Do you agree with this author's opinion?

[Scepticalscribe]

Do you honestly think that most (not all) consumers actually need Windows or MacOS for day to day computing?

Anyone who has to write in any way extensively for a living will not find an iPad comfortable to use.

I accept that for some people the iPad will fulfil most - if not all of their needs. Likewise, others will switch between devices, using the iPad for some things and a computer with greater power (and a keyboard) for others.

But it will not replace the use of other devices, except for some people - chiefly, those for whom the consumption of content is what defines their online lives.

But for those who create content, the iPad is insufficient for their needs. But they will - or may use - an Pad for other things.

 

[Robnsn2015]

I would REALLY like to see a Finder-like file manager on the iPad. That would be greatly appreciated.

Also, more fully-formed versions of apps would be nice, but not totally necessary for me.

Other than that, the iPad Pro has been pretty handy and useful for me.

I think Apple made a mistake by calling it the iPad "Pro." I think they should have called it iPad "Deluxe" or iPad "XL" instead. "Pro" sets the expectation that every user will be able to practice their profession on it, which obviously isn't true. I think it is just a product naming and communications issue.
[doublepost=1496165573][/doublepost]

Anyone who has to write in any way extensively for a living will not find an iPad comfortable to use.

I accept that for some people the iPad will fulfil most - if not all of their needs. Likewise, others will switch between devices, using the iPad for some things and a computer with greater power (and a keyboard) for others.

But it will not replace the use of other devices, except for some people - chiefly, those for whom the consumption of content is what defines their online lives.

But for those who create content, the iPad is insufficient for their needs. But they will - or may use - an Pad for other things.

Why isn't the iPad comfortable to use? Is it the keyboard you're using?

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I would REALLY like to see a Finder-like file manager on the iPad. That would be greatly appreciated.

Also, more fully-formed versions of apps would be nice, but not totally necessary for me.

Other than that, the iPad Pro has been pretty handy and useful for me.

I think Apple made a mistake by calling it the iPad "Pro." I think they should have called it iPad "Deluxe" or iPad "XL" instead. "Pro" sets the expectation that every user will be able to practice their profession on it, which obviously isn't true. I think it is just a product naming and communications issue.
[doublepost=1496165573][/doublepost]

Why isn't the iPad comfortable to use? Is it the keyboard you're using?

Well, I decided it wasn't for me; yes, doubtless - among other things - the keyboard influenced my dislike of the iPad, and I have to say I found it horribly uncomfortable to use. The 11"MBA is not much larger, but is a dream to use, and is about as portable as an iPad.

I write a lot - in my work and personally, and I find a proper keyboard a necessity.

 

[LCPepper]

But either way, I don't think that External Storage use is that much of a deal breaker...

Whether on my iPad Pro, or on my MacBook, I have not used external storage in a long time. Of course, that's just my workflow, but you could therefore say that the authors stance is undermined.

I use iCloud Drive for all my needs, with email and iCloud Drop (or whatever the email link thing is called nowadays) and never encounter any issues with needing external storage. I consider it an inconvenience to have to plug in, drag and drop! There are much better solutions now!

So in this case, iPad Pro is a full PC replacement? No of course not, that's why I have a MacBook still; so I do not agree with the author about this.

 

[Robnsn2015]

Well, I decided it wasn't for me; yes, doubtless - among other things - the keyboard influenced my dislike of the iPad, and I have to say I found it horribly uncomfortable to use. The 11"MBA is not much larger, but is a dream to use, and is about as portable as an iPad.

I write a lot - in my work and personally, and I find a proper keyboard a necessity.

The Smart Keyboard isn't the greatest. I only use it for portability. The Zagg Slim Book is much more comfortable. I even prefer it over some of the newer MacBook keyboards.

 

[sparksd]

I can access an external drive from my iPad using a wireless FileHub with attached HDD that also supports passthrough Internet connectivity on my LAN. Not as easy as direct plug-in but it works just fine.

 

[alecgold]

I would REALLY like to see a Finder-like file manager on the iPad. That would be greatly appreciated.

Does it need to look identical? Otherwise try an app for that, file manager apps are plenty, I use documents 5.

Well, I decided it wasn't for me; yes, doubtless - among other things - the keyboard influenced my dislike of the iPad, and I have to say I found it horribly uncomfortable to use. The 11"MBA is not much larger, but is a dream to use, and is about as portable as an iPad.

I write a lot - in my work and personally, and I find a proper keyboard a necessity.

My problem with the 11 was the tiny screen (it has a whole lot less real estate, 1366x768, my iPad Pro 12.9 has 2732x2048, but more importantly can also be used in portrait mode!) and the processor I had was seriously underpowered. When using it regularly (word, safari, acrobat) it gave the beach ball a lot of times.

 

[jonnyb098]

You are equating 'niche' in your mind with $$$ in sales.

The two are unrelated.

No I'm not. They sold 300 million units. They sell twice as many iPads unit for unit than macs every quarter. But please keep feeding us your alternative facts. So I'd say the Mac is a niche product for many as well. The iPad is as much a mainstreaming computing device as a home PC.

 

[bufffilm]

No I'm not. They sold 300 million units. They sell twice as many iPads unit for unit than macs every quarter. But please keep feeding us your alternative facts. So I'd say the Mac is a niche product for many as well.

I'm not disputing any numbers.

I'm just saying that a niche product can sell many many millions, but it is still a niche product. It is not a bad thing at all to say something is niche. It is what it is.

And what's with the chip on the shoulder? You take yourself much too seriously. /* shrug/

Ive lost all interest in what you have to say on this.

 

[gnasher729]

You are equating 'niche' in your mind with $$$ in sales.

The two are unrelated.

So the iPad is a niche product compared to PCs, because they sell tons but they are cheap. And the iPhone is a niche product because they make tons of money but they sell fewer units than products at a tenth of the price.

 

[SportsPhan8]

I would argue that it will fill the needs of many, but not most. Or, that it fills some needs of those you call the 'most'.

That depends on whether you want to consume content, or create content, as has already been pointed out by a number of posters such as @Rhonindk.

It is perfect for the consumption of content, but for those who wish to create content - and that includes writing - the iPad is not one's device of choice.

I had one - actually, I even bought a second one - colleagues had raved about it so much, but I ended up giving both of them away (one to each brother) and reverted, with a massive sigh of relief, to my 11" MBA, which is fast, powerful, portable, and reliable. It also has great battery life and a full sized keyboard.

Now, yes, the iPad sells exceptionally well, but it will not replace either laptops or desktops; instead, it will serve to complement them.

This is a great point.
[doublepost=1496173389][/doublepost]* One big thing that none of us have mentioned so far, external/Bluetooth devices -- keyboards, etc, which are perfect if you want a blend of both a tablet and a computer -- it makes for a great hybrid. It helps people who dislike the non-PC aspect of the iPad.

Also, Amazon, eBay, target, etc, all offer iPad stands/mounts, especially for computer desks, that are perfect for people that would rather not hold or lie it down 24/7. I'm buying one myself in a few weeks -- all of those sites offer a great variety.

They're very cheap, too, yet known to be reliable.

 

[Mainsail]

if you are a typical office jockey that has an employer provided laptop/computer for your work needs, then an iPad is probably enough for most folks personal computing needs (does not include many that haunt this forum). In the old days, we had desktop computers at home just to surf the web and pickup email.

If I was a young college grad with a new job and employer provided computer, I would not bother buying a personal computer. And, I would never ever put work related stuff on my personal computer....never!

 

[bufffilm]

So the iPad is a niche product compared to PCs, because they sell tons but they are cheap. And the iPhone is a niche product because they make tons of money but they sell fewer units than products at a tenth of the price.

I disagree to call the iPhone niche.

 

[SportsPhan8]

I disagree to call the iPhone niche.

So is everyone here having issues with the new iOS 10.3.2 update for their iPhone?

 

[Robnsn2015]

if you are a typical office jockey that has an employer provided laptop/computer for your work needs, then an iPad is probably enough for most folks personal computing needs (does not include many that haunt this forum). In the old days, we had desktop computers at home just to surf the web and pickup email.

If I was a young college grad with a new job and employer provided computer, I would not bother buying a personal computer. And, I would never ever put work related stuff on my personal computer....never!

Amen!

I remember when I had to "commute" between Oakland, CA and Boston, MA every week back in 2007. I had two laptops, one personal and one work-provided. Nowadays, I would just have an iPad as my personal "laptop."

 

[Scepticalscribe]

My problem with the 11 was the tiny screen (it has a whole lot less real estate, 1366x768, my iPad Pro 12.9 has 2732x2048, but more importantly can also be used in portrait mode!) and the processor I had was seriously underpowered. When using it regularly (word, safari, acrobat) it gave the beach ball a lot of times.

My MBA was - is - a CTO (core i7, 512 GB SSD, 8 GB RAM), so it has more than adequate power for my needs.

An aside: This is easily the best and most reliable computer I have ever had, fast, powerful, portable, excellent battery life, and is simply superb. For all these plusses, I can live with a screen that is not the sharpest currently available.

 

[Mainsail]

Amen!

I remember when I had to "commute" between Oakland, CA and Boston, MA every week back in 2007. I had two laptops, one personal and one work-provided. Nowadays, I would just have an iPad as my personal "laptop."

Yep. My wife has an iPad and a Mac Mini. I have a MacBook Air. Honestly, we could probably get by just fine with two iPads and share the Mac Mini (set up two user accounts). For personal stuff, we just don't need the desktop/laptop very often. She likes to use Quicken to pay the bills once per month. Occasionally, I do some simple photo editing, iMovies and spreadsheets, but frankly, they are pretty basic and could be done on an iPad almost as easily.

 

[jigzaw]

I love my iPad but it is nowhere near a replacement for my Macbook. I edit short films and web series with Avid on my Macbook, mostly using external drives. The iPad will be useless for a task like that for the foreseeable future. iOS is just not gonna allow you to manage media and run professional editing software, and I don't think the hardware is ready to process/transcode footage even if the software let you. Granted what I do isn't what most people are up to, but I would imagine even a creative teenager would get more out of a basic laptop in terms of being able to use their imagination and make things. The iPad is fabulous for watching Netflix in bed and facebooking, though, so I won't take that away from it.

 

[SportsPhan8]

I wish the iPads had BitTorrent/the option of downloading free torrents

 

[alecgold]

My MBA was - is - a CTO (core i7, 512 GB SSD, 8 GB RAM), so it has more than adequate power for my needs.

An aside: This is easily the best and most reliable computer I have ever had, fast, powerful, portable, excellent battery life, and is simply superb. For all these plusses, I can live with a screen that is not the sharpest currently available.

Seems like a perfect device for your needs! I have to add that I had one of the first iterations and I think I had the asthmatic cheapest version. (Never do I buy the lowest-spec'd again, usually I just buy the maxed-out version as I want them to last for years).
But the small screen wasn't my thing, the iPP 12.9" with split screen gives me two readable A4 documents. Really awesome for my needs, but not everybody/everybodies use is the same.

 

[SportsPhan8]

Perfect way to put it -- it depends on what your needs and activities are. If you game a lot and use non-Safari/Chrome activities, without relying on apps, you might want to just stick primarily with a PC.

But some people use both frequently, and love them, and it works out.

 

[pika2000]

People are already replacing their PCs with a web browser (Chromebooks).
The iPad is more than sufficient to be a general use computing device for many people. Heck, in emerging markets, many people have smartphones as their first computer.

 

[DNichter]

I wish the iPads had BitTorrent/the option of downloading free torrents

You can do this using a NAS. I have the QNAP T251+ and it has a great iPad app that lets you download torrents directly to your server, manage files, add to a Plex media server if needed. It's about $500 total to put together but meets my needs quite well. Will be replacing my rMB with a 10.5 pro soon.