iPad as a laptop replacement

[Ludatyk]

I learned many times, and re-learned with my iPad experiment, that it’s a bad idea to go against Apple’s grain. They want the iPad to remain a Mac complement, vice a Mac replacement, and it shows in the multitude of minor annoyances using nothing but an iPad. Similar to you, I tried to use only my M1 iPad, but my Mini (soon to be an M2 Pro Mini!) with ASD won me back as my “real” [sic] computer.

Bad idea to go against Apple's grain?

If a user can get by using their iPad as a laptop replacement... how is that a bad idea? It's up to the user to decide whether or not if the iPad up to the task. Apple wants to pair an iPad to a iPhone as well (iCloud sync with various apps and Continuity)... but I decided to against that.

 

[bondr006]

I learned many times, and re-learned with my iPad experiment, that it’s a bad idea to go against Apple’s grain. They want the iPad to remain a Mac complement, vice a Mac replacement, and it shows in the multitude of minor annoyances using nothing but an iPad. Similar to you, I tried to use only my M1 iPad, but my Mini (soon to be an M2 Pro Mini!) with ASD won me back as my “real” [sic] computer.

What Apple is that?

The Telegraph

“I think if you’re looking at a PC, why would you buy a PC anymore? No really, why would you buy one?”, asks Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, who has just flown into Britain for the launch of the iPad Pro. “Yes, the iPad Pro is a replacement for a notebook or a desktop for many, many people. They will start using it and conclude they no longer need to use anything else, other than their phones,” Cook argues.

MacWorld

NBC News

Time

I replaced my MB Pro with my M1 iPad Pro, have run both my real estate businesses with it since Nov 2021, and haven't looked back since. My M1 iPad Pro is my main work and personal computer, with my M1 Mac Mini being my backup.

 

[Shanghaichica]

What Apple is that?

The Telegraph

“I think if you’re looking at a PC, why would you buy a PC anymore? No really, why would you buy one?”, asks Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, who has just flown into Britain for the launch of the iPad Pro. “Yes, the iPad Pro is a replacement for a notebook or a desktop for many, many people. They will start using it and conclude they no longer need to use anything else, other than their phones,” Cook argues.

MacWorld

NBC News

Time

I replaced my MB Pro with my M1 iPad Pro, have run both my real estate businesses with it since Nov 2021, and haven't looked back since. My M1 iPad Pro is my main work and personal computer, with my M1 Mac Mini being my backup.

Yep the fact is Apple don't care which one you buy as long as you buy one, be it an iPad or a Mac.

 

[teh_hunterer]

I disagree… I personally never moved to the iPad from MacBooks because they were hot, loud and annoying. MacBook Air was the biggest selling laptop during the Intel era… I believe only reason why people switched to the iPad because of the lightweight factor of the operating system (and battery performance).

All you have to do is look around to see the multitude of people all over the internet who tried, sometimes for years, to make their iPad their primary computing device and ultimately failed and went back to the Mac.

In the couple of years before the Mac got Apple silicon, the iPad was getting better and better as a laptop replacement, and the efficiency of Apple silicon in the iPad, combined with the light weight, no noise, low heat, and great battery life, added up to make it quite a compelling alternative to the Mac.

The software experience, for being a laptop replacement, was definitely worse, but the hardware still made it compelling enough for lots of people (including myself) to try.

iPad users are knowledgeable about what they want out of it, so… I don’t believe being disappointed by the shortcomings of the iPad plays a major factor in moving to Apple Silicon Macs rather than the power efficiency of the Mac.

There are heaps of people who tried for a long time to use the iPad as a laptop replacement, and ultimately decided that the Mac was better as a laptop for them. Are you saying all those iPad users were just fake iPad users and the real iPad users who remain are the ones that are knowledgable?

A common theme throughout your posts on this topic is that basically anyone who finds they prefer the Mac is somehow misunderstanding the iPad or using it wrong.

The major draw with the Apple Silicon Mac is how long the battery last, which is practical when it comes down to traveling. And I said before… it shouldn’t be a matter of degrading one product in an effort to praise another product, when both products are capable of being useful.

Not really. The major draw of the Mac vs the iPad (as a laptop replacement) is macOS, and Mac apps. The iPad is a wonderful piece of hardware, that many, many people try and fail to turn into a laptop. Those people who try the iPad and eventually go back to the Mac aren't doing it because the iPad battery life wasn't good enough - they do it because they ultimately need the apps and desktop capabilities of macOS.

Deciding that the Mac is a better fit for you personally doesn't mean you're 'degrading' the iPad. It just means you decided the Mac is a better fit for you personally.

 

[bondr006]

All you have to do is look around to see the multitude of people all over the internet who tried, sometimes for years, to make their iPad their primary computing device and ultimately failed and went back to the Mac.

In the couple of years before the Mac got Apple silicon, the iPad was getting better and better as a laptop replacement, and the efficiency of Apple silicon in the iPad, combined with the light weight, no noise, low heat, and great battery life, added up to make it quite a compelling alternative to the Mac.

The software experience, for being a laptop replacement, was definitely worse, but the hardware still made it compelling enough for lots of people (including myself) to try.



There are heaps of people who tried for a long time to use the iPad as a laptop replacement, and ultimately decided that the Mac was better as a laptop for them. Are you saying all those iPad users were just fake iPad users and the real iPad users who remain are the ones that are knowledgable?

A common theme throughout your posts on this topic is that basically anyone who finds they prefer the Mac is somehow misunderstanding the iPad or using it wrong.



Not really. The major draw of the Mac vs the iPad (as a laptop replacement) is macOS, and Mac apps. The iPad is a wonderful piece of hardware, that many, many people try and fail to turn into a laptop. Those people who try the iPad and eventually go back to the Mac aren't doing it because the iPad battery life wasn't good enough - they do it because they ultimately need the apps and desktop capabilities of macOS.

Deciding that the Mac is a better fit for you personally doesn't mean you're 'degrading' the iPad. It just means you decided the Mac is a better fit for you personally.

Many people prefer Mac OS over Windows. Many people prefer Windows over Mac OS. Many people prefer a traditional computer over an iPad. What you forgot to add is that many people also prefer their iPad over a tradtional computer. You mention that many have tried to replace their conventional computer with an iPad and failed, but you also forgot to mention that many have tried and succeeded. I am one who has succeeded with ease. I run every aspect of both my realty businesses with just my iPad Pro much easier than I did with my MBP. You prefer to focus on the many who can't do it. I prefer to focus on the many who can, and have.

 

[teh_hunterer]

Many people prefer Mac OS over Windows. Many people prefer Windows over Mac OS. Many people prefer a traditional computer over an iPad. What you forgot to add is that many people also prefer their iPad over a tradtional computer. You mention that many have tried to replace their conventional computer with an iPad and failed, but you also forgot to mention that many have tried and succeeded. I am one who has succeeded with ease. I run every aspect of both my realty businesses with just my iPad Pro much easier than I did with my MBP. You prefer to focus on the many who can't do it. I prefer to focus on the many who can, and have.

I'm not taking a side though. I love the iPad. I just happen to be highlighting that some of the reasoning from people who decided to switch back to the Mac is legitimate as well.

I haven't even given up on the iPad as a laptop replacement idea. I've just gone back to the Mac as my primary device for now.

 

[Ludatyk]

There are heaps of people who tried for a long time to use the iPad as a laptop replacement, and ultimately decided that the Mac was better as a laptop for them. Are you saying all those iPad users were just fake iPad users and the real iPad users who remain are the ones that are knowledgable?

I think you are missing my point. There’s no such thing as fake iPad users or real ones… I don’t knock anyone for choosing to use their iPad as a traditonal tablet, its their perference. You claimed people went the iPad as laptop route because of issues with their MacBooks (heating and noise). And I pushed back against that, because I don’t believe that was the case.

A common theme throughout your posts on this topic is that basically anyone who finds they prefer the Mac is somehow misunderstanding the iPad or using it wrong.

Lol, I recently stated… there’s no right or wrong to use an iPad.

Not really. The major draw of the Mac vs the iPad (as a laptop replacement) is macOS, and Mac apps. The iPad is a wonderful piece of hardware, that many, many people try and fail to turn into a laptop. Those people who try the iPad and eventually go back to the Mac aren't doing it because the iPad battery life wasn't good enough - they do it because they ultimately need the apps and desktop capabilities of macOS.

Umm… the context we were discussing was Intel vs Apple Silicon Macs… not Mac vs iPad. Because not all laptops are Macs.

Deciding that the Mac is a better fit for you personally doesn't mean you're 'degrading' the iPad. It just means you decided the Mac is a better fit for you personally.

Well, it was the way you phrased it… disappointed by the shortcomings. It’s this old age debate of iPadOS being limited and you can’t do X with it… whereas praising the Mac for doing X.

 

[teh_hunterer]

I think you are missing my point. There’s no such thing as fake iPad users or real ones… I don’t knock anyone for choosing to use their iPad as a traditonal tablet, its their perference. You claimed people went the iPad as laptop route because of issues with their MacBooks (heating and noise). And I pushed back against that, because I don’t believe that was the case.

All you have to do is peruse these kinds of threads and discussions around here, Reddit, the internet, etc, to find plenty of people who gave the iPad a solid go as a laptop replacement because their iPad was more powerful and pleasing to use than their Intel MacBooks. I'm one of them.

Umm… the context we were discussing was Intel vs Apple Silicon Macs… not Mac vs iPad. Because not all laptops are Macs.

We were talking about the iPad vs MacBooks. I said: "I'm seeing a lot of these people switching back to the Mac as their main computing device since Apple silicon came to the Mac, because they've been disappointed by the shortcomings of the iPad when used in that capacity. And I'm one of those."

To which you said: "The major draw with the Apple silicon Mac is how long the battery last"

My point was, the thin, silent, cool, and powerful iPad was like something from the future, while the hot, loud, slow Intel MacBooks were like something from the past.

Now the MacBooks have Apple silicon, that dichotomy isn't so simple anymore.

Well, it was the way you phrased it… disappointed by the shortcomings. It’s this old age debate of iPadOS being limited and you can’t do X with it… whereas praising the Mac for doing X.

Well let me clarify that I'm not a soldier for either side. The first post of this thread is from someone who is curious about using the iPad as a laptop replacement. I'm curious about that too, and that involves looking at both sides of the coin.

 

[jjohnstonjr]

At the end of the day, it is all personal preference. There is one guy who runs his real estate business off is iPad Pro and has done so for a while now. If I were easily influenced I would be turned away from getting an iPad Pro to replace my MAcBook Air. But luckily I know how to follow my own mind and test things out. I am currently taking online courses for my school and I use my iPad Pro 11” with the Logitech keyboard and case combo. The iPad Pro does what it does for those that need it to do what it does.

 

[Ludatyk]

We were talking about the iPad vs MacBooks. I said: "I'm seeing a lot of these people switching back to the Mac as their main computing device since Apple silicon came to the Mac, because they've been disappointed by the shortcomings of the iPad when used in that capacity. And I'm one of those."

To which you said: "The major draw with the Apple silicon Mac is how long the battery last"

Let me break it down to you.

During the Intel area… people went the iPad route as a laptop replacement as you mention “pleasing to use,” right? What has changed since then… it’s not as the iPad platform hasn’t improved (maybe not to your standards), but that the Mac has improved immensely with Apple Silicon.

Apple Silicon (M1) was introduced for the Mac in November 2020 and that brought a lot of praise… so, what did Apple do in 2021 for the iPad, they put the M1 chip. This caused so much hype and it speculated that Final Cut Pro or Logic could make an appearance on the iPad.

Although, Apple didn’t make any promises… we assumed as much. I was part of the hype train as well, thinking that something big will come in WWDC 2021. People even bought M1 iPads with the intention that if nothing came of it…. They would return it. And so, WWDC 2021 came and they were a lot of disappointment (including me).

And with displeasure in Apple, most people decided to return the iPad. But if you look closely, the people who went the iPad route as a laptop replacement… didn’t use it with hopes of Final Cut Pro or Logic. So, I think you are lumping in people during this period.

 

[JTK Awesome]

What Apple is that?

The Telegraph

“I think if you’re looking at a PC, why would you buy a PC anymore? No really, why would you buy one?”, asks Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, who has just flown into Britain for the launch of the iPad Pro. “Yes, the iPad Pro is a replacement for a notebook or a desktop for many, many people. They will start using it and conclude they no longer need to use anything else, other than their phones,” Cook argues.

MacWorld

NBC News

Time

I replaced my MB Pro with my M1 iPad Pro, have run both my real estate businesses with it since Nov 2021, and haven't looked back since. My M1 iPad Pro is my main work and personal computer, with my M1 Mac Mini being my backup.

And yet there's so much an iPad can't do compared to the Mac, from import MP3 files to support an external webcam to provide updates to the ASD, to name but a very few.

 

[teh_hunterer]

Let me break it down to you.

During the Intel area… people went the iPad route as a laptop replacement as you mention “pleasing to use,” right? What has changed since then… it’s not as the iPad platform hasn’t improved (maybe not to your standards), but that the Mac has improved immensely with Apple Silicon.

Apple Silicon (M1) was introduced for the Mac in November 2020 and that brought a lot of praise… so, what did Apple do in 2021 for the iPad, they put the M1 chip. This caused so much hype and it speculated that Final Cut Pro or Logic could make an appearance on the iPad.

Although, Apple didn’t make any promises… we assumed as much. I was part of the hype train as well, thinking that something big will come in WWDC 2021. People even bought M1 iPads with the intention that if nothing came of it…. They would return it. And so, WWDC 2021 came and they were a lot of disappointment (including me).

And with displeasure in Apple, most people decided to return the iPad. But if you look closely, the people who went the iPad route as a laptop replacement… didn’t use it with hopes of Final Cut Pro or Logic. So, I think you are lumping in people during this period.

I think we'll just have to agree to disagree. From what I've seen, following the iPad as a laptop replacement discussions for many years, is a fair amount of people started trying to make the iPad into a laptop replacement due to a golden combination of the iPads getting very powerful, getting mouse, keyboard, and gamepad support, and other niceties in iPadOS - which compared more and more favourably to the Intel MacBooks of the time.

Forget software for a sec: I preferred the hardware of the iPad Air 4 and then the iPad Pro M1 to my 2018 13" MacBook Pro. The MacBook Pro was heavier, the keyboard was worse, the screen was worse, the battery life was worse, it was far slower, and it was hot and noisy. I used the iPads 90% of the time.

But now that I've got the 14" MacBook Pro, suddenly the equation is different. The screen is better, the battery life is better, the performance is better, it doesn't get hot and I never hear the fans.

A multitude of people went to the iPad over their laptops because of the hardware. They put up with and tried to work around the shortcomings of iPadOS, but now that Apple silicon MacBooks are around, the whole landscape is different, and many have gone back to the MacBooks. They don't feel the need to try to make iPadOS work in a laptop replacement scenario anymore, because the hardware advantages of the iPad don't stack up against the MacBooks like they used to.

There's no sense pretending iPadOS doesn't have shortcomings as a laptop replacement. On the flipside, there are aspects of iPadOS that I really liked compared to macOS when I was using it. I have seen many people try to make this discussion a battle, where either the Mac or the iPad must win. Pointing out advantages of the Mac doesn't mean the iPad is worse, nor does pointing out advantages of the iPad mean the Mac is worse. But it seems if you do point out a shortcoming of the iPad, many people take it as a hit to the iPad side and feel a need to defend it.

It is possible to accept that iPadOS has shortcomings in the context of laptop replacement, without saying that iPadOS is a bad OS, or that the design philosophy behind it is wrong, or that it isn't perfect for some people already as a laptop replacement.

 

[Ludatyk]

Forget software for a sec: I preferred the hardware of the iPad Air 4 and then the iPad Pro M1 to my 2018 13" MacBook Pro. The MacBook Pro was heavier, the keyboard was worse, the screen was worse, the battery life was worse, it was far slower, and it was hot and noisy. I used the iPads 90% of the time.

Why should we forget software for a sec.. when that's the main argument against iPad vs Mac? If Apple decides to add virtualization to iPadOS and users have the ability to add macOS/Windows onto an iPad, that would change everything.

A multitude of people went to the iPad over their laptops because of the hardware. They put up with and tried to work around the shortcomings of iPadOS, but now that Apple silicon MacBooks are around, the whole landscape is different, and many have gone back to the MacBooks. They don't feel the need to try to make iPadOS work in a laptop replacement scenario anymore, because the hardware advantages of the iPad don't stack up against the MacBooks like they used to.

As I've stated before, I personally never went the iPad as my laptop route because my MacBook Pro were hot, slow and noisy. I had a MacBook Pro 2018... I enjoyed it. But I liked the versatility of the iPad... use the touch screen or Apple Pencil, maybe attach the keyboard to use as a laptop.

I have seen many people try to make this discussion a battle, where either the Mac or the iPad must win. Pointing out advantages of the Mac doesn't mean the iPad is worse, nor does pointing out advantages of the iPad mean the Mac is worse. But it seems if you do point out a shortcoming of the iPad, many people take it as a hit to the iPad side and feel a need to defend it.

But its you making it into a battle. The thread is called iPad as a laptop replacement and apparently you seem to think that doesn't fit for you. And that's perfectly okay, use whatever works for you.

It is possible to accept that iPadOS has shortcomings in the context of laptop replacement, without saying that iPadOS is a bad OS, or that the design philosophy behind it is wrong, or that it isn't perfect for some people already as a laptop replacement.

It's all about perspective, right? I claim iPadOS has shortcoming.. yet I still make it my primary computing device. You claim the same, but decide that it's not for you anymore. But as you stated, we can agree to disagree.

 

[teh_hunterer]

Why should we forget software for a sec.. when that's the main argument against iPad vs Mac? If Apple decides to add virtualization to iPadOS and users have the ability to add macOS/Windows onto an iPad, that would change everything.

Yes, we can forget software for a single paragraph to discuss the hardware.

But its you making it into a battle. The thread is called iPad as a laptop replacement and apparently you seem to think that doesn't fit for you. And that's perfectly okay, use whatever works for you.

That's what I'm getting at. Just because someone decides to stop using the iPad as a laptop replacement, it doesn't have to be interpreted as an attack and become a battle.

The thread is not about hyping up the iPad as a laptop replacement - it's about discussing the concept. The first post in this thread was about being curious about the iPad as a laptop replacement. I remain curious about this, and I still follow the development of the iPad as it gets better at this year on year.

 

[ian87w]

Well, I have a story on why the iPad simply cannot be a real laptop replacement yet.

Some of you might remember my friend who had the bloated system storage eating up her iPad storage that I posted here a while back. The problem is still there, leaving her only about 3GB free space on her 64GB iPad. But since she's not adding more apps, she's not facing any significant issues with it.

She went for an overseas trip and decided to left her laptop and only took the iPad with her. Her days were fine using the iPad, but then one day, it just froze while it's charging. The last screen she saw was an error saying her iPad storage is full, and then it went into a boot loop. And of course, guess what, to do any troubleshooting or even reset the iPad, she would need a PC/Mac, because the stupid iPad doesn't have its own recovery mode. Without access to a laptop, she was stuck with a brick. And no, the hard restart didn't work and kept the iPad into a boot loop showing the Apple logo.

And of course, that system storage bug that plague iOS devices is just ridiculous. Many people still parotting Apple, saying its temporary stuff used by the system. If that's the case, then iPadOS is the dumbest OS ever made, to have such temporary files eating up storage that it cannot even boot itself up.

/Rant

 

[teh_hunterer]

Well, I have a story on why the iPad simply cannot be a real laptop replacement yet.

Some of you might remember my friend who had the bloated system storage eating up her iPad storage that I posted here a while back. The problem is still there, leaving her only about 3GB free space on her 64GB iPad. But since she's not adding more apps, she's not facing any significant issues with it.

She went for an overseas trip and decided to left her laptop and only took the iPad with her. Her days were fine using the iPad, but then one day, it just froze while it's charging. The last screen she saw was an error saying her iPad storage is full, and then it went into a boot loop. And of course, guess what, to do any troubleshooting or even reset the iPad, she would need a PC/Mac, because the stupid iPad doesn't have its own recovery mode. Without access to a laptop, she was stuck with a brick. And no, the hard restart didn't work and kept the iPad into a boot loop showing the Apple logo.

And of course, that system storage bug that plague iOS devices is just ridiculous. Many people still parotting Apple, saying its temporary stuff used by the system. If that's the case, then iPadOS is the dumbest OS ever made, to have such temporary files eating up storage that it cannot even boot itself up.

/Rant

I've run into this weird storage thing before. It's baffling. But I took care of it before it soft bricked the iPad. It's usually an app that isn't deleting its data when it's supposed to. It can be difficult to figure out what app is doing it, but usually uninstalling that app gets rid of the issue, and you can then reinstall it.

I think the iPad excels as a light travel device though. I took it in the Magic Keyboard as my main travel device to a bunch of different places (and on different planes) last year and it was wonderful.

 

[Abazigal]

She went for an overseas trip and decided to left her laptop and only took the iPad with her. Her days were fine using the iPad, but then one day, it just froze while it's charging. The last screen she saw was an error saying her iPad storage is full, and then it went into a boot loop. And of course, guess what, to do any troubleshooting or even reset the iPad, she would need a PC/Mac, because the stupid iPad doesn't have its own recovery mode. Without access to a laptop, she was stuck with a brick. And no, the hard restart didn't work and kept the iPad into a boot loop showing the Apple logo.

I recall encountering something like that many years ago and it does suck. I think I had to wipe my iPad and do a fresh install, which yeah, required a Mac.

 

[culo77]

I replaced my MB Pro with my M1 iPad Pro, have run both my real estate businesses with it since Nov 2021, and haven't looked back since. My M1 iPad Pro is my main work and personal computer, with my M1 Mac Mini being my backup.

I have a question? I used this RE Agent, https://lucidrealty.com/blog/ , he had some crazy crunched data (more than I felt necessary but awesome to see). I use apples Numbers for personal and Excel and SQL for work, so I know the limitation of big data on Numbers and Excel for the iPad. How are you able to deal with large data sets and crunching/parsing all of that on an iPad?

 

[dumastudetto]

These days I find the biggest chunk of "Other" in storage is iCloud Drive data. Usually it manages itself pretty well, but if you download a bunch of large project files it will dump them in "Other" for sometime until it realises it needs to free up the space and/or thinks you are finished working with them.

Sometimes manually removing the iCloud Drive files from the iPad (make them online only) doesn't always remove them from Other.

The way I free this up is to delete the iCloud Drive app, restart the iPad, and then give it 5-10 minutes to remove the "Other" storage it was eating up, check iPad Storage to see its freed up the space... before re-installing iCloud Drive from the App Store. I haven't found any other reliable way to do this.

 

[bondr006]

I have a question? I used this RE Agent, https://lucidrealty.com/blog/ , he had some crazy crunched data (more than I felt necessary but awesome to see). I use apples Numbers for personal and Excel and SQL for work, so I know the limitation of big data on Numbers and Excel for the iPad. How are you able to deal with large data sets and crunching/parsing all of that on an iPad?

I am the out of the office face of the business, and my wife takes care of the records and office work. I deal with the per transaction, and my wife takes care of the finances and spread sheets. She is a spread sheet goddess. She makes them and I use them. I deal mostly with premade contracts and documents, and direct communications with the client, which is all easily done on the iPad. The majority of our records are kept online, with physical backups to external drives.

 

[Ludatyk]

Well, I have a story on why the iPad simply cannot be a real laptop replacement yet.

Some of you might remember my friend who had the bloated system storage eating up her iPad storage that I posted here a while back. The problem is still there, leaving her only about 3GB free space on her 64GB iPad. But since she's not adding more apps, she's not facing any significant issues with it.

She went for an overseas trip and decided to left her laptop and only took the iPad with her. Her days were fine using the iPad, but then one day, it just froze while it's charging. The last screen she saw was an error saying her iPad storage is full, and then it went into a boot loop. And of course, guess what, to do any troubleshooting or even reset the iPad, she would need a PC/Mac, because the stupid iPad doesn't have its own recovery mode. Without access to a laptop, she was stuck with a brick. And no, the hard restart didn't work and kept the iPad into a boot loop showing the Apple logo.

And of course, that system storage bug that plague iOS devices is just ridiculous. Many people still parotting Apple, saying its temporary stuff used by the system. If that's the case, then iPadOS is the dumbest OS ever made, to have such temporary files eating up storage that it cannot even boot itself up.

/Rant

First off, disappointing story and its unfortunate that your friend had to go through that experience.

And its always been a case by case scenario on whether the iPad can be a laptop replacement. And I know the iPad has shortcomings... fully aware. As you mentioned... it's stupid the iPad doesn't have its own recovery mode. But when one person is unable to make that transition it always ends in "since it doesn't work me... it shouldn't work for anyone else."

I find the iPad as a middle child... it will never live up to the older kid which being the Mac and the iPhone is the baby or golden child where it could never do wrong.

 

[sparksd]

These days I find the biggest chunk of "Other" in storage is iCloud Drive data. Usually it manages itself pretty well, but if you download a bunch of large project files it will dump them in "Other" for sometime until it realises it needs to free up the space and/or thinks you are finished working with them.

Sometimes manually removing the iCloud Drive files from the iPad (make them online only) doesn't always remove them from Other.

The way I free this up is to delete the iCloud Drive app, restart the iPad, and then give it 5-10 minutes to remove the "Other" storage it was eating up, check iPad Storage to see its freed up the space... before re-installing iCloud Drive from the App Store. I haven't found any other reliable way to do this.

I tried this and it worked for me -

https://www.reddit.com/r/iphone/comments/zzoqdj

 

[dumastudetto]

I tried this and it worked for me -

https://www.reddit.com/r/iphone/comments/zzoqdj

Interesting. I hadn't seen that method before. I'll definitely save that one in my notes just in case I run into a problem beyond iCloud Drive.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[sparksd]

Interesting. I hadn't seen that method before. I'll definitely save that one in my notes just in case I run into a problem beyond iCloud Drive.

Thanks for sharing.

My first thought on seeing it was "You have to be kidding. How did someone come up with this?". But I decided to give it a try and it worked (I don't recall the storage numbers but it was substantial enough for me to go through this effort.)

 

[ian87w]

First off, disappointing story and its unfortunate that your friend had to go through that experience.

And its always been a case by case scenario on whether the iPad can be a laptop replacement. And I know the iPad has shortcomings... fully aware. As you mentioned... it's stupid the iPad doesn't have its own recovery mode. But when one person is unable to make that transition it always ends in "since it doesn't work me... it shouldn't work for anyone else."

I find the iPad as a middle child... it will never live up to the older kid which being the Mac and the iPhone is the baby or golden child where it could never do wrong.

For me is simple, for a device like the iPad, the least it should be able to do is standalone. What happen to people who only have iPad and no computer? Android tablets don’t have this issue as they have their own recovery mode. It is highly ironic how Apple marketed iOS devices as “PC free”, yet in 2023 they still require an actual PC to troubleshoot with.