iPad Pro John Gruber made some interesting points about iPad

[code-m]

Part of it is the elephant in the room. Making the iPad into a computer would mean a loss of sales of computers. The hardware in theory should be able to run iPad and OSX. Just add that option when attached to a Magic Keyboard and problem solved. This is a case of wanting to have your cake and eat it too on Apple's part.
It should not be forgotten that when you add the price of the Magic Keyboard and pencil you have a price point higher than an Air and depending on the the model Air/Pro and size 11/12.9 the total price rivals the MacBook Pro prices which is ridiculous.

I would say bring Finder and 100% of its macOS functionality to iPadOS 17. Bring the ability to backup an iPhone or another iPad or even macOS volumes to it. Guest login mode and Child mode. I think people want macOS functionality in iPadOS not necessary macOS and the ability to run those apps. We are seeing some traction with pro apps and I hope it improves and speeds up.

StageManager is a mess in its presently implemented.

The key benefit of an iPad is that the user can use or convert it to whatever one is unable to do on a laptop. Disconnect the display from the keyboard, reconnect it to the keyboard, draw on it, touch UI/UX, orientation options, etc. It’s one of those products that is inviting and friendly while being fun to use and can accommodate some work related tasks. A Mac is more work orientated while an iPad more pastime.

I enjoy my iPad though I know there are software limitations, I prefer it to surf the web compared to my MBA. It may not make sense to some but it doesn’t have to.

 

[code-m]

Gruber was a guest on MacRumors podcast and they had an interesting discussion about iPad’s state in 2022. Gruber says iPhone is the most important product Apple sells and they can’t afford to introduce features that are half baked a not well-thought out like Stage Manager. Every new feature must be have rock solid use case and implementation. As a result, Apple allocates all of their attention to iOS while the iPadOS team picks up the bread crumbs. Mac is a “finished“ product and doesn’t need much attention.

I agree with him. Stage Manager shows that the iPad is not a priority to the company. Apple basically treats the iPad as a platform with a constant BETA sticker. They still have no idea how to define it in relation to Mac and iPad. Mouse and keyboard? Never. Actually, sure why not. M2 chip? What we do with it? Actually, who cares. Just put it there. It really does seem like Apple relies on people with disposable income to buy expensive iPad’s and accessories to fund the R&D…

Just as iOS was forked and introduced iPadOS, I gather we are already seeing iPadOS 16 being feature forked with full external monitor support and pro apps.

iOS
iPadOS
iPadOS+ (Pro)
macOS

 

[Abazigal]

I enjoy my iPad though I know there are software limitations, I prefer it to surf the web compared to my MBA. It may not make sense to some but it doesn’t have to.

It makes perfect sense to me.

For example, office has maybe like a fraction of the capacity of its desktop counterpart, and this is the 20% that I really need, which in turn means that there is a ton of bloat that I don't need to deal with.

Complexity is not the key selling point of the iPad. Simplicity is.

 

[Admiralbison]

Dump iPadOS on regular iPads and put full blown MacOS on the M iPad Pro line.


Pro OS, Pro Software, Pro Apps, Pro Features, Pro control on a Pro device for Pro users.

Then let us see the iPad Pro grow an identity.


let’s no BS ourselves here, iOS and garbage like stage manager is not cutting it for the iPad Pro line, and looks more ridiculous with M2, M3, M4, M5 etc… iPad Pros.

 

[Kierkegaarden]

I don’t put much stock in Gruber’s comments — he has his own opinion, no different from users who post on this forum. This is the same guy who said Apple was “disingenuous” with their pricing because they ended their prices with “99” — one of most ridiculous comments I’ve ever heard from anyone.

I don’t remember such negative comments about the iPad when iOS ran on both iPhone and iPad — why is this? It seems like iPadOS started off as slightly tweaked iOS, but lately there has been more separation between the two. Maybe Gruber has unreasonable expectations that iPadOS would become more like macOS.

Regarding Stage Manager, I find it a useful feature and I’ve had zero issues with it. I think it’s the best iPad feature they’ve put out, but you aren’t being forced to use it.

 

[Booji]

I don’t put much stock in Gruber’s comments — he has his own opinion, no different from users who post on this forum. This is the same guy who said Apple was “disingenuous” with their pricing because they ended their prices with “99” — one of most ridiculous comments I’ve ever heard from anyone.

I don’t remember such negative comments about the iPad when iOS ran on both iPhone and iPad — why is this? It seems like iPadOS started off as slightly tweaked iOS, but lately there has been more separation between the two. Maybe Gruber has unreasonable expectations that iPadOS would become more like macOS.

Regarding Stage Manager, I find it a useful feature and I’ve had zero issues with it. I think it’s the best iPad feature they’ve put out, but you aren’t being forced to use it.

Yup, my iPad Pro M1 11" is my favorite apple device that I own. Lightweight, easy to use, amazing selection of apps, and advanced hardware.

Stage manager makes it better. If you don't like it, it is easy to turn off.

 

[stinkhorn9]

I personally think people forget that the iPad is a device made to be much more portable than a laptop but yet isn’t meant to be a computer computer In all technical terms.

I agree. And by the time you've attached one to a magic keyboard folio thingie, it's no more portable than a laptop, not much cheaper than a laptop - and not as good as a laptop.

 

[HackMacDaddy]

It's embarassing and unbelievable that the richest company on earth is not able to have more than one "good team" which is the iPhone team. With these unlimited resources they could have incredible teams and every product including software should be amazing.

 

[Gudi]

He's got the facts right, macOS is most mature and iOS is most important. But his conclusion that iPadOS is basically an experimental playground for second-rate Apple programmers? Nah! That's a stretch.

 

[ian87w]

It's embarassing and unbelievable that the richest company on earth is not able to have more than one "good team" which is the iPhone team. With these unlimited resources they could have incredible teams and every product including software should be amazing.

Wait, the iPhone team is a "good" team? Have you seen iOS15 and 16 bug-fest?

Currently, the only good team is probably Srouji's team, delivering the best silicon for Apple year after year. The rest kinda sucks. The software team is just bad, and the design team seems to be losing their heads.

The iPhone team arguably is just coasting right now. They are on 3-years design cycle (instead of 2 before), and probably still using designs that were already in the pipeline when Johnny Ive was still with the company. With the design head leaving, makes you wonder how long they can coast along.

 

[gutferric]

Speaking as a fiscal Conservative, I appreciate Apple’s disciplined approach to product development. A thousand noses for every yes. It just works.

 

[Booji]

Speaking as a fiscal Conservative, I appreciate Apple’s disciplined approach to product development. A thousand noses for every yes. It just works.

Exactly - they never promise to be everything to everybody - I thought that I could have it all in one device with a Surface Pro but was sadly disappointed and went back to Mac plus iPad.

 

[darngooddesign]

I've never seen so many people complain about a device being made faster because faster chips are available.

It's hillarious.

 

[darngooddesign]

Dump iPadOS on regular iPads and put full blown MacOS on the M iPad Pro line.

Thats a good way to end up with a computer that throttles because there is no fan, no vents, a screen on top instead of a keyboard to vent heat through, and less internal space for components and cooling than the M2 Air.

So you'll end up with a compromised version of MacOS.

And tons of complaints about planned obsolescence because Apple isn't putting MacOS on all their iPads.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Stage manager makes it better. If you don't like it, it is easy to turn off.

You even have to take a step to turn it on, so anyone who’s dealing with it but not liking it, they brought it on themselves.

My disconnect was “Why isn’t this working like slideover and split screen? I’m used to that!” That, of course ended when I tried using Stage Manager like… you know, Stage Manager

 

[Macmamamac]

Stage Manager is great. I hope they keep improving on it every year. Sidecar on the other hand has always been terrible.

Try using it with desktop Photoshop even now.

 

[Retskrad]

delete

 

[Student of Life]

Thats a good way to end up with a computer that throttles because there is no fan, no vents, a screen on top instead of a keyboard to vent heat through, and less internal space for components and cooling than the M2 Air.

So you'll end up with a compromised version of MacOS.

And tons of complaints about planned obsolescence because Apple isn't putting MacOS on all their iPads.

How? The M3 has lower power consumption. The MacBook Air has no fans and it works great. Sure you won’t get MacBook Pro performance but giving us MacBook Air performance, full OSX is a win. I don’t understand how that would lead to a compromised version of OSX? One can even redesign the MK to hold a battery which would give even more hours of usage etc.

 

[darngooddesign]

How? The M3 has lower power consumption. The MacBook Air has no fans and it works great. Sure you won’t get MacBook Pro performance but giving us MacBook Air performance, full OSX is a win. I don’t understand how that would lead to a compromised version of OSX? One can even redesign the MK to hold a battery which would give even more hours of usage etc.

The M3 doesn't exist yet.

The iPad is sealed while the MBA has openings, like the hinge and the keyboard, for the heat to passively vent through.

You wont even get MacBook Air performance.

 

[SpaceJello]

In Jobs era, the iPad has quite a clear positioning. It is supposed to be the "computer" for the masses, as such, it sits below the Macs in terms of pricing. A basic affordable "computer." Majority of the SKUs are comfortably below the Mac in price points. Consumers have clear distinctions on what to get for their money. But then greed takes over, and Apple wanted to sell $1000 iPads, just how they managed to sell $1000 iPhones. Thus they are building that up with the iPad Pros. As a result, upgrades are pushed towards these models. The original spirit of the iPad is gone. What's left of the basic iPad becomes just that cheap tablet for kids, just like the typical Android tablets. Of course, things would probably be okay if Apple has a vision on what they want to do with the higher end iPad and iPad Pros. But nope. The best thing they can do now is copied Microsoft Surface Pro, turning the iPads into some Frankenstein laptop hybrid with expensive keyboards, because of greed and no vision.

I still remember when Jobs said we already had the best input devices for smartphones and tablets, our fingers.

I was content and enjoyed typing on the iPad screen. Yes, I understand not everyone was comfortable or ready to let go of the physical keyboard… but I was ready to move forward without a physical keyboard just as we all have moved on from those little Blackberry keyboards with our iPhones.

I was happy for the pencil, not because we NEEDED it, but the option was there for artists to precisely utilize the iPads as canvases for painting and sketching. And if people wanted to use them for note-taking… I didn’t see why not. But it wasn’t the main iPad input device.

With the latest iPad keyboard, the one that makes the base iPad look like an exact Surface replica, Apple has really lost any vision or clarity of what it want to be.

We don’t need MacOS on the iPads. We don’t need iPads to duel boot into MacOS. What iPad needs is Mac functionality but through the iPad interface.

That’s what missing.

Now…. If the iPad Pros got such a horrible update this year is because of something big coming next year, I can over look 2022.

 

[iPadified]

Ah, the OP opens another thread with the same topic. The iPad has been a thorn in they eye from the very beginning in some parts of the Mac community. Those are the only ones that are confused.

 

[exoticSpice]

We don’t need MacOS on the iPads. We don’t need iPads to duel boot into MacOS. What iPad needs is Mac functionality but through the iPad interface.

We don't need but some want. What is wrong in choice? They gave the iPad a Mac chip.

Should have branded the M1/M2 as A14X or A15X on the iPad Pro/Air then if they will not give it macOS or mac like features.

 

[exoticSpice]

With the latest iPad keyboard

There has been a keyboard for the iPad since 2017.

 

[exoticSpice]

What iPad needs is Mac functionality but through the iPad interface.

Part of the Mac functionality is desktop apps and sideloading. Apple hasn't even ported FCP or xCode and sideloading is dead on iPad.

HECK, every single Apple product with a screen had a native calculator but the iPad. The iPod touch, the iPhone, the Mac and even the Apple Watch got one.

 

[ian87w]

I still remember when Jobs said we already had the best input devices for smartphones and tablets, our fingers.

I was content and enjoyed typing on the iPad screen. Yes, I understand not everyone was comfortable or ready to let go of the physical keyboard… but I was ready to move forward without a physical keyboard just as we all have moved on from those little Blackberry keyboards with our iPhones.

I was happy for the pencil, not because we NEEDED it, but the option was there for artists to precisely utilize the iPads as canvases for painting and sketching. And if people wanted to use them for note-taking… I didn’t see why not. But it wasn’t the main iPad input device.

With the latest iPad keyboard, the one that makes the base iPad look like an exact Surface replica, Apple has really lost any vision or clarity of what it want to be.

We don’t need MacOS on the iPads. We don’t need iPads to duel boot into MacOS. What iPad needs is Mac functionality but through the iPad interface.

That’s what missing.

Now…. If the iPad Pros got such a horrible update this year is because of something big coming next year, I can over look 2022.

If you look at most iPad marketing materials, eg the iPad 10, it is presented with the keyboard. It's clearly intentional (thus my deduction of greed) as Apple really wants you to buy that expensive keyboard. So they are no longer interested in making the best product, they are just interested in selling expensive accessories, and went as far as cutting corners on the actual products just to sell extra stuff (eg. $10 lightning to USB-C adapter).