Speaking as someone who uses an iPad 90% of the time, I think your foot is safe. Most of the time my iPP is used as a tablet. When I have more than a few comments to write I do put it on a stand and use a keyboard, and if I need to remote into a windows server or Mac, etc. using a mouse or trackpad does allow me to use the remote computer as if I was onsite. I prefer the iPad because it is not a Mac, it is a tool that fits my needs better than a standard computer.
But iPads, like standard computers, need a reliable backup system, so how about it Apple?
I think with the advent of the M1, lots of RAM and Thunderbolt the ability to do Pro level connections are there with a few accessories.
I think the kvetching is the lack of Pro apps but Apple has been conspiculously silent on how Logic Pro/FCP is going to assist in the creation of Spatial Audio.
A point release could enable major versions of both apps along with corrorally iOS apps.
I don’t think you should look at the Files app as a clue to where Apple’s ambitions are. With the FileProvider.framework any app can access various storage system whether local or cloud. It disintermediates the Files app to a point.
We’ve already received a hint of the future than came and went quickly
Apple has a few options here. Turn the Pro apps into subs or offer subs in addition to outright purchases. I think they go the with the latter. I think the Pro Apps will have a sub option that comes with specific allotments of iCloud storage and collaboration features so that
Project files are always safe, versioned and available.
Team collaboration on Audio and Video projects is baked in, think capable but not necessarily Frame IO
SharePlay is vital for these collaborative environments which is why Apple is launching it across all platforms
This is my conjecture. Hopefully they release it mid-cycle iOS 15. We all know Apple …they want to launch big things and give them their proper space.
Not really… at least for Logic it’s already clear.
Having spoken a bit about that with the Craft developers, that’s not so simple. Currently only iCloud really has such privileges. The other cloud developers have to implement that, and the number of them having done so is approximately zero. It might be coming on paper, yes, but it’s still in the far, far future.
Interesting
I tend to not go to MacRumors website anymore preferring to just watch their highlighted stuff on YouTube.
I’m counting on File Provider moving slow because Apple is paranoid enough about security and privacy to ride it out of a bit. If they deliver next level looks at it it’ll be in their own apps as they test it for wider support for 3rd party Devs is my guess.
I see Apple Pro apps becoming part of the Services Play.
Also I noticed that Internally Apple refers to SharePlay as Group Activities. SharePlay sounds like the easy to digest consumer branding. Group Activities is everywhere. It looks like wherever there needs to be collaboration Apple will be there at a low level in the xOS.
The upcoming year should be interesting. To me it feels like Apple has a more cogent ideal of where they want to go with the ecosystem and I expect a lot of little things to pop up as we start to embrace these tools more.
The Minority Report extract is fascinating to watch today. It already has hints of retrofuturism; you see big data slates being ferried to and fro and having to be put in place; Tom Cruise has to wear gloves, assuming the computer can’t pick up his hands movements; he is extremely stiff when manipulating the UI.
This scene, influenced by 2021, would look slightly different today.
Universal Control if done correctly just eliminates couple of steps of file sharing
I noticed that Apple has done some MDM work that improves the ability to have say and iPad
Temporarily store data and erase it when the user logs out.
Kind of makes you think that perhaps App Clips will eventually come to the Mac allowing for near instant running of smaller applications.
Now imagine the option to have a Mac/IPad setup in Temporary mode. You login with proper authentication and your chosen app clips are loaded and ready to go and bandwidth improvements eliminate the 3 device limite of Universal Control.
Perhaps we’re not too far from the computing dream that whoever you go your OS, Apps and Data can follow you ready to be engaged on appropriate hardware within a few minutes.
Agree… I think they underdelivered on the M1 hype around the iPad and have not yet addressed the potential of the new one. Pro-apps would have been awesome, but they can launch anytime as they will have a dedicated specialist audience.
All of the iOS15 functionality will work equally as well on an iPad Pro 2018, so no direct need there and I am holding on to mine a bit longer, though I can’t wait for some of the new iOS 15 functionality which looks awesome.
Things will start changing when App developers find a way to really use the additional 16Gb ram. Can imagine Pro AI, Audio and Video apps will come out in 2H 2021
At the moment the only thing I can imagine an M1 iPad will do materially better is working on a Lightroom catalogue attached via Thunderbolt dock on a 4K screen. Having the benefit of a touch screen for editing is great. I often edit photos on iPad. It feels more natural.
Although software progress is way too slow it is inevitable the software will catch up with the hardware over time. One thing is clear though; Apple sees the iPad as a complementary device to the Mac, and not as a potential replacement and will not position it as such. It concentrates on creative production away from a desk.
In the meantime, my patience will be tested until an updated M1 mini comes out. I am still in awe with the current one, which easily outperforms a 2013 Mac Pro and a 2020 16" MBP
I’m reading a lot of “might”, “if” and “rumoured” in the article, so not sure there’s anything there?
What I’m curious about is whether we’ll actually be using this “great feature” in real life.
Tbh I’m a bit sceptical about the real world use at the moment. I’ve got a setup where IF I’m near a mac I’m looking at 2 displays, and would normally put my iPad Pro below these in the middle. Not sure this would then work.
Agreed. Like a lot of “great features” I’d like to add. Let’s be honest, probably 95% of the iPad users are perfectly happy with the way it works now. I consider myself a tech savvy power user. But I have never ever multitasked on my iPad. Don’t even know how to do it. I use the iPad for media consumption on the couch and for creating music. But even when I use apps like Cubasis and advanced synths, it’s mostly the single port (dongle hell) that bothers me than anything else.
Unfortunately that’s still not changed in ipados 15, according to this tweet from artstudio’s developer.
When the RAM limitations were the same for the 4GB model and the 6GB (1TB) in 2018. I thought it was because Apple was not advertising RAM, they wanted to maintain consistency with the experience across different storage options. But now I don’t get it at all. It’s somewhat disingenuous to advertise the massive amount of RAM when it’s not allowed to be fully utilised.
Havn’t backed up anything in my life actively, burned my Mac to the ground with the Catalina beta. Wiped it, reinstalled Mojave and didn’t lose a file because iCloud. Works fine, why back up anything?
There is something on the horizon as Apple would not have advertised the spec if it cannot or will not be used or even segmented the market between the 8GB and 16Gb variants.
So either the App max. RAM allowance will change or something will happen on the multitasking front. The third possibility would be the increased memory use of common OS services (file management, screen-sharing, connected peripheral use, graphics performance).
Apple should have managed the M1 hype on the iPad better as the expectations were sky-high, then again for likely only a very small subset of users as current device performance is adequate for 90+% of iPad users, even those who try and live an iPad only lifestyle (and live with the device usability limitations)