The iPad Hate Continues
Despite new iPads being announced, old misconceptions and poor comparisons persist.
Look, I know I continue to defend the iPad and many of my defenses in this post may be repeats of things I have said in the past, but because the same misconceptions and bad takes on the iPad are repeated and my points aren't taken to account I think it is important to be consistent.
Apple announced new iPads this week, including a new Magic Keyboard for the iPad Air's that have many excited but also causing many to regurgitate the same old bullshit. This all started with me listening to the most recent episode of Connected, but some of the same bullshit takes have also been said elsewhere that I plan to reference and go over.
I am biased in this but I have also been on the otherside repeating some of the same crap that is being spewed today. I currently am iPad-Only when it comes to my main computer, but this hasn't always been the case when I have defended the iPad in the past. I think a lot of this rhetoric started with the "What's a computer?" ad that Apple released in 2017 but really ramped up during the iOS 16 debacle (specifically Stage Manager) and the resurgence of the Macs—this hate on the iPad is what really got me to see things differently for the iPad.
The iPad has also been an aspriational device. For years many of us wanted Apple to do so much more to the iPad and after Apple forked iOS to iPadOS I think many forget how much Apple really has done. I have been in the past hesitant about certain changes, like Apple supporting cursor support and offering the Magic Keyboard with a trackpad, but realized overtime how much Apple does try and be intentional with how they introduce features for iPadOS.
I just wanted to start with the fact that I am a lover of Apple products and I really find the iPad to be a fantastic device. So I have a biased, but I hope that you can see in this post that I did my best to try and dissect these bad takes honestly. Not only that, but many of these takes are from Apple enthusiasts like myself which makes it even more confusing to me that so many are continuing this line of bullshit towards the iPad and iPadOS.
Connected #542: face with tired
I feel like in some of my previous posts I seem to only hate on the Connected folks, but in reality I really like Stephen, Myke, and Federico. I think Connected is one of those tech podcasts that is not only informative but also entertaining. I do feel like it has gotten a bit sillier since they were featured on a slide at WWDC in 2018, but either way it is still a fun podcast.
In saying that, I do feel like Federico and Myke in particular have fallen in the same trap as other tech pundits who have identified with one particular niche in technology and are trying to find a justification to branch out. What I mean is that many who have had the label as the iPad-person has to now justify, poorly in my opinion, why the iPad might not be for them anymore.
I think Myke has been a little more honest in regards to this, he did live the dual-iPad-life for awhile, but has since embraced the Mac and really finds it the place he wants to work all the time. Federico on the other hand has always made MacStories the place to go for iPad tips, tricks and helpful ways on how to use the iPad full-time.
Something happened though, that I have said in other posts, that has to do with Apple's refocus on the Mac after the awful stretch of hardware between 2016 and 2021 and iOS 16 introducing Stage Manager. Many, including Federico, I think were not only envious of the attention the Mac was getting, but the features that were being introduced left them frustrated. Which is understandable.
But did it mean that we need to now jump to the idea the iPad is now being left behind? Or that the iPad is not good anymore? I would very much disagree with this sentiment, but many continue to make it sound like this is the case saying things like iPadOS is not ever going to be usable for anyone that wants to do "real work" or wants to do "computery" things.
As for the announcement this week, I decided to get the transcript of Stephen and Federico's conversation about the new iPad's but in particular the part of the conversation where Federico feels that the iPad Air should be the only iPad many should buy and give my take on some of the misconceptions:
Federico Viticci 00:19:32:
And I continue to think that for what you get from ipados, the iPad lineup continues to make way more sense at the low end rather than the high end. And that's the unfortunate reality, especially when you look like you have your iPad mini, the iPad, and the small iPad air. I think it all kind of makes sense there from a product narrative. From a pricing standpoint, things get murkier. I'm looking out, I'm on apple.com now and looking at the whole iPad lineup, I think as soon as you hit the 13 inch iPad Air and you move into the 11 inch iPad Pro, and then the 13 inch iPad Pro, that's where, you know, you basically enter MacBook Air level territory in terms of, especially with the, with the pros, obviously.
I don't know how many times I have to repeat this argument, but as you can see in the quote from Federico above, he goes straight to wanting to compare the iPad Pro, mostly in terms of pricing, to the MacBook Air. This is so frustrating to me because if you actually compare the MacBook Air to the iPad Air, which is the more accurate comparison, the conversation becomes way more interesting.
With the new M3 iPad Air and Magic Keyboard, the price is very close to the MacBook Air. Even if you bump the iPad Air up to 256 GB to match the base MacBook Air storage, you can still get a iPad Air with Magic Keyboard for $968 compared to $999 for the MacBook Air.
And if you compare the iPad Pro to the MacBook Pro you also get a more honest comparison: the new 13-inch iPad Pro, again bumping the storage up to 512 GB to match the MacBook Pro base storage, with Magic Keyboard costs $1,848 (if you stick with the base 256 GB it is $1,648). In comparison the MacBook Pro comes in at $1,599 for the MacBook Pro with M4 and $1,999 dollars for the M4 Pro. You can make the argument that you are not getting as much by paying the roughly extra $50 to $250 for the iPad Pro which I could argue extensivley that it is, but that is not the point of this article.
The point I making is that this farse comparison of comparing a iPad Pro to a MacBook Air makes no sense when you think about the categories both fall in. Just like the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro the iPad Air and iPad Pro target different people, so making a oranges to apples comparison here is misleading.
Stephen Hackett 00:20:23:
Yeah, it gets really expensive pretty quickly.
Federico Viticci 00:20:25:
It gets really expensive pretty quickly to the point where, like, this is an old conversation. We've been having this conversation for 10 years. I really don't know what to say except that, you know, doesn't. It doesn't feel like ipados19 this year is going to be. It's going to, is going to have anything meaningful.
Again with the trope that the current iPad is somehow unsuable unless Apple comes out with some mysterious and brand new feature in the next iPadOS version to make the iPad meaningful. The fact that this expectation of Apple needing to do something to justify the iPad existing is just so weird when iPad sales conitinue to be great, and people, just like Federico, show that the iPad can be a computer for so many.
Which leads me to my most frustrated part of this conversation:
Stephen Hackett 00:20:50:
This is the year, Federico. You got to believe.)
Federico Viticci 00:20:53:
Yeah, no, I, Look, I don't think, you know, I love the iPad, but also at the same time, I don't think I'm stupid. There's gonna, there's gonna be a moment, I think, in my future where after enough years of no updates, right. And no changes to what you can do with an iPad, there's gonna be a moment where I'll be, well, either you or Mike or John will sit me down and be like, okay, Tici you. Look, it's fine that you like the iPad, but you really gotta come back to the Mac if things don't change. It kind of feels like if we go to ipados 19 with no more changes to what you can do with multitasking, to what kinds of apps you can use, to what kinds of computery things you can do on iPadOS, it sort of becomes a liability almost, you know, And I mean, I love this thing so much, but there's only so much I think you can, you can push me, you know.
There is a lot to dissect here but I want to start with the part where Federico states, and I am paraphrasing here for clarity, "that there is going to be a moment in the future where there are no changes to what you can do with an iPad". Before I say anything I would first like to link to a post by Federico where he talks about what changes he has done in using his iPad Pro:
Federico Viticci
Before I go into my criticisms I will say that I love these posts by Federico and these types of posts on MacStories is why I eventually starting looking at the iPad as my main computer years ago. What I find most frustrating about this post though is that Federico is trying to make it sound like the iPad and iPadOS are still lacking but he somehow found a work around to fit his needs:
From the article linked above in the section titled iPad Pro for Podcasting, Finally:
Fast forward to 2024. I’ve been recording episodes of AppStories, Connected, NPC, and Unwind from my iPad Pro for the past six months. By and large, this project has been a success, allowing me to finally stop relying on macOS for podcast recording. However, none of this was made possible by iPadOS or new iPad hardware. Instead, I was able to do it thanks to a combination of new audio hardware and Zoom’s cloud recording feature.
First off, it could be me not understanding his point of putting "Finally" at the end of the title for this section of the post, but podcasting has always been possible on the iPad, maybe not for his needs but it has been possible. This could be me misunderstanding that he means "Finally" for himself in that he found a way that fits his needs or a way he is more comfortable with which is fine but it can be a bit misleading.
The more important part of this that I find frustrating is that he doesn't hesitate to throw the iPad and iPadOS under the bus saying that Apple has done nothing to make this work, but instead he found additional hardware and app features to make it work. Two things that Apple has no control over except provide the ability to use such hardware and software features on iPadOS that either app developers don't utilize or people like, Federico, chose not to purchase (in regards to hardware).
There have been so many people, including Jason Snell from Six Colors, who have used different hardware to make podcasting work on an iPad. It may have not been ideal from some professional podcasters like Federico but for some reason they seem to be ideal now and it isn't the lack of Federico trying that he didn't do this ealier, it is Apple's fault for some reason.
Going back to Federico's quote from the Podcast though, it is funny that he mentions that he needs things to happen in iPadOS for him to change how he uses it when just 3 months ago he has a whole article talking about how he has changed his entire workflow to work on the iPad.
Federico Viticci 00:23:16:
559 for an 11 inch up at the air. If you want to get like, honestly, like, would I recommend the iPad Pro today, right now? Would I recommend the iPad Pro to anyone that is not me or Chris Lawley or, I don't know, somebody exactly and precisely like us?
Stephen Hackett 00:23:43:
No. Especially with the new keyboard, you know, with the function keys and stuff, you know.
Federico Viticci 00:23:49:
You know, I like, to the majority of the audience, on Connected. I would say just get an iPad air.
Stephen Hackett 00:23:54:
Yeah.
Federico Viticci 00:23:54:
At this point, and more broadly speaking, if you need to do proper computer things, I would say get the computer. We're going to talk about in a minute.
Again with the "proper computer things" comment again. What does this mean exactly? Is the iPad not a computer where you can do "proper computer things"? It is just so dismissive and unhelpful to so many who may be interested in wanting to use an iPad. This rhetoric makes it sound like the iPad is useless as a computer and that you should just buy a MacBook Air instead.
If you feel that way that is okay, my issue is the fact that we get no explanation on why this is the case. What is it that a iPad Air and Magic Keyboard for the majority of the population can't do that requires them to ignore the platform entirely and go to a Mac instead?
Don't Buy the New iPad Air | Lifehacker
I haven't read Lifehacker very much in the last few years but in the section of the article titled You should buy an old iPad, it starts with this bit that makes me wonder how much Jake Peterson uses the iPad outside of just a consumption device:
I love my iPad. I use it every day to catch up on the news, message friends, and browse the web. There was zero reason I needed an M1 chip to power those tasks back in 2021 when I bought the tablet, and, to be honest, virtually zero reason I need that M1 chip in 2025. Everything I do on an iPad, my iPad Air from 2014 could probably handle (albeit very slowly).
I have no judgement on how people use their iPads, that is the whole point in me defending the platform so much, but obvioulsy Jake doesn't use the iPad like some do, so of course the M1 may not be something he needs, but it doesn't mean it isn't useful for others.
This trope that because you can do everything on an older model of any computer that you can on a newer computer is such a lazy rebuke. I can say the same thing about so many other platforms outside of even the Apple-sphere. This kind of lazy viewpoint makes me wonder why some tech writers don't just recommend cheap Windows laptops or Chromebooks for the majority of the population.
If your bar it set to; "if you can do it on an older or less capable computer why buy newer or more capable one" was truly how many felt, why even write a post at all about brand new iPad Airs. I guess he does say in the title "Don't Buy it" but still I find this approach when comparing or talking about new hardware frustrating and unhelpful.
The next paragraph, though, is what really gets me frustrated with a lot of tech writers today:
It's a problem plaguing the iPad line in general. Apple builds these tablets with incredible hardware, a fantastic combination of high quality screen and powerful processors—and yet, it all powers the same, souped-up version of iOS. iPadOS, for the most part, simply cannot push the M-series chips anywhere close to their limits. Sure, there are professional apps and demanding games available on the App Store to give your iPad something to work with. But really, iPadOS is nothing for even my M1 iPad Pro to handle—even when I have multiple windows open at once with Stage Manager.
He not only contradicts himself saying that the M-series chips can't be pushed anywhere close to their limits on the iPad but then says "there are some professional apps and demanding games.. to give your iPad somethign to work with" but it is clear he really has a bias towards the iPad that he wants to continue to push.
Just because the new MacBook Airs with M3 will never be pushed to its limit by a majority of people who want to buy one, doesn't mean that they should just buy an M1 MacBook Air or an M2. Sure, you can probably save money by buying an older model, but why does the lack of you ever pushing the chip inside the computer the reason you shouldn't buy the one you want?
If Apple never released a new iPad Air in multiple years, would the same argument stand? Would we not want Apple to ever upgrade any of their hardware with faster and better internals because the one that currently exisits is enough for Jake Peterson? Many people buy maxed out MacBook Pros so they can keep the machine for years or because they love tech and they want the best.
Should those people be told that because they will never push that MacBook Pro to its limits that they should just buy a MacBook Air? Just because Jake Peterson doesn't know how to push his M1 iPad to the limits doesn't mean that Apple shouldn't offer better iPads for those who are interested.
Apple iPad Air 2025: launch, price, and specs | The Verge
David Pierce in the last paragraph of the article:
Apple continues to have exactly zero meaningful competition in the tablet market, and the iPad continues to improve. But Apple’s still stuck with the same question it has reckoned with for the better part of two decades: what is the iPad actually for? The new Air looks like another in a long line of solid technical upgrades, but it’s not always clear how much those upgrades change or even improve the tablet experience. It’s also a little odd to see Apple update the Air and still not give it the latest chip. But if you’re upgrading from a much older iPad, as most prospective iPad buyers are, it’s still a pretty big spec bump.
This sentiment that David has in this paragraph is explored deeper on the The Vergecast epsiode that I am going to talk about more next, but I thought it was important that I just point out that no matter what, David has to always poke the "the new iPad is just an iPad" rhetoric every time he talks about a new model. He actually talks about what he thinks the iPad is for in the podcast, but some reason he is dumbfounded here.
What’s new with Apple’s iPads, MacBooks, and Macs | The Verge
Since most of this post so far has been mostly me pointing out the negative I do want to point out one thing that Jake Castranakis said about the iPad Air that I have never heard any other tech pundit mention in that it is the tablet version of the Macbook Air:
Jake Castranakis 00:19:36:
That's an important improvement. The iPad Air feels like it's getting ever so slightly closer to being the tablet version of the MacBook Air. Like, you're supposed to spend roughly a thousand dollars on it. You buy the 13 inch version, you spend 300 bucks or whatever on the magic keyboard and the stylus. And you know, you don't get the fanciest stuff. You don't get the high refresh rate display. Um, but you haven't spent all of your money on this thing. It gets most of the stuff done that you needed to get done. Um, it's, it's, it's not exciting in that way, and I think it's really interesting. Um, I was just looking over David's, like, recent iPad reviews. Um, the Air is the only iPad that David says not to get, and.
Nilay Patel 00:20:18:
It's the one everybody buys.
Jake Castranakis 00:20:19:
It's right in the middle. It's, it's really tough.
This is just clear evidence to me that the tech "reporters" and pundits seem to be so disconnected from what users actaully want and how they see certain technology. The iPad Air is probably really popular because it is the best iPad you can get for the price. If you want to get cheaper and willing to sacrifice some of those premium features go to the iPad, if you want to best go to the Pro.
But the fact that Jake even has to say this, and that this is the first time I have heard someone slightly compare the iPad Air to the MacBook Air is astounding to me. How do none of these people not see that the iPad Air is there just like the MacBook Air is there, it is a cheaper option that still provides an amazing experience.
David Pierce 00:20:21:
The Air has at times gotten it right. And I think the thing it's trying to do is the right thing, right? Because, like, the iPad Pro is incredible and three times what anybody needs, both in price and in performance, right? Like, it's massive, massive overkill. The thing the iPad Air has to do is convince you that you need more than the base iPad. And I think that case from Apple, more for software reasons than for anything else, has gotten weaker over time. And I think what, what Apple will tell you is that the thing that makes people step up is either the accessories, which it clearly gates to this device because, oh, I want a keyboard so I can send email. Now I have to get the air because that's how I get the good keyboard attachment, or same with the pencil, right? Like, those things are gated not for technical reasons, but because Apple is trying to get you to upgrade. Like, that's, that's just real...
Before we go over David's entire quote, I want to breifly point out a couple of things he mentions. First, and I am sure David and others have said this before, but you can say the same thing about overkill in regards to getting an iPad Pro over an iPad Air just like you could for the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. My problem is that this is never compared the same.
It may have been said that you should get the MacBook Air because the Pro is overkill, but not the extent and disdain for choosing a iPad Pro over the iPad Air. Whats interesing is the cost different between the iPads is actually smaller in comparison to the MacBooks. An iPad Air is $599 for the base model versus the $999 dollar iPad Pro base modal (a $400 difference). When comparing the MacBook Air at $999 to the $1,599 MacBook Pro (a $600difference) you can see the difference in price to jump up is much different.
David continues:
Or because people want the extra performance because they're doing the kinds of creative tasks that Apple always shows you on stage, right? It's like if you're using Final Cut Pro and Logic on your iPad, yes, you should get an Air and not a base iPad. I cannot prove this, but I'm willing to bet that that is a teeny, tiny sliver of iPad people. And, and to me, the thing that I find myself saying a lot, and I wrote this, I recently updated our iPad buying guide and was basically like, there are two types of iPad users. There are people who want to just like, send emails and browse the web and do the crossword puzzle and like, look at photos, right? That is like they're sort of the basic iPads tasks you've described.
Nilay Patel 00:21:56:
Grandparents. Sure.
David Pierce 00:21:58:
Yeah. There are a lot of those out there and a lot of them have iPads, I can tell you confidently. And then there are the people who are like, I want a creative machine. Right. And that's where like the pencil is really useful, whether you're drawing or you're editing videos or whatever. But it is like you are doing hardcore creative tasks and that's when you show up. And I think many, many, many people have convinced themselves that they are the second kind of iPad user, when in reality they are actually the first kind of iPad user.
They go to other points but this post is already too long so I am just going to stop here. This is where David starts to explain what an iPad can do, after asking "what is the iPad actually for?", but in such a simplistic and annoying way that it makes me wonder how much these guys really use these products or talk to people who do use iPads.
Sure creative tasks are great on iPads, and creativity can come in a ton of different ways: writing, graphic design, photo editing, video editing, drawing, etc. That doesn't mean that a computer is only used for what professional things you do on them. A computer is more than just a tool for a specific task for many people.
The point I am making is that someone who writes at The Verge objectively doesn't need a Mac Studio if they are a writer. Maybe one of the designers or video editors might push that new M3 Ultra to its limits, but it isn't necessary. Just like how I may not need a MacBook Pro to write for Techuisite, and could use an old 2012 MacBook Air to write and post articles.
Conclusion
This idea that the iPad is somehow not capable of most things many do on a MacBook Air or Pro is plain laughable. It is about choice and preference. This continued expectation that the iPad needs to somehow prove itself to be a better choice than a MacBook is just not helpful for anyone. It is also not useful to make it seem like buying the best iPad Pro you can get is a waste when a grandparent can do the same thing on a base iPad.
Just because one iPad can do something that a cheaper iPad can do doesn't make Apples approach to the iPad platform bad. It is about choice, just like with the Mac lineup. The hate will continue, I know that, but I hope for some that are interested in the iPad finds this somewhat helpful.
Buy the iPad you want, buy the Mac you want, or buy that ridiculously expensive car that you want; even if you only drive the speed limit from home and work everyday. It isn't about wasting money on performance you will never use, but about the experience you get when using that purchase. I truly think the iPad can be the best computer for so many so ignore the hate and buy what you want.
Disclaimer: the podcast transcriptions above were created using CastMagic.ai, I corrected some transcription errors while keeping most of the quotes unchanged.