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Happy Birthday, iPad: Apple's Tablet Turns 16
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ThomasJL
macrumors 68020
Although I’ve never owned an iPad, I think the very first Retina iPad is an exceptionally special device because it shipped with the most beautiful and user-friendly operating system in history, which is iOS 6. The screen of that first Retina iPad was much bigger than any Retina iPhone ever made, so the Retina iPad could show even more of the intricate and thoughtful details of the skeuomorphic design of iOS 6. It showed the brilliance and perfectionism of Scott Forstall, and the excellence that his team produced under his leadership.
That alone should’ve made Tim Cook realize that Forstall is the most valuable (in terms of innovation and user-friendliness) Apple employee, but Cook was—and still is—too clueless and mediocre to realize that.
And here’s the kicker: Cook fired Forstall just four days before the first Retina iPad launched! It happened on the same week:
On Monday, October 29, 2012, Forstall’s firing was announced. Four days later that same week, on Friday, November 2, 2012, the first Retina iPad, which shipped with Forstall’s iOS 6, went on sale.
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I still remember the day this came out, waiting for it to be delivered.
The iPad had so much promise….shame it too so long to get to where it is, but overall I still use and love it.
I actually miss the large uniform bezels…made it easier to hold. Glad Apple still has some amount of bezel on iPad left.
The iPad had so much promise….shame it too so long to get to where it is, but overall I still use and love it.
I actually miss the large uniform bezels…made it easier to hold. Glad Apple still has some amount of bezel on iPad left.
garranhado
macrumors regular
iPhone: When I’m not in my home
iPad: When I’m at my home
Macbook Pro: When I’m in office or work from home
iPad: When I’m at my home
Macbook Pro: When I’m in office or work from home
Greenmeenie
macrumors 68020
As an artist who’s been using Apple products since before they were “cool” back in the mid 90s… the iPad paired with the Apple pencil is the single greatest device they’ve ever created. I don’t even own a laptop or computer anymore, but I have 2 ipads. The 11” iPad Pro and the iPad mini 7. And I’m about to add a 13” iPad Pro to my collection. I do everything on my iPads. Not only as digital sketchbooks, but surfing the web, editing photos & videos as well as consuming media. They do everything better than my laptop ever could. Happy Birthday iPad! 🎂
The funny thing about those comments is it describes where Android tablets ended up.
Google let companies do what they wanted and the market was fragmented on day one. Further, Google didn’t really set any standards for tablet Apps (like Apple did with the iPad) so Android tablets are the ones that ended up running “blown-up phone Apps” while the iPad has a great selection of high-end Apps available.
Android companies putting phone processors in large “pro” tablets didn’t help while Apple made higher performance versions of their processor for the iPad.
DocMultimedia
macrumors 68030
DocMultimedia
macrumors 68030
I had to buy a new one recently and the fact that it's so hard to hold is driving me nuts.
jsavvy
macrumors 6502
Yeah but iOS doesn’t allow local terminal access and probably never will.There are plenty of Terminal apps.
I recommend Prompt...
I have a terminal (ssh) app that I’ve used for years. I’ll check this one out though.
Luftkopf
macrumors 65816
I still have my original iPad. Actually, my brother has it, as I loaned it to him to read a book that's on it. It's amazing how well it's held up. I used that a ton when I was studying, researching and taking notes in the library, etc.
[what studying used to look like for me in 2013]
I tried to replace it with an iPad mini 2. I wanted to love it so much, and I still do. The iPad mini looks so cool! The only place it ever made any sense though, was when I used to catch the train (45 min each way) to work. I spent most of my time with it being annoyed by the small screen, and replaced it with the iPad Air 2 that I'm still using. I'm badly overdue for an upgrade, it doesn't do half of what I want it to any more, and the battery life is terrible, but I can't afford to get another iPad right now. As much as I desperately want a 13" iPad Air, I think I will be lucky if I can save up to get the next iteration of the base model.
Sometimes there are tasks where it is just better to hold the screen and use your fingers. For me, that is when I am working as a draftsman, reading markups from designers or engineers. I could, and often have, put the PDFs on a second screen to read as I modify my drawings, but I find I make fewer mistakes and omissions if I have that PDF on my iPad, and use the annotation tools to mark what I've done. Holding the iPad, zooming and dragging the PDF, make it easier to do my job.
The other area an iPad is unbeatable in for me is when I'm playing bass. Putting my iPad on a music stand to display my sheet music/chord charts, while I use a BT foot pedal to turn pages, can't be replaced with a laptop or phone.
[what studying used to look like for me in 2013]
I tried to replace it with an iPad mini 2. I wanted to love it so much, and I still do. The iPad mini looks so cool! The only place it ever made any sense though, was when I used to catch the train (45 min each way) to work. I spent most of my time with it being annoyed by the small screen, and replaced it with the iPad Air 2 that I'm still using. I'm badly overdue for an upgrade, it doesn't do half of what I want it to any more, and the battery life is terrible, but I can't afford to get another iPad right now. As much as I desperately want a 13" iPad Air, I think I will be lucky if I can save up to get the next iteration of the base model.
If you're evaluating an iPad on an equivalent footing to a MacBook, I'm not surprised. While a great many people have had success and enjoyment using an iPad instead of a MacBook, one of the key strengths of the iPad is as a companion device. A MacBook + iPad is an unbeatable combination for me, and I'm still using my iPad Air 2, so I don't have access to any of the things that make the combination really great!
Sometimes there are tasks where it is just better to hold the screen and use your fingers. For me, that is when I am working as a draftsman, reading markups from designers or engineers. I could, and often have, put the PDFs on a second screen to read as I modify my drawings, but I find I make fewer mistakes and omissions if I have that PDF on my iPad, and use the annotation tools to mark what I've done. Holding the iPad, zooming and dragging the PDF, make it easier to do my job.
The other area an iPad is unbeatable in for me is when I'm playing bass. Putting my iPad on a music stand to display my sheet music/chord charts, while I use a BT foot pedal to turn pages, can't be replaced with a laptop or phone.
trusso
Suspended
chrono1081
macrumors G3
Ted_Appleseed
macrumors regular
I still remember how excited I was when I surprisingly got the first iPad in July 2010, when I was 13 years old. It was like stepping into the future, a new era. It was like I finally had something that could only be seen in tech concepts or sci-fi movies.
I did not feel the same excitement when getting the iPod, iMac, and iPhone before that, and never felt the same as well when getting other new tech products - the Vision Pro might be the closest, but not the same shocking feeling as I work in this field already.
Another celebration for myself was getting the iPad Pro 9.7" on the launch day, March 31, 2016, plus an Apple Pencil. While I had a Surface 3 back in the day, the iPad gave me the ultimate, pleasant, and stable experience of writing and drawing on the tablet, so I would say it's been a full decade since I entered this paperless note-taking era.
Thank you, iPad, for these amazing 16 years. Looking forward to the next 16 years.
I did not feel the same excitement when getting the iPod, iMac, and iPhone before that, and never felt the same as well when getting other new tech products - the Vision Pro might be the closest, but not the same shocking feeling as I work in this field already.
Another celebration for myself was getting the iPad Pro 9.7" on the launch day, March 31, 2016, plus an Apple Pencil. While I had a Surface 3 back in the day, the iPad gave me the ultimate, pleasant, and stable experience of writing and drawing on the tablet, so I would say it's been a full decade since I entered this paperless note-taking era.
Thank you, iPad, for these amazing 16 years. Looking forward to the next 16 years.
F23
macrumors 65816
I don't want to use macOS with my fingers, I want macOS on my $1.2K M5 iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard with a tandem OLED display that's more portable than my 16 in MBP. I don't want to have to buy MacBook Neo to get a portable cheap macOS when the iPad already exists.
There can be a macOS mode when the Magic Keyboard attaches to iPad. They simply don't want to cannibalize sales. Nice work Sith Lord Timmy
MacBH928
macrumors G3
Even the android does not, not even the web version. None will run power query for example.
I think there is more to it than that, the touch interface and battery consumption. iOS and its apps are modified to run long time on a portable battery. Maybe a macbook with detachable screen is what you are looking for.
it is, its just that the bigger screen makes browsing websites, watching videos, reading an ebook more pleasant. with the current "phablet" phones and a macbook, i do not see much place for an iPad for most people. Its more convenient for specific scenarios
A very happy birthday to iPad. It is one of my favorite Apple products. My first iPad was the Air 2. It still works for doing basic tasks. iPads last a long time. Extremely happy with my current iPad - M4 iPad Pro 11" with cellular capability. I use it extensively along with the Pencil. It is a perfect device. Not much Apple can change now. Would like to see some new colors for the Pro iPad.
The chip has nothing to do with it, it’s about user experience. iPadOS is a much better OS for a tablet than macOS.
iHorseHead
macrumors 68020
I upgraded to iPad 9th gen, but I still love my iPad mini 2. I can type on one hand on this and I feel like the screen is better on my iPad mini 2 than on iPad 9th gen.
F23
macrumors 65816
TechRunner
macrumors 68030
I had one and used it primarily as an e-reader. Now I have an M3 Air and use it primarily as...an e-reader.
I guess the iPad has evolved over the years and I haven't. 😉
I guess the iPad has evolved over the years and I haven't. 😉
Happy_John
macrumors 68000
Pretty much the same as me, except, in my office (office and home in same building) during COVID, I gave up using a MacBook Pro plugged into external monitors, keyboard, external storage etc, as a workstation, and just switched to a fully desktop setup with a Mac Mini M2 Pro at the centre of it, and never looked back.
I know the majority of Macs sold are MacBooks, and I used to do the same, but when I’m not working, I don’t want to work. And using only an iPad for non-work stuff makes that work / not-working divide much easier to maintain.
I’d never think of using an iPad for work tasks, it’s not a Mac replacement on that level, but it’s far better than a Mac for non-work activities. It wins hands down for slobbing on the sofa, online shopping, going on holiday, media consumption, ebooks etc.
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