iPad as a laptop replacement

[Archer1440]

The second point is especially important, I cannot stress that enough. Depending on the will of a single company (which is not at all immune from external pressure from other companies and governments) is a crazy and dark idea. It’s ok and works well on a limited, complementary device. It has security advantages. But for our main computer? Look at all the software from Iranian developers: banned from the store from one day to the other, just BECAUSE they are Iranian people. Look at VPN software in China. A billion people lost the chance to access the free internet from their iOS devices, from one day to the other. Now, imagine if that was their only computer. The implications are profound, much more than iOS software limitations.

You seem to imply that Apple is some sort of trust. However, it is their walled garden approach that eliminates many of the issues (yes, I know, not ALL) that plague and infest the Android community.

Pick your poison. So far no one put a gun to your head to make a specific choice.

(As for the Iranian red herring... Apple and other US companies are restricted from paying Iranians (and North Koreans) for anything. There's an embargo against the regime.)

 

[sparksd]

You seem to imply that Apple is some sort of trust. However, it is their walled garden approach that eliminates many of the issues (yes, I know, not ALL) that plague and infest the Android community.

Pick your poison. So far no one put a gun to your head to make a specific choice.

(As for the Iranian red herring... Apple and other US companies are restricted from paying Iranians (and North Koreans) for anything. There's an embargo against the regime.)

Plague & infest? I've been using multiple Android phones and tablets since inception and have never run into an issue. There have certainly been issues but I would hardly characterize things as a plague and infestation.

 

[oldhifi]

Well I'll see, I just ordered a Apple refurbished iPad Pro 12 in, with Brydge Keyboard and 53 pencil. Hopefully I can do without a mouse, can't believe you can't bluetooth one..

 

[Macintoshrumors]

Well I'll see, I just ordered a Apple refurbished iPad Pro 12 in, with Brydge Keyboard and 53 pencil. Hopefully I can do without a mouse, can't believe you can't bluetooth one..

Then wouldnt the mouse defeat the purpose of even having an ipad? The closes thing would be a macbook. Apple made it clear that the only thing you need to navigate ios is your fingers and keyboard shortcuts if using a sk

 

[canesalato]

Then wouldnt the mouse defeat the purpose of even having an iPad?

No... I don't think so.
a) a cursor precision can be useful. Apple agrees because they implemented it as a shortcut from their touch keyboard.
b) Some situations are more fit for touch, others for a cursor. Buying two devices just to have this ability, and having to bring them around all the time, seems crazy. You waste money and space. In return you gain weight, the inconvenience of syncing your documents between multiple devices and now you have one more device that you can break (MacBook pro keyboards are getting especially delicate lately).

The closes thing would be a macbook.

No, because a MacBook doesn't have a touchscreen. Same problem but from the other side. The closest thing would be a surface, but they still have to nail some aspects of the user experience (and then you would be stuck with windows).

Apple made it clear that the only thing you need to navigate ios is your fingers and keyboard shortcuts if using a sk

Funny, then, that you cannot navigate within Files, or rename folders, with a smart keyboard, isn't it? =)
Anyway, Apple also made clear during the keynote and even in their ads that the iPhone 5 was the max reasonable size to adopt.

Any bigger size would make impossible to reach the corners of the screen! Meanwhile, they were working on iPhone 6. And 6 plus!
Lately they've been wrong on more than one thing, to say the least...

 

[Royksöpp]

Well I'll see, I just ordered a Apple refurbished iPad Pro 12 in, with Brydge Keyboard and 53 pencil. Hopefully I can do without a mouse, can't believe you can't bluetooth one..

Why didn't you just get the Apple Pencil? Believe me the Pencil by 53 is nothing compared to Apple. I tried it on my old Air 2 and I hated it, I ended up using the bamboo stylus. Now that I have a Pro the Apple Pencil is and should be the only option.

 

[oldhifi]

I travel a lot during work, so all I do is watch movies or ball games on my laptop and answer emails or send out documents sometimes. I tried to find a good used MacBook, but did not want to spend that much, so the iPad is good for me. Yes I looked at the Apple pencil, but $100 seems high, so I went with the 53 pencil.

 

[oldhifi]

Why didn't you just get the Apple Pencil? Believe me the Pencil by 53 is nothing compared to Apple. I tried it on my old Air 2 and I hated it, I ended up using the bamboo stylus. Now that I have a Pro the Apple Pencil is and should be the only option.

yes the Bamboo stylus looks good in the reviews, might get one too

 

[louis redfoot]

my air 2 had already replaced my computers for years. i wired my ultrabook to stream video to my tv, my desktop is mainly a video jukebox. both tasks are easily doable on the ipad.

though my use cases are probably simpler than most of you folks: all i really need is a web browser, video player, and simple document/photo editing.

 

[Royksöpp]

yes the Bamboo stylus looks good in the reviews, might get one too

Or you could just spend a little extra and get the best.

 

[Ghost31]

I travel a lot during work, so all I do is watch movies or ball games on my laptop and answer emails or send out documents sometimes. I tried to find a good used MacBook, but did not want to spend that much, so the iPad is good for me. Yes I looked at the Apple pencil, but $100 seems high, so I went with the 53 pencil.

I was right there with you until you said you didn’t buy the Apple Pencil. Damn dude. After using it, i could never move to another stylus. Easily worth its cost

 

[louis redfoot]

I was right there with you until you said you didn’t buy the Apple Pencil. Damn dude. After using it, i could never move to another stylus. Easily worth its cost

i always wanted one, just didn’t want to buy one. but with the best buy deal, it’s in the mail!

 

[Archer1440]

Plague & infest? I've been using multiple Android phones and tablets since inception and have never run into an issue. There have certainly been issues but I would hardly characterize things as a plague and infestation.

Relative to iOS, it’s the Black Death and Spanish Influenza pandemic every week in android land.

 

[oldhifi]

Or you could just spend a little extra and get the best.

Don't think it's the best according to the reviews

 

[Royksöpp]

Don't think it's the best according to the reviews

As someone who has used many styluses I have concluded that it IS the best. The precision of the tip allows for near exact details. A smushy rubber stylus could never replicate that. The pencil is why I upgraded from an Air 2. I waited a year for the 10.5 (9.7 ram gate delayed my upgrade) and the Pencil and I'm glad that I did. Just buy a refurbished one if you want to save a few bucks. What will you use it for anyways? If not for drawing then a basic stylus will be just fine.

 

[yep-sure]

After using the iPad Pro exclusively for a few months now, I’m reluctantly switching back to my MacBook for university essays.

I was just putting the finishing touches on my 2000 word essay that’s due tomorrow, using MS Word on the iPad Pro. I tried to highlight all the text to do a word count. I got about a third of the way down, it froze for a bit, then all the text I had selected was gone. There was no undo option. I quickly switched to the Files app to see when it last saved. Right that second. 1/3rd of my essay = gone. Tried to restore it, tried to find previous versions, etc...nothing.

My own fault for trusting the software and iOS11. So now for assignments I’ll be switching back to the Mac with my Time Machine backups for these sorts of incidents and automated version control.

 

[Brammy]

After using the iPad Pro exclusively for a few months now, I’m reluctantly switching back to my MacBook for university essays.

I was just putting the finishing touches on my 2000 word essay that’s due tomorrow, using MS Word on the iPad Pro. I tried to highlight all the text to do a word count. I got about a third of the way down, it froze for a bit, then all the text I had selected was gone. There was no undo option. I quickly switched to the Files app to see when it last saved. Right that second. 1/3rd of my essay = gone. Tried to restore it, tried to find previous versions, etc...nothing.

My own fault for trusting the software and iOS11. So now for assignments I’ll be switching back to the Mac with my Time Machine backups for these sorts of incidents and automated version control.

It’s too late now, but you an turn off auto-save in Word. Of course, that means you need to remember to save.

My Word and School documents I keep on OneDrive or Dropbox for version control. I haven’t found Office iOS and iCloud to ever play well. They don’t have it as a document location, for example.

 

[subjonas]

It’s too late now, but you an turn off auto-save in Word. Of course, that means you need to remember to save.

My Word and School documents I keep on OneDrive or Dropbox for version control. I haven’t found Office iOS and iCloud to ever play well. They don’t have it as a document location, for example.

Do you happen to know what the version increments in Dropbox are? Once per day? Ideal would be something like Time Machine (hourly per day, daily per month, monthly forever).

 

[Brammy]

Do you happen to know what the version increments in Dropbox are? Once per day? Ideal would be something like Time Machine (hourly per day, daily per month, monthly forever).

It looks like every time the file is saved. I looked at a file PowerPoint on iOS was auto-saving, and I see versions created every minute.

 

[yep-sure]

It’s too late now, but you an turn off auto-save in Word. Of course, that means you need to remember to save.

My Word and School documents I keep on OneDrive or Dropbox for version control. I haven’t found Office iOS and iCloud to ever play well. They don’t have it as a document location, for example.

Great info, thanks!

 

[oldhifi]

I'l probably get a good used MacBook pro

yes the Bamboo stylus looks good in the reviews, might get one too

I tried the Bamboo Fineline 2, too many connection problems. I will just stick with my 53 Pencil, works great.

 

[oldhifi]

I am really enjoying my IPad Pro it streams the footballs game perfect, my Winders laptop just sits there and spins..

 

[R3k]

Not even close.

Some of the reasons:

Websites the land you on on the mobile version with reduced functionality and don’t have an option to going to the desktop version.

File operations- reduced functionality.

In general, slower operation for many tasks, you have to jump though hoops and have 3rd party apps to say, download, unzip a file, grab something inside, open it in word, export it to pdf and mail it.

Did I say common tasks are slower?

Controlling a laptop is faster. Trackpad, pointer is more accurate, more gestures are available.

Larger screens on laptops.

Pro Apps that are not available on the iPad.

 

[AussieRob78]

I agree with the sentiment that it's an alternative for some, but not a replacement.

I'd love to see mouse support too, and there are a few apps for me that would make it a replacement (I absolutely must have Radmin for use at work). I don't use my laptop much at home these days (I had a 9.7 inch iPad pro, with pencil and logitech create case) and I've recently changed over to the 10.5 Pro, with the Apple Smart keyboard and kept the Apple Pencil.

It would be a bad idea on Apple's part (IMO) to make it a laptop replacement, there would be the chance it would impact on their MacBook sales

 

[naturalstar]

For me, the answer would be no.

When it’s time for me to do anything work related or for school, I’m running my laptop or MacBook hooked up to my flat screen monitor for a second screen. I’m using applications that are not designed for iOS.

My iPad is primarily my reader, my internet surfer, my entertainment device, and lightweight research/productivity tool (email, class reading, etc). Perfect for when I’m lounging around at home or traveling.