iPad Pro iPad Pro: Very Disappointing

[SnowCrocodile]

I’ve had my 11” iPad Pro since December — about four months now. Now that I’ve put it through its paces, I think I can say confidently that this is a very disappointing product.

I bought it with 512 GB of storage, the M2 processor, 8 GB of RAM, the cellular radio and the Magic Keyboard. For a product at this price point, it is a terrible laptop. I can definitely see the value of a $300 or $400 iPad as an entertainment toy. It’s great at downloading movies for playback while on long flights. But at the price of the iPad Pro, it’s well into laptop territory, as is the hardware capabilities… but it badly disappoints.

I’m not sure where to begin, but the Safari browser is very weak, and so is text selection and editing. Select/copy/paste works so-so on the iPhone, but on a platform like iPad Pro, I should have no difficulty selecting text for copy/paste. But it doesn’t work well on this platform. I downloaded Microsoft Office, and found its performance is fairly slow. I tried brining in RAW photos from my camera for editing with Adobe Lightroom, and it was close to unusable, especially compared to using my MacBook Pro. I tried using it as a slideshow player for my digital photos, and that hasn’t worked out too well. I tried using it with my Magic Mouse, but the scrolling feature of the mouse doesn’t work; I can’t slide my finger on top of the mouse to scroll a window.

I think this system needs to be MacOS with touchscreen support, instead of iPhone OS with keyboard support. As I said, i can see the attraction at the $300-$400 level, but in a $1,000-ish product, I should be able to get at least the same productivity as a laptop. MS Windows has plenty of touchscreen laptops; it’s basically Windows with a touchscreen mouse. Personally, I don’t see much future for the iPad Pro if they’re only going to be large screen iPhones.

It's not a laptop.

It is however a good laptop replacement for basic tasks.

When I go on business trips, I take iPad 11 Pro, a thin BT keyboard, and an external SSD with me so I can do personal computing, when needed on my own device instead of using a company laptop. It takes up very little space, and allows me to do 90% of things I do on my Mac.

But at home, I reach for MacBook.

 

[prospervic]

I never saw it that way before. Makes a little more sense from a marketing standpoint too. Thanks!

You're welcome.

 

[prospervic]

Then just out of curiosity, what is "computing"?

Good question. Actually, during WWII a "computer" was a job. People sat at adding machines and "computed" trajectories for missile launches. Obviously machines took this over years later, but what brains these people must have been!

 

[prospervic]

I was recovering from a neck/head injury last year, and got one of these zero gravity Beds next to my desk, to support neck and spine. I just put my Pad pro below my knees and with top heavy the angle stays flat and easy on my neck. iPad Pro is more comfortable when I am on recliner.

That looks really comfortable. But if this image is of the bed you described, I'm having trouble visualizing how you put the iPad Pro below your knees and work on it. Care to describe the positioning?

 

[sparksd]

Good question. Actually, during WWII a "computer" was a job. People sat at adding machines and "computed" trajectories for missile launches. Obviously machines took this over years later, but what brains these people must have been!

The reference to a human as a computer goes way back, to the 1640's. The earliest known analog device is the Antikythera mechanism, circa 100 BCE.

 

[prospervic]

The reference to a human as a computer goes way back, to the 1640's. The earliest known analog device is the Antikythera mechanism, circa 100 BCE.

Fascinating!

 

[sparksd]

Fascinating!

The Antikythera mechanism is really amazing -

https://www.scientificamerican.com/...ical-calculation-machine-reveals-new-secrets/

 

[prospervic]

The Antikythera mechanism is really amazing -

https://www.scientificamerican.com/...ical-calculation-machine-reveals-new-secrets/

Thanks for that very interesting article. Gotta give it to the ancient Greeks (and the Babylonians and Assyrians).
This would be great material for a sci-fi mini series.

 

[AlmightyKang]

Thanks for that very interesting article. Gotta give it to the ancient Greeks (and the Babylonians and Assyrians).
This would be great material for a sci-fi mini series.

This is what we would like: a viable stargate replacement. Instead we will be cursed with a low production value extremely slow and content-light Netflix documentary.

 

[AlmightyKang]

Got to agree with the points of the OP here. The iPad Pro is a terrible laptop. I tried to use one as a laptop to the point of wasting too much money on the Magic Keyboard for it and wondering what the hell I could have spent it on instead. Actually I must chuck that on eBay this weekend.

Anyway after I got over it I realised that I don’t even like or use laptops. They have the worst aspects of all computers in one. I sit at my Mac mini all day which is plugged into a studio display. I get a massive screen, ethernet and keyboard and mouse which i can move around which is perfect for what I do.

End game is the ipad gets used for what it’s good at which is media consumption, basic admin stuff, scribbling pages of notes on. Turns out this is 100% of what I do when not tied to the desk anyway so the end game is “oh so that’s what an iPad is for”.

I mostly use Goodnotes 5 on it.

But if you treat it as a laptop it’s dire.

 

[d4cloo]

I’ve had my 11” iPad Pro since December — about four months now. Now that I’ve put it through its paces, I think I can say confidently that this is a very disappointing product.

I bought it with 512 GB of storage, the M2 processor, 8 GB of RAM, the cellular radio and the Magic Keyboard. For a product at this price point, it is a terrible laptop. I can definitely see the value of a $300 or $400 iPad as an entertainment toy. It’s great at downloading movies for playback while on long flights. But at the price of the iPad Pro, it’s well into laptop territory, as is the hardware capabilities… but it badly disappoints.

I’m not sure where to begin, but the Safari browser is very weak, and so is text selection and editing. Select/copy/paste works so-so on the iPhone, but on a platform like iPad Pro, I should have no difficulty selecting text for copy/paste. But it doesn’t work well on this platform. I downloaded Microsoft Office, and found its performance is fairly slow. I tried brining in RAW photos from my camera for editing with Adobe Lightroom, and it was close to unusable, especially compared to using my MacBook Pro. I tried using it as a slideshow player for my digital photos, and that hasn’t worked out too well. I tried using it with my Magic Mouse, but the scrolling feature of the mouse doesn’t work; I can’t slide my finger on top of the mouse to scroll a window.

I think this system needs to be MacOS with touchscreen support, instead of iPhone OS with keyboard support. As I said, i can see the attraction at the $300-$400 level, but in a $1,000-ish product, I should be able to get at least the same productivity as a laptop. MS Windows has plenty of touchscreen laptops; it’s basically Windows with a touchscreen mouse. Personally, I don’t see much future for the iPad Pro if they’re only going to be large screen iPhones.

I 100% agree with you. I have an older iPad Pro and decided never ever to buy an iPad again, unless it’s for my kids.

It’s incredibly expensive yet doesn’t deliver on productivity. It’s a handicapped laptop, a confused device that tries to be a professional productivity device but only provides real added value there if you are an artist using a pencil.

The normal iPad in contrast has a much better product positioning. By default it’s this single-task machine focused on casual gaming and media consumption. It’s amazing for Boomers and kids, as long as it’s priced accordingly.

The storage sucks (Tim Cook’s trick to make you spend too much by climbing the spec ladder), which makes buying an older generation with more storage the better option - always.

For most, a laptop is the better option.

 

[iPadified]

You don’t know the Apple website? That’s disappointing.

iPad Pro

iPad Pro features the M4 chip with Apple Intelligence, 11-inch or 13-inch Ultra Retina XDR display, Wi-Fi 6E, 5G, and support for Apple Pencil Pro.

www.apple.com

The section „iPad OS“ after M2 and Display

Remember that Apple marketing team cherry picks apps and Apple own iWorks is rather similar to their desktop apps. Also look at drawing/photo apps such as Affinity that are rather competent so they are not directly lying.

It must be up to the individual user to take the responsibility to confirm that for example Word desktop version run or do not run on the iPad (it does not).

Curious that there are some advanced users that misses this and are fooled by Apple marketing.

 

[iPadified]

For most, a laptop is the better option.

Is that an opinion or a fact based on scietifically sound investigation?

 

[Zest28]

In the end, people here are just a vocal minority. Because in the end, the iPad brings Apple as much money as the entire Mac line up.

 

[Torty]

It's not a laptop.

It is however a good laptop replacement for basic tasks.

When I go on business trips, I take iPad 11 Pro, a thin BT keyboard, and an external SSD with me so I can do personal computing, when needed on my own device instead of using a company laptop. It takes up very little space, and allows me to do 90% of things I do on my Mac.

But at home, I reach for MacBook.

So you are using thr apple products for your private needs as many do. What is that you can’t do on iPad?
I am really interested.

 

[SomnambulantSurgeon]

I'm glad there are different devices.

I've been an iPad Pro user since 2017 and my latest one with Magic Keyboard is the 2021 model. With an M1 processor, it's still faster than I need and the keyboard I love. It's heavier than the Macbook Air and was a lot more expensive but it's not the same device at all.

I use it for all my writing, the majority of document layout, all my movie editing work and most of my comms needs. The battery is still robust, it provides my entertainment and I'd replace it in an instant if it broke.

I do have a Mac mini in the house but I couldn't even tell you if its powered on or not. If I do use the mini it's to complete a task that I don't have time for on the iPad (like I'm leaving the house and going out with the iPad so I set a task running on the Mac mini over VNC so it's ready when I get back...or more likely the output is sitting on iCloud and automatically uploading while I travel).

I was hoping for an M-series iPad mini soon just because I want a device that fits in my jacket. I'm all-in on iPad OS. It does everything I need and a heap besides.

 

[spiderman0616]

You did not need to buy all this gear first to find this out. The iPad has been around for 14 years.

 

[aows]

I was very disappointed as well when I tried to make the iPad my laptop replacement a few years ago. Back then, an 11" iPP was so much better at everything than my old, big and heavy MacBook Pro with some Intel CPU I already forgot about. It was faster, more portable, and that battery life was incredible coming from the Mac. The MacBook Air M1 changed all of that. Now, the laptop was fast, it had amazing battery life, and even more portable than the iPad with the Magic Keyboard attached to it.

I think Apple is losing its way when it comes to the iPad. It is and it should remain a tablet, that's what Steve Jobs said it was when it was first introduced... a device between your phone and your computer. And being sandwiched between those categories, it comes with many compromises because it does phone and computer stuff terribly, but there are a few things that does better than the other two: mostly media consumption. And that's what most people use it for.

Instead of trying to make the iPad what is not, I'd welcome better integration with my computer. Being able to use it as a second display is amazing, for example. I'm looking to add an iPad Air to my workflow so I can use it that way, plus (I hope) use the Pencil to edit photos while I'm mirroring my mac screen on the iPad. That's the touch screen for the mac we were waiting for.

 

[SnowCrocodile]

So you are using thr apple products for your private needs as many do. What is that you can’t do on iPad?
I am really interested.

It's not only what you can't do but also what you can't do without lots of extra work and much inconvenience.

Any multitasking, period, is either severely restricted or requires much more work (tap, tap, tap, tap…) or both. Things like running 3-4 windows at the same time (welcome to the tax period) or drag & drop from Finder.

Any extensive file operation, for example. Synchronizing two folders is impossible on iPad (as far as I know), but also just moving files around and any operation involving two folders is very convoluted and labor consuming compared to the Mac. Working with external storage is also very slow and limited compared to Mac.

Working with spreadsheets, especially multiple spreadsheets or other documents, is also very labor consuming and involves extensive hoop jumping. On top of that, the functionality is limited.

Working with files that are not in the iCloud (e.g. in Onedrive, or in an encrypted volume) in most iPad apps is a convoluted process. You're essentially exporting them to the corresponding program and then saving back to the original location. Takes extra work. On Mac, you just open them in their location and when you're done you exit and it's saved.

Backing up or exporting Apple Notes is impossible on iPad. You can print to PDF but the attachments are gone.

I am not even getting into things like coding etc, since I use my Mac strictly for personal stuff.

If all you do is browse internet and check email, then it doesn't really matter. Although Mac keyboard and trackpad is still better than Magic Keyboard.

 

[eltoslightfoot]

You did not need to buy all this gear first to find this out. The iPad has been around for 14 years.

You see people say that and then we get these loooooong threads on Macrumors about how it can totes replace your macbook and if it can't you are doing it wrong! It totally works no matter what. You just need to twister your way to new and inventive workflows and become a NEW YOU!

So then we try and try and when it doesn't work? Yeah. Here we are. So, no, especially when Apple adds a touchpad (touchpad!!!) and allows you to connect it to a monitor (monitor!!!). So yeah. How are we supposed to know this again?

 

[eltoslightfoot]

It's not only what you can't do but also what you can't do without lots of extra work and much inconvenience.

Any multitasking, period, is either severely restricted or requires much more work (tap, tap, tap, tap…) or both. Things like running 3-4 windows at the same time (welcome to the tax period) or drag & drop from Finder.

Any extensive file operation, for example. Synchronizing two folders is impossible on iPad (as far as I know), but also just moving files around and any operation involving two folders is very convoluted and labor consuming compared to the Mac. Working with external storage is also very slow and limited compared to Mac.

Working with spreadsheets, especially multiple spreadsheets or other documents, is also very labor consuming and involves extensive hoop jumping. On top of that, the functionality is limited.

Working with files that are not in the iCloud (e.g. in Onedrive, or in an encrypted volume) in most iPad apps is a convoluted process. You're essentially exporting them to the corresponding program and then saving back to the original location. Takes extra work. On Mac, you just open them in their location and when you're done you exit and it's saved.

Backing up or exporting Apple Notes is impossible on iPad. You can print to PDF but the attachments are gone.

I am not even getting into things like coding etc, since I use my Mac strictly for personal stuff.

If all you do is browse internet and check email, then it doesn't really matter. Although Mac keyboard and trackpad is still better than Magic Keyboard.

Every. Single. Part. Of. This. A mac conforms to exactly the way I want to work. An iPad Pro makes me conform to exactly the way it wants me to work. Massive difference.

 

[Torty]

It's not only what you can't do but also what you can't do without lots of extra work and much inconvenience.

Any multitasking, period, is either severely restricted or requires much more work (tap, tap, tap, tap…) or both. Things like running 3-4 windows at the same time (welcome to the tax period) or drag & drop from Finder.

Any extensive file operation, for example. Synchronizing two folders is impossible on iPad (as far as I know), but also just moving files around and any operation involving two folders is very convoluted and labor consuming compared to the Mac. Working with external storage is also very slow and limited compared to Mac.

Working with spreadsheets, especially multiple spreadsheets or other documents, is also very labor consuming and involves extensive hoop jumping. On top of that, the functionality is limited.

Working with files that are not in the iCloud (e.g. in Onedrive, or in an encrypted volume) in most iPad apps is a convoluted process. You're essentially exporting them to the corresponding program and then saving back to the original location. Takes extra work. On Mac, you just open them in their location and when you're done you exit and it's saved.

Backing up or exporting Apple Notes is impossible on iPad. You can print to PDF but the attachments are gone.

I am not even getting into things like coding etc, since I use my Mac strictly for personal stuff.

If all you do is browse internet and check email, then it doesn't really matter. Although Mac keyboard and trackpad is still better than Magic Keyboard.

Thanks for explanation. Sounds to me it's not about limited functionality on the iPad but that you are used to another OS (macOS) than to iPadOS. Someone who always and only worked with iPads would probably say the same when giving them macOS for their work.

Edit: First thing they would to is touching the screen and wondering that it doesn't do anything

 

[eltoslightfoot]

Thanks for explanation. Sounds to me it's not about limited functionality on the iPad but that you are used to another OS (macOS) than to iPadOS. Someone who always and only worked with iPads would probably say the same when giving them macOS for their work.

Edit: First thing they would to is touching the screen and wondering that it doesn't do anything

It could totally be both, you know. It is definitely about the limited functionality of iPad OS, but an increasingly large cohort of the population wouldn't understand that it is limited and why it is limited.

It's like building computers and getting into electronics to figure out how they work. Fewer people in the last 20 to 30 years even care about how and why this stuff works. And it's the older people that have to fix everything LOL. (And yes this is a generalization. I get that. It's generally true though.)

 

[SnowCrocodile]

Thanks for explanation. Sounds to me it's not about limited functionality on the iPad but that you are used to another OS (macOS) than to iPadOS. Someone who always and only worked with iPads would probably say the same when giving them macOS for their work.

Edit: First thing they would to is touching the screen and wondering that it doesn't do anything

No, I actually tried to use the iPad Pro as my primary device for over a year before I finally gave in and bought a Macbook. It was just too limiting and time consuming. If I didn’t do much multitasking or file management, it could be different.

 

[Mainsail]

The iPad was developed as a third kind of device that sits between a laptop and a smartphone (watch Jobs' 2010 launch). Really, it was a response to the low cost Netbook market. Anyway, as an intermediate device for consumption and light mobile productivity, I think the iPad is excellent. The problems start when you try to use it as a laptop.....even though it isn't a laptop. This is just not the original design criteria for the iPad. Again, it was always intended as a third type of device.

There are other issues. The lines between devices have become increasingly blurred. Smartphones have larger screens (6.7" vs 3.5"). MacBook Airs are light, thin, portable computers with longer battery life than iPads. The keyboard and trackpad was added to the iPad, so it got a laptop-like feels. Blurring the lines has been good for consumers because these devices are much better and more capable than they were in 2010. But, it creates some consumer confusion and controversy over what to buy and how best to use the devices.

If you are feeling frustrated about what to buy and you want to keep it to two devices, I would go smartphone plus MBA for most everyday consumers that need to do typical school or office work. If you can afford three devices, I would keep them in their respective lanes, and add the basic iPad for consumption and light productivity. If you are an artist or design creative, then maybe splurge on a Pro iPad, but this is a relatively small percentage of the population. I would guess most iPad Pro buyers still have a Mac for heavy lifting. Anyway, my two cents.