Anyone ever get an urge to buy an iPad?

I have used mobile devices for a long time, I fondly reminisce about the Sharp Zaurus and Palm Pilot PDAs, not so much a dark period in the 2000s when I was using a HTC Touch running Windows Mobile. When I transitioned to the iPhone 3G, I decided that Android was too raw and Palm webOS probably had zero traction in Australia.

The only tablet I have owned was a Nexus 7, I just wanted to play around with Android, but I never used it much. Not sure if that was more because it was a tablet or because it was running Android.

I can package an iPad through work which probably accounts for a ~30% discount, so I often get this annoying urge that I should buy one even though I don’t need one. I imagine I’m not the only person that wants to buy tech without an absolutely pressing reason. I guess I would use an iPad for TV and Netflix, extend my MacBook with Sidecar, but I don’t play games and I’m not much into photos/videos or making video calls.

:thinking::man_shrugging:

I bought one a few years ago and at first I didn’t use it that much but since the widespread adoption of streaming video services and e book providers I use it a lot and my phone a lot less at home.

The larger screen is just nicer for median consumption… not essential, just nicer.

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I have iPads for my kids, the parental control tools are awesome. I have an older 18 month old iPad Pro but it will probably be my last iPad and I’ll shift to a 2 in 1 when I replace my macbook pro in the next 12 months. $600 keyboard? Um, no thanks.

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I bought an iPad mini 2 (when they were new) for myself for media consumption on the daily commute as well as reading the new paper i subsriber to at the time. I found that it’s larger size was nice enough, but also found it fare more reflective than my iPhone thanks to that larger size. The phone seemed to be easier to angle in a way that worked for watching video. I also got sick of carrying two devices (I often don’t carry a bag to work so I was literally holding it) and ended up falling back to using just the iPhone and giving the mini to one of the kids.

For Kindle books, I prefer the kindle. Zero distractions and a nicer reader experience.

At home, while the kids are more than happy to watch stuff on their iPads, I use the TV when I can… maybe there are times when someone else is watching something different and I want to watch something else… maybe. But I also have another TV or the computer and I don’t feel like I use them very often.

A couple of weeks ago I updated one of the kids iPads so inherited the old 5th Gen/2017 unit. I’ve re-discovered Bloons TD5 and TD6 which I’m really enjoying, it is nice while sitting on the lounge to have the larger screen for some stuff (although some things are just wierd because I’m used to the iPhone version). But it does feel like a bit of novelty value rather than something I would want to go out and buy for myself.

Still, I’m debating if this one gets sold off while it’s still worth something or if it is worth keeping around for my pretty light use.

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I have used computers throughout my time at university (assembler, BASIC, FORTRAN and more) and throughout my career.

My first personal programmable device was an HP25C scientific calculator. It was amazing. It was followed by:

  • Sharp BASIC programmable calculator
  • NEC notebook (pre Windows)
  • Sharp “sewing machine” portable PC
  • Palm Pilot PDA
  • Treo SmartPhone
  • EeePC 701 (Linux)
  • Dopod SmartPhone (Windows Mobile)
  • IMac 21” (2008)
  • Nexus 7 Android. Tablet
  • IPhone 3GS, 4S, 5S, 6S, 8
  • IPad 1, 2, 4, Air2, Pro10.5”

It has been an exciting ride from programmable calculator to iPad Pro. (I left out assorted Windows PCs & laptops and Android smartphones. None of them had the X factor)

So, I now have a 27” iMac, iPhone 8 & an iPad Pro. My iPad is my go-to device for the following reasons:

  • Instant-on
  • Most comfortable to use for
    • Reading and reviewing documents
    • Reading The Age and the ABC News via apps
    • Web browsing
    • Entertainment (Free-to-air TV, Netflix, Stan, Foxtel, YouTube, Radio)
    • Sketching (via Apple Pencil)
    • Concept drawings
    • Drafting documents (long documents via smart keyboard)
    • Accessing information via apps for weather, shopping, calendar, reminders, travel and so much more. The app ecosystem is amazing.
  • Battery lasts all day and is quick to charge
  • It is light to carry. I usually just take the simple front cover and not the smart keyboard cover.
  • I can leave it in the backpack when going through security at airports.
  • It is easy to use on the plane. No need to pack it away for takeoff and landing
  • It is really fast
  • Stunning screen
  • Impressive speakers and sound system
  • Ideal for FaceTime video and audio calls (and Zoom, Skype etc.)
  • I can receive calls on the iPad, iPhone and iMac, whichever I am using at the time, so it is usually the iPad
    All my files and info is in the cloud, so I can start anything on the iPad, but pick it up and continue on the iMac if the biggest screen is needed.

By now you will realise that I am irrationally obsessed, so feel free to ignore this post.

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Yes, there are still a few (&getting fewer) things for which I require my Mac Mini 2018, but I agree with the above :grinning::grinning::grinning:

I’ve had iPads since the first one and have tried to love them but they just aren’t that useful for me generally. I’m currently running an Air 2. There is nothing I prefer to do on the iPad, though plenty of things I will tolerate if I need to.

I use Mac desktops at home and work and I prefer this paradigm over anything else. When I can’t use a desktop - on holidays or whatever - I use the iPad. It’s ok, I get used to it, but I’m always glad to get back to the Mini and the big screens.

My business partner, who has always favoured laptops, decided to go iPad-as-primary-computer earlier this year so we bought him a big iPad Pro and he lasted about a month. He was really determined and I fully supported it, but it was like pulling teeth while swimming in molasses. Too many things were unreasonably difficult. He still uses it as his primary device on the road, but we got him an MBA to replace his old 15" MBP.

Obviously this is not true for everyone. My Mum is 93 and she loves hers. She, to her great credit, learned to use a PC in her 80s, but the iPad is far superior in every way for her. She does email, general browsing and Netflix. Clearly there are more people with use cases like hers than mine because Apple sells a lot more iPads than Macs.

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loved the verbosity, genuine thanks :+1:

One thing that was mentioned on a recent Youtube video was that many if not most tablets have their front-facing camera on the long side (like desktops), whereas iPads have them on the short side (like phones). Thus, you could argue that the iPad is not well-designed to be a laptop/desktop replacement and a video conferencing tool.

So I’m wondering whether the iPad should relocate the front-facing camera, or perhaps all tablets should have two front-facing cameras, one on the long side and one on the short side.

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That seems like something that would be very useful in this time of Zoom meetings and Webinars. I would think at the very least the pro range of iPads should have this as a feature.

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And the accelerometer should be able to detect which camera to use based on the device orientation.

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Two cameras is the appropriate solution for the iPad Pro. Though you still have the problem that you need to look above the screen and not at the centre of the screen. Whatever you do, you end up looking to the side or up above.

The ideal would be a camera located in the middle of the screen. Maybe you could have 4 cameras, top, bottom, left and right. The user would look at the centre of the screen. Software could then blend the images and create a composite, centred image.

Back in reality, a two camera solution would be consistent with the audio solution. The iPad Pro audio system has 4 speakers, one on each side at each end. They are reassigned to the left or right channel dependent on whether the iPad is being used in landscape or portrait orientation.

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Since my iMac died and Apple can’t be arsed keeping them up to date with current processors, the iPad Pro has been my home computer.
It is almost a true replacement, especially with ipados13 . Not yet though. It needs much better file management.

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I use Stratospherix’s “File Browser”. Its not perfect, but it accesses everything on the network so I’m happy with it.

I used FileBrowser too for a while. I stopped using as much when I adopted Readdle’s free Documents app as a pdf reader. Documents includes some good file management capabilities, though it has a few blindspots. Then there is Apple files. It is improving, but clunky in places. I manage by using a combination of Documents and Files, supplemented occasionally by dedicated cloud storage apps (eg. DropBox & OneDrive apps)

BTW, I don’t like DropBox (as it demands a ridiculous level of system level access to my Mac), but an essential app only works with DropBox.

Have had iPads since the first generation and have tried to love them, but they have mostly just become paperweights. With bigger phones and an existing laptop they were very rarely used for anything.

That was until the 2018 iPad Pro. Love it, and have had no regrets. It comes to work with me and is lighter and easier to use for meetings or note-taking than my MacBook at home or my work laptop (PC). The file system is rudimentary, but it works, and is absolutely better than the void that existed before.

The front facing camera is nothing special, but it also looks a Lot better than the iSight on my MacBook Pro and iMac. I have been doing a lot of video meetings for the last 2 months, and this is my go to device every time. In terms of portability and camera quality it is better than any device that isn’t my phone.

As an all round device it is killer, games, photos, videos and music, surfing the net, or light work, this one performs in a way that feels a lot less restricted than its predecessors due to hardware capability and a decent and improving device specific OS. It still has many of the limitations that limited my enjoyment of my original iPad, but online services have now evolved to a point where a lack of hardware integration and compatibility that stifled earlier models have now been overcome. (Over the air updates, streaming and mirroring functionalities, integration of online storage and exchange).

Just my 2 cents, but the iPad now is very different to what is was, and if I didn’t have the 2018, I’d definitely get the 2020.

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I’m tempted by the Air4. But, I have the Air3 and I suspect there would not be enough of an improvement to warrant the expense.

lol, I was just thinking about this thread. I was at Highpoint shopping centre this evening (in Melbourne), went to Telstra to discuss my iPhone options then walked past the Apple store and was thinking about the iPads. The only tablet I’ve ever owned was a 2013 Google Nexus 7 that I rarely used, it only cost about $240 and I mainly wanted to get a taste of the Android operating system.

I’m waiting impatiently for the A14X 12.9” iPad Pro.

I used to have the original 12.9” iPad Pro and got rid of it because it had touchscreen issues.

Ever since then I’ve had iPad withdrawals. Didn’t think I’d miss having one as much as I do. The A12Z is just not enough of an improvement for me, so I’m making myself wait.

6 month update for me. I think I used the iPad for those first few days, then i has sat on the charger except for the very occasional game of Butter Royale with the kids. Handy enough to have, but still not enough that I would replace it if it were to die.