You may feel like you’re a broken record, but I am in full agreement with the song.
@snelly - The reviews are not skewed because the reviewers only share their own perspectives, but because they treat their perspectives as though their perspective was generally and universally applicable across the whole iPad userbase. There are numerous reviews by people trying to use an iPad in a specific domain directed to others who work in that same domain, for example, a video editor whose review is for other video editors. In that case, a review, narrowly focused on the workflows, use cases, and tools required of a video editor make perfect sense.
To make general pronouncements and condemnations of a device that are intended to be applicable generally but are based on these specific, narrow use cases distorts the review.
What is audio hijacking on an iPad?
(I do agree, though, that more robust audio handling would be widely beneficial.)
Perfect example! I even took the iPad charging quiz. That was cool. I would have never have given so much [EDIT: thought] to battery charging as was in this quiz. But it speaks volumes about the issue of how one uses and thinks of a device depends greatly on context.
Listening to music, for example, and come across a website/app with sound and all the sudden my music shuts off and the new sound plays. Instead of them both playing at the same time?
I will admit, this happens sporadically on my phone. Sometimes two audio sources will play at the same time, sometimes one will get muted.
I understand what you’re talking about now. It’s perfectly possible that the behavior exists. Equally possible that I have experienced this and maybe not noticed it. I don’t know of any websites that I go to regularly that autoplay sound such that they might take over from music (or media that I had playing). That behavior may still be there. I know if I had music playing and went to youtube and intentionally pressed play on a video, it would stop music and start playing the video. That may not be what you’re referring to as hijacking, but the result is the same. New audio suspends the previously-playing audio.
I think we’re on the same page, though: whether by Hijacking or by choice, I would prefer the iPad be able to play multiple streams of audio and let me sort it out.
I think there are plenty of general purpose iPad reviews from a million publications. If we’re talking about the Snells and Vitticis of the world, people read those reviews for the personalities of their authors. Their perspectives are what people read for.
We’re really grasping at straws if now the consensus is “the reviewers are all too niche and don’t like the iPad as much as me because they aren’t thinking about general users.”
You’ve blown my mind a bit with this seemingly minor comment. I have complained several times in iPad discussions (including in this thread!) that Google iOS apps are just crap. For some reason it had never occurred to me to just use Google software in browser instead. I’m doing my own week-long “iPad first” experiment this week, inspired by yours, and this tip has been a revelation!
For other people wanting to try it: You will need to remove your Google apps from your device first, because when you’re in browser it will force you back to the app and there’s no way to stop it (that I have found). However, since you’d be doing this because the apps are crap, it’s no hardship to delete them!
In browser on iPadOS, Google Docs has exactly the same functionality as it does on a Mac. No more juggling comment and edit views!!
I also had an issue in the Google Docs app with the app lagging behind input - i.e. I had to wait for my typing to appear on screen and sometimes letters got missed. This isn’t a problem in browser - I’ve been editing a 30,000 word doc today and it’s not missing any inputs. I am using my Magic Keyboard today, and I’m using Firefox as my browser.
That YouTube has some handy tricks in it, thank you for sharing. Though just a little warning that Jamboard looks great in this video but in typical Google fashion it’s being shut down at the end of the year so for white board functionality you’ll need to go elsewhere.
(On my iPad I’m using Freeform. On my Mac I’m using Miro. It kind of annoys me that I can’t switch seamlessly between the two, but I realise that’s a “me” problem not a tech problem I don’t think Freeform is good enough for a Mac, at least not yet.)
Thank you for a comprehensive and insightful review. Thanks also for doing the hard yards with testing all the “hiccups”. My usage is similar to yours but I am spared the challenges of Scrivener etc…so far.
I love PDF expert but find the A$80/year fee now a bit on the nose. I am trialling PDF Viewer for only A$30 and will see if it can substitute - 2 months in so far so good.
I am intrigued you said the screen is much better than your 14” M1 MBP. I was pondering replacing my M2 MBA with the 14” MBP but now thanks to your insightful will just go to a 15” MBP.
One final question, I note you use your IPad Pro for reading. Is that primarily professional books/journals or leisure reading? I am currently living the 2 iPad lifestyle as I use an old 11” IPP for reading but 2 iPads seems a bit frivolous (and an inducer of constant indecision which to use). I am an avid reader and seem to have gone away from soft/hard back books, again because I move a lot and it seems wasteful to buy books then give away. And my arcane subject matter of religion/spirtiualism and philosophy doesn’t seem to appeal to my friends Can’t imagine why?
So any tricks for comfortable kindle reader? Just leave the 13” IPP on its Magic Keyboard, plopped on your lap and read away?
Finally, apologies for such a long reply/comment. In the words of Churchill “ I apologise I didn’t have time to write a shorter letter”.
Thanks for sharing your efforts and everyone’s comments. Always insightful.
I, too, read extensively, both fiction and non-fiction, for both professional work and pleasure. Recent books include The Gulag Archipelago (3 vol), War and Peace (still working on this one!), 1984, Enchiridion (Epictetus), Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Providence and Power, The Collapse of Parenting, Making Sense of God, and others.
I have a large physical library, but for the last 15 years, I have purchased all of my books as ebooks, sometimes including ones I already own as physical books. I read using the 13” iPad Pro in tablet mode, using the Apple Pencil to annotate and take notes. When finished, I download my highlights and notes to my research folder. I use the Kindle app. While I’d prefer the 11” for reading, the 13” is no more difficult to hold when reading than a medium to large sized physical book. Thus, I only own one iPad.
I haven’t experimented with it enough to give you any personal reflections, but PDF Gear is all the rage on Reddit as a free alternative to PDF Expert.
As an aside, it’s interesting how much slang can differ in different English speaking countries. In the U.S. (at least as I’ve always heard it), “on the nose” means “precisely” or “exactly where it should be,” e.g., “her estimate proved to be on the nose.” The word “right” is often added for emphasis: “that was right on the nose.”
I tried PDF Gear on macOS for about 20 minutes before deciding it wasn’t worth my time. I think it was too ugly among other things. Shallow perhaps, but as a work tool I don’t want to cringe every few minutes. If I was ok with that I’d use windows!
Really? Well, thanks for clarifying. Guess the old saying “imitation is the best form of flattery” rings true - even for the greats of history. And I would say that quote is from Oscar Wilde but now I’m dubious he was the originator,
Excellent! Thank you. Will perservere with 13” for reading. It’s not cumbersome but just feels strange but then again any electronic device can create that feeling. But upsides to the IPad are many.
Nice to hear about what you’re reading. War and Peace - there’s a challenge. I want to read Proust’s- In Search of Lost Time but not sure I have the tenacity (or longevity) to work my way through all 7 volumes.
I used to have a large hardback/paperback library, some 30+ boxes, but after seeming them damaged in my constant house moving (retired military) I became dismayed seeing them damaged.
The kindle app is great for annotating and collecting notes. And easier to re-find than notes scribbled on a page. I know some consider writing on a paper book the best way to engage with the subject matter but I always found it a bit of “crime” against the book. Kindle notations don’t generate that guilt.
The Collapse of Parenting sounds interesting. Will find myself a copy.
I don’t think Freeform is good enough for a Mac, at least not yet.)
Can’t imagine why?
