iPad as a laptop replacement

[sparksd]

I am afraid there is a bit of a confusion here. I use my IPP to actively engage with the documents. Only a few "live" documents I keep on the IPP. My online repository is OneDrive with a partial but updated set residing on a 256GB mSD card on the SP4. I simply pull down whatever documents I need on the IPP when I am on the go. I am also planning to get one of those WIFI-enabled HDDs, which I could use to keep another set of my documents, but also multi-media files.

Also, the SP4 is a big machine for purely digital notebook work. Its 12.5", its a bit heavy enough to deter extended one-handed use. Indeed, this is one of the things that deterred me from the IPP 12.9 though weight-wise it is probably lighter than the SP4 (will need to double check this). Much of this was ameliorated with my use of the S3 (non Pro), but there were issues. For example, battery life was not very good in my experience. Secondly, inking was quite good, but now when I compare with what I experience on the IPP, it feels oddly clunky - but that could be also a function of the apps (specifically referring to Drawboard and OneNote). And anyways, the S3 is no longer in production. There is no news about any upgrades to the hardware. In that sense, it represents a deadend for me - something which I cant understand why MS let happen.

And, to be absolutely upfront about it, there are two other key issues involved. One is the AR - the SP4 (S3 non pro too) has a 3:2 AR as compared to that of the IPP which is 4:3. I prefer the latter. The second thing is apps. For working with PDFs, I prefer Liquid Text (and PDF Expert). Drawboard and Xodo are two of the best apps for the Surface, which don't measure up very well against what is available on the iPad - specifically the aforementioned apps.
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Umm.."he"...
[doublepost=1511719572][/doublepost]
Thank you!

re: wireless enabled HDD - consider a wireless Filehub that allows to to plug in any USB storage, not restricting you to what's on the wireless drive:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016ZWS9ZE

I use one with a 4TB drive and other storage that I can connect to the FileHub for use or into my home network/computers/laptop for access. I also use it for video streaming to my iPad from an HDD. This disconnects the transfer mechanism (WiFi) from the storage mechanism and is more versatile. It's only $40 and works with your existing portable HDDs (if you have them).

 

[mk313]

I am afraid there is a bit of a confusion here. I use my IPP to actively engage with the documents. Only a few "live" documents I keep on the IPP. My online repository is OneDrive with a partial but updated set residing on a 256GB mSD card on the SP4. I simply pull down whatever documents I need on the IPP when I am on the go. I am also planning to get one of those WIFI-enabled HDDs, which I could use to keep another set of my documents, but also multi-media files.

Also, the SP4 is a big machine for purely digital notebook work. Its 12.5", its a bit heavy enough to deter extended one-handed use. Indeed, this is one of the things that deterred me from the IPP 12.9 though weight-wise it is probably lighter than the SP4 (will need to double check this). Much of this was ameliorated with my use of the S3 (non Pro), but there were issues. For example, battery life was not very good in my experience. Secondly, inking was quite good, but now when I compare with what I experience on the IPP, it feels oddly clunky - but that could be also a function of the apps (specifically referring to Drawboard and OneNote). And anyways, the S3 is no longer in production. There is no news about any upgrades to the hardware. In that sense, it represents a deadend for me - something which I cant understand why MS let happen.

That makes sense. Thanks for the reply. Like I said, my only experience with the SP is what I've read on here. I always assumed they were pretty comparable size/weight wise, but it makes more sense that they aren't.

Anyways, fascinating use case. Thanks for posting about it.

 

[kristalsoldier]

re: wireless enabled HDD - consider a wireless Filehub that allows to to plug in any USB storage, not restricting you to what's on the wireless drive:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016ZWS9ZE

I use one with a 4TB drive and other storage that I can connect to the FileHub for use or into my home network/computers/laptop for access. I also use it for video streaming to my iPad from an HDD. This disconnects the transfer mechanism (WiFi) from the storage mechanism and is more versatile. It's only $40 and works with your existing portable HDDs (if you have them).

Thanks! Yes, this is exactly like what I had in mind. I have been reading a few reviews of units like these. I am certainly going to get one ASAP!
[doublepost=1511721269][/doublepost]

That makes sense. Thanks for the reply. Like I said, my only experience with the SP is what I've read on here. I always assumed they were pretty comparable size/weight wise, but it makes more sense that they aren't.

Anyways, fascinating use case. Thanks for posting about it.

Thanks again! Just my p.o.v. thats all.

 

[sparksd]

Thanks! Yes, this is exactly like what I had in mind. I have been reading a few reviews of units like these. I am certainly going to get one ASAP!
[doublepost=1511721269][/doublepost]
Thanks again! Just my p.o.v. thats all.

Added note on the FileHub - it has its own app but i generally use FileBrowser or FileExplorer to work with the attached storage. Makes copying/accessing files easier. And also, other than file explorer apps, other apps can't see external storage - the file explorer apps act as my conduit. (I was able to export a processed image from Adobe Lightroom through Files->FileBrowser to a attached storage). Working with external storage with iOS can be challenging.

 

[kristalsoldier]

Added note on the FileHub - it has its own app but i generally use FileBrowser or FileExplorer to work with the attached storage. Makes copying/accessing files easier. And also, other than file explorer apps, other apps can't see external storage - the file explorer apps act as my conduit. (I was able to export a processed image from Adobe Lightroom through Files->FileBrowser to a attached storage). Working with external storage with iOS can be challenging.

Thanks very much! I do need this - especially when I mark up documents and move them around. I will check this out!

 

[jsntrenkler]

I find that I can do most tasks on my iPad Pro. I am in the same camp as most and wish there was mouse support. I use my iPad more than my MacBook Pro.

 

[Sheldonsmith]

I can almost do anything on my iPad Pro other than composing/assembling/editing PowerPoint slides which is pretty much a mouse driven activity. I have thought about trying an Apple Pencil in place of a mouse which is something I’ll try the next time I am at an Apple store. Does anyone else have experience with PowerPoint slides and an Apple Pencil?

 

[macgeek18]

The 12.9 Pro is a really amazing device. I’ve been recovery from a surgery this week and used my iPad 99% of the time. A lot of Discord and Twitch in split view and general email and browsing. It does these things great. But iOS leaves something to be desired. I rarely use the pencil anymore and just use the onscreen keyboard or ASK.

 

[iPadDad]

I suspect it's because she is working on the SP and wants reference materials on a separate device. It reminds me of the way I use my Air 2 for reference materials and the 12.9 for working (in my case video and whiteboard).

Thanks a very cool workflow!

 

[Synergie]

Please allow me another question...
I am trying to send video to APPLE TV (so as to play on my TV) and send the sound to a Bluetooth Speaker (so as to hear the sound of the video playing, not by my TV but by my Speaker)... and I have managed to do so through the Sound Preferences of my MAC BOOK PRO...
Is this possible by an iPhone or an iPad?
[doublepost=1511685008][/doublepost]Please allow me another question.
Hello. I am trying to send video to APPLE TV (so as to play on my TV) and send the sound to a Bluetooth Speaker (so as to hear the sound of the video playing, not by my TV but by my Speaker)... and I have managed to do so through the Sound Preferences of my MAC BOOK PRO...
Is this possible by an iPhone or an iPad?

I have no problem sending by WiFi to my LG home theatre so that video plays on TV and sound comes thru surround sound system speakers instead of the TV.

 

[xx22]

I can't download Garmin map updates on any tablet, Apple or Android, so they're not laptop replacements for me.

 

[DNichter]

Tablets cannot replace laptops in their current form. If Tim Cook can walk the talk, he needs to pull all Macbooks and iMacs from Apple store and sell only iPads because according to him, iPads have already replaced the stone age technology like MBPs and iMacs.

C++, or whatever language the hipsters/developers are using to code these days needs to be ported ASAP to iOS and developers should be blacklisted if usage of legacy device like bluetooth keyboard is detected.
Image editing to be done with our thick fingers only.

Further Tim Cook should formally announce that macOS has been discontinued.

Can Apple do this? No.
Tim Cook is like a trained robot who will only speak what he has been pre-programmed by Jobs.

A little extreme there. He said that iPad's can replace SOME personal computers for people. Obviously not ALL. For me, I am able to manage my business and personal life using just an iPad Pro and iPhone X. I don't think there will ever be a time where everyone needs to be either macOS or iOS, plenty of room for both, although I would be fully on board with them replacing macOS with something new supported by their own chips.

 

[Michael Goff]

Look, the most true and most worthless response is “it depends”. Some people can go iPad only. Some need a peripheral or program that the iPad doesn’t support.

 

[charlituna]

Just wondering do you guys believe the iPad pro is officially a laptop replacement yet.

for some people yes, for others no.

for example. i used my laptop for email, some netflix, a bit of safari. all of which I can do on any iPad. I also happen to draw so I got a pro and pencil so i could try out rough sketching on it rather than doing paper then having to scan etc.

but for someone who is coding apps etc they need something that can run Xcode so no not even an iPad Pro will work

 

[Lloydbm41]

an S8 with a DeX is the only mobile device I have seen that can actually do 99% of what a desktop can. No iPad comes close

 

[Lloydbm41]

I can't download Garmin map updates on any tablet, Apple or Android, so they're not laptop replacements for me.

Since Android can download any file format, I would ask, what’s special about Garmin file formats that prevent Android from downloading them?

 

[sparksd]

Since Android can download any file format, I would ask, what’s special about Garmin file formats that prevent Android from downloading them?

Perhaps he meant downloading an update to a Garmin device.

 

[TinaBelcher]

Nope. At least not in my experience. Feels the same as iOS 10 but with the dock gesture. I don’t use slide view as it’s difficult to move. You have to hit the vertical line in the right spot to move it

 

[subjonas]

Nope. At least not in my experience. Feels the same as iOS 10 but with the dock gesture. I don’t use slide view as it’s difficult to move. You have to hit the vertical line in the right spot to move it

Do you mean moving the slide over app off the screen? And do you mean it’s difficult to hit the horizontal indicator line at the top of the slide over app? Or do you mean the left edge of the app (assuming the slide over app is on the right side of the screen)? Both work ok but like you said, hitting the right spot can be a little tricky. There is a third way that I find the surest: start pushing the app to the left side of the screen by sliding from the right edge of the screen, but instead of letting go, pull it back to the right side and off the screen. It’s two swiping motions instead of one, and it takes getting used to the right motion (the trick is follow through, otherwise the app doesn’t want to go off screen), but to me it’s by far the most dependable method.

 

[DoubleFlyaway]

I’m soooo close to going ahead and selling my MBP. I haven’t used it once in the month since I got the 12.9, and I have a hard time imagining needing to. And I’m thinking if it turns out I’m wrong, I can get a Mac mini and still have come out ahead.

 

[Link182ps2]

Just wondering do you guys believe the iPad pro is officially a laptop replacement yet. Would you still prefer some mouse support and how is the Files application since updating to iOS 11? I noticed there is a Chrome OS looking dock on iOS 11 now...is that working well?

Definitely not. And it won’t be until it has a terminal.

 

[unobtainium]

I really dislike the new app switching eliminated the pull down to switch apps. I don't mind the addition of dragging from the dock, but there are frequently apps that are not in my dock I would like to switch to.

I know what you mean, but I’ve found it’s partly about learning new workflows. In Mac when I want to open an app that isn’t on the dock, I do a Spotlight search and open the app. Simple. In iPad, it’s basically the same:

Cmd+Space, type the app name, open
Cmd+Tab to go back to the previous app
Drag up from dock
Voila
[doublepost=1515822010][/doublepost]In my experience, the iPad Pro getting close to replacing a laptop for *most* users. But then there are still little annoyances, such as...
- Why can’t you get accented characters by long pressing keys on the Smart Keyboard? This is built into both the MacOS keyboard and iOS software keyboard.
- Why can’t you rotate PDFs in the native viewer? You can do markups and signatures and all kinds of fancy stuff, but you can’t do something as simple as rotate the page?
- A bigger issue is that you can’t actually use it on your lap, lying in bed, etc. The Smart Keyboard is a bit too floppy and not stable enough. If you have to sit at a desk, you might as well have an iMac. Also, the keyboard isn’t *quite* as fast for me as real keyboards, and formatting documents isn’t as easy with finger as with mouse.

 

[AFEPPL]

I know what you mean, but I’ve found it’s partly about learning new workflows. In Mac when I want to open an app that isn’t on the dock, I do a Spotlight search and open the app. Simple. In iPad, it’s basically the same:

Cmd+Space, type the app name, open
Cmd+Tab to go back to the previous app
Drag up from dock
Voila
[doublepost=1515822010][/doublepost]In my experience, the iPad Pro getting close to replacing a laptop for *most* users. But then there are still little annoyances, such as...
- Why can’t you get accented characters by long pressing keys on the Smart Keyboard? This is built into both the MacOS keyboard and iOS software keyboard.
- Why can’t you rotate PDFs in the native viewer? You can do markups and signatures and all kinds of fancy stuff, but you can’t do something as simple as rotate the page?
- A bigger issue is that you can’t actually use it on your lap, lying in bed, etc. The Smart Keyboard is a bit too floppy and not stable enough. If you have to sit at a desk, you might as well have an iMac. Also, the keyboard isn’t *quite* as fast for me as real keyboards, and formatting documents isn’t as easy with finger as with mouse.

I'm curious when you say 'most' users how many people did you actually speak to in order to come to that finding?
It's just a 'dumb down' device, try quoting part of a post on here and iOS is infuriating - selecting what 'it' thinks you want regardless of where you move. It's a device I hate to use, unless I can be within an app and then it's about simple myopic tasks.

iOS grrrrrrrrr, it's time to take a sledge hammer to it and make some big changes.
posted from my 12.9" iPad.

 

[bensisko]

I'm curious when you say 'most' users how many people did you actually speak to in order to come to that finding?
It's just a 'dumb down' device, try quoting part of a post on here and iOS is infuriating - selecting what 'it' thinks you want regardless of where you move. It's a device I hate to use, unless I can be within an app and then it's about simple myopic tasks.

iOS grrrrrrrrr, it's time to take a sledge hammer to it and make some big changes.
posted from my 12.9" iPad.

For somebody who hates iOS, you sure have a lot of iPads listed...

 

[sdz]

To the thread title: No.
That is why I switch back to a Macbook (12" lighter than iPad Pro with Keyboard!)
0,9kg <->1,07kg

Also I noticed, that I don't use the Pencil that often. When I wanted to use it, the battery was empty... That is a good indicator...