itfinanceguy

Perhaps the biggest factor is Apple's decision to keep iPadOS hamstrung. Unless you are an artist or someone who uses an iPad in tablet-mode all the time, iPadOS is pretty weak. This coming from someone who spent $2400 on the newest M4 iPad, with Apple keyboard case and pencil. But I'm not an artist, and FAR prefer typing versus writing, so the pencil sits uncharged, and my iPad is ALWAYS on the case in laptop mode, but the iPad is weak as a laptop. I love my iPad for reading/movie watching in the evenings, with it on my lap in the case holding it for me. Although the new one is VERY unstable and wants to fall backwards always, compared to my 2018 iPad Pro in keyboard case. They moved the center of mass about 1/2-1" backwards and that makes it always want to fall over, unless I am holding my hand on the trackpad, very annoying. Love having the function keys, but maybe the trackpad didn't need to get larger to enable those. All in all, the new one I barely notice a difference, and in many ways (as I've been saying) my actual use-case, the new one is worse, outside of being a bit lighter and thinner.

I seriously consider getting a $950 MacBook Air and skipping iPadOS for good going forward. MacOS is more powerful, but worse for me in a lot of ways as well, and I have a 16" MacBook Pro M3Max as well, but it is too big/heavy for my evening reading/surfing/movie watching, but losing the touchscreen also loses some, I love having the ability to mess with the screen sometimes on the iPad, and sometimes the trackpad. Never been a proponent of putting a touchscreen on a Mac, but if iPad remains neutered, then maybe that is the better answer...