I browse the web, listen to music, send text messages, use khan academy. The only thing preventing me is that I might eventually go back to college online. I boot up my computer once every 3 weeks on average.
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Debating on going iPad only. Should I? Would it work for my usage?
- Thread starter cinnabun814
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For all those works iPad will just be fine. Also, depending on what you study in college you probably can go iPad only as well.
I wouldn’t go so far as to paint yourself into a corner by using only an iPad without a PC as a backup. Perhaps hang on to your existing computer, while endeavouring to use your iPad for as many of your daily tasks as possible. It’s less stressful and frustrating this way too.
As an iPad enthusiast myself, I say - go for it.
As an iPad enthusiast myself, I say - go for it.
Just try it for several weeks and see if it works for you. There's a lot of subjectivity involved (it works but do I like it?) that forums can't answer for you.
i did it cold turkey....straight ipad for everything , its really not that bad once you get everything figued out.
I would do this too as I infrequently use my computer (Mac desktop). The only thing preventing me is some websites only work properly from a desktop browser, especially forms, settings, reports, viewing data, etc.
I sort of did it, but did end up needing a Mac mini to control my external drives (setting them up etc). Now I do use my Mac for browsing the web (I have a new big 4K monitor) and recently I could not wait - and got Photoshop.... I also had to use a computer to set up a new printer.
I do have my email only on my iPad Pro....
But you can definitely do almost anything on the iPad Pros.... I am a graphic designer - so that is why I needed to add a mini, plus it was less expensive - and works great with my iPP's
I do have my email only on my iPad Pro....
But you can definitely do almost anything on the iPad Pros.... I am a graphic designer - so that is why I needed to add a mini, plus it was less expensive - and works great with my iPP's
I was debating this too. I had a seriously overkill desktop, (10) core 6950X@4.5Ghz all cores, 128GB DDR4, (2) GTX Titan XP’s in SLI, 1TB M.2 SSD. I honestly spent way to much time on it, playing games and fooling around as a hobby more than anything.
So,
I parted it out and have since move on.
I only have an iPad now, and it works for me.
Casual gaming? Yes, enough space to store anything? Yes.. I can edit videos like I’m on a real computer? Yes.
Light, small, and too thin for its own good.
I’m honestly happy with iPad only.
There are plenty of things that an iPad cannot do, but it offers enough for what I’m doing.
I’m also considering going back to school online.
So,
I parted it out and have since move on.
I only have an iPad now, and it works for me.
Casual gaming? Yes, enough space to store anything? Yes.. I can edit videos like I’m on a real computer? Yes.
Light, small, and too thin for its own good.
I’m honestly happy with iPad only.
There are plenty of things that an iPad cannot do, but it offers enough for what I’m doing.
I’m also considering going back to school online.
I got my iPad Pro 11” a couple months ago, and could count on one hand the times I’ve had to go for my Mac since then. For your uses, it seems like an iPad would suit you just fine.
My only issue will be when I start recording my podcast later this year. I record remotely with a friend and so we may have to reconfigure how we do things to accommodate iOS. Or I may have to keep relying on the Mac for that. I think I can get around it with a USB audio interface and a dedicated mic though.
Personally, I was pretty surprised. The last time I tried to go all in on the iPad it wasn’t quite there yet, but the Files app, Split View, and the newest iPad Pros having USB-C support has definitely made it a lot more viable for me this time around.
My only issue will be when I start recording my podcast later this year. I record remotely with a friend and so we may have to reconfigure how we do things to accommodate iOS. Or I may have to keep relying on the Mac for that. I think I can get around it with a USB audio interface and a dedicated mic though.
Personally, I was pretty surprised. The last time I tried to go all in on the iPad it wasn’t quite there yet, but the Files app, Split View, and the newest iPad Pros having USB-C support has definitely made it a lot more viable for me this time around.
Unlike the others I will be a bit more skeptical so take my thoughts with a grain of salt and just decide if it resonates with you.
First when you say iPad only do you mean regular iPad or iPad Pro? There might be a difference. I guess we assume you are talking about the Pros.
You say you browse the web. How exactly? I mean you open once in a while the browser to do searching or you keep your browser open with multiple tabs and even multiple windows. See the browsing seems to be simple task yet the more tabs you have open, the more RAM it will eat. I personally tend to open a lot of browsers and tabs. I also tend to open multiple tabs with youtube videos. That's currently something you cannot do comfortably on an iPad.
Do you use Apple music to listen to music or you use youtube? I personally use youtube often enough to find annoying the fact that you can't multitask on an iPad with youtube open.
As for college I guess it depends on what courses you will take and what kind of software you will have to use for it. For example I studied computer science and the programs I had to use are still not available on iOS. However they were integral part of my education as I had a lot of homework and projects to do so that I can graduate.
If I were you I would keep my computer. You don't need to use it now. You can still go the iPad route for now. Then once you start college you will know better whether you will need the computer or not.
In theory I wouldn't mind going "ipad only" but ergonomics, habit and software requirements make getting rid of the desktop computer unrealistic. My 10.5" Pro is excellent at what it does and I use it for hours every day but it still hasn't become my serious, default, "get real work done" machine. With the iPad Pro sitting on a coffee table I'm pretty much forced to sit hunched over it and that becomes onerous (from a comfort perspective) too quickly. I do love the Pro's screen and dynamic refresh rate, but for serious work I can't do without a larger desktop monitor and a comfortable chair. And finally there are too many times when the desktop versions of programs like Word or Scrivner are essential--though I do think Microsoft has done a superb job with the UI and functionality of Word for the iPad. For me, the iPad Pro is a superb complement and adjunct to my desktop Mac and Windows machines, but I doubt it will ever replace them.
I went straight to the iPad Pro, not using a notebook (Sold It) at all until the day came when my iPad needed to be connected to iTunes via a notebook to fix the issue, and I didn't have it anymore. Hate it when that happened. Now I have a Lenovo notebook for such an occasion. Always good to have a back up. 
I use my notebook/iPad about 50% each. I enjoy the iPad, but I also need the notebook. I think they complement each other for me.
I use my notebook/iPad about 50% each. I enjoy the iPad, but I also need the notebook. I think they complement each other for me.
Ergonomics indeed is a factor. Now I don't use my iPad a lot (on average 1 hour per day) however when I used to do it (say 4 hours per day) I had then neck and back strain and pain issues. I also have wrist strain issues because of the touch interface. Sometimes it's just my wrist being tired to use the iPad. That is rather specific and I assume not everyone has issues with this but I spend around 15 hours per day on a computer. I cannot spend that much hours on an iPad due to all those restrictions. Not to mention that the iPad would have to be charged twice a day and I don't think that its battery could handle this.
So yeah do have those concerns in mind when you think about the iPad Pro only and if they are valid for you then you might have to rethink the idea
.
Personally I was in the same boat as you. I really haven't used my MBP since I got my iPad Pro. Doesn't mean I don't have it still if I need it but I rarely use it for the same type of usage you described in the original post. Can't go wrong either way!
What do you do on the computer every 3 weeks that you're not doing/can't do on the iPad?
I only use my PC like 5% of the time but for that 5%, an iPad will not suffice (Calibre ebook management, Blu-ray ripping, websites that don't work properly on mobile Safari, etc).
I had a MacBook as a backup computer for a bit before I transitioned to iPad only. Better this way to work through any potential workarounds. Once you have it down though, you can sell the backup computer.
The thing about going back to college online is that they sometime make you install all kinds of ancient outdated crap like java and sometimes you can't even use a Mac depending on what they use for things like exam software which sometimes uses a 360 degree camera rig thing you set next to you to make sure you're not cheating. I know this because my wife has taken various online courses through different universities for some of her job certifications and it was always one PITA after another. No way the iPad would have worked. Besides that, the classroom streams were only in flash. This was only a couple years ago, maybe things have gotten better, and it obviously depends on your college or university.
I had a great 2018 iPP setup and things were going well until my wife started back to school. There were some things she had to deal with Flash and it hit me too, the flash thing. There were other little nuances but Flash was the main pain in the rear
I'm always amazed at how much I can get done on just my iPad when I take only it on weekend trips.
That said - when I get back in front of macOS, I'm always delighted to have the chains off, have everything work so quickly and powerfully and have all my Safari extensions back doing their thing, and be downloading things with youtube-dl, blocking ADs and junk with UBlockOrigin and blazing through photo editing with a huge screen and kb/mouse, on and on and on.
I can do a lot with an iPad
But I love doing so much more, more quickly and efficiently, with macOS.
I do use and enjoy both iOS and macOS, but I personally wouldn't want to be down to only one permanently.
(if I had to choose one only, it would absolutely be macOS)
That said - when I get back in front of macOS, I'm always delighted to have the chains off, have everything work so quickly and powerfully and have all my Safari extensions back doing their thing, and be downloading things with youtube-dl, blocking ADs and junk with UBlockOrigin and blazing through photo editing with a huge screen and kb/mouse, on and on and on.
I can do a lot with an iPad
But I love doing so much more, more quickly and efficiently, with macOS.
I do use and enjoy both iOS and macOS, but I personally wouldn't want to be down to only one permanently.
(if I had to choose one only, it would absolutely be macOS)
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Arent these ipads disposable. When the batttery runs out in a couple of year, whatcha gonna do?
I agree. Having a Mac desktop gives a sense of backup and permanency not dependent on battery life, recharging, and longevity. That's in addition to the various, occasional funky websites that only work well or at all from a desktop browser. Having a centralized desktop version of iTunes adds to that sense, and makes ripping CDs easier with an attached drive.
My wife just got her MacBook Pro in the mail today so we’re back to the only iPads in the house being in the kids hands. Someone mentioned above, you can’t even use a Mac for some of this college online stuff, you about have to use Windows.
cinnabun814 said: ↑
I browse the web, listen to music, send text messages, use khan academy. The only thing preventing me is that I might eventually go back to college online. I boot up my computer once every 3 weeks on average.
I browse the web, listen to music, send text messages, use khan academy. The only thing preventing me is that I might eventually go back to college online. I boot up my computer once every 3 weeks on average.
my comrade from Russia infiltrated an election in their IPad waaaay back in 2016