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iPad as a laptop replacement
- Thread starter Omar Comin' Yo
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The PC also got Diablo Immortal, though. And, it’s not like PC games haven’t been laden with micro transactions and lootboxes for some time now. Are there any current games considered AAA that don’t include a way for the user to spend more money?
of course it can very well be a laptop / computer replacement for many. It was for me too for light use like browsing the web and Youtube for like 10 years as well.
... Until i got my fanless MBA.
yes, i could still use my iPad(s) for the majority of tasks over it, but thing is: in my view, it is only a superior option for drawers / painters / illustrators - if they can live with slightly gimped versions of apps available for "true" computers, which of course are still fine apps.
for every other use case, my iPads are inferior, gimped, sometimes downright more annoying to use.
the crappy form of my iPad Pro that's literally hurting my hands doesn't help either. My standard iPad is much better in this regard.
I still use them though, but mainly as a secondary display to view some Youtube vids while doing my stuff on my MBA or MBP or while on the *******. (edit for clarification: ****** = loo)
the base iPad's price is good enough to warrant it for people who can't or don't want to spend more.
... Until i got my fanless MBA.
yes, i could still use my iPad(s) for the majority of tasks over it, but thing is: in my view, it is only a superior option for drawers / painters / illustrators - if they can live with slightly gimped versions of apps available for "true" computers, which of course are still fine apps.
for every other use case, my iPads are inferior, gimped, sometimes downright more annoying to use.
the crappy form of my iPad Pro that's literally hurting my hands doesn't help either. My standard iPad is much better in this regard.
I still use them though, but mainly as a secondary display to view some Youtube vids while doing my stuff on my MBA or MBP or while on the *******. (edit for clarification: ****** = loo)
the base iPad's price is good enough to warrant it for people who can't or don't want to spend more.
For studying/reading, the iPad is much more interactive than my MacBook. I’m more likely to retain the material when I’m using the Apple Pencil than I am simply scrolling on the MacBook. Just like my college/post grad days with a highlighter. The fact that I can only have so many windows open at a time also keeps me focused.
The one huge difference between macOS and iOS is the menu bar on the Mac. Having all the functions there really helps to standardize the user experience between apps. iPadOS has gone through so many changes that some useful apps still don’t have basic ui elements like slide over, split screen, etc. hopefully that will get better in time, but it makes the iPadOS experience much more fragmented.
The one huge difference between macOS and iOS is the menu bar on the Mac. Having all the functions there really helps to standardize the user experience between apps. iPadOS has gone through so many changes that some useful apps still don’t have basic ui elements like slide over, split screen, etc. hopefully that will get better in time, but it makes the iPadOS experience much more fragmented.
Yeah, the SNR of this thread crossed my threshold in the last few days.
I’ll drop in again if iPadOS 17 introduces any earth-shattering changes.
I wonder what Omar is using these days?
It seems that everything that can be said on this has already been said ... at least a couple of dozen times.
This is because Apple does not give Mac a touch or pencil support.
I used SideCar on my iPad and I love it.
Apple can make a touch mac 2in1 call it the "MacBook Touch" with a removeable keyboard. It would sell boat loads. Like the Surface Pro.
That's a really good use case. For browsing the web and reading while on the sofa, I can't think of a better device to do it on than a 12.9" iPad.
I miss the accuracy of the mouse when I’m using the iPad , I suppose the pencil should fulfil that role , but it never quite does , to me anyway
You do know that you can use a mouse and trackpad with your iPad?
Hi All,
Longtime lurker and
customer, first time posting 
Is there a "dummies" guide for a desktop setup with an iPad? I'm considering ditching my Mac Mini since my iPad does 100% of what little I do on the Mac. This is strictly for personal use (I've yet to work at a job where you're allowed to BYOD).
1st question: Hardware
I did a test run ($0 cost, the best kind of experiment) connecting my iPad Air to my Ultrafine display, and plugging in KB, Trackpad, and headset to the display's USB ports. All worked well, except the iPad didn't (couldn't?) make use of the display's built-in camera. The only drawback was how "big" the iPad's screen looked on the Ultrafine, like I had to push my chair back at least another 1 ft.
Can this older iPad Air do more or would I need an iPad Pro? Is USB-C a limiting factor (in terms of peripherals and screen resolution) vs. Thunderbolt on the IPP?
2nd question: Transition
This is more general - what are lessons learned in terms of usability when transitioning from a Mac to an iPad? What transition steps (if any) do I need to take?
For example: I have about 1TB of "stuff" (documents, media, etc.) on the Mac's internal drive. I could put this all on my iCloud if I really had to, or move it to a external drive, or get a 1TB/2TB IPP. Also, what about music and photos? Most of my music is ripped from CDs (yes I'm that old, ha!), and my Mac stores all my photos in their full resolution.
3rd (last) question: iPadOS16
I realize the upcoming iPadOS brings more laptop-like support for external displays, along with other aids like Stage Manager. And I further realize that these features won't work without an M1 processor. As a result, should I be looking at an upgrade (iPad Air 5, or likely M2-based IPPs this Fall)? Will I be wishing for these features if I stick with my current iPad?
Apologies if this has been covered already in this now-160 page thread I've yet to find a guide on-line that doesn't approach this question from the home user point of view. Be it a web article or a YouTube video, everyone I've found answering this question does so from the context of replacing a work computer with a work iPad.
Longtime lurker and
customer, first time posting Is there a "dummies" guide for a desktop setup with an iPad? I'm considering ditching my Mac Mini since my iPad does 100% of what little I do on the Mac. This is strictly for personal use (I've yet to work at a job where you're allowed to BYOD).
1st question: Hardware
I did a test run ($0 cost, the best kind of experiment) connecting my iPad Air to my Ultrafine display, and plugging in KB, Trackpad, and headset to the display's USB ports. All worked well, except the iPad didn't (couldn't?) make use of the display's built-in camera. The only drawback was how "big" the iPad's screen looked on the Ultrafine, like I had to push my chair back at least another 1 ft.
Can this older iPad Air do more or would I need an iPad Pro? Is USB-C a limiting factor (in terms of peripherals and screen resolution) vs. Thunderbolt on the IPP?
2nd question: Transition
This is more general - what are lessons learned in terms of usability when transitioning from a Mac to an iPad? What transition steps (if any) do I need to take?
For example: I have about 1TB of "stuff" (documents, media, etc.) on the Mac's internal drive. I could put this all on my iCloud if I really had to, or move it to a external drive, or get a 1TB/2TB IPP. Also, what about music and photos? Most of my music is ripped from CDs (yes I'm that old, ha!), and my Mac stores all my photos in their full resolution.
3rd (last) question: iPadOS16
I realize the upcoming iPadOS brings more laptop-like support for external displays, along with other aids like Stage Manager. And I further realize that these features won't work without an M1 processor. As a result, should I be looking at an upgrade (iPad Air 5, or likely M2-based IPPs this Fall)? Will I be wishing for these features if I stick with my current iPad?
Apologies if this has been covered already in this now-160 page thread
I've yet to find a guide on-line that doesn't approach this question from the home user point of view. Be it a web article or a YouTube video, everyone I've found answering this question does so from the context of replacing a work computer with a work iPad.
Last edited:
Not sure I get what you mean, can’t you just connect a mouse then and use that if that’s your preference?
Making use of the peripherals is something Apple is trying to address in iPadOS 16 with DriverKit, however… I’m not sure how that will work going forward. Do manufacturers have something to do on their end? Or will it be a simple plug and play for peripherals to work.Hi All,
Longtime lurker and
Is there a "dummies" guide for a desktop setup with an iPad? I'm considering ditching my Mac Mini since my iPad does 100% of what little I do on the Mac. This is strictly for personal use (I've yet to work at a job where you're allowed to BYOD).
1st question: Hardware
I did a test run ($0 cost, the best kind of experiment) connecting my iPad Air to my Ultrafine display, and plugging in KB, Trackpad, and headset to the display's USB ports. All worked well, except the iPad didn't (couldn't?) make use of the display's built-in camera. The only drawback was how "big" the iPad's screen looked on the Ultrafine, like I had to push my chair back at least another 1 ft.
Can this older iPad Air do more or would I need an iPad Pro? Is USB-C a limiting factor (in terms of peripherals and screen resolution) vs. Thunderbolt on the IPP?
But if you are planning on using a external display… I suggest going with the latest iPad Air to get better support.
Well, yeah.. you can use iCloud to store photos. But music.. you can make use of Plex, they have great metadata to use with your Music. I’ve been using Plex to store movies… haven’t tried music but I heard good things about it.
You are correct.. Stage Manager only works for M1 equipped iPads. But no need to apologize… we are here to help with transitioning over to the iPad.
I go through journeys of trying to change my workflow frequently, always trying to find the perfect setup but usually fall short in one way or another. I’m currently back to using an iPad Pros in lieu of my aging MacBook. The extended monitor support with iOS16 sounds like it would be useful for you. I’m not sure I need the extended screen, and from what I’ve seen of stage manager, I’m not sure it’s enough to make me upgrade. I don’t think you’ll be able to get the camera on the monitor to work unless Apple somehow adds support. I agree, the “blown up screen” appearance of an iOS device hooked up to an external monitor with iOS15 is rather ridiculous, but iOS16 will help. I usually use an app called Documents by Readdle, and it lets me resize PDFs with pinch zoom to use the external monitor more effectively. As for storage, I really dislike iCloud as I feel like I have less control over what is uploaded and what is downloaded on my devices. iCloud also can’t stream videos or music, everything has to be downloaded. I’ve been using Dropbox, and paid for the higher tier so I can access my files on all my devices. It’s not as smooth as on a Mac, but it will have to do. Lastly, with respect to upgrading to take advantage on iOS16, I say watch some videos on Stage Manager and see if it is something you would really use. I actually like the current split screen/slideover approach, and can’t see SM being a replacement for my workflow (and it seems to take up a lot of screen space).Hi All,
Longtime lurker and
Is there a "dummies" guide for a desktop setup with an iPad? I'm considering ditching my Mac Mini since my iPad does 100% of what little I do on the Mac. This is strictly for personal use (I've yet to work at a job where you're allowed to BYOD).
1st question: Hardware
I did a test run ($0 cost, the best kind of experiment) connecting my iPad Air to my Ultrafine display, and plugging in KB, Trackpad, and headset to the display's USB ports. All worked well, except the iPad didn't (couldn't?) make use of the display's built-in camera. The only drawback was how "big" the iPad's screen looked on the Ultrafine, like I had to push my chair back at least another 1 ft.
Can this older iPad Air do more or would I need an iPad Pro? Is USB-C a limiting factor (in terms of peripherals and screen resolution) vs. Thunderbolt on the IPP?
2nd question: Transition
This is more general - what are lessons learned in terms of usability when transitioning from a Mac to an iPad? What transition steps (if any) do I need to take?
For example: I have about 1TB of "stuff" (documents, media, etc.) on the Mac's internal drive. I could put this all on my iCloud if I really had to, or move it to a external drive, or get a 1TB/2TB IPP. Also, what about music and photos? Most of my music is ripped from CDs (yes I'm that old, ha!), and my Mac stores all my photos in their full resolution.
3rd (last) question: iPadOS16
I realize the upcoming iPadOS brings more laptop-like support for external displays, along with other aids like Stage Manager. And I further realize that these features won't work without an M1 processor. As a result, should I be looking at an upgrade (iPad Air 5, or likely M2-based IPPs this Fall)? Will I be wishing for these features if I stick with my current iPad?
Apologies if this has been covered already in this now-160 page thread
sure bud. iPhones also have virtual swap, stage manager, slideover, multiple windows, and multiple instances.
but, I guess calling it by the same name makes you feel powerfull or something… its just weird, but alas, call it whatever you want I just wanted to point out you are very wrong there
It is still just a big iPhone with a pencil in the end.
Most people have a smartphone as an iPad replacement.
Who do you honestly see using an iPad in public? Not many.
My Mini 6 is my iPhone replacement. Still use the phone for calls, but that's basically it.
It’s a larger device that runs something that’s very related to iOS. It’s not a phone at all as it cannot connect to a phone network to place calls. iPads are certainly used in public but just with MacBooks you won’t see people using them on the go. That’s all however not the point of this thread.
Nonsense. An iPad like any tablet is more likely an additional device for convenience scenarios.
You also don’t see them as much as in libraries and in Starbucks, which is dominated by laptops.
In the end, most people don’t own iPads because their smartphones can do the same.
If I create some music in Cubasis 3 on the M1 12.9 iPad Pro, it is 100% identical when I work from my iPhone. It works literally the same.
I tried that as a while, but the mini is still too big to carry in my pocket. I bought the 13 pro max, and it’s great but I wish iOS had some sort of split screen or sldeover.
Most people don’t own an iPad because they don’t need it. Their smartphone does the same thing.
So if you can run the same app “Cubasis 3” on your MacBook, then that means you only need a smartphone and don’t need a laptop?
People in Starbucks don’t use iPads?!? Oh no, should I throw mine away???