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Timpetus

macrumors 6502
Jun 13, 2014
400
923
Orange County, CA
Rather than "insist" that Apple add features I would like, I've done just what some suggest - purchased very few iPads, all of them the base model, because it's useful to me mostly as a mobile media consumption device. If I want to be extra mobile, my 15 Pro handles that with aplomb. If I need more power on the go, I'll grab my MBP. The iPad is just a bigger screen that, for my applications, needs far less power than my other devices.
 

Timpetus

macrumors 6502
Jun 13, 2014
400
923
Orange County, CA
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
Ok, let's keep going with the analogy. iPad is to vehicle as apps are to passengers. Apple's restrictions are like coming out with a new kind of car, yes it's got some similarities to other cars but it's better at some things and worse than others. The only catch is certain kinds of people with certain features that don't prevent them from riding in any other car, including those made by the same manufacturer using the same drivetrain, are declared incompatible for some reason. It only fits people with 3 or less limbs. Why, you'd be crazy to think it should work for people with 4 limbs! This is a new kind of thing, get out of here with your old-fashioned thinking. The rest of us have made the proper modifications to our bodies, why can't you just get with the times?
 

alecgold

macrumors 65816
Oct 11, 2007
1,490
1,044
NLD
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.
No, I use one file that is 500+ handwritten pages atm and my m1nor m2 can handle that. The m4 does handle it brilliantly. At the end of the year it will be well over 1000 pages. I’m not sure if the M4 can handle this but I don’t mind splitting it into two half years.
 

alecgold

macrumors 65816
Oct 11, 2007
1,490
1,044
NLD
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.
I’m not sure if Apple claims it’s a laptop replacement. I believe they frame it to be your next computer. And for many people this might well be true. A lot of people in the world like in China or India ever only use a phone. They never use a laptop or other computer. So an iPad would really be a computer for them. It’s also my parents and my kids do not like to use a computer or laptop because it is too clunky., both physically and the interface.
 

rwlombard70

macrumors newbie
May 10, 2024
9
21
Ok, let's keep going with the analogy. iPad is to vehicle as apps are to passengers. Apple's restrictions are like coming out with a new kind of car, yes it's got some similarities to other cars but it's better at some things and worse than others. The only catch is certain kinds of people with certain features that don't prevent them from riding in any other car, including those made by the same manufacturer using the same drivetrain, are declared incompatible for some reason. It only fits people with 3 or less limbs. Why, you'd be crazy to think it should work for people with 4 limbs! This is a new kind of thing, get out of here with your old-fashioned thinking. The rest of us have made the proper modifications to our bodies, why can't you just get with the times?
Good lord they aren’t forcing you to buy the damn thing! If it doesn’t suit you and your needs you have freedom of choice. Buy a MacBook if that’s the right fit for you. I love them and have had so many I’ve lost count. Apple isn’t somehow discriminating against the people that it doesn’t work for. Nor do they have some sinister plan to intentionally limit it. Developing a new OS that isn’t merely a copy of another one takes time. Once you stop battling the iPad based on what you think it “should” be and embrace it for what it is or reject it for what it is it will be much less frustrating for you. You’ll either have one and love it, or you’ll decide it isn’t for you and you’ll find the device that is. I use it every day for work and for consumption. I do financial presentations for 100’s of people on a nearly weekly basis using it exclusively. If that’s not real work well, I don’t know what is. Real work can’t just mean coding, CAD, or heavy media creation. We all do real work. For many of us, the iPad can get that work done well. For some, it cannot. It shouldn’t be a judgment either way.
 

Apple_Robert

Contributor
Sep 21, 2012
35,645
52,421
In a van down by the river
A computer doesn’t necessarily mean a MB or MBP. A computer means a device used to get things done, whether it is work related, personal use, or both. When Apple made the commercial that the iPad was the next computer etc., Apple was essentially saying that for many people, the iPad can be that kind of device. It doesn’t mean that every person will be able to do the exact same things on the M4 iPad Pro that you normally do on a Mac, although many here made that leap in assumption from their own projecting and not because of something Apple said specifically.

Many here and especially YouTube need to stop trying to pigeon-hole the m4 iPad into a one size fits all or even worse, the all or nothing comparison. There is way too much overthinking the obvious here.

I get work done on my M4 iPad Pro every day, along with personal time use.
 

dontwalkhand

macrumors 603
Jul 5, 2007
6,464
3,023
Phoenix, AZ
The iPad is my literal
So, outside of the "serious work" debate, I've found the iPad to be useful in really creative ways that a Macbook just wouldn't be suitable for. On a small road trip, I used my iPad Pro 11" M1 to do the following.

1. Be a TV/Entertainment machine in the car (headrest mount for the backseat viewers). Subscribing to cellular on it makes it even more seamless.
2. A coloring book in conjunction with the Apple Pencil ... a favorite for the kid at restaurants!
3. A night light for the hotel room that didn't have any dimmers. Kept us from bumping our feet at night and the kid from being scared because it was pitch black.

I'm impressed with the ways in which it made our trip easier!
The iPad is literal "notebook" computer, way more than my Mac.
 

dk001

macrumors demi-god
Oct 3, 2014
11,135
15,487
Sage, Lightning, and Mountains
I’m not sure if Apple claims it’s a laptop replacement. I believe they frame it to be your next computer. And for many people this might well be true. A lot of people in the world like in China or India ever only use a phone. They never use a laptop or other computer. So an iPad would really be a computer for them. It’s also my parents and my kids do not like to use a computer or laptop because it is too clunky., both physically and the interface.

When the iPad Pro first came out, TC pretty much said people don’t need pc’s and just need this latest ipad. Why would anyone want to by a PC? While that can be interpreted a number of ways, most agree his intent was clear. He did agree an iPad won’t work for everyone but it would work for most. Personally I think at the time his thoughts were right but … the OS never evolved to fulfill that claim. To this day I cannot use the full version of MS Office (all functionality) on an iPad. This is an Apple limitation of the OS.

To your last point, it is why I also have an iPad. There are lots of occasions it makes a better tool than a laptop. Just wish it could do more.
 

alecgold

macrumors 65816
Oct 11, 2007
1,490
1,044
NLD
When the iPad Pro first came out, TC pretty much said people don’t need pc’s and just need this latest ipad. Why would anyone want to by a PC? While that can be interpreted a number of ways, most agree his intent was clear. He did agree an iPad won’t work for everyone but it would work for most. Personally I think at the time his thoughts were right but … the OS never evolved to fulfill that claim. To this day I cannot use the full version of MS Office (all functionality) on an iPad. This is an Apple limitation of the OS.

To your last point, it is why I also have an iPad. There are lots of occasions it makes a better tool than a laptop. Just wish it could do more.
The lack of functionalities in MS Office, is that a iPadOS or an MS problem? Macros won’t work, that is clear. But most of the lacking functionality is not an OS thing, that is the choice of MS to cripple their program, I would think?!
Looking at other apps that offer much more progress like procreate, daVinci and others.
 

dk001

macrumors demi-god
Oct 3, 2014
11,135
15,487
Sage, Lightning, and Mountains
The lack of functionalities in MS Office, is that a iPadOS or an MS problem? Macros won’t work, that is clear. But most of the lacking functionality is not an OS thing, that is the choice of MS to cripple their program, I would think?!
Looking at other apps that offer much more progress like procreate, daVinci and others.

According to MS it is an OS / Hardware issue. From MS Support:
”Microsoft Office for iPad is a full version of the Office suite, but it may not have all the features that are available in the desktop versions. Regarding the limitations, it is not Microsoft limiting the iPad and iPhone versions, but rather the limitations are due to the differences in the operating systems and hardware of the devices. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by this limitation.”
 

alecgold

macrumors 65816
Oct 11, 2007
1,490
1,044
NLD
Bollocks, if I see what functionality other apps can create…
From the MS site:
“Every version of Word has different capabilities. Only Word for Windows has all the features. Every other edition has a reduced set of available commands. Word for mobile platforms appears to be designed for quick on-the-go document editing rather than file creation.”
MS office for android neither got the full set of features.
Even resorting to the web-app doesn’t give you all features.
 
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subjonas

macrumors 603
Feb 10, 2014
6,252
6,729
My understanding is that iPad offers great creative tools. What exactly do you need that the iPad cannot do already?

I've seen digital artist all over the internet praising the drawing and photo capabilities of the iPad. Procreate and Affinity Photo all receive glowing reviews.
I’m assuming ThunderSkunk needs to use specific desktop-only creative software. At least that’s the case for me. But for me, while I’ve wanted a portable Mac with pen display for multiple decades now, before iPads ever existed, I've long ago accepted it’s too niche of a market for Apple to take part in. Maybe someday, but I don’t hold out hope. And I don’t think the software I use (at least the full version of it) will come to iPad any time soon. To use the software to its full extent for a decently long work session requires active cooling and a bigger battery (ie. it wouldn’t even be optimal on a MBA unless working with smaller projects and/or shorter work sessions). But I also use and enjoy an iPad for what it is.
 
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subjonas

macrumors 603
Feb 10, 2014
6,252
6,729
According to MS it is an OS / Hardware issue. From MS Support:
”Microsoft Office for iPad is a full version of the Office suite, but it may not have all the features that are available in the desktop versions. Regarding the limitations, it is not Microsoft limiting the iPad and iPhone versions, but rather the limitations are due to the differences in the operating systems and hardware of the devices. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by this limitation.”
It’s interesting that according the MS, the iPad hardware is limiting, not just the OS. I do wish they would be specific about which feature was limited by which difference in OS/hardware.
Did you have a link to the quote by the way?
 
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dk001

macrumors demi-god
Oct 3, 2014
11,135
15,487
Sage, Lightning, and Mountains
Bollocks, if I see what functionality other apps can create…
From the MS site:
“Every version of Word has different capabilities. Only Word for Windows has all the features. Every other edition has a reduced set of available commands. Word for mobile platforms appears to be designed for quick on-the-go document editing rather than file creation.”
MS office for android neither got the full set of features.
Even resorting to the web-app doesn’t give you all features.

Read further from MS. :rolleyes:
 

subjonas

macrumors 603
Feb 10, 2014
6,252
6,729
Bollocks, if I see what functionality other apps can create…
From the MS site:
“Every version of Word has different capabilities. Only Word for Windows has all the features. Every other edition has a reduced set of available commands. Word for mobile platforms appears to be designed for quick on-the-go document editing rather than file creation.”
MS office for android neither got the full set of features.
Even resorting to the web-app doesn’t give you all features.
Maybe you were already aware, but to make it clear, that quote came from a volunteer moderator, not a MS employee. The statement might be true, but it’s not official.
 

alecgold

macrumors 65816
Oct 11, 2007
1,490
1,044
NLD
Maybe you were already aware, but to make it clear, that quote came from a volunteer moderator, not a MS employee. The statement might be true, but it’s not official.
The ms employee was only stating the official company line and that’s certainly not the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth…
Fact is that MS could make a much better office, with much more functionality (perhaps not all, but much better) and with a much better uniform and integrated designed then it does now.

But MS seems have ulterior motives for keeping different versions of Microsoft 365 dumbed down. And it’s not just iOS or iPadOS, it’s also on Android. For example: https://www.reddit.com/r/OneNote/comments/mxzn8k
And what is easier for MS than blaming the OS?
 

subjonas

macrumors 603
Feb 10, 2014
6,252
6,729
The ms employee was only stating the official company line and that’s certainly not the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth…
Fact is that MS could make a much better office, with much more functionality (perhaps not all, but much better) and with a much better uniform and integrated designed then it does now.

But MS seems have ulterior motives for keeping different versions of Microsoft 365 dumbed down. And it’s not just iOS or iPadOS, it’s also on Android. For example: https://www.reddit.com/r/OneNote/comments/mxzn8k
And what is easier for MS than blaming the OS?
I wouldn’t be surprised if MS is passing blame, but are we both talking about the same quote which was posted by a volunteer mod (not employee)?
1719729850593.png

 

Devyn89

macrumors 6502a
Jul 21, 2012
963
1,801
When the iPad Pro first came out, TC pretty much said people don’t need pc’s and just need this latest ipad. Why would anyone want to by a PC? While that can be interpreted a number of ways, most agree his intent was clear. He did agree an iPad won’t work for everyone but it would work for most. Personally I think at the time his thoughts were right but … the OS never evolved to fulfill that claim. To this day I cannot use the full version of MS Office (all functionality) on an iPad. This is an Apple limitation of the OS.

To your last point, it is why I also have an iPad. There are lots of occasions it makes a better tool than a laptop. Just wish it could do more.
Apple doesn’t make Microsoft office, Microsoft does so that has nothing to do with Apple.
 
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