# Apple iPad Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/apple-ipad/ 176 people recommended Apple iPad in Hacker News comments, 71 had mixed feelings and 277 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. Owners report keeping it a median of 5 years, among 39 owners. It was recommended in 12 of 12 months, in 112 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule. **Verdict:** More people criticize it than recommend it, saying its locked-down software makes it weaker than a Mac for real work; those who recommend it cite a long-lasting, easy tablet for reading, video and Apple Pencil writing. Summary written by Claude from the comments below. Claude agents reviewed it against the quotes on 2 Nov 2026. ## What people warn about - Less productive than a Mac (3 comments in the sample): "the platform itself creates friction compared to macOS that, even at the best of times, makes the user at least slightly less productive" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47870814)) "The iPad makes a great MIDI controller; it's an awful mixer or plugin host compared to a regular laptop running regular PC plugins." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46759222)) "Typing is subpar next to a Mac so by the time you put the case on it and are in similar size/weight class…" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47875127)) - Slows down after updates (3 comments in the sample): "On iOS 26 it was ridiculously slow. I feel that with recent iOS 26 updates the situation has improved and it became somewhat more usable." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49710570)) "To not mention this at all, not even in fine print release notes…" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50167634)) "An iPad which we bought around 5 years ago, which was still on sale just over 2 years ago…" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48525093)) - Questionable for children's development (3 comments in the sample): "What's toxic for childrens' development is the low bar of entertainment associated with something like an iPad connected to the Web" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46616003)) "I don't think Chromebooks, iPads and the like would have been beneficial to my elementary/middle/high school education at all." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47868934)) "Apple deliberately promoting exploitative products because they're artificially segregated from healthy software competition." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46009545)) - Locked down, limited software (2 comments in the sample): "The iPad could have been that kind of joy and amazement machine for many…" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47842590)) "Making "just a big phone" when their phone platform has always been so locked down has done the iPad concept a major disservice." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47222941)) ## Why people recommend it - Excellent for reading and video (6 comments in the sample): "The use case is rich iPhone users who want an easy experience to watch videos, read…" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46246173)) "The areas where the iPad beats the MacBook are still (imo) the same as the day it launched: web browsing, watching video, and reading." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49635646)) "iPad is the best consumption device in existence. Reading, video, casual games, it handles all without breaking a sweat." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47871862)) - Simple for kids and elderly (4 comments in the sample): "later my feeling of having bought something amazing was that my daughter learnt to speak brilliant English with Peppa Pig" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47226585)) "the iPad I let them use has child safety enabled and it seems to do exactly what the comment above you is suggesting." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49301789)) "My grandmother - at 104, was still rocking her iPad! Sending / receiving emails, doing FaceTime, reading the news." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48394269)) - Lasts for years, battery holds (3 comments in the sample): "all my iPads (including an original model) simply don't show any significant battery loss when left unused" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48597328)) "Part of what makes it worth the cost is that nothing important changes and it can last for a long time." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47225639)) "All three of mine would easily hold a charge for more than 2 days even when turned on but unused" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48593554)) - Great pen input for writing (2 comments in the sample): "I have found writing even on my ipad with apple pencil to be wayy better than typing on my keyboard." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49033562)) "I love using an iPad for writing maths because of cut/paste and the ability to drag things around" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48335907)) ## Other tablets people recommend - [iPad Pro](https://hackerapproved.com/p/ipad-pro/): 66 recommend, 24 mixed, 72 criticize - [Apple iPad Air](https://hackerapproved.com/p/ipad-air/): 48 recommend, 13 mixed, 58 criticize - [iPad mini](https://hackerapproved.com/p/ipad-mini/): 39 recommend, 13 mixed, 74 criticize - [Apple iPad with Magic Keyboard](https://hackerapproved.com/p/ipad-with-magic-keyboard/): 8 recommend, 5 mixed, 5 criticize ## Where to get it - [Visit the official site](https://www.apple.com/ipad/) ## The badge A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged. ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "Apple iPad", https://hackerapproved.com/p/apple-ipad/ (176 recommend, 71 mixed, 277 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026). Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.