iPad as a laptop replacement

[Digitalguy]

Yep, but it is an old Mac. I think that, if there was a 12” MacBook with an M3, I would instantly buy it. I’ll keep thinking about it, I think I could make do without an iPad for a whole year and see if Apple releases a 12” MacBook. Or, keep this M2 iPad Pro and sell it in a year or two, if the 12” MacBook is finally a reality.

Because, I don’t know, being here at my home I know I can use my old Mac mini if I need to, however, if I travel abroad for whatever reason, a MacBook will be much more useful. Honestly, I’m a bit confused lol.

I’ll try to think the things I cannot do on an iPad, and see if that would be a limiting factor while being abroad (if I need to travel in the next few years).

You would not be the only one to instantly buy a 12" Mac with M3.... especially if it came with cellular in my case..
I have the old 2017" model and I use it at home basically as a tablet replacement....🙃 I love it, except in summer, when it gets hot...
Since I am not against Windows, on the contrary I need it for work, I got the closest thing to a 12" MacBook you can get with modern specs, a 13" cellular Thinkpad Nano, basically the same weight, larger 16:10 screen, better keyboard (although I like the new Magic Keyboard too), pretty quiet. Battery life is pretty decent (better than the 12" MacBook but nowhere near M1 of course...) and speakers are pretty decent too but again not at the level of the 12" Macbook (which are on par with the M1 air or the 2018 12.9" iPad pro). A great device overall, and it's a shame that Apple does not have an ultra-light under 1KG laptop, when they could easly make a 12.5" one in the same body as the 12" with great battery life and even cellular for the perfect on the go device...

 

[Ludatyk]

Since I am not against Windows, on the contrary I need it for work, I got the closest thing to a 12" MacBook you can get with modern specs, a 13" cellular Thinkpad Nano, basically the same weight, larger 16:10 screen, better keyboard (although I like the new Magic Keyboard too), pretty quiet.

I’m curious… you are not interested in the latest Surface cellular tablet?

I recently picked up the Surface Pro 8 from Best Buy… it was for my sister she needed to upgrade. I did an open box order for the Surface Pro X… but they gave me a Surface Pro 8 instead (nearly $600 savings). But I really do like the Surface Pro products… Windows 11 is solid on it and I like how the keyboard docks onto it.

I‘m hoping the next iPad Pro products adds the newest Magic Keyboard Folio design to its accessories… don’t get me wrong I like my Magic Keyboard, but definitely wouldn’t mind having dedicated keys.

 

[sparksd]

I’m curious… you are not interested in the latest Surface cellular tablet?

I recently picked up the Surface Pro 8 from Best Buy… it was for my sister she needed to upgrade. I did an open box order for the Surface Pro X… but they gave me a Surface Pro 8 instead (nearly $600 savings). But I really do like the Surface Pro products… Windows 11 is solid on it and I like how the keyboard docks onto it.

I‘m hoping the next iPad Pro products adds the newest Magic Keyboard Folio design to its accessories… don’t get me wrong I like my Magic Keyboard, but definitely wouldn’t mind having dedicated keys.

I'm real happy with 16GB i7 Surface Pro 7 - it's been my most heavily device in the last 14 months. It makes a great laptop but so-so tablet; my M1 12.9 makes a great tablet but so-so laptop. So they complement each other for me.

 

[subjonas]

Yep, but it is an old Mac. I think that, if there was a 12” MacBook with an M3, I would instantly buy it. I’ll keep thinking about it, I think I could make do without an iPad for a whole year and see if Apple releases a 12” MacBook. Or, keep this M2 iPad Pro and sell it in a year or two, if the 12” MacBook is finally a reality.

Because, I don’t know, being here at my home I know I can use my old Mac mini if I need to, however, if I travel abroad for whatever reason, a MacBook will be much more useful. Honestly, I’m a bit confused lol.

I’ll try to think the things I cannot do on an iPad, and see if that would be a limiting factor while being abroad (if I need to travel in the next few years).

I don’t blame you for getting confused. It’s pretty hard to think through every single possible task that you think you might need to do in any situation. And there is still the odd thing here and there that an iPad cannot do, so, like you mentioned, there’s always the possibility you’ll go on a trip with iPad only and be stuck unable to do some task that was either forgotten or unforeseen. I’m one of those borderline over-thinkers who plans to a T, but I don’t think that’s the majority of people.

That said, I think the vast majority can get by with iPad only for the vast majority of tasks, so the probability of being stuck unable to do what one needs on a trip is rather low.

If one is very sure of what they need, or just doesn’t mind taking a little risk, then going iPad-only can be advantageous. iPadOS is fun and easy, and the form factor is portable and versatile. But if one isn’t sure and doesn’t want to bring both, yet still wants to play it safe, then I think a MacBook is the safer bet--because MacBooks, especially paired with iPhones, tend to cover a wider range of tasks, especially necessities, while iPads tend to cover more conveniences.

 

[Digitalguy]

I’m curious… you are not interested in the latest Surface cellular tablet?

I recently picked up the Surface Pro 8 from Best Buy… it was for my sister she needed to upgrade. I did an open box order for the Surface Pro X… but they gave me a Surface Pro 8 instead (nearly $600 savings). But I really do like the Surface Pro products… Windows 11 is solid on it and I like how the keyboard docks onto it.

I‘m hoping the next iPad Pro products adds the newest Magic Keyboard Folio design to its accessories… don’t get me wrong I like my Magic Keyboard, but definitely wouldn’t mind having dedicated keys.

If you mean the Surface pro 9 5G with SQ3, not really.
I have been a surface user since the pro 3 and I still am (I am writing this on my Surface Book 3 15, a device that I love for home use), but over time I have come to realize that the Surface pro is not great on the go as a laptop (because of poor lappability) and I can have better as a tablet (for my use).

I think the main issue here is the way we each use a laptop / tablet....
Some people want 1 device for everything (and for them the surface pro might actually be the best "compromise").
Others want the right device for each use (and it can go from 2 devices to many for more sophisticated people)
I guess I am definitely in the sophisticated camp.

There are several categories of devices for me.....
- My desktop (where I do most of my things), runs with a big 4k monitor and second touch/pen smaller monitor under it (this role is played by a Samsung 12.4" tablet with an app similar to Sidecar, but much, much better)
- My on the go laptop (which is my cellular Thinkpad laptop), ideal because it's lighter than any surface or current MacBook, has cellular and is lappable (for use everywhere I go)
- My around the house work laptop (Surface Book 5), screen is big enough that is comfortable even without an external monitor and is nice for annotating the works of my university students. I like to work not just at my home office but anywhere in my house, and sometimes also standing and not just sitting. And the Book 3 is perfect for that.
- My youtube laptop / tablet replacement, which is my 2017 12" MacBook (light, nice screen, great speakers)

And then there are my tablets:
- the 11" and 10.5" pro which are my on the go devices, not used at home (basically as pen an paper replacement for my dance school every evening and as second monitor to my Thinkpad for my University classes)
- the 12.9in for reading/annotating PDFs and Word documents, for some streaming, some youtube, some browsing, some social media, some use as secondary monitor etc)
- the mini 5 for use in bed
- the S8 ultra for movies/series and as a monitor

As a tablet the Surface pro 9 is heaveir than iPads and, while I love the kickstand, I actually already have a tablet that has a kickstand, is lighter, has much better battery life, has great speakers and runs Windows 10 with a desktop CPU and RTX 2070 super.... It's my desktop, which thanks to that Android apps that I mentioned ealier, can become a "surface device" with any Android tablet with zero latency and full touch, pen and audio support... (supports even 120hz...). If you didn't know it was not a Windows device, but just a second screen app on an Android tablet, you could not tell the difference....

 

[PauloSera]

I've had a MacBook Pro Retina for a year now, and quite frankly, its simply overkill for what I used the computer for on a daily basis. I would have been fine with a MacBook Air, but elected to spend the extra cash for a nice screen.

I use writing intensive programs (Final Draft, Pages, etc), but outside from that, just do regular web browsing, music, and etc.

I was curious of if anyone on here had replaced their laptop with an iPad,

testbecause I am considering doing that. I'm just curious about how the keyboards work with the iPad.

If your description is accurate, then yes you are the kind of user who doesn't actually need a laptop in the first place. An iPad would suffice.

 

[luzsa2004]

From word processing to web to photo and video editing to gaming, using the iPad Pro means far less time in front of a laptop. And now with extended display in beta 3, it’s one giant step closer to moving even further away from a laptop. And the flexibility offered by an iPad for computing wherever sweetens that convenience.

 

[Guppy Guy]

iPad productivity continues to be a very contentious topic no matter the era.

I just don't get why people want to "box in" everything... Including tech that may not provide a perceived level of value or worth to them personally so they feel the need to dismiss it. I personally see no logical reason "to game" but there are many others that seem to live just to play video games; although it does nothing for me that does not mean that it doesn't bring someone else enjoyment.

The ipad, Apple Watch and HomePod were initially just for everyday stuff; but now these devices actually pay for themselves due to their usefulness in the many different functions that they are relied upon every single day. With less & less of this time being spent for personal enjoyment versus for more mundane tasks that are must haves rather than wants.

My iPad Pro is used for:

• business stuff (there is an iMac and Windows laptop here but not used by me anymore unless I have to utilize a software program that does not have an iPad equivalent which is not nearly as common over the past several years
• Keeping track of medical documents, appointments, treatments, medications, etc for my partner and myself both with on-going issues like cancer treatments, scans, many appointments and much more
• Financial management including business, medical & household
• Pet records such as keeping vet related documents scanned, having their chip information readily available and anything else that is critical to have on-hand as they are getting older with more appointments too
• Keeping digital copies of Medical Directives, DNR Cards and Power of Attorney documents which must be ready at a moments notice both at home & when visiting the hospital (the Oncology office requires to see them at every visit for chemotherapy in case something happens

For me… these devices are no longer just for fun but have become integrated more & more due to the limited amount of help and the need to document medical & business activities each day (and night!)

I have owned four Apple laptops (plus Sony) and a handful of desktops too, they served their purpose well but my needs have changed over time. For many years sitting at a desk and focusing on a more limited number of tasks each day.

Over the years my medical challenges keep me from sitting for any real length of time, now over the last few years things have become the most challenging yet. Unfortunately, I am the only caregiver for my partner with cancer, while still running our architecture business full-time and everything else that life throws my way. As things continue to evolve daily with an iPad Pro I’m better positioned to at least cope with these things while moving forward.

I currently have the 11” iPad as I wanted maximum portability over the 12.9” device at the time; now, I would rather have the larger iPad for the more intense work but would love to add the Mini tablet as that would allow me to use it more freely while running from here to there as needs change constantly throughout the day & night. The collective use of the iPad + Watch + iPhone has proved to be irreplaceable for me because I can start on the tablet then grab my phone and run to the hospital with everything in my to-go-bag & not miss a beat while still operating a business, have all of the important documents available and even keep an eye on the dogs through the Home app on any of these devices.

I feel the value that the Apple ecosystem provides us is unbeatable, we utilize as much as possible and simply leave the features or products that do not interest us.

 

[cwosigns]

My company provides me a 16" MacBook Pro for work, so my work activities are covered by that (and have been since 2009). Outside of work, I've always owned a PowerBook or MacBook, starting with the TiBook. The M1 12.9" iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard is the first iPad I've owned (and I've owned almost all), where I don't feel the need to also have a MacBook. It's portable, powerful, versatile, and on long weekends it's enough for me to get some work done (Jira, Teams, Outlook, Slack, etc.) without bringing the work laptop. Until recently, I had an M1 13" MBP and an M1 iMac. The MBP was collecting dust, so I sold it. Now that beta 3 of iPadOS 16.2 is out, and the external monitor support is really stable, I could easily do without the iMac (and may sell it after iPadOS 16.2 is released).

A similarly spec'd M2 MacBook Air is $249 cheaper than the iPad Pro 1 TB WiFi model, but has an inferior display, no touchscreen, and less versatility. So I guess the value proposition is there, assuming one needs an XDR display. I always opt for cellular, which isn't available on the MacBooks.

Unless you have a specific software that can't be used on an iPad, the iPad (especially the M1 or newer Pros) could probably easily replace a laptop for most people.

 

[prospervic]

A similarly spec'd M2 MacBook Air is $249 cheaper than the iPad Pro 1 TB WiFi model, but has an inferior display, no touchscreen, and less versatility.

This is why I say the MBA is not an accurate comparison. The 12.9 iPad Pro has 120hz ProMotion, Mini LED and multi-speaker surround stereo just like the 14 inch MBP. That computer is the true comparable device.

Looking at it this way a similarly spec’d IPP (both with 16 gB RAM & 1TB storage) is $400 less than the 14” MBP. (Even if throwing in the Magic Keyboard the IPP is $50 less.)

 

[prospervic]

Now that beta 3 of iPadOS 16.2 is out, and the external monitor support is really stable, I could easily do without the iMac (and may sell it after iPadOS 16.2 is released).

I’ve had this same thought. What holds me back is not being able to backup my iPad Pro directly to external drives. Still have to keep a Mac around for that.

 

[Ludatyk]

This is why I say the MBA is not an accurate comparison. The 12.9 iPad Pro has 120hz ProMotion, Mini LED and multi-speaker surround stereo just like the 14 inch MBP. That computer is the true comparable device.

Looking at it this way a similarly spec’d IPP (both with 16 gB RAM & 1TB storage) is $400 less than the 14” MBP. (Even if throwing in the Magic Keyboard the IPP is $50 less.)

Even when comparing the 12.9 iPP to a 14” MBP… most neglect the processors between the two.

Tbh, there’s no true comparison to the 12.9” iPP… you’ll have to look at the Samsung Galaxy Tab offerings to find a comparable device. If I was to advise someone who wants a device as similar to a 12.9” iPP… I’ll suggest the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra.

 

[Mainsail]

Recently, I gave my son my iPad Air 4 for grad school (Phd Econ) because he really needed it for notes and homework. Especially, iteratively working through equations. At Thanksgiving, he showed me how helpful it was to his studies.

I have a base M2 MBA, which is terrific and meets my productivity needs. However, I missed the iPad for casual use while relaxing on the couch, exercising on the stationary bike, and traveling on vacation. In particular, I use my iPad for:

• Reading Books and PDFs
• Browsing the Web and eMail
• Watching TV/Movies/Video

Also, the iPad is a nice portable secondary screen (Side Car and Universal Control).

So, I bought the new iPad 10th generation to replace the iPad Air that I gave to my son. Actually, the look and feel is pretty close to my old iPad Air 4......except the screen isn't laminated, which is not really an issue for me. I know. I know. A lot of reviewers are critical of this iPad. But, for my use, it is plenty capable. I won't be buying any expensive Apple accessories. So, my investment is limited to $420 (on sale) plus a cheap case from Amazon. If I get 4 years out of it, I'll be happy.

When I need to work and use productivity apps, I will reach for my MBA.

 

[prospervic]

For me, the iPad—even a Pro model with keyboard—is better suited as a complementary device rather than a replacement. I think that’s true for a lot of folks, but there are certainly those who can and do replace a laptop or other device.

Here’s a related thought: Apple of course has a story and business case for the iPads, same as every other product they sell. However, many people take this aspect way too ‘seriously.‘ For example, the number one question asked about iPad (Pros) the last few years is, ‘why isn’t Apple adding more software capability with this hardware?/why is it taking so long?/what’s the plan?’ At the end of the day…Apple just wants to sell hardware. The iPad narrative doesn’t need to be complete or make sense, so long as customers are still buying them. All of the posts on these forums, and from tech journalists as well, wondering if/when the new iPad still can replace their laptop, are asking a question Apple isn’t trying very hard to answer.

Apple's answer is: "As long as we can sell you MacBooks, NEVER!"

 

[flobach]

I’ve had this same thought. What holds me back is not being able to backup my iPad Pro directly to external drives. Still have to keep a Mac around for that.

I grappled with that for a long time, and eventually just came to trust the cloud. All my work documents are on the work provided Nextcloud, and all my personal stuff is on iCloud. And with that, a 64GB iPad Air 3 and 256GB Macbook Air work fine. YMMV if you do more than just Office documents, for example I don’t work with media files.

 

[Populus]

I have a question, related to using the iPad as a laptop replacement: How can I disable the mouse pointer changing shape every time I use it over an image or text? I need it to keep its circular shape at all times, and not change into a vertical or horizontal line. Thank you.

 

[GerritV]

I grappled with that for a long time, and eventually just came to trust the cloud. All my work documents are on the work provided Nextcloud, and all my personal stuff is on iCloud. And with that, a 64GB iPad Air 3 and 256GB Macbook Air work fine. YMMV if you do more than just Office documents, for example I don’t work with media files.

Not sure if the following can be of help, but I managed to connect my iPad with my TimeCapsule using the app FileBrowser. That way, I can use the TimeCapsule drive as an external storage device.

 

[culo77]

I said this elsewhere, We are living in such an amazing and wonderful time where there are a plethora of choices and overlapping redundancies. Each of us as an individual easily can find a product that fits our needs and our preferences. (at an acceptable price is a different topic). For some an iPad just won't cut it, for some an iPad is overkill, and for other some could get buy with just an iPhone as the only device. The great thing is we have all these choices available to us, and even more when you step outside of apple products.

I personally could use my iPad mini as a laptop replacement. Wish they would allow it to full screen with an external monitor, and would do a better cursor for the mouse connection. Finally trusting and using cloud services plus usb-c for me is the path that made it for me. My use case and Remote Desktop app for work, iPad is easily a laptop replacement.

With all that said, my MacBook Air M1's battery life is insane! Bring back the days when the iPad had the best battery life.

 

[sparksd]

Not sure if the following can be of help, but I managed to connect my iPad with my TimeCapsule using the app FileBrowser. That way, I can use the TimeCapsule drive as an external storage device.

He was responding to prospervic, who wanted to do a direct backup to external storage without having to use a Mac or PC. I use FileBrowser Pro for external connections myself but it doesn't help the backup issue.

 

[Ludatyk]

I have a question, related to using the iPad as a laptop replacement: How can I disable the mouse pointer changing shape every time I use it over an image or text? I need it to keep its circular shape at all times, and not change into a vertical or horizontal line. Thank you.

Umm... not sure that's possible since the mouse changes when hovering over text... I'm curious why do you need to keep it the same?

 

[Populus]

Umm... not sure that's possible since the mouse changes when hovering over text... I'm curious why do you need to keep it the same?

If I want to point parts of a diagram or a picture/drawing with my pointer on the screen, on a PDF or a PowerPoint, having the mouse changing shapes doesn’t help. Think about it like a presentation, kinda. I want to have a pointer, and the circle is the closest.

 

[prospervic]

I grappled with that for a long time, and eventually just came to trust the cloud. All my work documents are on the work provided Nextcloud, and all my personal stuff is on iCloud. And with that, a 64GB iPad Air 3 and 256GB Macbook Air work fine. YMMV if you do more than just Office documents, for example I don’t work with media files.

Glad that works for you. In my case, I do have lots of media files for photo and video editing, which is why I’m uncomfortable trusting everything to the cloud.

 

[sananda]

I was curious of if anyone on here had replaced their laptop with an iPad

I asked my employer for a 12.9” iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard. They agreed and gave it to me without App Store, Files, Notes, Pages, Numbers and Keynote (and many many other apps missing) and with Word, Excel and PowerPoint which I can’t use to create or edit documents (because the 365 account doesn’t allow it).

Pretty sure I can’t get much work done on it and pretty sure they just wasted £1,808.

I can email from Outlook and have meeting on Teams but that’s about all I can do.

 

[Boil]

I asked my employer for a 12.9” iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard. They agreed and gave it to me without App Store, Files, Notes, Pages, Numbers and Keynote (and many many other apps missing) and with Word, Excel and PowerPoint which I can’t use to create or edit documents (because the 365 account doesn’t allow it).

Pretty sure I can’t get much work done on it and pretty sure they just wasted £1,808.

I can email from Outlook and have meeting on Teams but that’s about all I can do.

Seems more an issue with the IT folks than with the iPad Pro...?

I would be asking for App Store access, the stock apps back, & for Office to be made 100% functional...

 

[sananda]

Seems more an issue with the IT folks than with the iPad Pro...?

I would be asking for App Store access, the stock apps back, & for Office to be made 100% functional...

Definitely an IT issue. If I could access the work filing system, edit documents and make notes I think it could be a good laptop replacement. Especially after 16.2 when it will have the external monitor support.

But they won’t change the way it’s been set up as that “can pose a significant threat to the ******* network and data”. They really shouldn’t have bought it in that case.