iPad Pro iPad Pro 10.5 now or wait?

[4ppleg1rl]

Hey guys!

I'm sorry if there are countless threads like this, I'm just in a bit of a situation so thought I'd get some tailored advice.

I've just graduated university and don't use my laptop as much as I used to while I was studying, I was planning on selling it and getting an iPad Pro to use for general video watching/web surfing etc.

I just have a few questions because I'm not sure if the iPad Pro will do what I need it to do...

1. Is there any way to connect a hard drive to it? Does a dongle exist? Will it read it properly? I have all of my photos/movies on a hard drive that I'd like to still be able to access. And also use as backup for new ones.

2. I get a lot of my eBooks through torrents - is there any way to use a torrent client such as uTorrent with the iPad?

3. Do you think it's worth getting the one that's already out, or wait for a refresh of it? I don't have a massive budget and I'm trying to cut costs - will this one be reduced if a new one is released within the next month or so? Is it likely a new one will be released? I haven't heard anything about a new iPad Pro being released in June so unsure if I should wait or not...

4. Can I jailbreak the iPad Pro on the current version of iOS it comes with?

Thanks for your responses! I'm not really sure what to do - or if I should just buy a MacBook Pro - but I feel like it'll be a waste of money, because I really don't need to use it as often anymore.

 

[Appleaker]

Getting rid of computers seems seems to be the trend among people who buy an iPad Pro with the goal of replacing their laptop/desktop. But most of the people for whom an iPad has naturally replaced their computer, the people Apple refer to, still have a computer.

As Apple themselves say, they are very different devices. An iPad replacing your computer means it replaces it as your primary computing device (putting smartphones aside), which may happen in your case, but it doesn’t have to mean physically replacing it.

So if you buy an iPad, you may want to keep the laptop for occasional or specific use, there may be times where you’ll need it. However the decision to sell your laptop also depends on its value. And yes, the iPad Pro line will be refreshed either next month at WWDC or later this year.

 

[Speechless]

2. I get a lot of my eBooks through torrents - is there any way to use a torrent client such as uTorrent with the iPad?
.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

1. https://www.ikream.com/2018/04/5-best-external-hard-drives-ipad-2018-26651

3. You could wait, I suppose, but for what you are talking about doing, the current iPP will do just fine. Even the cheaper 2018 iPad can handle most everything, though storage tops out at 128GB, and you’d have to use the Bluetooth keyboards.

I think the iPad is a great complimentary device, but using one exclusively will present some real challenges. You can probably spend 90% of your time on an iPad and be fine, but there’s always a random scenario where a traditional PC/Mac is required.

 

[muzzy996]

I think the iPad is a great complimentary device, but using one exclusively will present some real challenges. You can probably spend 90% of your time on an iPad and be fine, but there’s always a random scenario where a traditional PC/Mac is required.

Yup. Like having to side load applications (and run the inherent risks thereof) to get the Torrent capability the OP is asking about.

File management on computers is just a lot easier too. I have a lot of photographs archived on drives as well and I do a lot of photography, there’s no way I’d limit myself to just a mobile device to manage everything.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

Yup. Like having to side load applications (and run the inherent risks thereof) to get the Torrent capability the OP is asking about.

File management on computers is just a lot easier too. I have a lot of photographs archived on drives as well and I do a lot of photography, there’s no way I’d limit myself to just a mobile device to manage everything.

Yeah, I recently bought the 2018 iPad, and there are times when I think I could use only an iPad at home. Then I sit down in front of my 5K iMac and think, "how could I ever get rid of this?!" iPad gets a lot of criticism from the tech world on what it lacks versus a desktop machine, but for many people, file systems are either an unnecessary complication or perhaps even completely overwhelming. As Apple has grown its cloud services along with iOS, it's surprising how much more capable you can be with an iPad today versus 2-3 versions ago. Cloud services alone have really helped diminish the need for traditional "Explorer" or "Finder" file system access. There is a convenience to having the app determine what files you see and use, though it certainly isn't what the power user is looking for.

 

[Farrgazer]

1. Not directly without jailbreaking (assuming it’s possible on an iPad Pro running the latest iOS - I stopped following the scene ages ago). There are roundabouts like a WiFi-enabled hard drive or using a NAS.

2. Assuming there are iOS torrenting apps, you would have to sideload them. That requires a Mac or PC.

3. While current stuff is quite capable as is, getting a newer one means one more year of support and optimization. If you can save up, I would recommend saving and waiting.

4. No idea. You’ll have to google with this a bit.

As someone mentioned here, the lack of a file system is iOS’s biggest limitation. iOS seems to favor cloud storage or purchases from online shops more than transferring files around; to really use the content you already own, you can’t beat doing file transfers. I would suggest holding onto your current laptop and just saving for an iPad if you still want one.

 

[4ppleg1rl]

Getting rid of computers seems seems to be the trend among people who buy an iPad Pro with the goal of replacing their laptop/desktop. But most of the people for whom an iPad has naturally replaced their computer, the people Apple refer to, still have a computer.

As Apple themselves say, they are very different devices. An iPad replacing your computer means it replaces it as your primary computing device (putting smartphones aside), which may happen in your case, but it doesn’t have to mean physically replacing it.

So if you buy an iPad, you may want to keep the laptop for occasional or specific use, there may be times where you’ll need it. However the decision to sell your laptop also depends on its value. And yes, the iPad Pro line will be refreshed either next month at WWDC or later this year.

Just wanted to clarify that I'd still have access to my laptop - selling it to my sister who is taking it to uni - so whenever she comes back I could use it to back up things onto my hard drive etc. But just wanted to know if there was a way to do it without.

I don't really need the money, it's more that she can't afford to buy a new one so I said I'd sell her mine for very little or even just give it to her in September - it's only worth around £2/300 anyway (2013 MacBook Air 128GB).

Do you reckon the 2017 iPad Pro will be reduced when the new ones are out or does that not happen with iPads? I haven't bought an iPad since the iPad 4 came out!

1. Not directly without jailbreaking (assuming it’s possible on an iPad Pro running the latest iOS - I stopped following the scene ages ago). There are roundabouts like a WiFi-enabled hard drive or using a NAS.

2. Assuming there are iOS torrenting apps, you would have to sideload them. That requires a Mac or PC.

3. While current stuff is quite capable as is, getting a newer one means one more year of support and optimization. If you can save up, I would recommend saving and waiting.

4. No idea. You’ll have to google with this a bit.

As someone mentioned here, the lack of a file system is iOS’s biggest limitation. iOS seems to favor cloud storage or purchases from online shops more than transferring files around; to really use the content you already own, you can’t beat doing file transfers. I would suggest holding onto your current laptop and just saving for an iPad if you still want one.

I don't really mind the lack of a file system - I used Dropbox on the Files app for my uni stuff so everything was accessible anyway and now I'm not studying anymore, I won't really have use for it. I use Spotify for music and Google Photos backs up my photos (I don't take a lot of photos anyway, only really when I go on holiday) - it's mainly for browsing/digital journaling/youtube etc. Things that I can do on my phone, but are much better on a bigger screen.

1. https://www.ikream.com/2018/04/5-best-external-hard-drives-ipad-2018-26651

3. You could wait, I suppose, but for what you are talking about doing, the current iPP will do just fine. Even the cheaper 2018 iPad can handle most everything, though storage tops out at 128GB, and you’d have to use the Bluetooth keyboards.

I think the iPad is a great complimentary device, but using one exclusively will present some real challenges. You can probably spend 90% of your time on an iPad and be fine, but there’s always a random scenario where a traditional PC/Mac is required.

Thanks for the link! That's perfect! I might have to get one once storage on iPad gets full. I'm only planning on getting the 64GB as I don't really need that much storage, but still want to store some things - so this is great! Might just give my existing hard drive to my sister to use with my laptop as that will fill up pretty quick!

 

[Appleaker]

Just wanted to clarify that I'd still have access to my laptop - selling it to my sister who is taking it to uni - so whenever she comes back I could use it to back up things onto my hard drive etc. But just wanted to know if there was a way to do it without.

I don't really need the money, it's more that she can't afford to buy a new one so I said I'd sell her mine for very little or even just give it to her in September - it's only worth around £2/300 anyway (2013 MacBook Air 128GB).

Do you reckon the 2017 iPad Pro will be reduced when the new ones are out or does that not happen with iPads? I haven't bought an iPad since the iPad 4 came out!



I don't really mind the lack of a file system - I used Dropbox on the Files app for my uni stuff so everything was accessible anyway and now I'm not studying anymore, I won't really have use for it. I use Spotify for music and Google Photos backs up my photos (I don't take a lot of photos anyway, only really when I go on holiday) - it's mainly for browsing/digital journaling/youtube etc. Things that I can do on my phone, but are much better on a bigger screen.



Thanks for the link! That's perfect! I might have to get one once storage on iPad gets full. I'm only planning on getting the 64GB as I don't really need that much storage, but still want to store some things - so this is great! Might just give my existing hard drive to my sister to use with my laptop as that will fill up pretty quick!

In that case, selling/handing over your laptop is a completely reasonable move. I think that moving to an iPad will make some tasks harder for you, but buying a MacBook Pro might not be the best choice. It's worth getting the iPad to see how things are. The 2017 model will likely get reduced soon after the release of the new models, so as long as you aren't tempted by the display or other changes of the new model, there will be an opportunity to save some money on the price. Apple may also increase the prices once again so the current models may cost less anyway.