All iPads Do you feel the iPad is the future ?

[DevNull0]

Basically meaning the main device people use to do simple tasks as surfing the web, playing a mobile game, checking bank statement, writing product reviews, and emailing?

I have an iPad 4 I bought right when it came out.

It hasn't been out of my bathroom for years where I use it for light gaming. Sometimes it goes weeks without being charged after the battery dies and i don't miss it at all. It's probably the tech purchase I regret most. I find it clunky and cumbersome to try and do anything. Everything is a compromise on it it in the name of a limited interface. Last few vacations I took, the cMBP came with, and the iPad stayed home because it wasn't worth the bulk for the limited usability. For example, on vacation I load all my pics onto the MBP as a backup each evening and pre-sort then while relaxing. iPad just has zero utility. I can easily fill the Macbook with movies ripped from my DVD collection and play them in VLC throughout my trip. The iPad has neither the storage space needed or the ability to use any decent codecs, so the iPad is that much more work to transcode the movies into something it can use.

I don't see myself ever buying another tablet of any sort they are just too clunky which is inherent to the design of nothing but a small touch screen as the US. If my computer died today I'd have a new one by tomorrow and sadly (very sadly actually), it wouldn't be a Mac because Apple just doesn't sell anything worth buying in that space anymore.

 

[Brammy]

A few rebuttals

I have an iPad 4 I bought right when it came out.

It hasn't been out of my bathroom for years where I use it for light gaming. Sometimes it goes weeks without being charged after the battery dies and i don't miss it at all. It's probably the tech purchase I regret most. I find it clunky and cumbersome to try and do anything.

At this point, an iPad 4 is marginally useless, indeed. It's old enough, heavy enough, and bulky enough to be unoptimal. Even though it weighs the same as my 12.9" Pro, the thickness makes it feel heavier.

Everything is a compromise on it it in the name of a limited interface. Last few vacations I took, the cMBP came with, and the iPad stayed home because it wasn't worth the bulk for the limited usability. For example, on vacation I load all my pics onto the MBP as a backup each evening and pre-sort then while relaxing. iPad just has zero utility.

I have found via the Camera Connection Kit, or just uploading my photos I took on my iPhone to iCloud, the iPad is actually a great triage tool for photographs and light editing. Lightroom Mobile is also surprisingly adept.

I can easily fill the Macbook with movies ripped from my DVD collection and play them in VLC throughout my trip. The iPad has neither the storage space needed or the ability to use any decent codecs, so the iPad is that much more work to transcode the movies into something it can use.

I store a lot of my movies on OneDrive. There is a VLC player for iOS that can handle all codecs, including .mkv. My 128G pro has plenty of space for video watching.

I don't see myself ever buying another tablet of any sort they are just too clunky which is inherent to the design of nothing but a small touch screen as the US. If my computer died today I'd have a new one by tomorrow and sadly (very sadly actually), it wouldn't be a Mac because Apple just doesn't sell anything worth buying anymore.

Honest question, why even come to a Mac-specific site then?

 

[Math889]

My iPad Air 2 is really fast , no complaints here .However, I will upgrade soon and just 3 factors will make me upgrade: Screen size, speakers, Apple Pencil . Guess what ? I will get the 12.9 soon.

 

[DevNull0]

At this point, an iPad 4 is marginally useless, indeed. It's old enough, heavy enough, and bulky enough to be unoptimal. Even though it weighs the same as my 12.9" Pro, the thickness makes it feel heavier.

I know it's old, but I've felt that way since it was new. Also, I don't find it heavy and bulky at all, I actually prefer the thickness and weight of the older iPad (though I would prefer the smaller bezels of the new one).

I have found via the Camera Connection Kit, or just uploading my photos I took on my iPhone to iCloud, the iPad is actually a great triage tool for photographs and light editing. Lightroom Mobile is also surprisingly adept.

With my camera files in the 50meg range these days, the 256gig iPad just doesn't cut it, especially when I want to store 10's of movies on the device as well. iCloud is not an option both because of the sheer amount of data and the fact that I vacation where there's no internet access. My MBP has 1.5TB of storage (512 gig of SSD, 1TB of spinning platter though SSD is cheap enough now that I may go to 2TB of SSD in the near future).

I store a lot of my movies on OneDrive. There is a VLC player for iOS that can handle all codecs, including .mkv. My 128G pro has plenty of space for video watching.

I really have zero interest in cloud storage.

Honest question, why even come to a Mac-specific site then?

I've been using macs almost exclusively still 1999, my main computer is currently a mac which I absolutely love. It's getting old and developing problems and I would really like to replace it with a newer macbook. The fact that I don't like anything currently on offer doesn't change any of that.

 

[BigMcGuire]

As a C# developer that spends most of his day on a Windows machine with Visual Studio.... I think it will be awhile before an iPad replaces my computer. Is it the future? Definitely. Do I use it 100% when I come home and on the weekends? Yes. At first I thought iPads were dumb, retarded, unnecessary especially with the + iPhones. Wow was I wrong. Reading a book on my iPad Air 2 is a super pleasant experience - so much so that reading on my iPhone 6s+ is something I have no desire to do anymore.

Gaming is an area that will need improvement as well. I fire up the Mac Mini to do Starcraft and World of Warcraft once or twice a month.

But to stay on thread topic: "Basically meaning the main device people use to do simple tasks as surfing the web, playing a mobile game, checking bank statement, writing product reviews, and emailing?"

Oh most definitely. It's my main device for that already. I am hoping https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MUTWLW4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 this will further cement my use of the iPad Air 2 as my main computing device at home. I said no to keyboard cases because I spend more time reading (holding the iPad in front of me) than I do typing on it.

 

[Dsching]

That was obvious when it was first announced in 2010

 

[kwandrews]

It hasn't been out of my bathroom for years where I use it for light gaming

LOL, do you call the toilet your "Game Throne"?

 

[Brammy]

LOL, do you call the toilet your "Game Throne"?

Make you think of 'Game of Thrones" differently.

 

[Unami]

Basically meaning the main device people use to do simple tasks as surfing the web, playing a mobile game, checking bank statement, writing product reviews, and emailing?

that's how i use my ipad - it's definitely my main e-mail, web-surfing and gaming device (but only until i've got every black coin in super mario run, then it's back to the ps4). but i guess most people just use their phones for this kind of light computing. for work i use a desktop machine, because the ipad is just too limited for doing video-stuff - but if i only had to do e-mails, surf the web and write some stuff, i'd probably just take an ipad pro and be done with it.

i'm not sure if it's really the future - i think augmented/mixed/virtual reality will replace a lot of these devices - and ipads won't evolve that fast to become the main device in time until that happens. why take an expensive, delicate and non-upgradeable ipad that's limited to one size, when a board of wood or a piece of paper can do the same job? i guess, portable screens will still live on, just for showing things to people who don't wear an eye-phone, but even those could be replaced by a tiny projector on your body that projects on any surface and compensates for motion. but i guess, that computing units and display units will be separated in the future. either use the cloud, or use any I/O device with your computing unit (formerly known as smartphone).

 

[DevNull0]

LOL, do you call the toilet your "Game Throne"?

No, but that's actually pretty good. I may use it.

 

[Gav2k]

Yes and no to the original question.

If Apple add one thing then it's a big yes that would be a better file system.

Even if the made an improvement to the iCloud Drive it would be better than it is now. Taking it one step further to the local storage would be spot on.

 

[rowspaxe]

I think ios is the future more about ios than the ipad. Tablets wil have a place, but most work is done more easily on a laptop. There will still be enterprise, gamers and power users working with windows, macos and linnux. But the home users will gravitate to super light, simple "information appliances"--this may be 50-60 percent of the market.

 

[Brammy]

With my camera files in the 50meg range these days, the 256gig iPad just doesn't cut it, especially when I want to store 10's of movies on the device as well. iCloud is not an option both because of the sheer amount of data and the fact that I vacation where there's no internet access. My MBP has 1.5TB of storage (512 gig of SSD, 1TB of spinning platter though SSD is cheap enough now that I may go to 2TB of SSD in the near future).

I'm assuming you have roughly a 2011 MacBook Pro. Those really are things of beauty aren't, they.

 

[DevNull0]

I'm assuming you have roughly a 2011 MacBook Pro. Those really are things of beauty aren't, they.

Exactly. Early 2011 13". My only regret is that if I'd know I'd have it in use this long I'd have bought the 15". Still, it is by far the best computer I have ever owned and I'm not looking forward to giving it up. I bumped it to 16 gig the week i bought it.

 

[capathy21]

I'd have a new one by tomorrow and sadly (very sadly actually), it wouldn't be a Mac because Apple just doesn't sell anything worth buying in that space anymore.

Have you used the newer Macbook Pro's?

 

[maccingandsnacking]

The iPad will always be a luxury. The idea of something being the best of a phone and laptop is nice but ultimately I think it's too compromised to accomplish either. Sold mine years ago and haven't missed it once.

 

[DevNull0]

Have you used the newer Macbook Pro's?

My main objections to the new MBP are the need for more dongles, the lack of SSD options, and the price. What does actually using one have to do with any of that? But to answer your question, yes, and the no-travel keyboards alone are a deal-breaker.

The 2016 model is still less capable than my 2011. As I said, i have 1.5TB currently. I can buy 2TB of SSD for under $550 (2x 1TB drives and Newegg for the 2 drive bays in my machine). The best I can do from Apple is 1TB for a $600 upgrade and I get nothing for the value of the 128 gig they get to keep. My computer will be 6 years old in March, and I can't get as much storage in a brand new machine as I currently have? That's just sad.

Linked the complaint about the price....how is the exact same basic configuration with a crappier CPU worth $200 *more* than the previous version with a better CPU? For that matter, how is the same as previous model with an emojiBar worth $500 more?

The only model worth buying now is the 2015 refurb, and to pay 10% less than the original price for a 2015 machine with a 2013 CPU is not much of a good option.

 

[capathy21]

My main objections to the new MBP are the need for more dongles, the lack of SSD options, and the price. What does actually using one have to do with any of that? But to answer your question, yes, and the no-travel keyboards alone are a deal-breaker.

The 2016 model is still less capable than my 2011. As I said, i have 1.5TB currently. I can buy 2TB of SSD for under $550 (2x 1TB drives and Newegg for the 2 drive bays in my machine). The best I can do from Apple is 1TB for a $600 upgrade and I get nothing for the value of the 128 gig they get to keep. My computer will be 6 years old in March, and I can't get as much storage in a brand new machine as I currently have? That's just sad.

Linked the complaint about the price....how is the exact same basic configuration with a crappier CPU worth $200 *more* than the previous version with a better CPU? For that matter, how is the same as previous model with an emojiBar worth $500 more?

The only model worth buying now is the 2015 refurb, and to pay 10% less than the original price for a 2015 machine with a 2013 CPU is not much of a good option.

I do agree that the prices of the 2016 models are ridiculous. I was mainly referring to the 2013-2015 models. They still have a decent amount of ports, better battery life, MUCH better displays and are lighter weight. I can understand how the storage would be an issue. I couldn't fill even a 256gb ssd if I tried , but I understand some users store a lot of data.

 

[Brammy]

Exactly. Early 2011 13". My only regret is that if I'd know I'd have it in use this long I'd have bought the 15". Still, it is by far the best computer I have ever owned and I'm not looking forward to giving it up. I bumped it to 16 gig the week i bought it.

I've got the 15, but it's largely been replaced my my 2014 11' Air. i've found the speed difference to be not so different for most day-to-day applications.

 

[Greenmeenie]

Basically meaning the main device people use to do simple tasks as surfing the web, playing a mobile game, checking bank statement, writing product reviews, and emailing?

It already is! Next to the iphone, it is the main media consumption device for all those things you mentioned. People used to carry around their laptops when they wanted a bigger screen for doing those things. I know I did. But now, there is no need. So in that regard, they have definitely replaced the laptop. The question is, has it replaced the laptop altogether? For some yes. But for many, a computer is still desired for heavier computing needs. Especially for artists and content creators. Although even this line is blurring. I'm an artist and am using my iPad more and more for creating as opposed to my laptop. In fact, I decided that instead of updating my old macbook, I plan to buy one of the new iPad pros when they come out in March.

 

[bensisko]

i'm not sure if it's really the future - i think augmented/mixed/virtual reality will replace a lot of these devices - and ipads won't evolve that fast to become the main device in time until that happens. why take an expensive, delicate and non-upgradeable ipad that's limited to one size, when a board of wood or a piece of paper can do the same job? i guess, portable screens will still live on, just for showing things to people who don't wear an eye-phone, but even those could be replaced by a tiny projector on your body that projects on any surface and compensates for motion. but i guess, that computing units and display units will be separated in the future. either use the cloud, or use any I/O device with your computing unit (formerly known as smartphone).

I seriously doubt that AR/VR will replace any of these devices. AR/VR is NOT going to be a primary method of computing - it will be an accessory for certain tasks. Even when the technology matures (a loooooooong time from now) it will still be something you do occasionally. One of the failures of Google Glass was assuming people would wear it all the time and everywhere (like a watch, or a phone).

 

[DevNull0]

I do agree that the prices of the 2016 models are ridiculous. I was mainly referring to the 2013-2015 models. They still have a decent amount of ports, better battery life, MUCH better displays and are lighter weight. I can understand how the storage would be an issue. I couldn't fill even a 256gb ssd if I tried , but I understand some users store a lot of data.

I spent some time today looking at Apple's refurb offerings on the 2015's. The 13" base model for $1100 looks temping, and, the 15" for $1700 looks even better especially since I get my 16 gig of ram. Either way, the storage will be a big problem for me. One of my primary uses for the machine is photo editing, and at 50meg per raw file, 500 images from a shoot is 25gig before I even start storing edited versions. I have terabytes of archived and well backed up shoots, but I need to carry the past several shoots with me. I am able to get student discounts on the new models, so these machines actually would have been cheaper for me as soon as the 2015 back to school started. It really bugs me to pay more for the same machine 2 years later as a refurb and having lost all that use only because the current offering is just so bad.
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I've got the 15, but it's largely been replaced my my 2014 11' Air. i've found the speed difference to be not so different for most day-to-day applications.

Personally, size isn't a huge issue for me, so the Air has never interested me. The screen, keyboard, battery, memory, and storage are what I care about. Compared to the current MBP's though, the 2014 13" Air actually doesn't look like a bad alternative. Though that's more a commentary on the 2016 pro.

 

[Badrottie]

I think Appl iPad is going to down slowly because sale is down.

 

[StoneJack]

1. USB-C Port instead of lightning. (No chance of USB-A after what they've done with the Macbooks).
2. A 'file system app' like Goodreader. It could be a simple interface plug in usb-c cable and open that app and distribute content from the portable drive to other apps or even across to the icloud app.
3. Mouse support.

I used to think in a same way. However, recently I noticed that things have changed.
1. With wireless, USB doesn't matter much more. Everything is synced through iCloud and Dropbox for me. With bluetooth, u don't need USB for sound. The only situation when you need USB is for using peripherals. But if they are iPad compatible, such as microphones, or keyboards, they already have Lightning.

2. File system app. Documents app and iCloud, plus Dropbox and OneDrive already have file system and I am sure that this enough. I don't need to go to system or library files. I would imagine there are times I need to edit music or photo files, but all music and photo apps do have access to my music and photo libraries.

3. For navigation, mouse is not needed. My iPad Pro has Pencil, which is good enough for drawing. I don't need mouse anymore. When typing, I guess the new navigation with double fingers is good enough.

 

[DevNull0]

1. With wireless, USB doesn't matter much more. Everything is synced through iCloud and Dropbox for me. With bluetooth, u don't need USB for sound. The only situation when you need USB is for using peripherals. But if they are iPad compatible, such as microphones, or keyboards, they already have Lightning.

iCloud for you. For me, I spend a lot of time where there's no internet access of any kind.

And as far as wireless....so, where can i buy a 32 gig wireless storage device that doesn't take batteries and costs under $10 to replace a USB memory stick?

2. File system app. Documents app and iCloud, plus Dropbox and OneDrive already have file system and I am sure that this enough. I don't need to go to system or library files. I would imagine there are times I need to edit music or photo files, but all music and photo apps do have access to my music and photo libraries.

So, now even though there's much better and simpler workflows (on computers and android devices), we're going to suffer through good enough. Why?

How can I take a PDF from an email attachment, edit it, and then email the edited PDF to a different person? That's simple on a computer, needs some 3rd party apps and a convoluted workflow on an iPad.

3. For navigation, mouse is not needed. My iPad Pro has Pencil, which is good enough for drawing. I don't need mouse anymore. When typing, I guess the new navigation with double fingers is good enough.

Mouse is more precise than a pencil, and the pencil blocks your view of what you're trying to touch. Mouse has multiple buttons to do different things.

You keep saying "good enough" throughout your post. Why should people accept "good enough" when "great" has been available for 20+ years?