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iPad Pro I'm not excited about my first iPad (new 11" Pro)

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antnythr

macrumors 6502
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Feb 16, 2020
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I've got an iMac and an iPhone 7+, and I just bought my first iPad, the new 11" iPad Pro (128gb). I've had the iPad for 2 days now and I'm not super excited about it. I think my biggest issue is that I don't really know what use case it's solving for me.

If I want to get stuff done, I use my iMac. When I want to just browse stuff, I use my phone. I just got it because I thought it would be cool to have around, but I find it a little hard to use because it's so big. Browsing the web is easier for sure and most things are easier to read. It's difficult to type on. Awkward to hold and find my wrists getting tired holding it up. I don't do any drawing or take any notes, so two of the most touted features aren't things I really take advantage of. I also tried sidecar which I thought would be an interesting feature, but there's latency and the image quality didn't seem great to be honest (I don't have any cable to try it over USB which I assume is the more correct way to use it).

I was hoping it would be a bit of a family device, but it doesn't support separate users, so there's no way to separate out messages, photos, contacts, etc (I assumed it did, but got it confused with tvOS that just added multi-user support).

I don't mean for this to be a criticism of the device, because it's a tool used for a job. I just don't seem to have a use for it. I'm hoping over time I start to see where the iPad can be beneficial over the iPhone.
 
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antnythr said:
I've got an iMac and an iPhone 7+, and I just bought my first iPad, the new 11" iPad Pro (128gb). I've had the iPad for 2 days now and I'm not super excited about it. I think my biggest issue is that I don't really know what use case it's solving for me.

If I want to get stuff done, I use my iMac. When I want to just browse stuff, I use my phone. I just got it because I thought it would be cool to have around, but I find it a little hard to use because it's so big. Browsing the web is easier for sure and most things are easier to read. It's difficult to type on. Awkward to hold and find my wrists getting tired holding it up. I don't do any drawing or take any notes, so two of the most touted features aren't things I really take advantage of. I also tried sidecar which I thought would be an interesting feature, but there's latency and the image quality didn't seem great to be honest (I don't have any cable to try it over USB which I assume is the more correct way to use it).

I was hoping it would be a bit of a family device, but it doesn't support separate users, so there's no way to separate out messages, photos, contacts, etc (I assumed it did, but got it confused with tvOS that just added multi-user support).

I don't mean for this to be a criticism of the device, because it's a tool used for a job. I just don't seem to have a use for it. I'm hoping over time I start to see where the iPad can be beneficial over the iPhone.
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Welcome to the team.

I bought a 9.7-inch 3rd gen iPad (the first with retina display) in 2012, a 9.7-inch iPad Pro in 2016, and an 11-inch Samsung Galaxy S7 in 2020, all of them equipped with LTE. I bought the pencil and the keyboard for the iPad Pro, and I also have the pen and the keyboard for the S7.

I can surely tell that tablets have evolved over time and became much more capable. However, I still cannot see much use for a tablet, be it an iPad or an Android device. I use the tablet only for browsing the web, reading e-books, and watching videos. One of the reasons why I bought the S7 was that the aspect ratio of 16:10 is more adequate for watching widescreen videos than the 4:30 format used by the iPad.

I am sure that the M1 iPad Pro is a beast, and that it can run circles around most laptops. But it is not for me. I do not use a tablet for drawing or writing with a pen. Whenever I am not using my phone, I want a fully capable device that has a full keyboard attached to it, so I can write, review and edit long and complex documents.
 
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The purpose of a tablet is direct manipulation via touchscreen or pen input. If you aren't interested in doing that, then why would you buy it?
 
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Sounds like you're just hungry for a new toy and would probably be better off with the 10.5 entry level iPad or maybe the Air
 
iPads aren’t for everyone. I honestly never use mine at home much, I travel a lot for work and found the iPad the perfect companion for that and definitely make great use of it. The biggest pull for an iPad over a laptop for me was the cellular connectivity, definitely very useful for my personal needs.
 
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antnythr said:
I've got an iMac and an iPhone 7+, and I just bought my first iPad, the new 11" iPad Pro (128gb). I've had the iPad for 2 days now and I'm not super excited about it. I think my biggest issue is that I don't really know what use case it's solving for me.

If I want to get stuff done, I use my iMac. When I want to just browse stuff, I use my phone. I just got it because I thought it would be cool to have around, but I find it a little hard to use because it's so big. Browsing the web is easier for sure and most things are easier to read. It's difficult to type on. Awkward to hold and find my wrists getting tired holding it up. I don't do any drawing or take any notes, so two of the most touted features aren't things I really take advantage of. I also tried sidecar which I thought would be an interesting feature, but there's latency and the image quality didn't seem great to be honest (I don't have any cable to try it over USB which I assume is the more correct way to use it).

I was hoping it would be a bit of a family device, but it doesn't support separate users, so there's no way to separate out messages, photos, contacts, etc (I assumed it did, but got it confused with tvOS that just added multi-user support).

I don't mean for this to be a criticism of the device, because it's a tool used for a job. I just don't seem to have a use for it. I'm hoping over time I start to see where the iPad can be beneficial over the iPhone.
Click to expand...
Well don’t give up just yet...it’s a side piece for sure and the bigger the phones are getting the more people are bypassing...I use mine all the time in landscape and I’m not holding it all,the time so I use it a lot also I have high powered windows laptop for certain work and FPS gaming so it’s nice to use this when I don’t need my laptop.

you have a mac so you will not be using yours as much as me and it’s new so either give a little time or return and try the cheaper and light air 4.
 
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okbymeman said:
The purpose of a tablet is direct manipulation via touchscreen or pen input. If you aren't interested in doing that, then why would you buy it?
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I think that's a very limited view. I got a 12,9" iPad because of the versatility - I do a ton of writing / editing on it with a keyboard, and leave it behind when I don't need it. Can't do that with a MacBook.

My iPad is my primary personal device for writing, drawing, visual design, browsing, organizing, news and other media consumption. When I need a bigger screen or want to do something the iPad can't do I use my iMac. When I need an even bigger screen I go to the projector.

But it's definitely not just a device you get for poking at.
 
I have had my M1 MBA for 2 months now... I have not powered on my 2020 iPad Pro since the days after I got the MBA.
 
I was a mini 4 owner and got tired of waiting for a proper replacement. Id like a mini led successor in the smaller size but its looking less and less likely.

i like my 2018 11” well enough but return it if you dont like it
 
Appreciate the responses. I'm going to keep using it for another week and see how I feel. It was a bit of an impulse purchase and I think I definitely got excited about the hype. I had been looking at the M1 Air before this and I'm thinking that might be something that's a little better fit for now.
 
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antnythr said:
I've got an iMac and an iPhone 7+, and I just bought my first iPad, the new 11" iPad Pro (128gb). I've had the iPad for 2 days now and I'm not super excited about it. I think my biggest issue is that I don't really know what use case it's solving for me.

If I want to get stuff done, I use my iMac. When I want to just browse stuff, I use my phone. I just got it because I thought it would be cool to have around, but I find it a little hard to use because it's so big.
Click to expand...

How do you read your comic books, magazines, and RSS feeds?

Those have always been the most important uses for my iPad and I have owned one since delvery day of the first one when Steve Jobs strongarmed AT&T into giving us unlimited data for $30/month.

My new iPad Pro 11 turns those comic book and magazine pages better than ever..
 
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Oh something else i wanted to add. My apple store had the 12.9 with kb side by side with a current 13 mbp.

im still not convinced the kb is worth the price nice as it is vs just getting a mbp is you truly need a computer, esp once mini led makes it over to the laptops
 
Starting with a pricey iPad Pro wasn’t probably the thing to do. The standard iPad, the iPad Mini, and the iPad Air can do all the same things the Pro can do, but for less money.

Personally, the first iPad I bought was for my wife, when she found out she had cancer. She wasn’t a tech person, but it helped keep track of all of her appointments with the various doctors and came to love it. And while I waited for her, I was able to do crossword puzzles, or read the news while she was zonked out during chemo, because thinking about life going to crap isn’t something you want to sit there and do.

Yes, this is a specific case, but then you never know when something helps you get through.
 
I’m kind of thinking the same way. Got the 11 M1 on Friday. Have a 7th gen iPad that it will replace. Sure it’s faster but I don’t notice much difference. I was thinking I would replace the 7th gen and my trusty old 2010 mbp with it. Im now thinking I would be better off with the base MacBook Air. I will see how it goes over the next week.
 
antnythr said:
I had been looking at the M1 Air before this and I'm thinking that might be something that's a little better fit for now.
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iPads and Macs are different. The biggest iPad advantage, IMO, is its size, weight and portability. If you need something to travel with or just move around your place, iPad can be a very good choice. The finger or Pencil input can also work very well if you are used to them and if this is relevant. Also, some of your workflows will need to be relearned and it will not always be easier than doing the same thing on a Mac. I switched from a Mac to an iPad about 8 years ago and nowadays my use is split about 95% and 5% between my iPad and Mac, respectively. As others have mentioned, if you just want a small light consumption device, you could consider an iPad mini, which by now has a classic = dated design with a home button, yet sports a retina screen with the highest ppi for any iPad (326 ppi!). If you just want something small and light for your infotainment, this could be good, since you will still be keeping your iPhone and a Mac.
 
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jterp7 said:
im still not convinced the kb is worth the price nice as it is vs just getting a mbp is you truly need a computer, esp once mini led makes it over to the laptops
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Not keen to drop $350 for Magic Keyboard to add 1.6 pounds and with overhang that causes fingers to bump against lower tablet when using top row keys. Compared to something like Surface Pro X keyboard + pen for $200 which you can find for a little over half that the Magic Keyboard is overpriced, overweight and design challenged.
 
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The biggest mistake people make with iPads is to try to replace either a phone or a laptop/desktop with it. iPads have always augmented other devices. They are

1) Good web browsing / media consumption / news reading / book reading devices. These consumers really should be buying iPad or iPad Airs

2) Good productivity companions to desktops or laptops that provide flexibility, a second screen, cellular connectivity, and access to thousands of apps, some of which may be custom to to work. iPad Pros of either size work for this

3) High end video / audio / artistry devices
 
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