iPad Pro iPad Pro dilemma: Let it be or keep dreaming?

[bscheffel]

As we anxiously wait for the new iPad Pro to be announced, I am once again pondering the dilemma of the iPad Pro. Do I let it be what it is; which is the best tablet ever made, or do I continue to push and complain to make it I know it can be; the one and only device I need.

As a tablet, the iPad has always been the most amazing device to use for media consumption and light productivity work in bed, on the couch, on the go, and at a table. It has only gotten more capable over time and with the addition of keyboards, pencil, and pointer input, it has grown to be capable of performing 80% of my work and personal workflow. 70% it does easily, 10% it does clumsily compared to a Mac, and 20% it just can’t do. The things it just can’t do are a combination of iPadOS limitations and iPad productivity apps not having feature parity with the Mac equivalent.

Apple never said the iPad could replace your Mac (though for many it can) so I had no reason to complain. Apple just kept making iPadOS incrementally better and kept working to make it work better with a Mac. Stage Manager, Handoff, Sidecar, Universal Control are amazing and magical features and really do reduce the friction between Mac and iPad.

The problem started when Mac transitioned from Intel to ARM processors in 2020. Suddenly, the chip architecture between the iPad and Mac was the same and with that came expectations. While the 2018 and 2020 iPad Pro still ran an A12 processor the expectations were manageable since Mac were on the M1 chip. Nevermind that the A12 could easily run MacOS, the names were different so expectations were managed. In 2021 Apple announced that the iPad Pro would now run the same M1 chip as Macs and the expectations went through the roof that somehow iPads could or would run MacOS or at least Mac applications. Even RAM was published for the first time ever on iPad and it was possible to get 16GB of RAM with a storage upgrade to 1TB. The expectations came crashing down at WWDC in 2021 when iPadOS 15 was announced bringing very little in terms of new features.

I got swept up in the tornado of expectations and the thought of my M1 iPad Pro suddenly satisfying 100% of my workflow, was a dream come true. No more “do I chance only bringing my iPad Pro for that weekend trip and praying that work doesn’t come up with something that is a roadblock on iPadOS” dilemma. Ditching my heavy 16” Macbook Pro for the weekend was a worthy goal. After the rage subsided, I began to understand why Apple would never let iPad run MacOS even though it could. To do so would entail requiring a keyboard and external mouse, and then some sort of dual boot capability. On top of that it would mean disabling the touch screen when running MacOS. Requiring extra hardware, dual booting, and disabling hardware features is just not the type of user experience Apple wants. I don’t like it but I get it.

More irritating to me is Apple’s insistence on blocking other ways I could get that last 10% of workflow and go “iPad Pro only”. Hypervisor support was removed in iPadOS 16 meaning that ability to someday run a MacOS virtual machine was taken away. Apple’s strict control over which apps get allowed in the App store is also heavy handed and limiting.

The salt in the wound of all of this is that price for an iPad Pro 12.9” in many cases exceeds a Macbook. Sometimes I shake my head and wonder why I spent $1300 on a device that doesn’t even allow me to manage my music library, doesn’t allow me to rename files while downloading from internet, and many other irritating nits that $300 2010 Macbook Air can do easily.

In spite of this, I know that this week or next week I am going to do what I know I shouldn’t do. I am going to spend $2000+ or more on a new iPad Pro with 16GB of RAM and Magic Keyboard; hoping, wishing for a miracle from Apple that will make it the only device I need. It won’t happen but at least I know I’ll have the best tablet ever made.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

The salt in the wound of all of this is that price for an iPad Pro 12.9” in many cases exceeds a Macbook. Sometimes I shake my head and wonder why I spent $1300 on a device that doesn’t even allow me to manage my music library, doesn’t allow me to rename files while downloading from internet, and many other irritating nits that $300 2010 Macbook Air can do easily.

This sums it up for me.

I really tried to love the iPad Pro. I got a 12.9" M1, Magic Keyboard, etc. and tried to use it as my "Primary device" for about a year and a half. I set up Screens to let me remote into my Mac mini for those things iPad just can't do, and lived with the thicker & heavier device (versus MacBook Air) and the general weirdness of iPadOS for day-to-day tasks.

In the end, I gave up on it. iPad Pro is perhaps worth the cost if you're a photographer or videographer - but it's just too !@$# expensive and too !@#$ limiting for day-to-day use. I bought an iPad mini 6 and a MacBook Pro, and sold the iPad Pro.

 

[muzzy996]

This sums it up for me.

I really tried to love the iPad Pro. I got a 12.9" M1, Magic Keyboard, etc. and tried to use it as my "Primary device" for about a year and a half. I set up Screens to let me remote into my Mac mini for those things iPad just can't do, and lived with the thicker & heavier device (versus MacBook Air) and the general weirdness of iPadOS for day-to-day tasks.

In the end, I gave up on it. iPad Pro is perhaps worth the cost if you're a photographer or videographer - but it's just too !@$# expensive and too !@#$ limiting for day-to-day use. I bought an iPad mini 6 and a MacBook Pro, and sold the iPad.

Sums it up for me too which is why I changed to a surface pro 9 last year and shelved my 2017 iPP 12.9. Love my mini 6 as well and use it daily. A few years ago I thought I'd stay in the Apple ecosystem full tilt but I eventually grew tired of the pricing ladder that Apple has for every incremental spec bump in RAM and storage. I'll stick with my iPhone and Mini and will upgrade both as new releases come out but I can't see myself justifying the cost of the iPad Airs and Pros anymore given my personal usage patterns. They're great machines but they just aren't for me is all because of my usage patterns and preferred workflows.

 

[jazz1]

As we anxiously wait for the new iPad Pro to be announced, I am once again pondering the dilemma of the iPad Pro. Do I let it be what it is; which is the best tablet ever made, or do I continue to push and complain to make it I know it can be; the one and only device I need.

As a tablet, the iPad has always been the most amazing device to use for media consumption and light productivity work in bed, on the couch, on the go, and at a table. It has only gotten more capable over time and with the addition of keyboards, pencil, and pointer input, it has grown to be capable of performing 80% of my work and personal workflow. 70% it does easily, 10% it does clumsily compared to a Mac, and 20% it just can’t do. The things it just can’t do are a combination of iPadOS limitations and iPad productivity apps not having feature parity with the Mac equivalent.

Apple never said the iPad could replace your Mac (though for many it can) so I had no reason to complain. Apple just kept making iPadOS incrementally better and kept working to make it work better with a Mac. Stage Manager, Handoff, Sidecar, Universal Control are amazing and magical features and really do reduce the friction between Mac and iPad.

The problem started when Mac transitioned from Intel to ARM processors in 2020. Suddenly, the chip architecture between the iPad and Mac was the same and with that came expectations. While the 2018 and 2020 iPad Pro still ran an A12 processor the expectations were manageable since Mac were on the M1 chip. Nevermind that the A12 could easily run MacOS, the names were different so expectations were managed. In 2021 Apple announced that the iPad Pro would now run the same M1 chip as Macs and the expectations went through the roof that somehow iPads could or would run MacOS or at least Mac applications. Even RAM was published for the first time ever on iPad and it was possible to get 16GB of RAM with a storage upgrade to 1TB. The expectations came crashing down at WWDC in 2021 when iPadOS 15 was announced bringing very little in terms of new features.

I got swept up in the tornado of expectations and the thought of my M1 iPad Pro suddenly satisfying 100% of my workflow, was a dream come true. No more “do I chance only bringing my iPad Pro for that weekend trip and praying that work doesn’t come up with something that is a roadblock on iPadOS” dilemma. Ditching my heavy 16” Macbook Pro for the weekend was a worthy goal. After the rage subsided, I began to understand why Apple would never let iPad run MacOS even though it could. To do so would entail requiring a keyboard and external mouse, and then some sort of dual boot capability. On top of that it would mean disabling the touch screen when running MacOS. Requiring extra hardware, dual booting, and disabling hardware features is just not the type of user experience Apple wants. I don’t like it but I get it.

More irritating to me is Apple’s insistence on blocking other ways I could get that last 10% of workflow and go “iPad Pro only”. Hypervisor support was removed in iPadOS 16 meaning that ability to someday run a MacOS virtual machine was taken away. Apple’s strict control over which apps get allowed in the App store is also heavy handed and limiting.

The salt in the wound of all of this is that price for an iPad Pro 12.9” in many cases exceeds a Macbook. Sometimes I shake my head and wonder why I spent $1300 on a device that doesn’t even allow me to manage my music library, doesn’t allow me to rename files while downloading from internet, and many other irritating nits that $300 2010 Macbook Air can do easily.

In spite of this, I know that this week or next week I am going to do what I know I shouldn’t do. I am going to spend $2000+ or more on a new iPad Pro with 16GB of RAM and Magic Keyboard; hoping, wishing for a miracle from Apple that will make it the only device I need. It won’t happen but at least I know I’ll have the best tablet ever made.

Yes, I went overboard when I purchased my M1 iPad Pro with 1TB of SSD storage (16GB RAM is my minimum anyway so I can't complain about that). Why did I get 1TB of storage, well I thought the SSD upgrade would get me ready to use the iPad Pro as a laptop replacement. I thought why would Apple offer higher specifications if a near future release of iOS would not take advantage of it? So I crystal balled the upgradable SSD thinking I was near-future proofing the purchase.

So here I am again. Looking longingly and lovingly at the yet to be released/rumored iPad Pro. 🥺

 

[rui no onna]

The salt in the wound of all of this is that price for an iPad Pro 12.9” in many cases exceeds a Macbook. Sometimes I shake my head and wonder why I spent $1300 on a device that doesn’t even allow me to manage my music library, doesn’t allow me to rename files while downloading from internet, and many other irritating nits that $300 2010 Macbook Air can do easily.

Never had this issue. I bought a 2017 iPP 12.9 for $1300+ with tax precisely because it’s the best tablet I’ve used thus far. I eventually replaced it with a 2021 iPP 12.9 for $2000+. No regrets.

In spite of this, I know that this week or next week I am going to do what I know I shouldn’t do. I am going to spend $2000+ or more on a new iPad Pro with 16GB of RAM and Magic Keyboard; hoping, wishing for a miracle from Apple that will make it the only device I need. It won’t happen but at least I know I’ll have the best tablet ever made.

At this point in time, my M1 iPP is powerful enough and has plenty of storage that I can afford to wait until new models are heavily discounted on Amazon, Woot, etc. before I buy a new iPad.

Now the iPad mini 6, I’d upgrade in a jiffy if the newer model has 8GB RAM.

 

[ericwn]

Nothing beats your own experience. Personally I think the next iPad is just a slight improvement over the previous and won’t move the needle significantly but as always I could buy the new device and test this during the return period.

But if it hasn’t clicked with you last time around I have a feeling this will be a repeat excercise.

 

[darngooddesign]

Nevermind that the A12 could easily run MacOS…

It couldn’t. The transition developer Mac Minis had custom A12s with hardware added to support desktop features like swap memory. Those Macs were hack jobs and not an example of the A12 easily running MacOS.

 

[Portavoz]

i can totally relate to the never being comfortable bringing just my iPad on trips. i usually depend on Jump desktop to my work Mac as a backup and of course the one time i needed it, the Mac got stuck on an os update and wasn’t available.

 

[FeliApple]

Here we go again, for the millionth time; the extreme minority that should buy a Mac and doesn’t. Instead, the extreme minority bickers.

 

[bscheffel]

Here we go again, for the millionth time; the extreme minority that should buy a Mac and doesn’t. Instead, the extreme minority bickers.

this thread isn’t about buying a mac versus ipad - i have both.

 

[klasma]

For "real" computing, I need a desktop setup anyway — large monitor, ergonomic keyboard, mouse — so I don't care so much that the iPad is not that. The iPad covers different use cases. I agree that there are a ton of usability improvements that can and should be made to iPadOS, but I don’t need it to be a desktop OS, as opposed to a touch screen OS. Those two modes of operation really need to be two separate UIs, or else at least one will suffer, if not both (as happened with Windows).

 

[prospervic]

As we anxiously wait for the new iPad Pro to be announced, I am once again pondering the dilemma of the iPad Pro. Do I let it be what it is; which is the best tablet ever made, or do I continue to push and complain to make it I know it can be; the one and only device I need.

As a tablet, the iPad has always been the most amazing device to use for media consumption and light productivity work in bed, on the couch, on the go, and at a table. It has only gotten more capable over time and with the addition of keyboards, pencil, and pointer input, it has grown to be capable of performing 80% of my work and personal workflow. 70% it does easily, 10% it does clumsily compared to a Mac, and 20% it just can’t do. The things it just can’t do are a combination of iPadOS limitations and iPad productivity apps not having feature parity with the Mac equivalent.

Apple never said the iPad could replace your Mac (though for many it can) so I had no reason to complain. Apple just kept making iPadOS incrementally better and kept working to make it work better with a Mac. Stage Manager, Handoff, Sidecar, Universal Control are amazing and magical features and really do reduce the friction between Mac and iPad.

The problem started when Mac transitioned from Intel to ARM processors in 2020. Suddenly, the chip architecture between the iPad and Mac was the same and with that came expectations. While the 2018 and 2020 iPad Pro still ran an A12 processor the expectations were manageable since Mac were on the M1 chip. Nevermind that the A12 could easily run MacOS, the names were different so expectations were managed. In 2021 Apple announced that the iPad Pro would now run the same M1 chip as Macs and the expectations went through the roof that somehow iPads could or would run MacOS or at least Mac applications. Even RAM was published for the first time ever on iPad and it was possible to get 16GB of RAM with a storage upgrade to 1TB. The expectations came crashing down at WWDC in 2021 when iPadOS 15 was announced bringing very little in terms of new features.

I got swept up in the tornado of expectations and the thought of my M1 iPad Pro suddenly satisfying 100% of my workflow, was a dream come true. No more “do I chance only bringing my iPad Pro for that weekend trip and praying that work doesn’t come up with something that is a roadblock on iPadOS” dilemma. Ditching my heavy 16” Macbook Pro for the weekend was a worthy goal. After the rage subsided, I began to understand why Apple would never let iPad run MacOS even though it could. To do so would entail requiring a keyboard and external mouse, and then some sort of dual boot capability. On top of that it would mean disabling the touch screen when running MacOS. Requiring extra hardware, dual booting, and disabling hardware features is just not the type of user experience Apple wants. I don’t like it but I get it.

More irritating to me is Apple’s insistence on blocking other ways I could get that last 10% of workflow and go “iPad Pro only”. Hypervisor support was removed in iPadOS 16 meaning that ability to someday run a MacOS virtual machine was taken away. Apple’s strict control over which apps get allowed in the App store is also heavy handed and limiting.

The salt in the wound of all of this is that price for an iPad Pro 12.9” in many cases exceeds a Macbook. Sometimes I shake my head and wonder why I spent $1300 on a device that doesn’t even allow me to manage my music library, doesn’t allow me to rename files while downloading from internet, and many other irritating nits that $300 2010 Macbook Air can do easily.

In spite of this, I know that this week or next week I am going to do what I know I shouldn’t do. I am going to spend $2000+ or more on a new iPad Pro with 16GB of RAM and Magic Keyboard; hoping, wishing for a miracle from Apple that will make it the only device I need. It won’t happen but at least I know I’ll have the best tablet ever made.

We are facing the same choice in 2024 as we did in 2021: whether to by a new iPad Pro on launch day in the hopes of it becoming our singular Apple device, or wait until WWDC to discover what new capabilities the next iPadOS release will bring. I did not wait in 2021, and regretted that choice when iPadOS 15 failed to live up to the rumors and predictions.

Had I waited, I would’ve been very clear that this iPad Pro was not going to be a MacBook replacement and purchased the 512gb model instead of the 1tb (and saved $400). Nonetheless, I’ve grown quite fond of my M1 12.9 (cellular) — it’s a spectacular device that I feel no need to replace since does pretty much everything I need it to do (plus it’s already paid for).

HAVING SAID THAT… I’ll be keenly watching this year’s WWDC, and if iPadOS 18 introduces some long-desired productivity feature (like multi-stream audio for recording podcasts or REAL screen sharing for Zoom meetings) that only works on the M3 processor, I could be irresistibly tempted to upgrade.

 

[M5RahuL]

All I want is the mini 7 to have the ‘M’ series chip (and not gimped), 120Hz refresh, and higher storage options!

 

[iPadified]

As we anxiously wait for the new iPad Pro to be announced, I am once again pondering the dilemma of the iPad Pro. Do I let it be what it is; which is the best tablet ever made, or do I continue to push and complain to make it I know it can be; the one and only device I need.

As a tablet, the iPad has always been the most amazing device to use for media consumption and light productivity work in bed, on the couch, on the go, and at a table. It has only gotten more capable over time and with the addition of keyboards, pencil, and pointer input, it has grown to be capable of performing 80% of my work and personal workflow. 70% it does easily, 10% it does clumsily compared to a Mac, and 20% it just can’t do. The things it just can’t do are a combination of iPadOS limitations and iPad productivity apps not having feature parity with the Mac equivalent.

Apple never said the iPad could replace your Mac (though for many it can) so I had no reason to complain. Apple just kept making iPadOS incrementally better and kept working to make it work better with a Mac. Stage Manager, Handoff, Sidecar, Universal Control are amazing and magical features and really do reduce the friction between Mac and iPad.

The problem started when Mac transitioned from Intel to ARM processors in 2020. Suddenly, the chip architecture between the iPad and Mac was the same and with that came expectations. While the 2018 and 2020 iPad Pro still ran an A12 processor the expectations were manageable since Mac were on the M1 chip. Nevermind that the A12 could easily run MacOS, the names were different so expectations were managed. In 2021 Apple announced that the iPad Pro would now run the same M1 chip as Macs and the expectations went through the roof that somehow iPads could or would run MacOS or at least Mac applications. Even RAM was published for the first time ever on iPad and it was possible to get 16GB of RAM with a storage upgrade to 1TB. The expectations came crashing down at WWDC in 2021 when iPadOS 15 was announced bringing very little in terms of new features.

I got swept up in the tornado of expectations and the thought of my M1 iPad Pro suddenly satisfying 100% of my workflow, was a dream come true. No more “do I chance only bringing my iPad Pro for that weekend trip and praying that work doesn’t come up with something that is a roadblock on iPadOS” dilemma. Ditching my heavy 16” Macbook Pro for the weekend was a worthy goal. After the rage subsided, I began to understand why Apple would never let iPad run MacOS even though it could. To do so would entail requiring a keyboard and external mouse, and then some sort of dual boot capability. On top of that it would mean disabling the touch screen when running MacOS. Requiring extra hardware, dual booting, and disabling hardware features is just not the type of user experience Apple wants. I don’t like it but I get it.

More irritating to me is Apple’s insistence on blocking other ways I could get that last 10% of workflow and go “iPad Pro only”. Hypervisor support was removed in iPadOS 16 meaning that ability to someday run a MacOS virtual machine was taken away. Apple’s strict control over which apps get allowed in the App store is also heavy handed and limiting.

The salt in the wound of all of this is that price for an iPad Pro 12.9” in many cases exceeds a Macbook. Sometimes I shake my head and wonder why I spent $1300 on a device that doesn’t even allow me to manage my music library, doesn’t allow me to rename files while downloading from internet, and many other irritating nits that $300 2010 Macbook Air can do easily.

In spite of this, I know that this week or next week I am going to do what I know I shouldn’t do. I am going to spend $2000+ or more on a new iPad Pro with 16GB of RAM and Magic Keyboard; hoping, wishing for a miracle from Apple that will make it the only device I need. It won’t happen but at least I know I’ll have the best tablet ever made.

Buy a Mac. iPad is for another set of users. The Mx is used to serve two market segments (Mac centric and iPad centric usage pattern), which is only good for the keeping the price down.

Cost of device does not come into it, as it is two markets and each requires many options.

I admit that there is a grey zone between the devices which seem to confuse advanced users.

 

[teh_hunterer]

I was on the iPad Pro as primary device train for years. It's a trap. The fact you are even spending time agonising about it is all the proof you should need that it can not and will not serve as that for you. If the iPad Pro truly was supposed to be your primary device you wouldn't need to post this question, you'd just be happy with it.

I finally got the computer I actually needed, which was an M3 Pro 16" MBP, and it actually does everything I need it to. I still have an iPad Pro and it gets used in bed or on a plane or sometimes on the couch in a more casual way. I don't waste a second anymore worrying about how each device fits. I'm happy.

The whole time I was trying to make the iPad be more than it is, I was unhappy.

Obviously by happy and unhappy I mean in terms of my tech, not my life.

 

[Loudsilvereel]

I only recently added a Logitech Combo Touch to my 2018 12.9 iPad Pro and it’s quite a game changer with the trackpad making it an actual usable machine. I previously only had the apple keyboard only case.

The winner for me at the moment is having a VPN connection to home where a Windows 10 machine sits running MS office software. When I need to get something done using ’real’ software on the go, I’ve been using the Microsoft remote desktop app which is so close to having a super nice portable windows laptop, as long as I have good wifi or cell signal. The trackpad and features work pretty damn good now. I also grabbed a bluetooth mouse to be able to really make a nice setup.

Occasionally I need to do something using industry specific windows software and stuff with usb to serial adapters and what not, and I’ve toyed with the idea of getting a tiny portable windows PC that can sit in a backpack, or even a damaged macbook without the screen. If I can get an adhoc wifi connection going, my iPad pro could act as the screen / keyboard / mouse and there wouldn’t be much more I couldn’t achieve.

If iPads could somehow run macOS apps, maybe in a Parallels-like fashion of how Windows apps can run on MacOS I think that would make a killer portable serious work device for me.

My other mac is a 16” m1 max so it’s a bit of a giant thing to actually lug around.

I did also pick up a neat little 15.6” MSI portable display. It powers up and sends display signal straight from the iPad’s USB-C. Since it worked nicely I decided I’d get a M1 iPad so I could upgrade to using it as an extended monitor.

 

[Ludatyk]

Here we go again.

In any case when using iPadOS, you have to do some digging to find what tasks that you can do out-of-the-box with macOS. It’s just a different form of computing, however… most Mac users think it’s too cumbersome workflow to learn. And to some degree, I can understand.

But I think you want tasks to perform exactly like macOS. When Apple has stated repeatedly they are two different OS, two different products. But regarding the fix to your music library, there are apps that you can place your music into in order to manage it (maybe some content playing app or file management app).

And on the topic of “renaming of files,” if I’m not mistaken… that can be done under Files app. Personally I prefer File Browser Professional, but there are plenty of good ones to choose from… I’ve use GoodReader and FE File Explorer Pro in the past.

HAVING SAID THAT… I’ll be keenly watching this year’s WWDC, and if iPadOS 18 introduces some long-desired productivity feature (like multi-stream audio for recording podcasts or REAL screen sharing for Zoom meetings) that only works on the M3 processor, I’ll likely be irresistibly tempted to upgrade.

If Apple do some ridiculous thing like that, the response would be 2x worst than what they pulled back when Stage Manager was introduced only for the M1 iPads.

And the odd thing about that whole Stage Manager fiasco, I’d wager most iPad users didn’t care about Stage Manager judging by how many dislike the feature… they just hated being left out.

 

[NastyMatt]

There is no one device that satisfies my needs 100% so I have to have multiple devices. But why I like the IPP so much is A. it satisfies 98% of my needs and B. I prefer the experience of the form factor over every other device.

If there was one device that did everything I would just have that. I would always give that same advice to anyone buying hardware/software and that is what I find strange about people complaining about the iPad when they say they struggle with an iPad but “insert device” can do it all!!!! Get that device then!

I have an IPP, MBA and MBP (and a Windows desktop) yet I have never been on the MBA / MBP forum to moan how it doesn’t fulfil my needs or how I can’t even use a pencil with it.

 

[sracer]

As we anxiously wait for the new iPad Pro to be announced, I am once again pondering the dilemma of the iPad Pro. Do I let it be what it is; which is the best tablet ever made, or do I continue to push and complain to make it I know it can be; the one and only device I need.

As a tablet, the iPad has always been the most amazing device to use for media consumption and light productivity work in bed, on the couch, on the go, and at a table. It has only gotten more capable over time and with the addition of keyboards, pencil, and pointer input, it has grown to be capable of performing 80% of my work and personal workflow. 70% it does easily, 10% it does clumsily compared to a Mac, and 20% it just can’t do. The things it just can’t do are a combination of iPadOS limitations and iPad productivity apps not having feature parity with the Mac equivalent.

Apple never said the iPad could replace your Mac (though for many it can) so I had no reason to complain. Apple just kept making iPadOS incrementally better and kept working to make it work better with a Mac. Stage Manager, Handoff, Sidecar, Universal Control are amazing and magical features and really do reduce the friction between Mac and iPad.

The problem started when Mac transitioned from Intel to ARM processors in 2020. Suddenly, the chip architecture between the iPad and Mac was the same and with that came expectations. While the 2018 and 2020 iPad Pro still ran an A12 processor the expectations were manageable since Mac were on the M1 chip. Nevermind that the A12 could easily run MacOS, the names were different so expectations were managed. In 2021 Apple announced that the iPad Pro would now run the same M1 chip as Macs and the expectations went through the roof that somehow iPads could or would run MacOS or at least Mac applications. Even RAM was published for the first time ever on iPad and it was possible to get 16GB of RAM with a storage upgrade to 1TB. The expectations came crashing down at WWDC in 2021 when iPadOS 15 was announced bringing very little in terms of new features.

I got swept up in the tornado of expectations and the thought of my M1 iPad Pro suddenly satisfying 100% of my workflow, was a dream come true. No more “do I chance only bringing my iPad Pro for that weekend trip and praying that work doesn’t come up with something that is a roadblock on iPadOS” dilemma. Ditching my heavy 16” Macbook Pro for the weekend was a worthy goal. After the rage subsided, I began to understand why Apple would never let iPad run MacOS even though it could. To do so would entail requiring a keyboard and external mouse, and then some sort of dual boot capability. On top of that it would mean disabling the touch screen when running MacOS. Requiring extra hardware, dual booting, and disabling hardware features is just not the type of user experience Apple wants. I don’t like it but I get it.

More irritating to me is Apple’s insistence on blocking other ways I could get that last 10% of workflow and go “iPad Pro only”. Hypervisor support was removed in iPadOS 16 meaning that ability to someday run a MacOS virtual machine was taken away. Apple’s strict control over which apps get allowed in the App store is also heavy handed and limiting.

The salt in the wound of all of this is that price for an iPad Pro 12.9” in many cases exceeds a Macbook. Sometimes I shake my head and wonder why I spent $1300 on a device that doesn’t even allow me to manage my music library, doesn’t allow me to rename files while downloading from internet, and many other irritating nits that $300 2010 Macbook Air can do easily.

In spite of this, I know that this week or next week I am going to do what I know I shouldn’t do. I am going to spend $2000+ or more on a new iPad Pro with 16GB of RAM and Magic Keyboard; hoping, wishing for a miracle from Apple that will make it the only device I need. It won’t happen but at least I know I’ll have the best tablet ever made.

Many of us have been on that journey at one time or another. And as you’ve discovered, that last 10% of missing functionality is what makes or breaks the iPad from being able to be the only device that you need.

My experience with the 2017 12.9 iPad Pro gave me a point of clarity that helped me avoid frustration and throwing truckloads of cash at chasing a dream that would never materialize.

That is when I learned, that it wasn’t the hardware that prevented the iPad from being that device, but the software. That allowed me to take a step back, knowing exactly what I’d need to see in iPad OS before I would re-consider exploring the iPad as a primary device.

Fast-forward to today, still rockin’ the 9th gen iPad, Smart Cover, Smart Keyboard cover, Apple Pencil, knock-off pencil for battery life and magnetic attachment… because all iPads are the best tablets made, IMO. I’m using it in the “sweet spot” of use cases. I don’t try to get too desktopy with it.

It’s cheap, it’s light, it’s mobile, it’s transportable. It’s functional. It’s enjoyable to use… especially since I stopped trying to “push the boundaries” on it.

My advice… (answering the question posed by the thread title) let it be. Throwing $2000+ at hardware that won’t move the ball one inch closer to the goal is foolish IMO. If you want to drop that kind of dough, just because, sure go ahead, but do so with the knowledge that it isn’t going to be any closer to your goal than what is currently available.

Should Apple release a version of iPad OS that addresses those shortcomings, THAT would be the time to buy the top-tier hardware. The idea of “future-proofing” is a myth initiated by those trying to justify more expensive models (to themselves or their significant others) and not dissuaded by Apple (for obvious reasons).

 

[leifp]

I have given up.

I did much of my grad school work on a 1st and 2nd gen iPad. Every single limitation that impeded useful work then has merely morphed into different, yet equal, limitations. Pages back then was actually more useful than it is now, for me. I never use it anymore.

But I age out of these things. I am now, hopefully, on my last ever laptop (I hate the things). I am nearly in a situation where I can do everything on a desktop again.

The iPad is already my sole regular travel device: weekenders, etc. At some point I will give up and only have the iPhone… unless my other wasted dream of youth comes true… that I can do my entire mobile computing from an iPad (mini).

I will not wait on it nor expect it. I plan for it not to exist. Mac Studio (or just a mini, if my ego can handle it) and iPhone as my sole computers?

 

[cthompson94]

I think the solution is just let your wallet talk and not get the "pro" models. That is what I am going to be doing as I have similar views about some things with iPad OS and no I am not one that wants Mac OS on a iPad, but some things are just irritatingly difficult or having to bounce around so many hoops for little to no reason. I mean it was only recently that we even got a progress circle for transferring files within the files app. I am more than likely going to be selling my 12.9" IPP and get the next mini. It isn't like LR (which I use) really takes advantage of the RAM and M series processor in the iPads and I am sure other photo editors are similar. The video editing side may be different, but I feel the niche of tablet video editors are very slim (not to say that companies should stop improving and creating video editing apps for the iPad), because while people do edit on the iPad and Apple proudly boasts about being able to, almost none mentions the headache of storage management and whatnot of this.

Even as a media device for my personal use I find that if I am in a situation like traveling I want a little bit more screen than what the iPhone does, but since I do not travel that often I am perfectly fine with the mini screen size. I just really hope that the next mini has a bump in brightness, because mini is just awful when sunlight hits it.

 

[grammatica]

I'm going use iPad Pro as a tablet. My Mac is for work. While some people can use the iPad as their sole computer, I know that I need macOS. The iPad is great for browsing the web, reading, consuming media, responding to emails, taking handwritten notes, and sometimes opening a spreadsheet or document.

It's not worth purchasing the Magic Keyboard to try to use it as a laptop. With a Magic Keyboard, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro can weigh close to a MacBook. At that point, just use a MacBook.

 

[prospervic]

I was on the iPad Pro as primary device train for years. It's a trap. The fact you are even spending time agonising about it is all the proof you should need that it can not and will not serve as that for you. If the iPad Pro truly was supposed to be your primary device you wouldn't need to post this question, you'd just be happy with it.

I finally got the computer I actually needed, which was an M3 Pro 16" MBP, and it actually does everything I need it to. I still have an iPad Pro and it gets used in bed or on a plane or sometimes on the couch in a more casual way. I don't waste a second anymore worrying about how each device fits. I'm happy.

The whole time I was trying to make the iPad be more than it is, I was unhappy.

Obviously by happy and unhappy I mean in terms of my tech, not my life.

I was on a similar journey a few years ago that ended when I bought a 16 inch M1 Pro MacBook Pro and freed myself from the mental burden of trying make iPad my everything device. However, I do get more active use out of my M1 12.9 as I read sheet music and edit photos in portrait orientation, edit videos in Luma Fusion and use Apple Pencil for a variety of tasks.

 

[Teletypewriter]

My 2021 M1 iPad Pro complements my 2018 Mac Mini desktop. I especially love the magic keyboard and the XDR display. When the intel Mac Mini is no longer supported in 1-2 years, I will replace both devices with a Macbook Pro w/XDR display. As I am not a trackpad user, I will miss on-screen manipulation with my fingers with my ipad, and will have to use a magic mouse.

 

[prospervic]

If Apple do some ridiculous thing like that, the response would be 2x worst than what they pulled back when Stage Manager was introduced only for the M1 iPads.

And the odd thing about that whole Stage Manager fiasco, I’d wager most iPad users didn’t care about Stage Manager judging by how many dislike the feature… they just hated being left out.

Exactly, all of that screaming was just about FOMO. Which is why I doubt the same would happen with audio streams and screen sharing* — these are niche features that are only of interest to power users whom, as we know, are not majority of the iPad customer base.

*Unless, as with Stage Manager, these don’t truly require M3 and Apple could simply deploy them with a software update.