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Has the Ipad changed the way you purchase future Mac Products?

Dammit Cubs

Dammit Cubs

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Jul 31, 2007
2,127
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This is a pretty good topic to bring up. Not that the Ipad would ever replace a fully fledged OS X computer. But it brings up a lot of questions of whether it affected purchasing new computers.

Because of the mobility that Ipad brings to the table and with each day, the ipad software gets stronger. All our worries will be eliminated in some fashion. A lot of people have even opted to not bring their laptop to places; replacing it with an ipad.

The question then is, does the Ipad affect your decision to purchase a macbook, macbook pro or macbook air?

Does it cause you to think more about purchasing a iMac, Mac Mini or the Mac Pro's??

For me personally, my macbook just stays on a desk and gets connected to a 24 inch monitor. It never moves. Maybe my next apple computer purchase will be in fact, a Mac Mini or iMac. Why carry two portables around?
 
Dammit Cubs said:
This is a pretty good topic to bring up. Not that the Ipad would ever replace a fully fledged OS X computer. But it brings up a lot of questions of whether it affected purchasing new computers.

Because of the mobility that Ipad brings to the table and with each day, the ipad software gets stronger. All our worries will be eliminated in some fashion. A lot of people have even opted to not bring their laptop to places; replacing it with an ipad.

The question then is, does the Ipad affect your decision to purchase a macbook, macbook pro or macbook air?

Does it cause you to think more about purchasing a iMac, Mac Mini or the Mac Pro's??

For me personally, my macbook just stays on a desk and gets connected to a 24 inch monitor. It never moves. Maybe my next apple computer purchase will be in fact, a Mac Mini or iMac. Why carry two portables around?
Click to expand...

Been contemplating the same here. Have a Macbook Pro was considering updating it but held off until I get my iPad end of this week (3G ver).
If this works out as a mobile replacement I plan to hand my current MBP over to daughter and going to an iMac. Was thinking MacMini but they are still on the low end spec wise. iPad would definitely remove some of the hassle at the airport taking it in / out of bag. Weight is a nice plus. Another big consideration is loss / theft, Much easier to stomach the iPad cost versus a max configured MBP.
 
If the wifey would let me, I'd love to sell my MBA and replace it with a Mac Mini. I don't really do much but surf the web and use iPhoto and iTunes, so I could easily store most stuff on a mini and use apps to stream content to the iPad.
 
I'm actually going to be getting rid of my stuipid Dell desktop and getting a MBP within the next few weeks/months (depending on the job search ;))

Not sure if that's related to my iPad, but I seem to think it'd be better
 
Absolutely for me...i'm already listing my nov 2007 MBP and will next list my 2009 MBP and, hopefully if I get enuff cash, buy a 27 in I7 iMac. So, just iPad, iMac and Mac mini (serves as media server).
 
Agreed with above post, I sold my MacBook Pro to my best friend and think I can get also get by with my iMac and my upcoming iPad 3G. Any heavy duty work I need to get done I can do on my iMac and what I was using my MacBook Pro for (web browsing, light gaming, videos, music and email) are exactly what the iPad was designed to do.
 
I have an iMac and bought a MacBook when I put my iMac in storage for nearly a year during our home renovation (we were living in it). I always believe you get more storage, power, and screen real estate from a desktop. Not to mention I leave my iMac on 24/7 with an external FW800 connected with our iTunes library so I can stream movies to the Apple TV. Now with the iPad I see almost no need for my MacBook. The only thing we would still use it for is webcamming on weekend mornings at the breakfast table with our parents so they can see their grandkids. Not an argument for the iPad to have a webcam as I know why not, but that is the only reason we would still use the MacBook. The iPad will go on trips with us, and the laptop will stay home. I can see us being a 2 iPad family down the road with one desktop and no laptop.
 
I'd been planning on buying a MBP for a few months before the rumors of the iPad started to surface. As soon as I watched the keynote and got wind of the prices, it changed my thinking completely. I have an iMac, but just wanted something portable for browsing and brief notes, finance etc. This thing does it perfectly for half the price. What I use this for has actually made me thick twice about springing for the new iPhone straight away when it's released too as a lot of the things I used my iPhone for I now do much easier on my iPad.
 
I anticipated the iPad replacing my needs to have a laptop (never really liked them much anyways), so in February, when it came time to get a new main computer, I got an iMac instead of a macbook.
 
gtsipad said:
Absolutely for me...i'm already listing my nov 2007 MBP and will next list my 2009 MBP and, hopefully if I get enuff cash, buy a 27 in I7 iMac. So, just iPad, iMac and Mac mini (serves as media server).
Click to expand...

That sounds like a viable option. I have an iPhone, 13" MBP as my main Mac and a Mac mini connected as a media server. I cannot get rid of the MBP; I'm in college and I need the portability now. I will, however, be getting a 24" LED ACD to gain the desktop experience.

I always like the idea of being able to do anything on my laptop while I can watch any of my media using my mini. Now that the iPad has wedged itself into the lineup, I feel more compelled to get it and 86 my Mac mini. Reading that was once done on the iPhone can now be handled by the Pad. Typing any report can now be done while I am on Pages while I stream to my MBP connected to my TV. With that setup, I can be portable, stationary, and have something to use while I watch my media my MBP to my TV. Not to mention, I can stream on the iPad as well. :cool:

As for future purchases, I'll be definitely sticking to that set up. Honestly it can be perfect for me like that. :)
 
It's a great question and i have also thought about it in a variety of ways.
I don't think it's going to effect or stop me from purchasing those other items as needed but it may effect how they are used.

The iPad has actually been a device to fit in the middle of my MBP and iMac. It has also effected how I use my iPhone or Blackberry.
For me it really has set in the middle and lighten the load on both sides.

It will be a good question to bring back up in a year from now. I think even down the road it will have changed my opinion even more.

It's so easy and nice to just pick up the iPad and read/watch something real quick where before I may have popped open my Laptop lid and went looking for something.

So I think it's a great question and for me I think I still have even more change coming as the iPad Apps mature and get better.
 
Dammit Cubs said:
The question then is, does the Ipad affect your decision to purchase a macbook, macbook pro or macbook air?

Does it cause you to think more about purchasing a iMac, Mac Mini or the Mac Pro's??
Click to expand...


Well...

On April 3 I bought an iPad
On April 16 I bought an new MBP
Still waiting on new MPs but may "settle" on the next i7 iMac revision.
iPhone in Sept. when ATT will let me buy at the subsidized price... boy is that going to be tough to wait out.

Soooo I guess the answer would be it really did not affect my buying plans. iPad is great. MBP is great. MP is great. Sometime you want chocolate & other times you just need a big steak.
 
For me, the iPad is what pushed me to buy a MBP. I was thinking about buying one, but I could not justify spending 2 grand on a lap top so I bought an iPad instead. Once I had the ipad in my hands, I could no longer stand using windows. One week later I bought my new MBP. The two go hand in hand in my mind, and I think that a lot of people will switch to Mac after using the iPad.
 
Good question. I've been thinking a similar question over lately as to when new ipads come around, just sell and upgrade the iPad, and my MacBook pro can probably make it through a few years easy now that i don't have to rely on it for everything. I think for me the iPad sets me up to be able to hold off on a new laptop for a few years now :) saves me moneyy
 
Well...we won't know until that future arrives - :D

I still see the iPad as a supplemental device for content viewing with limited storage for portability - not that that is a bad thing. I would love to see developers come out with more content creation apps - especially fuller-featured office suites and Apple's iWeb. Then we might be talking something more serious.

I am very intrigued. I want to see where this goes - and knowing Apple it will push the market somewhere it has never been before.
 
Nope. Never owned a macbook in my life and don't plan on buying one. I do plan on upgrading whenever the next gen of iPad comes out.
 
Zepaw said:
MBP's keep getting better so I doubt iPad will ever eclipse it.
Click to expand...

It's not about eclipsing it. But I really want to know the user model of everyone who buys a MB or MBA or MBP. Do you use it a portable? or leave it on your desk and use it as a desktop?

If you use it as a desktop? Then what is the point of even having a MBA, MB, or MBP. Especially, if you use the iPad as "coffee table" computer; replacing maybe your laptop for this very generic purpose.

When it comes to internet, youtube, and light typing; is it safe to say that the Ipad and MBP are doing the same job. (just those 3 categories).

So the next time you purchase a Apple product; you might ask yourself..."well how many times do I really use my MBP off my desk?" Its an expensive device if you don't fully take advantage of it. Then you might ask yourself if just getting a Imac is just as good. Spec wise, its just as capable.
 
since got the iPad, i rarely use my MBP anymore except for designing graphic tees. one thing that annoys me is that i can't seem to find a way to upload a picture from my iPad (a painting in "brushes app") to this forum :confused:
 
I have a 3.5 year old 15" MBP that I've been itching to upgrade for around the last 18 months. My primary goal through this period was improvements in size/weight, so I was focusing on the 13" MBP and MBA. In all that time, the laptop improvements were 'nice' but not enough to get me to pull the trigger.

Since I already have an iMac in the household serving as the central hub for media storage/syncing, once the iPad was announced my decision was pretty easy: I'm retiring my MBP (and Kindle2) and using an iPad as my primary computer.

Yes, there are still productivity workflow issues that need addressing. For my part I have no doubt they'll be addressed, and probably soon. The devs behind apps like Goodreader, Air Sharing HD, and Office2 HD are all working feverishly to establish themselves as the 'go-to' app for file-system functionality and "turning the iPad into the 'real computer' it can be" type experience.

So yes - Apple lost at least one laptop sale...

Over time I have some pretty strong feelings where this is all headed. Come over to my blog if interested...
 
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