I definitely see that traveling around the country - large swaths of rural USA with poor service available. Even good hotels in large cities with lousy Internet service (many not free any more) and now with tiered service plans - pay more to get decent (so they say) bandwidth or multiple connections.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Isn't the iPad Really Just A Toy Still?
- Thread starter parseckadet
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I definitely see that traveling around the country - large swaths of rural USA with poor service available. Even good hotels in large cities with lousy Internet service (many not free any more) and now with tiered service plans - pay more to get decent (so they say) bandwidth or multiple connections.
If you’re stationary in one place that could work. I’d say every other month I’m in a new country picking up a local sim. Sometimes speed is an issue , most times COST becomes an issue. You can eat through 2 gigs very quickly if you’re streaming Apple Music, watching cnn, social media and FaceTime calls.
Here’s an example. I’m consulting in India at the moment. Until last month I was on a prepaid plan (very convenient) and 2 gb with a validity of 28 days cost me around 6 USD. Not super bad but it does add up. Finally I wierd up, did the normal postpaid thing (huge hassle to get id etc) and with a couple of promotions now I have 75gb for 20 usd shared between two phones and a mifi router.
Still not bad. But even that 75 can be chewed up pretty darn quick. And while 20 usd isn’t much for us, locals here would NEVER pay that much. It’s a huge amount. Apple Music is incredibly cheap in India. I think it’s 1.50 compared to our 9.99 but not too many takers. Cost of data, availability of service outside the cities and (usually) no WiFi at home means it’ll be tough to take off.
That really depends on the country. In the Europe we can use included data in any country and the network coverage is generally pretty good everywhere unless you’re at some really remote locations.
After having a tight schedule to do an intensive email I am starting to think that until we get full mouse support to make up for the awful inaccuracies of using a touch interface the iPad is a great consumption machine but not a terribly good working one.
Thankfully I have a 27 iMac to fall back on for that ..
Thankfully I have a 27 iMac to fall back on for that ..
That one's on you bud, not the iPad. You need mouse support? Buy a MacBook.
I just got back from Family Weekend at my son's University, and I didn't see one student using an iPad (or any other tablet). Primarily, I saw MacBook Airs and some Surface Pros.
It is just one point of reference, but the devices used on college campuses provide an important barometer. Maybe, after iPadOS has been out for a while, we will see more college students shift to the iPad. But honestly, if you need to do a significant amount of keyboarding, it really makes more sense to use a keyboard/mouse first OS rather than a touch first device. Also, there are some applications that are not readily available on an iPad. For example, my son is taking a basic stats class, and the professor wants the students to use R.
I would not call an iPad "just a Toy". But, it does have some limitations for certain use cases.
It is just one point of reference, but the devices used on college campuses provide an important barometer. Maybe, after iPadOS has been out for a while, we will see more college students shift to the iPad. But honestly, if you need to do a significant amount of keyboarding, it really makes more sense to use a keyboard/mouse first OS rather than a touch first device. Also, there are some applications that are not readily available on an iPad. For example, my son is taking a basic stats class, and the professor wants the students to use R.
I would not call an iPad "just a Toy". But, it does have some limitations for certain use cases.
And not just R. QGis, ImageJ etc. very important scientific software cannot run on the iPad due to app store limitations and even license incompatibility
An iPad Pro could have easily handled all those tasks bar the code writing unless it has an app for that? No it’s most definitely NOT a toy.. however iPad OS is a buggy mess..
A toy?
I run a international relief organization and teach for a college. I teach, create/edit video lectures as well as present said coursework live or uploaded 7 times each week. I‘m in the States, the college is overseas. I also use FaceTime and an ATV for all staff and project meetings. ALL from my iPad Pro.
I’ve never been able to take my MBP into a typhoon or earthquake hit area and organize live relief aid like I can with my cellular iPad. Cell service is restored way before WiFi during relief efforts.
The iPad serves a huge work role for our onsite teams. Not just for entertainment but saving lives.
My dad is a doctor, head of OB at a hospital California, their paper patient charts are all available on an their iPads. There are countless corporations running specialized apps for real world work environments. Much more work getting accomplished than document writing.
At the end of the day I wouldn’t/couldn't trade iPad for my MBP for my work. However, you have to see if it fits your personal needs. No one can say that but you.
is the iPad a toy? Not in my l of work.
I run a international relief organization and teach for a college. I teach, create/edit video lectures as well as present said coursework live or uploaded 7 times each week. I‘m in the States, the college is overseas. I also use FaceTime and an ATV for all staff and project meetings. ALL from my iPad Pro.
I’ve never been able to take my MBP into a typhoon or earthquake hit area and organize live relief aid like I can with my cellular iPad. Cell service is restored way before WiFi during relief efforts.
The iPad serves a huge work role for our onsite teams. Not just for entertainment but saving lives.
My dad is a doctor, head of OB at a hospital California, their paper patient charts are all available on an their iPads. There are countless corporations running specialized apps for real world work environments. Much more work getting accomplished than document writing.
At the end of the day I wouldn’t/couldn't trade iPad for my MBP for my work. However, you have to see if it fits your personal needs. No one can say that but you.
is the iPad a toy? Not in my l of work.
That's a very fair comment. Although completely unfit for certain tasks, it is instead better than a laptop for some professional workflows. My work is divided between
1) field work: I use my iPhone and a cheap iPad Air2 that I don't mind breaking.
2) photo analysis: I must use a laptop, as the iPad doesn't have the necessary software (ImageJ). If anybody knows a good alternative to imageJ for iOS, please let me know! (Lightroom and Affinity are not, they are great but serve completely different needs).
3) data analysis: I use QGIS and R-studio on my laptop. They do not run on iOS, as the GPL license is not compatible with the Apple App Store. R-studio can be run on the cloud, but Safari on iOS/iPadOS doesn't work well with it...even after 13, which was a disappointment.
4) research paper writing: I do this on my laptop and on a 12.9" iPad Pro. This the field where iPad OS made working on an iPad much better, and actually made me prefer bringing around an iPad + keyboard and mouse instead of a Mac. I only wish Files was a better App and iCloud Drive was a better service...
So is iMac Pro if you use it as just a toy for watching videos. I did a ton of work on iPads and iPadOS only makes them better. They were never “just toys” to begin with.
It's still can't replace my MBP tried to run some internet site and the touch screen with the pen didn't respond accurately
[automerge]1570978026[/automerge]
OK I will compromise with you TOY+
[automerge]1570978026[/automerge]
OK I will compromise with you TOY+
Last edited:
I've owned iPads since the iPad 2 were introduced. Until last year, it was really an email/web browsing convenience device, as well as a "media consumption" device. So, maybe for some people, a "toy," although a very convenient one. During a power/utility outage that lasted a week several years ago, I did run a virtual desktop/remote access app on a cellular iPad and it literally saved the day for a week when I couldn't get in to work.
I have a very different view after buying a 2018 iPP 12.9". It has revolutionized my work in two ways:
1. I now take notes on the iPP in all different sorts of situations (Notability). I don't lose, misplace or misfile notes any more. They're available and can be edited on all my Apple devices.
2. My work involves a great deal of review and mark-up of documents in Word and Acrobat formats. Being able to use the Pencil on a nearly full size screen has greatly increased my efficiency, both reviewing and collaborating. This is immensely faster than trying to use Word or Acrobat to mark up documents or marking them up on paper then scanning and emailing.
3. As a subset of #2, the 12.9" iPP is just big enough for me to display two documents (usually pdf files) side by side in landscape mode to review a revised file next to my markup. Again, this is a huge efficiency gain compared to anything I've done before.
I suppose I could do these things on a Surface Pro, although I have no desire to go back to the Windows platform and, based on using Surface Pros owned by my wife and oldest adult son (30 yo), the SP really can't compete at all with the iPad Pro for pencil/stylus use. And I *can't* do them on a MacBook Pro.
I would say that the 2018 iPad Pro has had a greater positive impact on my workflow and efficiency since we first adopted desktop PCs in 1993. It's been that revolutionary for me.
I have a very different view after buying a 2018 iPP 12.9". It has revolutionized my work in two ways:
1. I now take notes on the iPP in all different sorts of situations (Notability). I don't lose, misplace or misfile notes any more. They're available and can be edited on all my Apple devices.
2. My work involves a great deal of review and mark-up of documents in Word and Acrobat formats. Being able to use the Pencil on a nearly full size screen has greatly increased my efficiency, both reviewing and collaborating. This is immensely faster than trying to use Word or Acrobat to mark up documents or marking them up on paper then scanning and emailing.
3. As a subset of #2, the 12.9" iPP is just big enough for me to display two documents (usually pdf files) side by side in landscape mode to review a revised file next to my markup. Again, this is a huge efficiency gain compared to anything I've done before.
I suppose I could do these things on a Surface Pro, although I have no desire to go back to the Windows platform and, based on using Surface Pros owned by my wife and oldest adult son (30 yo), the SP really can't compete at all with the iPad Pro for pencil/stylus use. And I *can't* do them on a MacBook Pro.
I would say that the 2018 iPad Pro has had a greater positive impact on my workflow and efficiency since we first adopted desktop PCs in 1993. It's been that revolutionary for me.
Still an iPad if that’s what you’re asking. iPad OS does not change that. It‘s just a turn in the right direction, not even a step.
iPad OS is buggy as hell. Files app is practically still in beta testing stage (ui bugs, reports of exFAT read bugs, slow transfers, frequents hangs, even system hangs...) so yeah the fact that you can more conveniently place two “windows” side by side is not a revolution people expected.
in terms of hardware
yep - iPad pro is fast, But very overhyped. It’s ok if the app can use all cores and is super-optimised. Right now I can only think of Luma Fusion as an app that uses the ipad to its full potential.
usb c implementation on the ipad is NOT usb 3 in terms of speed. That sucks big time. the port also does not support enough power for the most demanding external drives (you know, the ones that pros are likely to use). Sucks too.
apple pencil is fine and probably the best in class right now, but:
a) whatever pdf/word markup you can do with it, you can also do with microsoft pen etc
b) it is not a replacement for wacom
All in all, if there’s no app that fits your professional workflow the way you like, iPad will feel like a toy.
iPad OS is buggy as hell. Files app is practically still in beta testing stage (ui bugs, reports of exFAT read bugs, slow transfers, frequents hangs, even system hangs...) so yeah the fact that you can more conveniently place two “windows” side by side is not a revolution people expected.
in terms of hardware
yep - iPad pro is fast, But very overhyped. It’s ok if the app can use all cores and is super-optimised. Right now I can only think of Luma Fusion as an app that uses the ipad to its full potential.
usb c implementation on the ipad is NOT usb 3 in terms of speed. That sucks big time. the port also does not support enough power for the most demanding external drives (you know, the ones that pros are likely to use). Sucks too.
apple pencil is fine and probably the best in class right now, but:
a) whatever pdf/word markup you can do with it, you can also do with microsoft pen etc
b) it is not a replacement for wacom
All in all, if there’s no app that fits your professional workflow the way you like, iPad will feel like a toy.
I used to think iPad Pro was a toy, but I use Notability, Outlook, and LiquidText to examine documents, mark up PDFs, and take notes. I have so many notebooks from work. Being able to easily organize notes and pdfs has been a huge breakthrough for me.
Not sure why this post has gained traction again lately. But please keep in mind that I started this thread almost two and a half YEARS ago. iOS 11 hadn't been released yet, so a lot has changed in that time.
Ok its not a toy but for sure its not a computer yet also my MBP is not doing all what I need because of that I have a PC to cover those cases that Apple don't
Of course it's a computer. Just because it doesn't fill all of your needs doesn't make it not a computer.
I don't necessarily disagree. For me I need a Mac, an iPad, and an iPhone. I do take exception to your insinuation that one has to be a computer and one doesn't have to be.
I need - and will always have - a MBP as my central hub. It's my de facto hub for my music, photos, and iOS device backups. I hate the cloud and devices rogue syncing with each other and the same messages and crap showing up on multiple devices. I keep my devices as divorced from one another as possible with virtually everything turned off, and my MBP as my central hub, which then also backs itself up to a TC.
There's no substitute for a Mac, IMO.
There's no substitute for a Mac, IMO.
I own an iPad Air 3, iPhone XR and Apple Watch series 4. My iPhone serves as my mobile unit, along with the AW, and my iPad serves as my desktop machine along with a Logitech K780 keyboard. That’s it.. I have no other devices.
No, the iPad is not just a toy.
No, the iPad is not just a toy.
I use Notability on my iPad Pro extensively for professional work. The handwriting to Text is great and the pencil replaces all of my paper notebooks. It's a complete game changer.
Yeah, it's not a PC (I have a personal MacBook Air and a Professional Dell Latitude), but it does a ton of important things I need and it has become a huge part of my work experience.