Dear Apple - The iPad needs help.

Summary

The video script details the user's experience with the new iPad Pro, highlighting its impressive capabilities as a multifunctional device for sketching, computing, and entertainment. The user praises the iPad's speed, battery life, and advanced features like Face ID and Center Stage for video calls. However, they encounter issues with third-party Bluetooth accessories, screenshot functionality, and app inconsistencies, which hinder the iPad's potential as a full-time desktop replacement. Despite these frustrations, the iPad Pro remains a valuable travel companion, with the MacBook Pro retained for desktop use due to software limitations.

Takeaways

• 🎨 The new iPad Pro is highly capable and versatile, serving as a sketchpad, laptop, Netflix device, and gaming machine.
• 📱 Face ID and Apple's keychain make account setup on the iPad Pro quick and effortless.
• 🖥 The iPad Pro's screen is remarkably bright and responsive, with even bezels and orientation-independent Face ID and volume buttons.
• 🚀 Despite being thin, the iPad Pro performs as fast as or faster than a high-end MacBook Pro.
• 🔋 The iPad Pro offers solid battery life, comparable to most laptops and even includes cellular data capabilities.
• 🎮 Gaming on the iPad Pro provides an enhanced experience with a large, bright, and clear display.
• 🖱 Compatibility issues arise with third-party Bluetooth accessories like mice and keyboards, which can be problematic for users.
• 🖼 The iPad Pro's screenshot functionality is less intuitive compared to Mac, requiring extra steps to edit and share.
• 🛠 Software quirks and app behavior on the iPad Pro can be unintuitive and limit its use as a desktop replacement.
• 💻 The iPad Pro's desktop experience is less flexible than a Mac, lacking some tools to effectively utilize its screen space.
• 🔒 Despite hardware capabilities, software limitations prevent the iPad Pro from fully replacing a MacBook Pro for professional use.

Q & A

What was the initial excitement about the new iPad Pro?

The excitement was due to the new iPad Pro being more powerful than ever, capable of serving as a sketchpad, laptop, Netflix device, and gaming machine, all in a thin and sleek design.

How did the iPad Pro's Face ID feature enhance the setup experience?

Face ID made the setup process quick and effortless by instantly recognizing the user and remembering passwords through Apple's keychain, eliminating the need for manual input.

What was the user's first impression of the iPad Pro's screen and touch capabilities?

The user found the screen to be incredibly bright and the touch rejection feature to be impressive, allowing for one-handed scrolling without interference from the thumb.

How did the iPad Pro's volume buttons adapt to different orientations?

The volume buttons are designed to remap themselves based on the iPad's orientation, ensuring that from the user's perspective, the left button always decreases volume and the right increases it.

What was the user's experience with battery life on the iPad Pro compared to a MacBook Pro?

While the battery life wasn't as long as a MacBook Pro, it was still better than most laptops and met the user's expectations.

How did the iPad Pro's cellular data feature impact the user's experience?

The cellular data feature was a positive addition, allowing the iPad Pro to function as a main computer with internet access, even without Wi-Fi.

What issues did the user encounter when trying to use a mouse with the iPad Pro?

The user experienced lag and disconnection issues with a Logitech MX Master mouse, which was later resolved by using Apple's Magic Mouse, despite its less ergonomic design.

What problems did the user face with the iPad Pro's keyboard and Bluetooth accessories?

The user faced issues with the space bar inserting double spaces randomly and the keyboard sometimes stopping typing altogether, indicating unreliability with third-party Bluetooth accessories.

How did the iPad Pro's screenshot functionality differ from that of a Mac, and what were the user's frustrations?

The iPad Pro's screenshot function captures the entire screen, including connected displays, requiring manual resizing and deletion of unwanted screenshots, which was inconvenient compared to the Mac's more straightforward process.

What are some of the software and usability issues the user faced with the iPad Pro?

The user encountered issues such as inability to rearrange Safari favorites by dragging, disappearing favorites bar, lack of a mouse pointer, confusion between virtual and physical keyboards, and poor formatting of some apps for iPad.

How does the iPad Pro's performance compare to the user's expectations for gaming and media consumption?

The iPad Pro exceeded expectations for gaming and media consumption, offering a large, bright, and clear display and excellent performance for mobile games.

What is the user's proposed solution for using the iPad Pro as a travel computer?

The user decided to use the iPad Pro as a travel computer for on-the-go tasks and when going abroad, relying on it for 95% of the laptop experience, while still keeping the MacBook Pro for desktop use due to software limitations.

What are the user's thoughts on the iPad Pro's design and the stability of the Magic Keyboard?

The user finds the iPad Pro's design prone to fingerprints and the audio quality not as crisp due to the speaker direction. Additionally, the iPad with the Magic Keyboard is top-heavy and less stable on the lap compared to a MacBook.

What is the user's opinion on the Apple Pencil Pro's attachment method to the iPad Pro?

The user is frustrated with the magnet attachment for the Apple Pencil Pro, suggesting it needs a latch to prevent loss and recommending keeping it in a bag.

What is the user's take on Apple's potential reluctance to fully optimize the iPad Pro for professional use?

The user speculates that Apple might be hesitant to fully optimize the iPad Pro to avoid cannibalizing Mac sales, despite the iPad Pro's hardware being capable of meeting professional needs.

What is the user's anticipation for Apple's next software update at WWDC?

The user hopes that Apple will address the software quirks and limitations during the next WWDC event, potentially making the iPad Pro a more viable main computer for professionals.

What is the user's experience with Surfshark's alternate ID feature for public Wi-Fi and online forms?

The user finds Surfshark's alternate ID feature useful for creating a consistent online persona without sharing personal details, providing privacy and ease of use.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Initial Impressions of the iPad Pro

The speaker expresses excitement and satisfaction with the new iPad Pro, highlighting its powerful performance, thin design, and versatility as a replacement for a traditional laptop. They praise the device's setup process, Face ID, bright screen, and even bezels. The iPad's capabilities in various tasks such as gaming, video calls with Center Stage, and cellular data usage are also commended. However, the narrative takes a turn when the speaker encounters issues with using a mouse and keyboard, revealing a less than perfect experience with the device.

05:00

😤 Software Inconsistencies and Hardware Limitations

The speaker details a series of software and hardware issues they faced while using the iPad Pro as a primary work device. These include problems with third-party Bluetooth accessories, screenshot functionality, file management, and app behavior. They also criticize the lack of a mouse pointer, disappearing favorites bar in Safari, and unintuitive app interactions. Furthermore, the speaker points out the iPad's limitations in multitasking and desktop flexibility compared to a Mac, suggesting that these issues prevent the iPad from fully replacing a MacBook Pro for professional use.

10:02

🛫 Adapting the iPad Pro for Travel Use

Despite the frustrations, the speaker decides not to return the iPad Pro and instead adapts its use to travel, praising its portability and entertainment value. They acknowledge that while the iPad Pro has limitations as a desktop computer, it serves well for on-the-go computing needs. The speaker also briefly mentions a VPN service, Surfshark, which they use for privacy and security reasons, highlighting its features such as an alternate ID and affordability.

Keywords

💡iPad Pro

The iPad Pro is Apple's high-end tablet computer designed for professional and power users. In the video's context, it represents a device that the user expected to be a versatile, all-in-one solution for computing needs. The user initially praises the iPad Pro's performance and capabilities but later criticizes its software limitations and compatibility issues with peripherals.

💡Face ID

Face ID is a facial recognition feature that Apple uses for secure logins and authentication on its devices. The script mentions how Face ID on the iPad Pro facilitates a seamless setup and login experience, making it convenient by eliminating the need for manual password entry.

💡Magic Keyboard

The Magic Keyboard is an accessory designed by Apple for the iPad Pro, providing a protective case and a keyboard for a laptop-like experience. The user describes the iPad with the Magic Keyboard as top-heavy and unstable for lap use, but acknowledges it as a significant part of the iPad Pro's computing capabilities.

💡Multitasking

Multitasking refers to the ability to perform multiple tasks or run multiple applications simultaneously. The script points out that multitasking on the iPad is not as efficient as on a traditional computer, particularly within apps like Gmail, where the user cannot perform certain actions without switching between multiple tabs.

💡Bluetooth accessories

Bluetooth accessories are devices that connect wirelessly to other devices via Bluetooth technology. The user experiences issues with third-party Bluetooth accessories, such as a mouse and keyboard, which are unreliable when used with the iPad Pro, contrasting with their flawless performance on a Mac.

💡Software quirks

Software quirks refer to minor bugs or unexpected behaviors in software applications. The video discusses various software quirks on the iPad Pro that hinder its usability as a primary computing device, such as issues with screenshots, file transfers, and app behavior.

💡Cellular data

Cellular data is the mobile network connectivity that allows devices to access the internet wirelessly. The user appreciates the iPad Pro's ability to have cellular data, which is a feature not commonly found in traditional laptops, and mentions finding a prepaid data plan that suits their needs.

💡Safari

Safari is a web browser developed by Apple for its devices. The script highlights some of the browser's limitations on the iPad Pro, such as the inability to rearrange favorites by dragging and the disappearance of the favorites bar when scrolling.

💡Apps formatting

Apps formatting refers to how applications are designed and displayed on a device's screen. The video mentions that many apps are poorly formatted for the iPad, affecting the overall user experience and the device's utility as a primary computer.

💡WWDC

WWDC stands for Worldwide Developers Conference, an annual event where Apple introduces new software and technologies. The user expresses hope that Apple will address the iPad Pro's issues at the next WWDC event, indicating their desire for improvements in the device's software.

💡Surfshark VPN

Surfshark VPN is a virtual private network service mentioned in the script as a tool for maintaining privacy online. The user praises its features, such as the built-in alter ID for creating alternate online personas, which helps protect personal information when using public Wi-Fi or signing up for services.

Highlights

User spent over $3,000 on a fully speced out new iPad Pro.

iPad Pro is more powerful than user's needs, serving as a sketchpad, laptop, Netflix device, and gaming machine.

iPad's thinness and screen brightness impress the user.

Face ID and Apple's keychain make account setup quick and easy.

iPad's touchscreen and thumb rejection feel magical.

iPad's performance is comparable to a high-end MacBook Pro.

Battery life on iPad is better than most laptops.

iPad's cellular data plan is surprisingly affordable.

iPad's webcam with Center Stage feature keeps users centered during video calls.

Gaming on iPad offers a superior experience with a large, bright, clear screen.

User initially fell in love with the iPad Pro but faced issues on the second day of use.

Mouse compatibility issues with the iPad Pro, requiring an Apple Magic Mouse for better performance.

Keyboard issues with random space insertions and typing stops.

Screenshot functionality on iPad is cumbersome compared to Mac.

iPad's software issues hinder its use as a primary computer.

User speculates that Apple may not fully optimize iPad Pro to avoid cannibalizing Mac sales.

Despite hardware capabilities, iPad Pro's software limitations make it unsuitable as a primary computer for professionals.

User decides to use iPad Pro as a travel computer due to its portability and versatility.

iPad Pro's stability issues when used on a lap due to its top-heavy design with the Magic Keyboard.

User continues to use MacBook Pro for desktop computing due to iPad Pro's limitations.

User hopes for software improvements at Apple's WWDC event.

User recommends Surfshark VPN for privacy and security online, with an affordable price.

Transcripts

dear Apple the iPad needs help let me

explain about a month ago Apple launched

the new iPad Pro and I spent over $3,000

ordering the fully speced out one for

myself I was so excited I thought oh my

God the iPad is now more powerful than I

could ever possibly need this can be my

sketchpad my laptop my Netflix device my

gaming machine I can do all of my

Computing on this one tablet that's

barely 5 mm thin and you know what I was

right at least about that part I'll

never forget my first day setting up

this iPad I was in absolute awe my whole

plan was to see if I could use this to

replace my big

chunky 16-in MacBook Pro kind of proves

the point and so I was one by one going

through all the things that I did on

this and setting them up here and

basically everything just worked every

account login took seconds thanks to

Apple's keychain password memory and

face ID the fact that the iPad has face

ID where the Mac still doesn't meant

that I barely needed to lift a finger

and everything was set up but also you

know how Apple constantly describes his

iPad as a magic sheet of glass yeah I

know the marketing talk is crazy but in

a way that quote finally made sense to

me on this day the screen feels like it

should not be as bright as it is

considering how thin the iPad is the

thumb rejection how you can grip the

thing in one hand and scroll with the

other and the touchcreen understands

what you're doing and ignores your thumb

it does feel like magic and most

importantly it doesn't matter which way

you're using it you can rotate any

orientation you want and the bezels are

completely even whichever way you pick

face ID Works in any orientation but

also volume buttons I realize that they

flip so when you hold the iPad this way

left turns your volume down right turns

it up but then when you rotate the iPad

180° the buttons remap themselves so

that from your perspective left is still

volume down right is still volume up I'd

assumed it might be slower than my maxed

out MacBook Pro and I mean look at the

chunk difference would you be surprised

but it isn't it is so fast I thought I'd

have difficulties with battery life

barely the battery while definitely not

as good as a MacBook Pro is still better

than what you get on most laptops I love

the fact that my main computer would

actually have cellular data now and I

did initially think this was going to be

some Next Level monthly expense but

turns out prepaid dataon eims they're

actually okay I found a plan that's

going to cost me £100 for my hopefully

years worth of data usage I even jumped

into some video calls and I was just

like what this webcam is amazing it's

crisp it's flattering but also it has

Center Stage which means just like those

actually physically rotating webcams you

can buy it follows you around the room

and actually keeps you in the center oh

yeah and the games if you're someone who

plays a lot of games on your phone let

me tell you they hit very different on

an iPad you're getting like the biggest

brightest clearest picture possible not

to mention that you will not have to

worry about performance this thing

absolutely eats mobile games for

breakfast so in case you can't already

tell I was initially in love with this

thing so where on Earth did it go wrong

well day two when I actually started

trying to do some proper work on it I

woke up I plugged it into my monitor

like I've been doing for years with my

laptop and I settled into my desk for a

good day's research um Mr cook my mouse

was not working wow for years I've been

using logitech's very good MX Master

mouse that works perfectly on maap and

for some reason I'm getting to the Y

later but for some reason it was

performing terribly the scroll wheel was

incredibly laggy and unresponsive like

unusably so so I was having to scroll by

clicking and dragging across the page

like some Unstoppable but to top

it all off I keep disconnecting I spent

half of my first working day trying to

troubleshoot my mouse trying all sorts

of other options and eventually coming

to the conclusion that okay there's one

accessory that probably will work well

on this Apple's Magic Mouse so I ordered

one it arrived and you know what yes yes

it does it works perfectly but let me

tell you the ergonomics of this mouse

are anything but Magic it's super flat

it's kind of sharp and it still requires

you to Arch your fingers to use it like

a trackpad instead of having a much more

hand-friendly scroll wheel I've actually

had quite a few issues with my hands

from long periods of time clawing like

this it's not good for you but what

choice did I have so can you imagine my

reaction when I realized that the same

thing was happening to my keyboard it

honestly felt like a cartoonish problem

to be having in this day and age but

sometimes my space bar just randomly

started inserting two space spes each

time but where still it would very often

just stop typing and you know me I don't

normally rage at things but this really

started to tick me off and again zero

issues with the Mac but for some reason

the iPad is extremely unreliable with

third party Bluetooth accessories okay

so rough start but then it got worse and

then I started to notice a pattern cuz

the next thing that I tried was

screenshots you know it's only on this

iPad that I've realized how much I rely

on screenshots because look at this if

you're on a Mac and you want to send

someone what you're looking at you tap a

few buttons you select the area you want

to share and then just drag and drop

that file over to whoever you're sending

it to on the iPad you press those same

buttons and for some bizarre reason you

just can't instead the iPad takes a

screenshot of not just the screen you're

on but also any screen you're connected

to and it takes the whole thing so every

single time you have to delete one of

the screenshots and then manually use

the touch screen to resize Each corner

of the second one till you have what you

want and then the dragging and dring too

like 50% of the time that doesn't work

either as each app is siloed with its

own set of rules for how you add files

to them actually you know what let me

just rapid fire through the plethora of

unnecessary issues that I've had with

this iPad and then I'll explain why I

think it's happening for example you

can't rearrange your Safari favorites by

just dragging you instead have to go

into a convoluted separate side menu

your favorites bar disappears when you

scroll down web pages meaning that every

single time you want to go to one of

your favorites you first have to either

scroll P back up or move your cursor to

the top of the screen before you can

click them you don't actually get a

mouse pointer you get a mouse blob that

sort of snaps onto things so it's quite

a bit less precise than using a Mac and

it makes navigating to that subscribe

button that bit more difficult so if

you're not using an iPad right now then

a sub to the channel would be smooth

some websites don't work the iPad seems

to get very confused between virtual

keyboards and physical keyboards and

sometimes just decides to give you

neither there's no progress bars when

you're transferring or opening files so

you're just left there waiting until

something suddenly appears when it's

eventually done or should I say actually

if it's done because the software is

much more aggressive with shutting down

background processes than a normal

computer so sometimes Amazon purchases

for example they don't go through un th

I keep the window open while they're

processing and there are uploads that I

left going on in the background that I

later realized silently canceled

themselves apps sometimes behave in

really unintuitive ways like for example

when you're WR wrting documents in your

web browser the iPad teaches you that a

double tap highlights your word and then

a triple tap highlights your paragraph

but then using the Docs app it does

something completely different and

actually expects you to fiddle with a

trackpad trying to grab and drag this

across many apps are really surprisingly

poorly formatted for iPad and don't even

get me started on the Instagram app or

the fact that there's no official

calculator so you have to resort to

downloading someone else's and having a

permanent ad stapled across it

multitasking isn't very good within your

apps like if I want to type out a new

email while looking at another one that

I previously sent a while ago you

actually can't do that using the Gmail

app so you end up then having to use

multiple different tabs of Gmail in your

browser you know the same way that you

would on your Mac but then that kind of

defeats the main benefit of having these

apps that are specifically designed and

optimized around this mobile operating

system oh yeah and the desktop is way

less flexible than a Mac the iPad does

not give you the tools required to be

able to use its massive space very well

at all the thing in common with all of

these issues they are EX extremely

fixable with this iPad Apple created a

brand new superpowered chip they made it

so unbelievably thin they upgraded the

apple pencil to a whole other level it's

all really cool stuff but the thing

that's upsetting me is that if instead

they just done none of that and

literally spent like one week instead

fixing these software quirks this will

be a better product that the pros

they're so fervently marketing to can

actually use as their main computers

what I'm imagining is happening here is

because Apple also sells the Mac the

single product that is most at risk of

eating into that it's not Windows

laptops at this stage it is Apple's own

iPad so they're stuck in this weird

place of every year making the iPad more

Pro but not actually addressing the core

things that would allow Pros to rely on

it requiring them to still get a Macbook

even though the hardware of this can

almost definitely do absolutely

everything they want it to I'm getting

to that there's a few more baked in iPad

issues that would be harder for Apple to

fix like how this screen gets way more

fingerprint than a Mac screen since it's

designed around you touching it how the

speakers shoot outwards instead of

forwards like they do on a Mac so the

audio isn't as crisp and that with the

magic keyboard the iPad is extremely

topheavy for a laptop so while it's fine

on a desk it doesn't feel nearly as

stable in your lap but for me these are

smaller issues that I could learn to

live with so what am I going to do with

this am I returning mine no I still love

it in small moments it does frustrate me

to high heaven and I do not understand

how Apple thinks this magnet is an

acceptable way to keep your very

expensive apple pencil Pro it needs some

sort of latch otherwise it's so easy to

lose you have to keep it in a bag but

then when this thing works the way you

want it to it feels like such a life

hack so this is what I'm doing the iPad

has become my travel computer anytime I

leave the house for a day I detach this

from the keyboard and this is everything

I need because I know that if I really

want to I will be able to do any

Computing that I might need to on short

notice and then if I'm going abroad I

will pack this keyboard too because

these two together is 95% of the laptop

experience and in ways better because

the iPad is like so good for watching

movies on the plane and the only only

reason why I can't just completely ditch

my MacBook Pro is just these weird

limitations when you're trying to use it

as a desktop computer so for that one

specific use case I am still going to

have to keep the Mac I'll just leave it

permanently docked at the table so let's

see if Apple fixes any of these cons at

their next big software WWDC event now

while we do a little iPad camera test I

want to tell you about something that

I've started using all the time anytime

you're logging into one of those public

Wi-Fi and they're asking for your entire

life history or just giving your details

to a website that you don't completely

trust for all of this I have just

started using an alternate ID I'm not

even kidding you might know me as Aaron

manie but online I'm technically Emily

I've been using surf shark's bakedin

alter ID feature and it's amazing it

creates every single detail you could

possibly need to fill out a form

including an email address that you can

actually use for as long or as short as

you want to and it means that you can

have a consistent online Persona that

you can copy and paste into any form in

one click that's not actually you by

default the new email that's set up for

you will automatically forward emails

that come in to your main email but the

beauty of that is the second you decide

that you no longer need the service that

you signed up for you just cut that

email and you have that peaceful

reassurance that you've never actually

shared your main email address and

that's just one thing there's like 15

different reasons why I use surf Shar

VPN like also just the fact that it's a

VPN and I think it's the best VPN it's

fast the app is awesome and it's really

affordable because with the code boss

it's literally less than $3 a month with

four extra months for free for an

unlimited number of users and a 30-day

money back guarantee and so yeah the

camera is definitely a step down from

the iPhone but it's not bad