Hi, this is Wayne again with a topic “Apple is TRYING to Save It…”.
The iPad is in trouble. For the first time ever, 2023 saw no new iPad hardware released and sales figures are starting to dip.. I have a simple question: what is the iPad? Even for anymore Now we do have a confirmed Apple event for new iPads on May 7th, which is great.. The core issue, though, really doesn’t have that much to do with the hardware. Itself. I’d argue even the 2018 iPad Pro is still immensely capable here six years, later. The real question isn’t about power, but about purpose.. Now I have always been drawn to the potential of the iPad and it’s come and gone in my daily workflow over the years.. You know it’s easy to forget just the hype that the iPad had in the early days.. I remember standing in line outside Best Buy for launch day of the iPad 2..
I was interviewing people.. The excitement was just so real.. I also liked the first couple generations of the iPad Mini as well..
I have so many great memories of playing the Telltale, Walking Dead game or watching videos which is such a comfy little form factor. Like it felt like the future.. Now, at the time the iPad felt like it had a real place in the market., When your iPhone was three and a half inches, an iPad nicely bridged the gap between a phone and a full fledged computer and then came the first iPad Pro in 2015..
There was no more. Austin wants to make his silly little iPad do more than it was designed. For.
Apple was pitching this as a real computer and with impressive performance and new keyboard folio. The potential was there. Funny.
How I keep saying the word potential. Now was this perfect. Absolutely not. Tons of stuff was miles behind a MacBook of the time, as I quickly found out when I tried to daily that iPad Pro, but here it was Apple, was finally going to make the iPad a real, laptop replacement.
On paper. Everything was in place. By the time 2018 rolled around the iPad.
Pro was a sleek piece of hardware, with a 120 hertz display, and thankfully a USB-C port instead of Lightning., With the new Magic Keyboard in 2020, bringing trackpad support in iPadOS. It felt like the stars were aligning. For a little while there I was actually convinced.. It was the closest that I had ever been to truly making the iPad my daily driver..
Now, let’s not forget, these were also the dark days when MacBooks were plagued by the questionable butterfly keyboard, throttling issues barely any ports.. I mean it was the perfect opportunity for the iPad to take the throne and then it slipped away.. The introduction of Apple Silicon Macs. Totally changed the game in late 2020 kind of derailing the iPad’s momentum as a laptop replacement..
We now have the choice of incredibly powerful and efficient MacBook models running the Apple M1, basically, the same architecture from the iPad, but cranked up to 11.. Suddenly, the compromises with the iPads start to look a lot less worth it. When we had MacBooks that offered more ports next level battery life all while running an actual desktop operating system.
As Apple Silicon Macs enjoyed their time in the sun, the iPad’s trajectory seemed less Clear., While the iPad has received some hardware updates and a fair few software improvements over the last couple of years, the lineup is absolutely out of control right now.. So let’s try to break down all of the options that live side by side on apple.com.. Today you have the 9th Gen iPad, which is still rocking its old school bordering on ancient design, and then you’ve got the newer 10th gen model which looks more modern, but it costs over $ 100 more than the base model, which is the 9th Gen. And then there’s the iPad Air., Oh and don’t forget the 11 inch iPad Pro. Like look if you’ve lost count. There are four iPads just to fill the 11-ish inch screen size with pricing that scales from $ 330 to $ 800 plus..
Now sure the higher price models do boast more power and features. But, like look do you really need an M2 chip in your iPad? Most people are never going to see a real difference in day-to-day tasks. I mean even the base.
9Th Gen iPad still feels surprisingly snappy., Then there’s a little iPad mini which, despite its size, is more expensive than both the 9th and 10th gen iPads.. And then we have the iPad Pro 12.9 inch with its eye-watering starting price of $ 1,100 AKA the same as the M3 MacBook Air, except that it doesn’t come with the keyboard., That’s another $ 350, and then you need another $ 100 to match the same 256. Gig base storage of the MacBook.
– Oh and don’t forget, you’re, probably gon na wan na spend another $ 130 for the Apple Pencil, bringing the iPad Pro’s price to over $ 1,500, and that’s not even maxed out. Throw 5G or one terabyte drive in here.. I mean look, it really begs the question: what exactly can an iPad offer that justifies the same way higher price tag of a fully fledged laptop Like I just I actually I’ll be honest with you.
I didn’t realize until very recently that the iPad Pro had reached $ 1,100.. I know that it was expensive, but I have not bought a large iPad Pro in years and when I saw that on apple.com, I’m like what are y’all, What I feel like everyone loves to make fun of the Mac lineup for just how expensive the upgrades are. But the iPad lineup is worse.. The accessory situation only adds to the chaos. Some iPads use the sleek second generation Apple Pencil that magnetically charges on the device. Great..
It’S a terrific stylus that I actually do think adds a lot to the iPad experience.. Then there’s the clunky first generation Apple Pencil for the base iPad, which elegantly charges by hanging out the side of the Lightning port. And, let’s not forget the 10th generation, iPad’s bizarre USB-C Apple Pencil, which isn’t actually the second generation Pencil because it doesn’t work magnetically.. It’S a compatibility nightmare that makes choosing the right accessories for your iPad, a puzzle that feels like you need a flow chart to navigate.
Instead of oh, I don’t know, buying the stylus and keyboard for your iPad and calling it a day. An accessory. That just makes perfect sense is the sponsor of today’s video Paperlike. Now I’ll admit. I haven’t always been the biggest fan of matte displays or screen protectors, but living with the Paperlike has made me a real believer.. Now one of the biggest issues I’ve had with matte displays is the clarity.. Cheap protectors can cut down on screen glare, but oftentimes make the screen blurry and wash out your colors.. Now some people are okay with that trade off, but it has never been for me..
However, with the Paperlike 2.1 using all new composite materials, it is one of the best viewing experiences I’ve ever had on a matte display.. The best part is they didn’t compromise on their promise of paper-like consistency, which I would hope. So since it’s literally the name of the company., I can’t stress enough just how great it feels to use an Apple Pencil with Paperlike 2.1 and those nano dots provide tiny vibrations that make your brain think. There’S friction and resistance, just like writing on real paper.. I’M even impressed by the Swiss-based manufacturing. So definitely be sure to go grab one for your iPad, using the link in the description, below. And again huge. Thank you to Paperlike for sponsoring this video.
On one hand, iPad hardware is still undeniably impressive.. I think part of the reason why iPad sales have dipped recently is just because you don’t really need to upgrade very often.. I mean think about it. For basic stuff.
A five six or even 7-year-old iPad will still absolutely get the job done.. One reason why you might think about upgrading your iPad is to use it for real work.. Now newer iPads actually do support professional apps such as DaVinci Resolve and Final Cut Pro.. You know the thing that we all asked for years to make the iPad a real computer.. However, it kind of feels like this mostly just opens a can of worms. These pro apps, while certainly welcome kind of beg, the question of why not just use a MacBook.
The same software almost always runs better on MacOS unhindered by iPadOS’s, sometimes very frustrating limitations.. This is especially true for video editing, but also for stuff, like Photoshop and plenty of other tasks.. The iPad, despite its power, feels like a different but slightly worse way of doing things most of the time compared to the full desktop experience..
This leaves Apple in a tough spot.. They built a tablet: that’s almost too good, blurring the lines between casual use and professional work.. Now there are certainly people who the iPad is perfect.
For., If you are a graphic designer who can use the Pencil, maybe it’s the ideal system for you, but for most people I would argue that it’s still in no man’s land., It’s like Apple needs to either push iPadOS further toward merging with the Mac. To get true desktop class functionality or just redefine what exactly the iPad’s role is entirely a Cocomelon delivery device, exclusively. ( playful humming ), Because I will tell you the iPad’s future at Apple is far from over.. Not only do iPad apps generally just work on Apple Silicon, Macs., Well, assuming the developers actually let them, but the flashy new $ 3,500 Apple Vision.
Pro is not only based on iPadOS but often runs iPad apps straight up, including several preloaded Apple defaults such as Maps.. It’S just an iPad app floating in the sky., So here’s a real question for you. Tim Cook’s on the phone and he wants your feedback.. How do you make the iPad better? I used to have a whole list.. I wanted pro apps and trackpad support and more power.
Guess what We’ve got pretty much all of that now. Sure it’s not perfect, but the iPad really has come a long way and yet we’re still hitting the same wall. Now sure. If you try hard enough, you can do pretty much anything on an iPad.. I actually wrote most of this video script on my iPad mini with a mouse and keyboard and it was fine, but you know what would’ve been better and easier A MacBook.. I’M sorry! If this video is coming off as just me complaining because, like I really do like the iPad., This is all coming from a place of. I want it to be better.. I’Ve just been in this place for almost a decade now., If you’re not expecting an iPad to replace your whole computer. It’S a great tool.
Plenty of people can get by just fine with an iPad and maybe a physical keyboard, especially if you’re just doing average everyday stuff, and you value the simplicity of iPadOS compared to the I’ll admit, complexity of a regular computer.. For me, though, a more limited iPad has really actually been the thing that has been key for my workflow.. I’Ve been rocking the iPad Mini ever since it dropped in 2021 and it is a little champ with 5G and the Apple Pencil.. I can pull it out anywhere and get stuff done.. Could I do more with the keyboard and trackpad Yep? The problem for me, though, is that, even with the best accessories iPadOS still throws curve balls., I still run into weird old school sites that make me go back to a normal, desktop sometimes.. The Files app feels like it’s always a wrestling match to move files from one app to another, and window management still feels like, even though there are a million options, all of them suck..
The problem is that I still see glimpses of greatness, that try to suck me back into the iPad world. When you use apps that are actually designed for the iPad. It really does feel like the future, but at the end of the day, the iPad feels just as stuck in no man’s land as it did back in 2020, and I don’t think the answer is a beautiful OLED display and an aluminum keyboard for the next generation..
It’S definitely more capable than your phone, but no matter how many features they cram in it almost always just seems better to grab a MacBook if you’re a power user or just use your iPhone. If you need casual, stuff. And remember, MacBooks are often cheaper than the high-end iPad Pros, especially if the rumor is that the next generation iPad Pro will be even more expensive..
I get that the iPad hardware is terrific, but the messaging on who should buy an iPad versus a MacBook is a total disaster.. It kinda reminds me of 90s Apple, a million options without a clear focus.. Now, while I am cautiously optimistic about the next generation of iPads and will certainly be giving them a shot so make sure to subscribe to the website and ring-a-ling that ding-a-ling button, I don’t think that I am ready to go back to the iPad Pro life., Like It’S just for me, I’m very happy with the iPad Mini as a little consumption device and a solid back up for doing a little bit of work on the go., But I’ve got ta stop being drawn in by the promise of the iPad. Only to regret my decision and come back to the warm, loving embrace of a real computer., Hmm, so warm so loving.. What an embrace. ( fire, crackling ) .