M1/M2 Powered iPad Pro buyers and owners thread (2 Viewers)

[Ronald Epstein]

Ok, I just turned off “Tap to Click” on my Magic Keyboard. The lack of palm-rejection was killing me. The cursor would randomly land in random places and I’d be typing in the middle of some other paragraphs, or clicking unknowingly on random links and buttons. It was maddening. For Apple’s industry-leading trackpads, the Magic Keyboard is both great and really sucks.

I miss tap to click already, but hopefully it will be worth it to not get random typing locations anymore.

How do you do that, Dave? Looking for settings for the Magic Keyboard and can’t find ‘em

 

[DaveF]

@Ronald Epstein
General->Trackpad

 

[DaveF]

Don’t know if I can live like this. Actually clicking trackpads is for filthy animals.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Don’t know if I can live like this. Actually clicking trackpads is for filthy animals.

Thanks. Tap to Click was turned off by default so I just left it.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Been using the iPad Pro exclusively all day for my workflow and I have to say I am impressed at how fast I have found workarounds for things I normally do.

The work can be done faster on a laptop, but it’s not complicated to find alternative ways to do it on iOS.

Google Search has been my friend.

Found something VERY COOL…

I use a piece of software on my laptop called TYPINATOR which is like TEXT EXPANDER where you can use common phrases and expand them with an abbreviation.

So typing “tys” brings up this automatically: “Thank you for supporting HTF when you preorder using the link below. If you are using an adblocker you will not see link. As an Amazon Associate HTF earns from qualifying purchases”

Well, there is no equivalent to TYPINATOR on the iPad. However, with a Google search I discovered iOS has a built-in text expander of its own.

Go to GENERAL -> KEYBOARD and look for TEXT REPLACEMENT. There you can put in simple abbreviations that you want expanded into full sentences/paragraphs/signatures.

Thought that was the most amazing find of the day and has definitely made my iOS workflow closer to that of a laptop.

 

[DaveF]

That’s been a feature for like 5+ years

 

[DaveF]

I used it every day until Shortcuts gave me better feature for my needs last year.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

That’s been a feature for like 5+ years

Obviously, I am the last to find out

 

[Ronald Epstein]

** WITH AN APOLOGY TO SAM POSTEN

I am now five days into ownership of this new iPad Pro

I had a lot of doubts that it would fit my needs. I was extremely hesitant to buy another one. However, I am now convinced it has given me a highly rewarding “almost laptop” experience.

The biggest factor in the enjoyment of this new M1 iPad Pro is the Magic Keyboard. I really scoffed at paying $350 for it, but it is the one element that bridges the gap between “tablet” and “laptop.”

When it comes to my daily work usage, I have been able to do everything on this iPad that I was able to do on my laptop. It may not be as smooth or quick, but I am convinced that when I go out on the road, I can leave my laptop behind and feel secure that all my work can be done on the iPad.

In fact, in the past five days I have used my iPad more than my 16” MacBook Pro. It feels like nothing on the lap. You don’t feel a swell of heat from the Intel processor. It’s really great to have something so light and portable that easily swings open when you need it and then can be effortlessly carried around. With 8-10 hours of battery life under heavy productivity, you pretty much have an entire day of outdoor usage.

The most amazing aspect of this new iPad is the mini-LED screen. It’s the best portable screen I have ever seen. Looks better than the Retina display on my 16” laptop and I can’t wait until these screens are incorporated in the MBPs that are about to be released this fall.

** So, with an apology to Sam Posten, I feel that my remarks about the iPad were not entirely fair. I usually buy a 16” laptop and a smaller 13” for travel. I was considering buying the M1 AIR over the iPad. But, now using the iPad for nearly a week, I see it was the better purchase over the AIR. The iPad does provide a very “near” laptop experience with the added convenience of a tablet and entertainment hub (watching movies). I still prefer desktop software over mobile. I still prefer the smoothness of using a desktop. However, I’ll be damned if this iPad Pro isn’t a remarkable device when paired with the keyboard.

 

[Sam Posten]

All good. I’m just happy you are enjoying it!

 

[Nelson Au]

Hey Ron, I’m curious, without disclosing anything confidential, I’m curious what tasks you were doing on the iPad Pro that had you make the change in your opinion? What types of tasks?

For me, there are somethings I cannot do on the iPad Pro for my job. One is I use CAD software that only runs on a PC, though I bet someday very soon, I can just run it off the cloud on any device. The greatest thing about the iPad Pro for me is the Apple Pencil and being able to draw and sketch. I’d love to use photoshop amd I haven’t tried it yet, I do hate Adobe’s subscription model, but I might have to bite the bullet as it’s a tool I use on the desktop. I have used the Microsoft Office apps, but I tend to use the built in Apple versions of Word and Excel and PowerPoint too.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Hey Ron, I’m curious, without disclosing anything confidential, I’m curious what tasks you were doing on the iPad Pro that had you make the change in your opinion? What types of tasks?

For me, there are somethings I cannot do on the iPad Pro for my job. One is I use CAD software that only runs on a PC, though I bet someday very soon, I can just run it off the cloud on any device. The greatest thing about the iPad Pro for me is the Apple Pencil and being able to draw and sketch. I’d love to use photoshop amd I haven’t tried it yet, I do hate Adobe’s subscription model, but I might have to bite the bullet as it’s a tool I use on the desktop. I have used the Microsoft Office apps, but I tend to use the built in Apple versions of Word and Excel and PowerPoint too.

Hi Nelson!

The tasks I do are relatively simple but the issue is that doing them on the iPad requires a bit more effort than on a desktop.

Cutting and pasting images from email to browser has been completely refined since the last time I tried doing it. In the past, there was always something "wonky" with the duplication where an image wouldn't carry over from the copy. I think that had everything to do with the "desktop" vs. "mobile" versions of websites. I am not certain which version I am pulling up these days, but I no longer have the complications that existed in the past when copying data from one source to another.

When working with photos or movies there is a simplicity within OS X that allows me to create folders on the desktop and drag and drop material there to be worked on. As far as I am aware, you can't create quick folders on the iPad desktop nor drag documents for quick reference over a short period of time. It looks like everything has to be dragged into the file system which is hidden away from top view.

As I manage business accounts, I work with a lot of receipts through email that I like to capture in .pdf. While iOS has a screen capture feature, I have not yet mastered how to create .pdf documents from them.

All of these things described above are probably related to the fact that I just haven't invested enough time to figure out alternative ways to get them done. Slowly, thanks to this forum and Google search, I have been discovering how to do all the things I need to do in iOS.

My frustrations with the iPad are minimal these days. In the past week, I have learned to love this device. I just side with those who feel very disappointed with Apple's latest Keynote presentation of the new iPad OS 15. Many were expecting Apple to better bridge the gap between the two operating systems just to make life a little easier. That really did not happen.

I don't expect Apple to put OS X on the iPad. At this point, it looks like I can comfortably ditch my laptop for my iPad when I need to and not have any major issues. I just wish that the experience didn't involve having to find alternative and sometimes more cumbersome ways of getting things done over OS X. At least, it seems Windows has accomplished giving their users the same experience whether they are on a PC or tablet. Apple refuses to go that route and thus, the brain has to work much harder to differentiate between the two operating systems in getting things done.

 

[Sam Posten]

Create your clip. Click the share button then import to your PDF app.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Create your clip. Click the share button then import to your PDF app.

View attachment 101359

Sam,

Thanks. When you say “create your clip” is that mean from a standard iPad screenshot I should be able to share it to Adobe Scan? I downloaded Adobe Scan the other day hoping it would work as a .pdf converter.

 

[Nelson Au]

Thanks Ron. I see, when I get photos in email, I just tap and hold on the image in the email and it asks me if I want to save it to photos or save to files. It did take me a little while to get used to using the Folder. But now I’ve got several folders for different files that I use to save things and they can be saved locally or on the cloud too. That makes it handy for accessing those files from my iPhone and Mac Pro desktop too.

As far as creating PDF documents, that is something I have not done. For receipts, I use an app that my company uses where I can take photos from my iPhone of receipts and it is saved for access when I do my reimbursement report. Of course with the lock down, I have not had to travel.

I did get a invoice in email from a software company I use for the yearly renewal as a PDF doc. But creating a PDF, I’ve not done yet. I might have to try that sometime.

Well, it’s good to see that you gave the iPad Pro an honest try and it’s working for you more or less. I really like using my iPad Pro for nearly everything! Ever since I got my first one in 2010, it’s been an indispensable tool! And I would call it one of my tools I use to do my job because I still need to use a Windows PC for CAD work stuff. But my Mac Pro and iPad Pro are also tools for my job and for my own fun.

And I do use the iPad Pro 13” for reading in bed.

 

[Sam Posten]

Sam,

Thanks. When you say “create your clip” is that mean from a standard iPad screenshot I should be able to share it to Adobe Scan? I downloaded Adobe Scan the other day hoping it would work as a .pdf converter.

Yep if I understand scan correctly. If that doesn’t work use the one I listed.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Yep if I understand scan correctly. If that doesn’t work use the one I listed.

Thanks, Sam. Will try it.

Thanks Ron. I see, when I get photos in email, I just tap and hold on the image in the email and it asks me if I want to save it to photos or save to files. It did take me a little while to get used to using the Folder. But now I’ve got several folders for different files that I use to save things and they can be saved locally or on the cloud too. That makes it handy for accessing those files from my iPhone and Mac Pro desktop too.

As far as creating PDF documents, that is something I have not done. For receipts, I use an app that my company uses where I can take photos from my iPhone of receipts and it is saved for access when I do my reimbursement report. Of course with the lock down, I have not had to travel.

I did get a invoice in email from a software company I use for the yearly renewal as a PDF doc. But creating a PDF, I’ve not done yet. I might have to try that sometime.

Well, it’s good to see that you gave the iPad Pro an honest try and it’s working for you more or less. I really like using my iPad Pro for nearly everything! Ever since I got my first one in 2010, it’s been an indispensable tool! And I would call it one of my tools I use to do my job because I still need to use a Windows PC for CAD work stuff. But my Mac Pro and iPad Pro are also tools for my job and for my own fun.

And I do use the iPad Pro 13” for reading in bed.

With each passing day, I am more and more amazed at how much better I am getting using this iPad as a laptop.

It is definitely now at the point where if I needed to, I could sell my Macbook Pro and use the iPad until the new MBP models arrive.

I am looking forward to taking this iPad to the park and just sitting outdoors and doing some work. Really never considered doing that with my laptop before.

Nelson, I would try Sam's tip above by installing Adobe scan. That looks like it's probably the solution you need to create .pdf files.

And the iPad Pro is great for reading. I read magazines on it.

 

[DaveF]

I would also check whether you *need* PDF for receipts. Your software might also accept images.

 

[Nelson Au]

Hey Ron, I have not had the need to make PDF’s on the iPad Pro…yet. But good to know of that option above. I do have a PDF reader app but I rarely use it.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Hey Ron, I have not had the need to make PDF’s on the iPad Pro…yet. But good to know of that option above. I do have a PDF reader app but I rarely use it.

I am still hesitant on saying the method Sam lays out works. I think it does. I tried it yesterday by loading a screenshot into the Adobe Scan app. I then was prompted to also download Adobe Reader and looking at it now, it seems as if my image is indeed saved as a .pdf. It just wasn’t a fluent process for me and perhaps I did something wrong.

End take: it works, but not sure if it works just with Adobe scan.