Apple’s “Let Loose” iPad event - M4 SoC already, dual-stack OLEDs, haptic (spatial?) Pencil, laptop-style aluminum keyboard

[Neroon]

On 5/15/2024 at 3:34 PM, Obioban said:

All iPads run the same iPad OS. None of the multitasking features would be off/missing if she had a base, cheap iPad. Nothing about it would be easier. 

 

That's from the Apple site. So no, this would not be a thing with the base model.

[Obioban]

On 5/18/2024 at 3:51 PM, Neroon said:

 

That's from the Apple site. So no, this would not be a thing with the base model.

Hmm. It does seem there's system requirements for stage manager that the base iPads do not yet meet.

 

Regardless, that is not a usability choice by Apple (as in, stage manager will come to the base iPads when the hardware is powerful enough to support it) and that would be a super dumb reason to choose inferior hardware.

[Neroon]

On 5/23/2024 at 2:41 PM, Obioban said:

Hmm. It does seem there's system requirements for stage manager that the base iPads do not yet meet.

 

Regardless, that is not a usability choice by Apple (as in, stage manager will come to the base iPads when the hardware is powerful enough to support it) and that would be a super dumb reason to choose inferior hardware.

Are you saying that Apple will add functionality to base iPads on whether the hardware supports it? Very doubtful, they want to keep it for the expensive models. Don't the base iPads have slow as hell USB ports, just to make sure you won't be using it in a way you might want to use it.

[LAwLz]

21 hours ago, Neroon said:

Are you saying that Apple will add functionality to base iPads on whether the hardware supports it? Very doubtful, they want to keep it for the expensive models. Don't the base iPads have slow as hell USB ports, just to make sure you won't be using it in a way you might want to use it.

I am fairly sure the base iPad has USB 2.0 ports because it uses the A14 SoC, which doesn't support higher speeds. 

The iPhone 12 Pro, which also used the A14 chip was limited to USB 2.0 as well. 

Apple didn't put much effort into making the port faster back then (might have been a lighting limitation). 

 

I think think that they made the base iPad port slow to limit how people can use it. 

I suspect that once they move the base iPad to a chip that supports higher speeds we will also see the port get upgraded. I can't really think of a way the USB port limits functionality that isn't already limited in some other way. 

[Neroon]

1 hour ago, LAwLz said:

I am fairly sure the base iPad has USB 2.0 ports because it uses the A14 SoC, which doesn't support higher speeds. 

The iPhone 12 Pro, which also used the A14 chip was limited to USB 2.0 as well. 

Apple didn't put much effort into making the port faster back then (might have been a lighting limitation). 

 

I think think that they made the base iPad port slow to limit how people can use it. 

I suspect that once they move the base iPad to a chip that supports higher speeds we will also see the port get upgraded. I can't really think of a way the USB port limits functionality that isn't already limited in some other way. 

I can't say what the A14 can or can't do, because I don't know, but I do know the A16, which the iPhone 15 (Plus has inside), only does USB 2.0, while the A15 is in the iPad Mini (2021) and supports 3.1 and has 10x the speed. while other devices with the A15 have 2.0.

 

Actually while researching, I found that the iPad Air from 2020 uses the A14, and has 3.1 as well.

 

So yeah, this is absolutely not a limiting factor by the chip, but a choice by Apple.

They also have chips going back to at least the A10(X) that supports USB 3.0

[saltycaramel]

On 5/9/2024 at 12:04 PM, saltycaramel said:

I just caved.

 

13”, coming from an 11” M2 iPad Pro (soon to become an hand-me-down in the family). 
 

They did it, with that weight and that thinness they finally convinced me to go 13”, 9 years after the unveiling of the original 12.9” iPad Pro. It took six unwieldy 12.9” iPad generations, but seventh time’s a chance. 

 

And, nano-texture. (yeah yeah I know the whole internet right now likes to advice against it if you don’t have a specific professional need for it, “if you have to ask it’s not for you”, but I have plenty of glossy screens in my life already, and it will be nice to have something different for a change after more than a decade of glossy iPads)

 

May God have mercy of my wallet.

 

For the record, eventually I ended up canceling the nano-texture order and going with the playing-it-safe (and saving-a-bunch-of-cash) choice with the glossy option.

I chickened out of the nano-texture.

 

In retrospect, it was for the best, since the glossy display is beautiful. (posting from it right now)

[Commodus]

On 5/25/2024 at 5:29 PM, saltycaramel said:

 

For the record, eventually I ended up canceling the nano-texture order and going with the playing-it-safe (and saving-a-bunch-of-cash) choice with the glossy option.

I chickened out of the nano-texture.

 

In retrospect, it was for the best, since the glossy display is beautiful. (posting from it right now)

How’s the size? I’ve heard either that it’s finally easy to use handheld, or that it’s still too big unless you mainly use it with the Magic Keyboard.

[saltycaramel]

18 hours ago, Commodus said:

How’s the size? I’ve heard either that it’s finally easy to use handheld, or that it’s still too big unless you mainly use it with the Magic Keyboard.

 

Being my first 12.9”/13” ever (after 13 years of 9.7”/10.5”/11” iPads), it is fine to use handheld.

But, compared to say a smartphone or an iPad Mini, this is a sitting handheld device, to hold with both hands and preferably “belly support” (the lower side of the tablet resting on the user’s abdomen, both in portrait and landscape mode).

 

One thing to keep in mind about the size when in handheld mode: it’s needlessly big for any reading purpose, if used in full screen mode (single task, one screen at a time). Where it shines is in multitasking: in Stage Manager mode you still get a full “11” iPad worth of real estate” after adding the always-on dock below, the Stage Manager previews on the left side and an additional window “peeking” from beneath the window on top. 

 

When propped up on the Magic Keyboard, there’s no doubt or balancing act: the bigger the better, no question asked. Videos, photos, emulators, AAA games like RE4, web browsing, Mail, etc. there are only upsides and no downsides to the 13” in “laptop mode”. And the size makes it perfect as a Sidecar display for the Mac (i.e. as a very expensive portable OLED external display for the MBP), in Sidecar mode it runs circles around the 11” in terms of usefulness.

 

[Commodus]

18 hours ago, saltycaramel said:

 

Being my first 12.9”/13” ever (after 13 years of 9.7”/10.5”/11” iPads), it is fine to use handheld.

But, compared to say a smartphone or an iPad Mini, this is a sitting handheld device, to hold with both hands and preferably “belly support” (the lower side of the tablet resting on the user’s abdomen, both in portrait and landscape mode).

 

One thing to keep in mind about the size when in handheld mode: it’s needlessly big for any reading purpose, if used in full screen mode (single task, one screen at a time). Where it shines is in multitasking: in Stage Manager mode you still get a full “11” iPad worth of real estate” after adding the always-on dock below, the Stage Manager previews on the left side and an additional window “peeking” from beneath the window on top. 

 

When propped up on the Magic Keyboard, there’s no doubt or balancing act: the bigger the better, no question asked. Videos, photos, emulators, AAA games like RE4, web browsing, Mail, etc. there are only upsides and no downsides to the 13” in “laptop mode”. And the size makes it perfect as a Sidecar display for the Mac (i.e. as a very expensive portable OLED external display for the MBP), in Sidecar mode it runs circles around the 11” in terms of usefulness.

 

That sounds about right, thanks. I'd probably get an 11-inch in my current situation (where I'd love something for bedside reading), but my dream is a 13-inch that would serve as my laptop. Now if only my workflow would run properly on an iPad...

[Neroon]

On 5/27/2024 at 10:58 PM, saltycaramel said:

 

Being my first 12.9”/13” ever (after 13 years of 9.7”/10.5”/11” iPads), it is fine to use handheld.

But, compared to say a smartphone or an iPad Mini, this is a sitting handheld device, to hold with both hands and preferably “belly support” (the lower side of the tablet resting on the user’s abdomen, both in portrait and landscape mode).

 

One thing to keep in mind about the size when in handheld mode: it’s needlessly big for any reading purpose, if used in full screen mode (single task, one screen at a time). Where it shines is in multitasking: in Stage Manager mode you still get a full “11” iPad worth of real estate” after adding the always-on dock below, the Stage Manager previews on the left side and an additional window “peeking” from beneath the window on top. 

 

When propped up on the Magic Keyboard, there’s no doubt or balancing act: the bigger the better, no question asked. Videos, photos, emulators, AAA games like RE4, web browsing, Mail, etc. there are only upsides and no downsides to the 13” in “laptop mode”. And the size makes it perfect as a Sidecar display for the Mac (i.e. as a very expensive portable OLED external display for the MBP), in Sidecar mode it runs circles around the 11” in terms of usefulness.

 

It's definitely about how you use it. I use a Fold 3, so I don't need a tablet. Though I am actually switching phone tomorrow (Xiaomi 14 Ultra), so maybe that experience will change. Anyway I don't need a tablet to browse some stuff on the couch etc. I wanted a powerhouse for sculpting, CAD, and yes also as a laptop replacement. I use at school, sometimes at work as well. 
Loads of people complain that it doesn't have MacOS. But once this device is not your everything machine, it doesn't need to have that. In fact I don't even want it. To be clear, I get why some would want it to dualboot or whatever, but I have no interest in it, I've got my PC for that.

I use this iPad in 3 ways about 98% of the time. 1. as a laptop with the magic keyboard, 2. as a drawing tablet, or 3. to watch stuff (and it will always be standing on something when I do that, not due to the weight, but because that's where I use it)

 

But obviously it depends on what you want to use it for. A friend of mine loves the iPad Mini. His phone is the 12 or 13 mini, so using the iPad Mini is quite a step up in size, and for him it is the device to use a lot of the time over his phone.

 

[RedRound2]

Upgraded to the M4 iPad Pro from my aging old 9.7” iPad.

 

I tbh could easily live without it as most of my work is coding and around electronics development, completely non existent eco system on the iPad. And I could’ve easily saved a lot of money by going with the Air or the base one. But goddamn, the sheer cutting edginess of this device with the M4, Tandem OLED and the thinness - I had to get this. I still marvel over the device every time I pick it up. It’s just amazing. The display is outstanding.

 

Done I sunk in a lot of money into this, I’ll probably find some of the other use for it.I tried Shapr for 3D design and it seemed great. Think I’ll use the iPad to get into 3D design for 3D printing parts for myself and my family.

 

 One gripe I do have is my frustration in finding out that all these new generation productivity apps all want some of the other form of a subscription. It’s incredibly annoying. I wish apple can somehow do something to let at least open source devs develop free apps for the iPad. Things like Blender, KiCad, VSCode, etc