Useful Accessories for Apple's iPad Pro

[return2sendai]

It’s not a lack of accessories that prevents the iPad from being a desktop replacement, it’s software.

The iPad (sort of) supports security keys. Not reliably, and not across the system. Many apps and websites that should be able to support U2F simply do not. Not necessarily an iPadOS problem per se, but there is something wonky with the implementation that has prevented sites from supporting it.

The iPad file management app is a nightmare if you need to receive, unpack, open, process, and resend attachments reliably.

Security is completely hidden and concealed from the end user, and things like VPN with kill switch are not baked in. This is a non-starter for any professional that needs to work with a mobile device.

100% agree. As an iPad user since the Gen 1, in a decade the iPad has improved greatly in hardware. You don’t need any of these externals. All my iPads are naked. I’ve tried external keyboards, but don’t see the point. Buy a laptop. What the iPad needs to compete as a workhorse is software. VPN-wise, Nord works great for me. But yeah, Apple need to build this in.

 

[4jasontv]

Lots of people use VPNs with a kill switch feature; it's not uncommon. It kills the connection if you're disconnected from the VPN so you don't expose your real IP address, so better security. It doesn't mean someone has a covert occupation.

1. The kill switch could be a giant staples button. You can't hit that fast enough when disconnected to stop your IP address from being exposed.
2. Give me an example of a profession where revealing your IP address would be bad?

 

[4jasontv]

100% agree. As an iPad user since the Gen 1, in a decade the iPad has improved greatly in hardware. You don’t need any of these externals. All my iPads are naked. I’ve tried external keyboards, but don’t see the point. Buy a laptop.

I too had the first generation and now I can touch type on the screen. I am a little slower than a mechanical, but faster than than a chiclet.

 

[0128672]

1. The kill switch could be a giant staples button. You can't hit that fast enough when disconnected to stop your IP address from being exposed.
2. Give me an example of a profession where revealing your IP address would be bad?

Kill switches are automatic and one of the software settings many VPNs offer. If what you're asking about a profession or why anyone uses a VPN for security, that's probably best asked in a new thread.

 

[4jasontv]

Kill switches are automatic and one of the software settings many VPNs offer. If what you're asking about a profession or why anyone uses a VPN for security, that's probably best asked in a new thread.

Right. And I am replying to this comment from the start of this thread:

Security is completely hidden and concealed from the end user, and things like VPN with kill switch are not baked in. This is a non-starter for any professional that needs to work with a mobile device.

 

[0128672]

Right. And I am replying to this comment from the start of this thread:

The basic reason for using a VPN for work or personal reasons is to connect to a secure network while on an insecure network be it at a hotel, public wifi, or other scenarios. Having a kill switch feature increases the privacy and security of that connection. I've used one for personal reasons while traveling, especially for things like checking banking apps.

 

[4jasontv]

The basic reason for using a VPN for work or personal reasons is to connect to a secure network while on an insecure network be it at a hotel, public wifi, or other scenarios.

Or, you could just use secure websites. You don’t need a VPN for this. Your employer needing VPN is one thing, but you don’t need to hide your IP address from them.

Having a kill switch feature increases the privacy and security of that connection.

Assuming the IP address you connect to is using an insecure connection, not the WiFi network you are on.

I've used one for personal reasons while traveling, especially for things like checking banking apps.

And it was unlikely necessary. Unless you are accessing domains that are prohibited or looked down upon than a VPN is redundant.

I’m not saying a VPN isn’t necessary. I’m asking what you would be doing that would require your IP address remain hidden.

 

[riverfreak]

Or, you could just use secure websites. You don’t need a VPN for this. Your employer needing VPN is one thing, but you don’t need to hide your IP address from them.


Assuming the IP address you connect to is using an insecure connection, not the WiFi network you are on.



And it was unlikely necessary. Unless you are accessing domains that are prohibited or looked down upon than a VPN is redundant.

I’m not saying a VPN isn’t necessary. I’m asking what you would be doing that would require your IP address remain hidden.

It has very little to do with what sites you are purportedly connected to, nor leaking of your virtual IP location, although for some people that may be absolutely critical. Other people don’t want any traffic going out over the wire unencrypted, particularly because you can’t regulate traffic on-device. Not too difficult to imagine any number of scenarios where that would be desirable.

 

[johnnytravels]

What an incompetent article. I have been rocking the Pro 12 for a while now and it cannot hold a candle to my MBP in terms of usability. Apps from the app store are simply that deficient compared to some of the computer programs I use. The multitasking options are great for checking Twitter while watching Netflix but not for working with a host of open documents.

Recommending the Steel Series Nimbus to anyone in this day and age when even iOS has full support for the Xbox and PS4 controllers, which, even when not 'around' already, are a better buy than the Nimbus.

 

[OldCorpse]

Personally, what I like about the iPad is the form factor - period. I like that it's slim and light and small and ultra-portable. That's about 99% of what I like about it.

Therefore bulking it up is not something I find desirable - that works to the opposite effect. If I wanted bulky, I'd get a laptop. I do understand wanting a keyboard when you do a lot of writing. To that end I have an Apple Smart Keyboard (I have the Air 3). I am thinking about getting an 11" iPP next. But I just don't see myself getting a Magic Keyboard for it - it would defeat the purpose. I guess at that point I'd get Apple's Folio - and it's still slightly bulkier than the ASK - but I want as thin and light as possible.

FWIW, I find the ASK a very good typing experience - everyone is different - I understand that some like more key travel, but I really like the flatness (I don't want to feel like I'm playing the piano). And I like the Folio/ASK texture (yes, I'm a bit weird) more than the plastic Magic Keyboard. To each their own.

And I think it's beyond dispute that the software/apps on MacOS are vastly superior to the iPadOS/iOS versions - with a few exceptions, such as drawing apps etc., specifically designed for the unique strengths of the iPad. The file system on MacOS vs iPadOS - LOL. Handling files in general, transfers from and to the iPad - LOL compared to MacOS. And so on.

I don't mean you can't work on the iPad - depending on what you need to do, sure you can. But almost anything you can do on the iPad (except things like drawing), you can do easier on MacOS.

But at this point, the iPad is not limited by hardware (for most tasks), but by software. How long it will take to catch up to MacOS, I have no idea - I hope soon, but I've been disappointed before.

Personally, I'm curious about Apple Silicon laptops. If the AS Macbook Air is as thin and flat and light as the iPP with as long battery life, I might go for that instead. The real competition - for me - is going to be between AS laptops and the iPP. If the form factor is almost the same, then I'd go for the vastly superior MacOS, and the iPP would be depracated in my world. YMMV, of course.

 

[BobbyJet]

I just bought the new 12.9 and the magic keyboard, not knowing what to expect out of the keyboard, how useful it would be, if it was worth it, ect. But i have been blown away about how much better my ipad experience has been with it. It quickly felt natural and intuitive the gestures and tapping. The typing experience is the best from any keyboard that i have ever used. Once you use this thing, you will understand that although expensive, it is not overpriced for what it is. The build quality is off the charts and everything it does it does fantastic

 

[johnnytravels]

I just bought the new 12.9 and the magic keyboard, not knowing what to expect out of the keyboard, how useful it would be, if it was worth it, ect. But i have been blown away about how much better my ipad experience has been with it. It quickly felt natural and intuitive the gestures and tapping. The typing experience is the best from any keyboard that i have ever used. Once you use this thing, you will understand that although expensive, it is not overpriced for what it is. The build quality is off the charts and everything it does it does fantastic

Please don't take this the wrong way, but what you are essentially describing is the realization that a return to the laptop form factor makes a computer more usable.

Don’t get me wrong, guys, I really enjoy my iPad Pro 12, but the moment I could detach the screen of my MBP for reading and annotating and taking handwritten notes would be the moment I would stop buying iPads. And at this point I think Apple knows really well that this goes for a lot of people, hence no convertible.

 

[4jasontv]

It has very little to do with what sites you are purportedly connected to, nor leaking of your virtual IP location, although for some people that may be absolutely critical. Other people don’t want any traffic going out over the wire unencrypted, particularly because you can’t regulate traffic on-device. Not too difficult to imagine any number of scenarios where that would be desirable.

Unless you are connecting to an insecure server your traffic is already encrypted.

I can’t imagine a profession that would need to worry about their IP address being seen.

 

[4jasontv]

I just bought the new 12.9 and the magic keyboard, not knowing what to expect out of the keyboard, how useful it would be, if it was worth it, ect. But i have been blown away about how much better my ipad experience has been with it. It quickly felt natural and intuitive the gestures and tapping. The typing experience is the best from any keyboard that i have ever used. Once you use this thing, you will understand that although expensive, it is not overpriced for what it is. The build quality is off the charts and everything it does it does fantastic

Have you used it in bed or on your lap while on the floor? How much flex does it have while typing?

I hated the Surface because you had to use it on a desk. Also, if you type to fast it would bend and tip over.

 

[Jro29]

Have you used it in bed or on your lap while on the floor? How much flex does it have while typing?

I hated the Surface because you had to use it on a desk. Also, if you type to fast it would bend and tip over.

I use mine exclusively on my lap Or lying down. This is why other keyboard solutions haven’t worked for me. I rarely used them because I am usually not at a desk when I’m using the iPad.
it’s incredibly stable in the lap.

 

[Jro29]

Please don't take this the wrong way, but what you are essentially describing is the realization that a return to the laptop form factor makes a computer more usable.

Don’t get me wrong, guys, I really enjoy my iPad Pro 12, but the moment I could detach the screen of my MBP for reading and annotating and taking handwritten notes would be the moment I would stop buying iPads. And at this point I think Apple knows really well that this goes for a lot of people, hence no convertible.

Adding functionality to a device makes it more useful. Shocking.
The iPad is a great device for what most people use it for, content consumption and drawing. For these things it is vastly superior to any Laptop.

The iPad is terrible for typing long emails, documents etc. This keyboard makes it much easier to do that.
In fact, up until now, the only reason I had a laptop was so I could type somewhere other than a desk.
The Magic Keyboard wasn’t made for heavy users like the people on this forum. It was made for people who already have an iPad (or are thinking about buying one) and want to have a better typing experience. It seems silly to suggest that this person also buy a $1000+ computer when a $300 keyboard will meet their needs.
Take my situation. I have an iPad. I will always have an iPad. I also had a MacBook Pro. I was going to have to replace it. The MacBook stayed on my desk docked on a monitor. The only reason I had it was for the times when I traveled or wanted to type while on the couch. Now, I can buy a Mac Mini for cheaper and not waste money on a screen I don’t need. And when I travel (if I ever do again), I won’t have to carry an iPad and laptop, which is what I did in the past.
I think there are probably more people like me than power users who of course would not use an iPad to do work.

 

[TantalizedMind]

Product Red XR is the best XR.

 

[omgitsbees]

I have an iPad Pro myself, and calling it more powerful than many laptops on the market is a pretty big stretch. Apple really has not followed through at all on their promise of making it have the same freedom and usability of a laptop. On top of very aggressively and quickly obsoleting the perfectly fine gen 1 & 2 iPad Pros by refusing to implement software features that they could use too, instead making them exclusive to the gen 3.

 

[jlc1978]

Please don't take this the wrong way, but what you are essentially describing is the realization that a return to the laptop form factor makes a computer more usable.

Don’t get me wrong, guys, I really enjoy my iPad Pro 12, but the moment I could detach the screen of my MBP for reading and annotating and taking handwritten notes would be the moment I would stop buying iPads. And at this point I think Apple knows really well that this goes for a lot of people, hence no convertible.

I'm guessing there are design issues as well. MBP's already get warm or hot, even under not so heavy demand. Trying to put the MBP processing power into a screen and cooling it so it doesn't get hot when held could also hold back a convertible MBP design. Until Apple figures out how to put an MBP's power into an iPad form factor without sacrificing power for temperature control, the two designs will not converge, IMHO. Now, with Apple making the transition to ARM, who knows what the future will hold.

Unless you are connecting to an insecure server your traffic is already encrypted.

True, but you can still dewtermine who is connecting to what and analyze patterns or block sites.

I can’t imagine a profession that would need to worry about their IP address being seen.

Off hand, I can think of a few:
Journalists covering sensitive topics
Law enforcement conducting investigations
Intelligence officers
People who want to access country specific content while travelling

It's not just about blocking your IP address but where you are connecting; some countries block Skype et. al. and a VPN lets you use those apps.

 

[4jasontv]

I'm guessing there are design issues as well. MBP's already get warm or hot, even under not so heavy demand. Trying to put the MBP processing power into a screen and cooling it so it doesn't get hot when held could also hold back a convertible MBP design. Until Apple figures out how to put an MBP's power into an iPad form factor without sacrificing power for temperature control, the two designs will not converge, IMHO. Now, with Apple making the transition to ARM, who knows what the future will hold.



True, but you can still dewtermine who is connecting to what and analyze patterns or block sites.



Off hand, I can think of a few:
Journalists covering sensitive topics
Law enforcement conducting investigations
Intelligence officers
People who want to access country specific content while travelling

It's not just about blocking your IP address but where you are connecting; some countries block Skype et. al. and a VPN lets you use those apps.

These professions are interesting examples. Why would a journalist need a VPN for sensitive content of the content is already encrypted?

People traveling to other countries shouldn’t be using software or accessing content that is prohibited in those countries.

 

[riverfreak]

These professions are interesting examples. Why would a journalist need a VPN for sensitive content of the content is already encrypted?

People traveling to other countries shouldn’t be using software or accessing content that is prohibited in those countries.

Have you ever examined your network traffic? Do you know anything about DPI? Do you work with sensitive data? Do you know who operates every single node along every query? Heck, do you know who’s operating the wifi point you’re connecting to? What about your DNs queries?

.... returning to topic ... iPadOS isn’t sufficient for privacy and security for people who require it.

 

[jlc1978]

People traveling to other countries shouldn’t be using software or accessing content that is prohibited in those countries.

Perhaps, but a lot want the extra level of security using VoIP via VPN and not use the government run PTT.

 

[WilliamG]

I can.

Not sure why you think copy and paste doesn’t work well or easily? It’s absolutely the same as it is on the Mac.

I would list all the things an iPad can do that a Mac can’t, but I’m over these posts and there is no arguing with some people.

You absolutely cannot copy and paste like you can on a Mac. It’s not the same. It takes far more annoying precision and some things you simply can’t copy and paste correctly due to formatting issues.

And don’t even get me started on pasting with same font type etc.

The iPad is a media consumption toy/web browser most people.

 

[4jasontv]

Perhaps, but a lot want the extra level of security using VoIP via VPN and not use the government run PTT.

Sure. Like I said, there are reasons to want it, but wanting something doesn't justify it. But if a country has decided to snoop on something you can voice your opinion by voting. But people shouldn't be skirting laws in other countries. That is unprofessional. And it's worth point out that all you are doing is changing which government you are trusting to no snoop. Nothing stops any government from intercepting available data via the VPN and making them lie about it handing it over.

Have you ever examined your network traffic? Do you know anything about DPI? Do you work with sensitive data? Do you know who operates every single node along every query? Heck, do you know who’s operating the wifi point you’re connecting to? What about your DNs queries?

.... returning to topic ... iPadOS isn’t sufficient for privacy and security for people who require it.

You are getting defensive. I can tell because you are listing points that aren't exactly relevant to the need for a VPN.

Look - I am not saying that a VPN isn't justified by someone. I am specifically targeting the point that a professional must hide their IP address. At the very most people are able to identify the domain you headed to. No one is spoofing wifi at the Hilton to get their hands on your manuscript.

 

[cupcakes2000]

You absolutely cannot copy and paste like you can on a Mac. It’s not the same. It takes far more annoying precision and some things you simply can’t copy and paste correctly due to formatting issues.

And don’t even get me started on pasting with same font type etc.

The iPad is a media consumption toy/web browser most people.

I can copy and paste exactly the same as on a Mac, using a mouse. I can copy and paste by touching, iOS style. I can copy and paste by circling with the pencil.
They are all three extremely simple to do, require no less precision than anything else.

I have never had any trouble copying anything, or any trouble with font type. In fact I have found it annoyingly consistant with copying fonts and formatting across, to the point where I wrote a Siri shortcut to make something I have copied plain text for when I don’t want to include it.

People that call the ipad a toy have automatically weakened their own argument against it. Whether you can use it professionally or creatively or not is irrelevant- many many people do and so it’s very clearly not a toy.