iPad as a laptop replacement

[boston04and07]

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.

This is exactly what I did. Once I got my iPad Pro I decided to pair it with a Mac mini and gave my old MacBook Pro to a family member. Now, I almost consider the mini to be a peripheral to the iPad - i use to pretty infrequently, but when I do I use it for the rare things that I need macOS for, plus backing up my iOS devices. It’s also very nice to have an always-on Mac in the house. I use it too as a server for files and for Homebridge, which didn’t work with the laptop.

The mini doesn’t even have a monitor anymore and I just use the Screens app on my iPad to connect to it. It works perfectly for my needs. Being able to use a mouse and trackpad would make everything so much nicer, so hopefully someday. I still have access to the MBP but I’ve used it maybe twice in the year since I made the switch.

The mini + iPad Pro is a really nice combination for people who are thinking of using an iPad Pro as their main device. It made the switch a lot easier for me.

 

[turbineseaplane]

The mini + iPad Pro is a really nice combination for people who are thinking of using an iPad Pro as their main device. It made the switch a lot easier for me.

I really wish they'd update the Mini (and keep it up to date) so this situation could be viable for me.

I don't even really want to be running Hack's, but Apple has just abandoned my type of usage/purchasing. I basically want a headless iMac.

 

[mk313]

The mini doesn’t even have a monitor anymore and I just use the Screens app on my iPad to connect to it. It works perfectly for my needs. Being able to use a mouse and trackpad would make everything so much nicer, so hopefully someday. I still have access to the MBP but I’ve used it maybe twice in the year since I made the switch.

Do you use one of those fake HDMI adapters that tricks the mini into thinking it has a monitor attached, so it performs quicker? If so, have you seen an improvement vs not using one?

 

[boston04and07]

Do you use one of those fake HDMI adapters that tricks the mini into thinking it has a monitor attached, so it performs quicker? If so, have you seen an improvement vs not using one?

No...what now? I’ve never heard of these. What exactly do they do? I’m intrigued...

 

[mk313]

No...what now? I’ve never heard of these. What exactly do they do? I’m intrigued...

Here is the only one I'm familiar with. There are others as well.

https://www.newertech.com/products/hdmi_headless_video_adapter.php

I guess the Mac Minis and other computers have some setting that causes them to run slower when there isn't a monitor attached. These devices trick the mac into thinking there is a monitor attached, preventing the slowdown.

 

[AFEPPL]

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

I guess that qualifies me to have an opinion on them then...?

 

[boston04and07]

Here is the only one I'm familiar with. There are others as well.

https://www.newertech.com/products/hdmi_headless_video_adapter.php

I guess the Mac Minis and other computers have some setting that causes them to run slower when there isn't a monitor attached. These devices trick the mac into thinking there is a monitor attached, preventing the slowdown.

Huh, I can’t belive I’ve never heard of these. This is really interesting and I’m totally going to try one! I’ll let you know how it goes. One complaint is that the mini can definitely lag sometimes when remoting in from the iPad. I’m wondering if this will help that.

 

[DoubleFlyaway]

This is exactly what I did. Once I got my iPad Pro I decided to pair it with a Mac mini and gave my old MacBook Pro to a family member. Now, I almost consider the mini to be a peripheral to the iPad - i use to pretty infrequently, but when I do I use it for the rare things that I need macOS for, plus backing up my iOS devices. It’s also very nice to have an always-on Mac in the house. I use it too as a server for files and for Homebridge, which didn’t work with the laptop.

The mini doesn’t even have a monitor anymore and I just use the Screens app on my iPad to connect to it. It works perfectly for my needs. Being able to use a mouse and trackpad would make everything so much nicer, so hopefully someday. I still have access to the MBP but I’ve used it maybe twice in the year since I made the switch.

The mini + iPad Pro is a really nice combination for people who are thinking of using an iPad Pro as their main device. It made the switch a lot easier for me.

Awesome. I did end up selling the MBP, and so far so good. No need for a mini so far. If there is a need, hopefully it will come up after a new one is released!

 

[bensisko]

I guess that qualifies me to have an opinion on them then...?

I never questioned your qualification for an opinion, the situation just conjures up the scene from Star Trek Generations with the android Data trying a drink.

Data: UGH! I HATE this! It’s revolting!
Gunian: More?
Data: Please!

 

[BenTrovato]

Ok guys move along with the bickering!

I upgraded to the pro from air 2 and while it’s a great device and everything is faster, it’s nowhere close to replacing my laptop. If it was close, I would say it’s pretty close but it’s nowhere close. I can accompish about 70% of my needs on the iPad but at less efficiency and comfort.

 

[Brammy]

I can accompish about 70% of my needs on the iPad but at less efficiency and comfort.

Is it Possible to replace my MBPw/iPad Pro w/IOS 11
First, I agree with you.

That said, I don't look at in a totality. While I can do about 80% of what I need on an iPad, for some of those things, the it does the job more comfortably than my MacBook. My primary -- non day job -- tasks are writing and drawing. That combination is very good on the iPad Pro. If I'm heading out to do some writing and drawing, the iPad Pro is the tool I grab 100% of the time. Unless I'm running an errand, my iPad Pro rarely leaves stays home.

That said, I do a lot of work in AutoCad, and AutoCad on iOS is not a production software. It's more for viewing drawings in the field. So, my iPad can't replace my MacBook. Same for photo editing. Affinity Photo is great on my iPad and I can do almost everything I can on the macOS version. Unless I want to use my Topaz Filters.

The MacBook stuff is becoming more edge-case, though. My iPad Pro is definitely a key tool in my creative workflows.

 

[subjonas]

Here’s the thing: how can one device ever replace another device completely unless they are the exact same device?

Mac and iPad are two different devices. If you look at everything a Mac can do and everything an iPad can do as a Venn diagram, there is substantial overlap but there is also substantial non-overlapping areas. The overlap may have grown over the years, but it will never overtake both circles because the devices are based on such fundamentally different principles. So whichever device is more suitable for a user simply depends on where the individual’s use cases exist in the Venn diagram. Some exist completely in the Mac circle, some in the iPad circle, some in both circles, and some only in the overlap.

Point is, as long as they are different devices (and I believe they will be for the foreseeable future), one will never be a complete replacement for the other—only for individuals whose use cases fall within the overlap.

 

[BenTrovato]

Here’s the thing: how can one device ever replace another device completely unless they are the exact same device?

Mac and iPad are two different devices. If you look at everything a Mac can do and everything an iPad can do as a Venn diagram, there is substantial overlap but there is also substantial non-overlapping areas. The overlap may have grown over the years, but it will never overtake both circles because the devices are based on such fundamentally different principles. So whichever device is more suitable for a user simply depends on where the individual’s use cases exist in the Venn diagram. Some exist completely in the Mac circle, some in the iPad circle, some in both circles, and some only in the overlap.

Point is, as long as they are different devices (and I believe they will be for the foreseeable future), one will never be a complete replacement for the other—only for individuals whose use cases fall within the overlap.

I agree. I think the discussion isn’t relevant. At least I would never compare the two and I don’t know why Apple runs ads saying what’s a computer showcasing the iPad Pro. There’s so much potential in the iPad to rethink how we work and introduce new ways of doing things. Instead they change how multitask works instead of the bigger things that makes me say .. “yes, I’d rather do my work on that device”.

 

[unobtainium]

I think you have to be willing to find new ways of doing things whenever you switch to a different OS and hardware. It will always take some adjustment and the learning of new tricks. But people automatically blame iOS and the fact that it’s a mobile OS, rather than simply a DIFFERENT one, with different ways of doing things.

There’s no question iOS has limitations, but these are now fewer than most realize. There’s almost always a fairly simple workflow for getting your stuff done, if you take time to learn it. That’s the issue for many people I believe.

 

[mk313]

I think you have to be willing to find new ways of doing things whenever you switch to a different OS and hardware. It will always take some adjustment and the learning of new tricks. But people automatically blame iOS and the fact that it’s a mobile OS, rather than simply a DIFFERENT one, with different ways of doing things.

There’s no question iOS has limitations, but these are now fewer than most realize. There’s almost always a fairly simple workflow for getting your stuff done, if you take time to learn it. That’s the issue for many people I believe.

Completely agree with this. While it's obvious that the iPad is not able to complete some tasks that a Mac can, I think that many people try to use an iPad to replace their laptop, find it slower, and then go back to the Mac. In reality, (while not disagreeing that there are some tasks that an iPad can't do, nor that there are some apps, like Excel, that work better on a Mac/Windows PC) it has a lot to do with what you said. When I was working on my MBA, I used my iPad as my primary computer, and found that over time, I got much faster with it & it became second nature to do things that took much longer when I first started. It really had a lot to do with just getting used to how the iPad worked, and once I got that figured out, the iPad was pretty fast to do most tasks on.

 

[helitech]

I’ve used my iPad Pro 12.9” as a travel-friendly replacement for about a month now with no issues. For the heavier things, my old and faithful MacBook Pro does the trick. Word processing, excel, movies, music, and some art apps work well on the iPad Pro.

To answer your question: No. It hasn’t replaced all of my needs, but I do a lot of music production and photo/video editing on the MacBook Pro.

 

[DNichter]

The iPad has been a laptop replacement for some time now, but I decided to make the change in 2017 when I sold my MacBook. The experience has been great so far and I am happy that I will not have any reason to resort back to using a traditional laptop in my career.

 

[sracer]

Here’s the thing: how can one device ever replace another device completely unless they are the exact same device?

Mac and iPad are two different devices. If you look at everything a Mac can do and everything an iPad can do as a Venn diagram, there is substantial overlap but there is also substantial non-overlapping areas. The overlap may have grown over the years, but it will never overtake both circles because the devices are based on such fundamentally different principles. So whichever device is more suitable for a user simply depends on where the individual’s use cases exist in the Venn diagram. Some exist completely in the Mac circle, some in the iPad circle, some in both circles, and some only in the overlap.

Point is, as long as they are different devices (and I believe they will be for the foreseeable future), one will never be a complete replacement for the other—only for individuals whose use cases fall within the overlap.

That is a common belief, but it is only applicable in a very narrow sense. The question you pose assumes that there is only one way of accomplishing tasks. That is a false assumption in many cases.

While it is true that one may not be able to perform a task on a tablet in the same manner as it is accomplished on a laptop, there are often different methods available to achieve the same goal. Some may become easier on a tablet than a laptop, but others may become more convoluted.

The extent to which one device can replace another depends entirely on... what tasks one performs on the first device, what the replacement device is capable of, and how much flexibility the user has in "thinking different".

 

[DNichter]

That is a common belief, but it is only applicable in a very narrow sense. The question you pose assumes that there is only one way of accomplishing tasks. That is a false assumption in many cases.

While it is true that one may not be able to perform a task on a tablet in the same manner as it is accomplished on a laptop, there are often different methods available to achieve the same goal. Some may become easier on a tablet than a laptop, but others may become more convoluted.

The extent to which one device can replace another depends entirely on... what tasks one performs on the first device, what the replacement device is capable of, and how much flexibility the user has in "thinking different".

Exactly, it just depends on the task at hand. My iPad Pro completely replaced my MacBook.

 

[subjonas]

That is a common belief, but it is only applicable in a very narrow sense. The question you pose assumes that there is only one way of accomplishing tasks. That is a false assumption in many cases.

While it is true that one may not be able to perform a task on a tablet in the same manner as it is accomplished on a laptop, there are often different methods available to achieve the same goal. Some may become easier on a tablet than a laptop, but others may become more convoluted.

The extent to which one device can replace another depends entirely on... what tasks one performs on the first device, what the replacement device is capable of, and how much flexibility the user has in "thinking different".

I’m not sure where we disagree. What you are saying seems to be precisely what my whole Venn diagram spiel was about. And I’m not sure how my question makes the assumption you refer to. I’m a bit confused.

The common belief I see in these forums is that the iPad is on its way to replacing the Mac completely (as in, across the board). My post was in response to that.

 

[sracer]

I’m not sure where we disagree. What you are saying seems to be precisely what my whole Venn diagram spiel was about. And I’m not sure how my question makes the assumption you refer to. I’m a bit confused.

The common belief I see in these forums is that the iPad is on its way to replacing the Mac completely (as in, across the board). My post was in response to that.

Ah... I think now I understand. The question you posed was not a statement of fact but the premise for the rest of your post. I apologize for MY confusion.

 

[Falhófnir]

Yep, and indeed there’s probably scenarios where it’s better (off the top of my head if you’re wanting to do a diagram for a report with the pencil that’s better than doing it by hand and scanning it in on a mac) for a lot of use cases there’s probably equivalence and it really just comes down to preference, and then there’s going to be use cases where it’s not suited/ unable (probably mostly where the software isn’t available at this point). Overall, for a lot of people, yes it’s a viable option.

 

[DoubleFlyaway]

I’m not sure where we disagree. What you are saying seems to be precisely what my whole Venn diagram spiel was about. And I’m not sure how my question makes the assumption you refer to. I’m a bit confused.

The common belief I see in these forums is that the iPad is on its way to replacing the Mac completely (as in, across the board). My post was in response to that.

I don’t actually think that belief is all that common. I see a lot of anti-iPad people reacting as if that were what pro-iPad people were saying, when all they are typically saying is, “in MY life it works as a replacement.”

 

[subjonas]

I don’t actually think that belief is all that common. I see a lot of anti-iPad people reacting as if that were what pro-iPad people were saying, when all they are typically saying is, “in MY life it works as a replacement.”

Sure, there is a lot of that miscommunication going on. I guess “common” is subjective (and when I said “the common belief” I was making reference to sracer’s use of the phrase, not saying that it’s the prevalent belief in the forums—if that makes sense), but I’ve seen a fair share of people implicitly and explicitly calling the Mac antiquated, championing the iPad as the next step in computer evolution—rather than as a fork in the road. Though I’d say there are more people who champion the Mac. Regardless of which side, these opinions are largely based on that old, many times unconscious, presumption that plagues both sides of the aisle, which is: “most people are like me/I am the standard of reason”.

 

[TinaBelcher]

No! And a huge part is due to developers. As someone who is required to use google doc for studies it looks awful on iOS in similar fashion to pages, where on a computer you have all features/tools above in a long row. I don’t want a mouse, but I do want apps to take advantage of the screen and make it feel like a complete app instead of something alternative to the real deal that’s only accessible on a computer. I don’t mind the iOS app’s layout being tweaked to work with touch, but if not 90% of the features are there it’ll always feel like Groundhog Day using the iPad. I give affinity props for actually making an app similar to photoshop on the iPad that feels "complete" instead of having to continue the rest of the work over on the computer.

There’s other things, such as not being able to open a slide over from the homescreen. I want more controls to move apps around the screen.

All in all, it cannot become a replacement until it’s features become complete. As long as I have to take my work from my iPad over to my MacBook in order to complete certain things, then no!