iOS 11 and the iPad Pro just confuses me!

[zephyr2095]

Hi all

I saw the iOS 11 preview and I feel so confused now.

If I get an iPad Pro, I can write on it with the Apple Pencil. I wouldn't need to carry and maintain my notebooks for notes. I can even attach a keyboard if I don't feel like writing. I can read stuff on it, watch stuff on it without the dead weight of a keyboard. I can write emails more easily.
It has drag and drop now, so, it'll be great to make documents, edit them.
There's also a file app for it, so, I get to work with files too!

The mac on the other hand, has a desktop where I can put files and organise them in folders whereas the iPad has a launchpad like interface. I can have multiple windows of an app on a mac, I don't know about that on an iPad. I feel the smallest entity that I can interact with on a mac is a file, whereas on an iPad or any iOS device it is an app.

For me, what's missing on an iPad is the terminal which I need for programming. I can attach a keyboard on it and it'll be great for programming too. And also, on the mac it is easier to connect devices and manage them (like configuring routers and managing a camera etc.).

For now I'll stick with my macbook pro and my notebooks. But the way things are going, I have a feeling pretty soon I wouldn't need to use a mac (though I'd need one if I was doing something that needs a lot of cpu power and ram).

I was wondering if the iPad is supplementary to the mac or can it replace it completely? For my personal use, the iPad can do everything and, it's super neat and simple. But for my work, I still need my mac.

And yeah, there's also this iPhone in my pocket. When do I use that? I should just go get a nokia phone since it's only to make calls. Why do they even have a macbook?

 

[aevan]

The mac on the other hand, has a desktop where I can put files and organise them in folders whereas the iPad has a launchpad like interface.

iOS11 has Files app, similar to Mac's Finder where you can put files and organise them into folders.

I can have multiple windows of an app on a mac, I don't know about that on an iPad. I feel the smallest entity that I can interact with on a mac is a file, whereas on an iPad or any iOS device it is an app.

Again, on iOS 11, you can have up to 3 apps open at once on any 4Gb RAM iPad (All 12.9" iPad Pros and the new 10.5" iPad Pro). On 12.9" iPads you can run 2 apps full size, and one floating in smaller size, while the 10.5" iPad runs 2 apps in a smaller size mode and one floating in smaller size. While it cannot compare to windows on a Mac, you can have a lot of things going on at once.

For me, what's missing on an iPad is the terminal which I need for programming.

Now you're talking. THIS is the real difference. There is no terminal, there is no deep system access and tweaking, there is no Xcode, etc. on iPad.

I was wondering if the iPad is supplementary to the mac or can it replace it completely? For my personal use, the iPad can do everything and, it's super neat and simple. But for my work, I still need my mac.

For some people - absolutely. For others - not a chance. It's getting a lot closer and it's much more of a computer replacement for a lot of people, but if you're a programmer, I don't think iPad is there yet.

 

[zephyr2095]

iOS11 has Files app, similar to Mac's Finder where you can put files and organise them into folders.

I was stressing on the fact that macOS has a desktop and an iPad doesn't. That's the first thing you land up on when you start your machine.

Again, on iOS 11, you can have up to 3 apps open at once on any 4Gb RAM iPad (All 12.9" iPad Pros and the new 10.5" iPad Pro). On 12.9" iPads you can run 2 apps full size, and one floating in smaller size, while the 10.5" iPad runs 2 apps in a smaller size mode and one floating in smaller size. While it cannot compare to windows on a Mac, you can have a lot of things going on at once.

Here I was talking about one single app having multiple windows. For example Safari or Chrome having multiple windows on a Mac.

The whole point of writing this was to put my thoughts on how these devices are different and hear what others have to say on this. Glad to hear your thoughts.