Here is the story of how an android user got his iPad and his experience with using one despite never having used an Apple product in his life before.
Who are you, and what do you do?
I am Trun, and I am a student pursuing my B.tech degree in Computer Science. I have never owned an iPhone before and have always been an Android user for my entire life. I might tell you that this was due to reasons such as “I love customization and Android is better than IOS when it comes to installing themes” or “iPhone doesn’t give you the same freedom that the Android phones offer to their users”. But the truth is I couldn’t justify to my parents for letting me buy an iPhone when they knew I could buy an Android phone for just fewer than 15,000 rupees. It wasn’t a big deal for me too back then, but everything changed when I got an iPad as a present from my uncle.
It wasn’t the first time for me to use an iPad as I had held one before at my friend’s house, and as a kid, I was thrilled to see my friends play games on such a big screen. It always made me wish to have one myself. Maybe the gods heard me this time, and I finally had one. I never really used the iPad to its full potential because it was the first time my entire family had owned an Apple product, and we treated it like a newborn baby. But as we all know, the value of anything only decreases after a certain period. Within a few months, I was allowed to do all kinds of stuff with the iPad, and I could say that this was the start of an Industrial Revolution life.
What is your current iPad setup?
The iPad that I got was the space grey Apple iPad Pro 12.9 inch (1st Gen). It was back in 2016 and was the latest iPad with such a giant screen. I also received an Apple pencil along with it, which made it look even more incredible. It was a stylus made by Apple just for its iPad and was released along with the iPad Pro model. I instantly became popular among my peers, which made me understand the power of owning an Apple product. The best part was I also had the Magic Keyboard, which gave me the vibes of owning a Macbook when I connected it with my iPad.

The one thing that every person owning an Apple product has is the fear of breaking it. I knew that even better because having an expensive item that was bigger than the size of my hands means the possibility of me dropping it was sky-high. Thus the first order of business was to buy a case and a screen protector. The cover I purchased for my iPad was the ProCase cover, which was decent enough and protected my iPad well. I don’t remember the brand of the screen protector that I bought, but I do remember buying it on Amazon along with the case for the iPad. I didn’t buy any fancy grips for my Apple pencil as I wasn’t using it too much initially, which was pretty much my entire iPad setup.
What apps do you use the most and why?
In the beginning, I was fascinated by this one app called “Garage Band”, which was one of the default apps that were present on my iPad. I almost spent most of my time trying out all the different instruments present in it. The idea of playing the piano or a guitar all in a single app back then made me love Garage Band. I know that there were similar apps on Android, but none gave me the excitement that I found when using this app on the iPad.
I also love watching movies and videos, which made me love my iPad even more due to its 12.9-inch screen. It was perfect for me to binge watch hours of series on my bed which you can tell by the fact that I had all three Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hotstar on my iPad (none of them was my account, by the way, LOL).
The final app that I spent hours together was “Fortnite”, a game that was so popular that I wanted to try it out so bad. Fortunately, it was available for the iPad Pro, and it was free too. One of the issues that I faced when playing on the iPad was the screen size, which seems ironic because I loved the iPad mainly for its large display. Overall, it was an entertaining game, and I enjoyed playing it on my iPad.
How are you using your iPad in a day to day life?
I wanted to do something productive during this pandemic, and I came to know about an app called “Procreate”, which was popular among the artist community. Plus, I had an Apple pencil and never really used it, which made me question my existence. I also had a thing for arts and creative kinds of stuff, so at the end of 2020, I invested 10 dollars in Procreate and started my journey to become a professional digital artist. So far as to say, this was one of the best investments I made because of how much procreate helped me visualize my creativity. It has so many features, and along with the pressure sensitivity and palm rejection features of the Apple pencil, I felt like drawing on paper.
I use the iPad mainly for two things, watching movies on Netflix and exploring my creativity using Procreate. Other than that, I also spend a significant amount of time on Youtube.
What are the things that you love and hate on your iPad?
I wouldn’t say I liked the camera and that I had to pay for almost everything if I wanted to use anything on the iPad like the Apple TV or the iTunes.
The other problem that I faced was the storage because I only had the 32 GB iPad model. It was a huge deal breaker as I had to delete or offload certain apps to save some memory for playing Fortnite due to their constant updates.
[ Related: iPad Out of Storage Space? Tips and Apps to Clean iPad Memory ]
But there were millions of reasons why I love my iPad: the first and foremost is its beautiful 12.9-inch LED display. Apple also supports various exclusive apps such as Procreate and Things, a productivity app/to-do list. I wouldn’t have been able to try out these apps or watch “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” on Netflix if it weren’t for my iPad, which in some ways had changed my life a lot. Also, the amount of security that Apple provides for their users is unmatched. I am telling this for two main reasons; the first is because every time I need to install an app, either free or premium, I need to use my Touch Id, which means there is no way for anyone else to access my iPad or try to purchase something without my knowledge. The second one is due to the reason that I can stop apps from tracking me by going to Settings > Privacy > Tracking. Meaning I have the freedom not to have to sell my data whenever I use an app, which no other OS provides for their users.
Finally, I can’t brag enough about the most remarkable thing Apple is known for, which is its years of support and constant updates. It s been five years, and my iPad is still in better condition than my phone and has the latest iPadOS, which is the same OS available on the latest iPad Pro (5th Gen). The battery performance may not still be the same as it once was, but still, the processor is powerful enough for me to run apps like Fortnite and Procreate.
Did you ever felt the need to jailbreak your iPad?
At times, I often felt that I wanted to jailbreak my iPad, which can give me access to many features and access to install apps from third-party websites. But the problem is I didn’t want to do this since I love Apple for its security, and by doing so, I can make my iPad prone to viruses and malware. Plus, Apple still supports my iPad, and the fact that I wouldn’t be able to claim any warranty makes me less interested in doing so. It doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be doing it, but I would instead try this if I buy another iPad or if Apple stops supporting my iPad.
Where is your current wallpaper, and where do you get them?
I currently use one of the wallpapers from the list of wallpapers provided by Apple. You can find it on your iPad by going to Settings > Wallpaper > Stills. Some of my favourite ones were the cartoonish landscape wallpapers available in both light and dark modes, and it was something that I loved since I use the dark theme on my iPad. I would also sometimes go to Pinterest to find illustrations that I like and keep them as my wallpaper, or if I am desperate enough, I would also make one of my own using Canva or Inkscape. It doesn’t look that good, but it still gives me the satisfaction that I did it myself whenever I look at the wallpaper on my iPad.
Would you switch entirely to an Apple ecosystem if given a choice?
After using the iPad for almost six years, I understood why people opt for using the Apple ecosystem for their creative and work life. I love how powerful the hardware capabilities of Apple products are and how almost every app is built to make the best out of it. If it weren’t for Procreate or the Apple pencil, I would never have tried digital art. The best part about using the iPad is that it solves the problem of having to boot up a laptop and the small screen size of my phone, which makes it perfect for me to use it whenever I feel like watching a movie or play with my creativity using Procreate.
Having said all this, I would love to change to an entire Apple ecosystem, but the truth is Apple isn’t my cup of tea. As a broke student and in constant need of alternative solutions for premium apps, I know that I would find it difficult to use apps on the IOS unless I pay for it. Also, the one thing that I hate the most is how much they charge for the accessories, which further downgrade my thoughts about changing entirely to Apple. The right thing for me would be to have an iPad for researching articles and using it as my personal space for my thoughts, and having a personal laptop for my workspace.
What are your final thoughts about Apple?
The iPad changed the way I saw Apple products. I understood that Apple is one of the best when it comes to creating innovative products, which I can tell you by the way that they have built the Apple Pencil and the iPad Pro. I also love the constant updates and the security that Apple provides. Overall, I think that everyone should have the opportunity to use an iPad to understand how much they need one in their life. I would also highly recommend everyone to buy the iPad Pro as it has changed my life in so many ways.
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