iPad We need to file a class action lawsuit for iPadOS

[sparksd]

I see. I still have to figure how to transfer bookmarks without syncing. Otherwise I have to create new ones. But I still don't like lack of menus at the top of the Page's new documents. If Contacts or Safari would have an "import" feature, one could always export the contacts in a Mac, and also the Safari bookmarks to an SD card or thumb drive, and then move them to the iPad and import them to their respective apps.

It is a pain and a missing feature in iOS. I remember participating in this thread on the subject -

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/any-way-to-import-html-bookmark-file-to-safari-on-ipad.2249387/

I don't have a Mac so for me it was how to get bookmarks from a Windows browser into Safari.

 

[fromsixtozero]

Lawsuit is overkill, but I´m surprised the market is so big for an iPad. I´m missing these features:

- sideloading apps, because it is a tablet pc, not a phone, so I don´t see a reason why not
- if not sideloading apps, then at least less strict app admission policy - torrent apps, emulation apps etc or allow another app store
- external monitor at full res
- better multitasking with floating windows

 

[rui no onna]

Lawsuit is overkill, but I´m surprised the market is so big for an iPad. I´m missing these features:

iPad/tablet market is kinda of a drop in the bucket compared to the overall computer and smartphone market.

- sideloading apps, because it is a tablet pc, not a phone, so I don´t see a reason why not
- if not sideloading apps, then at least less strict app admission policy - torrent apps, emulation apps etc or allow another app store

To be honest, I think the iPhone/iPad is probably Apple’s ideal. Locked down systems where they can more or less force/nag you into keeping firmware updated and all apps having to go through Apple’s App Store so they take a cut from each sale.

Also, almost everything optimized/reliant on iCloud so they get continuous revenue from iCloud subscriptions.

 

[AlaskaMoose]

Lawsuit is overkill, but I´m surprised the market is so big for an iPad. I´m missing these features:

- sideloading apps, because it is a tablet pc, not a phone, so I don´t see a reason why not
- if not sideloading apps, then at least less strict app admission policy - torrent apps, emulation apps etc or allow another app store
- external monitor at full res

The import/export feature is absent in the iPad's apps (Safari, Pages, and so on). One can sync the iPad to a computer to transfer the contacts, but I don't think it is possible to do the same with bookmarks, unless you already have backed an iPad that already has a list of bookmarks to your Mac or to iCloud.

I have a couple of USB to Thunderbolt adapters, and with these I can manually transfer photos, files, and so on from my computer to the iPad and vice versa using thumb drives, and even hard drives/SSDs. If using a hard drive or SSD, then I need to power the device unless it is self-powered, but thumb drives aren't a problem since they don't drain very much power from the iPad's battery. But there is a way to power a hard drive through the Thunderbolt port of the adapter. I can use the iPad's charger connected to the adapter, or a portable power-bank. In this case the iPad is provided with sufficient power to power an external hard drive or SSD.

It is a pain and a missing feature in iOS. I remember participating in this thread on the subject -

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/any-way-to-import-html-bookmark-file-to-safari-on-ipad.2249387/

I don't have a Mac so for me it was how to get bookmarks from a Windows browser into Safari.

Thanks for sharing. I was not aware that such thread already existed.

 

[sparksd]

...

Thanks for sharing. I was not aware that such thread already existed.

Yeah, that was two years ago and here we still are.

 

[rui no onna]

The import/export feature is absent in the iPad's apps (Safari, Pages, and so on). One can sync the iPad to a computer to transfer the contacts, but I don't think it is possible to do the same with bookmarks, unless you already have backed an iPad that already has a list of bookmarks to your Mac or to iCloud.

True but I reckon this is pretty niche usage.

Manual import/export and backup/restore is one of the things I have to do for non-techie friends and family. By contrast, syncing and backup via iCloud works automatically by default. This method is actually better suited for majority of my family and friends who wouldn’t know and are not interested in learning how to do those things manually.

I expect without iCloud and Google Photos, most of my acquaintances wouldn’t have any “backups” of their photos at all.

 

[AlaskaMoose]

True but I reckon this is pretty niche usage.

Manual import/export and backup/restore is one of the things I have to do for non-techie friends and family. By contrast, syncing and backup via iCloud works automatically by default. This method is actually better suited for majority of my family and friends who wouldn’t know and are not interested in learning how to do those things manually.

I expect without iCloud and Google Photos, most of my acquaintances wouldn’t have any “backups” of their photos at all.

True. Most people rely on syncing, iCloud, and so on. While I did transfer my contacts from the laptop to the iPad-because I could not find any other way to do it other than by syncing, music videos and things like that are done manually. Even the photo apps in the iMac I use for photo editing are standalone applications instead of the Adobe CC apps. I will deal with the bookmarks later this week. What I did was to place the bookmarks in the iPad's Download folder. The next step will be to manually select each bookmark I need, and then add it to Safari.

 

[sparksd]

True. Most people rely on syncing, iCloud, and so on. While I did transfer my contacts from the laptop to the iPad-because I could not find any other way to do it other than by syncing, music videos and things like that are done manually. Even the photo apps in the iMac I use for photo editing are standalone applications instead of the Adobe CC apps. I will deal with the bookmarks later this week. What I did was to place the bookmarks in the iPad's Download folder. The next step will be to manually select each bookmark I need, and then add it to Safari.

Ouch, but to get mine from Chrome on my Win11 laptop, I exported them to an HTML file, got that on the iPad, and one by one ...

 

[rui no onna]

Ouch, but to get mine from Chrome on my Win11 laptop, I exported them to an HTML file, got that on the iPad, and one by one ...

If you're not against iCloud, iirc, you can install iCloud Drive on Windows and sync bookmarks with IE/Edge using that. Not super sure since the Windows PC where I installed iCloud Drive is out of commission.

 

[sparksd]

If you're not against iCloud, iirc, you can install iCloud Drive on Windows and sync bookmarks with IE/Edge using that. Not super sure since the Windows PC where I installed iCloud Drive is out of commission.

I'll look at that. I switched from Chrome to Edge a while back.

 

[MajorFubar]

Lawsuit is overkill, but I´m surprised the market is so big for an iPad. I´m missing these features:

- sideloading apps, because it is a tablet pc, not a phone, so I don´t see a reason why not
- if not sideloading apps, then at least less strict app admission policy - torrent apps, emulation apps etc or allow another app store
- external monitor at full res
- better multitasking with floating windows

Careful, talk like that starts a war with the CrapPad faithful who complain if Apple implement those features and other similar features to make it more 'computer-like' their elderly grandma will no longer be able to use it.

 

[Abazigal]

Lawsuit is overkill, but I´m surprised the market is so big for an iPad. I´m missing these features:

- sideloading apps, because it is a tablet pc, not a phone, so I don´t see a reason why not
- if not sideloading apps, then at least less strict app admission policy - torrent apps, emulation apps etc or allow another app store
- external monitor at full res
- better multitasking with floating windows

A funny thing happened just a few days ago when my colleague wanted to plug her Samsung phone to the presentation tv display to show some photos of her lesson that she had just conducted. It ended up activating dex on her phone and she had no idea how to navigate the interface at all. In fact, nobody I know particularly cares about said feature, despite all the praise heaped on it in android forums.

The simplest explanation is that the bulk of the iPad's target market do not need or miss such features. For the things that most people do, the apps they may need are already available in the App Store. They are not downloading torrents, or hooking their iPads to secondary screens, and multiple overlapping windows are an annoyance, not a feature.

Simplicity is the key selling point here, not complexity.

 

[Digitalguy]

A funny thing happened just a few days ago when my colleague wanted to plug her Samsung phone to the presentation tv display to show some photos of her lesson that she had just conducted. It ended up activating dex on her phone and she had no idea how to navigate the interface at all. In fact, nobody I know particularly cares about said feature, despite all the praise heaped on it in android forums.

The simplest explanation is that the bulk of the iPad's target market do not need or miss such features. For the things that most people do, the apps they may need are already available in the App Store. They are not downloading torrents, or hooking their iPads to secondary screens, and multiple overlapping windows are an annoyance, not a feature.

Simplicity is the key selling point here, not complexity.

the bulk of the iPad market yes, the bulk of the iPad pro market, not sure....

 

[AlaskaMoose]

A funny thing happened just a few days ago when my colleague wanted to plug her Samsung phone to the presentation tv display to show some photos of her lesson that she had just conducted. It ended up activating dex on her phone and she had no idea how to navigate the interface at all. In fact, nobody I know particularly cares about said feature, despite all the praise heaped on it in android forums.

The simplest explanation is that the bulk of the iPad's target market do not need or miss such features. For the things that most people do, the apps they may need are already available in the App Store. They are not downloading torrents, or hooking their iPads to secondary screens, and multiple overlapping windows are an annoyance, not a feature.

Simplicity is the key selling point here, not complexity.

For the iPad or iPhone apps to have import and export features does not make them more complicated. The settings on the Mac, iPad, and iPhone allow for syncing music, photos, and so on, and also for manually moving or installing such. But lest say that a person does not want to do these things by syncing (me), and that Pages, Contacts, and Safari had the import/export features. I could transfer bookmarks to my iPad's download folder (for example), and then "import" the bookmarks into Safari, just like I can easily do on my Mac.

Now, lest talk about Pages for iPad and Mac. Open a new page using your Mac, and then open a Pages' new page on your iPad and notice the differences. In this case, the new page on your Mac shows a menu with all the options you will ever need to create a document, including a window that is dedicated to text size, color, and so on. Not as easy to figure these things using the iPad.

~My disclaimer I am not complaining, nor do I care what Apple decides to do with Pages for OS-X and iOS.

 

[mreg376]

I have a 2020 12.9” iPad Pro. Apple has always limited the usability of the iPad’s software, not adding features that should’ve been added long ago. There’s no more excuses. It’s 2022 and we still don’t have: proper external monitor support, proper multitasking with more windows, full pro apps (not the half assed apps we always get on the App Store and first party apps like iMovie, real apps like Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Lightroom Classic, real Photoshop, Pixelmator Pro, Xcode, Compressor, you get the idea), a weather app, a calculator app, optimized battery charging, external camera support, proper file management (like being able to format, fix or otherwise edit external drives, transferring files at the full capable speed USB-C and Thunderbolt on newer iPads should deliver, etc) and a whole bunch of other stuff the iPad needs. I’m not asking to put macOS on the iPad, just fix the software. I got my hopes up for iPadOS 15, but that turned out to be not only a massive disappointment, I consider it to be the worst update ever. Apple has clearly said no to merging the Mac and iPad operating systems, and has always advocated for keeping the iPad and Mac separate according to how they wish it to be, and considering that and all those awful lackluster iPadOS updates, I don’t think they will ever release the iPad from its software prison. The iPad is just as expensive as a decent laptop and it’s far more powerful than most laptops in its price range. Just give us the software it deserves. I have a feeling iPadOS 16 will be even worse than 15. In that case, someone needs to file a class action lawsuit against Apple and the iPad (especially the iPad Pro) should be boycotted until Apple overhauls the software (if they ever do, which they probably never will)

Thank goodness in the U.S. anyone can file a lawsuit, whether it has a legal basis or not. This one wouldn't. If you don't like the iPad Pro feature set, don't buy it. You have no constitutional right to the tablet features you want.

 

[jenelemond]

Yep, good ol' Aesop. Just like all of the other calls for class action suits that pop up on the forums - some people call for them but are never willing to take the ball.

Exactly! And in the end, things remain the same year after year! :/

 

[TheRealAlex]

Lawsuit is overkill, but I´m surprised the market is so big for an iPad. I´m missing these features:

- sideloading apps, because it is a tablet pc, not a phone, so I don´t see a reason why not
- if not sideloading apps, then at least less strict app admission policy - torrent apps, emulation apps etc or allow another app store
- external monitor at full res
- better multitasking with floating windows

All reasons I’m not buying a new iPad Pro when a 4 year old 11” iPad Pro with 4GB of RAM does everything the newest one does.

 

[Isengardtom]

Keeping expectations low, I'm interested to see what WWDC brings to the table.

 

[George Dawes]

Just get a laptop instead , I agree iPadOS is abysmal , but it's a glorified toy that's all , want to do actual work , get something MaOS capable

 

[ericwn]

Just get a laptop instead , I agree iPadOS is abysmal , but it's a glorified toy that's all , want to do actual work , get something MaOS capable

Here we go again with the sweeping generalisations. There’s plenty people here using iPads for actual work, daily, and well documented here too.

 

[Rafterman]

I don't need MacOS on an iPad (though it would be cool), but I would like to see one change - more flexibility in running multiple apps, like floating wndows.

 

[Rafterman]

Here we go again with the sweeping generalisations. There’s plenty people here using iPads for actual work, daily, and well documented here too.

Yes. It depends on the work. For example, I administer hundreds of virtual servers and remote desktop on iPads works very well. Coupled with email, calendar and Teams, that is 99 percent of the work for me.

 

[iHorseHead]

"Most"? Based on what? How do you back that up?

Most people I know use tablets (iPads and Android tablets) for media consumption devices and so do I.

 

[George Dawes]

It’s fun for gaming and browsing the net , I tried doing a spreadsheet once

Once was more than enough 😂

 

[ericwn]

It’s fun for gaming and browsing the net , I tried doing a spreadsheet once

Once was more than enough

Oh so you conclude from that rich sample size that no actual work can be done. Got ya.

And I’m not saying there are no better platforms for spreadsheets, just to point that out.