IOS 14.5 on an Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max

channel

So I haven’t posted in a while.  A few weeks at least.  A lot has changed since the last time I posted.  I am no long with Shared Service Canada.  On my own doing a YouTube channel.  Personal debt is all cleared up except for the vehicle.  Credit score has vastly improved to the positive.  A new Apple iPad Pro is on the horizon and will be purchased this week on April 30, 2021.  IOS 14.5 came out today and all the current devices are updated.  The plan to move out west is in the works.  Most of the jobs I am being offered now are all remote or work from home.  No point in staying in Ottawa if all the jobs are work from home.  I can work from home from anywhere.  

I don’t know why I purchased the Dell XPS 17” 9700 laptop.  Well, I didn’t really know that Apple would be upgrading the 2021 Apple iPad Pro so dramatically.  I guess the reason I got the Dell XPS is to use it as a device for work.  So it will remain a device for work.

I’ve been using the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max and the 2018 iPad Pro as my daily drivers for a while now.  With the new iPad Pro coming out later this week, it’ll be more of a reason to use the new iPad Pro and iPad OS as my daily driver for my own personal work.  I started a YouTube channel earlier this month.  Please check it out and if you can, subscribe and hit the notification icon.

I’ve been getting a lot of job offers.  A lot of them are remote, work from home types of jobs.  I think this is more proof I can get a job anywhere and work from home.  Time to move out Calgary.

I’ve had enough with laptops/desktops

So I do my photography with a Sony a7R II, a 42.4 megapixel beast.  I shoot my footage with a Canon Vixia HF G50, a 4K/30fps camcorder and I edit everything on a 2018 Apple iPad Pro with the 512GB hard drive, the 12.9” screen and 4GB of memory.  I was thinking of upgrading the iPad Pro to the 2020 iPad Pro with the 1TB hard drive and 6GB of RAM.  From what I have read, the new 2020 Apple iPad Pro is only 1% faster than the 2018 Apple iPad Pro.  Is it worth upgrading?  Hell no.  Not for $1949 plus tax.  I did get the new Apple keyboard though for the iPad.  It should be here in a few weeks.  I have absolutely no need for a laptop or a desktop to edit my photography or my footage.  The iPad Pro is just a beast of a powerhouse.  Maybe I will upgrade in 2021 when they bring out the A14X chip.  The 12.9” screen is just fine.  I can edit fine detail in my photography in Affinity Photo or Pixelmator Photo.  Apple Photos is just fine for my video editing I believe.  I don’t do heavy edits in any app.  I just shoot in RAW for photography.  File sizes are about 85 megabytes and the iPad Pro has no problem handling these types of file sizes.  The Canon Vixia HF G50 outputs 500-600 megabyte files for a minute of 4K footage which is all I use to upload to Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, Pond5 and Storyblocks.

The only problem I can foresee for myself is file storage.  I may need to upgrade in a year or two for the 1TB hard drive.  If Apple puts a 2TB, 4TB or an 8TB hard drive into future iPads, there will be no reason to buy a laptop or a desktop.  Apple will just need to upgrade their online storage.  With the current 2TB cap for $12 a month is just not enough.  I’d probably need 4-8TB of online storage.  I would be willing to pay $20-25 a month for 4-8TB of online storage.

If you have an iPad

If you have an iPad and are thinking about upgrading to the latest and greatest software from Apple, don’t.  Just don’t.  It’s a buggy mess.  I upgraded today thinking everything would be fine.  It’s not.  When I have Assistive Touch on for mouse support, half my keys on the Apple Keyboard Folio do not work.  All the keys from A to H work but from I to Z do not.  If I disable Assistive Touch, all the keys work.  I have a USB mouse attached to an external dock so maybe the setup is what’s causing the bug.  I ordered a Bluetooth mouse off of Amazon and it should be here in two days.  Suprisingly or not, Apple’ own Bluetooth mouse won’t work with iPadOS 13.1 which is very underwhelming and to be expected from Apple.  Also the software keyboard keeps coming up in various apps even when I disable it since I use the external keyboard.  Apple has some serious coding to do to repair a shit tonne of bugs.  I’m sure I’m not the only one who is having this issue, let alone other issues.

On a side note, the good things about iPadOS so far are that you can connect external hard drives and USB drives.  Just make sure they are formatted in APFS or your iPad won’t recognize them at all.  Once Apple fixes the mouse support, it’ll be very handy.  Some of the apps need to be updated so that we can import photos and footage directly from an external hard drive or an SD card.  That would be very useful.  That shouldn’t take more than a week or two for all the developers to get fixed.  

I do photography on the Sony RX100 Mark VI and VII.  RAW profiles are available for the Sony RX100 Mark VI but not for the VII like I was hoping for.  But with the new files system, I can at least access the footage files from the Sony RX100 Mark VII and store them on the external hard drive which is attached to the iPad Pro.  So still waiting for updates on that.

So if I were you, I’d wait until at least iPadOS 13.2 or 13.3 is released to the general public.  Until then, stay with iOS 12.4.1 or whatever you’re at now.  Let schmucks like me go through the trouble of updating our iPads early so we can go through the shit so you don’t have to.  

Edit:  The Apple Bluetooth mouse does work with iPadOS 13.1 but it screws up the iPad keyboard folio again.

Apple iPadOS is buggy as hell

So Apples iPadOS came out today and so far it's a disaster as far as my experience goes.   i use the external apple case with the keyboard.  half the keys don't work.  I have to use the on screen keyboard to type this since the eternal keyboard is pretty much useless.  Also the Apple bluetooth magic mouse doesn't work with the new operating system.  What a shit show Apple.

Wow Apple,that was really...

...underwhelming.  Arcade, Apple Watch, new bands, retail?  New Apple iPhone 11 and the Apple iPhone 11 Pro?  I don’t use my phone for the majority of my photography, let alone shoot my footage.  I was hoping for more information on new laptops, the Mac Pro, iPadOS, iOS13.  But nothing.  Just new phones and services I have no interest in.  I am so disappointed with Apple right now.  No information or updates on iPadOS.  Nothing.

I was going to do a livestream of myself reacting to the September 10, 2019 event.  I’m glad I didn’t.

Just read on Macworld.com that iPadOS will be available September 19th.  A week from this Thursday.  IOS 13.1 will be available on September 30th, 2019 which is pretty specific for a dot one release.  Why couldn’t Apple say this in their presentation?  I want a fully functional 2018 Apple iPad Pro.  IOS 12 is a disaster.  IPadOS is much more feature rich and it’ll make the iPad Pro usable.

Edit:  iPad OS 13 will be available on September 30th of this year with iPad OS 13.1 being available the same day.  WTF Apple?  This is really confusing.  IOS 13 will be available on September 19th for the iPhones.  God!!!!! Another 20 days with iOS 12.4.1!!!!!!  I so wanted to only use my 2018 Apple iPad Pro with iPadOS 13 ASAP.

Apple and Microsoft need updates

Both Microsoft and Apple need to release their Digital Raw updates to support new cameras that have come out onto the market in the last month or so.  Apple is hopefully releasing their new iPadOS, their iPad Pro centric OS in the next two weeks.  I have the new Sony RX100 Mark VII camera and I can't use any of the pictures yet because they're not supported in any of the software such as Apple Photos on the iPad Pro or ON1 Photo RAW 19.5 running on Windows.  I've had the camera for 2.5 weeks now and it's basically unusable for me on the iPad Pro.  I can grab the videos from the RX100 VII and import them into Wondershare's Filmora 9.  I really just want to actually start using the camera at 100% of its capabilities  Hopefully all the necessary updates will be released in the next couple of weeks.

Seriously Apple!!!!

I’ve hit a wall.  The new Sony RX100 Mark VII is not supported on the 2018 Apple iPad Pro running iOS 12.4.  And it probably won’t be supported with the new iPadOS coming out in about a month or so.  So what do I do for the next month?  I think I will have to pull out the Windows 10 laptop and edit photos and footage in ON1 Photo Raw 19.5 for the next month or so.  I’ve basically run out of space in Photos as well to import said photography and footage.  I know, I know, first world problems.  I need external hard drive support on the 2018 Apple iPad Pro.  I do not want to edit in Windows 10 or on a MacBook Pro.  I am enjoying the iPad Pro too much.  I just wish September 19, 2019 would come sooner so I could install Apple iPadOS on my iPad Pro and ditch the computer life forever.

Today at work I bought a mic plate for less than $7 so can attach either my Sony RX100 Mark VII or my Canon Vixia HF R800 and my Rode Video Mic Pro+ and use that for either 4K or 1080p video.  The Sony RX100 Mark VII doesn’t have the optical reach of the Canon Vixia HF R800.  

I am really, really bored with my I.T career. I just have no more will to pursue it any further.  I am enjoying photography and shooting video far more than I am fixing computers for everyone.  This will definitely be my last I.T contract in Ottawa. I am planning on moving to Calgary in early 2020.  When I was in Calgary back in 2017, I really enjoyed it. Going to the mountains every weekend.  Enjoying the mountains, forests and lakes.  Hell, the photo I took that I was thinking was just a snap that I edited in black and white was not going to sell,  Ever.  Now it’s my number one best selling photo ever on Shutterstock.  I’ve sold it almost 250 times since it being uploaded.

I am teaching myself how to use Affinity Photo on my iPad Pro.  I haven’t touched Photoshop in more than 2 years.  I really do not enjoy the subscription model Adobe is using to sell their software.  I paid less than $25 for Affinity Photo for my iPad Pro.  I also have it on my Windows 10 laptop.  It’s an awesome Photoshop alternative.  

Now it’s time to go for dinner.  Big Bone BBQ is calling my name.

Apple iPadOS

I really, really, really need iPadOS to come out ASAP.  The current version of iOS absolutely sucks as an operating system.  I have a hub attached to my 2018 Apple iPad Pro and attached to the hub I have a Seagate 4TB hard drive.  The current versions of iOS does not provide access to the Seagate external drive.  The Yeti Blue Mic works like a charm.  The SD and Micro SD card slots work flawlessly.  I just need the better file system so I can copy my photos and videos directly to the external hard drive and then I can import the photos into Darkroom and use them directly with Affinity Photo.  I just wish Audacity would port their software for audio editing.  Apple should port Final Cut Pro X or a dumbed down version of the software for the iPad.  Not as dumb as iMovie but something for editing video clips.  I hope I can use the current FTP software I have on the iPad Pro to upload stuff to my Shutterstock, Pond5 and Videoblocks ports.  Mouse support and dark mode are going to be welcome additions as well.

I also can’t wait till the Sony RX100 Mark VII comes out in about a week or two.  I am saving up money like crazy to buy the little pocket camera.  I have about $550 saved so far.  Hopefully I’ll make a few large sales on Shutterstock, Pond5 and Storyblocks in the next few weeks so I can cash out the earnings to buy the Sony RX100 Mark VII.  After I buy the Sony RX100 Mark VII, the next big purchase will be an upgraded drone.  A drone that can shoot in RAW and that takes 4K videos.  The DJI Spark I currently have is ok but it only shoots in the JPEG format and it only shoots 1080p video which is actually pretty good.  But it seems I’m selling more and more 4K videos recently.  Thankfully the Sony RX100 Mark VI and the VII shoot 4K footage which is amazing.

HyperDrive 6-in-1 USB-C Hub — for iPad Pro 2018

So the HyperDrive 6-in-1 USB-C Hub — for iPad Pro 2018 came in today. It’s a pretty snazzy little device.  I wish it just had another USB-C type connector so you can hook up two USB-A devices like a hard drive and Blue Yeti microphone.  Now to make the 2018 Apple iPad Pro an almost perfect device, I need for the iPadOS to come out.  I cannot wait for September when the operating system comes out.  I am missing external hard drive support so I can import my photos and videos to an external hard drive via the HyperDrive 6 in 1 USB-C hub.  I guess one USB-A port is ok.  I don’t think I’ll have my hard drive attached to the iPad on a constant basis.  I want to start podcasting with the iPad Pro and the Blue Yeti Mic.  I have the silver Blue Yeti Mic that I’ve had for years.  I think it goes well with the iPad Pro.

I got the HyperDrive 6-in-1 USB-C hub for the 2018 Apple iPad Pro today.  I rearranged my desk today and put the Canon printer on the ground.  I can connect to it wirelessly whenever I need to print or scan something.  I am amazed by this 12.9” iPad.  It is so fast.  And the new OS is supposed to be even faster.  I think once every 3-4 years I will buy a new iPad.  Once iPadOS comes out and we get mouse support, external drive support and dark mode, I will be very happy.  I will have no need for a Mac, Windows or a Linux based computer or laptop.

I just wish there were two pieces of software that will be ported to the iPad.  Final Cut Pro X and Audacity Audio Editor.  Audacity is already available for Windows, Mac and Linux.  I wish they would port it over to the iPad.  I can stick with LumaFusion for video editing.  It seems feature rich enough for what I do with video.

So in summary, I wish September was here tomorrow and iPadOS was being released today.  Now I wonder if I can do all my photography and shoot video with just my Apple iPhone 8 Plus and edit everything thru the cloud?  

I honestly cannot wait

Apple typically releases a new operating system every September.  THis year, a “new” operating system is coming out specifically made for the Apple iPad.  Two of the most important things within iPadOS are going to be external hard drive support and mouse support.  ON a lighter note, dark mode is also coming.  See what I did there?  ;) 

I will no longer need a laptop wether it’s Windows or MacOS or Linux.  Not that I used Linux before but it’s hardly used for photography or editing videos.  You can do it but 99.9% of the people I know use either Windows or Mac.  I cannot justify spending a minimum of $4500 on a MacBook Pro where the keys are crap and the O/S is buggy.  MacOS used to be good under Steve Jobs because Steve actually took quality control seriously.  Tim Cook, not so much.

Once iPadOS comes out in September, I am thinking of lightening my load with my camera gear.  The Sony A7II is a great photographic camera.  It’s a 24.4 megapixel full frame sensor camera.  But it is kind of heavy with the battery grip and the 24-240MM lens on it.  I am absolutely in love with the Sony RX100 line of cameras having owned the RX100 Mark II, IV, V and the VI.  I am thinking of trading in the Sony A7II camera, the grip and lens for another Sony RX100 Mark VI.  I’m also thinking of getting rid of the Canon Vixia HF G40 camcorder as it’s too big for me size wise for me.  I have the Canon Vixia HF R800 camcorder as well.  I mainly capture wildlife with the Canon Vixia HF G40 and I don’t video much at night so the Canon Vixia HF R800 is good enough for me.  It’s also about half the size of the G40.  I know the G40 has a lot more controls on it so I may just keep it.  I just want to do a lot more travel this year and next and I don’t want to carry around a lot of equipment with me.  Shoot me a quick email or leave a comment telling me what you think or giving me suggestions.  

But yeah, time to think over the next two to three months to see what I will do once Apple iPadOS comes out in September.

The new Apple iPadOS

I honestly cannot wait until Apple releases Apple iPadOS.  It’s honestly the updated every iPad owner has been waiting for.  So far my four favourite things about the operating system are dark mode, mouse support, external hard drive support and the ability to import files from an SD card directly onto the iPad or an external hard drive.  I just have to buy an external USB-C hub and I can attach my earphones, a hard drive, an external mic and an SD card  with the SD card slot.  This OS is why I bought the 2018 Apple iPad Pro in the first place.  With the exhorbitant prices Apple is asking for their laptops, the iPad was a better choice.  The keys actually function properly and the iPad doesn’t underclock the CPU when it’s put into heavy use.  I just hope that my apps will be updated to use the new iPadOS functionality.  I only use LumaFusion for video editing, Pixelmator Pro, Affinity Photo  and  Darkroom to edit my photos.  I also use the iPad as a media consumption device.

I can finally get rid of my late 2013 MacBook Pro and the Asia Windows laptop I got last year.  I won’t need the laptops anymore.  The 2018 Apple iPad Pro will be able to do everything I want.  

The list of software I currently use is Affinity Photo, PixelMator Pro, Darkroom and LumaFusion for my microstock agency business.  I of course use iTunes for music and AppleTV and YouTube for videos.  When the Apple TV service is started in September I will of course subscribe to it.  I already subscribe to Apple Music and Netflix.  I’ll probably end up killing of Netflix when the Apple TV subscription starts.  Netflix sucks right now and has been sucking for a while now.

I’m just thinking about what Apple announced at WWDC2019 and I have to laugh at their arrogance charging $999US for a damn monitor stand.  It’s a monitor stand!!!!!!!!  With what they’re charging for a monitor, they should have included the damn monitor stand.  It’s unreal what they’re charging for the new Mac Pro, the new monitors and the stand that they just announced.  I get it.  It’s high end and it’s for companies that make a killing in movies, commercials and that stuff.  But for me, it’s far overprice.  In the end, I’ll probably just end up buying an iPad every three to four years and spend $2000 on it.  I already have the needed accessories like the keyboard and Apple Pencil.  Now that the iPad is going to have mouse support, I probably won’t even need the Apple Pencil.  I can’t draw worth a damn.  I might just use it to write notes to myself.  But that’s about it.