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iPad as a laptop replacement

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Omar Comin' Yo

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Jul 15, 2012
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I've have a MacBook Pro Retina for a year now, and quite frankly, it’s simply overkill for what I use the computer for on a daily basis. I would have been fine with a MacBook Air but elected to spend the extra cash for a nice screen.

I use writing intensive programs (Final Draft, Pages, etc), but outside from that, just do regular web browsing, music, etc.

I was curious if anyone on here had replaced their laptop with an iPad, because I am considering doing that. I'm just curious about how the keyboards work with the iPad.
 
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Final Draft has an iOS editor. I don't know how well it works on the iPad as I prefer writing in Fountain format, but it's been around for a few years now.

The iPad is great for writing in general. It's best if you learn one app, along with all the shortcuts.
 
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Almost! But there are still features missing for me to fully replace my laptop. I have a running list of requirements needed. Im hoping jailbreaks will cut that list down, but I will always need the full version of iTunes to sync everything
:[
 
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As a touch typist and a multi-tasker, no I wouldn't replace my laptop with my ipad. I've heard of many different workarounds for issues that come up when using an ipad as opposed to a laptop but for the most part I just want to get from point A to point B in as little time as possible. My Pro allows me to do that so I'm willing to pay for the convenience and luxury of having both.

Assuming money isn't tight, does it really have to be either/or? That retina Pro you have could possibly buy an ipad along with one of the many super cheap laptops that are out there. No harm in covering your bases.
 
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I have a MacBook Air, iPad Air 2, and a 6 Plus. With the new handoff/continuity features, I find that all three are more productive together. I do also have a Lenovo laptop that never leaves my house because it's massive, and I use that for more processor intensive activities. But for the most part, the Apple products working together take care of the vast majority of my needs.
 
I have an iPad rmini and it is my primary device. I would say 95%. I only use the laptop if the iPad is dead or I need to type out anything lengthy. Otherwise the iPad is so much more convenient.
 
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I have a desktop for real work. I replaced my laptop with an iPad three years ago without any regrets since the former laptop was too big and too heavy. If I have any occasional work to do outside of my home or office, they are handled well on my iPad
 
Nope. iOS is still too closed off and condensed to fully replace my laptop. There's so many more things I can do on my computer than on my laptop. For casual use, people can most definitely replace computers with tablets, but for people who do a lot of work and heavy-browsing and customizing, there's no replacement for a laptop right now in a tablet.
 
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Has anyone replaced their laptop with an iPad?

I went as far as getting a BT keyboard for my pad to see if I could sell my MBP. But invariably some task will come along and push me back to Mac OS. Today it was updating financial records, pushing words and numbers between programs and documents, formatting it all, then some light analysis. Even the trackpad was to slow, had to go full tablet to get it done. Though a retina imac would probably make a better ipad companion.
 
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quamsi said:
I have an iPad rmini and it is my primary device. I would say 95%. I only use the laptop if the iPad is dead or I need to type out anything lengthy. Otherwise the iPad is so much more convenient.
Click to expand...

This is basically me, except I won't drag the laptop out if the iPad is dead. I pick up the iPhone instead. LOL

I do still have a 2009 17" MBP. It gets used for a few things: color corrected Photoshop graphics/photo editing work, the family taxes, and the rare occasional tweaking of things like replacing the cable modem a couple of months ago. I occasionally use it for backing up files from the iDevices so there's a local copy. That's really it.

Any writing I do (and I do a lot), I tend to do on the iPad, using either the on screen keyboard or a Bluetooth keyboard if I'm doing a fairly lengthy session. Bills get paid from the iPad. Research (which again, I do a lot of), from the iPad. "Lazy" photo editing for stuff that's just going on the web to family & friends happens on the iPad too. The laptop only gets used once a week or so...at most. There are many weeks where it doesn't get picked up at all.

It really depends on your use case. For me, the iPad has replaced more than 90% of my laptop usage, and kept me from having to upgrade that particular device for the last several years.
 
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I have almost compeletely replaced my laptop (which replaced my desktop several years ago) with my iPad 2. I use Apple's BT keyboard when I'm home, but otherwise just use the onscreen keyboard. I teach at a community college and virtually every task I do is pretty easily accomplishable on the iPad with the exception of setting up (but not running) my online classes in Blackboard and WebStudy. Actually, I could probably set up my WebStudy classes with my iPad but since I have to work on my office desktop for Blackboard I just do both simultaneously.

On a related note, I can't figure out what some commenters mean by "real work". All work is real work. Preparing discussion notes/lectures, grading student work, managing discussion forums, etc. is the real work of a college professor and, as I've mentioned, I can accomplish all of it on my iPad. I use my iPhone for attendance. I use Dropbox to access files. All of this is real, actual work. None of it requires a desktop or laptop to perform. So, I think that what some folks mean is not accurately stated as "real work" but should instead be referred to as "the kind of work I have to do". So, for the OP, what kind of work do you have to do? If it doesn't require the horsepower, or whatever, of a laptop or desktop, and you are willing to learn a different workflow, and you value mobility, then you can certainly ditch your laptop for an iPad.
 
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Omar Comin' Yo said:
I've had a MacBook Pro Retina for a year now, and quite frankly, its simply overkill for what I used the computer for on a daily basis. I would have been fine with a MacBook Air, but elected to spend the extra cash for a nice screen.

I use writing intensive programs (Final Draft, Pages, etc), but outside from that, just do regular web browsing, music, and etc.

I was curious of if anyone on here had replaced their laptop with an iPad, because I am considering doing that. I'm just curious about how the keyboards work with the iPad.
Click to expand...

I sold my retina MacBook after I bought my cellular iPad Air, and bought a sealed 2010 Mac Mini for any syncing or desktop exclusive work. Sent from my iPad.
 
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I had replaced my laptop with an iPad and had no issues. When I graduated with my Master's I got a MBP and haven't looked back.

It can be done and I have the experience to prove it, but a laptop will always be able to do more.
 
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I still need the Laptop/Pc to download mp3's/movies/series and sync them with my iOS devices through itunes. I am thinking of using my girlfriends windows laptop for that kind of stuff and see how it goes. The screen of her hp laptop despite 1080p is a lot worse than my MBAir 1440 screen.

Personally i dont do any real work on a PC... surf the web and downloading stuff.

The problems below are not serious... i am a casual user... so if you can show me workarounds to solve them please be my guest. I am so willing to make the iPad my main device.

1) The real problem for ipad is copy/paste.... sometimes the select way is not so accurate and you have to try hard in order to select sth.

2) When copying a photo to the notes app in order to use it on forums you cant really use it.... so you must open photo in a new tab if it is possible and get the url from the address bar.... which is not the direct url lots of the times. The app Clips seems to solve lots of the copy n paste problems.

3) Also we all know how annoying is the safari refresh tab problem especially when you try to post sth on a forum and the progress will get lost if you will opt out the webpage... a workaround is to use notes to create a post and then post it in the forum.

4) No real multitasking..... you have only one AUDIO SOURCE at a time. Is there a way while hearing a podcast to watch a youtube video (with muted sound) (or to watch a video on the apple video app or watch a video inside a safari article i am reading?).

5) Does ipad air 2 solves the problem with apps refreshing.... for example when i will return to youtube app the video will remain in the exact spot i left it?

6) I dont want videos of youtube on safari webpages to open on full screen.

7) Tweetbot yet has not been updated.

8) Laying on the bed with the laptop is a lot more relaxing that holding the ipad with your hands.

9) Switching between opened apps with four finger gesture was not so smooth on ipad air and outsource apps were refreshing.

10) And last... i dont understand why videos on youtube or nba site take longer to load on ipad and when i jump forward most of the times stop to load or it takes them ages to refresh. For gods shake i cannot understand why it happens. On the laptop you move forward on a video and almost instantly it starts playing....
 
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