iPad Pro iPad Pro: Very Disappointing

[bondr006]

Than here is the point where we have a different understanding. Its fine for a „home studio“. Commercials are kind of art. You can do commercials with pen and paper but this doesn’t make it to a „movie studio“.

Can't think of any commercials I've seen made with pen and paper(maybe you're talking about the script?), even so, you would still need to film and process it to air it on tv.

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree, and that's ok too.

 

[john123]

12.9" mini-LED iPad Pro has a bit of a personality disorder. It's too unwieldily as a tablet, and when you start using it primarily with a Magic Keyboard then it quickly starts to feel like half a laptop with a minuscule trackpad and crippled operating system. For media consumption, a vanilla iPad makes more sense, but paradoxically it has a screen less suited to media consumption. And this divide will be even greater once the Pro gets OLED. Once again I would be left with choice paralysis at checkout. Pretty much par for the course with any Apple purchase these days - too many choices, all of which are too compromised.

There is a market in between. I feel like you do about my 12.9 and use it rarely. I bought one for my 73 year old dad, however, and he loves it. Granted, it's a glorified and overpriced thing to use to read newspapers, watch movies, and stay connected to the internet while traveling in a thin form factor. And as much as I don't use mine at home, I DO wish I'd taken it on my last trip.

Anyway, there are plenty of people like my old man out there, and there are various use cases for it. They're just a bit more niche. But hey, as long as people are willing to pay for it, getting sheep like me to pay the Apple Tax seems to be working out just fine.

 

[prospervic]

12.9" mini-LED iPad Pro has a bit of a personality disorder. It's too unwieldily as a tablet, and when you start using it primarily with a Magic Keyboard then it quickly starts to feel like half a laptop with a minuscule trackpad and crippled operating system. For media consumption, a vanilla iPad makes more sense, but paradoxically it has a screen less suited to media consumption. And this divide will be even greater once the Pro gets OLED. Once again I would be left with choice paralysis at checkout. Pretty much par for the course with any Apple purchase these days - too many choices, all of which are too compromised.

Rumor is that Apple is bringing OLED to all of its screened devices, but this will take 2-3 years to complete.
When it does, an OLED iPad Air will make the most sense for price, performance and value.

 

[blotchy-veil]

the iPad experience needs to be brought up to par with the MacBook experience if Apple is going to market it as a pro device

There’s even Apple sites that relegate the iPad to second-class status. The data download page only lets you download the data archives from Mac or PC, despite iPadOS (and even iOS) being able to handle ZIP archives and the file types contained within. It’s an arbitrary restriction. I can do probably 99% of what I need an iPad Pro, ignoring the small UI/UX issues not present on macOS, but the last 1% requires an OS that isn’t hobbled by developers (both on Apple and third-party side). And that’s not even for “professional” use.

 

[Alameda]

There is a market in between. I feel like you do about my 12.9 and use it rarely. I bought one for my 73 year old dad, however, and he loves it. Granted, it's a glorified and overpriced thing to use to read newspapers, watch movies, and stay connected to the internet while traveling in a thin form factor. And as much as I don't use mine at home, I DO wish I'd taken it on my last trip.

Anyway, there are plenty of people like my old man out there, and there are various use cases for it. They're just a bit more niche. But hey, as long as people are willing to pay for it, getting sheep like me to pay the Apple Tax seems to be working out just fine.

Travelling with iPad is a lot easier than travelling with a MacBook Pro. In airplanes, they don't make me put the iPad away for takeoff and landing, because it's so small. There is a lot to like about iPad. The more I use it, the more impressed I get, but there are some frustrations too.

 

[Supermallet]

There’s even Apple sites that relegate the iPad to second-class status. The data download page only lets you download the data archives from Mac or PC, despite iPadOS (and even iOS) being able to handle ZIP archives and the file types contained within. It’s an arbitrary restriction. I can do probably 99% of what I need an iPad Pro, ignoring the small UI/UX issues not present on macOS, but the last 1% requires an OS that isn’t hobbled by developers (both on Apple and third-party side). And that’s not even for “professional” use.

Yep, it’s death by a thousand cuts. There isn’t one major glaring issue with using the iPad as a productivity computer, there are a myriad of small ones that add up to it feeling glaring. Again, this is only referring to those of us who feel frustrated by this, more power to the people who love using their iPad as their primary machine.

 

[TechnoMonk]

Wow! Well.... this is a surprise!
I returned from my travels and plugged my iPad into my Thunderbolt dock. Nearly everything worked! The 4K monitor, SD card, CFExpress card, SSD drive, Ethernet, Logitech keyboard/mouse and the webcam all worked! The only glitch I have is getting microphone to work with videoconferencing, but I'll probably sort that out.
View attachment 2365522

What video conferencing service are you using? Glad to hear most of the issues are sorted.

 

[Digitalguy]

Travelling with iPad is a lot easier than travelling with a MacBook Pro. In airplanes, they don't make me put the iPad away for takeoff and landing, because it's so small. There is a lot to like about iPad. The more I use it, the more impressed I get, but there are some frustrations too.

This is kind of a grey area, I have see flight attendants require Magic Keyboard iPads to be put away. Also I have been using surface pro devices and either put them on my legs or flip the keyboard under the device when the flight attendant passed by during take-off and landing (they generally sit down after a while) so that the pass as "tablets"

 

[bluedoggiant]

Travelling with iPad is a lot easier than travelling with a MacBook Pro. In airplanes, they don't make me put the iPad away for takeoff and landing, because it's so small. There is a lot to like about iPad. The more I use it, the more impressed I get, but there are some frustrations too.

This. I got an MK for my 6y old iPad Pro and it feels like I’ve just purchased a whole new device. It’s really a game changer. So long as you’re not expecting it to be a Mac. YMMV

 

[maxoakland]

I don’t think Windows is a better system, I was just pointing out that adding touch screen support to a desktop OS isn’t a big deal. I find that a lot of operations are far slower on the iPad than they are on my MacBook Pro, even though they use the same CPU.

You’ve never heard of Windows 8?

 

[iPadified]

Why is it we always assume that the tool/app needs to be to notch to be useful in an often undefined professional setting? For some, watered down versions are sufficient to meet professional demands for others not.

Before saying, in sweeping statements, that the iPad cannot be used for professional work, analyse the specific tasks to be done to meet the professional demand and see if the iPad software is sufficient. Take into account that the professional demands vary greatly. I assume that editing a video of a real estate does not require nearly as much as a Hollywood movie so iPad version maybe sufficient or even more efficient.

Out of curiosity, how much time do you spend on file management per day? 1%? 10%? I probably use <1%.

 

[eltoslightfoot]

Why is it we always assume that the tool/app needs to be to notch to be useful in an often undefined professional setting? For some, watered down versions are sufficient to meet professional demands for others not.

Before saying, in sweeping statements, that the iPad cannot be used for professional work, analyse the specific tasks to be done to meet the professional demand and see if the iPad software is sufficient. Take into account that the professional demands vary greatly. I assume that editing a video of a real estate does not require nearly as much as a Hollywood movie so iPad version maybe sufficient or even more efficient.

Out of curiosity, how much time do you spend on file management per day? 1%? 10%? I probably use <1%.

The counter to this is also equally true. Why is it when the professional setting is undefined, people can't possibly accept that legitimate workflows exist outside the ability of iPad apps and iPadOS? And a lot of this isn't down to just one "issue" with file management. It's more like that 1% of time when you do that bloats itself to 20% as you come up with a workaround. And then it's now how do I grab this file.

Also, I have noticed that a lot of iPad primary/only users are able to just use their iPad and nothing else like 95% of the time. This isn't the case for many of us. I use Azure Virtual Desktop to remote into my work virtual desktop (Win10) and then from there I develop on different servers for like 9 hours every day. For my writing and other things, I use mac. So a single iPad option was probably not in the cards anyway when one spends like 60 hours a week in Windows and Mac. LOL. I have said it before, if the Mac had Apple Pencil support for notes, I would ditch the iPad in a heartbeat at this point.

Honestly, the iPad is fine now that I have truly accepted it for what it is. And more importantly, what it isn't. I get that not everyone needs a terminal session, FTP, XCode, the ability to connect non-bluetooth peripherals for ergonomic reasons, etc., But for those of us that like being able to make custom keyboard shortcuts with Alfred to switch specific wifi networks by name? An iPad was never going to work. I am just too used to tinkering instead of accepting.

Tldr; MacOS conforms to the way I want to work, iPadOS makes me conform to the way it wants to work--if it will work at all for what I want to do.

 

[GCat]

I’ve made this point before:

First, I wish everyone had the opportunity to get exactly the product they want, like an iPad Pro running MacOS. That’s the ideal world.

However, in the real world, the vast and—on this forum—mostly silent majority is highly satisfied with what the iPad is. There are three iPads in my household, and tons of my friends and coworkers own iPads. I’ve never, not even once, heard any of them express a desire to run MacOS on their iPad. When I travel I bring my iPad Pro and my MacBook Pro 16’’ with me. You may or may not like it, but the free market does not supply products that are not in sufficiently high demand.

The one thing I’ve been looking forward to is a better screen, and fortunately that will happen soon. The iPad Pro 2021 MiniLED screen was a huge upgrade over my previous 2018 iPad Pro. 😉

 

[Gewurtz66]

Really?
So Microsoft is so much smarter than Apple that they can do it but Apple’s engineers are just too doggone dumb to pull it off?
Apple makes over one billion dollars a day. Surely it’s “no big deal” for a company of that size.

I think the much more plausible explanation is that Apple has made a definite design / interaction decision in relation to keeping touchscreen support out of MacOS.

 

[TechnoMonk]

I’ve made this point before:

First, I wish everyone had the opportunity to get exactly the product they want, like an iPad Pro running MacOS. That’s the ideal world.

However, in the real world, the vast and—on this forum—mostly silent majority is highly satisfied with what the iPad is. There are three iPads in my household, and tons of my friends and coworkers own iPads. I’ve never, not even once, heard any of them express a desire to run MacOS on their iPad. When I travel I bring my iPad Pro and my MacBook Pro 16’’ with me. You may or may not like it, but the free market does not supply products that are not in sufficiently high demand.

The one thing I’ve been looking forward to is a better screen, and fortunately that will happen soon. The iPad Pro 2021 MiniLED screen was a huge upgrade over my previous 2018 iPad Pro. 😉

Reminds me of vocal minority pushing iPhone Mini, failed miserably outside few in an echo chamber.

 

[iPadified]

The counter to this is also equally true. Why is it when the professional setting is undefined, people can't possibly accept that legitimate workflows exist outside the ability of iPad apps and iPadOS?

Sure we do: we say frequently “buy a Mac if the iPad does not fit your needs”. Looking at you use case, trying to get that to work on an iPad is an interesting but not really serious experiment. Complaining about an OS that never was meant to meet these computer demands is unfair.

 

[eltoslightfoot]

Sure we do: we say frequently “buy a Mac if the iPad does not fit your needs”. Looking at you use case, trying to get that to work on an iPad is an interesting but not really serious experiment. Complaining about an OS that never was meant to meet these computer demands is unfair.

Fair enough. Excepting you, I often don't see that from people on that side of the fence. It's, git gud on iPad, noob. Change your workflows and then everything magically will work.

Thanks to you and the others that want a genuine conversation for those kind of stuck in the middle--wishing we could get by with one device that has Apple Pencil support. Again, if my macbook had 360 degree hinges, and Apple Pencil support, I would ditch the iPad tomorrow.

And I don't actually see accepting the iPad for what it is as complaining. Saying how awesome it would be to marry the best hardware (iPad Pro, Magic Keyboard, Apple Pencil 2) with the best software (MacOS) isn't complaining to me, it's wishing--as in it won't happen, but it would be so cool if it did.

 

[TechnoMonk]

Fair enough. Excepting you, I often don't see that from people on that side of the fence. It's, git gud on iPad, noob. Change your workflows and then everything magically will work.

Thanks to you and the others that want a genuine conversation for those kind of stuck in the middle--wishing we could get by with one device that has Apple Pencil support. Again, if my macbook had 360 degree hinges, and Apple Pencil support, I would ditch the iPad tomorrow.

And I don't actually see accepting the iPad for what it is as complaining. Saying how awesome it would be to marry the best hardware (iPad Pro, Magic Keyboard, Apple Pencil 2) with the best software (MacOS) isn't complaining to me, it's wishing--as in it won't happen, but it would be so cool if it did.

No one is implying change your workflow it will work. That said if you want to see a mac in iPad, it isn’t for you. Try using internet/apps on your phone like a Mac. Most people do stuff on their devices which needed a computer before iPhone. It’s simple as that, if your workflow works better with iPad Pro, use it, if not stick to Mac. I don’t understand why every help on iPad Pro thread has to turn in to philosophical debate, help OP if you can.
I tried hard to get a windows tablet/laptop combo, it was terrible. If you need a 2-1 tablet/mac combo, it probably won’t happen.

 

[Saturn007]

Tldr; MacOS conforms to the way I want to work, iPadOS makes me conform to the way it wants to work--if it will work at all for what I want to do.

While my take is different, I appreciated your thought-provoking comments!

For me, the OS is mostly irrelevant — what matters is the form factor of the device, the uses, and the programs or apps. The Mac and the iPad were both a revolution — intimate, magical, accessible. They both opened up new ways of being with technology. Never felt constrained or that I had to *conform* to either. Indeed, both felt liberating.

In addition, never felt that I wanted either device or OS to conform to how I worked. Right from the get-go, they seemed brilliantly designed, intuitive, and engaging. My ways of exploring, researching, analyzing, writing, playing, discovering, etc. were interactions with the devices and the particular apps I used — and changed over time. I compared and assessed programs and apps, and chose ones that felt more involving, more powerful, and easier to use. I much appreciated the improvements in my favorite programs and apps over the years. The OS again was largely immaterial. In fact, many Mac, iPhone, and iPad OS overhauls have often been often drastic disruptions.

Your concluding comment brought to mind a nagging question I’ve had about TLDR…

I keep seeing it placed at the *end* of comments. But doesn't it belong at the beginning?! After all, if it means “Too long, don't read”, it should come first.* Even there, it really doesn't make sense. Followed literally, one wouldn't even read the one sentence synopsis that follows! 🙈

Maybe it should be: STRTI:

”Save Time, Read This Instead: ” 😁​

​

And, be placed right at the start of a long comment.​

​

——————

*P.S. Looked it up. So, TLDR is “Too long, didn't read.” In which case, they will have skipped the comment, anyway, likely ignored the summation at the end, and jumped to the next post. Maybe, there should be an alternative acronym that means

“You lazy bum! I took time to write profound thoughts and you skipped them. Whatever happened to FOMO?!”​

YLBITTTWPTAYSTWHTFOMO​

Needs work, obviously!

 

[blotchy-veil]

*P.S. Looked it up. So, TLDR is “Too long, didn't read.” In which case, they will have skipped the comment, anyway, likely ignored the summation at the end, and jumped to the next post.

TLDR is originally a reply to dismissively show that you didn’t read a long post. Then people started preemptively putting the “tldr” summary at the end of the post. And some people put it at the beginning because, like you say, it might be skipped over if it’s at the end. TLDR now loosely means “summary of long post”. It’s just a progression of usage.

 

[CEmajr]

This is why I get a cheaper iPad and use a Mac for more serious tasks. I mainly use the iPad for media consumption, occasionally writing (typing) when out and about, and drawing for content with the pencil. The iPad Pro can't really do any of these things much better than the cheaper iPads, it's just faster.

 

[ImKo96]

Apple needs to urgently revise its objectives regarding the iPad. The company has been exploiting customers making them think that they are buying a laptop replacement when in fact, they are buying just a glorified upscaled iOS device with restricting software. Stop with the "one of the best laptops" propaganda make make the iPad a real tablet experience.

 

[sparksd]

Apple needs to urgently revise its objectives regarding the iPad. The company has been exploiting customers making them think that they are buying a laptop replacement when in fact, they are buying just a glorified upscaled iOS device with restricting software. Stop with the "one of the best laptops" propaganda make make the iPad a real tablet experience.

Why? They're making a lot of money off of the current schema so I doubt they see any such urgency at all. I also have no doubt that if Apple saw money to be made that they would make a change.

 

[Moncler]

I don't own an iPad Pro because too many people have reported about all kinds of problems but I can at least confirm one Cubasis bug that is present on all devices:
When looped playback is enabled, Cubasis will send incorrect MIDI Clock messages, and apparently this bug affects AUv3 MIDI too, causing the Cubasis timeline position and the effectively sent sync position drift apart further and further during playback.

 

[eltoslightfoot]

This is why I get a cheaper iPad and use a Mac for more serious tasks. I mainly use the iPad for media consumption, occasionally writing (typing) when out and about, and drawing for content with the pencil. The iPad Pro can't really do any of these things much better than the cheaper iPads, it's just faster.

If I don’t get my dream of a macOS iPad Ultra, then this is what I will do as well. Cheap iPad ftw…