iPad Pro The unusual versatility of the iPad

[Night Spring]

This is such a silly argumentation. It’s like arguing my Festool cordless drill won’t drill in prefab industrial concrete like a heavy Hilti hammer drill on mains does. They are different tools for different uses.
You iPad isn’t the first choice for engineering software. Never has been, never will be. And the fact that it has a M4 chip doesnt mean it becomes a CAD machine.
What it does mean is it can run huge files in Notability, it means it can keep much more tabs in safari open, switch back to the huge Notability file and still not have to reload. It means working in stage manager is much more fluent.
So just like in engineering, use the right and best tool for the job and enjoy the experience of using high quality tools.

I may be wrong, but I think that for the examples you list, an M1 or M2 chip could do just fine. If you are putting an M4 chip in there, I do feel like it should run CAD, or other similarly processor intensive applications.

 

[Aka757]

I may be wrong, but I think that for the examples you list, an M1 or M2 chip could do just fine. If you are putting an M4 chip in there, I do feel like it should run CAD, or other similarly processor intensive applications.

But surely it’s more than just the processor that determines the best use case of a device, right? The interface matters a great deal. The M4 is likely more powerful than the chips in electric cars; does that mean the iPad should be powering a car? Different tools for different jobs.

 

[rwlombard70]

But that’s just the thing - the one with the decades old OS can do more things than an iPad with the exact same hardware (M series chip, keyboard, and mouse/trackpad). In fact, the one with the decades old operating system could do those things with hardware that was vastly inferior to today’s iPads. The hardware today is more than capable of doing more things (including true backgrounding tasks that have been table stakes in other OSs for decades). But Apple is making a deliberate choice to limit the iPad via software. That’s the issue. Apple is selling iPads for Mac prices, marketing them as Mac replacements, and yet crippling the software in ways that limits functionality.

Again, I want to emphasize that I do really like the iPad. It has a place in my workflow that the Mac can‘t replicate. But I don’t think it is unreasonable to want an iPad with a better chip than some Macs and that costs the same as a Mac to be able to do things a Mac can when connected to a keyboard and trackpad (at a minimum).

Again, I’d ask…why should a Mac cost as much (or more) as an iPad without being able to do everything that an iPad can do if an iPad is expected to do everything a Mac is supposed to do? You heard it from the man himself (Steve Jobs) that they aren’t intended to be the same thing. Also, about the OS, as I mentioned in a different post I’ve used Macs since nearly the beginning (my first was a Mac Plus) and that the Mac OS is decades old is a very important distinction! I remember Mac OS when it was 15 years in. It was not even close to the OS you use on Macs today. OS’s take time to mature and Apple isn’t just trying to copy Mac OS onto the iPad. The fact that iOS/iPad OS has matured to the point where it can be the primary OS for so many in such a short time is pretty amazing really. And it is also flawed and doesn’t work for some people. That will always be the case and it is improving steadily.

 

[Ludatyk]

I may be wrong, but I think that for the examples you list, an M1 or M2 chip could do just fine. If you are putting an M4 chip in there, I do feel like it should run CAD, or other similarly processor intensive applications.

Yeah, folks are throwing around loosely use the right tool for the job but there’s some overlap between a traditional laptop and an iPad… since some tasks can be done on both, the process might differ.

But some intensive applications should be available on the iPad... particularly the M4 variant, but it’s kind of odd that some don’t request devs to bring these apps over. Yet, Apple is held accountable.

 

[Isamilis]

iPad is much more useful for traveling companion during holiday; my addition to OP:

• as a game board to play together
• as a music player on the plane (rather than using iPhone - consider its smaller battery)
• as a power bank for iPhone / AirPods
• you can also take family picture with iPad + MK (without asking help from others)
• as reader tablet on plane / while waiting on airport

I also noted that for serious works, iPad alone is not sufficient, but it’s still worth for light work (you’re on holiday anyway).

 

[rwlombard70]

I may be wrong, but I think that for the examples you list, an M1 or M2 chip could do just fine. If you are putting an M4 chip in there, I do feel like it should run CAD, or other similarly processor intensive applications.

So question for you…if Apple just said “Well, the M1 or M2 is good enough for the iPad so we’ll just leave it with those“ how would that go over? The iPhone and Mac’s get new chips every year and don’t do anything substantially different year over year. So why does the M4 mean the iPad has to run CAD?? The biggest point of the M4 is AI, not CAD or other intensive apps. The “should” argument is way too specific to specific workflows and individual user groups. I think the problem here is that some Apple users want the iPad to be the answer for everything they need computer-wise and it just won’t be for everyone. Neither is the Mac (plenty of companies use Windows PC’s because they better serve their needs). The people that use iPad’s as their main computer do so because it fits their needs. For the people that it doesn’t; it likely never will. Cost or the chip has nothing to do with it in my opinion (And you know what they say about opinions…haha!).

 

[dk001]

This is such a silly argumentation. It’s like arguing my Festool cordless drill won’t drill in prefab industrial concrete like a heavy Hilti hammer drill on mains does. They are different tools for different uses.
You iPad isn’t the first choice for engineering software. Never has been, never will be. And the fact that it has a M4 chip doesnt mean it becomes a CAD machine.
What it does mean is it can run huge files in Notability, it means it can keep much more tabs in safari open, switch back to the huge Notability file and still not have to reload. It means working in stage manager is much more fluent.
So just like in engineering, use the right and best tool for the job and enjoy the experience of using high quality tools.

Then I suppose from your perspective those who claim it a laptop replacement is also “silly argumentation”. Not that I fully agree with your comparisons. That’s cool. It does however play against Apple’s claims.

 

[dk001]

It's simply the wrong tool for the job, like how a laptop isn't the right machine to train a few billion parameter LLM. Is the Mac an inferior computer because it doesn't have Microsoft Publisher?

Nice making your point by taking the base premise out of context.

 

[Night Spring]

But surely it’s more than just the processor that determines the best use case of a device, right? The interface matters a great deal. The M4 is likely more powerful than the chips in electric cars; does that mean the iPad should be powering a car? Different tools for different jobs.

Well, since you mention cars, putting M4 in iPad feels like putting jet engine in a car. Way overkill for the job it's meant to do.

Yeah, folks are throwing around loosely use the right tool for the job but there’s some overlap between a traditional laptop and an iPad… since some tasks can be done on both, the process might differ.

But some intensive applications should be available on the iPad... particularly the M4 variant, but it’s kind of odd that some don’t request devs to bring these apps over. Yet, Apple is held accountable.

Yes, lack of apps to take full advantage of M series app is mostly developers fault, but I feel like Apple could be doing more to encourage developers to develop such apps. This is not just with the iPad, but also with the Vision Pro. I feel like Apple just throws out the hardware, and then sits back and waits for people to develop apps and contents, and not enough materialize.

So question for you…if Apple just said “Well, the M1 or M2 is good enough for the iPad so we’ll just leave it with those“ how would that go over? The iPhone and Mac’s get new chips every year and don’t do anything substantially different year over year. So why does the M4 mean the iPad has to run CAD?? The biggest point of the M4 is AI, not CAD or other intensive apps.

Ok, yes, AI could be something the M4 is useful for. And I count that as a processor-intensive app, along with CAD.

But if AI is the only processor intensive app that is widely used on M4 iPads, that feels kind of anemic. To go back to the transportation analogy from above, it feels like you built a fleet of jet planes but are only using them to shuttle between 2 cities, instead of building a larger network transporting people among multiple cities.

 

[dk001]

Yeah, folks are throwing around loosely use the right tool for the job but there’s some overlap between a traditional laptop and an iPad… since some tasks can be done on both, the process might differ.

But some intensive applications should be available on the iPad... particularly the M4 variant, but it’s kind of odd that some don’t request devs to bring these apps over. Yet, Apple is held accountable.

Problem is there are apps I can buy and the Mac vs iPad versions differ. The Mac gets the full while the iPad is crippled. So if I want to use both, I have to buy two licenses and keep in mind that the iPad version can only do some of the things the Mac version can. It isn’t that the devs can’t bring it over, it is that for this level of software, Apple doesn’t allow iPadOS to support the full version. They would have to bring over a crippled version. Frustrating.

 

[rwlombard70]

Well, since you mention cars, putting M4 in iPad feels like putting jet engine in a car. Way overkill for the job it's meant to do.


Yes, lack of apps to take full advantage of M series app is mostly developers fault, but I feel like Apple could be doing more to encourage developers to develop such apps. This is not just with the iPad, but also with the Vision Pro. I feel like Apple just throws out the hardware, and then sits back and waits for people to develop apps and contents, and not enough materialize.


Ok, yes, AI could be something the M4 is useful for. And I count that as a processor-intensive app, along with CAD.

But if AI is the only processor intensive app that is widely used on M4 iPads, that feels kind of anemic. To go back to the transportation analogy from above, it feels like you built a fleet of jet planes but are only using them to shuttle between 2 cities, instead of building a larger network transporting people among multiple cities.

It’s funny because I was going to mention the car thing too. I own a sedan. It’s fast, sporty, gets great gas mileage, corners like it’s on rails and actually has a decent amount of cargo space due to being a hatchback. It shares an engine with an SUV produced by the same manufacturer. The price is comparable for both the sedan and SUV (SUV a bit higher but not much; just like the iPad and Mac). The SUV has more cargo space, greater clearance and is more comfortable for multiple passengers. Same manufacturer, same engine, similar styling, close in price. But my car will never be an SUV and the SUV will never be a car. Different vehicles, different intended jobs; yet still plenty of crossover between the two. Yet no one complains that they can’t do all the same things. Why is that so different with an iPad and Mac? Oh, and my girlfriend has an SUV so yes, we do have both! Lol

 

[Ludatyk]

Yes, lack of apps to take full advantage of M series app is mostly developers fault, but I feel like Apple could be doing more to encourage developers to develop such apps. This is not just with the iPad, but also with the Vision Pro. I feel like Apple just throws out the hardware, and then sits back and waits for people to develop apps and contents, and not enough materialize.

But it’s only so much Apple can do… when there’s this meme of Spiderman’s pointing at each other, because users could share in the blame as well. Awhile back, Panic had this Coda app (now called Nova) for the iPad… absolutely enjoyed using it and was a great iPad app. But they had to discontinue it… because users wasn’t buying it.

They later discontinued Trasmit from the App Store and this is what they stated:

My optimistic take: we hope that as iOS matures, and more and more pro users begin to seriously consider the iPad as a legitimate part of their daily work routines, Transmit iOS can one day return and triumph like it does on the Mac.

Problem is there are apps I can buy and the Mac vs iPad versions differ. The Mac gets the full while the iPad is crippled. So if I want to use both, I have to buy two licenses and keep in mind that the iPad version can only do some of the things the Mac version can. It isn’t that the devs can’t bring it over, it is that for this level of software, Apple doesn’t allow iPadOS to support the full version. They would have to bring over a crippled version. Frustrating.

I’ve yet to see any devs come out in protest claiming Apple doesn’t allow full support for their Mac version. DaVinci Resolve had no problem porting over their full version…. Affinity as well (applied a payment model for both the iPad and Mac), I understand that iPadOS is limited… no disagreement with you there.

But as far as intensive application… that’s on the devs, doesn’t have anything to do with Apple.

 

[Flowstates]

I have an interesting data-point to bring to the debate.

I've been vocal about living and letting leave when debating the specific and personnal utility of an iPad to one's requirement.

But I found myself in a predicament where during the few days I spend without my MBP I had to use my iPad to fill the gap. Meaning that I somewhat had to shoehorn my usual workflow onto the device.

I'm mostly plugged in a 5k Display, so stage manager was essential. A few hurdles to the navigation where the poor implementation of text field continuity (opening a new browser window and being able to directly type into the address without having to re-click the field) and having to fall back on the trackpad which made ergonomics immensly better.

I discovered Moonlight/Sunbeam for local connection to the server, so my more demanding tasks were still doable and were the workarounds not super hacky to make it work around operating from somewhere else than a local network, this software combo could theoretictically enable super cool things.

Anyways, I'll be hopefully getting my computer back tomorrow. And I'll be grateful for it.

But the ability for this one usually supporting device to serve me as a main in time of needs was enlightening as it pertains to the wasted performance potential argument.

Being able to have a tablet drive a 2k + 5k display flawlessly whilst handling decompression was extremely impressive, and I feel that it is for those edge cases that were only enabled by the silicon that the M1/M3 in the iPad shines.

That and better sillicon allocations due to bulk ordering

 

[Night Spring]

It’s funny because I was going to mention the car thing too. I own a sedan. It’s fast, sporty, gets great gas mileage, corners like it’s on rails and actually has a decent amount of cargo space due to being a hatchback. It shares an engine with an SUV produced by the same manufacturer. The price is comparable for both the sedan and SUV (SUV a bit higher but not much; just like the iPad and Mac). The SUV has more cargo space, greater clearance and is more comfortable for multiple passengers. Same manufacturer, same engine, similar styling, close in price. But my car will never be an SUV and the SUV will never be a car. Different vehicles, different intended jobs; yet still plenty of crossover between the two. Yet no one complains that they can’t do all the same things. Why is that so different with an iPad and Mac? Oh, and my girlfriend has an SUV so yes, we do have both! Lol

I think the difference is that iPad has weird limitations that feels unnecessarily constricting. For instance, in this Other thread, people are complaining about iPad apps closing when you switch away. Part of it is developers not accounting properly for sudden app shut downs, but it's also the OS's fault for causing shut downs so often. But this isn't a problem on the Mac. I guess in the car analogy, it'd be like if your sedan stalled every so often when you pushed your brake too quickly, but this never happened with the SUV. Yet they are the same or almost same price.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

I found 1 complaint earlier today when I was using a color picker without my pencil - an option for a precise pointer would be very nice.

 

[Zdigital2015]

I believe outside of some loud Internet forums and sites that insist that the iPad is useless because it doesn’t act how they insist it must, most actual iPad users love the things.

iPadOS can do 80% of what I do on my Mac, the next 10% is way harder and then there’s the last 10% that just isn’t getting done on an iPad. If Apple would just reduce certain friction points (fonts, recording from more than one app at a time, some printing issues, et al.) most people could live without that last 10% of things (Xcode, Terminal, et al.) and replace their Mac, if that is what they want to do. Personally, I like both my Mac and my iPad, so I have a bit of dilemma all the time. I try to pick the platform based on the task at hand.

 

[rwlombard70]

I think the difference is that iPad has weird limitations that feels unnecessarily constricting. For instance, in this Other thread, people are complaining about iPad apps closing when you switch away. Part of it is developers not accounting properly for sudden app shut downs, but it's also the OS's fault for causing shut downs so often. But this isn't a problem on the Mac. I guess in the car analogy, it'd be like if your sedan stalled every so often when you pushed your brake too quickly, but this never happened with the SUV. Yet they are the same or almost same price.

That EXACT same thing did happen with our cars! Haha! Kidding. That’s a good point and I absolutely agree that background processes is the biggest problem for the iPad. Apple has even said it doesn’t intend to have much going on in the background. This causes problems for a lot of users that need it. I don’t for the most part. The sandboxing nature of the apps is limiting and hopefully that will improve going forward.

 

[AbhijitD]

First of all, iPad is not a Mac replacement and should not be treated as such. iPad has its own use cases. Except for the first Kindle tablets that were marketed for exactly what they were - media consumption devices, other Android tablet manufacturers never understood what tablets were actually for and some even started marketing them as kind of handheld PCs. And that's what spilled over to a portion of the iPad crowd who started comparing it to Macs.

As far as I am concerned I own a iPad mini 6th gen (although not a Pro) for reading books and news articles, watching movies, playing games, editing images and writing stuff on the go and it perfectly suits my use cases.

 

[rui no onna]

I think the difference is that iPad has weird limitations that feels unnecessarily constricting. For instance, in this Other thread, people are complaining about iPad apps closing when you switch away. Part of it is developers not accounting properly for sudden app shut downs, but it's also the OS's fault for causing shut downs so often. But this isn't a problem on the Mac.

For what it’s worth, Stage Manager seems better at keeping apps active specially when they're on the same "stage".

Like when I do a search on Mail, I'd still have the search results available when I switch apps on Stage Manager but with Stage Manager disabled, they'll be gone.

 

[stocklen]

It’s not just because the iPad doesn’t act as some users “insist it must”. It’s also because it doesn’t behave in the way Apple advertises it. Apple pushes the iPad Pro partially as a laptop replacement (your next computer isn’t a computer), a portable productivity powerhouse. Apple puts hardware that exceeds the specs of some Macs and charges prices that exceed that of some Macs.

But then there are all these software limitations that prevent the iPad from doing basic things Macs have been able to do for decades. Want to have more than 4 windows open at a time? No can do. Are you a pro that uses Final Cut? You literally can’t leave the app during an export without cancelling it.

These sorts of limitations are all results of the fact that iOS (yes, it’s still iOS despite the rebranding a few years ago) is a phone OS designed around aggressively protecting very scarce system resources. These limitations were understandable back when the iPad was a $500 device running on a phone processor with 256 MB of RAM. But now it’s a $1000-$2000 device with specs that exceed those of many Macs and that Apple advertises as being able to replace a Mac for many people. For that money and with that kind of advertising, these limitations are unacceptable and I don’t think the people pointing them out are being at all unreasonable.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my iPad for what it is. It’s an amazing tablet that can do many unique things. But the prices Apple has started charging for these things is getting absurd. And it’s especially infuriating that Apple is both charging Mac prices and artificially limiting what the device can do via software.

A lot of what you say has merit, but since when has apple claimed its a 'laptop replacement'
Just because it's a computer doesn't automatically make it a laptop replacement any more than it makes it an iMac replacement or any other paradigm of computing. Apple would never claim as much as it would eat into their own laptop market.

It it perfectly capable of being your only computer and it does so admirably for many people I know.

Yes there are pro use cases where a laptop makes more sense - your exporting example is a good one.

How many normal users want or need more than 4 windows open at a time on their computer?

Yes, the prices are creeping up but dont they always.

It always fascinates me the argument of 'I want MacOS on my iPad' - thankfully I dont see that happening for a long, long time and when it does it will be the ultimate and inevitable merging of OSes but the hardware will also evolve too.
The whole point of an OS is to sit there in the background allowing you to get to, and use an app. Thats all it's there for. MacOS does this well, and so does iPadOS they certainly dont need to be the same. In fact, almost all the iPad users I know would be very upset to lose their simplified touch interface for anything close to MacOS as its one of the defining reasons they bought and iPad in the first place.

 

[firoze]

I‘ve been primarily an iPad Pro user for the past 6-7 years. Up until April, I ran my consulting business entirely on my iPad Pro including the cloud based, database programming services I provided. Now retired and pursuing my passion for photography, my primary device for managing tens of thousands of raw files is my iPad Pro 12.9” M1. (Soon to be M4?)

I keep a Mac Mini on my desk for one purpose only. It runs my Canon ProGraph 1000 printer with their ProPrint software, outputting my black & white files to display quality prints.

Because I don’t use the Mini as often, it frustrates the heck out of me that tasks easily done on the iPad are so complicated on the Mac. So, I guess I fall into the camp where the iPad HAS all but replaced my computer. I guess it really comes down to what you are most comfortable learning and using.

I like your post. Would you please describe a few of the tasks that you find more complicated on the Mac vs the iPad? Thanks.

 

[firoze]

I use my IPad Pro 12.9” M2 far more than my MBP. I have accepted that both devices have their positive points and their limitations and I live with those. My only wish is that Safari on iPad should be more capable. At the moment there are some websites I use on which it doesn’t work properly, and only for that do it have to switch to the Mac.

 

[TechnoMonk]

It’s not just because the iPad doesn’t act as some users “insist it must”. It’s also because it doesn’t behave in the way Apple advertises it. Apple pushes the iPad Pro partially as a laptop replacement (your next computer isn’t a computer), a portable productivity powerhouse. Apple puts hardware that exceeds the specs of some Macs and charges prices that exceed that of some Macs.

But then there are all these software limitations that prevent the iPad from doing basic things Macs have been able to do for decades. Want to have more than 4 windows open at a time? No can do. Are you a pro that uses Final Cut? You literally can’t leave the app during an export without cancelling it.

These sorts of limitations are all results of the fact that iOS (yes, it’s still iOS despite the rebranding a few years ago) is a phone OS designed around aggressively protecting very scarce system resources. These limitations were understandable back when the iPad was a $500 device running on a phone processor with 256 MB of RAM. But now it’s a $1000-$2000 device with specs that exceed those of many Macs and that Apple advertises as being able to replace a Mac for many people. For that money and with that kind of advertising, these limitations are unacceptable and I don’t think the people pointing them out are being at all unreasonable.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my iPad for what it is. It’s an amazing tablet that can do many unique things. But the prices Apple has started charging for these things is getting absurd. And it’s especially infuriating that Apple is both charging Mac prices and artificially limiting what the device can do via software.

Surely hurting Apple’s bottom line is the solution - as in, stop buying pro devices until they offer better features at OS level. Declining sales of Pro devices should focus minds.

It’s the other way, iPad was a dying breed, before Apple introduced iPad Pro, if anything, outside vocal minority. The iPad Pro revived Apple IPad business. If you are hoping Apple to be hurt with iPad Pro, it is far from reality given the actual numbers.

 

[Night Spring]

It’s the other way, iPad was a dying breed, before Apple introduced iPad Pro, if anything, outside vocal minority. The iPad Pro revived Apple IPad business. If you are hoping Apple to be hurt with iPad Pro, it is far from reality given the actual numbers.

So I found this statistics for iPad sales. Scroll down the page until you see "iPad quarterly revenue 2011 to 2024" -- sorry, I can't figure out how to copy the chart.

Apple Statistics (2024)

Apple is one of the most influential and recognisable brands in the world, responsible for the rise of the smartphone with the iPhone. Valued at over $2 trillion in 2021, it is also the most valuable technology company in the world. Originally known for desktop computers, Apple was one of the...

www.businessofapps.com

While sales were lower from mid-10s to 20, they were steady and I'd hardly call that dying. When the sales turn back again, I believe, is with the release of the M chip iPads. The iPad Pro moniker was around from before then. Also, I find it interesting that while sales did pick up with the M chip release, it hasn't returned to the early peak levels.

To me, the proof will be if M chip iPads sustain their current sales level over the next few years, or whether the sales would dip again.

 

[TechnoMonk]

So I found this statistics for iPad sales. Scroll down the page until you see "iPad quarterly revenue 2011 to 2024" -- sorry, I can't figure out how to copy the chart.

Apple Statistics (2024)

Apple is one of the most influential and recognisable brands in the world, responsible for the rise of the smartphone with the iPhone. Valued at over $2 trillion in 2021, it is also the most valuable technology company in the world. Originally known for desktop computers, Apple was one of the...

www.businessofapps.com

While sales were lower from mid-10s to 20, they were steady and I'd hardly call that dying. When the sales turn back again, I believe, is with the release of the M chip iPads. The iPad Pro moniker was around from before then. Also, I find it interesting that while sales did pick up with the M chip release, it hasn't returned to the early peak levels.

To me, the proof will be if M chip iPads sustain their current sales level over the next few years, or whether the sales would dip again.

Sales weren’t just lower, iPad revenue went significantly lower than full year after launch(2011). The fall from 32 B to 18/19 B was a sign of sinking ship. 2018 iPad Pro was game changer for Apple, with pencil and larger screens, taking off in late 2018. It Reversed the trend and Covid gave a big boost in 2021, not surprising since Mac saw a huge jump in post covid era of 2021. M series chips are holding strong, nothing like a huge drop from 2014-2017/18. I think there will be a bump with M4 iPad Pro. Apple will be happy with revenue of 28-32B a year for iPad line.