iPad Pro 512GB (ROLLING ACTIVE)

(Rolling reviews are updated in descending date order.  This is to make it easier to revisit and always see the latest content.  Start from the bottom, and read up if this is your first visit)

5/16/2024

Apple products are not something we generally use or test.  Realizing that people tend to get caught up in the cult following of either Android or Apple, I think it is important to explain why we feel the way we do about Apple.  Yes, I’m an “Android Guy”.  That means I have mostly Android devices and am embedded deep into the Google ecosystem.  And while Apple devices can use certain Google accounts and applications, it doesn’t work natively.  And while we can argue about those kinds of first world problems, in the end, it causes innefficiencies and delays in workflows.

Your next question should probably be “then why did you buy an iPad?”.  Fair question, but complicated.  First and foremost, we test devices that we think our customers might use, or might want to use.  There’s no sense in thousands of travel baller’s buying a product that won’t work well in the field.  Additionally, if we can come up with processes that help folks hit the ground running, we are happy to do so.

With that said, there’s no doubt that Apple has the market cornered in the photo/video/graphic arts world.  As such, device and app makers in this market tend to focus their efforts on Apple first, and everyone else second.  In the case of Mevo, and specifically Mevo Multicam, this is certainly the case.  For each device you add to the multicam application, more and more load is added to the “control device” processor.  In this case “control device” means the tablet or smartphone running the multicam app.  Since Mevo only makes the app in the Apple and Android form, this takes our beloved Microsoft Surface tablets out of the game.  And all things being equal, if they had a windows based app, we wouldn’t be doing this test.

So why not start testing with an Android tablet?  First and foremost, there are hundreds of iterations of Android tablet out there.  But  in short, the only widely used tablet that has a processor large enough to handle this extra load and also have the ability to add a data plan are Samsung Galaxy devices.  And like other Android device makers, they use their version of Android.  This means that all kinds of junk software are loaded on these devices.  It also means that when Google comes out with an update, you have to wait for that manufacturer to build it in to their version of the OS.  Google make a good table; the Pixel Tablet.  It has the Tensor processor that can compete with the Apple M2 processor.  It uses pure vanilla Android OS and is always up to date.  But for some crazy reason, they didn’t build one that would accommodate a data carrier.  And while using a hotspot to livestream video makes sense, any other time, a tablet that relies on WiFi to access the internet generally means it really isn’t going to get much use on the road.

Thus and therefore, we find ourselves owning an iPad.  So in this rolling review, we will test this device along side our Mevo cameras and other items we think are important for the mobile baseball/softball live streamer.  As with most things we do, we probably won’t get into the generic information on these devices.  There are always box opening vloggers that can get you that information.  But as most of them don’t cater to the travel ball industry, we will pick up where they leave off.  Stay tuned.

Current good and bad

Good:

• Apple makes pretty hardware.  This is no exception.  5mm thin and well made
• Screen and rotation is fast snappy.
• Super fast operation with apps currently tried.
• Mevo cameras connected without any issue
• Added a wireless plan (Verizon) within seconds directly from the tablet.  Literally could not have been easier.

Bad:

• Good Lord in Heaven above!!!  Why does Apple have to purposely do things different than Android and Windows?  Nothing operates or is where my brain thinks it should be.
• Device is so thin it is uncomfortable to use.  I am certain I am going to break this at some point.
• For as long as iPads have been around, it is still disappointing how many apps are still just iPhone apps blown up to size.  I tried writing this post with just the iPad and had to move to a windows device.  There are just some things that can't be done efficiently.
• Magic Keyboard is great for sitting on the desk or in your lap.  But it can't be unfolded all of the way open and used used just as a case.  This means for walking around using the tablet standing up, you really have to remove the tablet from the keyboard.  And at that point, you have an unprotected device that is already fragile (who's a bull in a china shop?  This guy.).