iPad as a laptop replacement

[bondr006]

How many times you gonna post those photos lol

I guess as many times as it's relevant to the post I'm responding to.

It's no secret that you have no use for the iPad outside its tablet/consumption features, and would never be caught dead using a keyboard and mouse/trackpad or Apple Pencil with one(or at least, wouldn't ever admit to it). From reading your past posts, I see you've taken on a part time career/mission/job to convince people here to get rid of their keyboards and pencils and use the iPad according to your own narrow viewpoint or use case. I posted the photos because @Beefbowl was interested in both iPad desktop setups, and the Finder icon for the Files app.

It's not just a tablet to everyone. Some of us willingly, happily, and easily use our iPads as a laptop replacement, even if you don't approve....which don't mean too much anyway.

I mean, that was the OP's question anyway.....was it not? Even if it did start a

storm against those who answer positively and have successfully replaced their laptop with their iPad. Never met so many iPad bigots in my life.

I was curious if anyone on here had replaced their laptop with an iPad, because I am considering doing that. I'm just curious about how the keyboards work with the iPad.

@Beefbowl Here's a different shot of my very functional iPad Pro desktop setup, and a clearer one of my very functional mobile setup. I just love having such a flexible device that fills my work, travel, and fun entertainment needs.

 

[chmania]

Does that actually fix the problem, because at the end of the day, an improved iPad is still going to run iPadOS...

 

[Boil]

...iPad & Apple Pencil...

Seems like the perfect match, like peanut butter & jelly...!

 

[bondr006]

Seems like the perfect match, like peanut butter & jelly...!

Yep! Match made in heaven.

 

[teh_hunterer]

. I just love having such a flexible device that fills my work, travel, and fun entertainment needs.

View attachment 2382178

Something I've noticed in photos people post of stage manager here is the main thing they're doing on the monitor is talking about using their iPad on macrumors...

The main thing that holds this back for me is devs don't develop software with external displays in mind, so a lot of the things I wish to do end up being impossible or really janky.

But to those who really can do everything they want to do, hats off, I'm jealous, and likely won't ever be able to be one of you.

 

[SteveJUAE]

Something I've noticed in photos people post of stage manager here is the main thing they're doing on the monitor is talking about using their iPad on macrumors...

The main thing that holds this back for me is devs don't develop software with external displays in mind, so a lot of the things I wish to do end up being impossible or really janky.

But to those who really can do everything they want to do, hats off, I'm jealous, and likely won't ever be able to be one of you.

Don't beat yourself up too much even some of the regular posters still have a laptop or desktop somewhere

Obviously full converts don't need a laptop

The ones who fit Apple "companion device" cover a wide spectrum of user cases

The rest its a 3rd wheel LOL

Pick your slot there is no right or wrong

 

[Ludatyk]

The main thing that holds this back for me is devs don't develop software with external displays in mind, so a lot of the things I wish to do end up being impossible or really janky.

Do you mind giving me an example of an app that is impossible to use on an external display?

I know some apps… don’t allow full screen (like Affinity suite), but I’m able to use them just fine.

 

[Ultracyclist]

How many times you gonna post those photos lol

Oh come on… People don’t alway read the entire tread. So reposting a picture once in a while is actually helpful. Although the same could be achieved by quoting of course.

 

[teh_hunterer]

Do you mind giving me an example of an app that is impossible to use on an external display?

I know some apps… don’t allow full screen (like Affinity suite), but I’m able to use them just fine.

I didn't say the apps were impossible to use - I said the things I wanted to do were impossible. But I found most of the apps I wanted to use didn't really behave themselves very well on the external monitor. Remote Desktop was a big disappointment. Not to mention no games will resize themselves appropriately.

A few did behave well, which made it all the more frustrating because it shows how the iPad as a laptop replacement, for me, is always so close yet so far. Looks so nice but always just out of reach.

 

[Ludatyk]

I didn't say the apps were impossible to use - I said the things I wanted to do were impossible. But I found most of the apps I wanted to use didn't really behave themselves very well on the external monitor. Remote Desktop was a big disappointment. Not to mention no games will resize themselves appropriately.

But you did use the word impossible in the context of using an external monitor without providing some type of example of what that would be.

I personally don't use Remote Desktop on an external monitor, but I'd give a test run to see what problems you seem to have with it. And some games won't display full screen, I've mention Affinity suite won't do it. But does it make the game unplayable?

A few did behave well, which made it all the more frustrating because it shows how the iPad as a laptop replacement, for me, is always so close yet so far.

We all have our preferences... there's no knock against you choosing a MacBook over attempting to use an iPad as a laptop if you prefer the experience of macOS and that's okay. But you mention how devs don't support external display and I'm puzzled by this.

 

[teh_hunterer]

But you did use the word impossible in the context of using an external monitor without providing some type of example of what that would be.

Haha OK, I didn't realise we were splitting hairs. It's impossible to play FTL on an external monitor and control it with the mouse and keyboard. It's impossible to control games with a mouse and keyboard that are ports from PC games where they've left the mouse and keyboard controls in because the Magic Keyboard doesn't behave like a regular keyboard - the wasd/arrow keys don't behave the same if you hold them down and your character won't move or turn. Or if the keyboard controls somehow do work properly, the trackpad acceleration has your camera going crazy. Or if that doesn't happen, the mouse input only emulates touch, breaking the hover function, or just making it not behave quite the same when you do click.

But if we're trying to figure out what the other person meant instead of trying to trip people up on a single word, things are still often janky enough that they're not worth doing even if they're not outright impossible.

I personally don't use Remote Desktop on an external monitor, but I'd give a test run to see what problems you seem to have with it.

It wouldn't go full screen. There were other apps too where some would function properly with stage manager, some would only function properly without stage manager. I can't remember which ones, because at a certain point it wasn't worth doing anymore.

Even the ones that did allow you to resize them, often times you would resize it to just the window size you wanted, and that was the exact size where the scaling would suddenly go wonky.

Even Safari - if I change it to the size I would normally have a Safari window, while the window kept expanding, the page content wouldn't expand to fill it the same way macOS does.

And some games won't display full screen, I've mention Affinity suite won't do it. But does it make the game unplayable?

When you have the choice to use whatever you want, it doesn't have to be unplayable, it just has to be bad enough not to be worth doing compared to other options.

We all have our preferences... there's no knock against you choosing a MacBook over attempting to use an iPad as a laptop if you prefer the experience of macOS and that's okay. But you mention how devs don't support external display and I'm puzzled by this.

Many devs still don't develop their iPad apps with external display in mind. It looks cool in MacRumors posts, but when I go to actually use it, it's death by a thousand cuts of subpar experiences.

 

[Ludatyk]

Haha OK, I didn't realise we were splitting hairs. It's impossible to play FTL on an external monitor and control it with the mouse and keyboard. It's impossible to control games with a mouse and keyboard that are ports from PC games where they've left the mouse and keyboard controls in because the Magic Keyboard doesn't behave like a regular keyboard - the wasd/arrow keys don't behave the same if you hold them down and your character won't move or turn. Or if the keyboard controls somehow do work properly, the trackpad acceleration has your camera going crazy. Or if that doesn't happen, the mouse input only emulates touch, breaking the hover function, or just making it not behave quite the same when you do click.

And thanks for this! Because mouse and keyboard are not iPadOS strong suit. Of course, you are better off using MacBook.

Even the ones that did allow you to resize them, often times you would resize it to just the window size you wanted, and that was the exact size where the scaling would suddenly go wonky.

I'd give it a test run... but I've never came across having these types of experiences.

Many devs still don't develop their iPad apps with external display in mind. It looks cool in MacRumors posts, but when I go to actually use it, it's death by a thousand cuts of subpar experiences.

I believe your issue is mouse and keyboard experiences than external display. Attempting to use mouse and keyboard for playing games doing remote desktop is asking for trouble... whenever I play games whether that's on device or through Game Pass, I'd use a controller.

Edit. And skimming through the reviews for FTL (never played this game before), is keyboard and mouse the norm for playing this game? Because not one person mentions an issue with it.

 

[Beefbowl]

I guess as many times as it's relevant to the post I'm responding to.

It's no secret that you have no use for the iPad outside its tablet/consumption features, and would never be caught dead using a keyboard and mouse/trackpad or Apple Pencil with one(or at least, wouldn't ever admit to it). From reading your past posts, I see you've taken on a part time career/mission/job to convince people here to get rid of their keyboards and pencils and use the iPad according to your narrow viewpoint or use case. I posted the photos because @Beefbowl was interested in both iPad desktop setups, and the Finder icon for the Files app.

It's not just a tablet to everyone. Some of us willingly, happily, and easily use our iPads as a laptop replacement, even if you don't approve....which don't mean too much anyway. View attachment 2382176

I mean, that was the OP's question anyway.....was it not? Even if it did start a View attachment 2382214 storm against those who answer positively and have successfully replaced their laptop with their iPad. Never met so many iPad bigots in my life.



@Beefbowl Here's a different shot of my very functional iPad Pro desktop setup, and a clearer one of my very functional mobile setup. I just love having such a flexible device that fills my work, travel, and fun entertainment needs.

Thanks! I may do the shortcut trick to get the finder icon because it does look good.

I use my iPad with an ASD in a more vertical setup. Let me see if I can figure out how to add a photo.

I like being able to glance down for Face ID, and it’s easier to use the pencil like this.

I can also swap in my Surface Pro using the same thunderbolt cable.

Pardon the weird angle, I took this when I was showing someone a picture of the desk mat.

And yes “discord on the iPad display, Genshin on the monitor” is WAY less productive than what some of y’all get up to. 😜

 

[Beefbowl]

Do you mind giving me an example of an app that is impossible to use on an external display?

I know some apps… don’t allow full screen (like Affinity suite), but I’m able to use them just fine.

Jumping in here even though your question wasn’t directed at me, sorry.

I have a Notes doc with various programs I use and how to get them to behave on an external display. There are a lot of streaming video apps that don’t play well with external monitors or need you to go in to mirror mode, so they make up the lion’s share of my notes.

From my notes on apps that I consider to be broken:

VLC will not display any video while an external display is attached. This was reported as a bug with VLC 3.4.0 and is still broken.

Crunchyroll will play video to an external monitor but does not display subtitles on the external monitor which makes it less than usable.

Amazon Prime Video will not play video to an external display unless you change the monitor to Mirrored in display settings. Netflix also works like this for me, and Hidive.

 

[richpjr]

The ones who fit Apple "companion device" cover a wide spectrum of user cases

I guess that is me with a 16" MBP (for work), a Mac Studio (personal use), an 11" iPad, a 12.9" iPad, an iPhone Pro Max and a Windows gaming PC. I use all for different things and would love to be able to consolidate down a couple of devices, but iPadOS is just too limiting for my uses.

 

[Ludatyk]

From my notes on apps that I consider to be broken:

VLC will not display any video while an external display is attached. This was reported as a bug with VLC 3.4.0 and is still broken.

I suggest using OutPlayer, it works well with an external display over any other video player app that I used.

Amazon Prime Video will not play video to an external display unless you change the monitor to Mirrored in display settings. Netflix also works like this for me, and Hidive.

Yeah, Prime Video has caused me some issues with external display... sometimes restarting helps, it's buggy... but it works without mirror mode. And Netflix doesn't do full screen, but I never ran across any issues playing content from it. Best video streaming app that has done well on an external display thus far is Disney.

 

[Beefbowl]

I suggest using OutPlayer, it works well with an external display over any other video player app that I used.


Yeah, Prime Video has caused me some issues with external display... sometimes restarting helps, it's buggy... but it works without mirror mode. And Netflix doesn't do full screen, but I never ran across any issues playing content from it. Best video streaming app that has done well on an external display thus far is Disney.

Agreed that Disney+ is basically the gold standard here, it’s one of the few apps that actually does “enter full screen” properly on a monitor.

 

[teh_hunterer]

Jumping in here even though your question wasn’t directed at me, sorry.

I have a Notes doc with various programs I use and how to get them to behave on an external display. There are a lot of streaming video apps that don’t play well with external monitors or need you to go in to mirror mode, so they make up the lion’s share of my notes.

From my notes on apps that I consider to be broken:

VLC will not display any video while an external display is attached. This was reported as a bug with VLC 3.4.0 and is still broken.

Crunchyroll will play video to an external monitor but does not display subtitles on the external monitor which makes it less than usable.

Amazon Prime Video will not play video to an external display unless you change the monitor to Mirrored in display settings. Netflix also works like this for me, and Hidive.

Thanks for listing these out. It was these kind of things that I just didn't want to deal with. Once you move on though it's quite difficult to remember the specifics because there just are so many small janky things like that that you forget once you start using something else. They all add up though.

Using an iPad like this you really are venturing into some new territory. The iPhone works really well as a phone, the iPad works really well as a tablet, and the Mac works really well as a Mac. It's when you try to extend the iPad beyond just a tablet that things start getting really messy like this.

I suppose my main point was that an iPad on an external monitor setup in photos like what gets posted here looks very cool, and looks like a computer replacement. But when you go into it a bit deeper, it's not as good as the photos might have you imagine.

 

[Ludatyk]

I suppose my main point was that an iPad on an external monitor setup in photos like what gets posted here looks very cool, and looks like a computer replacement. But when you go into it a bit deeper, it's not as good as the photos might have you imagine.

From what I gathered; external monitor support is not your issue, but keyboard and mouse support for gaming.

Because I just tried three Remote Desktop apps... the Microsoft one, Splashtop and RealVNC. All 3 apps are able to go in full screen... perhaps, during the early stages it wasn't available. But I didn't have any issues with full screen support.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Speaking of the new iPad Pro, I am surprised that with the new M4 chip and Face ID, unlocking with the Apple Watch still isn't supported.

 

[teh_hunterer]

From what I gathered; external monitor support is not your issue, but keyboard and mouse support for gaming.

Because I just tried three Remote Desktop apps... the Microsoft one, Splashtop and RealVNC. All 3 apps are able to go in full screen... perhaps, during the early stages it wasn't available. But I didn't have any issues with full screen support.

My point is that while the iPad looks like a full computer replacement when you dock it to a proper external monitor/mouse/kb/speakers/etc dock and take a glamour photo, looks can be deceiving.

Not even the most devout iPad-as-main-device evangelists will pretend that stage manager + external monitor is anywhere near a proper desktop experience.

It has very little to do with my specific usage, and I only mentioned my usage because you specifically asked.

 

[Tomphoolery]

Anyone had success using an iPad Pro with a Magic Keyboard and using a remote desktop app to use the Mac on the iPad... essentially putting MacOS on the iPad?

Thinking about running this setup. Would love to hear anyone's personal experience doing this. I made my own thread about it before noticing this thread (I haven't been a regular on this board in a long time).

 

[Ultracyclist]

My point is that while the iPad looks like a full computer replacement when you dock it to a proper external monitor/mouse/kb/speakers/etc dock and take a glamour photo, looks can be deceiving.

Not even the most devout iPad-as-main-device evangelists will pretend that stage manager + external monitor is anywhere near a proper desktop experience.

It has very little to do with my specific usage, and I only mentioned my usage because you specifically asked.

I will. But it depends on what you need from a desktop computer of what your definition of a computer is.
Some apps I used on my MacBook aren’t availible for the iPad, but there are alternatives.

Everything I can’t do on my iPad isn’t the iPad limitation, but my capability to master other programs.

 

[fw85]

Anyone had success using an iPad Pro with a Magic Keyboard and using a remote desktop app to use the Mac on the iPad... essentially putting MacOS on the iPad?

Thinking about running this setup. Would love to hear anyone's personal experience doing this. I made my own thread about it before noticing this thread (I haven't been a regular on this board in a long time).

Not quite the same, but a similar setup - I run my work Windows machine "headlessly" and connect to it remotely via Jump Desktop from my 11" iPad Pro M2 on a 34" ultrawide external screen. I work as a software engineer, this allows me to get things done with specialized software that I need to use, while also retaining the full flexibility of the iPad as my primary computer.

It's fun, works great, the input delay is imperceptible with any decent internet connection. The iPad also handles calls/video way better than the buggy mess that is Teams on Windows. Navigating around with the Magic Trackpad is awesome.

Do I wish the iPadOS was a bit more refined around the edges? Yes, absolutely, it still feels like it isn't as far up Apple's priority list as it deserves to be. Some small annoyances do crop up here and there.
But I still managed to find a nice balance between the traditional "PC-era" way of doing things (which I can't get around doing for work just yet), and the new way - having a versatile, touch-first mobile platform for personal computing needs.

So to anyone trying to shoehorn the "PC experience" onto the iPad - you're looking at it the wrong way around. The iPad is supposed to be a new platform in its own right - that comes after the "PC era", that strips away many of its inefficiencies and impracticalities, in favor of simplicity, portability and versatility.
I think the better way of looking at it is - what else can I stop using the PC for, lay back and use this ultra portable touch-first device instead? To the youngest two generations now, this already works for like 90-100% of personal computing tasks. Mobile platforms are the future.

 

[Puonti]

Anyone had success using an iPad Pro with a Magic Keyboard and using a remote desktop app to use the Mac on the iPad... essentially putting MacOS on the iPad?

Thinking about running this setup. Would love to hear anyone's personal experience doing this. I made my own thread about it before noticing this thread (I haven't been a regular on this board in a long time).

I'm also curious to hear about people's experiences with this. I'm using an iPad Pro to connect to my headless Mac Studio and one downside of this is the 1920x1080 default desktop. I'd rather use 4:3 aspect ratio to better utilize the iPad's screen, but for that I imagine I'll need some third party macOS application that allows configuring custom aspect ratios and resolutions on headless Macs.

(no dongles, no temporary displays, etc - just remote installation and configuration)