iPad as a laptop replacement

[grmlin]

They can put BootCamp but for macOS. It's not that hard...

The iPad Pro already has a keyboard and trackpad. Apple can offer dual boot.

Apple will not support an operating system on the device you can't use without a keyboard/mouse. It's not like the Magic Keyboard is soldered to the iPad lol. What if you decide to remove it, what if you only use a Pencil.

I used Windows with touchscreens. Screw that. It's terrible. I don't want any of that on my iPad. That's why I have one. I think we should get some sort of native macOS app environment or something like that. It would be really cool if I could run Lightroom Classic for example. But well, looks like this is not meant to be.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

iPads start at $329. The most popular iPad is the $329 iPad sales wise.

And you wonder why iPads sell more than Macs.

If Apple made a A13 MacBook Touch for $329 it would sell more than an the iPad.

I wrote:

The majority of the people buying computing devices today are making a conscious decision to NOT buy Macs.

iPads outsell Macs, certainly, but Windows outsells Macs, too, and by a far wider margin. Most people buying a computing device are NOT choosing Macs. That’s been true for a very very long time. Apple are currently selling more Macs than ever in their history and the majority are still choosing “anything else”. Adding a touch screen to such a device won’t change that.

 

[sparksd]

I wrote:

iPads outsell Macs, certainly, but Windows outsells Macs, too, and by a far wider margin. Most people buying a computing device are NOT choosing Macs. That’s been true for a very very long time. Apple are currently selling more Macs than ever in their history and the majority are still choosing “anything else”. Adding a touch screen to such a device won’t change that.

Yeah, love my iPads but I won't buy a Mac.

 

[The_Interloper]

And we are better off for it.

How? What makes you "better off" about having less choice? Just because the option is there doesn't mean you have to use it and it doesn't affect you if others do.

Apple will not support an operating system on the device you can't use without a keyboard/mouse. It's not like the Magic Keyboard is soldered to the iPad lol. What if you decide to remove it, what if you only use a Pencil.

I used Windows with touchscreens. Screw that. It's terrible. I don't want any of that on my iPad. That's why I have one. I think we should get some sort of native macOS app environment or something like that. It would be really cool if I could run Lightroom Classic for example. But well, looks like this is not meant to be.

Why not make it so you can only use a "desktop mode" (whether that's full macOS or just windowed Mac apps) if a keyboard, trackpad/mouse are attached? This could be restricted just to, say, the Air and Pro models. There is NOTHING stopping Mac apps running on an iPad now. It's the same hardware!

The current situation when using a keyboard/mouse on iPadOS is dreadful. My wife has a Samsung S7 tablet and that allows full DeX mode with windowed apps - you can literally just toggle it on or off - and makes a night and day difference with kb/mouse. It also means you can have a single external TV or monitor as your sole display - so controlling, say, video playback from across the room with a wireless KB is easy.

 

[Slartibart]

It also means you can have a single external TV or monitor as your sole display - so controlling, say, video playback from across the room with a wireless KB is easy.

While IMHO unrelated to the subject of this thread: how is it an advantage to grab a keyboard instead of the iPad itself to control casting to a tv set? 🤓

 

[grmlin]

Why not make it so you can only use a "desktop mode" (whether that's full macOS or just windowed Mac apps) if a keyboard, trackpad/mouse are attached? This could be restricted just to, say, the Air and Pro models. There is NOTHING stopping Mac apps running on an iPad now. It's the same hardware!

I don't know, I would love to have the option to run mac apps, similart to how Apple Silicon Macs can run iOS apps now.

The current situation when using a keyboard/mouse on iPadOS is dreadful.

I think it works fine? I really like the snapping to buttons feature for example.

 

[The_Interloper]

While IMHO unrelated to the subject of this thread: how is it an advantage to grab a keyboard instead of the iPad itself to control casting to a tv set? 🤓

Because most TV sets do not have airplay or Chromecast built-in. This is especially true when away from home in a vacation rental, hotel etc.

If you want to stream/watch something from your iPad, you need to connect it via a HDMI cable (which Apple themselves sell) but once you are sat down opposite the screen (usually six or more feet away) you can no longer control playback without some kind of wireless keyboard or mouse.

The iPad is particularly peculiar as it won’t allow proper external display support – so when a video is playing, the controls are not actually on the large TV screen. Instead, you have to squint to see them on your tiny iPad connected via a cable next to it.

 

[sparksd]

Because most TV sets do not have airplay or Chromecast built-in. This is especially true when away from home in a vacation rental, hotel etc.

If you want to stream/watch something from your iPad, you need to connect it via a HDMI cable (which Apple themselves sell) but once you are sat down opposite the screen (usually six or more feet away) you can no longer control playback without some kind of wireless keyboard or mouse.

The iPad is particularly peculiar as it won’t allow proper external display support – so when a video is playing, the controls are not actually on the large TV screen. Instead, you have to squint to see them on your tiny iPad connected via a cable next to it.

I got a 15' ultra-slim HDMI cable just for that purpose. I use it with a USB-C hub or the Apple adapter with HDMI output (and power pass-through).

 

[Ludatyk]

Why not make it so you can only use a "desktop mode" (whether that's full macOS or just windowed Mac apps) if a keyboard, trackpad/mouse are attached? This could be restricted just to, say, the Air and Pro models. There is NOTHING stopping Mac apps running on an iPad now. It's the same hardware!

Right now, there’s Stage Manager that allows for windowed apps… restricted to the latest iPad Air and Pro models. And Apple has to build up the tools to run Mac apps on the iPad… similarly how Mac Catalyst is helping iPad developers port Mac apps. I think with the introduction of Virtual Swap… we are leaning close to that reality.

The current situation when using a keyboard/mouse on iPadOS is dreadful. My wife has a Samsung S7 tablet and that allows full DeX mode with windowed apps - you can literally just toggle it on or off - and makes a night and day difference with kb/mouse.

I wouldn’t call the experience dreadful with keyboard/mouse on iPadOS… is there room for improvement? Yes. But you have to consider Apple has officially supported keyboard/mouse for only 2 to 3 years. And as of now.. I personally like the direction it’s going.

I think windowed apps are better on OneUI compared DeX (because of title bar up top). But on the topic of DeX… there’s plenty of keyboard shortcuts on iPadOS compared to DeX and better trackpad gestures on iPadOS as well.

 

[BhaveshUK]

Unfortunately, the iPad section of MacRumors tends to cycle between the same topics over and over again. For some reason, the idea of subjectivity and personal use case is lost with people thinking their viewpoint is the absolute truth.

Unfortunately you won’t find a public guide here. Any conversation you want to have about using iPad as your only device is better left to private messages with trusted individuals which is what I’ve started doing. But even then, I feel the best method would be to explore for yourself how iPad fits into your life as no one will be able to give you a step-by-step that works for your setup.

 

[Ludatyk]

Any conversation you want to have about using iPad as your only device is better left to private messages with trusted individuals which is what I’ve started doing. But even then, I feel the best method would be to explore for yourself how iPad fits into your life as no one will be able to give you a step-by-step that works for your setup.

As much as I’ll like to disagree with you. You do have a point of bringing up the iPad as your only computing device can seem opposing in a forum such as this. Even Reddit iPad community can have a similar experience, but there are rare cases where you get a group of individuals who can give you some solid methods.

But I already gave them ways to go about exploring the idea of an iPad desktop… the formula is there. They have a 5k UltraFine display… they might want to go about getting a dock to help with peripherals. And when it comes to cloud storage… there’s plenty of avenues to off load photos from Google One subscription to iCloud+.

And from my experience with Plex, they can store music and have great metadata to help with managing it all together.

 

[pdaholic]

This thread got me wanting to retry my experiment to go iPhone only again. I put my MacBook and iPad away last night. I think I just like trying out new workflows and learning new ways of doing things.

 

[Dealmans]

Yeah, love my iPads but I won't buy a Mac.

your retired right? why would you need a Mac

 

[sparksd]

your retired right? why would you need a Mac

I'm called on for consulting work.

 

[Dealmans]

I'm called on for consulting work.

Main reason I use a Mac is I have a home office and prefer to stare straight at a big screen, if I was staring at a iPad all day my neck/back would be stuffed.
Also a iPad alone on a office desk looks dumb lol

 

[sparksd]

Main reason I use a Mac is I have a home office and prefer to stare straight at a big screen, if I was staring at a iPad all day my neck/back would be stuffed.
Also a iPad alone on a office desk looks dumb lol

I use more than an iPad in my work. I prefer Windows over Mac.

 

[Abazigal]

How? What makes you "better off" about having less choice? Just because the option is there doesn't mean you have to use it and it doesn't affect you if others do.

I am getting very fed up with this "You don't have to use an option if you don't like it" argument, as though it's some magic bullet to get away with not having to discuss the respective pros and / or cons of a particular feature. Eg: However pointless it may be, Apple should include it nonetheless because "I don't have to use it if I don't like it".

I just feel it's pointless and has no reason to exist. Apple products have never been about having the most features or being the "most useful", but about distilling the purest mixture of form and function. It's like how the iPhone has never had expandable storage or removable batteries even though "people don't have to use them if they don't need the extra space". It's about cutting out everything that doesn't make contribute to the final vision of said product even if, like you said, it's entirely optional and I don't lose anything by not booting macOS on my iPad and continuing to use it like a giant iPod touch.

So yes, to answer your question, the main reason why I prefer Apple products is because of their focus on minimalism and purity in design, as well as their audacity to say "we believe this one feature is worth more than every other feature combined" and aren't afraid to stand by those decisions.

Maybe there are some people for whom an iPad running macOS would be an ideal fit, but the Apple I know wouldn't compromise their singular vision of their products in the name of providing more functionality and I respect Apple for that.

 

[BhaveshUK]

I am getting very fed up with this "You don't have to use an option if you don't like it" argument, as though it's some magic bullet to get away with not having to discuss the respective pros and / or cons of a particular feature. Eg: However pointless it may be, Apple should include it nonetheless because "I don't have to use it if I don't like it".

I just feel it's pointless and has no reason to exist. Apple products have never been about having the most features or being the "most useful", but about distilling the purest mixture of form and function. It's like how the iPhone has never had expandable storage or removable batteries even though "people don't have to use them if they don't need the extra space". It's about cutting out everything that doesn't make contribute to the final vision of said product even if, like you said, it's entirely optional and I don't lose anything by not booting macOS on my iPad and continuing to use it like a giant iPod touch.

So yes, to answer your question, the main reason why I prefer Apple products is because of their focus on minimalism and purity in design, as well as their audacity to say "we believe this one feature is worth more than every other feature combined" and aren't afraid to stand by those decisions.

Maybe there are some people for whom an iPad running macOS would be an ideal fit, but the Apple I know wouldn't compromise their singular vision of their products in the name of providing more functionality and I respect Apple for that.

This is a brilliant post. You’ve distilled everything that makes Apple products great to begin with.

Apple could easily follow the Windows or Android path of throwing everything against the wall and see what sticks. But they don’t. It’s given us a much better experience. Look at Windows and you’ll find assets from Windows 7 because Microsoft went the approach of focusing on maximum amount of features over experience or design — the result is a mess that even Microsoft are finding hard to fix.

For example, Apple were able to implement system wide dark mode and UI redesign changes all at once. Microsoft still haven’t been able to do either correctly since the launch of Windows 10. A large part of that is Apple keep focus on doing a few things great rather than a hundred mediocre things, maintain a clean code, and are always thinking about the user experience.

 

[grmlin]

Look at Windows and you’ll find assets from Windows 7

Windows 3.11

Windows 11, which I use daily for work atm, is a total mess. Microsoft should have axed the old system like they initially planned, but instead they decided to add even more features to this old pile of junk. And I'm sure they'll stick to their roots and stop caring about these new features after a while...

They have some brilliant designers and developers in their teams, but that isn't enough.

 

[The_Interloper]

I am getting very fed up with this "You don't have to use an option if you don't like it" argument, as though it's some magic bullet to get away with not having to discuss the respective pros and / or cons of a particular feature. Eg: However pointless it may be, Apple should include it nonetheless because "I don't have to use it if I don't like it".

I just feel it's pointless and has no reason to exist. Apple products have never been about having the most features or being the "most useful", but about distilling the purest mixture of form and function. It's like how the iPhone has never had expandable storage or removable batteries even though "people don't have to use them if they don't need the extra space". It's about cutting out everything that doesn't make contribute to the final vision of said product even if, like you said, it's entirely optional and I don't lose anything by not booting macOS on my iPad and continuing to use it like a giant iPod touch.

So yes, to answer your question, the main reason why I prefer Apple products is because of their focus on minimalism and purity in design, as well as their audacity to say "we believe this one feature is worth more than every other feature combined" and aren't afraid to stand by those decisions.

Maybe there are some people for whom an iPad running macOS would be an ideal fit, but the Apple I know wouldn't compromise their singular vision of their products in the name of providing more functionality and I respect Apple for that.

Great post. I totally see your point of view and respect your opinion.

I guess I'm bothered by the fact that Apple has chosen to market the iPad as a "laptop replacement" in recent years (and even makes keyboard accessories across the range to reinforce this) while leaving out huge areas of functionality (e.g. proper external monitor support) that would make the iPad/laptop gap even smaller.

But I've also been using Apple products for almost 30 years now and something keeps bringing me back to them. Your post has made me think about that in a way I hadn't considered.

 

[Abazigal]

I guess I'm bothered by the fact that Apple has chosen to market the iPad as a "laptop replacement" in recent years (and even makes keyboard accessories across the range to reinforce this) while leaving out huge areas of functionality (e.g. proper external monitor support) that would make the iPad/laptop gap even smaller.

Truth be told, I am still not entirely on board with the iPad getting trackpad support, and I am more than a bit dismayed with the new stage manager feature apparently requiring a mouse to manage the external display and resize windows, as well as it not working over airplay mirroring.

IMO, the iPad should be about unrivalled portability. I should not be tethered to a desk with a cable extending from the charging port.

It didn’t quite bother me back then when using a trackpad was still an optional feature, and I was never able to work the magic keyboard into my workflow (mainly due to its inability to fold back in itself). Now it seems like even if I upgrade to an M2 iPad later this year, I will still have a huge chunk of the functionality inaccessible to me because that’s simply not how I use my iPad.

I don’t think it’s a ploy to sell more magic keyboard cases, but I do feel it seems like a fundamental inability to completely reimagine a classic desktop UI for a mobile interface.

It’s also a sobering reminder of how a once optional feature that “I don’t have to use if I don’t want to” has somehow become something that I have to adopt if I went to be able to access the full functionality of my iPad and that just annoys me on so many levels.

 

[bcortens]

Truth be told, I am still not entirely on board with the iPad getting trackpad support, and I am more than a bit dismayed with the new stage manager feature apparently requiring a mouse to manage the external display and resize windows, as well as it not working over airplay mirroring.

IMO, the iPad should be about unrivalled portability. I should not be tethered to a desk with a cable extending from the charging port.

It didn’t quite bother me back then when using a trackpad was still an optional feature, and I was never able to work the magic keyboard into my workflow (mainly due to its inability to fold back in itself). Now it seems like even if I upgrade to an M2 iPad later this year, I will still have a huge chunk of the functionality inaccessible to me because that’s simply not how I use my iPad.

I don’t think it’s a ploy to sell more magic keyboard cases, but I do feel it seems like a fundamental inability to completely reimagine a classic desktop UI for a mobile interface.

It’s also a sobering reminder of how a once optional feature that “I don’t have to use if I don’t want to” has somehow become something that I have to adopt if I went to be able to access the full functionality of my iPad and that just annoys me on so many levels.

I know that they have made a few improvemnts but I still think hat Stage Manager feels like a bolted on secondary mode. I think they should have done something to really integrate resizable windows in with the existing multitasking flow. I dislike mode switching and how weird window management has become. iPadOS 15 had much more consistent window management that was far easier to comprehend and use. This new system, because it feels bolted on and has those little mini app groups inside of stage manager is really weird. I wish they had properly integrated it so that you have something where when you enter multiwindowing (like iPadOS 15) you can tap and drag windows in and out of app groups and create app groups right from that (when you add a 3rd window it should automatically enter floating resize mode for that app group).

I think that trackpad support and proper external display use requiring one make sense and help keep the use cases clear and consistent. One thing I love about iPad OS 15 is how flexible it is while simultaneously being very consistent and powerful and easy to use.

 

[ICampNowhere]

We’ll, this is quite the thread. I have an M1 iPad Pro 11 since late last year and I love it. Probably one my most favorite Apple devices. It has replaced most of my needs for a laptop for business and personal. I am even able to leave my MBP behind when I go on trips. Excited to try the new features in iPadOS 16 when the public beta comes out.

 

[Ludatyk]

Truth be told, I am still not entirely on board with the iPad getting trackpad support, and I am more than a bit dismayed with the new stage manager feature apparently requiring a mouse to manage the external display and resize windows, as well as it not working over airplay mirroring.

IMO, the iPad should be about unrivalled portability. I should not be tethered to a desk with a cable extending from the charging port.

It didn’t quite bother me back then when using a trackpad was still an optional feature, and I was never able to work the magic keyboard into my workflow (mainly due to its inability to fold back in itself). Now it seems like even if I upgrade to an M2 iPad later this year, I will still have a huge chunk of the functionality inaccessible to me because that’s simply not how I use my iPad.

I don’t think it’s a ploy to sell more magic keyboard cases, but I do feel it seems like a fundamental inability to completely reimagine a classic desktop UI for a mobile interface.

It’s also a sobering reminder of how a once optional feature that “I don’t have to use if I don’t want to” has somehow become something that I have to adopt if I went to be able to access the full functionality of my iPad and that just annoys me on so many levels.

I hate to point out the obvious... but how else would you interact with Stage Manager using an external display without a mouse and keyboard? It doesn't necessarily have to be a Magic Keyboard... I keep my iPad docked on a custom arm when I'm at the desk and I use a keychron keyboard/magic trackpad.

And I disagree, I think the iPad should be whatever anyone wants it to be... whether they are on the go or sitting at the desk. The iPad should be versatile enough to fit within people workflow and I like the direction Apple is going with the introduction of Stage Manager.

I've been using it extensively since launch (although it's been buggy) and I think people are underestimating how useful it is... because you can use the mouse to interact with the iPad itself along with the external display. Because when using DeX with an external monitor... the mouse is accessible only through the monitor.

But when I plug in my iPad to the monitor, I then turn off Stage Manager on the iPad that way it gives me full screen experience. I'm able to have multiple windows on the external display and use the iPad as some form of reference and Apple provides a way to move apps from the external display to the iPad.

 

[exoticSpice]

Pads outsell Macs, certainly, but Windows outsells Macs, too, and by a far wider margin. Most people buying a computing device are NOT choosing Macs. That’s been true for a very very long time. Apple are currently selling more Macs than ever in their history and the majority are still choosing “anything else”. Adding a touch screen to such a device won’t change that.

Oh my. It's because Windows laptops and iPads are much cheaper than macbooks.

The cheapest iPad is $329. The cheapest Windows laptops can also go under $200.
If Apple made a sub $350 Mac it would far out sell the $329 iPad. Even more if Apple put a touch screen and put the iPadOS app store on the MacBook.

The MacBook Air already outsells the iPad Pro.