Mastodawn

Federico Viticci

I couldn’t get an iPad Pro long enough in advance to publish a review today.

Instead, I finally took the time to prepare something else: a comprehensive story about all the problems of iPadOS.

Enjoy ☕️

Not an iPad Pro Review: Why iPadOS Still Doesn’t Get the Basics Right https://www.macstories.net/stories/not-an-ipad-pro-review/

Not an iPad Pro Review: Why iPadOS Still Doesn’t Get the Basics Right - MacStories

Let me cut to the chase: sadly, I don't have a new iPad Pro to review today on MacStories. I was able to try one in London last week, and, as I wrote, I came away impressed with the hardware. However, I didn't get a chance to use a new iPad Pro over the past

MacStories - Apple news, app reviews, and stories by Federico Viticci and friends.

Federico Viticci

We also recorded a special episode of AppStories with a bit more backstory + why I continue using the iPad, despite iPadOS: https://appstories.net/episodes/383

The Trouble with iPadOS

Federico Viticci

...and I was on @upgrade with @jsnell to talk about his review and my story on iPadOS.

Episode here: https://www.relay.fm/upgrade/512

And YouTube segment about iPadOS: https://youtu.be/Wsm6Oz9wri4

Upgrade #512: Pros Are the Little Boats - Relay FM

The new iPad Pro is here, and Jason is joined by Federico Viticci to discuss the new model, Jason's review, and the limitations of iPadOS. Stephen Hackett also joins the show not to crush some creative dreams, but to answer your questions.

Relay FM

Federico Viticci

My idea for this story was pretty simple:

- We always hear of the "limitations" of iPadOS, but I've never done an article covering them all
- I had plenty of time to write anyway 🙃
- I wanted to convey how you can love the iPad form factor while also criticizing its software

It's a long one. Sit back and enjoy: https://www.macstories.net/stories/not-an-ipad-pro-review/

Not an iPad Pro Review: Why iPadOS Still Doesn’t Get the Basics Right - MacStories

Let me cut to the chase: sadly, I don't have a new iPad Pro to review today on MacStories. I was able to try one in London last week, and, as I wrote, I came away impressed with the hardware. However, I didn't get a chance to use a new iPad Pro over the past

MacStories - Apple news, app reviews, and stories by Federico Viticci and friends.

Richard Smith May 13, 2024

@viticci I think you read my mind. I had just been thinking last week that this was exactly the story you needed to write. Good job.

caseyneiba 🦣May 13, 2024

@viticci So most issues with iPadOS is not with iPadOS but with first party apps or did I read the article wrong ?

That means that major devs not porting their pro apps to iPad is mostly because they don’t want to and not because iPadOS is not capable of running them. Am I wrong ?

Frazell Thomas May 13, 2024

@caseyneiba @viticci
Can you write useful desktop class software without support for background processes? Can you have a truly productive flow limited to only 1 running application at a time? Also let us not forget the App Store limitations that prevent many professional desktop applications from being made at all…

Apple split iPadOS from iOS, but have done very little to make iPadOS chart its own course. It still very much is iOS. iOS isn’t a productivity OS.

caseyneiba 🦣May 14, 2024

@LogicalApex @viticci There is already background processes in iOS/iPadOS but limited in time and in type so yes you can have desktop class apps with it. You can also have multiple apps with Stage Manager and the App Store limitations are politics not software.
So I stand by my point: the issue is (mostly) apps, not iPadOS.

Frazell Thomas May 14, 2024

@caseyneiba @viticci background processes in iOS (and by extension iPadOS) are very restrictive and can be nuked whenever the OS sees fit. You can try to get around some of them by requesting location permission, but that’s a messy hack.

You can’t have true desktop apps within those limitations.

As a software engineer I have multiple desktop applications running at any given time…

Janne Ojaniemi May 14, 2024

@caseyneiba @viticci Problem with no background processes, no multiple audio streams, spotlight not being reliable, limited multitasking, no system-wide addons etc. are problems with the OS, not with the apps.

caseyneiba 🦣May 14, 2024

@Janne_O @viticci That's why I said "mostly" but I don't agree with everything on your list.

Janne Ojaniemi May 15, 2024

@caseyneiba @viticci What do you disagree with?

caseyneiba 🦣May 16, 2024

@Janne_O @viticci
❌ Problem with no background processes: I agree that the actual way background processes are handled could benefit some small changes for longer tasks (FCP exports)
❌ No multiple audio streams: Logic or DJay already have it, but ok some changes could be made to iOS internal mixer.

caseyneiba 🦣May 16, 2024

@Janne_O @viticci ❌ Spotlight not being reliable: Is it really an iPadOS issue ? 😅
❌ Limited multitasking: Stage Manager is already there. Do you need your windows to be stamps size to be happy ?
✔️ No system-wide addons: good one, but the work was already done for Audio Units, let's generalize that.

Janne Ojaniemi May 16, 2024

@caseyneiba @viticci Spotlight is a central feature of the OS that can’t be replaced by a better alternative, so yes, it is an OS issue. Stage Manager, why is it limited to 4 apps? Mac has no such limitation. Let me have as many windows as I want. They don’t have to be small windows, as they can overlap. Oh, also let me place the windows partly outside the screen, like I can on a Mac.

IPadOS is placing all kinds of limitations on the user that don’t exist on the Mac

caseyneiba 🦣May 16, 2024

@Janne_O @viticci I understand your point, yet what started this discussion was "pro apps are not on iPad because of iPadOS limitations" and I don't think Spotlight and Stage Manager are limitations for not porting a Mac app to iPadOS.

Janne Ojaniemi May 17, 2024

@caseyneiba @viticci the discussion is about iPads being limited when compared to Macs, for no good reason. Some of those limitations cause lack of pro apps, others “just” cause annoyance and frustration for the users.

iPad Pro is faster than MacBook Air. Why is Air more capable than the iPad?

caseyneiba 🦣May 19, 2024

@Janne_O Even if I don’t ink raw power is a metric about how "capable" a computer is, I think the answer for your question is "because iPad is touch first" and that requires companies to adapt their apps. Whereas the Mac has 40 years of legacy.

Janne Ojaniemi May 20, 2024

@caseyneiba I fail to see what “touch first” has to do with crappy file management, mediocre Spotlight, no system-wide extensions )like, Spotlight replacements), half-assed multitasking, no background processing… no amount of adapting apps are going to change those.

caseyneiba 🦣May 21, 2024

@Janne_O If you have a Mac, iPad and Apple Pencil, connect via Sidecar the iPad to the Mac and try to use Finder with only the Apple Pencil and tell me if it's a good experience.
It's not, and that's what I mean by iPad is a touch first device and this is the main reason Apps are so different.

Janne Ojaniemi May 22, 2024

@caseyneiba by “apps are different” you mean “apps are missing basic functionality for no obvious reason”? What does the Pencil has to do with poorly functioning Spotlight? Not being allowed to use any alternative to Spotlight? Only allowing four windows in Stage Manager? No background processing? Not being able to create Smart Folders in Files? No Time Machine?

The problem is not just the apps, it’s the whole system. It’s crippled. Maybe so it doesn’t cannibalize Mac sales?

caseyneiba 🦣May 24, 2024

@Janne_O I like this discussion but there's so much I'd like to reply that's why I didn't respond yet.
I really believe iPadOS is what it's meant to be, yes it has some core "limitations", still I don't think that's why bigger companies don't dev apps for iPad. I think FUD is what makes iPad feel like a non pro OS.
Apple is not afraid if a device category overgrown another.

Cory Oldweiler May 13, 2024

@viticci Thank you, Federico. As a long-time iPad-only user myself, I felt like you were channeling my frustrations and wishes so so many times in this piece, as well as why I continue to wrestle with the iPad Pro being my sole computer setup. I sincerely hope someone at Apple is listening, but the fact that they didn’t bend over backward to give you, of all people, a review unit—especially when you flew to London to watch a 34-minute video!—has broken my brain. Keep doing what you.

Federico Viticci

@cory Thank you. ❤️‍🩹

Jared Sinclair May 14, 2024

@viticci Fantastic and fair critiques.

Ben Munson May 14, 2024

@viticci I really enjoyed this piece because you’re right, tons of podcasters/YouTubers/whatever just assume that everyone knows what is “wrong” with the iPad. I’ve never been more convinced of wasted potential than here! Well done.

amonduin May 14, 2024

@viticci love this story, glad you’re focussed on putting pressure on Apple to make iPadOS better not just bring macOS to iPad like so many others! ❤️

Luke Kanies May 14, 2024

@viticci it was a great piece.

My only criticism is that, for Apple, the iPad is not a second class citizen. It’s third class (after the iPhone and Mac).

Luke Kanies May 14, 2024

@viticci given all the work Europe is doing to try to force Apple to open up, I am also a bit surprised you didn’t talk at all about how unnecessary it is that the iPad is so locked up.

Honestly I don’t think either the phone or tablet needs to be this walled off any more. But it’s especially inexcusable on the iPad. So much power and battery. So much opportunity. And it’s not the end of the world if it dies or needs to be charged.

Please. Just let me install what I want. Take the gloves off.

Jon May 14, 2024

@viticci did not hold back. Someone had to say it. Apple approach to the iPad is riddled with lazy implementations. It's all about the 30% cut.

Tormod Halvorsen May 14, 2024

Thanks, I agree with all of this, but can't believe you missed my top complaint :)

Using Photos, why is it SO HARD to determine the pixel count of an image? For sharing and use on a blog for instance, you certainly don't want the 12mpx (or 48mpx these days) to be uploaded.

Sure, I can hit the "Info" button in Photos itself, but when using the photo picker in basically ANY app, that info is not available. Just two thumbnails beside each other, looking identical. Meta data matters!

Andrea Grandi 🦕May 14, 2024

@viticci thanks for this in depth analysis, it reflects my personal experience too, but I’m afraid this is intentional on their side.

They want “you” to buy a Mac AND an iPad, so they can sell you more devices.

I could understand limitations of two different systems, but those points you cover seem to be easy to add and intentionally left out for this reason.