The Fat iPhone, 11 years on: The iPad's over a decade old and we're still not sure what it's for
- Reference: 1611922513
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/01/29/ipad_11_years_old/
- Source link:
It was as though the tech chattering classes were cut into two opposing camps: those who saw it as the future of computing, and those who dismissed it as a " [2]beefed-up iPod touch ".
[3]
Over a decade later, it's not clear which side won.
That's not to diminish the product, which continues to be adopted by the masses. In Apple's latest financial results for [4]Q1 2021 , sales of the iPad nearly matched those of the Mac ($8.4bn to $8.6bn).
[5]
The iPad revenue surge from the same period last year was a whopping 41 per cent, helped by the new iPad Air. With a relatively affordable entry price and a huge ecosystem of apps, the iPad quickly became one of the must-haves of the pandemic, especially for parents thrust into the unenviable position of having to juggle home schooling and remote working.
How Apple finally got people swallowing a tablets
On a technical level, you've got to give Apple props for making the tablet form factor work, succeeding where countless others had previously failed. Tablet computers have been around in some form since the late 1980s, and they've never been anything more than a side show to the broader computer industry. Fleetingly short battery life, as well as a reliance on inelegant pen-based input and clunky handwriting recognition, made the form factor a non-starter.
The iPad had a proper capacitive touchscreen. While it wasn’t as nice to type on as a normal, physical keyboard, it was still preferable to the alternative. It was slim, yet could last about 10 hours of continuous usage. Yes, it had problems.
There were few iPad-ready apps upon launch. You could install iPhone apps, but they merely scaled to fit the larger 9.7-inch screen. There was no multitasking, either – which was a major disadvantage against the likes of Android and WebOS. Those were issues that would be resolved in time. The fundamental mechanics of the iPad were sound.
But it became apparent that the success of the iPad wouldn’t easily be replicated. Apple handily holds the leadership position in the tablet space, with a smattering of vendors trailing in the distance. In Q3, [6]Apple’s share of the market was nearly the same of the next two competitors combined – Samsung and Amazon.
So, yes, the iPad is undeniably a good seller. But that doesn’t answer the broader question of: “what is it?”
For much of its life, the consensus was that it was a companion device to a conventional PC, suited for the times when you want to “ [7]doomscroll ” through Twitter or watch Netflix without having to sit at a desk, but not much else.
For work? Really?
The tide started to shift in 2015, when Apple brought out the iPad Pro – a faster, bigger version aimed at creatives. An optional keyboard cover allowed the iPad to be used at a desk, much like the Microsoft Surface. It was a niche device, but it helped chart the course for things to come. Two years later, a new ad campaign for the iPad Pro asked “ [8]What’s a computer? ,” helping seed the possibility that the iPad could become a standalone work device.
There are two more developments worth mentioning: first, in 2019, Apple created an [9]iPad-only fork of iOS called , you guessed it, iPad OS. This schism made it easier for Apple to cater to the tablet form-factor, paving the way for things like mouse support.
This was initially sold as an assistive technology, aimed at those who would otherwise struggle to use a touch-based interface. In 2020, Apple expanded this remit with the [10]iPad Magic Keyboard Case , which included a touchpad for the first time, as well as a unique floating hinge that allowed the device to be used as a laptop computer, without any need to prop it up against a flat surface.
Apple's M1: the fastest and bestest ever silicon = revolution? Nah, there's far more interesting stuff happening in tech that matters to everyone [11]READ MORE
The iPad is now, for all intents and purposes, a hybrid device straddling the frontiers between a tablet and laptop. At least, if you can afford it. And that raises interesting questions, not just for its future, but also about the potential direction Apple will take with the Mac in years to come, especially given the brave new [12]Apple Silicon era .
The Mac is now compatible with iOS apps. It’s faster and more power-efficient than it has ever been. There's no mandatory App Store to act as a gatekeeper, so you can run whatever software you want, and there's even a [13]Linux port in the works . And in many cases, the cheapest Apple Silicon Mac costs less than a fully kitted-out iPad.
[14]
Where does the iPad fit into that landscape, especially when talking about the Pro models? Will its dreams of being a proper computer become subsumed by the Mac behemoth, conclusively relegating it to the status of a “companion device” for casual usage? Or does Apple have another trick up its sleeve? We’ll check back in another 11 years. ®
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[1] https://www.theregister.com/2010/01/27/ipad/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2010/01/27/ipad_comment/
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_personal_tech/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YBQ-KvrehO80mcfpFSKxnQAAANg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2021/01/28/apple/
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_personal_tech/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YBQ-KvrehO80mcfpFSKxnQAAANg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS46973520
[7] https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/doomsurfing-doomscrolling-words-were-watching
[8] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI-iJcC9JUc
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2019/06/06/apples_ipados_is_a_huge_update_that_will_enable_more_people_to_do_without_a_mac/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2020/05/22/ipad_pro_magic_keyboard_review/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2020/12/07/apple_silicon_column/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2020/12/07/apple_silicon_column/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2021/01/21/linux_apple_m1/
[14] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_personal_tech/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YBQ-KvrehO80mcfpFSKxnQAAANg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: It's for
Looking cool and forcing coolness upon others.
Tablet computing if you don't know that equally good tablets can cost far less.
Re: It's for
They seem to have given up forcing coolness on others than fuck. It seems Android has better faster changing social meeja. Whatsapp lasted about 9 months with the kids and Signal is about to be dropped by the sound of it.
Re: It's for...
kiosks. It feels like over 50% of the iPad production must have been taken by customer-facing service and shopping kiosks, judging from the fact that it seems to be the only place I [constantly] get exposed to them at a significant rate.
Phone for the living room
Compared to a phone, it's unwieldy to carry around. But to consume media while sitting on couch, it's the best form factor. Larger screen than a phone, more convenient and less bulky than a laptop.
Work? Maybe to replace a notepad. Couldn't imagine any other use case.
Re: Phone for the living room
Spot on. It's a couch media consumption device for people whose eyesight makes a phone unsuitable for that purpose. With relatively few exceptions their value as a "work" device is questionable, except as part of the justification to get a media consumption device.
Re: Phone for the living room
When they first became widespread, I would regularly see them in a corporate environment. Project Managers would carry them to meetings and make notes. Now, they're strictly for home use as we've all grown up and realised you need a proper laptop.
Re: Phone for the living room
I use an iPad at work for meeting notes and access to the internet, it's very handy in meetings, and afterwards with all your notes either in one place, and even cloud replicated if you can work with that.
Re: Phone for the living room
Notepads are quick and easy to use and won't run out of battery.
Re: Phone for the living room
Well, I have to confess that under a former username (my real name, a user that I deleted a few years ago due to realising what a tool of a commenter I was in general in those days, so it's now listed as AC – the giveaway is the "FAIL" icon), [1]I said this :
iFail to see the niche. I'll enjoy watching this one crash and burn.
In my defence, I got five upvotes and no downvotes, so nobody else seemed to be dissenting at that point. But I'll say it now: I was wrong. I was very wrong.
But I still don't want one.
[1] https://forums.theregister.com/forum/all/2010/01/27/ipad/#c_679616
Tablets vs PCs
A friends works for a logistics company that supports Lenovo and HP hardware. She said they're mad busy as everyone is buying laptops at the moment, having realised tablets don't cut it for working from home!
It's long been a productivity device for those who want to use it as such...
I've mentioned this before, but my wife wrote a book on an iPad2 with an external keyboard.
I still use that same keyboard when travelling, because the iPad is rather easier to use on a train or plane than a laptop.
I have a Mini4 which I've used for many years, although as phones have grown it has seen less and less use, but it is still useful.
There is something weird about everyone who reviews stuff doing so on youtube, because it means that the only workflow that is ever discussed is video production...
's 'orses fer courses, innit?
I have a desktop computer. I can't be bothered with these fiddling laptop things, no matter how powerful. The desktop gets used for development work and admin and the like. I regard it as essential, and one day I'll buy another.
I have a fiddling laptop thing. I take it on holiday with me, and I use it on the train, where it gets pressed into service as an ersatz desktop. My heart sinks at the thought that one day I might have to buy another - I can think of things that I'd rather spend money on.
I have an iPad Pro. As a means of vegging out and consuming - video, and in particular newspapers, magazines and comics, it is peerless. But when I add a keyboard (Brydge in my case) and mouse (Logitech) it's very nearly the equal of my laptop - but it's lighter and easier on the battery. I use it for all kinds of work then. And I may not need to buy another laptop - I'll just get another iPad - and I have no objection to doing that.
I have a Kindle. As a means of reading pulp fiction it's great. You know the thing - thrillers, adventures, crap prose but an exciting story. For the books I want to savour and enjoy again and again, works of art, I'm an avid supporter of tree murder.
For my use case, I don't need iPadOS and macOS to be any more integrated than they are already. For that matter, with iCloud installed on my PC, I don't need Windows and iPadOS to be any more integrated than they are already. I like my iPad a lot. The laptop I'm meh about.
Your use-case is probably different to mine - so isn't it great that we have a choice?
> As a means of vegging out and consuming - video, and in particular newspapers, magazines and comics, it is peerless
Which is what most people (me included) use it for. Also for kids to play/watch movies on a long trip. It's a tablet's only really convincing use case, one where everybody has to admit that yes, a tablet form factor is optimal for that use.
Of course it can, with some effort, replace a laptop for many people, but there is no situation I can think of a real laptop wouldn't be better, if only because of the choice of software you can use on it.
Still good for what it's designed for
I just realised that our iPad2 is therefore almost 10 years old. It still works fine and is used daily for the kids to play games and streaming video. I was pretty sure the battery should have given up the ghost by now, but it can still keep a few hours of charge.
I've always wondered why anyone would even bother to compare it to a laptop. It's always been an at home consumption device (games, streaming and video calls) and for that it is simpler and easier to handle than a laptop. However if you need anything other more complicated than that just use a proper computer.
I have a keyboard on it so it’s like a small laptop. I use it at work as my personal computer either on guest WiFi or 3/4G. I’ve successfully used this over five different contracts. No need to get permission to visit certain websites or access personal e-mail as I have my own little computer with me on my desk. Never had a problem with managers complaining about my “iPad”.
Tablets can be Useful
I know not an iPad but I've a Galaxy Tab 6 and whilst it wasn't useful for much more than Netflix and games without anything extra installed on it a couple of apps have helped it a lot.
Nebo is great as a replacement for a (paper) note book. I can happily scrawl away but end up with something I can search through easily. Which dead handy when someone asks me about something that came up in a meeting 4 months ago and had a like span of about weeks before fading into obscurity. Until it became urgent again.
Ibis paint is also a lot of fun. Plus it has the advantge of infinite undo for the utterly hopeless artist (raises hand and pleads guilty).
Both Nebo and Ibis come in Apple flavour as well so I think the comparison stands, provided you get an iPad with a stylus.
So far as plain consumption goes. The screen is nicer to look at and the sound quality much richer than my phone. So from that point of view, not really a must have but a nice addition if you're prepared to trawl around eBay looking for a decent second hand one.
Buy new? Don't be ridiculous!
Rosie
Everyday device
With a good stand and a bluetooth keyboard, my 10" tablet is my everyday device for most computing activity: email, browser, language learning, writing short documents and streaming videos to the TV. It starts almost instantly, and having the top of the screen at eye level makes it ergonomically much better than a laptop. I was doing many of these things on a phone but the awkward posture gave me nasty aches and pains. I still go to the desktop for spreadsheets, graphics work, and photo and audio editing.
They're pretty good for sucking down public sector money especially in schools.
Also they're very good for educating children that they should never ever know what is going on under the surface of their devices, just consume.
It's dismaying that tablets, especially, are seen as a way to teach children everything, when it turns out teaching them how to read and write, formulate an argument or look up informaiton in a book might ultimately be more useful.
I'm ranting after seeing the whle focus of education seem to get pointed at the supply and maintenance of digital devices. IMHO this should come AFTER basic teaching. The money this tech sucks down is unbelievable. There wold be no shortages of books and paper if they didn't spend X Million every year on unnecessary tech.
I've had to teach my son how to use the index in a book, his teachers point him at wikipedia. Kids are taught to use Twitter (in breach of it's Tc and Cs) before they are taught to use full stops.
This tech is often good for kids with additional needs, but that's about it.
[wanders off muttering about the good old days]
The other obvious usage cases
I can't believe no-one's mentioned that they double up as high quality wipe clean kitchen chopping boards...
Re: The other obvious usage cases
And very elegant teapot stands.
Portability is key
We have customers who use them to perform on-site reporting and inspections.
The iPads spit the data back to a website and database where managers run reports on the data collected.
Much handier than a laptop for people in the field, though the lack of a ruggedized version is a detractor.
We ended up building an entire separate version of our platform for places to use iPads that didn't want to use other kinds of tablets. We were forced into doing that despite our concerns over the harsh environments they were going to be exposed to and the inevitable attrition that would result. We also had to engage a 3rd party to assist with coding for the app as most of our development is NOT iOS based.
The 'testing' iPad I brought home to do QA on new builds of the app we use has been taken over by my 7yr old. He uses it to chat with friends on Kids Messenger, play games, watch videos and install questionable apps that do odd things to his face.
It's the iPhone for home use
I recently bought the 12 Pro Max because I had the very tiny 8 before. But after the novelty wore off (about 1 month) I started picking up my iPad again, on the sofa, in bed, even on my desk to take quick breaks while working. I can't imagine not using it anymore. It's a MUCH better iPhone. It's the iPhone for home use. Using the actual iPhone at home seems pointless, and I only see myself using it when out in the world. Otherwise, the iPad is my go to device.
PS: If iPad apps come to the Mac then there is a real chance Mac apps will come to the iPad as well, and that means more productivity apps on the iPad. Even now, I can already write some code, push/pull/commit from GitHub (etc) and I can do that from my sofa where the MacBook is really really uncomfortable! I can't even watch movies in bed on the MacBook anymore. It seems so heavy and clunky and weeeird!
There's no mandatory App Store to act as a gatekeeper, so you can run whatever software you want
Not yet there isn't. Can't be long though, before Apple decides it's time to protect us Mac users from ourselves…
There are a few things they are actively downright useful for.
Music. I think it's fair to say that most serious musicians have their music on an iPad or similar. If you want an accompanying track, you've got it there on your tablet, and the main line unwinds in front of you for you to play along to. I've seen professional pianists in live performance using them instead of a normal piano score. It looks as if they've even got something that does an automatic page turn for you - the tablet must be listening and doing the page turn. Now that is really neat.
Demonstrations at trade shows and similar. If you want to talk to someone and tell them about what you're doing - hand them your tablet with the demo and talk them through it. Much nicer than messing around on a computer.
Basically, as said above - they are excellent for consuming media, and sometimes that consuming of media is quite sophisticated. But I'd never use one to do any actual work.
I use my iPad for one thing, and one thing only, and that's for watching downloaded Amazon Prime films when I am criss-crossing the Atlantic on a plane, and there's nothing I like the sound of on the IFE.
So clearly it's sat on a shelf since last March, unused.
When it dies, it won't be replaced.
Why do I have one?
My employer uses them, my employer supplied it to me, and expects me to support them. I use it for a few simple games, crosswords and word searches. Yeah, I'm getting old...
ipad uses
I saw the first ipad in an apple store and thought that it was nice and what was the point
When the ipad 2 came out, I found that it could have a use, used it to store PDF documention in the books app, was handy in customer sites and in computer rooms to read documentation when at the console of a server and needed to look stuff up in the limited space in aisles of racks rather than trying to balance a laptop.
Got an ipad pro when they came out, the use case was for watching saved TV uploaded to it on the train in a nice form factor that meant not looking at a tiny screen, pretty much watching everyone else watching catch up TV on a small phone screen.
As a device to consume video whilst on a train they're great without squinting at a small screen!
Only downside was watching some things on a large 12.9 screen, "American Gods" being one and an animated series on netflix which I didn't know at the time was a bit er....rude and made it look like I was watching porn in rush hour, that was rapidly closed.
It's for
Watching Cat videos and ordering triple guava chai lattes