I consume media on it, I draw on it with the apple pencil, i edit photos & videos on it. To me the laptop is heavy, cumbersome & antiquated. But everyone is different.
Definitely a cellular version
I got the Cellular version. Only one time I got an iPad that was only WiFi with the idea of tethering, and while it was not a big issue, I realized it’s best to have the iPad have it’s own cellular connection. Plus, it didn’t drain my phone‘s battery. In the past, my iPad was with AT&T while my iPhone on T-Mobile, to compensate for the lack of coverage of either one. Now I only have T-Mobile. AT&T betrayed me, so I left them.
I purchased an iPad years ago and never used it, it felt heavy and uncomfortable to use. But in December 2022 I purchased an iPad Air 5th Gen and I can’t stop using it, I’ve practically stopped using my Macbook Air.
I had a Pro 12.9 (and an 11 in the past). I hate to say it, but they never left their magic keyboard docks. They mostly served as a Teams or Zoom machine, to free up my MacBook while working. But I sold it and got a Mini 6. And I use that daily. Big and heavy, like the Pros, sit, while the light and small Mini get picked up and used.
If you need a laptop, get a laptop. But spending $1000-$2500 for an iPad and using it as a (lesser) laptop seems counterintuitive.
If you need a laptop, get a laptop. But spending $1000-$2500 for an iPad and using it as a (lesser) laptop seems counterintuitive.
This. 100%. If you plan to use your iPad out and about very little, then tethering is ok. However, for my job I need to turn on my device and have the internet immediately there. The auto connect feature for Apple devices is flakey AF, and I have little patience to be digging into the settings app to make sure the devices are taking to each other 10 times a day. Cellular is 100% worth it for me.
PS - if you have a small business - there's a little talked about business tablet only plan for $10 a month via T-Mobile. Totally worth it if you use a lot of data.
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Sometimes it's to try things out. I ended up getting a 14" HP Chromebook b/c it was only $200. At that price, it def. fell into "impulse buy" territory. It ended up being pretty sweet. It does email and other internet tasks very well (with a full keyboard, most notably typing a lot, like on message boards). When it become unsupported eventually, I got a replacement at Costco.com for $200.
An used iPad Air (1st gen, made in 2013) ended up being a nice purchase too, as it was my first tablet. Used it quite a lot for gaming, but nowadays, if I continue using it, I'll spend more time charging it than using it.
Got a 9th gen iPad for more gaming. It came with free trials of AA and ATV+, so those alone went a long way. I was going to continue with Apple Arcade, but took a break from it, found alternative games (on Android, and non-AA iOS), and haven't looked back. A big gaming change is I got a Switch for free, and I've been spending a lot of time there. I'll still keep the Ipad for basic tablet computing, and some games that are more prominent on there (like digital modern board games). Another push was I ended up getting the 64 GB iPad, instead of the 256 GB (I just didn't want to pay the extra $150). I initally regretted it, but it ended up being the right choice.
But yeah, while I haven't written off AA, I'm not likely to ever return to it. Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls was a main title I squeezed in since that's truly an AA exclusive (it was on Android last back 2019, before leaving that platform for AA). I put about 10 hours into Cat Quest II. I'm cutting my losses and if I do return to that, will just start over on the Switch version (which I got on sale for $2!)
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I concurs I have an M2 iPP and use it daily with my iphone. My M1 MBA is only used for some apps that the developer does not have better versions on iPad. I use my Mac once a week.
I’ve skim read these posts but seems to be people are leaning towards the traditional laptop. I think The iPad is an incredible device which Is great for basic tasks and great for kids, old folks and the designer types but I find it hard work. i find email attachments difficult and also the screen not big enough for comparing documents..
I like my M1 iPad Pro, and have been using iPad Pros as my main computer since the first one (in 2015?). Using it with stage manager and having proper external screen support has been great and use it daily. I’m very aware of the iPad’s limitations and always found weird ways to work around them. Including using Shadow PC for a while.
I had a M1 Mac mini to supplement it when they were new, regrettably sold it (mainly from lack of use). Just bought a another one second hand. Paying $30/month for Shadow for something the Mac mini can easily handle seemed like a waste of money.
I was thinking about selling the iPad and just getting a MacBook Air M2 instead of a new Mac mini. But, the iPad is still somewhat useful to me as a drawing tablet. It’s also nice to have a desktop permanently on in my house too. It’ll also be used as a AltStore Server (probably), along with the game development I was using Shadow for.
I had a M1 Mac mini to supplement it when they were new, regrettably sold it (mainly from lack of use). Just bought a another one second hand. Paying $30/month for Shadow for something the Mac mini can easily handle seemed like a waste of money.
I was thinking about selling the iPad and just getting a MacBook Air M2 instead of a new Mac mini. But, the iPad is still somewhat useful to me as a drawing tablet. It’s also nice to have a desktop permanently on in my house too. It’ll also be used as a AltStore Server (probably), along with the game development I was using Shadow for.
I spent this year trying to get rid of my iPad. It's doable. Nothing beats the comfort of sitting in a reading chair with an iPad propped up by a pillow (for me). That screen's readability is so perfect - I could read on it for many hours. Also, I find the iPad extremely handy when I'm doing Apple Fitness+ workouts in the garage. Much easier to tote downstairs than my laptop (and iPhone is way way too small). Mac OS also doesn't show all the watch stats like the iPad does (at least last I tried).
I got rid of my iPad Pro 11 earlier this year and hopped on the iPad Air bandwagon with a deeply discounted iPad Air 5 from Best Buy ($700). Still don't feel great about it because it isn't getting a ton of use. I'm actually reading a lot on my MBP, iPhone. I also find I brainstorm more on a piece of paper with pen - with the iPad the small writing area and need to keep the device ON distracts me from getting lost in planning. 1st world problems :/.
It is nice having options.
I got rid of my iPad Pro 11 earlier this year and hopped on the iPad Air bandwagon with a deeply discounted iPad Air 5 from Best Buy ($700). Still don't feel great about it because it isn't getting a ton of use. I'm actually reading a lot on my MBP, iPhone. I also find I brainstorm more on a piece of paper with pen - with the iPad the small writing area and need to keep the device ON distracts me from getting lost in planning. 1st world problems :/.
It is nice having options.
With the addition of external display support, my 13 inch iPad has completely my MacBook Air as a personal computer. I have a MacBook Pro, but it was long ago demoted to just being a work machine. The rest of my life runs on iPad.
Today my accountant sent me some files to review ,utterly useless iPad can’t even show the damn thing properly so I have to go back to using my Mac as usual.
Fun to browse the net , to play games , to watch YouTube and read books , anything else , forget it
Fun to browse the net , to play games , to watch YouTube and read books , anything else , forget it
It is a matter of using the proper additional software, but i agree it is more of a workarounds rather than direct problem solving.
Documents by readdle - my go to file manager which might help you to open files from accountant.
Puffin browser - the only browser that navigates sites like i am on a computer.
Ms office bundle - opens ms files albeit sloppy at times.
I have also laptop connected 24/7 at home with team viewer, so i am routinely remote controlling it via ipd or iphone. Ipad is much better to remote connect to my desktop.
Oftentimes my tv is occupied, so i just regroup with ipad and connect wirelessly to my xbox and play on ipad as a tv.
What kind of files did he send you George?
Excel files , windows version
I tried reading them but for some bizarre reason I couldn’t get the thing to scroll properly kept bouncing around like a bloomin’ kangaroo !
Went to my iMac and it was all SO easy in comparison
I tried reading them but for some bizarre reason I couldn’t get the thing to scroll properly kept bouncing around like a bloomin’ kangaroo !
Went to my iMac and it was all SO easy in comparison
And you were trying to view them with Excel on the iPad? If so, that sounds like a software limitation that MS would be at fault for. Just another company that doesn't want to give up too much business to another platform. Macs and iPads pretty much have the same hardware so that should not be a factor. I think developers need to step up. Why even make an app if you aren't going to give it the full functionality of its Mac and Windows counterparts?
Were you using Excel for iPad to view the files?
I found the iPad app less than ideal for creating/editing Excel files but in general, it’s done fairly well for viewing them.
@George Dawes Hi George. Just a thought. I just did a little research as to whether Numbers can open Excel files on the iPad. Turns out that it can open both .xls and .xlsx files with Numbers. Have you tried that by any chance? I am going to try it out later when I get home. I’ll let you know how it goes.
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When I can't get excel to play nice with the iPad app, I use Brave to open it up on the iPad in O365 web. But our excel files aren't all that complicated.
@George Dawes
Had another thought. Turns out that the Google Sheets app can also open and work with .xls and .xlsx files. So there is another possible solution. I will also try Sheets when I get home and let you know the results.
@George Dawes
OK, so I loaded the most complex Excel file I have, one my wife made for our real estate and property management business, into both Google Sheets and Numbers, and both opened the file and worked fine with it. The file has several layers of links and tables, and everything worked just fine with both apps. You might want to try them to see what your results are.
OK, so I loaded the most complex Excel file I have, one my wife made for our real estate and property management business, into both Google Sheets and Numbers, and both opened the file and worked fine with it. The file has several layers of links and tables, and everything worked just fine with both apps. You might want to try them to see what your results are.
I love reading these iPad posts from people that spend 1k+ on a toy device and then complain it's not a computer. An iPad is used for watching YouTube and other couch/bed activities. No reason someone who wants a real PC should need to buy the most expensive iPad simply because it has "Pro" in the name. They offer these for as low as $329 new, it's not necessary to overpay and then complain about the cost.