All iPads The iPad is for creation and not just for consumption. A Rant.

TheScribe · Jan 17, 2014

It has begun to irk my nerves recently when I hear or read people stating that the ipad "is for media consumption" and that content creation is better left to the PC or laptop. This is simply not true and I feel that most who make these comments are just ipad or apple haters.

First, a little backstory. I bought my ipad 3 on release day. I synced it up with my music collection, books, and photo albums and begun using it regularly. I fell in love with the ipad as a personal computer. About 3 months in my laptop burned out on me and less than a week after that I became unemployed. Basically, my ipad has been my ONLY computing device for over a year. I haven't synced it with any computer...I'm backed up on iCloud...and all of my music and photo files are backed up on DVDs sitting in a drawer. The ipad is my only device currently.

I can not only use this magical device as an entertainment hub...watching netflix, youtube, crackle, web browsing, books, games, etc...I have also been able to record and edit home movies and a couple of documentaries with iMovie...I can enhance photos and create art in procreate...I have laid down tracks with garage band and even created soundtracks and put them into my movies using iMovie. Being out of work, I created a new resume in Pages and was able to save and share it as both a PDF and word document...and I can keep my blog updated too. I have even recorded home movies of family and friends then downgraded the resolution in iMovie in order to save even more movies and photos while not running out of my 64 gigs. I'm now at 5 free gigs but I manage my apps and upload my camera roll into the "cloud" to save even more space. I'm getting off track here...

Basically, with the apps I've mentioned (and some I haven't) the ipad is VERY much a content creation device. I'd even go so far to say that it is on par with and, in some cases surpasses, a laptop or PC. Granted, because it had become my only device I was "forced" to get creative with how I used the ipad and managed it BUT it has done everything I've needed for it to do and then some.

The bottom line is that it is ignorant for anyone to state that the ipad is only a content or media consumption device. The ipad is the center of my digital and electronic life and it somewhat offends my intelligence when people imply that it is not capable of being a powerhouse of creative possibility.

So...I haven't synced with a computer for over a year. I also never jail broke my ipad. I have never had any fatal crashes or errors either. It has been a dependable and indispensable tool in my life. I guess my point is that I'm just tired of people saying that this device isn't capable enough. Yeah, I can't run photoshop or illegally download movies...but I have no need for either. Just because someone doesn't use their ipad to create doesn't mean that it can't. When you say that the ipad is only a content consumption device, you are showing your ignorance or bias. Necessity is the mother of invention...and in my case, necessity was the mother of innovation. I love my ipad. She is more than capable...and yes, I still think she is a magical device.

Thanks for letting me vent. Just out of curiosity, what do you guys and gals use your ipad to create? Also, if there's something you want to do with your ipad but just don't know how, I can try to help.

maflynn · Jan 17, 2014

I'll put it this way.

Just because you can create content on an iPad doesn't mean its the best tool for the job.

Sure I can create a small spreadsheet easily enough, but do I really want to work on a 1,000 row spreadsheet on my iPad. Likewise, I can create a document on it, but would it really be the best tool for a term paper?

While it may irk you that people say that the iPad is best for content consumption (and I'm one of them), its the truth. Yes, I use my iPad to write emails, produce small documents, and spreadsheets, but when things require a bit more detail and complexity then it becomes quite cumbersome on the iPad. YMMV, but for me, a laptop is a better tool for much of my content creation needs.

carjakester · Jan 17, 2014

can you use an iPad like a laptop? yes, lots of people do. but will people turn to using the iPad instead of a laptop, no. the majority of people need a laptop. some apps on the iPad work very well, but i think having the mouse makes precision a lot easier on the laptop, using your fingers to navigate doesn't work very efficiently for most people. you might be part of the population that doesn't need a laptop. reality is most people do.

TheScribe · Jan 17, 2014

maflynn said:
I'll put it this way.

Just because you can create content on an iPad doesn't mean its the best tool for the job.

Sure I can create a small spreadsheet easily enough, but do I really want to work on a 1,000 row spreadsheet on my iPad. Likewise, I can create a document on it, but would it really be the best tool for a term paper?

While it may irk you that people say that the iPad is best for content consumption (and I'm one of them), its the truth. Yes, I use my iPad to write emails, produce small documents, and spreadsheets, but when things require a bit more detail and complexity then it becomes quite cumbersome on the iPad. YMMV, but for me, a laptop is a better tool for much of my content creation needs.

Yeah...YMMV. I wouldn't recommend it as a replace all device for everyone. I've never needed to create a thousand row spreadsheet...but I've done term papers and it works great. I've even evolved my typing style so that I can type faster than on a traditional keyboard. I have no trouble with detail and complexity. What you have said might be true from your point of view but it doesn't necessarily apply to everyone.

As an aside, I also really enjoy the all-in-one aspect of this device. I only have $10 per month dumb phone that I keep for emergency calls. My iPad handles all of my calling and texting needs.

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carjakester said:
can you use an iPad like a laptop? yes, lots of people do. but will people turn to using the iPad instead of a laptop, no. the majority of people need a laptop. some apps on the iPad work very well, but i think having the mouse makes precision a lot easier on the laptop, using your fingers to navigate doesn't work very efficiently for most people. you might be part of the population that doesn't need a laptop. reality is most people do.

It's funny, I actually believed that yes, I did need a laptop. A lack of money and income will change your mind pretty quick as to what you need as opposed to what you have. I have no problem with precision or navigation either. I'm actually quite proficient at using it for what needs to be done.

Also, I am at the point now where using a mouse feels retro. I know I will need another computer eventually but right now I don't see any reason to be in a rush. Sure I can afford it now but I just don't see any reason to spend the money... Just like I don't really see a reason to upgrade the iPad as of yet. I will admit that the air is pretty though.

Lucille Carter · Jan 17, 2014

I think that business people who depend just on their iPad are in the minority.

TWO2SEVEN · Jan 17, 2014

carjakester said:
can you use an iPad like a laptop? yes, lots of people do. but will people turn to using the iPad instead of a laptop, no. the majority of people need a laptop. some apps on the iPad work very well, but i think having the mouse makes precision a lot easier on the laptop, using your fingers to navigate doesn't work very efficiently for most people. you might be part of the population that doesn't need a laptop. reality is most people do.

I have not used my laptop more than 5 times since I got my 3rd gen iPad at launch. I use my iPad for school, including writing papers, when I am away from my Mac Mini. If I really need something from my Mac while I am away I can use Splashtop. It's not perfect but it works.

For me, my iPad Air is the perfect tool when I am not near my desktop. No need to go back to my laptop at this point.

TheScribe · Jan 17, 2014

Lucille Carter said:
I think that business people who depend just on their iPad are in the minority.

I agree.

Who knows, one or two great apps may change that.

jojoba · Jan 17, 2014

I think that whole debate is getting old. Lots of people use their iPad for content creation, others don't or won't. It comes down to a combination of your needs, preferences and circumstances. No point in making strong normative statements about it, IMO. A range of options are possible.

TWO2SEVEN · Jan 17, 2014

jojoba said:
I think that whole debate is getting old. Lots of people use their iPad for content creation, others don't or won't. It comes down to a combination of your needs, preferences and circumstances. No point in making strong normative statements about it, IMO. A range of options are possible.

I agree. It seems that some people around here want to tell others what does or doesn't work for everyone. Just use your device(s) how they work for you and move on.

TheScribe · Jan 17, 2014

TWO2SEVEN said:
I agree. It seems that some people around here want to tell others what does or doesn't work for everyone. Just use your device(s) how they work for you and move on.

I agree...but I also find it annoying when others say that you "can't" use a device for something that you obviously can.

carjakester · Jan 17, 2014

TWO2SEVEN said:
I have not used my laptop more than 5 times since I got my 3rd gen iPad at launch. I use my iPad for school, including writing papers, when I am away from my Mac Mini. If I really need something from my Mac while I am away I can use Splashtop. It's not perfect but it works.

For me, my iPad Air is the perfect tool when I am not near my desktop. No need to go back to my laptop at this point.

desktop is a different story, I'm sure if i had a desktop i would always be on my iPad

Wando64 · Jan 17, 2014

I am a professional musician (among other things) and the iPad with Cubasis has become my tool of choice for home (and on the road) multitrack recording and editing. I have a laptop (in fact I have more than one) and a fully specked Mac mini as well as a windows tower (my other job is in IT) yet I find the iPad to be the best tool for home music production for a multitude of reasons I will no get into right now.
Yes it can be right for content production and, in some cases, even better than the alternatives, but I agree that if I had to work on a large (or small) spreadsheet I would always chose a full blown computer with separate mouse and keyboard.

roadbloc · Jan 17, 2014

I think the iPad can aid in creation just fine. But for true freedom a desktop or laptop is needed.

TheScribe · Jan 17, 2014

roadbloc said:
I think the iPad can aid in creation just fine. But for true freedom a desktop or laptop is needed.

"True freedom"?
I don't have a desktop or a laptop but I feel pretty free with what I am able to accomplish. I have yet to run across something that I could not accomplish with my iPad.

petvas · Jan 17, 2014

As others have already stated, it depends on the needs everyone has. For my needs the iPad is just a luxury, a great device for consuming content, but very limited in many things that are important to me:

Safari. It just cannot be compared with a desktop browser, and even in basic websites it has issues. Tab reloading is another issue also..
Most of the 1st party apps are very limiting, and even 3rd party ones have issues, or are crippled by iOS (because they cannot be set as default). In the contacts app you can't even move a contact to a different group. There are many little examples, that I bump into every day. These limitations make the whole iPad experience very frustrating for me, despite the fact that I know ways to get over many of these limitations...
Application data don't get updated in the background as in OS X or Windows. Even with background multitasking on, it is really frustrating.
Getting movies on an iPad is really cumbersome. If there is no iTunes in the cloud for movies available (like in Germany for example, where I live), then it can become frustrating to download movies on an iPad. There are ways again to overcome this, but require additional software and don't work as well as a desktop OS...
Creating content: I don't write any music, I just write documents and sometimes produce Excel sheets, and for basic stuff, yes, you can use an iPad. Anything more than that and you are overdoing it...There are much better devices out there to handle real computing tasks.

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate the iPad. I actually like it, but it is a luxury to me and only if I had a lot of money I would keep it..I prefer a Macbook Air 90% of the time instead..

crouchingtiger · Jan 17, 2014

"Can't" is a strong, inaccurate word.

But, even as a very happy iPad owner, I don't think its very controversial to say that it's not an optimal content creation device.

Even typing out this post is taking a lot longer on this iPad than it would have using a laptop.(yes, in theory I could grab my Logitech keyboard). The speed difference only becomes more accentuated as the tasks get more complex: Excel, PowerPoint! etc.

It would be a massive waste of time and a huge mistake if I were to choose to get rid of my computers and use my iPad exclusively.

iSee · Jan 17, 2014

petvas said:
...There are much better devices out there to handle real computing tasks.

What are computing tasks that aren't real?

An issue here is that people are often talking about workflows for accomplishing something, NOT about accomplishing something.

An iPad is NOT going to be as good as a desktop or laptop for workflows developed over decards for those types of devices. (Or even longer when you consider that desktop word processing is an extension of a typewriter workflow that's been in use for, IDK??? 100 years?)

An iPad (and other tablets) will shine for content creation as workflows (and software to support those workflows) are created for mobile touch devices.

Content consumption was the first to fall because the overall workflow is the same ( 1. navigate to content; 2. watch/read/listen-to content) and Apple did a great job developing the fundementals of touch navigation.

Games, too, are fairly easy because the UI model can be made part of the game. Speaking of games, they make my point well. A game that tries to force a keyboard-, mouse-, dpad-centric UI on to a game for iPad is usually a pretty terrible game, regardless of it's other merits. On the other hand games invented with touch in mind are among the best games (any platform).

Other things are coming. The mobile touch-centric workflows are being developed. Creating videos or songs. Taking notes. Modeling, etc. Someone may even figure out how to accomplish heavy duty writing on a tablet (w/o turning it into a laptop) but when they do it's not going to look like heavy duty writing today.

osx11 · Jan 17, 2014

I agree with you that's entirely possible to use the iPad as a creation tool. Having said that, even you admit that you probably wouldn't have used the iPad had you notebook not stopped working.

I think the iPad can be used as a productivity tool but when confronted with the option of choosing between iPad/Laptop, I would probably chose the Laptop. I think there's an imaginary barrier because most of us probably don't even try to use the iPad in a very productive way because we are used to doing it on the laptop. I think with a little learning and adjusting, like you mentioned, it is possible to use the iPad as a productivity tool. I also think that some people exaggerate the required processing power and graphic performance that they need for everyday tasks.

DiCaprioAngel · Jan 17, 2014

The iPad is a great device and easy to use as a computing device, however, there are just some things that are essential to people that cannot be done on the iPad, hence why people still use laptops and desktops to fulfill their needs for work/school and such. To be honest, I wouldn't be fairly satisfied if the iPad was my only computing device because I love to write - it's kind of hard to write on the iPad, and yes, I could purchase a keyboard and bluetooth it, but I still prefer a laptop over the iPad when it comes to typing up papers and such. For everything else, like web browsing, listening to music, gaming, etc, the iPad is perfect. I guess it all depends on what the user requires out a particular device, be it the iPad or a laptop/desktop. I have uses for both my iPad and my rMBP, but for heavy uses, I prefer the laptop because it's more convenient for me.

petvas · Jan 17, 2014

iSee said:
What are computing tasks that aren't real?

An issue here is that people are often talking about workflows for accomplishing something, NOT about accomplishing something.

An iPad is NOT going to be as good as a desktop or laptop for workflows developed over decards for those types of devices. (Or even longer when you consider that desktop word processing is an extension of a typewriter workflow that's been in use for, IDK??? 100 years?)

An iPad (and other tablets) will shine for content creation as workflows (and software to support those workflows) are created for mobile touch devices.

Content consumption was the first to fall because the overall workflow is the same ( 1. navigate to content; 2. watch/read/listen-to content) and Apple did a great job developing the fundementals of touch navigation.

Games, too, are fairly easy because the UI model can be made part of the game. Speaking of games, they make my point well. A game that tries to force a keyboard-, mouse-, dpad-centric UI on to a game for iPad is usually a pretty terrible game, regardless of it's other merits. On the other hand games invented with touch in mind are among the best games (any platform).

Other things are coming. The mobile touch-centric workflows are being developed. Creating videos or songs. Taking notes. Modeling, etc. Someone may even figure out how to accomplish heavy duty writing on a tablet (w/o turning it into a laptop) but when they do it's not going to look like heavy duty writing today.

I think, what I say applies more to power users, that come from an IT Pro background. It doesn't apply to everyone. Maybe I am expecting too much from an iPad, but when something doesn't work as I expect it to, then I hate it...
You said sth about workflows. Well, I am not trying to use my workflows from OS X and apply them to iOS. No.
It's about functionality that is missing, or doesn't work as good, as on OS X or Windows. It's about when using Safari for example, typing something and then if you switch quickly over to some other app and then back to Safari, you lose what you typed because Safari reloads everything. It's about wanting to reply to a mail and attach a file. Guess what? It's not possible!
It's about setting a task in Omnifocus as done on my Mac, and then getting notified about it on my iPad because the iPad still doesn't have the information that the task has been completed.
It's about trying to tap on a drop down menu in a website, only to discover that it doesn't work..This is not about workflows!

For me the iPad is all about convenience. It is mobile, even better than a Macbook Air, it allows you to do basic stuff quickly (but not great), and it has a great battery life. I am not inclined in getting another one just to have sth to play with, but when I want to work, or enjoy surfing the internet, then I can't use an iPad, at least not with the Websites I often visit. I am not saying they don't work, because they do, but they do not work 100% of the time as intended. I also hate having ads being displayed in Safari (I know there are other options but Apple doesn't allow changing the default browser).

TWO2SEVEN · Jan 17, 2014

petvas said:
I think, what I say applies more to power users, that come from an IT Pro background. It doesn't apply to everyone. Maybe I am expecting too much from an iPad, but when something doesn't work as I expect it to, then I hate it...
You said sth about workflows. Well, I am not trying to use my workflows from OS X and apply them to iOS. No.
It's about functionality that is missing, or doesn't work as good, as on OS X or Windows. It's about when using Safari for example, typing something and then if you switch quickly over to some other app and then back to Safari, you lose what you typed because Safari reloads everything. It's about wanting to reply to a mail and attach a file. Guess what? It's not possible!
It's about setting a task in Omnifocus as done on my Mac, and then not getting notified about it on my iPad because the iPad still doesn't have the information that the task has been completed.
It's about trying to tap on a drop down menu in a website, only to discover that it doesn't work..This is not about workflows!

For me the iPad is all about convenience. It is mobile, even better than a Macbook Air, it allows you to do basic stuff quickly (but not great), and it has a great battery life. I am not inclined in getting another one just to have sth to play with, but when I want to work, or enjoy surfing the internet, then I can't use an iPad, at least not with the Websites I often visit. I am not saying they don't work, because they do, but they do not work 100% of the time as intended. I also hate having ads being displayed in Safari (I know there are other options but Apple doesn't allow changing the default browser).

So much anger!

So, if you have an iPad what DO you use it for?

petvas · Jan 17, 2014

TWO2SEVEN said:
So much anger!

So, if you have an iPad what DO you use it for?

It's not anger, it's frustration! Actually I have sold it last week, so now I don't have one. I am thinking of getting one again, because I love gadgets, but I don't have a concrete usage for it. Just like that.

TWO2SEVEN · Jan 17, 2014

petvas said:
It's not anger, it's frustration! Actually I have sold it last week, so now I don't have one. I am thinking of getting one again, because I love gadgets, but I don't have a concrete usage for it. Just like that.

You seem a little worked up over this. Relax, it's Friday.

petvas · Jan 17, 2014

TWO2SEVEN said:
You seem a little worked up over this. Relax, it's Friday.

Actually I am really relaxed now. Do you want a drink?

TWO2SEVEN · Jan 17, 2014

petvas said:
Actually I am really relaxed now. Do you want a drink?

I hardly know you...

All iPads The iPad is for creation and not just for consumption. A Rant.

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