A Great Take On The "Laptop Replacement".

[spiderman0616]

This is a piece Matt Gemmell wrote about the notion of the iPad being a "laptop replacement", and I'm in full agreement here:

http://mattgemmell.com/laptop-replacement/

My favorite is this line, because it describes many of the naysayers here to a T:

There’s another pattern I see, which I’ll just mention as a side-note: the stronger the conclusion that the iPad can’t replace the author’s laptop, the more likely it is that the required tasks in question are irrelevant to 90% of the computer-using populace. That, or they haven’t allowed for any change in workflow and interaction model, which is an act of remarkable intellectual dishonesty. But I digress.

I think people are losing site of the fact that the notion of a "laptop replacement" is not necessarily what "iPad-only" users are looking for. It's a different kind of computer that can do everything a laptop can do for a vast majority of users.

 

[44267547]

I think there are some who cannot fathom how an iPad, which is labeled a "Media device", can be a laptop replacement for those using it for productivity in the workforce or for personal use. That transition is growing, as others have dabbled into the iPad for an iOS desktop experience, which Applications are more diverse and have expanded to meet the expectations of those who use it in a specific field or for general use.

Point is, the transiton is coming full circle for the iPad. And for those who stated the iPad is "Dead", short sighted it without taking in account how everyone uses the iPad differently, which iOS 11 will be the next avenue.

 

[digitalexplr]

My iPad replaced my laptop some 4 years ago.

 

[iMi]

I don't understand how this became such a hot topic issue. Remember the "desktop replacement" laptops? Same idea. There are some people who have replaced a desktop with a laptop when laptops became powerful enough. It doesn't mean that everyone abandoned the desktop. It just means that for some users the laptop became an acceptable replacement.

Same situation with the iPad being a laptop replacement. There will be some people who will swear up and down that the iPad is perfectly suitable as a replacement, but it doesn't mean that the laptop is going away. They will continue to co-exist. Some users will replace their laptops with iPads, many will not.

I don't see much more to debate. Buy the device that fully meets your needs. Or buy more than one device. Buy whatever works for you.

 

[spiderman0616]

My iPad replaced my laptop some 4 years ago.

--Sold my iPad Air 1 and bought a MBP thinking I wouldn't need iPads anymore.
--Regretted it within 2 weeks and bought a mini 3.
--Regretted buying the mini 3 because I missed having a full sized iPad.
--Gave the mini 3 to my wife and sold the MBP when the iPad Pro 9.7" came out.

Have been using an iPad as my main computer ever since. My work supplies me with a Mac and I'm required to use that during the day, but at this point, the Mac feels like "the old way". I much prefer doing all my workflows on the iPad now. The iPad Pro is my dream iPad AND my dream computer.

 

[iMi]

--Sold my iPad Air 1 and bought a MBP thinking I wouldn't need iPads anymore.
--Regretted it within 2 weeks and bought a mini 3.
--Regretted buying the mini 3 because I missed having a full sized iPad.
--Gave the mini 3 to my wife and sold the MBP when the iPad Pro 9.7" came out.

Have been using an iPad as my main computer ever since. My work supplies me with a Mac and I'm required to use that during the day, but at this point, the Mac feels like "the old way". I much prefer doing all my workflows on the iPad now. The iPad Pro is my dream iPad AND my dream computer.

In other words, the iPad meets your unique needs. That's great. It's funny how we find what we like with some trial and error sometimes

I personally could not work with the iPad as a laptop replacement. I cannot imaging working on large excel files, for example, or even develop some of the reports or documents I work on. I still see and use the iPad as a media consumption device, but that's me.

 

[spiderman0616]

I don't understand how this became such a hot topic issue. Remember the "desktop replacement" laptops? Same idea. There are some people who have replaced a desktop with a laptop when laptops became powerful enough. It doesn't mean that everyone abandoned the desktop. It just means that for some users the laptop became an acceptable replacement.

Same situation with the iPad being a laptop replacement. There will be some people who will swear up and down that the iPad is perfectly suitable as a replacement, but it doesn't mean that the laptop is going away. They will continue to co-exist. Some users will replace their laptops with iPads, many will not.

I don't see much more to debate. Buy the device that fully meets your needs. Or buy more than one device. Buy whatever works for you.

The reason it's a hot button issue is that people are feeling insecure. Not sure why--like you said, I really don't think laptops are going anywhere. They're just not going to be as common as they once were.

 

[iMi]

The reason it's a hot button issue is that people are feeling insecure. Not sure why--like you said, I really don't think laptops are going anywhere. They're just not going to be as common as they once were.

That's entirely possible. I remember everyone having a desktop before the "desktop replacement" laptops showed up. Tablets will probably have an impact. I don't think it will be quite as noticeable though. There is a bigger leap between those devices. Maybe not, who knows.

iOS 11 is definitely going to further blur the lines.

 

[44267547]

The reason it's a hot button issue is that people are feeling insecure. Not sure why--like you said, I really don't think laptops are going anywhere. They're just not going to be as common as they once were.

I don't see it as a reason as people feeling insecure about a transition from a laptop to An iPad. I see it more as a reason as acceptance with the capabilities of the iPad. Again, some don't fully understand what you can accomplish on an iPad versus a laptop. I Think it comes with experience.

 

[ABC5S]

As we have all said, we are all different. I took a look at my MacBook Pro and the iPad and for what I use the computer for, the iPad met all my requirements that I would need. I don't need to spend that kind of money on a MacBook Pro or Air. The iPad Pro only lacks one thing that I wish it had, and as for me I'm going to save about $1000 or more using the iPad.

 

[gobikerider]

Replaced my laptop with a iPad almost 3 years ago and know when I try a MacBook I feel uncomfortable if that even makes since, iOS provides me a far more streamlined experience for my line of work, although I understand that for some it wont replace a laptop, heck I still need a desktop for coding from time to time.

 

[iMi]

As we have all said, we are all different. I took a look at my MacBook Pro and the iPad and for what I use the computer for, the iPad met all my requirements that I would need. I don't need to spend that kind of money on a MacBook Pro or Air. The iPad Pro only lacks one thing that I wish it had, and as for me I'm going to save about $1000 or more using the iPad.

You make a great point here. Cost. It's a big incentive, especially if you can get everything you would normally do on a laptop done on an iPad.

 

[rui no onna]

You make a great point here. Cost. It's a big incentive, especially if you can get everything you would normally do on a laptop done on an iPad.

Cost is also one of the cons for iPads outside of MacBooks. I paid $500 for my laptop while my iPad 3 64GB WiFi cost me $770 after tax.

For me, iPads have always been more expensive than laptops. The reason I buy them is because I have specific use-cases that are far more enjoyable on a tablet.

Good to see Apple release the $329 iPad 9.7 (2017).

 

[gobikerider]

Cost is also one of the cons for iPads outside of MacBooks. I paid $500 for my laptop while my iPad 3 64GB WiFi cost me $770 after tax.

For me, iPads have always been more expensive than laptops. The reason I buy them is because I have specific use-cases that are far more enjoyable on a tablet.

Good to see Apple release the $329 iPad 9.7 (2017).

While I agree with that point let me counter, I wanted either a new iPad Pro or a high qaility laptop, so either a Surface or MacBook, both cost more then Pro when compared. The iPad also has performance that surpasses both devices, at least for what I use a computer for, then the Pencil was just the icing on the cake.

 

[spiderman0616]

While I agree with that point let me counter, I wanted either a new iPad Pro or a high qaility laptop, so either a Surface or MacBook, both cost more then Pro when compared. The iPad also has performance that surpasses both devices, at least for what I use a computer for, then the Pencil was just the icing on the cake.

Agree--my iPad Pro seems so much more capable than my Mbp ever did, especially for podcasting. There are no fans to kick on during the show, and the sound quality in the end is far better than anything I ever did on the Mac. Even more importantly, with the exception of the iPad 3 I had back in the day, they never seem to get very warm/hot no matter what you're doing. One of my biggest regrets when I got the MBP was that when I tried to use it as an iPad for watching things in bed, it would get so uncomfortably warm on the bottom that I would have to turn it off.

 

[rui no onna]

While I agree with that point let me counter, I wanted either a new iPad Pro or a high qaility laptop, so either a Surface or MacBook, both cost more then Pro when compared. The iPad also has performance that surpasses both devices, at least for what I use a computer for, then the Pencil was just the icing on the cake.

Most people don't buy high end laptops though. They tend to go for the cheapest models available.

 

[gobikerider]

Most people don't buy high end laptops though. They tend to go for the cheapest models available.

Yep and the experience matches that...their loss. Yah the new iPad is great but I have customers coming in wanting a sub $100 tablet so I say no you really want a iPad for a good experience but the $330 price is astonimcal for them.

 

[profets]

This is a piece Matt Gemmell wrote about the notion of the iPad being a "laptop replacement", and I'm in full agreement here:

http://mattgemmell.com/laptop-replacement/

My favorite is this line, because it describes many of the naysayers here to a T:

There’s another pattern I see, which I’ll just mention as a side-note: the stronger the conclusion that the iPad can’t replace the author’s laptop, the more likely it is that the required tasks in question are irrelevant to 90% of the computer-using populace. That, or they haven’t allowed for any change in workflow and interaction model, which is an act of remarkable intellectual dishonesty. But I digress.

I think people are losing site of the fact that the notion of a "laptop replacement" is not necessarily what "iPad-only" users are looking for. It's a different kind of computer that can do everything a laptop can do for a vast majority of users.

Agree so much with this. I feel like I’ve mentioned it many times in debates here and on other sites / social media and you end up in circles. There’s this weird anti-iPad notion when the topic of “laptop replacement” arises.

I think we can all agree that the iPad is not a computer replacement for everyone. But it doesn’t have to be. It can be a replacement for most consumers, and that is vastly different from all.

The other thing that’s missed is that we’re not necessarily looking for a laptop replacement, rather that we’ve found a new form of computing that is more intimate and personal. I didn’t even have a laptop to replace. I slowly moved from using an iMac + iPad at home to going iPad only.

I was in a debate with a friend recently, and he really didn’t understand it. He kept asking “But why would someone spend $1000+ on an iPad that is so limited compared to a Mac?”. My response was “Why would I spend $2000 on a MacBook that doesn’t come close to doing what my iPad does?”.

I think this is where the root of the issue stems (in my opinion), that many see the iPad as containing a subset of the functionality of the Mac. When in reality I would argue they both do vastly different things. I asked him - can you pickup and use your Mac with one hand? Can you turn it into any orientation (portrait or landscape) to read a long document? Can you manipulate content on screen with multiple fingers or annotate with the pencil?

 

[nightlong]

This is a piece Matt Gemmell wrote about the notion of the iPad being a "laptop replacement", and I'm in full agreement here:

http://mattgemmell.com/laptop-replacement/

My favorite is this line, because it describes many of the naysayers here to a T:

There’s another pattern I see, which I’ll just mention as a side-note: the stronger the conclusion that the iPad can’t replace the author’s laptop, the more likely it is that the required tasks in question are irrelevant to 90% of the computer-using populace. That, or they haven’t allowed for any change in workflow and interaction model, which is an act of remarkable intellectual dishonesty. But I digress.

I think people are losing site of the fact that the notion of a "laptop replacement" is not necessarily what "iPad-only" users are looking for. It's a different kind of computer that can do everything a laptop can do for a vast majority of users.

Excellent article. I think this debate occurs when people dismiss the iPad as a mere toy with the consumption v creation cliche based on their own situation as though that is a one size fits all universal truth. They also state as fact that anyone who claims to be using it for work isn't doing 'real' work, such as they do, which is a bit insulting to someone in this thread who is running a business with just an iPad, and to artists, musicians, performers, writers who do all their professional work on an iPad or on several, and even to people who don't use iPads for their job but do a lot more with them than surf, message, email, watch movies.

To me, laptops and iPads are different tools and so can't replace each other, but as technology improves I'm using my iPads more and laptop less, and I'm really interested in hearing from others who are using iPads for work how they use them. So, I think I'll start a new thread on this topic.

 

[alecgold]

Good discussion with valid points on both sides! I’m biased as a full time iPad user, but I think more and more people are going to use the tablet/iPad as their computer. I wouldn’t be surprised if 80% or more would never touch a laptop/desktop anymore in 5 years time. That is for private use.

Like the desktop, it took some serious time for business use to follow the consumer market and switch to laptops as their main stable.

And just a bit speculation, but why use a big clumsy tablet if some AR/VR can be coupled to your phone so the world becomes your display?? Or even an AR g,asses be used as stand alone device? It’s not yet possible, but it could easily be possible in 5-10 years time.

 

[off_piste]

My take on the laptop replacement debate is that people focus on the wrong metrics. It's not about what a laptop can do that an iPad can't. It's about what the majority of people need in their personal computer. The majority have very simple computing needs that the iPad meets and even exceeds. A laptop is simply overkill many.

 

[spiderman0616]

My take on the laptop replacement debate is that people focus on the wrong metrics. It's not about what a laptop can do that an iPad can't. It's about what the majority of people need in their personal computer. The majority have very simple computing needs that the iPad meets and even exceeds. A laptop is simply overkill many.

Where the arguing usually starts though is when you tell people that you ARE doing things like content creation with powerful apps on the iPad Pro---stuff that goes beyond the average user. That's where we're starting to see the iPad move. I have a handful of about 10 apps that I use for professional content creation either with my Pencil, Smart Keyboard, or just my fingers, and that's what starts ruffling peoples' feathers for some reason. I don't get it.

 

[TraceyS/FL]

I haven't read the article yet, but I totally hope to shift stuff off my 15" MBP to the iPP when it finally arrives. Mainly because my health has changed, and the iPP is better suited to allowing me to do what I need to should I be stuck in bed for the day.

I can't ditch the computer - I need to print with ICC profiles for my business, but I am making a concentrated effort to exam as many iOS apps that I can to shift from my Adobe workflow. I think I should do pretty well - now I just need it to show up.

Oh and i'm on my 2nd iPad since they were invented. The Original and the Air1, both in cellular format. I don't upgrade often - but when I do it is because the time has come to take another step forward.

 

[JackRipper]

I think what's really going on here, is there are die-hard Mac fans here. Like myself, we've been with Apple before there was an iPod, or iPhone, iPad, etc. I think Apple suggesting that an iPad can replace the Mac scares some. Hopefully with High Sierra and the new Macs, we can feel more secure in Apple's commitment to the Mac.

Edit: For clarification

I agree with much of what's been said here, iPad can be a laptop replacement. It just depends on what you do with a laptop.

I was trying to answer the question about the naysayers. I think they are/were scared that if the iPad replaces laptops, what does that mean for the Mac.

 

[joeblow7777]

I don't understand how this became such a hot topic issue. Remember the "desktop replacement" laptops? Same idea. There are some people who have replaced a desktop with a laptop when laptops became powerful enough. It doesn't mean that everyone abandoned the desktop. It just means that for some users the laptop became an acceptable replacement.

But of course, laptops run the exact software as desktops. Most people (Windows users, at least) have no problem with the idea of replacing their laptop with a Surface Pro, so it's not necessarily the tablet form factor that people find limiting, it's the mobile software. iOS on iPads is only now starting to take steps away from a platform that was mainly designed for a cellphone.