Here are the five biggest iPad Pro problems, because no device is perfect

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  • Reply 61 of 124
    A virtual trackpad or a small trackpad in the keyboard would make certain actions and navigations so much more efficient.
    GeorgeBMacwilliamlondonelijahg
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  • Reply 62 of 124
    MplsPmplsp Posts: 4,177member
    You’re too late as it already has. Both my parents have given up desktop and notebook computers in favor of iPads. Same use cases. A computing device doesn’t need to be capable of all possible use cases to remain a computing device. Dunno why so many struggle with this simple fact.

    mac_128 said:
    In what sense do you mean it isn’t capable of replacing a computer? It most definitely is a real computer and can replace a laptop for many tasks (I rarely travel with a laptop anymore unless I know I need a specific function the iPad can’t accomodate in any way). However, one of them is not using it as depicted in the Lack of Mouse Support section above. Without an ergonomic pointing/selection device, using it with an external keyboard and especially with an external monitor is a bit silly.
    My wife has used her iPad Air 2 as her primary ‘computer’ for several years. It’s works perfectly for what she needs it for - surfing, light e-mail, blogging on wordpress. If that’s all you need an ipad for, it works fine. But then you have no need to pay $1500+ for an iPad Pro, Smart Keyboard and pencil, and the performance of the A12x is a huge amount of overkill.

    When I say an ipad isn’t capable of replacing a laptop, I speak from my personal experience using a 12” iPad Pro, Logitech keyboard and pencil. I could do most things I needed to do, with enough effort, but frequently things took significantly more work than on my MacBook Pro. The main issue is the file system, or lack there of. A MacBook Pro stores everything on the hard drive. An ipad routinely dumps things from memory when it things you dont’ need them, assuming you can download them from web. I found this out the hard way at 30,000 feet when the e-mail attachments I though I had downloaded were unavailable. 

    As for getting a wifi hard drive, I agree with the other commenters. That seems to be a way of ‘making it work’ rather than it just working. I have an ipad with 256 GB of memory, more than enough memory for all my apps and files, but I need to get a separate device, make sure it’s charged, and make sure I have it with me just to use my $1300 tablet. And I’m just supposed to be ok with this. 

    Dont’ get me wrong- I like my iPad for a lot of things, and I’m truely impressed with the new A12x and the new ipad Pros’ processing abilities. I just wish Apple would do some more work on ios to make them more usable. iPads have matured to the point that they deserve their own, more capable version of ios, not a glorified version of the iphone OS.
    80s_Apple_GuyGeorgeBMacbb-15elijahg
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  • Reply 63 of 124
    mcdavemcdave Posts: 1,927member
    entropys said:
    Work does not enable AirPrint, work does not purchase Apple tvs, I need a way to work around IT, I am seriously thinking of using my own money to beat them. One drive is an option. I will have to buy office 365 for iPad with my own coin though. IT only want MS stuff, but office 365 is not on the corporate list, just bog standard MS office, which of course doesn’t work on the iPad.  I will nite that even though they pushed Surface as a replacement laptop for a while, they have gone back to HP and Dell. Nobody wanted Surface, not robust enough for field work and a crap tablet compared with the iPad, which I had pushed out quicker than IT could stop it. That everyone has iPhones helped screw IT’s plans.
    You’ll need an exec/senior leadership sponsor to back a business case showing how IT is a bit stuck/staid and how it’s hurting productivity which is meant to be one of the key justifications for having IT in the first place

    Luckily, IT know nothing about productivity (they think it’s Microsoft Office) but they won’t go down without a fight and a lot of plausible referencing.  You could cite IBM as demonstrating lower cost per seat but create a more local case and ask IT why they specifically disallow Apple tech when it’s so prevalent. If you have a Digital team they’ll be useful allies.  
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  • Reply 64 of 124
    1. That slows my files transfers to the speed of the WiFi connection. And I get another device that needs to be kept charged. Yay.

    2. Use a pencil while the iPad is positioned semi-vertically on the keyboard, and/or while viewing the image on that external monitor the iPad now supports? I wish you luck making it work in either of those obvious scenarios.

    3. If I use a dongle to feed the sound system, where will I connect the cable for the projector?
    1. I use a Verbatim Media Share device connected to an old Iomega hard drive for backing up from my phone works fine imo. There are also suitable flash drives if you need faster transfer, I have a Greendisk lightening flash drive for my phone, again this works very well.
    2 Grapic designers use a Wacom Tablet instead of a mouse, the iPad makes a great Wacom replacement. 
    3 USB C hubs are easily available and inexpensive. Not sure how many USB C ports you can chain together but imagine it will be more than you will ever need. 
    macpluspluswilliamlondonbb-15
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  • Reply 65 of 124
    crosslad said:
    1. I use a Verbatim Media Share device connected to an old Iomega hard drive for backing up from my phone works fine imo. There are also suitable flash drives if you need faster transfer, I have a Greendisk lightening flash drive for my phone, again this works very well.
    2 Grapic designers use a Wacom Tablet instead of a mouse, the iPad makes a great Wacom replacement. 
    3 USB C hubs are easily available and inexpensive. Not sure how many USB C ports you can chain together but imagine it will be more than you will ever need. 
    1. Glad your system is working out well for you. Neither of the solutions you mention address the fundamental issue, but I appreciate the pointers anyway.

    2. Read my comment again. Using a stick as a pointer isn't the problem. Using a stick as a pointer on a VERTICAL SURFACE is a problem. Graphic designers are not standing their Wacom tablets on their edges. Neither are they trying to work with no cursor on their monitor.

    3. Good point.
    williamlondon
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  • Reply 66 of 124
    1. Glad your system is working out well for you. Neither of the solutions you mention address the fundamental issue, but I appreciate the pointers anyway.

    2. Read my comment again. Using a stick as a pointer isn't the problem. Using a stick as a pointer on a VERTICAL SURFACE is a problem. Graphic designers are not standing their Wacom tablets on their edges. Neither are they trying to work with no cursor on their monitor.

    3. Good point.
    I do agree with you on two and wish Apple would introduce mouse/trackpad support. However it is not a deal breaker for me as the alternatives are workable although not the best solution. 
    There are also things that the iPad can do that the laptop can’t that I use that need to be given consideration, such as scanning documents, taking photos and videos. 
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  • Reply 67 of 124
    Latkolatko Posts: 398member
    mcdave said:
    If I hear another “where’s the mouse” article, I’m going to scream, iOS should never have a mouse.  I really don’t get the external screen, I just don’t.


    If you don’t see the benefits of a mouse in precision and control or a large screen for viewing so much more, your family must be eating with their fingers whilst looking TV on their phones
    edited November 2018
    GeorgeBMac
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  • Reply 68 of 124
    He said he can edit video on an IPHONE. Did you just overlook that or  the iPhone actually support the Pencil now?
    Although the iPhone does not support the Apple Pencil, you can use a fine point digital capacitive stylus. I got a cheap one to try and use it for accurate selection in iMovie, Pages, Numbers etc as well as making hand written notes and simple sketches in the Notes app and Noteability. 
    macplusplus
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  • Reply 69 of 124
    19831983 Posts: 1,225member
    The only problem with the new iPad Pro’s (apart from their very high purchase price) is Apple’s current refusal to implement the software required to let them reach their full potential...a marketing decision taken to protect sales of their Macs, the laptops in particular...stating the obvious here. Just rename them the MacPads and take the plunge Apple :smile: 
    edited November 2018
    MplsPelijahg
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  • Reply 70 of 124
    GeorgeBMacgeorgebmac Posts: 11,421member
    All your long anecdotal narration is irrelevant. The iPad is not for desktop usage. If you don't want to leave your comfy desk get a laptop. Neither the folding keyboard nor the 4K display are main components of iPad Pro. The monitor is there only to watch 4K iMovie edits. Besides that there is absolutely no point in buying a 4K monitor for the iPad Pro.

    OK if your point is to get a trackpad on that foldable keyboard, then this is not possible: 1) How will you power it? 2) What if people with disabilities or long fingernails want to attach a mouse to that keyboard? How will you power both? 3) There is no pointer in iOS. Your request requires the whole UI to be re-written for the mouse interface. That won't happen, buy a Surface it has both touch and mouse. I am off that mouse discussion.
    1) It's not anecdotal.   Its reality.  But it is true that the iPad is obviously not capable of desktop usage -- thus this discussion triggered by Apple's contention that it is a laptop/desktop replacement.  Most agree that it COULD be, but isn't.

    2) Your second paragraph is just throwing out objections that have no basis in reality.
    - How will you power it?   The same way bluetooth keyboards and mice are powered now.  Or, via the smart connector.   That problem was solved years ago.
    - What about people with long fingernails?   -- They will do the same as they do today
    - The entire UI needs to be rewritten:   That just isn't true.  Not by a long shot.  iOS already has a multiple pointers -- the finger is one, the two finger touch on the iPad works as another.
    elijahg
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  • Reply 71 of 124
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    1) It's not anecdotal.   Its reality.  But it is true that the iPad is obviously not capable of desktop usage -- thus this discussion triggered by Apple's contention that it is a laptop/desktop replacement.  Most agree that it COULD be, but isn't.

    2) Your second paragraph is just throwing out objections that have no basis in reality.
    - How will you power it?   The same way bluetooth keyboards and mice are powered now.  Or, via the smart connector.   That problem was solved years ago.
    - What about people with long fingernails?   -- They will do the same as they do today
    - The entire UI needs to be rewritten:   That just isn't true.  Not by a long shot.  iOS already has a multiple pointers -- the finger is one, the two finger touch on the iPad works as another.
    On the UI "issue", the appleTV has a trackpad interface and no pointer.
    elijahg
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  • Reply 72 of 124
    GeorgeBMacgeorgebmac Posts: 11,421member
    While it's true Apple devices are more reliable that Windows, when they do have an issue they're a nightmare to deal with. I do the Mac support for my company and when there's a problem none of the tools Windows has exist. At best there are poor third party solutions like JAMF. I've used Apple since the 80's but there are days when a simple issue makes me want to throw the whole bunch out and make everyone use Windows. Apple is very business unfriendly. 
    Totally agree.   Apple products have become increasingly consumer, single user centric.  They simply aren't designed for use in a corporate environment of shared resources, private data sharing, corporate applications and internal security -- as well as in a cost managed environment (why spend $1,500 on a laptop when a $500 one will do?).

    I suspect that that same limitation is partly responsible for their lack of popularity in schools.  Google on the other hand has a well developed ecosystem for grade school, middle school and high school that supports both the IT staff and the educators.   Apple said they want in with their Gen 6 iPad -- but we will see if they can break Google's near strangle hold on it.  But, so far, they don't support even individual students all that well -- their "student discounts" only apply to college level and above.
    elijahg
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  • Reply 73 of 124
    Having spent over eighteen years working in IT the one thing I’ve noticed about the way people use computers is that they would be far better suited to using an iPad. And that’s including office workers. The writer of this very strange article decries that most people won’t use the power of the new iPad Pro but then 99% of people don’t use the full power of a desktop and laptop.

    In the past I needed a desktop/laptop simply because the software I needed to use wasn’t on iOS but now that I’ve left the drudgery of IT this isn’t a problem except for two pieces of software, Flux and Fusion360 but I can work around Flux and AutoDesk are going to bring the AutoCAD engine to iOS so Fusion360 might not be far away.

    To say the iPad Pro is not a real computer simply because of the input methods proves that you don’t actually know what the definition of a computer is and therefore should not be writing for a computer based site. That might seem rude but an iPhone is literally by definition a computer. Are you going to tell me the ECU in a car is not a computer simply because there’s no way a human can interact with it directly? It’s absurd to think that way and absurd to think that an iOS device can’t be used to replace a desktop or a laptop when as I’ve already mentioned 99% of computer users would be better served with an iPad given their computing needs. That leaves the 1% who genuinely do and that seems to include the writer of this article.

    To say the iPad can’t be used as a computer simply because it can’t do what you want/need is a pathetic view of computing that is not grounded in reality. Apple knows this. Apple developed a computer in the iPad that is more powerful than 92% of the laptops on the market. Just let that sink in for a second. That means the iPad is capable of handling massive spreadsheets, and 3D rendering, and music composition because it’s power is amazing. The only thing that stops it doing so is not a lack of mouse but a lack of software.

    A mouse is cumbersome and not very accurate despite the claims. There’s nothing about file transfer that warrants a mouse at all. Hell, I can edit video on an iPhone just as easily as using iMovie on the Mac so the lack of mouse does not hold the iPad Pro back as a serious computing device.
    You da man!!!
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  • Reply 74 of 124
    GeorgeBMacgeorgebmac Posts: 11,421member
    mcdave said:
    You’ll need an exec/senior leadership sponsor to back a business case showing how IT is a bit stuck/staid and how it’s hurting productivity which is meant to be one of the key justifications for having IT in the first place

    Luckily, IT know nothing about productivity (they think it’s Microsoft Office) but they won’t go down without a fight and a lot of plausible referencing.  You could cite IBM as demonstrating lower cost per seat but create a more local case and ask IT why they specifically disallow Apple tech when it’s so prevalent. If you have a Digital team they’ll be useful allies.  
    You apparently believe that IT is some separate, unrelated entity or vendor.
    In most large organizations, the CIO is part of the "exec/senior leadership" you suggest appealing to.  And, that CIO, with support from that team, is charged with far more than making a single user happy.  It is responsible for managing enterprise level demands such as:  cost managment, shared resources, enterprise level applications, data security, etc, etc., etc.....
    williamlondonentropys
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  • Reply 75 of 124
    GeorgeBMacgeorgebmac Posts: 11,421member
    1983 said:
    The only problem with the new iPad Pro’s (apart from their very high purchase price) is Apple’s current refusal to implement the software required to let them reach their full potential...a marketing decision taken to protect sales of their Macs, the laptops in particular...stating the obvious here. Just rename them the MacPads and take the plunge Apple :smile: 
    That is one possible explanation for  "Apple’s current refusal to implement the software required to let them reach their full potential".

    But Apple has never been shy about cannibalizing a product for a better product.  Historically they have been forward looking rather than defensive.

    But, particularly in the past 5-10 years, they have become more protective of one thing:  Their reputation as the best of the best.   They have become gun shy at releasing products that may not achieve the ultra high standards people have come to expect.   So, it may be that they are developing the iPad software step by cautious step and, one day, will surprise us.

    As many have pointed out, the limitations are not with the hardware but with the software.  And, while people maybe expected more out of iOS 12, it was said months ago that iOS 12 was to be a consolidation and stability release more than a functional improvement release.  For instance, the older iPhones now run quicker rather than slower.

    My advice:  Stay tuned.  Hold the faith.
    williamlondon
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  • Reply 76 of 124
    1) It's not anecdotal.   Its reality.  But it is true that the iPad is obviously not capable of desktop usage -- thus this discussion triggered by Apple's contention that it is a laptop/desktop replacement.  Most agree that it COULD be, but isn't.

    2) Your second paragraph is just throwing out objections that have no basis in reality.
    - How will you power it?   The same way bluetooth keyboards and mice are powered now.  Or, via the smart connector.   That problem was solved years ago.
    - What about people with long fingernails?   -- They will do the same as they do today
    - The entire UI needs to be rewritten:   That just isn't true.  Not by a long shot.  iOS already has a multiple pointers -- the finger is one, the two finger touch on the iPad works as another.
    Do not hold your breath. Apple won't make a Surface clone, do not try to sell a Surface to the Mac community. TC is very resolute about that: no toaster-fridges.

    With all the battery enclosed in that mouse-trackpad-keyboard with F keys combo, and the power supply required to recharge it, and the headphone/micro jack (you cannot omit that) and the associated DA converter, keyboard lights (otherwise how will you know Wi Fi is on or off?) palm rest (your wrists must get support from somewhere, you cannot hold them raised too long) you get half a netbook. Continue with your creative mind exercises but I am done with that.
    edited November 2018
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  • Reply 77 of 124

    crowley said:
    On the UI "issue", the appleTV has a trackpad interface and no pointer.
    Yes, just to move between buttons.
    edited November 2018
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  • Reply 78 of 124
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    Do not hold your breath. Apple won't make a Surface clone, do not try to sell a Surface to the Mac community. TC is very resolute about that: no toaster-fridges.

    With all the battery enclosed in that mouse-trackpad-keyboard with F keys combo, and the power supply required to recharge it, and the headphone/micro jack (you cannot omit that) and the associated DA converter, keyboard lights (otherwise how will you know Wi Fi is on or off?) palm rest (your wrists must get support from somewhere, you cannot hold them raised too long) you get half a netbook. Continue with your creative mind exercises but I am done with that.
    With any luck then Apple will stop marketing the iPad as a Surface, or at least a laptop/desktop replacement.

    By the way, you do realize the iPad has a DA converter in it to power those four speakers, even without the headphone jack, right? But thanks for the amusing, nonsensical rants.
    GeorgeBMac
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  • Reply 79 of 124
    MplsP said:

    My wife has used her iPad Air 2 as her primary ‘computer’ for several years. It’s works perfectly for what she needs it for - surfing, light e-mail, blogging on wordpress. If that’s all you need an ipad for, it works fine. But then you have no need to pay $1500+ for an iPad Pro, Smart Keyboard and pencil, and the performance of the A12x is a huge amount of overkill.

    When I say an ipad isn’t capable of replacing a laptop, I speak from my personal experience using a 12” iPad Pro, Logitech keyboard and pencil. I could do most things I needed to do, with enough effort, but frequently things took significantly more work than on my MacBook Pro. The main issue is the file system, or lack there of. A MacBook Pro stores everything on the hard drive. An ipad routinely dumps things from memory when it things you dont’ need them, assuming you can download them from web. I found this out the hard way at 30,000 feet when the e-mail attachments I though I had downloaded were unavailable. 
    Again, it doesn’t need to be serve all use cases for all people for it to be true that ipads can and have replaced more traditional computers for many people. And nobody said you need the top-tier iPP plus all accessories to do this. You don’t, of course. 

    A notebook is a lousy replacement for my desktop development environment, but that’s my use case, and not being a good replacement for my use case doesn’t make a notebook not a computer or not a desktop replacement for many, many other people. 

    See how that works?
    macplusplus
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  • Reply 80 of 124

    1983 said:
    The only problem with the new iPad Pro’s (apart from their very high purchase price) is Apple’s current refusal to implement the software required to let them reach their full potential...a marketing decision taken to protect sales of their Macs, the laptops in particular...stating the obvious here. Just rename them the MacPads and take the plunge Apple :smile: 
    Ignorant nonsense, you must be new to Apple. They don’t worry about cannibalizing their own products and have said and demonstrated this numerous times. If you buy anything from them they’re happy about it. Nope, they sincerely believe the use case for tablets and notebooks is different. 
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