iPad as a laptop replacement

[Zest28]

It's great to advocate for open-source solutions (I'm an advocate), but it sounds like you don't have much experience with MS Office. That's ok. For those of us who need or want to use MS Office, being creative to find ways to use Office on mobile devices often pays off.

If it is not possible for a device to support the software we need or want to use, then that is an indication that the device is not appropriate for our needs or wants. I use computing devices to get things done with the software I use, not for the sake of the device itself. But I'm an oddball that way.

I'm pretty sure I'm way more advanced in Excel than any of you guys, I even wrote Excel plugins for others to use (which is probably still used today at the company I worked for back then).

But stick to your Microsoft Office if you think this is "good".

 

[Digitalguy]

In most companies, you are not allowed to have company documents on your personal computer in the first place. If you do this, you can get in alot of trouble.

So really, the iPad is fine.

How about the millions of freelancers who receive Office documents from their clients? The idea that everyone uses a company laptop so will not work on / have / need their personal laptop is a big exaggeration.

 

[Nickjames]

I currently have 2 M1 airs (work and private) and I’m thinking about replacing mine with an iPad Air for personal use. Been watching a bunch of YouTube videos and it seems like ill be able to do everything I want. The only thing im
Not sure about is if I can use my studio displays webcam when I’m in a teams meeting for e.g?

 

[GalileoSeven]

I’ve got an OG iPad Air and a 5th Gen Mini. At one time a few years back (right after I got the mini), I experimented with going iPad only, but couldn’t quite get used to it.

Always thought I‘d be wedded to the traditional mouse/keyboard/screen arrangement of a laptop, but in giving things another go here, I’ve completely changed my tune. iOS/iPad OS and macOS are different beasts to be sure, but being used to using iPhones and their apps, doing things on an iPad isn’t that much different (and I do like the touchscreen keyboard).

About the only problem I have is with the screen size - my Air is stuck on iOS 12 which prevents me from using certain apps (like 1Password). Bought into the novelty factor of the mini’s smaller size and it was neat for a bit, but even though it’s newer (topped out at iOS 15.7), am still having trouble getting used to something this small.

Will see how iPad 10 turns out, otherwise, would be perfectly content with a 9 (at that price, you really can’t beat it)

 

[1BadManVan]

I’ve got an OG iPad Air and a 5th Gen Mini. At one time a few years back (right after I got the mini), I experimented with going iPad only, but couldn’t quite get used to it.

Always thought I‘d be wedded to the traditional mouse/keyboard/screen arrangement of a laptop, but in giving things another go here, I’ve completely changed my tune. iOS/iPad OS and macOS are different beasts to be sure, but being used to using iPhones and their apps, doing things on an iPad isn’t that much different (and I do like the touchscreen keyboard).

About the only problem I have is with the screen size - my Air is stuck on iOS 12 which prevents me from using certain apps (like 1Password). Bought into the novelty factor of the mini’s smaller size and it was neat for a bit, but even though it’s newer (topped out at iOS 15.7), am still having trouble getting used to something this small.

Will see how iPad 10 turns out, otherwise, would be perfectly content with a 9 (at that price, you really can’t beat it)

Im curious too about the 10th gen, if they will finally give it the more modern touch finally. I think it will be a huge seller for them. Because even the cheapest android tablets lately look much more modern then the 9th gen iPad. They just can't touch it in terms of performance. So if they give it the looks to go with the performance and can keep it at the same price, its going to be a pretty untouchable deal.

 

[chevyboy60013]

No, it’s not. Windows Tablets are totally different beasts and Android tablets were abandoned by Google a long time ago.
There is nothing like an iPad if you want a mature tablet that’s a tablet first and doesn’t want to be 10 times at once.

That’s also why it can’t replace a laptop for everyone. Unlike something like a Surface, that’s a full blown Windows PC but not a tablet in the first place

First of all, I have used a Microsoft Surface tablet, and found windows 10 and 11 obnoxious to use one a daily basis. Microsoft is just very slightly better than android and that isnt saying much.

I will say this, the iPads before they put the m1 chipset in them, although were able to replace laptops for a lot of people had their limitations. Now with the 5th generation air having the m1 chip, and the 11 and 12.9 ipad pros having the m1 chip, with the magic keyboard, they have been much more capable devices that easily can replace a laptop, and having 5G cellular available, even more so these days. I have been basically using my iPad Air 3rd generation as a laptop with an aftermarket keyboard or Apple Pencil, as my main computer even though I have an awesome MacBook Air, which does not see as much use, likely still will for more complex projects…. but now that I got the 11 inch iPad Pro 3rd generation with the m1 chipset and the magic keyboard, I easily see the iPad Pro doing 95-99% of my work projects as well as for personal use.

Apple still needs to continue to improve iPadOS, and like anything, it is not something that is done in a day. At least Apple’s software mainly works as expected and doesn’t blow fits on a daily basis like windows 10 or 11 does.

 

[tpr007]

I’ve been using my iPad Pro as a primary device for a long time.
Work (Teams, Office)
Home (internet, YouTube)
I wrote a whole book (80k words) on it.
I’m at work, using it now, to record voiceover documents for students.

 

[CC88]

Anyone is using Shiftscreen 4x? How do you feel? I want to buy it waiting for external monitor support in stage manger. I know it's not the same as stage manager and it's limited to browser and pdf reader.

Any hints on this?

 

[Digitalguy]

Anyone is using Shiftscreen 4x? How do you feel? I want to buy it waiting for external monitor support in stage manger. I know it's not the same as stage manager and it's limited to browser and pdf reader.

Any hints on this?

I bought it. Save your money. It's not worth it.

 

[chevyboy60013]

Since I have gotten my iPad Pro 3rd generation 11 inch, with the magic keyboard, it has been able to basically do everything I need a laptop to do except be able to print from my home office printer, but that has nothing to do with the iPad Pro…. It has everything to do with the printer not being able to connect to the network anymore. Cannot print wireless from my MacBook Air anymore either, and running the printer set up it appears something inside the printer has failed.

 

[sdz]

One thing that iPad is still lacking is a proper backup solution.
Imagine you have a 2TB iPad and you can't properly backup that device without A PROPER COMPUTER. I find it hilarious.
So the iPad as computer replacement currently only possible if you have an old mac or something that is hooked up as backup device (via WLAN sync).

Of course you could sell your data and soul to apple and they can snoop around your files, photos and messages (!)

 

[grmlin]

One thing that iPad is still lacking is a proper backup solution.
Imagine you have a 2TB iPad and you can't properly backup that device without A PROPER COMPUTER. I find it hilarious.
So the iPad as computer replacement currently only possible if you have an old mac or something that is hooked up as backup device (via WLAN sync).

Of course you could sell your data and soul to apple and they can snoop around your files, photos and messages (!)

I wonder what black magic Apple uses to "snoop around" in encrypted backups?

 

[ArkSingularity]

One thing that iPad is still lacking is a proper backup solution.
Imagine you have a 2TB iPad and you can't properly backup that device without A PROPER COMPUTER. I find it hilarious.
So the iPad as computer replacement currently only possible if you have an old mac or something that is hooked up as backup device (via WLAN sync).

Of course you could sell your data and soul to apple and they can snoop around your files, photos and messages (!)

Are iCloud backups not a thing on the iPad? I guess I could see it being a lot less straightforward than just plugging in a time machine drive (and you'd have to pay monthly for storage, 2TB wouldn't be cheap), but technically you'd at least have the advantage of it being in the cloud.

 

[grmlin]

Are iCloud backups not a thing on the iPad? I guess I could see it being a lot less straightforward than just plugging in a time machine drive (and you'd have to pay monthly for storage, 2TB wouldn't be cheap), but technically you'd at least have the advantage of it being in the cloud.

of course they are and they work great

 

[sdz]

I wonder what black magic Apple uses to "snoop around" in encrypted backups?

Sadly, backups are NOT encrypted when you use iCloud Backup.

 

[sdz]

Are iCloud backups not a thing on the iPad? I guess I could see it being a lot less straightforward than just plugging in a time machine drive (and you'd have to pay monthly for storage, 2TB wouldn't be cheap), but technically you'd at least have the advantage of it being in the cloud.

I would only accept iCLOUD Backups if they were end2end encrypted by MY secret.

 

[grmlin]

Sadly, backups are NOT encrypted when you use iCloud Backup.

oh yeah, I forgot.

 

[Mainsail]

When Jobs introduced the iPad in 2010, he clearly did not see the iPad as a laptop replacement. He called it a third type of device that sat between the smartphone and the laptop. He said for there to be a third type of device it must be better at certain things or it has no reason to exist. In particular, Jobs referred to mail, web browsing, photos, ebooks, instant on, long battery life, thin/light, and a few other attributes that would justify this third device. He also made the case that netbooks (which were popular) were a poor solution because, in his view, they weren't good at anything....just cheap. Basically, Jobs made the case that a tablet was the answer to this third type of device.

Then, later in 2010, Apple released the redesigned MacBook Air at a much more affordable price. It had solid state drive for instant on, relatively long battery life, and it was light and portable. As Job's said, the MBA was Apple's version of what would happen if an iPad and MacBook hooked up. This narrowed the gap between laptop and tablet. As MacOS and iPadOS have evolved, the gap has closed further. MBA battery life now exceeds an iPad. A fully accessorized 12.9 iPad Pro is more expensive and heavier than a base MBA. Gap gets smaller still, and some of the advantages of the iPad start to disappear.....but, some of the advantages of the MBA also diminish because the iPad has become more capable.

Hence the debate. For me, if I am only going to have two devices, it's a no brainer: MBA + iPhone. But, I can understand how others might see it differently. My biggest reason is that the MBA is just better at two important functions: Productivity Apps (iWork/Office) and Multi-tasking. I am retired, but I still do some work on the family real estate business, and these two functions are important to me. On the other hand, I can understand how this might not be the case for everyone. So, choice is great.

 

[outlawarth]

I find this discussion infuriating. Some people use the iPad as their only computing device, others use the iPad in tandem with their laptop and yet some don’t use it all.

Shouldn’t it be up to the individual and their own distinct situation and work flow to decide what works for them? Who cares what others think or what the perceptions are.

I use a Windows laptop mandated by my employer for work and I have an iPad Pro 12.9 for personal and some work use as well. It works for me - I don’t sit here sweating out whether people think iPad is a laptop replacement.

What works for you should be the only thing that matters.

 

[GerritV]

[snip]
Hence the debate. For me, if I am only going to have two devices, it's a no brainer: MBA + iPhone. But, I can understand how others might see it differently. My biggest reason is that the MBA is just better at two important functions: Productivity Apps (iWork/Office) and Multi-tasking. I am retired, but I still do some work on the family real estate business, and these two functions are important to me. On the other hand, I can understand how this might not be the case for everyone. So, choice is great.

My situation is very much like yours: retired but still working some.
I typically prefer my MacBook Pro for doing "serious" stuff in Numbers.

 

[GerritV]

I find this discussion infuriating. Some people use the iPad as their only computing device, others use the iPad in tandem with their laptop and yet some don’t use it all.

Shouldn’t it be up to the individual and their own distinct situation and work flow to decide what works for them? Who cares what others think or what the perceptions are.

I use a Windows laptop mandated by my employer for work and I have an iPad Pro 12.9 for personal and some work use as well. It works for me - I don’t sit here sweating out whether people think iPad is a laptop replacement.

What works for you should be the only thing that matters.

I tend to skip the replies that are only about which device is better than the other. What's left is a good number of comments about people's creativity to find workarounds.
Therefor this thread has become one of my favorite ones over here.

 

[teh_hunterer]

When Jobs introduced the iPad in 2010, he clearly did not see the iPad as a laptop replacement. He called it a third type of device that sat between the smartphone and the laptop. He said for there to be a third type of device it must be better at certain things or it has no reason to exist. In particular, Jobs referred to mail, web browsing, photos, ebooks, instant on, long battery life, thin/light, and a few other attributes that would justify this third device. He also made the case that netbooks (which were popular) were a poor solution because, in his view, they weren't good at anything....just cheap. Basically, Jobs made the case that a tablet was the answer to this third type of device.

Then, later in 2010, Apple released the redesigned MacBook Air at a much more affordable price. It had solid state drive for instant on, relatively long battery life, and it was light and portable. As Job's said, the MBA was Apple's version of what would happen if an iPad and MacBook hooked up. This narrowed the gap between laptop and tablet. As MacOS and iPadOS have evolved, the gap has closed further. MBA battery life now exceeds an iPad. A fully accessorized 12.9 iPad Pro is more expensive and heavier than a base MBA. Gap gets smaller still, and some of the advantages of the iPad start to disappear.....but, some of the advantages of the MBA also diminish because the iPad has become more capable.

Hence the debate. For me, if I am only going to have two devices, it's a no brainer: MBA + iPhone. But, I can understand how others might see it differently. My biggest reason is that the MBA is just better at two important functions: Productivity Apps (iWork/Office) and Multi-tasking. I am retired, but I still do some work on the family real estate business, and these two functions are important to me. On the other hand, I can understand how this might not be the case for everyone. So, choice is great.

Right on all counts.

For me, with Apple Silicon now being in Macs, the reason I wanted to replace my Mac with an iPad has disappeared.

Now it's purely about the best tool for the job at hand. When I want the big beautiful screen, it's the 14" MacBook Pro. When I want to use something on the train, in bed, or in some other very relaxed setting, it's the 11" iPad just with a smart folio.

When I need to travel very light and I'm only going to take an 11" device and no laptop, that's when the magic keyboard gets utilised, and it shines in that scenario.

But in every scenario that I'd have access to both my MacBook and my iPad, and I'm not basically lying down or cramped in an airplane or something, I'm using that MacBook 9 times out of 10, and the iPad stays out of the magic keyboard, being used just as a tablet.

The iPad gets some pretty decent usage with universal control. When I'm doing some complicated work away from the desk, being able to keep all my texts, Slack, and other communications on the iPad screen while I do the main task on the MacBook has been surprisingly useful.

I've become a lot more satisfied with my devices since I stopped trying to make them do everything and just used them for the things they're absolutely best at. It costs a fair bit to own a setup like this, but I use those devices to make more money anyway.

 

[v1ctorS]

To me iPad has never been a viable laptop replacement due to software limitation. This will change with iPadOS 16.1 (If it includes the three core features Memory Swap, Center Stage and External Display Support) however.

 

[Digitalguy]

To me iPad has never been a viable laptop replacement due to software limitation. This will change with iPadOS 16.1 (If it includes the three core features Memory Swap, Center Stage and External Display Support) however.

I think people are a bit too optimistic on Memory Swap, thinking it will work like on Desktop. Memory swap will allow apps to use all the physical memory by swapping to disk inactive apps, but this does not mean that swap is permanent like on desktop (if you don't turn the device off). Memory optimization is not just due to lack of RAM but also to preserve battery life. So I am betting Apple memory management will clear stuff from memory after a given time (e.g one day) so I would not expect stuff to stay in RAM for long periods like on a Mac thanks to Swap.
Stage Manager (not Center Stage) is way more limited than MacOS multitasking, with apps resizing to basically phone apps instead of any size, staying in the middle instead of moving freely around, etc. Even Android 12L does a better job at this point. Hopefully it will improve.
And then the big issue is limited mobile apps, which is not something Apple can do much about other then porting a couple of desktop apps like Final cut and Logic....

 

[spiderman0616]

I find this discussion infuriating. Some people use the iPad as their only computing device, others use the iPad in tandem with their laptop and yet some don’t use it all.

Shouldn’t it be up to the individual and their own distinct situation and work flow to decide what works for them? Who cares what others think or what the perceptions are.

I use a Windows laptop mandated by my employer for work and I have an iPad Pro 12.9 for personal and some work use as well. It works for me - I don’t sit here sweating out whether people think iPad is a laptop replacement.

What works for you should be the only thing that matters.

This is the only truly correct answer. But I don’t think it will stop this thread from going another 174 pages. People like to justify their purchases by projecting their insecurity on everyone else.