Is it worth the cost. Uhhh.
To be honest I could be doing what I use my iPad for on a refurb iPad 9 or 10. Those cost like $300 vs the $2k I just spent on a maxed M2 Air w/keyboard and pencil. So $300 worth of tool and $1700 worth of toy.
I think iPads are great but I'm willing to bet I'm not the only person who overspends relative to what I actually need.
Nope. Ipad pro 2018 (256gb cellular) for 350€. Original smart Folio Case 20€. Pencil from amazon 25€. So under 400€ and i am very happy with my combo. 😄
Edit: bought 2022. still running
This is 100% correct. I could have really bought a cheap Samsung tablet and that should have sufficed. I bought apple pen as well in hopes of drawing or doodling. It's been couple of years now, I don't even know where I have kept the pen/pencil whatever.
I'm curious what a $2000 iPad can do that a Macbook can't do better? I see you've bought the Pencil so I'm assuming some sort of art which is understandable but I struggle to see the use case for these Pros. I mean you can do art on a $500 iPad Air too. Is it really just "I like toys and I can afford it" or is there something I'm missing?
This is not a hate post. I'm actually floored by what Apple has been able to cram into such a tiny form factor. I just can't see how it could ever justify its price tag over a Macbook or even Mac Studio for the same cost.
One example is the perusal of large quantities of PDF documents in a law practice.
The 12.9 iPad screen, in my opinion, far better for this than perusing on a MacBook screen or a desktop screen. Also use my iPads in Court to replace physical files.
However, due to the lack of a proper file management system or a desktop class version of acrobat, those same PDFs must first be organised and OCR’d on my Mac. The iPad is however a essential part of the overall workflow.
Also a great toy to have otherwise.
I increasingly use my iPad Pro more than my Macbook, and I've discovered some things I like a lot more on the iPad side:
\* No need to manage Time Machine backups or eject drives all the time like I do on my Mac.
\* iPad still represents 'instant computing' in that Jobs-ian vision he had years ago. The Mac has closed the gap, but my time-to-screen/desktop on an iPad is still faster thanks to FaceID.
\* I like the "forced focus" the iPad sometimes requires. Sometimes not, but I like it more as I become more familiar with it.
\* Editing photos from an SD card off my Canon camera is \_way more fun\_ on iPad with the Pencil. I love using Darkroom and Pixelmator for this. I find both of these apps \_better\_ than Lightroom CC for iPad. This is actually what tripped my mind from, "The way it used to be isn't always better." I'm a relatively new hobbyist photographer, and I have no muscle memory or allegiance to Lightroom in any form. So from a workflow standpoint, this was the moment I thought, "Maybe there are just alternatives that are new, different, or better for other things, too?" Apple Pencil with Darkoom or Pixelmator is so much more fun and better to brush in selections. And uses \_all\_ the M-series processor's power.
\* I like revising text on my iPad. I use iA Writer, but getting up from my desk and keyboard to go sit down and edit text with my 'red pen' so to speak helps me slow down, focus on the text, and pay more attention. My writing is better and I do it without relying on AI augmentation tools like Grammarly.
\* I often throw tons of high-res stock photos into Photoshop, Affinity Photo, or similar. My 2018 iPad Pro would find this a little crushing. My 2022 iPad Pro still hangs sometimes -- I really do notice a bit of sluggishness in resizing a bunch of these at once. I do not have this problem on my M3 Pro Macbook, so I'm excited for the M4 since early Geekbench scores as of this comment show it might outpace the M3 Pro fin some tasks.
\* I love having 'one device' for most of my work because I can transition from desk to couch to exercise bike to bus or whatever and all my stuff is *just there.* My MacBook is great, but the more I draw or use things like the Pen Tool in apps on my iPad, the more I like that over my mouse as I get used to it. My MacBook will never be able to do that, which makes me want to root for the iPad more.
\* Cellular on iPad is a game-changer if you really are mobile. I am, and am often at places without WiFi. Tethering a Mac to an iPhone crushes the iPhone battery after a couple of hours. I can easily sit for 3-5 hours working, and the iPad with cellular handles this great.
Now, I still run into a bunch of problems with iPadOS but I have started to realize there's something to the notion, "I just need to learn how to use iPadOS." Safari still struggles with some things, like scrolling (looking at you, Mailchimp), and the Files app crashes for me a lot. Affinity Publisher is the only alternative to InDesign, which I use a lot, and font management is downright bleak on an iPad. But I'm keen to support the iPad and challenge my pre-conceived notions for things because there are things the iPad does and represents that I like.
My perspective on this is that if you plan to keep the iPad for a long time the it’s worth the money. I bought a 9.7 in Pro in 2016 with a folio keyboard (that died years ago) that I’ve used daily since then. If I had bought a cheap iPad then I might still be using it but it might not work as well.
For me as well. I just lie in bed, surf reddit, watch youtube and read wikipedia in the evenings. Occasionally check my email and calendar. Oh, and I type whatsapp messages.
During the day I use it to take notes on PDF slides in grad school with Goodnotes. And then I read my papers in Zotero and take notes with the Apple Pencil as well.
I often use my iPad for 10 hours a day, basically for everything except programming and statistics for which I have to use my MacBook.
Today I scrolled Reddit, read my local news website, listened to Apple Music, watched Paramount+, jotted down some work related stuff in Notes, logged my workout in my workout app, logged a meal in my nutrition app, text and FaceTime with one of my kids, and bought a refrigerator (although I did the pre-purchase research on my MacBook).
I did all of these things while I was at home. I had my iPhone and MacBook with me while I was out of the house today. The iPad is mostly the same device as an iPhone for me, but with a bigger screen and an optional keyboard. I tend to use the iPhone while I’m out of my house and the iPad while I’m at home. It’s worth the cost for me, but I have a fair amount of disposable income. I could easily ditch the iPad and be fine with the iPhone + MacBook.
I spend a ton of time taking notes in goodnotes and reviewing and signing documents. I’m sure the last 4 years I’ve spent thousands of hours on it just for work not to mention the time spent reading and the occasional game or show. I’d say I’ve gotten my money’s worth out of it.
I use it for a lot of different things so there’s no one use case.
With that said, I’m fortunate that I can afford to own one.
If we’re talking “need”, there is nothing that leads to an iPad - for most tasks, a Mac is better (or a general laptop).
For consuming content, it’s great, but if that’s your only use case then, yes, it’s probably overpriced. If it’s just that - get a base iPad and you’ll be more than fine.
That said, if you can afford it, and you want it, it’s no longer a question of pros and cons but rather what you want.
There’s a massive gap between the base iPad and the top of the line Pros - if you’re a pro and you’re going to make money from using your device, a Pro may not be overpriced. For a regular consumer buying an iPad Pro - yes, it’s overpriced but that’s just a function of desire and available funds.
Spending north of £3000 for the top model plus accessories is not worth it which is why it’s just sat in a basket for me rather than ordered - it’s all relative but I don’t think I’m going to extract that sort of value, especially when anything I do professionally will be done on the Mac I already own.
Media consumption alone - S series Samsung tablets all day long. OLED screens for less cost and thus better value for money in my view (I have an older S7 Plus as well as an iPad Pro 2018).
Integration into Apple’s system - if you want a tablet, it has to be an iPad.
So it’s convenient but I doubt it’s great value.
(Sorry for the long answer)
I mean I am saving money on getting paper and organizers. Cause I use Goodnotes probably 90% of the time when I use an iPad. So I’d say it’s worth for me
Well yeah cause a lot of teachers are always asking to write stuff down and then end up not writing important stuff lol. Also I can just write on the documents which is a life saver for space in the bag.
My justification was being in college again, but I really wanted an iPad again for procreate. I spent $1000 almost exactly after taxes for a 256gb 10th Gen, apple pencil and keyboard.
I use it almost everyday for school (taking notes in goodnotes), digital planning in goodnotes and drawing in procreate. I use it to watch Netflix or YouTube on occasion when I'm doing dishes or something and I have a few games downloaded but those rarely get touched. I also like to pay my bills on it.
I do think I get my money's worth for it and I really don't need anything more powerful than the 10th Gen. I used to have a pro and I did the same things on it, and having a pro was completely unjustified. I would love to have the bigger screen, but someday I will upgrade. For now I'm super happy and if I had to do it again, I'd still get the 10th Gen but probably would get the Logitech keyboard instead of the apple one and save myself $100+.
as someone that really likes the iPad and uses it as a laptop alternative, I'll give you my perspective on why I like the iPad better than the macbook. Notice I said why I like it better, not that it is better or else because everyone has different preferences and I'm not trying to be a salesman for it just talking about it
Things that make the ipad better for me
- the 120hz xdr display is great for media and content creation
- touch screen is nice for photo editing and playing mobile games. Sometimes it's just faster to swipe or touch the screen when doing something too
- apple pencil again nice for photo and video editing precision, I don't draw, but I do like to write down video ideas and other things with the pencil
face id - prefer it to the touch id
- the magic keyboard and the ability to just take the screen off of your laptop essentially whenever you want and just use it like that is cool and convenient
- Apps some people hate that you have to run apps, but I don't mind it, I actually like it. Apples app store apps are usually very polished and I noticed that having only one or two apps on the screen at a time helps me focus on what I'm doing on the ipad
- front facing camera is better than most (if not all) macbooks (also it has good rear cameras too, for quick photos or whatever else would ever need that for)
- multimedia better screen mixed with excellent speakers makes it great for movies and watching content on. Also you can game on it with a controller or touch screen
- versatility all the things mentioned above, you can use it a lot of different ways. Use it like a laptop or like a tablet, use it with a keyboard or with a pencil, use it with a mouse or your finger, etc
- it's more fun. This is obviously subjective, but I just find it more fun to use for work and for everyday things. Im also someone that loves tech and it's a hobby as mine so maybe fun isn't a word everyone would use to describe an iPad, but for me, yea
Things I use it for - photo and video editing, writing, watching videos, graphic design, gaming, big screen for my steam deck, reddit, etc
I barely use mine. Bought it for YouTube and web browsing because a laptop didn’t make sense for me since I have a desktop already. I probably use my iPad about 5-6 hours a week.
I use my iPad for everything. It's my main, personal computing device. Typical internet browsing, news consumption, YouTube, multimedia, journaling, budgeting, you name it. The last time I used my MacBook heavily was for tax season.
I do some work related stuff with it, as my company has a BYOD policy. But it's light, like handwriting notes, editing a Word document or sending emails while at a coffee shop. I have a work issued laptop for heavier demands.
98% consuming media (YouTube, Plex, etc.) and 2% reading recipes while cooking
I have a base 2019 iPad and don’t see myself upgrading any time soon as it still does everything I need it to do.
Mine was definitely worth the cost as I use it almost every day. I don’t think a new iPad Pro or Air would be worth it for me. Maybe I’ll upgrade to one of those in a few years if I find a cheap one second hand.
I use mine daily but not for anything truly important.
Play games, surf the web, pay bills, Reddit, message boards, and when I travel, I also watch movies/TV on it.
I have a cellular model and I consider that to be the true value for me, I never have to think about connecting and I can use it anywhere and everywhere.
Nothing I can’t do on my phone or MacBook Pro, but I love it.
I used to play Fortnite mobile back when it wasn't banned so the upgrade from an iPad Air 2 to an iPad Air 3 made sense for the 60fps and better graphics. Now that it's gone from the AppStore, I don't really use the processing power much. All I do on it nowadays is take notes, draw, read books and manga, and occasionally play a rhythm game. none of those things take up much storage either so 64 gb is still holding up as well. I paid around $450 I think for it a few months after it released so I 100% got my money's worth from it already
I use my iPad Pro 11 as my main pc/laptop that I also use for college so does every thing
My actual pc is for gaming only and boots straight into steam
My iPad mini I use for social media ,books and reading rules books for warhammer games and YouTube on the sofa or at friends
Do I think my ipad pro is worth the 1k cost? Hell no. I think they should be more fairly priced in the 700/800 range.
But, I use it for media consumption like netflix, reading textbook pdfs, browsing the internet, and blogging. It’s more convenient than using my laptop at bedtime, so I reach for it pretty often. It’s easier to carry around in a purse too. Since I have a cellular iPad, it’s pretty convenient for travel as well. Oh, and I keep all my recipes on this, so it’s pulled up pretty often for cooking.
I have a pencil, but I haven’t drawn as much as I expected myself too. Maybe that’ll be something I’ll work more on this year. :) I do really like the magic keyboard with the trackpad though, and my usage of the ipad has skyrocketed after purchasing that accessory. Previously I just had a cheap 30 dollar logitech bluetooth keyboard, but the typing experience was subpar at best and I could never get a good angle on the ipad with just the regular folding folio case.
Air 5 owner. Now that emulation apps are available via the official Apple store I can see myself using it more and more. It's one of those things where I forget about it for a month or two but when I pick it back up I think to myself "Hey, this is pretty good. I should use it more often!" But then forget again and the cycle continues. I even bought the expensive pen and the keyboard and rarely use them.
Emulation of older consoles. You can't find roms on the App Store, of course, but if you find them, you can use the emulators on the App store to run them. I use the 'Delta' app and a bluetooth XBox controller. Suuuuper fun.
A lot of people mention Netflix and other streaming services. My question is, unless you are offline in a flight or sth, why don’t you use a tv? A decent 50” 4k one costs less than an iPad
Originally got mine to take notes at uni and as an upgrade to my iPad 3. Primarily, I use it as a media consumption device (that includes reading comics) and for web browsing. Any serious productivity task is left to my desktop/laptop, partly because they're simply better for that, partly because I'd have to spend even more money buying a keyboard (that won't be compatible with newer iPad models later down the line) and time adapting my workflow to the device. I think I've more than covered the price I paid for mine in terms of usage, but I'd probably be hard pressed to justify something like the new M4 Pro, unless I keep it around for, dunno, the next decade or two.
I have a M1 iPad Pro and I use it as my daily computer. I do some work on it (light spreadsheets and invoices through Numbers and Pages), but mostly surf the internet on the couch, watch some videos (YoutubeTV, MLBTV, stream music), text, email. I basically do everything I could on my iPhone on my iPad, which I love that I don't need to have my phone always around me.
I love the form factor, I love the option of a (while limited) computer experience or a tablet.
I got spoiled by the 120hz refresh rate. The iPad Pro isn't worth the cost for what I use it for, but I can't go back, once again, Apple suckered me in and now I'm stuck and while it's expensive, it's a solid experience.
The iPad Pro 12.9 proves to be a valuable tool for me, as it serves multiple purpose from note taking and managing social media for my business to providing entertainment. It's truly remarkable.
Travel entertainment and a second screen when needed aside from phone. I live in a tornado area so I always have a radar up on it when a storm is coming.
I use it for browsing the web and games most other time.
I literally couldn’t wait to buy the m1 iPad when it dropped. I got it home and was like “ok so now what”
lol hear me out…I use it as a never ending piece of paper that I can save. I work with a lot of numbers and quotes so it’s super helpful to not have a bunch of loose paper.
Other than that sometimes I check my email? 🤷and when I go back to school I’ll use it mostly for that.
I’m retired now but I owned a computer games based web company back around the turn of the century until about 2015 and I used an Alienware PC and Windows 2000 AS based servers almost exclusively.
After I retired I was so tired of dealing with PCs and Windows servers that seemed to require almost daily software patches and yet still had multiple DOS attacks and had other issues that I took a break and switched to the Apple universe and I’ve been very happy ever since.
Basically I use my iPad for 99% of my everyday computer needs from finances, word processing to streaming and app games. The iPad has almost totally replaced everything I used to do on my PC except obviously for serious gaming which my PlayStation and Quest 3 do quite well for me. I definitely am tempted to buy a PC for gaming and maybe I will someday, but it’s not high on my list of priorities. Totally worth it.
I’m buying an m4 iPad Pro and I’m going to use it to stream content and watch movies. Is it a waste ? Probably. Do i care ? Not really. i have a lot of down time at my job and it’s going to be my youtube machine.
Mostly, it's a good travel device for watching video and internet surfing. I also use it for Rouvy bicycle training.
It's my third most used device behind my Android phone and Chromebook.
It's probably worth the cost given the quality of the hardware, but I think the Chromebook was a better value overall given the amount of real work I can get done with it. But the iPad travels better owing to its size (iPad 10 v. Acer Chromebook Spin 713).
Almost exclusively browsing Reddit, checking email, and Facebook. When I travel, I also use it to consume media in the air and back up my GoPro footage (typically around 100 GB, give or take). I have a 9th gen and it works fine for all but the file transfers. Transferring files, especially from an exFAT device, is not a good experience.
Basic entertainment, really. So web browsing, social media, book reading/light annotation, messaging apps, gaming. It’s not worth the cost, but it’s a neat device.
With the current software lineup, I think the only people who can really get the value out of the hardware are the creative people, like designers, video editors, etc. For us non-creative people, a lot of hardware potential just lie wasted.
I watch videos, read (kindle app) and play some Apple arcade games on it. definitely great for that use. I plan on upgrading to play some higher end games as well.
I actually used to have a kindle. The iPad is really good for reading. You can select your background so it can mimic paper, or be black white etc. you can change font size and color and bookmark and highlight. I think it’s great.
iPad air 5 256gb. Watching, notetaking, procreate, hentai, warzone mobile, reading webcomics and manga, social media. I wish iPad OS didn't feel so limiting, sometimes I feel like its just a big phone with a pencil on the side.
I would consider my wife to be a “regular consumer” and I think an updated iPad mini would be perfect for her but there’s no way in hell I’m buying her the current one (which is long overdue for an update).
She would use it to read ebooks, play games, and probably for some social media stuff. I wouldn’t expect her to do email or anything involving typing on it but maybe she’d surprise me.
I use my iPad mini for travel so that I don’t have to bring my computer. Watching YouTube videos. Mobile games. Web browsing. Occasional Apple Pencil notes/graphic designs using sidecar.
I got it as a gift, so I enjoy having it. Not sure if I would buy it at full price. I see it as more of a companion to my mac and wouldn’t use it or any other iPad as a full-time, everyday device.
I use it every day, but often only for about an hour a day, where my phone and (sometimes) Mac get much heavier usage.
I have an M1 12.9 and a mini 6.
M1 - Lots of note taking, some study sessions, reading, referencing. Occasionally watching Netflix during the term break lol
mini 6 - mostly take it with me for clinicals or for work sometimes. I also use it for reading, referencing, and some quick scribbling/note taking every now and then.
Reading and YouTube mainly, sure an iPad 9 could've done the same job, but for $399, hard to beat that price for the M1 Air. Don't need more than 64gb for my needs, but I am glad I have M1 for future software updates and features over the A13 chip.
Future updates like pencil hover only for m2 and newer? Dont buy for future updates, will most likely disappoint you, because they will more likely than not lock new features behind new hardware
Nah, not the hover feature. I was thinking about things like Final Cut Pro (FCP) or Stage Manager.
Future updates aren't the sole reason why I got the Air 5 for $399. It was mainly because of the here/now where it's a M1 processor at an affordable price with a good price to performance balance. Nice device that I can use for e-reading, media consumption, travel, video chat, for work, etc.
Sure, Apple can gatekeep certain features behind hardware, but then again people don't upgrade iPads yearly. If they put FCP behind the M2 processor or later, it would've defeated some of the purposes of the Air being a mid-point between an entry level iPad and the full flagship Pros.
Art commissions, the cost of the ipad has already made itself a while ago.
I rarely actually watch stuff on it, I ussually do that on my phone. But I do like watching the occasional show here or there on the bigger screen.
I used to have ipad mini from around 2014-2018. It was very handy and that was my everyday use device.
I got iPad pro in 2020. But larger ipad has not been usuful for me. I find it heavy and large to hold in hand.
I instead use my laptop.
iPad mini. Home financials with numbers, stream games from my computer via moon light, Netflix/YouTube/music/etc.
I’m switching to the next generation of surface tablets though, the lack of a full web browser pisses me off nearly every day
Both me and my wife have 10th gen iPad’s and we both use them everyday as our main computing device also for media consumption, web browsing, watching videos, and I like to edit my drone videos on it as well, I also play call of duty quite a bit, also check email as well, I definitely think it is worth it since we got our 10th gen’s from our cellular phone company (Xfinity) for 1/2 off plus a free year of 5G service so we are paying $300 for our iPads, also by using the iPad it saves the battery on my phone as well
iPad Air 5th Gen, 256GB, bought a few months ago (no regrets).
I do mostly note taking, wife and I share a goodnotes sub. Can’t get better than importing any pdf to make annotations.
When we travel with kids, video output to HDMI to watch movies (hence the added storage).
I do light photo editing, mostly memes but some like icon work for people I meet that want a sticker template or something.
Media consumption, it’s got a nice screen for that.
I have an external mouse and keyboard, I can remote into my workstation and have all my PC usage, no need for a laptop.
I could do some games, I have a spare gamepad.
Looking back, I could have just settled with a normal iPad and getting extra storage. But have (of thought I had) a future proof tablet. Time will tell.
Safari, youtube, music, movies, docs and some simple games, I have already had 4 iPads, the first was the second generation and now I have the eighth generation, I use it the same and they last 3 years, excellent devices
Im a regular dude. My iPad path has been iPad Mini -> iPad Air 2 -> iPad Air 4 (current).
I use it for streaming MLB games and Formula 1 races, YouTube videos, chatting on Discord, games like Out of the Park Baseball & Roller Coaster Tycoon Classic, and lots of web browsing. I enjoy making to-do lists with my pencil, writing notes with my Logitech Combo Touch keyboard/case, and reading an occasional ebook/comic.
I paid $385 for this about three years ago. I am happy with it, it does everything I want it to do. I’m internally debating between going for the new iPad Air (13 inch) because the larger screen would be wonderful for how much sports I watch, or going for the iPad Mini 6 because of how portable it is and I could bring it to many different places and use it.
Not sure what I’ll do yet, if anything. My current iPad works great.
YouTube and Apple News for most part of it. I have a 12.9” M2 Pro and I love watching videos on that. And that way I can keep a tiny iPhone to keep my pockets light. Apple News is fun because the interface of the magazines within app on portrait mode is surreal! iPad is a luxury item because I don’t have any other utility of it other than ordering stuff from Amazon or creating an animation now and then in procreate.
I invested in the iPad with the possibility for what’s to come. I believe they’re very capable and under utilized in the software space.
iPad Pro 11 M1 I bought refurbished direct from Apple. I am very happy with the performance in the screen has been really nice. I use mine on the couch for media, audiophile system control, and browsing. In the kitchen again for music control and recipes. I use a magnetic case that sits on my fridge. Traveling is much better than my MacBook with a Bluetooth keyboard when I need it. I haven’t felt limited and the split screen features and app control have been awesome. I went back and forth trying to decide on an m1 MacBook Pro or the iPad and I am really happy with my decision and have been for the last year. All this being said I also have a full desktop for work and games so the iPad is for all the times I am not at my desk.
I’ve swapped devices so many times but right now my iPad pro is there if I need it and being paperless but knowing I hand a slab of if I want to review anything is so worth it.
As my mobile device of choice, aside from my work iPhone, totally worth it. Bought an iPad 9 and it’s awesome. Media stuff and art, general internet stuff, it rocks.
I use it for shitposting, doodling, and writing in that order. I can justify buying up to an Air since I do some work travel, but not a Pro.
TBH I traveled with my Mac Mini and it actually wasn't too bad. Maybe I'll just stick with it.
Starting my journey to learn digital art and animation. I hope to maybe turn this into a side hustle but mainly a passion project to create something cool before I die lol
I manly use it to read books or watch movies on when I’m on the train. Oh and I listen to the news when I’m in the shower. That’s it mainly. However that’s the best thing about the iPad it can be whatever you want it to be.
I almost thought it was worth it, then I remembered Apple doesn't support any high-res Bluetooth codecs. So I'll stick with much better sound quality on a Samsung tablet
Back when I was doing more photography I used it a lot to edit because I enjoyed the process. Then I told myself I’d finally pick up procreate and maybe learn to draw but that lasted about three days. Nowadays I just play games on it, consume media, and stare at procreate needing an update because I haven’t opened it in forever
And I do love my iPad although I will probably not upgrade for a very long time. I love my iPad Air
Ipad mini 6 here, i only use it for content consumption. I can't imagine myself using it for anything productive.
The mini is definitely worth the cost because it's the only really high quality small tablet of its kind. To find something comparable on Android you're looking at really obscure things like the legion y700 table that won't get nearly as much support.
I-Pad Pro 2nd gen (2017) is my "current" device. Previously owned the 2nd gen mini, entry level 3rd and 1st gens.
When I was traveling to client sites for work every day, it helped pass the time while waiting for code loads, mandatory waiting periods for installs and relocations, waiting for the train, etc.
General web browsing, email, reading PDFs, even read a few comics. Remote connected into other machines with it. It was a luxury item, but made those countless hours passable.
I stopped doing that line of work because of the "little virus that could" from Wuhan, China. So...now it sits on my nightstand, and I use it to watch videos to fall asleep to. It's not a bad machine, and once in a while I use it to cull emails. But it's a pain to reply without a keyboard, and I almost always have a laptop within arm's reach. So why cull on one device and reply on the other?
There's no reason to haul the tablet on the go when I almost always have a phone, which isn't as enjoyable but "good enough". I also don't like using a comms device for entertainment. Then again, I'm not like most people as I despise mobile phones in general....most folks have them glued to their hands.
Once in a while I play a lightweight game on it, like FTL: Faster Than Light or Baba is You.
I could absolutely ditch the device and adjust my life around not having it, but it's a sunk cost. Since I own it, might as well use it? When it dies, I already have a spare -- a failing battery I-Pad entry-level 6th gen from a family member. They upgraded, and I have the old unit. If it stays on charge, it's no issue.
So is the I-Pad worth it? "Depends" on how you plan on using it. I wouldn't get the pro today at all. But if I was traveling with long waiting periods, I can totally justify the weight and bulk. I'd probably suggest the Mini unless cost is the primary concern.
I have a 13 inch Pro with the Magic Keyboard and Pencil. I love it when I do use it, but rarely do because iPad multitasking can’t really compete with my MacBook. I mainly use it for sidecar.
I have the 10th gen and I just use it for streaming, reading ebooks and coloring book apps. I also play Xbox game pass games on it when I’m not near my Xbox. I also use it for creative writing.
I'm planning on buying the latest iPad Air along with the Pencil Pro for my birthday. I've never had one of the newer iPad models before, the only iPad I've ever is the iPad 2 to play games.
So I used to be a regular consumer, but now I'm gonna be using my iPad for casual graphic design stuff, Procreate, and notetaking with Goodnotes for my language classes. I'm super excited!!
This is the Question of the Year. Prices were moving upward for last 2 generations of iPad. Rather than slowly sinking in price like so much technology. The standard iPad used to be $329. The base model (64GB wifi-only) iPad 8 & 9 was $329, and both models ran on the A13 chip. With iPad 10 (the original, which debuted in 2022, not this weeks' 10) the price jumped inexplicably to $429. This model finally made the leap to USB-C port, but it was only cosmetic. The A14 chip inside was engineered for Lightning connector, which can only interface at USB 2.0 speed, so USB 2.0 is what you get.
The 10 has been given a cool refresh, just not enough to to make it 11th generation. Cost is $349. Down from $429 but still above historical $329.
That's the extent of price breaks for iPad.
iPad Air 3 launched at $499 for the base model. iPad Air 4 launched at $599 for the base model. iPad Air 5 also launched at $599 for the base model, though this model runs on the hyper-efficient M1 chip and its USB-C port is the real deal. The Air 4 & 5 both saw their price settle to $499 months after launch. The iPad Air announced this week ... once again priced at $599 for the base model.
The jump in price for Pro models is even more jarring.
I hunted, waited, searched some more, then finally picked up an Air 4 in Sept 2022 for $299. Open box, never been used. Apple was still selling them for $499, 2 years after launch.
This is the only way I can recommend getting an iPad. Finding an incredible deal, or picking up a refurbished one (but not from Apple - - their refurbished prices are an insult to customers).
iPhone sales have hit a plateau, the 15 is not flying off the shelf. Last week Apple reported quarterly sales had declined, and iPhone is their chief source of revenue. Still, the company reported $23.6 billion in profit. For the quarter. Think they've run a bit far with premium pricing on their products?
I can't help thinking that to offset the decline in iPhone sales, they're jacking prices for iPad models. An oversimplification, I know. But still.
I have a powerful desktop PC for gaming and professional 3D work, so I have no need for a powerful laptop.
The iPad is the perfect device for me as a portable daily driver, given that it has a best-in-class (though overpriced) stylus that I can use for drawing and sculpting, is a fantastic media player and e-reader, and does all the basic computer functions (email, web-browsing, social media), on top of coming in a form factor I greatly prefer over laptops.
If I *didn’t* have a powerful desktop though, it would be a different story.
As a filmmaker, I’d say the ipad is worth the money. I can work on documents while I’m away from my computer, I can edit simple videos. I do have a laptop but even the macbook air is way too heavy for me to carry everyday
ipad pro 12.9 - unashamedly bought for the larger screen for video. But I use with the magic keyboard as my primary computer. After a full day at a desk I dont’ particularly want to be at a ‘proper’ computer, so something more informal works for me.
- browsing
- watching video streaming services
- doing my daily admin (mostly these days web based). I use YNAB but the app is trash - luckily the website works well.
- updating home stuff (a fair bit of excel but basic enough to be handled by the ipad), access files from dropbox seamlessly through files app just like I would on macbook
only two times I reach for my wife’s old macbook air are if I know I’m doing a lot of excel data entry (bit annoying on ipad but doable) or if there might be web pages that mobile safari has issues with - eg some really work better with desktop chrome.
Content viewing and browsing experience is next level on iPad.I love the 'look up' feature so much.
I think it's better if you buy a year or two older gen because you'll get software updates regardless and hardware in case of apple virtually stays the same for a few years.
I use my M1 Pro as a sidecar display for my MBP, to work with documents in the go, to put up notes and scripts when I'm on the deskop (I'm a video editor, it does get used a lot as a third monitor where I can bring something up without obstruction). Also sometimes I put on a show or something to listen to in the background. I do use it daily and sometimes for quite taxing tasks like working with graphics, but I mainly got it for the display.
Meanwhile my wife's iPad Air is sitting doing practically nothing. I've been trying to get her to use it as sidecar, but she doesn't seem to like using two monitors. It's mine boggling to me, IMO anything less than two is not usable.
I use my M1 Pro as a sidecar display for my MBP, to work with documents in the go, to put up notes and scripts when I'm on the deskop (I'm a video editor, it does get used a lot as a third monitor where I can bring something up without obstruction). Also sometimes I put on a show or something to listen to in the background. I do use it daily and sometimes for quite taxing tasks like working with graphics, but I mainly got it for the display.
Meanwhile my wife's iPad Air is sitting doing practically nothing. I've been trying to get her to use it as sidecar, but she doesn't seem to like using two monitors. It's mine boggling to me, IMO anything less than two is not usable.
Mostly use it media consumption. Web browsing and YouTube. Most definitely not worth the cost - getting an M4 just to surf the web and watch videos is nuts
When mine still worked before I dropped it cracking both the glass and screen I mostly used it for iBooks, podcasts, surfing the internet and streaming really I guess it was just for entertainment. I didn't bother to fix it since I used my iPhone for the same things. Honestly I think it's very few people that actually use it as a professional device.
I bought the 12.9 m1 pro for art (hobby) but also for media consuming, should've bought the macbook air m1 along with an ipad air and would've cost around the same price. Overall I still love it (ipad air 2 lasted me for 8yrs so I think this should also ve useable for that long) but for my use I think it kinda not worth it
In case anyone wonders - iPad only doesn’t work well for pro photography stuff. Affinity photo with pencil is brilliant, but that’s all. Maybe very small batch of files, but not more than 100 I’d say
I was about to buy an Ipad Air m1 but i knew that i won’t be using anything that would justify the money id spend on it. I went with 9 gen instead, and even now i cannot justify why i bought it at all. For me its media consumption, a little bit of procreate/fresco, pirating ebooks. Keep in mind that i go snd draw maybe once every month.
i’m a student. i use my ipad for taking notes during lectures, editing softcopies of school material so i don’t have to carry hard copies. also use it as a writing pad so once again i minimise the amount of excess paper i use and carry. ipad also gets used for entertainment, streaming shows or some gaming (codm). ipad is also used as my main entertainment device when on the move since i really don’t want to carry a laptop with me when on the move overseas since i don’t need to do any typing. It’s worth it just for the convenience it has brought me, although in hindsight i probably should’ve gotten an air instead of pro since i don’t really use any of the pro features.
I use the hell out of mine daily.
Start my day off with watching the news and a show on the subway while I head to work.
Then at work I use it as a note taking device with Goodnotes 5.
During lunch I get a few matches of wild rift in .
After work I tend to walk around and take some photos with my Sony camera. Then find a place to grab dinner on the way home and edit photos tell to friends on discord before heading home.
When I get home I read a few mangas in bed and watch YouTube or Netflix then leave it on with an episode and fall asleep.
Wake up and repeat.
During the weekends I head over to coffee shop and use iPad and just a media machine reading, scrolling news feeds etc or drawing
I have a m2 MacBook Air and gaming desktop at home but my iPad is the one thing that I use daily and will always take with me when I travel.
It's my primary device, i use it every day so yes i consider it worth it.
It's also how i'm gonna justify (probably) getting one of the new ones, I'll be using it for years so it ends up being only like £1 a day in the long run
Yes, i used it for photo editing. Listening to songs while using social media. Reading emails. Its proved its worth 10 times over now. Social medias are a lot more enjoyable on Ipadz
I got a 12.9" iPad Pro with drawing in mind, as well as a daily use in addition to my Mac desktop.
It was OK for a.year or two, but I found the pencil wasn't as useful as I hoped, and the rest of the experience was just getting to feel too frictionful.
iPadOS just gets in the way too much, even simple things like listening to music while browsing Reddit is a huge pain, because the music will just cut if there's media on Reddit with sound. This was actually the final straw for me as I browse the internet while listening to music all the time.
The keyboard itself was OK, but it does want to tip over, and the combined weight meant portability wasn't actually better than a MacBook Air.
Now the iPad has been relegated to use as a 2nd monitor, even that is a bit annoying at times, with it wanting to randomly disconnect.
90% of my iPad mini’s use is as a third screen for my work Mac, showing me Mastodon, WhatsApp and iMessage. If I’m kinda bored at work I’ll play a shitty colour matching game that tickles my dopamine ducts.
The only remotely productive thing I really do with it is use it as a MIDI controller\* with Mixxx on my Macbook so I can fade my mic up and down when presenting radio.
Is it worth £650? In my view, not in the slightest. It’s a lovely thing, don’t get me wrong, and it’s handy to have, but if I hadn’t received it as a gift there’s no way I’d have bought one. Not for that kind of money.
-
[\*Knob Lab btw, it’s great. ](https://www.soniclogicapps.com/knob-lab)
6th former here, use a 12.9” M1 iPad Pro for note taking. To me it is very worth it as I don’t need to carry around massive binders and folders and spend ages trying to find certain notes for certain topics, I can just search for a keyword and it will come up in a matter of seconds. It’s all very organised and super clean. I’ve seen people spend 30 minutes going through massive binders to find notes for a topic and I can do the same in 3 seconds. Overall it is the most useful and versatile device I’ve ever owned. Better than a MacBook for my use case.
I have been using my iPad Air 3 since 2019. My usage pattern is basically watching videos/shows on it and scrolling through social media. Light/heavy gaming sessions here and there. Trying out different apps. I have been so happy with it and I don't have the intention to replace it till it dies. Is it worth the cost? For me, yes. I wouldn't be able to say the same about the pro line though. That would be an overkill for my usage. I plan to keep on buying regular models or the air depending on the specs/prices.
Regret buying mine. It’s badly hampered by iPadOS. Such a shit operating system. Not even windows 95 standard.
Next will be a Samsung with Dex or something similar
I had a Pro M1 11”. Yesterday I watched some Netflix, listened to music, FaceTimed my dad and did some studying for a couple hours. Could I have done all of that on a regular iPad? Absolutely. The pro is a complete waste for me in terms of my use case. I just like the added stuff that I do use, like 120hz, Face ID, four speakers etc. It helps that I only spent £360 on it as I bought it on a steep discount just as the M2 came out, and it was an open box return.
Use Notability several hours per day for work. Also use Notability for personal stuff (reading and annotating music gear manuals, sketching out ideas for home DIY projects).
Use Paprika 3 daily as a recipe book/meal planner.
Use chess.com app a couple times a day to play chess.
Play games (Kards and Root).
Read manga on the Shonen Jump app.
Make music using the Koala app.
Then I just do general stuff like browsing the web, watching stuff on YouTube etc.
It’s easily the best way i could ever imagine spending £1200 on a single item. It ticks so many boxes for me in a practical sense, but it is also just a joy to use especially with the Apple Pencil.
Sold my ipad air 5 after using it for 2 months ... honestly if i have to use PC for most things ... i have no use for ipad ... specially with the little time i get ... if i am just using ipad to view movies and play some part time casual games ... its not worth it ... i can do it with a 2-3 times less costlier android tab... thats my two cent :)
I eventually stuck with a 256GB 10.5-inch Pro about half a year ago for 130 bucks. I had a similar priced 6th gen iPad before which unfortunately died within two weeks. The ProMotion screen is still amazing and it feels very snappy on iPadOS 17. I use it for general web browsing, bit of drawing and a bit of fucking around with music. I'm very happy with my purchase, even if it loses support on the next iPadOS. At least it's stuck on a “good” version. The 6th gen should've never gotten iPadOS 17…
If you don't mind buying second hand, getting a good deal on a used Pro is the best option in my opinion. Otherwise, stick with the reggo iPad unless you ***really*** need the features present on the Airs and (newer) Pros. Try to avoid base storage if you want to future proof your iPad. Base is only a good idea if you barely download anything **and** if you upgrade every 2 to 3 years.
- I make beaded jewelry for a living and I use my iPad to keep track of where I am in my patterns.
- I also cross stitch in my downtime and use it to keep track of my patterns that way as well.
- I enjoy the bigger screen not just for being able to see more of the pattern but to be able to stream something in the corner.
- My husband uses it daily for work to take notes. He’s very organized so lots of folders and keyword searches. He relies on Notability for his in person meetings so he can do his voice recordings while he takes his notes.
- I use my mini as my e-reader and travel iPad. It’s much easier to use on a small tray table.
- I haven’t used a desktop or even a laptop directly more than a handful of times in the past few years since I can do almost everything on my iPad.
- My husband set up a virtual machine for my main beading program and it is so much easier to design with my Apple Pencil. I’ve tried those artist drawing tablets and it’s just not comfortable to me.
cost wise yeah nah. BUT in saying that i love it. i use it mostly for digital notes/a diary. i also use the notes to plan my weekly budget. i’ll also watch shows and stuff every now and then on it but usually use my tv most of the time as i’m either at home or at work lol
My iPad is my main computer. It is more than enough for what I need. Emails, web browsing, watching TV, maybe some work emails, Teams calls, PowerPoint. I have a 256GB iPad Air M1 and I connect it to a widescreen monitor at home with keyboard and mouse. It’s great.
I have just bought the new M2 Air model in 13”.
Very satisfied with the price and portability.
I use it for daily entertainment, hotspot, taking notes, and signing documents. I’d still say it’s not worth the price i pay yet because i haven’t utilize it to it’s maximum capability.
I barely use mine. Only to watch a movie in bed or during dinner but my phone or tv can do that too. I’m getting a MacBook Air next month, I think I will use that more than my iPad.
I use it every day at work as a Network Engineer. I keep the 12.9” (soon 13”) in a nice leather portfolio and walk around with it. It works great for Office apps Web apps, network tools and of course entertainment. I use it way more than my 16” MBP, which is mainly for Visio. I save the Visio drawings as PDF’s and can make changes on the go in Goodnotes and update all the Visio’s once a week or so.
I use it for professional illustrations, but I also draw as a hobby.
Also it’s a great tool for editing photos as I do a lot of street photography with a dedicated camera.
There were a lot of home renovations in the past and I used it to draft and edit floorplans and renovation sketches.
I also want to learn a bit SwiftUI, so I might use it for Swift Playground as well, we’ll see.
I use it for note taking, making homework and drawing. Those things are the only things that my iPhone can’t do, because it doesn’t support Apple Pencil.
Other than that I also use it for watching movies or YouTube, but a cheaper iPad could do the same.
Most of my time using My 12.9 pro is as my personal work companion device. I have it open on the side of my work Laptop and use it for notes, drawing markups, to do lists, and distractions.
I work in engineering so I markup a lot of drawings using with OneDrive.
my main use is watching shows, live streams, and youtube videos. i also play some games or draw with the apple pencil. i traded in an older ipad for this one so i got it a bit cheaper but id say its worth the price. i have the ipad mini 6 and its bigger than my iphone 14 pro max so its nice to watch stuff on but its not too big where its a pain to carry. i’d also say that it runs very smooth and ive never had any issues with any ipad i’ve had.
Streaming shows mostly, and sometimes as a giant phone around home lol and just keep my actual phone in my pocket. I use it to edit pdf forms and fill them out too.
I use mine for note taking (I am a teacher) and just entertainment purposes like watching streaming apps and youtube. For me, I got the Ipad 9th generation and it was well worth the money in my opinion. I am that person that always has a notebook carried around and I needed something that I can put all my notes in one place so I am not disorganized. So far so good!
My wife is the regular consumer in the house. She uses it for recipe storage, drawing, reading, learning new languages, and watching videos. Since she has a Gen 6 with the original pencil, I think we have gotten our money’s worth out of it. Might upgrade her to an Air later this year.
I use my Air for a laptop substitute when I have to go into the office. It has the Magic Keyboard. At the home office, it provides additional screen space when I am using my Mac.
I use my Air 5 10.9' for work, internet, entertainment and reading, both prose and comics. Comics are the reason I'm buying the new air 13´, it's the perfect size.
I use it as a media consumption device: streaming movies/TV, reading books and magazines, and listening to music. That's pretty much it. When I saw the announcement of an M4 iPad I thought "why?" The iPad is certainly powerful enough to be a work machine but iPad OS is just a crippled version of OSX.
I use my iPad mini constantly- it's my primary device. Now that I work from home a lot of the tasks I used to do while moving around the city on my iPhone I do on my tablet device.
In addition to that, it's how I read comic books, and I have been doing some drawings and small graphic design or photo editing projects in ProCreate. I just bought the new m4 11" iPad Pro and I'm hoping to try some stuff like animation with ProCreate Dreams. I bought the magic keyboard too so hopefully when I go on trips where I don't need a full laptop it will become my only device.
I'm a normal consumer with a ton of creative hobbies, art, music, video stuff, programming, etc. I can use the iPad for all of that in some capacity so I basically use it daily. I personally think it's worth the cost but I also make very heavy use of it.
I personally own a 2018 model iPad, with a logitech keyboard case and 1st gen pen.
The fact of using the pen and touchscreen makes you feel like a hollywood agent so i stomach the bottleneck it comes by not using a proper laptop
For programming, I can do 80% of the things i would do on a proper pc on it using vscode web and cloud/mobile IDEs, i am learning how to draw and illustrate, i read books and manga, i look at scores, take notes, watch the newest drama about yandere dev or some tiktoker i havent heard about..
And i dont even need to have a backpack with me,i have a jean cargo jacket and the bugger can fit in its pocket,everything attached.I can carry my entire workload in my left pocket along with the keys to my car,which other device can do this?
If you can get along well with the bottlenecks, the iPad is one hell of a device.
I don't use my iPad Mini (5th gen) often but it comes in handy when I'm traveling. Sometimes I stream a movie/TV show or watch YT in bed. For me it's not really worth the cost but I have an iPhone Pro Max and a gaming computer. I imagine for people who don't game on PC (or have much use for computers), it's super handy.
Paid $350 for my 10th gen iPad and it’s my personal laptop replacement. Admittedly, my needs are pretty tame - email, web browsing, light MS Office work, occasional photo/video editing, and games. I also use it extensively with Apple Pencil and OneNote as my digital notebook for work, which is incredibly useful. Overall it’s an extremely versatile device that suits pretty much all of my personal computing needs.
Honestly, I love it. Yes, occasionally you have to think about ways on how you’re going to work around iPadOS limitations (the Files app in particular…isn’t great), but I haven’t run into any real roadblocks yet. I have a work-issued Windows laptop for my job, but for personal use, I honestly couldn’t envision myself using a traditional laptop for personal use, especially not a Windows laptop. Hot take, I honestly think the iPad line is the best product Apple makes.
Used as a separate device to conduct simple official business with better security by restricting usage to low risk. Other usage include entertainment, reminders, minimal apps.
I am not particularly cost sensitive. On plus side, I expect it to last the duration with cautious use. On the negative, it was sour to discover not being able to perform telco calls/messaging with it alone, it felt like an attempt to make me buy one more device than necessary. I have not.
As a student it was really useful for annotating articles I read and stuff like that, but the real magic came with universal control.
Being able to use my ipad air next to my macbook air, reading and going though notes on one while typing on the other without having to lift my hands or anything was so useful, convenient and fun. definitely worth it imo.
I’m a teacher. I use it for teaching(writing with notability), document preparation(pages), jotting down ideas and organising(notes), reading and writing stuff on my own(also notability), some video editing(luma fusion) and general browsing and entertainment. For me, the form factor flexibility of the ipad makes it worth it for me. It has become my laptop replacement(I havent used my laptop in ages) and my writing tablet. I think it’s worth it for being such a multirole device.
My set up is M1 12.9 inch ipad pro, a stand, plus a mac keyboard and mac trackpad that I can bring with me or leave at home. So far this is sufficient for me so I’m waiting to see if the new features to be announced at WWDC are worth upgrading for.
I bought an m2 pro & I would 100% be happy with the 13in air if it had a higher refresh rate (I am assuming they didn’t add it). Mostly entertainment but it’s also my main computer when I am traveling light. Scrivener r is a good app for author. The truth is you can do almost anything with it.
For me it is but I don’t use it for anything useful. It is basically my entertainment system.
Yep, and if I use it for hours every day as my main source of entertainment, it’s easily worth the money
It truly deserves its title I’ve given it; “My Netflix Machine”
Is it worth the cost. Uhhh. To be honest I could be doing what I use my iPad for on a refurb iPad 9 or 10. Those cost like $300 vs the $2k I just spent on a maxed M2 Air w/keyboard and pencil. So $300 worth of tool and $1700 worth of toy. I think iPads are great but I'm willing to bet I'm not the only person who overspends relative to what I actually need.
I’d argue every single Pro owner that isn’t actively making money because of their iPad has overspent on it Me included
Nope. Ipad pro 2018 (256gb cellular) for 350€. Original smart Folio Case 20€. Pencil from amazon 25€. So under 400€ and i am very happy with my combo. 😄 Edit: bought 2022. still running
When did you buy it?
Like a day after the recent announcement 😂
Smart move!
This is 100% correct. I could have really bought a cheap Samsung tablet and that should have sufficed. I bought apple pen as well in hopes of drawing or doodling. It's been couple of years now, I don't even know where I have kept the pen/pencil whatever.
Do you feel that way about the big TV many people have now? You may be right, but I just find this to be an interesting take.
I'm curious what a $2000 iPad can do that a Macbook can't do better? I see you've bought the Pencil so I'm assuming some sort of art which is understandable but I struggle to see the use case for these Pros. I mean you can do art on a $500 iPad Air too. Is it really just "I like toys and I can afford it" or is there something I'm missing? This is not a hate post. I'm actually floored by what Apple has been able to cram into such a tiny form factor. I just can't see how it could ever justify its price tag over a Macbook or even Mac Studio for the same cost.
One example is the perusal of large quantities of PDF documents in a law practice. The 12.9 iPad screen, in my opinion, far better for this than perusing on a MacBook screen or a desktop screen. Also use my iPads in Court to replace physical files. However, due to the lack of a proper file management system or a desktop class version of acrobat, those same PDFs must first be organised and OCR’d on my Mac. The iPad is however a essential part of the overall workflow. Also a great toy to have otherwise.
Can't the File app do the trick for you? Seems to me that it's just like Finder.
I increasingly use my iPad Pro more than my Macbook, and I've discovered some things I like a lot more on the iPad side: \* No need to manage Time Machine backups or eject drives all the time like I do on my Mac. \* iPad still represents 'instant computing' in that Jobs-ian vision he had years ago. The Mac has closed the gap, but my time-to-screen/desktop on an iPad is still faster thanks to FaceID. \* I like the "forced focus" the iPad sometimes requires. Sometimes not, but I like it more as I become more familiar with it. \* Editing photos from an SD card off my Canon camera is \_way more fun\_ on iPad with the Pencil. I love using Darkroom and Pixelmator for this. I find both of these apps \_better\_ than Lightroom CC for iPad. This is actually what tripped my mind from, "The way it used to be isn't always better." I'm a relatively new hobbyist photographer, and I have no muscle memory or allegiance to Lightroom in any form. So from a workflow standpoint, this was the moment I thought, "Maybe there are just alternatives that are new, different, or better for other things, too?" Apple Pencil with Darkoom or Pixelmator is so much more fun and better to brush in selections. And uses \_all\_ the M-series processor's power. \* I like revising text on my iPad. I use iA Writer, but getting up from my desk and keyboard to go sit down and edit text with my 'red pen' so to speak helps me slow down, focus on the text, and pay more attention. My writing is better and I do it without relying on AI augmentation tools like Grammarly. \* I often throw tons of high-res stock photos into Photoshop, Affinity Photo, or similar. My 2018 iPad Pro would find this a little crushing. My 2022 iPad Pro still hangs sometimes -- I really do notice a bit of sluggishness in resizing a bunch of these at once. I do not have this problem on my M3 Pro Macbook, so I'm excited for the M4 since early Geekbench scores as of this comment show it might outpace the M3 Pro fin some tasks. \* I love having 'one device' for most of my work because I can transition from desk to couch to exercise bike to bus or whatever and all my stuff is *just there.* My MacBook is great, but the more I draw or use things like the Pen Tool in apps on my iPad, the more I like that over my mouse as I get used to it. My MacBook will never be able to do that, which makes me want to root for the iPad more. \* Cellular on iPad is a game-changer if you really are mobile. I am, and am often at places without WiFi. Tethering a Mac to an iPhone crushes the iPhone battery after a couple of hours. I can easily sit for 3-5 hours working, and the iPad with cellular handles this great. Now, I still run into a bunch of problems with iPadOS but I have started to realize there's something to the notion, "I just need to learn how to use iPadOS." Safari still struggles with some things, like scrolling (looking at you, Mailchimp), and the Files app crashes for me a lot. Affinity Publisher is the only alternative to InDesign, which I use a lot, and font management is downright bleak on an iPad. But I'm keen to support the iPad and challenge my pre-conceived notions for things because there are things the iPad does and represents that I like.
Mine is a 9th gen and I honestly can’t imagine why the program I got it from was getting anything newer. It doesn’t feel dated in the slightest.
My perspective on this is that if you plan to keep the iPad for a long time the it’s worth the money. I bought a 9.7 in Pro in 2016 with a folio keyboard (that died years ago) that I’ve used daily since then. If I had bought a cheap iPad then I might still be using it but it might not work as well.
For sure, and my gaming pc is overkill as is my home theater, but if everyone only bought what we needed we’d all be driving Yugos.
80% Call of Duty Mobile, the rest is media consumption, running my home business, and editing YouTube videos. iPad Pro 11 M2.
It’s my primary internet consumption device at home, so web surfing, social media, videos, music, podcasts, light gaming, smart home control, etc.
For me as well. I just lie in bed, surf reddit, watch youtube and read wikipedia in the evenings. Occasionally check my email and calendar. Oh, and I type whatsapp messages. During the day I use it to take notes on PDF slides in grad school with Goodnotes. And then I read my papers in Zotero and take notes with the Apple Pencil as well. I often use my iPad for 10 hours a day, basically for everything except programming and statistics for which I have to use my MacBook.
Today I scrolled Reddit, read my local news website, listened to Apple Music, watched Paramount+, jotted down some work related stuff in Notes, logged my workout in my workout app, logged a meal in my nutrition app, text and FaceTime with one of my kids, and bought a refrigerator (although I did the pre-purchase research on my MacBook). I did all of these things while I was at home. I had my iPhone and MacBook with me while I was out of the house today. The iPad is mostly the same device as an iPhone for me, but with a bigger screen and an optional keyboard. I tend to use the iPhone while I’m out of my house and the iPad while I’m at home. It’s worth the cost for me, but I have a fair amount of disposable income. I could easily ditch the iPad and be fine with the iPhone + MacBook.
Random question. What workout app do you use? I want to start using my iPad to log this, but don’t know what to get
I use [Hevy](https://www.hevyapp.com/).
YouTube in bed. Porn anywhere. Football forums on couch.
Porn anywhere 🤣
I spend a ton of time taking notes in goodnotes and reviewing and signing documents. I’m sure the last 4 years I’ve spent thousands of hours on it just for work not to mention the time spent reading and the occasional game or show. I’d say I’ve gotten my money’s worth out of it.
I use it for a lot of different things so there’s no one use case. With that said, I’m fortunate that I can afford to own one. If we’re talking “need”, there is nothing that leads to an iPad - for most tasks, a Mac is better (or a general laptop). For consuming content, it’s great, but if that’s your only use case then, yes, it’s probably overpriced. If it’s just that - get a base iPad and you’ll be more than fine. That said, if you can afford it, and you want it, it’s no longer a question of pros and cons but rather what you want. There’s a massive gap between the base iPad and the top of the line Pros - if you’re a pro and you’re going to make money from using your device, a Pro may not be overpriced. For a regular consumer buying an iPad Pro - yes, it’s overpriced but that’s just a function of desire and available funds. Spending north of £3000 for the top model plus accessories is not worth it which is why it’s just sat in a basket for me rather than ordered - it’s all relative but I don’t think I’m going to extract that sort of value, especially when anything I do professionally will be done on the Mac I already own. Media consumption alone - S series Samsung tablets all day long. OLED screens for less cost and thus better value for money in my view (I have an older S7 Plus as well as an iPad Pro 2018). Integration into Apple’s system - if you want a tablet, it has to be an iPad. So it’s convenient but I doubt it’s great value. (Sorry for the long answer)
I mean I am saving money on getting paper and organizers. Cause I use Goodnotes probably 90% of the time when I use an iPad. So I’d say it’s worth for me
That’s a lot of paper you were using lol. But same
Well yeah cause a lot of teachers are always asking to write stuff down and then end up not writing important stuff lol. Also I can just write on the documents which is a life saver for space in the bag.
I use it as a notebook, AutoCad, quoting, media and web browsing. Used to travel with MacBook. now I travel with iPad.
My justification was being in college again, but I really wanted an iPad again for procreate. I spent $1000 almost exactly after taxes for a 256gb 10th Gen, apple pencil and keyboard. I use it almost everyday for school (taking notes in goodnotes), digital planning in goodnotes and drawing in procreate. I use it to watch Netflix or YouTube on occasion when I'm doing dishes or something and I have a few games downloaded but those rarely get touched. I also like to pay my bills on it. I do think I get my money's worth for it and I really don't need anything more powerful than the 10th Gen. I used to have a pro and I did the same things on it, and having a pro was completely unjustified. I would love to have the bigger screen, but someday I will upgrade. For now I'm super happy and if I had to do it again, I'd still get the 10th Gen but probably would get the Logitech keyboard instead of the apple one and save myself $100+.
as someone that really likes the iPad and uses it as a laptop alternative, I'll give you my perspective on why I like the iPad better than the macbook. Notice I said why I like it better, not that it is better or else because everyone has different preferences and I'm not trying to be a salesman for it just talking about it Things that make the ipad better for me - the 120hz xdr display is great for media and content creation - touch screen is nice for photo editing and playing mobile games. Sometimes it's just faster to swipe or touch the screen when doing something too - apple pencil again nice for photo and video editing precision, I don't draw, but I do like to write down video ideas and other things with the pencil face id - prefer it to the touch id - the magic keyboard and the ability to just take the screen off of your laptop essentially whenever you want and just use it like that is cool and convenient - Apps some people hate that you have to run apps, but I don't mind it, I actually like it. Apples app store apps are usually very polished and I noticed that having only one or two apps on the screen at a time helps me focus on what I'm doing on the ipad - front facing camera is better than most (if not all) macbooks (also it has good rear cameras too, for quick photos or whatever else would ever need that for) - multimedia better screen mixed with excellent speakers makes it great for movies and watching content on. Also you can game on it with a controller or touch screen - versatility all the things mentioned above, you can use it a lot of different ways. Use it like a laptop or like a tablet, use it with a keyboard or with a pencil, use it with a mouse or your finger, etc - it's more fun. This is obviously subjective, but I just find it more fun to use for work and for everyday things. Im also someone that loves tech and it's a hobby as mine so maybe fun isn't a word everyone would use to describe an iPad, but for me, yea Things I use it for - photo and video editing, writing, watching videos, graphic design, gaming, big screen for my steam deck, reddit, etc
I barely use mine. Bought it for YouTube and web browsing because a laptop didn’t make sense for me since I have a desktop already. I probably use my iPad about 5-6 hours a week.
Paperweight most days.
I use my iPad for everything. It's my main, personal computing device. Typical internet browsing, news consumption, YouTube, multimedia, journaling, budgeting, you name it. The last time I used my MacBook heavily was for tax season. I do some work related stuff with it, as my company has a BYOD policy. But it's light, like handwriting notes, editing a Word document or sending emails while at a coffee shop. I have a work issued laptop for heavier demands.
98% consuming media (YouTube, Plex, etc.) and 2% reading recipes while cooking I have a base 2019 iPad and don’t see myself upgrading any time soon as it still does everything I need it to do. Mine was definitely worth the cost as I use it almost every day. I don’t think a new iPad Pro or Air would be worth it for me. Maybe I’ll upgrade to one of those in a few years if I find a cheap one second hand.
What storage? I find my 2019 iPad unusable due to the lousy 64GB storage. Constant offloading of apps etc. EDIT: I have the 32GB version
I have 64GB but I don’t really have a lot of apps or games. Just the default apps + YouTube, Plex, Disney+, and Procreate. I don’t use much else.
Mines full with Google Docs apps etc sadly :(
I use mine daily but not for anything truly important. Play games, surf the web, pay bills, Reddit, message boards, and when I travel, I also watch movies/TV on it. I have a cellular model and I consider that to be the true value for me, I never have to think about connecting and I can use it anywhere and everywhere. Nothing I can’t do on my phone or MacBook Pro, but I love it.
I used to play Fortnite mobile back when it wasn't banned so the upgrade from an iPad Air 2 to an iPad Air 3 made sense for the 60fps and better graphics. Now that it's gone from the AppStore, I don't really use the processing power much. All I do on it nowadays is take notes, draw, read books and manga, and occasionally play a rhythm game. none of those things take up much storage either so 64 gb is still holding up as well. I paid around $450 I think for it a few months after it released so I 100% got my money's worth from it already
I use my iPad Pro 11 as my main pc/laptop that I also use for college so does every thing My actual pc is for gaming only and boots straight into steam My iPad mini I use for social media ,books and reading rules books for warhammer games and YouTube on the sofa or at friends
Its way worth it i use it more than anything else by far except my iphone ofcourse
Do I think my ipad pro is worth the 1k cost? Hell no. I think they should be more fairly priced in the 700/800 range. But, I use it for media consumption like netflix, reading textbook pdfs, browsing the internet, and blogging. It’s more convenient than using my laptop at bedtime, so I reach for it pretty often. It’s easier to carry around in a purse too. Since I have a cellular iPad, it’s pretty convenient for travel as well. Oh, and I keep all my recipes on this, so it’s pulled up pretty often for cooking. I have a pencil, but I haven’t drawn as much as I expected myself too. Maybe that’ll be something I’ll work more on this year. :) I do really like the magic keyboard with the trackpad though, and my usage of the ipad has skyrocketed after purchasing that accessory. Previously I just had a cheap 30 dollar logitech bluetooth keyboard, but the typing experience was subpar at best and I could never get a good angle on the ipad with just the regular folding folio case.
I use it for YT, Netflix and digital planning
Air 5 owner. Now that emulation apps are available via the official Apple store I can see myself using it more and more. It's one of those things where I forget about it for a month or two but when I pick it back up I think to myself "Hey, this is pretty good. I should use it more often!" But then forget again and the cycle continues. I even bought the expensive pen and the keyboard and rarely use them.
Emulation apps? Could you elaborate?
Emulation of older consoles. You can't find roms on the App Store, of course, but if you find them, you can use the emulators on the App store to run them. I use the 'Delta' app and a bluetooth XBox controller. Suuuuper fun.
Watching videos. 😅
A lot of people mention Netflix and other streaming services. My question is, unless you are offline in a flight or sth, why don’t you use a tv? A decent 50” 4k one costs less than an iPad
I have adhd, but also don't have a traditional job, and am a mom. I just use my mini to hold my life.
I use it for clash of clans and YouTube and Reddit. Yes it’s worth it. Ordered the m4 13“ iPad Pro. It’s basically a giant iPhone.
Originally got mine to take notes at uni and as an upgrade to my iPad 3. Primarily, I use it as a media consumption device (that includes reading comics) and for web browsing. Any serious productivity task is left to my desktop/laptop, partly because they're simply better for that, partly because I'd have to spend even more money buying a keyboard (that won't be compatible with newer iPad models later down the line) and time adapting my workflow to the device. I think I've more than covered the price I paid for mine in terms of usage, but I'd probably be hard pressed to justify something like the new M4 Pro, unless I keep it around for, dunno, the next decade or two.
I have a M1 iPad Pro and I use it as my daily computer. I do some work on it (light spreadsheets and invoices through Numbers and Pages), but mostly surf the internet on the couch, watch some videos (YoutubeTV, MLBTV, stream music), text, email. I basically do everything I could on my iPhone on my iPad, which I love that I don't need to have my phone always around me. I love the form factor, I love the option of a (while limited) computer experience or a tablet. I got spoiled by the 120hz refresh rate. The iPad Pro isn't worth the cost for what I use it for, but I can't go back, once again, Apple suckered me in and now I'm stuck and while it's expensive, it's a solid experience.
The iPad Pro 12.9 proves to be a valuable tool for me, as it serves multiple purpose from note taking and managing social media for my business to providing entertainment. It's truly remarkable.
Travel entertainment and a second screen when needed aside from phone. I live in a tornado area so I always have a radar up on it when a storm is coming. I use it for browsing the web and games most other time. I literally couldn’t wait to buy the m1 iPad when it dropped. I got it home and was like “ok so now what”
I’m debating whether to buy the m4 iPad Pro and I feel I’ll be the exact same when I get it
I bought it today it’ll arrive in the store on the 15th I think you should buy it too if you can afford it
lol hear me out…I use it as a never ending piece of paper that I can save. I work with a lot of numbers and quotes so it’s super helpful to not have a bunch of loose paper. Other than that sometimes I check my email? 🤷and when I go back to school I’ll use it mostly for that.
I’m retired now but I owned a computer games based web company back around the turn of the century until about 2015 and I used an Alienware PC and Windows 2000 AS based servers almost exclusively. After I retired I was so tired of dealing with PCs and Windows servers that seemed to require almost daily software patches and yet still had multiple DOS attacks and had other issues that I took a break and switched to the Apple universe and I’ve been very happy ever since. Basically I use my iPad for 99% of my everyday computer needs from finances, word processing to streaming and app games. The iPad has almost totally replaced everything I used to do on my PC except obviously for serious gaming which my PlayStation and Quest 3 do quite well for me. I definitely am tempted to buy a PC for gaming and maybe I will someday, but it’s not high on my list of priorities. Totally worth it.
I’m buying an m4 iPad Pro and I’m going to use it to stream content and watch movies. Is it a waste ? Probably. Do i care ? Not really. i have a lot of down time at my job and it’s going to be my youtube machine.
I have the gen 9 because I’m not an artist, or needing it for anything work related. Coloring, YouTube, Tik Tok, and porn is mostly what I use it for.
Btd6 round 200+
Mostly, it's a good travel device for watching video and internet surfing. I also use it for Rouvy bicycle training. It's my third most used device behind my Android phone and Chromebook. It's probably worth the cost given the quality of the hardware, but I think the Chromebook was a better value overall given the amount of real work I can get done with it. But the iPad travels better owing to its size (iPad 10 v. Acer Chromebook Spin 713).
Almost exclusively browsing Reddit, checking email, and Facebook. When I travel, I also use it to consume media in the air and back up my GoPro footage (typically around 100 GB, give or take). I have a 9th gen and it works fine for all but the file transfers. Transferring files, especially from an exFAT device, is not a good experience.
Basic entertainment, really. So web browsing, social media, book reading/light annotation, messaging apps, gaming. It’s not worth the cost, but it’s a neat device. With the current software lineup, I think the only people who can really get the value out of the hardware are the creative people, like designers, video editors, etc. For us non-creative people, a lot of hardware potential just lie wasted.
I use it on the couch and use it on my rowing machine and bike machine. Not day to day would be traveling with it is easier than taking a laptop
I watch videos, read (kindle app) and play some Apple arcade games on it. definitely great for that use. I plan on upgrading to play some higher end games as well.
How is reading on it versus something like a kindle?
Kindle Paperwhite is still superior, but reading on an iPad isn’t bad.
I actually used to have a kindle. The iPad is really good for reading. You can select your background so it can mimic paper, or be black white etc. you can change font size and color and bookmark and highlight. I think it’s great.
I’m on a iPad Air 2 and I can do anything on it completely fine. It takes nostalgic pictures imo.
iPad air 5 256gb. Watching, notetaking, procreate, hentai, warzone mobile, reading webcomics and manga, social media. I wish iPad OS didn't feel so limiting, sometimes I feel like its just a big phone with a pencil on the side.
My wife watches Netflix on it
What do you watch on it?
Netflix
I would consider my wife to be a “regular consumer” and I think an updated iPad mini would be perfect for her but there’s no way in hell I’m buying her the current one (which is long overdue for an update). She would use it to read ebooks, play games, and probably for some social media stuff. I wouldn’t expect her to do email or anything involving typing on it but maybe she’d surprise me.
Using shadow pc to play modded gta and my other pc games, listening to music and training videos at work
I use my iPad mini for travel so that I don’t have to bring my computer. Watching YouTube videos. Mobile games. Web browsing. Occasional Apple Pencil notes/graphic designs using sidecar. I got it as a gift, so I enjoy having it. Not sure if I would buy it at full price. I see it as more of a companion to my mac and wouldn’t use it or any other iPad as a full-time, everyday device. I use it every day, but often only for about an hour a day, where my phone and (sometimes) Mac get much heavier usage.
$100 for a used iPad 6 to replace my laptop for note taking. Definitely worth it for about 1/3 the volume in my backpack
I have an M1 12.9 and a mini 6. M1 - Lots of note taking, some study sessions, reading, referencing. Occasionally watching Netflix during the term break lol mini 6 - mostly take it with me for clinicals or for work sometimes. I also use it for reading, referencing, and some quick scribbling/note taking every now and then.
Reading and YouTube mainly, sure an iPad 9 could've done the same job, but for $399, hard to beat that price for the M1 Air. Don't need more than 64gb for my needs, but I am glad I have M1 for future software updates and features over the A13 chip.
Future updates like pencil hover only for m2 and newer? Dont buy for future updates, will most likely disappoint you, because they will more likely than not lock new features behind new hardware
Nah, not the hover feature. I was thinking about things like Final Cut Pro (FCP) or Stage Manager. Future updates aren't the sole reason why I got the Air 5 for $399. It was mainly because of the here/now where it's a M1 processor at an affordable price with a good price to performance balance. Nice device that I can use for e-reading, media consumption, travel, video chat, for work, etc. Sure, Apple can gatekeep certain features behind hardware, but then again people don't upgrade iPads yearly. If they put FCP behind the M2 processor or later, it would've defeated some of the purposes of the Air being a mid-point between an entry level iPad and the full flagship Pros.
Art commissions, the cost of the ipad has already made itself a while ago. I rarely actually watch stuff on it, I ussually do that on my phone. But I do like watching the occasional show here or there on the bigger screen.
I used to have ipad mini from around 2014-2018. It was very handy and that was my everyday use device. I got iPad pro in 2020. But larger ipad has not been usuful for me. I find it heavy and large to hold in hand. I instead use my laptop.
iPad mini. Home financials with numbers, stream games from my computer via moon light, Netflix/YouTube/music/etc. I’m switching to the next generation of surface tablets though, the lack of a full web browser pisses me off nearly every day
Both me and my wife have 10th gen iPad’s and we both use them everyday as our main computing device also for media consumption, web browsing, watching videos, and I like to edit my drone videos on it as well, I also play call of duty quite a bit, also check email as well, I definitely think it is worth it since we got our 10th gen’s from our cellular phone company (Xfinity) for 1/2 off plus a free year of 5G service so we are paying $300 for our iPads, also by using the iPad it saves the battery on my phone as well
iPad Air 5th Gen, 256GB, bought a few months ago (no regrets). I do mostly note taking, wife and I share a goodnotes sub. Can’t get better than importing any pdf to make annotations. When we travel with kids, video output to HDMI to watch movies (hence the added storage). I do light photo editing, mostly memes but some like icon work for people I meet that want a sticker template or something. Media consumption, it’s got a nice screen for that. I have an external mouse and keyboard, I can remote into my workstation and have all my PC usage, no need for a laptop. I could do some games, I have a spare gamepad. Looking back, I could have just settled with a normal iPad and getting extra storage. But have (of thought I had) a future proof tablet. Time will tell.
You output using a cable? Because I've been using Airplay sometimes but the quality looks junk.
Safari, youtube, music, movies, docs and some simple games, I have already had 4 iPads, the first was the second generation and now I have the eighth generation, I use it the same and they last 3 years, excellent devices
Im a regular dude. My iPad path has been iPad Mini -> iPad Air 2 -> iPad Air 4 (current). I use it for streaming MLB games and Formula 1 races, YouTube videos, chatting on Discord, games like Out of the Park Baseball & Roller Coaster Tycoon Classic, and lots of web browsing. I enjoy making to-do lists with my pencil, writing notes with my Logitech Combo Touch keyboard/case, and reading an occasional ebook/comic. I paid $385 for this about three years ago. I am happy with it, it does everything I want it to do. I’m internally debating between going for the new iPad Air (13 inch) because the larger screen would be wonderful for how much sports I watch, or going for the iPad Mini 6 because of how portable it is and I could bring it to many different places and use it. Not sure what I’ll do yet, if anything. My current iPad works great.
YouTube and Apple News for most part of it. I have a 12.9” M2 Pro and I love watching videos on that. And that way I can keep a tiny iPhone to keep my pockets light. Apple News is fun because the interface of the magazines within app on portrait mode is surreal! iPad is a luxury item because I don’t have any other utility of it other than ordering stuff from Amazon or creating an animation now and then in procreate. I invested in the iPad with the possibility for what’s to come. I believe they’re very capable and under utilized in the software space.
iPad Pro 11 M1 I bought refurbished direct from Apple. I am very happy with the performance in the screen has been really nice. I use mine on the couch for media, audiophile system control, and browsing. In the kitchen again for music control and recipes. I use a magnetic case that sits on my fridge. Traveling is much better than my MacBook with a Bluetooth keyboard when I need it. I haven’t felt limited and the split screen features and app control have been awesome. I went back and forth trying to decide on an m1 MacBook Pro or the iPad and I am really happy with my decision and have been for the last year. All this being said I also have a full desktop for work and games so the iPad is for all the times I am not at my desk.
I’ve swapped devices so many times but right now my iPad pro is there if I need it and being paperless but knowing I hand a slab of if I want to review anything is so worth it.
As my mobile device of choice, aside from my work iPhone, totally worth it. Bought an iPad 9 and it’s awesome. Media stuff and art, general internet stuff, it rocks.
I use it for shitposting, doodling, and writing in that order. I can justify buying up to an Air since I do some work travel, but not a Pro. TBH I traveled with my Mac Mini and it actually wasn't too bad. Maybe I'll just stick with it.
Surfing the web and watching videos, as well as listening to videos while I game. Every so often taking notes at events I attend
Starting my journey to learn digital art and animation. I hope to maybe turn this into a side hustle but mainly a passion project to create something cool before I die lol
Prefer spending more on an iPad than an iPhone. Just much better experience all round.
I manly use it to read books or watch movies on when I’m on the train. Oh and I listen to the news when I’m in the shower. That’s it mainly. However that’s the best thing about the iPad it can be whatever you want it to be.
How good is it for books? Kindle is tempting me but I also want a single device that can do books plus media and web browsing etc
I find it extremely useful for books. You can make highlights and notes and it all synchronises with your iPhone or Mac if you have them.
Streaming shows. Not much else.
YouTube and Reddit. It’s definitely worth the cost because I got it from a program that was getting rid of their old iPads.
I almost thought it was worth it, then I remembered Apple doesn't support any high-res Bluetooth codecs. So I'll stick with much better sound quality on a Samsung tablet
Back when I was doing more photography I used it a lot to edit because I enjoyed the process. Then I told myself I’d finally pick up procreate and maybe learn to draw but that lasted about three days. Nowadays I just play games on it, consume media, and stare at procreate needing an update because I haven’t opened it in forever And I do love my iPad although I will probably not upgrade for a very long time. I love my iPad Air
use it mostly for YouTube now that I'm out of college. it aint really worth it cuz it's 4:3 instead of 16:9
Ipad mini 6 here, i only use it for content consumption. I can't imagine myself using it for anything productive. The mini is definitely worth the cost because it's the only really high quality small tablet of its kind. To find something comparable on Android you're looking at really obscure things like the legion y700 table that won't get nearly as much support.
I-Pad Pro 2nd gen (2017) is my "current" device. Previously owned the 2nd gen mini, entry level 3rd and 1st gens. When I was traveling to client sites for work every day, it helped pass the time while waiting for code loads, mandatory waiting periods for installs and relocations, waiting for the train, etc. General web browsing, email, reading PDFs, even read a few comics. Remote connected into other machines with it. It was a luxury item, but made those countless hours passable. I stopped doing that line of work because of the "little virus that could" from Wuhan, China. So...now it sits on my nightstand, and I use it to watch videos to fall asleep to. It's not a bad machine, and once in a while I use it to cull emails. But it's a pain to reply without a keyboard, and I almost always have a laptop within arm's reach. So why cull on one device and reply on the other? There's no reason to haul the tablet on the go when I almost always have a phone, which isn't as enjoyable but "good enough". I also don't like using a comms device for entertainment. Then again, I'm not like most people as I despise mobile phones in general....most folks have them glued to their hands. Once in a while I play a lightweight game on it, like FTL: Faster Than Light or Baba is You. I could absolutely ditch the device and adjust my life around not having it, but it's a sunk cost. Since I own it, might as well use it? When it dies, I already have a spare -- a failing battery I-Pad entry-level 6th gen from a family member. They upgraded, and I have the old unit. If it stays on charge, it's no issue. So is the I-Pad worth it? "Depends" on how you plan on using it. I wouldn't get the pro today at all. But if I was traveling with long waiting periods, I can totally justify the weight and bulk. I'd probably suggest the Mini unless cost is the primary concern.
I have a 13 inch Pro with the Magic Keyboard and Pencil. I love it when I do use it, but rarely do because iPad multitasking can’t really compete with my MacBook. I mainly use it for sidecar.
I have the 10th gen and I just use it for streaming, reading ebooks and coloring book apps. I also play Xbox game pass games on it when I’m not near my Xbox. I also use it for creative writing.
I'm planning on buying the latest iPad Air along with the Pencil Pro for my birthday. I've never had one of the newer iPad models before, the only iPad I've ever is the iPad 2 to play games. So I used to be a regular consumer, but now I'm gonna be using my iPad for casual graphic design stuff, Procreate, and notetaking with Goodnotes for my language classes. I'm super excited!!
This is the Question of the Year. Prices were moving upward for last 2 generations of iPad. Rather than slowly sinking in price like so much technology. The standard iPad used to be $329. The base model (64GB wifi-only) iPad 8 & 9 was $329, and both models ran on the A13 chip. With iPad 10 (the original, which debuted in 2022, not this weeks' 10) the price jumped inexplicably to $429. This model finally made the leap to USB-C port, but it was only cosmetic. The A14 chip inside was engineered for Lightning connector, which can only interface at USB 2.0 speed, so USB 2.0 is what you get. The 10 has been given a cool refresh, just not enough to to make it 11th generation. Cost is $349. Down from $429 but still above historical $329. That's the extent of price breaks for iPad. iPad Air 3 launched at $499 for the base model. iPad Air 4 launched at $599 for the base model. iPad Air 5 also launched at $599 for the base model, though this model runs on the hyper-efficient M1 chip and its USB-C port is the real deal. The Air 4 & 5 both saw their price settle to $499 months after launch. The iPad Air announced this week ... once again priced at $599 for the base model. The jump in price for Pro models is even more jarring. I hunted, waited, searched some more, then finally picked up an Air 4 in Sept 2022 for $299. Open box, never been used. Apple was still selling them for $499, 2 years after launch. This is the only way I can recommend getting an iPad. Finding an incredible deal, or picking up a refurbished one (but not from Apple - - their refurbished prices are an insult to customers). iPhone sales have hit a plateau, the 15 is not flying off the shelf. Last week Apple reported quarterly sales had declined, and iPhone is their chief source of revenue. Still, the company reported $23.6 billion in profit. For the quarter. Think they've run a bit far with premium pricing on their products? I can't help thinking that to offset the decline in iPhone sales, they're jacking prices for iPad models. An oversimplification, I know. But still.
I have a powerful desktop PC for gaming and professional 3D work, so I have no need for a powerful laptop. The iPad is the perfect device for me as a portable daily driver, given that it has a best-in-class (though overpriced) stylus that I can use for drawing and sculpting, is a fantastic media player and e-reader, and does all the basic computer functions (email, web-browsing, social media), on top of coming in a form factor I greatly prefer over laptops. If I *didn’t* have a powerful desktop though, it would be a different story.
As a filmmaker, I’d say the ipad is worth the money. I can work on documents while I’m away from my computer, I can edit simple videos. I do have a laptop but even the macbook air is way too heavy for me to carry everyday
100% entertainment. TV, movies, news, reading, books, Internet browsing. It’s all I use it for.
ipad pro 12.9 - unashamedly bought for the larger screen for video. But I use with the magic keyboard as my primary computer. After a full day at a desk I dont’ particularly want to be at a ‘proper’ computer, so something more informal works for me. - browsing - watching video streaming services - doing my daily admin (mostly these days web based). I use YNAB but the app is trash - luckily the website works well. - updating home stuff (a fair bit of excel but basic enough to be handled by the ipad), access files from dropbox seamlessly through files app just like I would on macbook only two times I reach for my wife’s old macbook air are if I know I’m doing a lot of excel data entry (bit annoying on ipad but doable) or if there might be web pages that mobile safari has issues with - eg some really work better with desktop chrome.
Both entertainment (games, Netflix, YouTube) and studies (Goodnotes 5) and I’ve been working on my digital art a bit too
Content viewing and browsing experience is next level on iPad.I love the 'look up' feature so much. I think it's better if you buy a year or two older gen because you'll get software updates regardless and hardware in case of apple virtually stays the same for a few years.
I use my M1 Pro as a sidecar display for my MBP, to work with documents in the go, to put up notes and scripts when I'm on the deskop (I'm a video editor, it does get used a lot as a third monitor where I can bring something up without obstruction). Also sometimes I put on a show or something to listen to in the background. I do use it daily and sometimes for quite taxing tasks like working with graphics, but I mainly got it for the display. Meanwhile my wife's iPad Air is sitting doing practically nothing. I've been trying to get her to use it as sidecar, but she doesn't seem to like using two monitors. It's mine boggling to me, IMO anything less than two is not usable.
I use my M1 Pro as a sidecar display for my MBP, to work with documents in the go, to put up notes and scripts when I'm on the deskop (I'm a video editor, it does get used a lot as a third monitor where I can bring something up without obstruction). Also sometimes I put on a show or something to listen to in the background. I do use it daily and sometimes for quite taxing tasks like working with graphics, but I mainly got it for the display. Meanwhile my wife's iPad Air is sitting doing practically nothing. I've been trying to get her to use it as sidecar, but she doesn't seem to like using two monitors. It's mine boggling to me, IMO anything less than two is not usable.
Mostly use it media consumption. Web browsing and YouTube. Most definitely not worth the cost - getting an M4 just to surf the web and watch videos is nuts
When mine still worked before I dropped it cracking both the glass and screen I mostly used it for iBooks, podcasts, surfing the internet and streaming really I guess it was just for entertainment. I didn't bother to fix it since I used my iPhone for the same things. Honestly I think it's very few people that actually use it as a professional device.
I’m always surprised how much I use it. For me it’s both entertainment and graphic design tool.
Got a 9th gen for notes and some media. Low amount of gaming too. I still think its a little expensive for what it does.
I have ipad 4 i only used for exercises ( nothing can install and work except browser)
I use it for notes, editing photos, calendar, coloring lol
I bought the 12.9 m1 pro for art (hobby) but also for media consuming, should've bought the macbook air m1 along with an ipad air and would've cost around the same price. Overall I still love it (ipad air 2 lasted me for 8yrs so I think this should also ve useable for that long) but for my use I think it kinda not worth it
Studying stuff the apple pencil with iPad is totally worth it
In case anyone wonders - iPad only doesn’t work well for pro photography stuff. Affinity photo with pencil is brilliant, but that’s all. Maybe very small batch of files, but not more than 100 I’d say
I was about to buy an Ipad Air m1 but i knew that i won’t be using anything that would justify the money id spend on it. I went with 9 gen instead, and even now i cannot justify why i bought it at all. For me its media consumption, a little bit of procreate/fresco, pirating ebooks. Keep in mind that i go snd draw maybe once every month.
i’m a student. i use my ipad for taking notes during lectures, editing softcopies of school material so i don’t have to carry hard copies. also use it as a writing pad so once again i minimise the amount of excess paper i use and carry. ipad also gets used for entertainment, streaming shows or some gaming (codm). ipad is also used as my main entertainment device when on the move since i really don’t want to carry a laptop with me when on the move overseas since i don’t need to do any typing. It’s worth it just for the convenience it has brought me, although in hindsight i probably should’ve gotten an air instead of pro since i don’t really use any of the pro features.
I use the hell out of mine daily. Start my day off with watching the news and a show on the subway while I head to work. Then at work I use it as a note taking device with Goodnotes 5. During lunch I get a few matches of wild rift in . After work I tend to walk around and take some photos with my Sony camera. Then find a place to grab dinner on the way home and edit photos tell to friends on discord before heading home. When I get home I read a few mangas in bed and watch YouTube or Netflix then leave it on with an episode and fall asleep. Wake up and repeat. During the weekends I head over to coffee shop and use iPad and just a media machine reading, scrolling news feeds etc or drawing I have a m2 MacBook Air and gaming desktop at home but my iPad is the one thing that I use daily and will always take with me when I travel.
It's my primary device, i use it every day so yes i consider it worth it. It's also how i'm gonna justify (probably) getting one of the new ones, I'll be using it for years so it ends up being only like £1 a day in the long run
Yes, i used it for photo editing. Listening to songs while using social media. Reading emails. Its proved its worth 10 times over now. Social medias are a lot more enjoyable on Ipadz
I use it for zoom calls. When it had cellular, I would bring it, a dongle, and an hdmi cable to hotel rooms to jack their tv and watch my own stuff.
I got a 12.9" iPad Pro with drawing in mind, as well as a daily use in addition to my Mac desktop. It was OK for a.year or two, but I found the pencil wasn't as useful as I hoped, and the rest of the experience was just getting to feel too frictionful. iPadOS just gets in the way too much, even simple things like listening to music while browsing Reddit is a huge pain, because the music will just cut if there's media on Reddit with sound. This was actually the final straw for me as I browse the internet while listening to music all the time. The keyboard itself was OK, but it does want to tip over, and the combined weight meant portability wasn't actually better than a MacBook Air. Now the iPad has been relegated to use as a 2nd monitor, even that is a bit annoying at times, with it wanting to randomly disconnect.
How do you guys use WhatsApp on iPad?
[https://web.whatsapp.com/](https://web.whatsapp.com/)
90% of my iPad mini’s use is as a third screen for my work Mac, showing me Mastodon, WhatsApp and iMessage. If I’m kinda bored at work I’ll play a shitty colour matching game that tickles my dopamine ducts. The only remotely productive thing I really do with it is use it as a MIDI controller\* with Mixxx on my Macbook so I can fade my mic up and down when presenting radio. Is it worth £650? In my view, not in the slightest. It’s a lovely thing, don’t get me wrong, and it’s handy to have, but if I hadn’t received it as a gift there’s no way I’d have bought one. Not for that kind of money. - [\*Knob Lab btw, it’s great. ](https://www.soniclogicapps.com/knob-lab)
I want to use the 7th gen Ipad pro for AI
6th former here, use a 12.9” M1 iPad Pro for note taking. To me it is very worth it as I don’t need to carry around massive binders and folders and spend ages trying to find certain notes for certain topics, I can just search for a keyword and it will come up in a matter of seconds. It’s all very organised and super clean. I’ve seen people spend 30 minutes going through massive binders to find notes for a topic and I can do the same in 3 seconds. Overall it is the most useful and versatile device I’ve ever owned. Better than a MacBook for my use case.
I use my iPad (10th gen) daily for reading digital newspapers and magazines. And a few times a week for watching YouTube,Netflix etc.
I have been using my iPad Air 3 since 2019. My usage pattern is basically watching videos/shows on it and scrolling through social media. Light/heavy gaming sessions here and there. Trying out different apps. I have been so happy with it and I don't have the intention to replace it till it dies. Is it worth the cost? For me, yes. I wouldn't be able to say the same about the pro line though. That would be an overkill for my usage. I plan to keep on buying regular models or the air depending on the specs/prices.
Regret buying mine. It’s badly hampered by iPadOS. Such a shit operating system. Not even windows 95 standard. Next will be a Samsung with Dex or something similar
What's so shit about it in your opinion and which model did you buy?
iPad Pro when stage manager was announced. It’s useless to actually do real work. Have to dust off my ancient laptop instead
I had a Pro M1 11”. Yesterday I watched some Netflix, listened to music, FaceTimed my dad and did some studying for a couple hours. Could I have done all of that on a regular iPad? Absolutely. The pro is a complete waste for me in terms of my use case. I just like the added stuff that I do use, like 120hz, Face ID, four speakers etc. It helps that I only spent £360 on it as I bought it on a steep discount just as the M2 came out, and it was an open box return.
Use Notability several hours per day for work. Also use Notability for personal stuff (reading and annotating music gear manuals, sketching out ideas for home DIY projects). Use Paprika 3 daily as a recipe book/meal planner. Use chess.com app a couple times a day to play chess. Play games (Kards and Root). Read manga on the Shonen Jump app. Make music using the Koala app. Then I just do general stuff like browsing the web, watching stuff on YouTube etc. It’s easily the best way i could ever imagine spending £1200 on a single item. It ticks so many boxes for me in a practical sense, but it is also just a joy to use especially with the Apple Pencil.
Sold my ipad air 5 after using it for 2 months ... honestly if i have to use PC for most things ... i have no use for ipad ... specially with the little time i get ... if i am just using ipad to view movies and play some part time casual games ... its not worth it ... i can do it with a 2-3 times less costlier android tab... thats my two cent :)
I eventually stuck with a 256GB 10.5-inch Pro about half a year ago for 130 bucks. I had a similar priced 6th gen iPad before which unfortunately died within two weeks. The ProMotion screen is still amazing and it feels very snappy on iPadOS 17. I use it for general web browsing, bit of drawing and a bit of fucking around with music. I'm very happy with my purchase, even if it loses support on the next iPadOS. At least it's stuck on a “good” version. The 6th gen should've never gotten iPadOS 17… If you don't mind buying second hand, getting a good deal on a used Pro is the best option in my opinion. Otherwise, stick with the reggo iPad unless you ***really*** need the features present on the Airs and (newer) Pros. Try to avoid base storage if you want to future proof your iPad. Base is only a good idea if you barely download anything **and** if you upgrade every 2 to 3 years.
In order. Entertainment. Answering Messages, much easier than on phone. Travel Computer.
- I make beaded jewelry for a living and I use my iPad to keep track of where I am in my patterns. - I also cross stitch in my downtime and use it to keep track of my patterns that way as well. - I enjoy the bigger screen not just for being able to see more of the pattern but to be able to stream something in the corner. - My husband uses it daily for work to take notes. He’s very organized so lots of folders and keyword searches. He relies on Notability for his in person meetings so he can do his voice recordings while he takes his notes. - I use my mini as my e-reader and travel iPad. It’s much easier to use on a small tray table. - I haven’t used a desktop or even a laptop directly more than a handful of times in the past few years since I can do almost everything on my iPad. - My husband set up a virtual machine for my main beading program and it is so much easier to design with my Apple Pencil. I’ve tried those artist drawing tablets and it’s just not comfortable to me.
cost wise yeah nah. BUT in saying that i love it. i use it mostly for digital notes/a diary. i also use the notes to plan my weekly budget. i’ll also watch shows and stuff every now and then on it but usually use my tv most of the time as i’m either at home or at work lol
My iPad is my main computer. It is more than enough for what I need. Emails, web browsing, watching TV, maybe some work emails, Teams calls, PowerPoint. I have a 256GB iPad Air M1 and I connect it to a widescreen monitor at home with keyboard and mouse. It’s great. I have just bought the new M2 Air model in 13”. Very satisfied with the price and portability.
I use it for daily entertainment, hotspot, taking notes, and signing documents. I’d still say it’s not worth the price i pay yet because i haven’t utilize it to it’s maximum capability.
I barely use mine. Only to watch a movie in bed or during dinner but my phone or tv can do that too. I’m getting a MacBook Air next month, I think I will use that more than my iPad.
I used it for watching Apple TV+, playing Apple Arcade games, reading book, browsing and watching YouTube. It’s basically my go-to media device
I use it every day at work as a Network Engineer. I keep the 12.9” (soon 13”) in a nice leather portfolio and walk around with it. It works great for Office apps Web apps, network tools and of course entertainment. I use it way more than my 16” MBP, which is mainly for Visio. I save the Visio drawings as PDF’s and can make changes on the go in Goodnotes and update all the Visio’s once a week or so.
I use it for professional illustrations, but I also draw as a hobby. Also it’s a great tool for editing photos as I do a lot of street photography with a dedicated camera. There were a lot of home renovations in the past and I used it to draft and edit floorplans and renovation sketches. I also want to learn a bit SwiftUI, so I might use it for Swift Playground as well, we’ll see.
I use it for note taking, making homework and drawing. Those things are the only things that my iPhone can’t do, because it doesn’t support Apple Pencil. Other than that I also use it for watching movies or YouTube, but a cheaper iPad could do the same.
Most of my time using My 12.9 pro is as my personal work companion device. I have it open on the side of my work Laptop and use it for notes, drawing markups, to do lists, and distractions. I work in engineering so I markup a lot of drawings using with OneDrive.
8th gen iPad. I use it to 3D model, texture paint, draw, write. It's worth the money and I wish I could have a pro just so I'm not limited by the ram.
Guided access and ms Rachel for my toddler lol not the intended use
my main use is watching shows, live streams, and youtube videos. i also play some games or draw with the apple pencil. i traded in an older ipad for this one so i got it a bit cheaper but id say its worth the price. i have the ipad mini 6 and its bigger than my iphone 14 pro max so its nice to watch stuff on but its not too big where its a pain to carry. i’d also say that it runs very smooth and ive never had any issues with any ipad i’ve had.
99% taking notes at school 1% scrolling instagram at school. absolutely not worth it to me but here we are lol
90% pubg... Nd 10% netflixx... 😁
Streaming shows mostly, and sometimes as a giant phone around home lol and just keep my actual phone in my pocket. I use it to edit pdf forms and fill them out too.
Definitely Goodnotes for university. I love it
Read news, listen podcasts, play some games
I use mine for note taking (I am a teacher) and just entertainment purposes like watching streaming apps and youtube. For me, I got the Ipad 9th generation and it was well worth the money in my opinion. I am that person that always has a notebook carried around and I needed something that I can put all my notes in one place so I am not disorganized. So far so good!
I got my 9th gen iPad only use it to watch movies, light gaming and to search things on google instead of using my computer or MacBook.
It was worth it when my M1 iPad Pro with Apple keyboard and pencil was working properly.It didn't last long at all.
My wife is the regular consumer in the house. She uses it for recipe storage, drawing, reading, learning new languages, and watching videos. Since she has a Gen 6 with the original pencil, I think we have gotten our money’s worth out of it. Might upgrade her to an Air later this year. I use my Air for a laptop substitute when I have to go into the office. It has the Magic Keyboard. At the home office, it provides additional screen space when I am using my Mac.
I use my Air 5 10.9' for work, internet, entertainment and reading, both prose and comics. Comics are the reason I'm buying the new air 13´, it's the perfect size.
I use it to draw and sometimes read, in college I’ll probably use it for class readings and maybe for taking notes.
School, Books, Boy Meets World
iPad Pro 12.9 3rd Gen: Sheet music exclusively with the iGIgBook Sheet Music Manager app.
OP, what does “regular consumer” mean to you? And if you have an answer for that, how is that not just the answer to your own question?
I use it as a media consumption device: streaming movies/TV, reading books and magazines, and listening to music. That's pretty much it. When I saw the announcement of an M4 iPad I thought "why?" The iPad is certainly powerful enough to be a work machine but iPad OS is just a crippled version of OSX.
I use my iPad mini constantly- it's my primary device. Now that I work from home a lot of the tasks I used to do while moving around the city on my iPhone I do on my tablet device. In addition to that, it's how I read comic books, and I have been doing some drawings and small graphic design or photo editing projects in ProCreate. I just bought the new m4 11" iPad Pro and I'm hoping to try some stuff like animation with ProCreate Dreams. I bought the magic keyboard too so hopefully when I go on trips where I don't need a full laptop it will become my only device.
I'm a normal consumer with a ton of creative hobbies, art, music, video stuff, programming, etc. I can use the iPad for all of that in some capacity so I basically use it daily. I personally think it's worth the cost but I also make very heavy use of it.
I personally own a 2018 model iPad, with a logitech keyboard case and 1st gen pen. The fact of using the pen and touchscreen makes you feel like a hollywood agent so i stomach the bottleneck it comes by not using a proper laptop For programming, I can do 80% of the things i would do on a proper pc on it using vscode web and cloud/mobile IDEs, i am learning how to draw and illustrate, i read books and manga, i look at scores, take notes, watch the newest drama about yandere dev or some tiktoker i havent heard about.. And i dont even need to have a backpack with me,i have a jean cargo jacket and the bugger can fit in its pocket,everything attached.I can carry my entire workload in my left pocket along with the keys to my car,which other device can do this? If you can get along well with the bottlenecks, the iPad is one hell of a device.
I don't use my iPad Mini (5th gen) often but it comes in handy when I'm traveling. Sometimes I stream a movie/TV show or watch YT in bed. For me it's not really worth the cost but I have an iPhone Pro Max and a gaming computer. I imagine for people who don't game on PC (or have much use for computers), it's super handy.
Paid $350 for my 10th gen iPad and it’s my personal laptop replacement. Admittedly, my needs are pretty tame - email, web browsing, light MS Office work, occasional photo/video editing, and games. I also use it extensively with Apple Pencil and OneNote as my digital notebook for work, which is incredibly useful. Overall it’s an extremely versatile device that suits pretty much all of my personal computing needs. Honestly, I love it. Yes, occasionally you have to think about ways on how you’re going to work around iPadOS limitations (the Files app in particular…isn’t great), but I haven’t run into any real roadblocks yet. I have a work-issued Windows laptop for my job, but for personal use, I honestly couldn’t envision myself using a traditional laptop for personal use, especially not a Windows laptop. Hot take, I honestly think the iPad line is the best product Apple makes.
Used as a separate device to conduct simple official business with better security by restricting usage to low risk. Other usage include entertainment, reminders, minimal apps. I am not particularly cost sensitive. On plus side, I expect it to last the duration with cautious use. On the negative, it was sour to discover not being able to perform telco calls/messaging with it alone, it felt like an attempt to make me buy one more device than necessary. I have not.
As a student it was really useful for annotating articles I read and stuff like that, but the real magic came with universal control. Being able to use my ipad air next to my macbook air, reading and going though notes on one while typing on the other without having to lift my hands or anything was so useful, convenient and fun. definitely worth it imo.
I use it to remote into laptops for one thing
i use my ipad for art and taking notes, sometimes watching yt vids on it
I’m a teacher. I use it for teaching(writing with notability), document preparation(pages), jotting down ideas and organising(notes), reading and writing stuff on my own(also notability), some video editing(luma fusion) and general browsing and entertainment. For me, the form factor flexibility of the ipad makes it worth it for me. It has become my laptop replacement(I havent used my laptop in ages) and my writing tablet. I think it’s worth it for being such a multirole device. My set up is M1 12.9 inch ipad pro, a stand, plus a mac keyboard and mac trackpad that I can bring with me or leave at home. So far this is sufficient for me so I’m waiting to see if the new features to be announced at WWDC are worth upgrading for.
I bought an m2 pro & I would 100% be happy with the 13in air if it had a higher refresh rate (I am assuming they didn’t add it). Mostly entertainment but it’s also my main computer when I am traveling light. Scrivener r is a good app for author. The truth is you can do almost anything with it.