Techuisite Digest

10.26.2024: iPad Pro reviews are useless, my current setup, and my tipping point with tech pundits.
iPad Pro Reviews Suck
I was finally able to get my iPad Air back from my wife, who was using it while she waited for her work-issued one. She originally got a 13-inch iPad Air but was immediately turned off and decided she wanted an 11-inch instead. So, as she waited, I lent her my 11-inch M1 iPad Air and USB-C Apple Pencil.
Now that she has her fancy M2 iPad Air and Apple Pencil Pro, I can truly start using the iPad again and am currently working on my post for my tech check-in for the iPad. As I started using it, I was reminded of how much I truly love the iPad. My MacBook Air is great, but iPadOS just feels like the perfect platform for me, and I started second-guessing my decision to not go back to the iPad Pro.
I began my hopeless obsession again, researching the iPad Pro in all varieties, especially models with nano-texture and whether the 13-inch model was a better computer for me, replacing my MacBook Air and iPad Air. As I was researching, I noticed something glaring was omitted in every review I watched and read. No one talks about using the 13-inch iPad as an iPad, only as a "laptop replacement."
I get it—the iPad Pro is often compared to a MacBook or as a laptop alternative. But that’s not why a lot of people, including myself, want to use an iPad. Not having the iPad connected to a Magic Keyboard all the time is my new preference, but that’s all anyone wants to talk about. Yes, it's great as a laptop alternative, but iPadOS provides so much more, and I’d like to hear more perspectives on that.
Using the iPad Pro in my hands as a tablet is essential for me. Using a 13-inch iPad Pro is concerning to me, but no one wants to talk about it. I have issues with tech YouTube reviews in general, but this omission drives me nuts. I really wish we could get more real-world experiences for these devices instead of just fancy shots and popular takes or reviews of products after using it for only two weeks.
After using the iPad Air for a while, I’m happy with it and have no desire to go back to iPad-only right now. I miss the OLED display, but after using the iPad Air for a while, especially without an OLED iPad next to it for comparison, the display is fantastic, and I don’t see the need to upgrade right now.
I plan to go over more in my review, but a couple of things are tempting me to at least upgrade to the M2 model of the Air: getting the hover feature for the Apple Pencil and the new Smart Folio. I love the new angles that the new Smart Folio offers with the additional magnets, and the hover feature is so nice when just using the iPad on my lap.
My Current Setup

I wanted to provide a sneak peek into my current tech setup before I finish my Tech Check-in series that I started a couple of weeks ago. So far, I’ve gone over my iPhone and Mac, but I will soon post about my iPad, Apple Watch, and headphones. In this newsletter, I’m going to give you a sneak peek into the ones I haven’t covered yet.
As I mentioned earlier, my iPad Air post will be coming soon. I have the M1 model with 64 GB. I love it so far, and with the Apple Pencil, it’s a great computer to use most of the time, leaving my MacBook Air for other things like writing this post. I watched a movie, Wolfs, and a couple of TV shows on it, Slow Horses and Disclaimer, and it’s perfect for that, of course.
But I also had a budget/family meeting with my wife on Saturday morning, where we both had our iPads out with a Google Doc open as we discussed our goals and future. I used it to track my expenses, financial goals, and some health research related to my parents. The iPad is a great all-around computer, and the iPad Air is no exception.
I just received my new Apple Watch Series 10, and after getting rid of my Apple Watch Series 7 in titanium and going back to an Apple Watch SE for "just fitness", I realized that I was wearing it all the time again. This made me realize I truly want an Apple Watch to wear all the time, so I am happy I got a the Series 10 for my wife and I.
My wife got a silver aluminum Series 10, and I got a Slate Titanium model. I had the brushed titanium before on the Series 7 and adored it. I’ve also had an older silver stainless steel model in the past and decided this time to treat myself to a nicer model again. My first impressions are that it is super light and very similar to the feeling of my old Series 7 Titanium.
I did also pick up a Slate-colored Milanese Loop watch band to go with it. I would prefer to get a link bracelet to dress up the watch but thought I’d go for the more affordable option to make sure it’s something I truly want first. Even though the Milanese Loop isn’t the same as the link bracelet, I think having the metal bracelet with the watch will give me an idea of whether it's something I want to invest in.
As for my headphones, I’ve been using the AirPods Pro 2 as my daily headphones for about a year now and have no desire to switch them up. I love the convenience and the sound of the Pros. The only thing I might upgrade is the USB-C charging case since that’s the last thing in my setup still using Lightning but with wireless charging it isn't really a priority right now.
The other pair of headphones I plan to talk about are a replacement for my Sony WHXB900N's. They are still good headphones for the most part and will probably stay as backups, but I decided to try out another pair recently for some important reasons.
During Amazon’s Prime Deal Day, the Beats Studio Pro headphones were on sale for almost half the price of what they normally cost, so I bought some and gave them a try. The biggest reason I wanted to try them is that they work within Apple's ecosystem so well, but I also knew that the heavy bass they provide is my preferred sound for listening to music. They also have some AirPod-like features that my Sony headphones don’t.
I like to listen to headphones with my Apple TV since I like to watch movies at night when the rest of my family is asleep. The easy connectivity to my Apple TV with the Beats is fantastic, just like my AirPods Pro. Plus, I like the Transparency Mode and Noise Cancellation they provide. Another great feature is the tactile buttons on the headphones compared to the swiping features on the Sony’s.
So, besides my iPhone 15 Pro Max and MacBook Air, those are the other tech items I plan to write more about soon. Keep an eye out for my future Tech Check-in posts, where I will go into much more depth and detail for each item.
My Tech Pundit iPad Tipping Point
I did a post on my personal blog, Alvalog, where I posted about how I’ve had enough of the iPad talk from tech pundits on why they’re using their iPad again. I’ve spoken plenty about this in the past (#1, #2, #3, and #4) but some prominent people in this industry of talking about tech have been very unhelpful when discussing the iPad.
People have preferences for the computer they want to use, and that’s fine. My main issue is that many of these tech pundits, like the fellas on the podcast Connected, have bashed the iPad and provided very unfair and blatantly bad takes on the iPad and iPadOS for so long now.
In a recent episode of their podcast, they talked about how and why they’re using the iPad again. Notice how I said again, after they pretty much made it sound like the iPad was a dead product in Apple’s lineup because they didn’t agree with the direction Apple was taking with iPadOS.
So, they’re using it again—not because all the issues they had with iPadOS have been solved, but because Apple gave it some attention again by giving it an M4 chip and OLED. The thing I’m realizing is that most of these tech pundits are more worried about which product is getting the most attention, not about what product is best for them or for others who may be listening.
When the iPad wasn’t getting substantial updates, but the Mac was, suddenly the narrative was that the iPad was no longer a good product and the Mac was the better choice. As soon as Apple gave the iPad something the MacBooks don’t—OLED and M4—the narrative changed again.
It’s annoying and not helpful. It makes me doubt their expertise in the field and makes me respect them much less. The Mac and iPad will continue to go through waves of huge improvements to subtle changes over the years. It doesn’t make one better than the other, but it provides choice for those who prefer one platform over the other.