3rd Gen Ipad Pro Problem: Will NOT sync to USB ports!
I bought a new Ipad Pro 12.9" last week and was thrilled. The problem came when i wanted to connect it to my (late) 2011 MacBook pro to sync it with iTunes. I realize the new iPad utilizes the USB-C (thunderbolt 3) port for connectivity and my computer has only USB 2.0 ports as well as the Thunderbolt 1 port available. So i contacted apple to find out if the USB-C to USB adapter they sell on their website would work. They say it would! I purchased it, plugged the adapter into the Ipad Pro's USB-C port, plugged a USB cable into the adapter and the USB cable into my MacBook Pro. Nothing happened. Not only would it not sync/ be recognized by iTunes, the computer itself was unaware anything was even plugged in. Also the Ipad did not charge or recognize it was plugged into a device. This leads me to part 2 of the problem.
I contacted Apple support and after over an hour on the phone with 3 different representatives, they simply had no idea had to resolve the problem and then no conclusive answer, eventually telling me i possibly need a 3rd party adapter or that my computer was considered "vintage" and it will not communicate via USB. Needless to say i suggested perhaps the USB-C (thunderbolt 3) to Thunderbolt 2 adapter might work, they said possibly and recommended going to an apple store which i did. Upon arrival and after describing my situation, there were several interested employees assisting me. Needless to say that did not work either in fact no combinations of cords and adapters did. We then tested the Ipad to sync it with a newer MacBook Air with a built-in USB-C port and it worked. We switched the connection and tried the Ipad with the USB-C to USB adapter and plugged it in to the same MacBook Air and to no surprise it did NOT work.
So it has been tested and concluded that for some reason, Apples brand new flagship Ipad, is not backwards compatible with ANY computer that does not have USB-C ports. This seems absolutely ridiculous as many products on the market function with USB-C to USB adapters as it is bi-directional ports/adapters/technology, the only difference is you will have slower data transfer speeds and likely will not have powered charging (my own speculation about charging). Considering the hardware is available this must be a software related problem, or is this not even a problem at all in apples eyes? Perhaps they simply want everything synced via iCloud and this is a push to force people to utilize there subscription services? Or maybe this is a new problem that is only surfacing now and there will be a software update?
Needless to say I am greatly disappointed as i manually connect and sync all of my devices as i have gigabytes worth of music that i purchased and downloaded prior to iTunes and cannot transfer it via iCloud because of licensing issues (so I'm told). Did i just spend $1600+ (with accessories) on a product that i can partially use? Hopefully there can be some light shed on this issue and a possible answer or resolution in the works.
iPad Pro 12.9 inch, 3rd Gen, Cellular, iOS 12.1