iPad as a laptop replacement

[Violet_Antelope]

I can't remember if I've commented on this thread or only viewed it for a long time, so apologies if I repeat myself. But I have been experimenting and thinking about this a lot lately, so forgive me some rambling please!

I certainly know that the iPad *can* replace a laptop, because it has for my mum. For her needs - basic banking, online shopping with grocery stores, a few videos, and a tiny bit of note-taking and reading, it amply meets her needs. In fact she'd be fine with a base model, except that the size, screen clarity and sound quality are important given her minor disabilities in sight and hearing.

I also have an iPad Pro, and despite several efforts it simply can't replace my laptop. I need a hardware keyboard for comfort, though I can touch type on the screen if need-be, which means a Magic Keyboard for me. That makes it heavier than my M1 Air. But my biggest issue is software. Several apps I use for my studies and hobbies don't exist on the iPad full-stop and I can't find good alternatives for a few at all. In others the functionality is limited on the iPad compared to the Mac, which when I use them heavily really causes me issues. And for some, simple things like Keyboard shortcuts not working or drag and drop having to be done on screen rather than by the mousepad really irritate me. I also find the design language of some apps irritating, with things more spread-out and basic. It feels like it tries to be pretty, but wastes space and damages functionality.

I enjoy using my iPad for some things. But whilst it has immense power, without Mac OS and the breadth and quality of apps I use I wouldn't ever choose to replace my laptop. In emergency the iPad could go, the Mac couldn't. But there are many things I love too. The 12.9 pro is the perfect size, a great match for my previous 12" MacBook that I really miss, underpowered as it was. The screen quality is amazing, and for some things touch is fun and useful. A few apps that make good use of the interface are excellent, but unfortunately without the other apps I need I get too frustrated to use them to the full.

 

[DeepIn2U]

I can't remember if I've commented on this thread or only viewed it for a long time, so apologies if I repeat myself. But I have been experimenting and thinking about this a lot lately, so forgive me some rambling please!

I certainly know that the iPad *can* replace a laptop, because it has for my mum. For her needs - basic banking, online shopping with grocery stores, a few videos, and a tiny bit of note-taking and reading, it amply meets her needs. In fact she'd be fine with a base model, except that the size, screen clarity and sound quality are important given her minor disabilities in sight and hearing.

I also have an iPad Pro, and despite several efforts it simply can't replace my laptop. I need a hardware keyboard for comfort, though I can touch type on the screen if need-be, which means a Magic Keyboard for me. That makes it heavier than my M1 Air. But my biggest issue is software. Several apps I use for my studies and hobbies don't exist on the iPad full-stop and I can't find good alternatives for a few at all. In others the functionality is limited on the iPad compared to the Mac, which when I use them heavily really causes me issues. And for some, simple things like Keyboard shortcuts not working or drag and drop having to be done on screen rather than by the mousepad really irritate me. I also find the design language of some apps irritating, with things more spread-out and basic. It feels like it tries to be pretty, but wastes space and damages functionality.

I enjoy using my iPad for some things. But whilst it has immense power, without Mac OS and the breadth and quality of apps I use I wouldn't ever choose to replace my laptop. In emergency the iPad could go, the Mac couldn't. But there are many things I love too. The 12.9 pro is the perfect size, a great match for my previous 12" MacBook that I really miss, underpowered as it was. The screen quality is amazing, and for some things touch is fun and useful. A few apps that make good use of the interface are excellent, but unfortunately without the other apps I need I get too frustrated to use them to the full.

Great post.

Would you be so kind to edit and add the macOS apps that you’d like to have and their specific features that are a must for iPadOS, please?! You may find others wanting these on iPadOS and others may help rally more to make the developers code for iPadOS making it worthwhile even specific features.

Cheers.

 

[Violet_Antelope]

Great post.

Would you be so kind to edit and add the macOS apps that you’d like to have and their specific features that are a must for iPadOS, please?! You may find others wanting these on iPadOS and others may help rally more to make the developers code for iPadOS making it worthwhile even specific features.

Cheers.

I'd be delighted to share my thoughts! Thank you for asking I doubt if my needs match many people's because I am disabled, housebound, and study for my own satisfaction. But for what they're worth, here are my main difficulties:

Apps I wish were available for iPad:

Curio - the freeform nature of the note boards I think would work rather well on iPad, although it would be a huge job to get it there I'm sure. I have tried alternatives, but none meet my desires so well with the combination of binder and spaces. I especially wish for the ability to spread pdfs across pages, which is something I haven't been able to properly replicate elsewhere. Most cork board apps either only link the pdfs, or put them all in one space as a scrollable document, which makes spatial associations hard to create. I have used and liked both Liquid Text and Margin Note, but they lack the flexibility of binder and other content types that makes Curio on the Mac so useful.

Tinderbox - I certainly understand why this isn't on the iPad, but I find it very useful sometimes, though I'm an occasional user of some of the basic functions rather than a power user. Still I find the ability to create and link information blocks within and between each other very useful. And again I've not found any replacement powerful enough in creating those easily trackable deeply nested links.

Scapple - I really wish this would come to iPad and really don't see why it can't except for how busy the developer is. Total contrast to the complexity of the above two apps, but very useful for quick mapping of ideas, and again I haven't found an alternative as good. They're either too tied to the 'mind mapping' idea and format, or too awkward in creating links.

Textedit - for simple writing I find it unmatched and I *hate* that Apple hasn't made an iPad version. The alternatives lack its ease, charm and the advantages of being baked in.

Skim - seems unfair to wish for this since it's free, open source software but I love it! Second key app on the Mac alongside Scrivener. Love that it simply exports highlights as plain text notes, something i haven't found anything else quite as good at. Also love the simple 'sticky note' style notes which don't collapse and hide half their content.


Apps with iPad versions that frustrate me:

Scrivener - On the Mac, Scrivener is probably my favourite application and often the most-used. I would dare to go so far as to say I'm a fairly 'power-user' of some features, and either they're missing or nerfed on the iPad. And again the interface may look pretty but wastes a lot of space in my opinion. I could go on about this one at some length And whilst I understand using Dropbox rather than iCloud to sync it still feels clumsy and unreliable in my experience.

Omnioutliner - no other iPad outliner I've tried has anything like the flexibility in creating multiple columns, column types and similar features but the interface is horrible. There's so much wasted space, and documents created on the Mac look pretty different on the iPad. I usually have to resort to completing outlines on Mac and sending them across to the iPad as PDFs, which obviously makes them uneditable and not so useful.

Devon Think - I'm trying this again for about the seventh time on iPad. I just find it hard to use and lacking the immediate flexibility, but I can't speak to overall abilities since I usually give up too soon.

(Cricut Design Space - putting this in brackets since it's to do with my card-making hobby not my studies, but it's annoying enough on the Mac for some missing features but can be bullied into considerable complexity. The iOS versions I just find far too simplistic and hard to use.)

In essence I'm probably unusual in far preferring the 'old-fashioned' computer look of menu-bars etc rather than all the pop-overs etc of the iPad!


Apps on the iPad that I enjoy:

Notion - I use this heavily now and find it very functional on Mac, iPad and iPhone, which is very useful. It is simple to use and ideal for basic notes, but has the ability to be much more complex when needed. I still prefer using it on the Mac, but it works well on iPad.

Craft - similar app to Notion except more limited, but has a few features I choose for some things.

Liquid Text - Useful and well-suited to iPad functions and methods. Love it on the Mac and iPad despite some limitations, but the dev seems very aware from conversations on the forums so I look forward to seeing where that goes. I also use Margin Note as I said above, which is more powerful and sometimes just what I need, but I do find it correspondingly harder to use.

2Do - Syncs flawlessly, works on Mac, iPad, iPhone and Android, looks good on them all, and just does what I need when I need it. Excellent app for my needs and tastes.


I also find it frustrating when a great app used to exist but no longer does and I can't find anything similar. Years ago, probably on iPhone 5, there was a note app that was really unusual. It was a block of (I think) nine squares, each of which was a note, but which could also take you into another block of nine to create a new board of associated notes, deeper and deeper and deeper. I loved it and used it heavily until it disappeared, but I no longer have the phone, can't remember the name, and have never found anything like it. Please someone make this again for iPad! And preferably Mac too!

ETA: I certainly can go into specifics even more if anyone wants me to, but probably best done on an app by app basis - maybe there needs to be a separate thread, since I'd hate to derail this very interesting one!

 

[GerritV]

As of yesterday, my 2018 MBP 15” seems to have a battery issue. When I close it in the evening (fully charged), it will show totally empty in the morning. Still, after I charge it again, I can work with it for a whole day.
Also, related or not, the keyboard backlight has dropped out. With the Touchbar above it fully lit, it looks a bit weird.

Being over 3 years old, and above all being equipped with the miserable butterfly keyboard, I will not have the MBP fixed. Guess I’ll put it aside pretty soon.

I do own an iPad Pro 10.5 and an Apple Pencil, that I‘ve been using mostly as my digital notebook. But I never enjoyed the writing experience - to me, the Pencil feels cheap and so mainstream. Given the present age of my iPad, I won’t purchase a keyboard at this point (they became rare to find anyway).

So, retired for about 18 months now from a job as Software Development Manager, I was already on my way to de-digitalize my life (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40672036-digital-minimalism). While rebuilding my workspace to analog (https://www.travelers-company.com/), my iPad Pro will probably end up as my e-reader and web browser. With occasionally some low profile computing in Pages and Numbers.

Based upon the comments in this interesting thread, I’m pretty confident I can pull this one off. Wish me luck ;-)

 

[Arctic Moose]

So, retired for about 18 months now from a job as Software Development Manager, I was already on my way to de-digitalize my life (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40672036-digital-minimalism). While rebuilding my workspace to analog (https://www.travelers-company.com/), my iPad Pro will probably end up as my e-reader and web browser. With occasionally some low profile computing in Pages and Numbers.

Based upon the comments in this interesting thread, I’m pretty confident I can pull this one off. Wish me luck ;-)

I'll wish you luck, of course, but I am guessing that as a retiree actively looking to de-digitize you're not going to need it.

Any phone or tablet that is capable of running the latest revision of the operating system will be able to handle any app or website you could possibly need. In your shoes I would get rid of it all and just use an iPhone SE for the few things that require it.

 

[leperry]

I'd be delighted to share my thoughts! Thank you for asking I doubt if my needs match many people's because I am disabled, housebound, and study for my own satisfaction. But for what they're worth, here are my main difficulties:

Apps I wish were available for iPad:

Curio - the freeform nature of the note boards I think would work rather well on iPad, although it would be a huge job to get it there I'm sure. I have tried alternatives, but none meet my desires so well with the combination of binder and spaces. I especially wish for the ability to spread pdfs across pages, which is something I haven't been able to properly replicate elsewhere. Most cork board apps either only link the pdfs, or put them all in one space as a scrollable document, which makes spatial associations hard to create. I have used and liked both Liquid Text and Margin Note, but they lack the flexibility of binder and other content types that makes Curio on the Mac so useful.

Tinderbox - I certainly understand why this isn't on the iPad, but I find it very useful sometimes, though I'm an occasional user of some of the basic functions rather than a power user. Still I find the ability to create and link information blocks within and between each other very useful. And again I've not found any replacement powerful enough in creating those easily trackable deeply nested links.

Scapple - I really wish this would come to iPad and really don't see why it can't except for how busy the developer is. Total contrast to the complexity of the above two apps, but very useful for quick mapping of ideas, and again I haven't found an alternative as good. They're either too tied to the 'mind mapping' idea and format, or too awkward in creating links.

Textedit - for simple writing I find it unmatched and I *hate* that Apple hasn't made an iPad version. The alternatives lack its ease, charm and the advantages of being baked in.

Skim - seems unfair to wish for this since it's free, open source software but I love it! Second key app on the Mac alongside Scrivener. Love that it simply exports highlights as plain text notes, something i haven't found anything else quite as good at. Also love the simple 'sticky note' style notes which don't collapse and hide half their content.


Apps with iPad versions that frustrate me:

Scrivener - On the Mac, Scrivener is probably my favourite application and often the most-used. I would dare to go so far as to say I'm a fairly 'power-user' of some features, and either they're missing or nerfed on the iPad. And again the interface may look pretty but wastes a lot of space in my opinion. I could go on about this one at some length And whilst I understand using Dropbox rather than iCloud to sync it still feels clumsy and unreliable in my experience.

Omnioutliner - no other iPad outliner I've tried has anything like the flexibility in creating multiple columns, column types and similar features but the interface is horrible. There's so much wasted space, and documents created on the Mac look pretty different on the iPad. I usually have to resort to completing outlines on Mac and sending them across to the iPad as PDFs, which obviously makes them uneditable and not so useful.

Devon Think - I'm trying this again for about the seventh time on iPad. I just find it hard to use and lacking the immediate flexibility, but I can't speak to overall abilities since I usually give up too soon.

(Cricut Design Space - putting this in brackets since it's to do with my card-making hobby not my studies, but it's annoying enough on the Mac for some missing features but can be bullied into considerable complexity. The iOS versions I just find far too simplistic and hard to use.)

In essence I'm probably unusual in far preferring the 'old-fashioned' computer look of menu-bars etc rather than all the pop-overs etc of the iPad!


Apps on the iPad that I enjoy:

Notion - I use this heavily now and find it very functional on Mac, iPad and iPhone, which is very useful. It is simple to use and ideal for basic notes, but has the ability to be much more complex when needed. I still prefer using it on the Mac, but it works well on iPad.

Craft - similar app to Notion except more limited, but has a few features I choose for some things.

Liquid Text - Useful and well-suited to iPad functions and methods. Love it on the Mac and iPad despite some limitations, but the dev seems very aware from conversations on the forums so I look forward to seeing where that goes. I also use Margin Note as I said above, which is more powerful and sometimes just what I need, but I do find it correspondingly harder to use.

2Do - Syncs flawlessly, works on Mac, iPad, iPhone and Android, looks good on them all, and just does what I need when I need it. Excellent app for my needs and tastes.


I also find it frustrating when a great app used to exist but no longer does and I can't find anything similar. Years ago, probably on iPhone 5, there was a note app that was really unusual. It was a block of (I think) nine squares, each of which was a note, but which could also take you into another block of nine to create a new board of associated notes, deeper and deeper and deeper. I loved it and used it heavily until it disappeared, but I no longer have the phone, can't remember the name, and have never found anything like it. Please someone make this again for iPad! And preferably Mac too!

ETA: I certainly can go into specifics even more if anyone wants me to, but probably best done on an app by app basis - maybe there needs to be a separate thread, since I'd hate to derail this very interesting one!

I feel you on Design Space. However, sometimes when I'm importing complex designs it IS a bit easier at times to use the Apple Pencil to select the negative space. I think Design Space in general needs an overhaul.

 

[GerritV]

I'll wish you luck, of course, but I am guessing that as a retiree actively looking to de-digitize you're not going to need it.

Any phone or tablet that is capable of running the latest revision of the operating system will be able to handle any app or website you could possibly need. In your shoes I would get rid of it all and just use an iPhone SE for the few things that require it.

Actually I do have an iPhone 11, so far used exclusively as a communication device (phone calls, text messages and email).
Your suggestion as to use an iPhone all around is quite bold but interesting, I will definitely give it my serious consideration. Reading a book could be a challenge, perhaps.
Thanks for your input !

 

[Arctic Moose]

Actually I do have an iPhone 11, so far used exclusively as a communication device (phone calls, text messages and email).
Your suggestion as to use an iPhone all around is quite bold but interesting, I will definitely give it my serious consideration. Reading a book could be a challenge, perhaps.

The flashlight on the iPhone 11 is pretty good, so you should be fine.

(Although personally I prefer lighting candles.)

 

[GerritV]

The flashlight on the iPhone 11 is pretty good, so you should be fine.

(Although personally I prefer lighting candles.)

Sorry for creating this misunderstanding: I meant using the Books app on my iPhone to read epub files
I remember someone here or in another thread recently mentioning how he did it, so I have to test this.

 

[Isamilis]

This discussion boils down to two polar view points.

I want to use a iPad and I'm almost there

And

I use a laptop or desktop so you can't use an iPad.

My wife, graduated college (later life student) using an iPad Pro. The battery gave out on that, and she now after graduation, uses that latest gen iPad Air as her ONLY computer.

She does a lot of crafting, Criket design, and photo manipulation. When she goes to the office, they use windows to run google Tools (All Browser based)

I use iPad for all my personal computing needs. I can even remote into my corporate job using VM Ware Horizon client, but if I do, a few times a day, the connection will crash. It is nearly there and support full screen on external monitor. (VM Ware Horizon Does)

I use Laptop, M1 air for the sole purpose of running VM Ware Horizon so my iPad doesn't crash during a conference call on Zoom.

85 % of my time in Windows through VM ware is spent using apps in Browser. A lightweight device connected through a browser is the norm for many in this age.

Again, the iPad is the "power" device for many as a personal computer. It does not work for everyone. But to say "I need a 'real computer' to do xyz, so you can't claim it as a replacement," is wrong. Many already use the iPad or even their phones as their only computer device.

Agree on this. iPad is in grey area between computer and smartphone. Some use cases proven iPad can fill the gap and replace the computer, but for some are not (yet?). One example, my father (80 yo), which should stay most of the time in bed since few months ago. He used to work with MacBook Air intensively until he has to stay in bed. Now he used iPad 11" which fit his needs without hassle with big 13" dimension, power chord and mouse (he didn't familiar with trackpad).

Different case of mine, where I still use both Mac and iPad - iPad mostly for reading news, books and articles, which I feel much more natural than reading on the laptop.

As iPad position is between Mac and iPhone, people can go toward using iPad and leave their Mac or leave their iPhone. I would say, just enjoy our iPad and also the transition.

 

[Arctic Moose]

Sorry for creating this misunderstanding: I meant using the Books app on my iPhone to read epub files
I remember someone here or in another thread recently mentioning how he did it, so I have to test this.

Sorry, I was trying to be funny. Since you linked to spiral ring notebooks, pens and digital minimalism I was suggesting you read dead tree books (that you could take notes in with your solid brass fountain pen) instead of using a glaring screen with the potential for interruptions by notifications and other distractions.

You can read ePub files on your iPhone using the built-in Apple app iBooks. Highlights, bookmarks, current page and so on will sync to your Mac and iPad through iCloud if you wish. It works great, I have read several books this way. However, I primarily use it for reference material, instruction manuals and standards. For books I much prefer paper, unless traveling.

 

[ericwn]

Sorry for creating this misunderstanding: I meant using the Books app on my iPhone to read epub files
I remember someone here or in another thread recently mentioning how he did it, so I have to test this.

I am on my second extra long novel and the books app has a scrolling mode that helps me a lot. Of course images are too small but for text consumption it works great which I never considered.

 

[GerritV]

Sorry, I was trying to be funny. Since you linked to spiral ring notebooks, pens and digital minimalism I was suggesting you read dead tree books (that you could take notes in with your solid brass fountain pen) instead of using a glaring screen with the potential for interruptions by notifications and other distractions.

You can read ePub files on your iPhone using the built-in Apple app iBooks. Highlights, bookmarks, current page and so on will sync to your Mac and iPad through iCloud if you wish. It works great, I have read several books this way. However, I primarily use it for reference material, instruction manuals and standards. For books I much prefer paper, unless traveling.

Ah, so the joke's on me
I read both paper and epub books, and am trained not to be distracted (notifications are OFF, naturally).

 

[GerritV]

I am on my second extra long novel and the books app has a scrolling mode that helps me a lot. Of course images are too small but for text consumption it works great which I never considered.

Thanks for the feedback ericwn - I will definitely do the test.

 

[Kathsr]

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,

testbecause I am considering doing that. I'm just curious about how the keyboards work with the iPad.

I’ve had MacBook Pros and every other Mac since 1990. I’m older now and find the Macs too heavy and bulky. I bought an M1 iPad Pro 12.9” last month (my very first brand new Apple product) and couldn’t be happier. I keep track of all my finances with Numbers, scan all my documents into it and download my statements, etc. I back just the documents up to a flash drive with a USB-C adapter. Everything works flawlessly for my purposes.

 

[ericwn]

Thanks for the feedback ericwn - I will definitely do the test.

My pleasure. Took me a while to find a preference there but white text in black background with a low brightness does it for me, in combination with big font sizes.

 

[spiderman0616]

I think I'm on my 3rd or 4th new opinion on this subject, and my setup has dramatically changed over the last several months due to the advent of the M1 processor. I still think that the iPad in general is, and always has been, a perfectly acceptable laptop replacement for most people. And most people are eventually going to gravitate toward powerful smartphones, tablets, smart watches, etc. It's already happening now. Because most people don't need and never did need a Mac OR PC.

It's those "most people" tasks where I feel the iPad shines, no matter which model you have. Email, web browsing, taking notes during meetings, media watching/listening, reading, etc., but the M1 Air and iPhone were handling those tasks so well, I didn't feel the need to own another iPad again.

Skipping ahead, now I have an iPad again--the mini 6. I missed the Apple Pencil, and bought pretty much for that and reading. I didn't realize how incredibly useful this device would be as a laptop replacement, even with its small footprint. I accidentally discovered one day when plugging it in to my monitor's USB-C cable that it would mirror automatically up to the monitor, and I could assign it a Bluetooth profile on my k+m. It's like having an iPad Pro again! I've had the mini 6 in my hands for the last few weeks far more often than my phone or laptop. It's really hard to explain, but there's something about this new mini that I'm enjoying far more than my phone or laptop.

So I guess my new opinion is that any iPad or any other device you want to name is a perfectly good laptop replacement in the year 2022. Apple is doing a really good job keeping the Mac fresh with the M1 and the work they've been doing on macOS, but I'm sure even they know this is legacy stuff and will eventually not be needed anymore. I think this is where people lose the forest for the trees a bit and start clinging to their old paradigms because they're getting uncomfortable.

The long and short of it is that the pandemic has shown some of the more conservative employers that "working" does not necessarily mean that you're sitting hunched over a laptop in an office with a keyboard and mouse. Work might be an email you answer with voice dictation from your watch. It might be a text you send your boss from your phone. It might be an online tool you access from your Mac's Safari browser. The important thing to remember is that there are now a zillion different kinds of devices and cloud-based services that do all these things just as well as a laptop if not better. They're not even all Apple devices or services. Lots of companies are involved here.

People seem to think that means death to laptops. All it really means is that most people just never needed that kind of system to begin with.

 

[Isamilis]

I think I'm on my 3rd or 4th new opinion on this subject, and my setup has dramatically changed over the last several months due to the advent of the M1 processor. I still think that the iPad in general is, and always has been, a perfectly acceptable laptop replacement for most people. And most people are eventually going to gravitate toward powerful smartphones, tablets, smart watches, etc. It's already happening now. Because most people don't need and never did need a Mac OR PC.

It's those "most people" tasks where I feel the iPad shines, no matter which model you have. Email, web browsing, taking notes during meetings, media watching/listening, reading, etc., but the M1 Air and iPhone were handling those tasks so well, I didn't feel the need to own another iPad again.

Skipping ahead, now I have an iPad again--the mini 6. I missed the Apple Pencil, and bought pretty much for that and reading. I didn't realize how incredibly useful this device would be as a laptop replacement, even with its small footprint. I accidentally discovered one day when plugging it in to my monitor's USB-C cable that it would mirror automatically up to the monitor, and I could assign it a Bluetooth profile on my k+m. It's like having an iPad Pro again! I've had the mini 6 in my hands for the last few weeks far more often than my phone or laptop. It's really hard to explain, but there's something about this new mini that I'm enjoying far more than my phone or laptop.

So I guess my new opinion is that any iPad or any other device you want to name is a perfectly good laptop replacement in the year 2022. Apple is doing a really good job keeping the Mac fresh with the M1 and the work they've been doing on macOS, but I'm sure even they know this is legacy stuff and will eventually not be needed anymore. I think this is where people lose the forest for the trees a bit and start clinging to their old paradigms because they're getting uncomfortable.

The long and short of it is that the pandemic has shown some of the more conservative employers that "working" does not necessarily mean that you're sitting hunched over a laptop in an office with a keyboard and mouse. Work might be an email you answer with voice dictation from your watch. It might be a text you send your boss from your phone. It might be an online tool you access from your Mac's Safari browser. The important thing to remember is that there are now a zillion different kinds of devices and cloud-based services that do all these things just as well as a laptop if not better. They're not even all Apple devices or services. Lots of companies are involved here.

People seem to think that means death to laptops. All it really means is that most people just never needed that kind of system to begin with.

iPad usage for laptop replacement also depends on type of work in laptop. I work in statistics and analytics area, dealing with numbers, large excel and sas dataset, for sure I still need laptop for that.
But for managerial / coordination type of work or creative art, iPad will be more effective than laptop.

 

[Booji]

Oh absolutely. I just recently came back from a business trip where all I took was my iPad. In the one instance where I thought it might be easier to use MacOS, I fired up Jump Desktop and did what I had to do. The rest of the time, my iPad worked just fine. Now, granted, what I do can almost entirely be done on an iPad. YMMV.

Same here. 11" Pro plus a keyboard is the perfect device for travel.

 

[Abazigal]

@spiderman0616 Well said. Ultimately, I am thankful for the options afforded by the iPad form factor. We were stuck with laptops in the past, regardless of whether the nature of the work was best served by such a form factor in the first place, because there was no other alternative. To use an analogy, it was like trying to hammer in a nail with a screwdriver, because the hammer didn't exist yet. The iPad is that hammer, for the tasks that I now do which are better suited to a tablet form factor.

 

[dumastudetto]

Same here. 11" Pro plus a keyboard is the perfect device for travel.

Either size works perfectly for me. The best decision I ever made was deliberating driving over my MacBook Pro, to justify buying new iPads Pros.

 

[spiderman0616]

iPad usage for laptop replacement also depends on type of work in laptop. I work in statistics and analytics area, dealing with numbers, large excel and sas dataset, for sure I still need laptop for that.
But for managerial / coordination type of work or creative art, iPad will be more effective than laptop.

Agree. I think the best thing to do, if someone is interested in an iPad, is to just have one and see what you can do with it. Let it naturally take over the things it's most suited to take over. As is Apple's usual MO, they head faked us with the Magic Keyboard and new M1 models. I think many have been hoping they'd continue pushing iPad more toward the Mac, but I think what they're really doing is setting the table for things like Universal Control.

The iPad isn't a ton closer to being a Mac than it ever was before. It's just more integrated and interactive with the Mac than it's ever been. Keyboard and mouse support, iOS being forked off into iPadOS, Universal Control, these all make the iPad a better citizen in the Apple ecosystem.

Now that fan noise, speed, and heat are no longer a problem on the Mac, the iPad can more comfortably move back into the things it's best suited for. I've found it works quite well for me in most productivity AND consumption tasks. I can be productive on just about any Apple device. But it feels good to be able to move the Mac stuff back to the Mac without worrying about any of the pitfalls and just let the iPad be the iPad.

 

[spiderman0616]

@spiderman0616 Well said. Ultimately, I am thankful for the options afforded by the iPad form factor. We were stuck with laptops in the past, regardless of whether the nature of the work was best served by such a form factor in the first place, because there was no other alternative. To use an analogy, it was like trying to hammer in a nail with a screwdriver, because the hammer didn't exist yet. The iPad is that hammer, for the tasks that I now do which are better suited to a tablet form factor.

Back in the AOL days, beige-box desktops from Gateway, Dell, Compaq, or HP where pretty much your only option. Macs were too slow and weird and expensive for the mainstream, and Apple was in terrible shape. In 2022, the landscape is very different, obviously. I think the pandemic has finally made non-techies realize that the computer on your desk or in your laptop bag are not your only options. Far from it.

 

[rui no onna]

Back in the AOL days, beige-box desktops from Gateway, Dell, Compaq, or HP where pretty much your only option. Macs were too slow and weird and expensive for the mainstream, and Apple was in terrible shape. In 2022, the landscape is very different, obviously. I think the pandemic has finally made non-techies realize that the computer on your desk or in your laptop bag are not your only options. Far from it.

For our company, it's the opposite. Most of my co-workers didn't really have up to date home computers and primarily just used smartphones at home. A few had iPads. I know a lot who bought new laptops so they could work from home.

 

[spiderman0616]

For our company, it's the opposite. Most of my co-workers didn't really have up to date home computers and primarily just used smartphones at home. A few had iPads. I know a lot who bought new laptops so they could work from home.

I definitely can't begrudge anyone going to a laptop now--they're a lot more user friendly than they used to be, and I find it important to have one in the lineup myself. I will say that when family and friends ask me which laptop they should buy, I tell them, "If you want me to give you advice on Windows laptops, that will be a dead end."

It's not because of rabid fanboy-ism or anything like that. I don't care what others prefer. I just don't feel like answering 8,000 Windows tech support calls a day until the end of time. A lot of my family still own their ancient Windows PCs and I can't wait for all of those PCs to die so they stop being my problem all the time. Granted, my mom has had iPhones and iPads almost as long as I have now, and still doesn't know how to use those either, so.........