iPad as a laptop replacement

[Beefbowl]

I got an M1 iPad Pro with magic keyboard in 2021, replacing my aging 2014 MBP 15”. I’ve been using it for everything I do outside work (have to use a Windows laptop for that).

Despite the iPad doing a good job at most things, the MBP never got retired. It is desk-bound (bad battery) and crashes every few days for unknown reasons, but it does some things I need that the iPad just doesn’t. Like rule-based filters in Mail, Automator scripts in Music, file management using a bash (now zsh), etc, etc.

After the M4 iPad Pros came out I added up the price of a 1TB 13” model and magic keyboard and was shocked. It turns out that for 1000 dollars (AU) less I can get an M3 MacBook Air 13” with 24GB and 1TB storage! On top of that, the MBA is thinner and lighter than my current iPad/MK combo. I won’t be getting ProMotion, but that’s something I won’t miss much. I will also not be getting a touch screen, but frankly, I never used the iPad that way, only ever with MK.

So that’s what I‘m doing, I’m getting an MBA as iPad replacement 🙂 As an added bonus I will finally be able to retire the old MBP, and I’ll be able to run all iPad apps that matter to me.

Australians are getting hit with a hack of an Apple tax! The same comparison in freedom dollars also comes out in favor of the M3 MBA, but ”only” by $350. I think I would have made the same choice in your shoes.

 

[sbassios]

I have to say, while I still use my iPad heavily, there seems to be a few pretty annoying bugs with the files app.

1) I am unable to open / view pdf documents in the files app. Instead, I just get a blank screen with the name of the document. Sometimes, opening the OneDrive app and allowing the document to load solves the issue, sometimes it doesn't. This is particularly grating because it means I cannot drag and drop the file into notability directly.

2) I am now for some reason unable to open documents in the respective office app (excel, word, ppt). An error message pops up (seems like some redirect error). So instead, I open the app first, locate the file from the document picker, then open it. Still works, but a little less convenient now.

Not sure if anyone here has had a similar experience to mine?

It would be more convenient to have the option to choose which app we want to open every file like android... i have the same problem with pdf files...not all!!

 

[bondr006]

Another YouTuber I watched for years. Chris is a good guy....not afraid to share his view. Pretty much what's been discussed here all along. For some (like me) yes, for some no, for a lot of us, a combo of the two.

 

[bondr006]

I have to say, while I still use my iPad heavily, there seems to be a few pretty annoying bugs with the files app.

1) I am unable to open / view pdf documents in the files app. Instead, I just get a blank screen with the name of the document. Sometimes, opening the OneDrive app and allowing the document to load solves the issue, sometimes it doesn't. This is particularly grating because it means I cannot drag and drop the file into notability directly.

It would be more convenient to have the option to choose which app we want to open every file like android... i have the same problem with pdf files...not all!!

So, hearing about the inability to view .pdf files in the Files App, I decided to make a video showing how it's done. And btw, you do have the option to open with an app. If you press the share button, it's just like "open with", only more functional. Not only does the share allow you to open in whatever app you have installed that works with .pdf files, it also lets you do many other things like...share with others, send to cloud, etc.

 

[Kal Madda]

Another YouTuber I watched for years. Chris is a good guy....not afraid to share his view. Pretty much what's been discussed here all along. For some (like me) yes, for some no, for a lot of us, a combo of the two.

He makes great points! 👍🏻. I like that he flips the question and asks “can the MacBook replace an iPad”? Because, for me, the MacBook couldn’t replace an iPad now.

 

[bondr006]

He makes great points! 👍🏻. I like that he flips the question and asks “can the MacBook replace an iPad”? Because, for me, the MacBook couldn’t replace an iPad now.

Yeah, I like Chris. He has been a go to YouTuber for years for me, along with Fernando Silva....before and after 9to5Mac. And yes, right there with you.....I have expressed many times here that there is no way a MB could replace my iPad now. Just too many things that my iPad can do that I count on and use daily, that a MB can't do.👍

 

[Slartibart]

1) I am unable to open / view pdf documents in the files app. Instead, I just get a blank screen with the name of the document. Sometimes, opening the OneDrive app and allowing the document to load solves the issue, sometimes it doesn't. This is particularly grating because it means I cannot drag and drop the file into notability directly.

This might be because there are some PDFs which must be converted before they can be opened. In these cases you have to switch to Adobe Acrobat Reader. Or export/save these PDFs, where you generate them, differently.

 

[Ultracyclist]

Let;s all be honest. Most people use a computer, be it a mac, windows or iPad, for nothing more than browsing, watching video and some light office tools. It’s just a hand full of people that couldn’t use an iPad (M series) that supports stage manager and external monitor for their workflow.

 

[Abazigal]

This might be because there are some PDFs which must be converted before they can be opened. In these cases you have to switch to Adobe Acrobat Reader. Or export/save these PDFs, where you generate them, differently.

The funny thing is that they open fine in the OneDrive app, and I am able to then export them to notability with no issues. It’s the files app which is refusing to read them most of the time. So that’s my current workaround for the moment.

 

[dotnet]

It’s just a hand full of people that couldn’t use an iPad (M series) that supports stage manager and external monitor for their workflow.

It’s not so much whether they could or couldn’t, but how hard it is. What tipped me over the edge and back to the Macbook is the myriad of little annoyances, or things that are just more difficult, when using the iPad. Like death by a thousand paper cuts.

When I got the iPad Pro I imagined it to be a laptop replacement (with magic keyboard), only more versatile – I could take it off the keyboard and use it as a tablet. Turns out I never do and have no need or desire to. The 12.9” iPad Pro doesn’t lend itself to handling naked IMO, it feels slippery and vulnerable, and prone to accidents.

I also got the Pencil, thinking I’d be taking handwritten notes or make quick sketches and drawings (the engineering kind, not artistic). Turns out I never do, Pencil use being fundamentally incompatible with the iPad on magic keyboard.

Then there are all those platform related limitations that I ignored or didn’t want to hear about. Fo example, I use a remote screen application (Jump or Screens) to control my Mac mini music server. I cannot tab away from it to check something in another app and find it still running upon my return. It virtually always gets terminated (presumably due to memory shortage), and I have to go through the time-consuming reconnection process. When I’m trying to copy and paste between iPad and remote screen I get asked something like “Jump wants to paste from Safari. Do you want to allow this?” every bleeding time.

Many iPad apps that supposedly replace their Mac counterparts (incl. Apple apps) are gimped – Mail, Pages, Numbers, Safari, etc.

I would like to be able to set the thing down on a soft surface (like a bed) without it tipping over backwards.

Battery life of the iPad Pro with MK is marginal (8-12 hours). I usually have to recharge to get through the day.

These are some of the many reasons I’m switching back to a Macbook. Right now, I don’t expect that I’ll miss any of the iPad functionality.

 

[Ludatyk]

When I got the iPad Pro I imagined it to be a laptop replacement (with magic keyboard), only more versatile – I could take it off the keyboard and use it as a tablet. Turns out I never do and have no need or desire to. The 12.9” iPad Pro doesn’t lend itself to handling naked IMO, it feels slippery and vulnerable, and prone to accidents.

Tbf you never should have bought an iPad to begin, because that's the whole point of it... use it as a tablet. I find your situation akin to using only the outside (cover) display on my Galaxy Fold and never unfold to see the inner screen (I'd be better off getting a slab phone).

And I've been an iPad 12.9 user since introduction ... never had any accidents with it. And the M4 Pro makes the entire experience much better given how much lighter and thinner it is.

When I’m trying to copy and paste between iPad and remote screen I get asked something like “Jump wants to paste from Safari. Do you want to allow this?” every bleeding time.

Not sure if you aware of this... but you can go into Settings app, find Jump then disable "Allow Paste From."

These are some of the many reasons I’m switching back to a Macbook. Right now, I don’t expect that I’ll miss any of the iPad functionality.

Completely understand. It's always best for users to know what they want in a computing device... before trying to embrace it.

 

[sparksd]

Another YouTuber I watched for years. Chris is a good guy....not afraid to share his view. Pretty much what's been discussed here all along. For some (like me) yes, for some no, for a lot of us, a combo of the two.

Good video. The guy has a great perspective on this subject.

 

[Slartibart]

The funny thing is that they open fine in the OneDrive app, and I am able to then export them to notability with no issues. It’s the files app which is refusing to read them most of the time. So that’s my current workaround for the moment.

Sorry, I was slightly vague in my comment - some PDFs require to be opened and then exported by a third-party app before they are correctly displayed and become accessible in Apple Files on iOS or iPadOS.
In the tread I linked, the OP drilled down on the problem and found that the "affected" PDF are generated as "Adobe PDF". Their fix was either using a different program (AAR) or - IMHO preferable - exporting it differently.

 

[Arctic Moose]

At this point all I want to know is what Omar Comin' Yo is using, and if he is ever coming back to tell us.

 

[dotnet]

Not sure if you aware of this... but you can go into Settings app, find Jump then disable "Allow Paste From."

Thanks!! I looked under Privacy and Security, didn’t occur to me to look under Jump 😆 Looks like I’m down to death by 999 paper cuts.

It's always best for users to know what they want in a computing device... before trying to embrace it.

Ah yes, easy to say, but how does one know without trying? The iPad marketing and advertising promised the world and then some.

What I primarily wanted at the time (coming from a 2014 MBP 15”) was greater portability and all-day battery life. How things have changed…

Well, I gave it three years, now I know.

 

[Boil]

At this point all I want to know is what Omar Comin' Yo is using, and if he is ever coming back to tell us.

Must fight the urge to watch The Wire again...

 

[Abazigal]

Sorry, I was slightly vague in my comment - some PDFs require to be opened and then exported by a third-party app before they are correctly displayed and become accessible in Apple Files on iOS or iPadOS.
In the tread I linked, the OP drilled down on the problem and found that the "affected" PDF are generated as "Adobe PDF". Their fix was either using a different program (AAR) or - IMHO preferable - exporting it differently.

The funny thing is that I never had to deal with this problem before. I have always been able to view pdf documents in the files app as well as annotate on them, and have never had issues with converting word documents to pdf files. It’s like someone flipped a switch overnight and changed the way the files app worked and I don’t think it’s possible to fix it on my end.

 

[Ludatyk]

Ah yes, easy to say, but how does one know without trying? The iPad marketing and advertising promised the world and then some.

What I primarily wanted at the time (coming from a 2014 MBP 15”) was greater portability and all-day battery life. How things have changed…

Well, I gave it three years, now I know.

Well, based off your initial post… you didn’t like using it as a tablet. That was a clear case that you didn’t need to try it out. Most likely could have discovered that while going to some retailer and demoing to get a sense of whether you like the tablet form factor.

I use the Magic Keyboard majority of the times… but I occasionally take my iPad off the MGK whenever a situation calls for it (or just to get a different experience).

 

[MrAverigeUser]

I switched from Microsoft to apple with the MBP 2009 15" in 2009 and never will go back.
Then started with the iPhone 4, than bought the second gen. iPad, (2010?) because it was a pain in the ass to "write" on a microscopic Touch-screen of the ip5...

So - today I use a iPhone 14 plus (replaced the iPhone SE) because it is my first phone with a screen not perfect but ok to type on.
The very old 2nd gen. iPad (WiFi/Cellular) served me a long time and was replaced by the 2nd gen. iPadPro 10.9" in 2019 (?) and this then has been replaced by the iPadPro M1 11" WiFi/Cellular model 2022 with 2TB capacity and 16 GB. Got it new for half the price. And purchased the fantastic ZUGU protection for it, which can be easily fixed STABLE in 9 different angles and so it is easy to fix a very ergonomic working position. I REALLY recommend the ZUGU because all the original apple protection gear and nearly 99% of third party gear is just useless and too expensive. ZUGU is the very first protection which is nothing than very impressive and ergonomic.

I still have the best and most reliable 15" MBP apple ever has build: The mid 2015 MBP 15" retina - especially after upgrading with a very fast 2 TB SSD via Sintech adapter. But since I got the iPad Pro 11" M1 I use it much less than before. For daily standard usage the 11" iPP M1 is just perfect. Especially if I am not at home and want to be independent from unknown suspicious Hotel-WLAN for security reasons.

Did not buy the 12,9" iPP because this model would be too big and heavy - the 11" iPP is perfect to have with you and even at home you can just take it everywhere (garden, kitchen while cooking, even having a bath) to watch Tv or hear music etc. with the M-processor battery endurance is now absolutely overwhelming

BUT I still use nevertheless my old MBP 15" for writing longer texts and to watch and edit my photos.

Perhaps I will buy a MBP 16" this year or next year - but I am not sure because price/performance relation of even a used 16" M1 (Pro Processor) with 2 TB internal is still too expensive for just the little more performance.
For my work with it it would be only an advantage concerning photo-editing because much more performance using modern editing methods and a perfect 16" screen. But the rest of my daily use condition can easily be done with the good old MBP 15" mid 2015 when upgraded by the very fast internal M2 SSD and the 16 GB.

so....
I think there is still a place for a MBP, but ...
newer iPhones replaced the old iPads
newer iPadPro with M-Processors replaced a lot of the daily work on the MBP

But there is still a place for at least a reliable but for >95% of users absolutely sufficient upgraded "old" upgraded MBP.
At least for the most part of users - Not for extensive performance-hungry users doing software-development etc. or professional photographers or video-editors and so on.. which ist just a very little minority.

Even the screen of the old 15" MBP retina mid 2015 is still pretty good (enough) for most of us - as is the keyboard: The mid 2015 MBP was the last one before the introduction of the absolutely catastrophic "Scissors" keyboard of the following MBP generations.... it was the most reliable and well-thought developed MBP until firing Jony Ive and doing the switch to M-Processor MBPs.

If prices for a 16" MBP with M1/M2 Pro-Processor and 2 TB will fall to 1.500 USD/EUR I will buy it for future photo-editing. So I have surely still to wait for 1-2 years. But I am not in a hurry... 😀

.

 

[Kal Madda]

At this point all I want to know is what Omar Comin' Yo is using, and if he is ever coming back to tell us.

Totally unrelated, but I know you had mentioned wanting the ability to emulate other OSes on iPadOS in another thread a while back. UTM SE was just recently approved in the App Store. I’ve gotten a chance to test it out, and so far things are running very well on a Windows 7 VM I tried. I haven’t gotten to test 10 yet, but I’ve heard it runs fine as well. I think this is a good start. 👍🏻

 

[bondr006]

Even the screen of the old 15" MBP retina mid 2015 is still pretty good (enough) for most of us - as is the keyboard: The mid 2015 MBP was the last one before the introduction of the absolutely catastrophic "Scissors" keyboard of the following MBP generations.... it was the most reliable and well-thought developed MBP until firing Jony Ive and doing the switch to M-Processor MBPs.

FYI Jonny I’ve was not fired. He left of his own accord and continued to work with Apple afterwards.

 

[Abazigal]

So, hearing about the inability to view .pdf files in the Files App, I decided to make a video showing how it's done. And btw, you do have the option to open with an app. If you press the share button, it's just like "open with", only more functional. Not only does the share allow you to open in whatever app you have installed that works with .pdf files, it also lets you do many other things like...share with others, send to cloud, etc.

Thank you for taking the time to reply to me with a video. Sadly, it does not solve the issues I am facing.

1) The "open in" option is broken. In addition to not being able to view the pdf in the files app, attempting to open it in another app (like pdf expert or notability) results in an error message as well.

2) "Quick Look" option fails as well.

3) I tried downloading adobe reader and first thing, it prompts me to set up and account and tries to get me to subscribe, and I still don't see an option to view it in the app.

4) Oddest thing of all - I don't have an issue with my 2018 iPad Pro (I started it up and all the pdf documents open just fine in the files app). Running the latest iOS patch as well. It only started after I got my new M4 iPad Pro and migrated my apps to it. So something is breaking it and I don't know what.

For now, my solutions are to either export the file from the native OneDrive app, or if I have the time, to move the pdf files to notability using my Mac the night before.

 

[bondr006]

Thank you for taking the time to reply to me with a video. Sadly, it does not solve the issues I am facing.

1) The "open in" option is broken. In addition to not being able to view the pdf in the files app, attempting to open it in another app (like pdf expert or notability) results in an error message as well.

2) "Quick Look" option fails as well.

3) I tried downloading adobe reader and first thing, it prompts me to set up and account and tries to get me to subscribe, and I still don't see an option to view it in the app.

4) Oddest thing of all - I don't have an issue with my 2018 iPad Pro (I started it up and all the pdf documents open just fine in the files app). Running the latest iOS patch as well. It only started after I got my new M4 iPad Pro and migrated my apps to it. So something is breaking it and I don't know what.

For now, my solutions are to either export the file from the native OneDrive app, or if I have the time, to move the pdf files to notability using my Mac the night before.

I am sorry you are experiencing these difficulties with your brand new beautiful M4 iPad Pro. I would be very frustrated and disappointed if this happened to me. I also apologize if I seemed arrogant towards you. I know you are an experienced iPad user and I just wanted to help you. I guess your only option is a fresh reset and start over, if you have not already.

Please let us know how you fare.🙂

 

[Abazigal]

I am sorry you are experiencing these difficulties with your brand new beautiful M4 iPad Pro. I would be very frustrated and disappointed if this happened to me. I also apologize if I seemed arrogant towards you. I know you are an experienced iPad user and I just wanted to help you. I guess your only option is a fresh reset and start over, if you have not already.

Please let us know how you fare.

No need to apologise. I am only “experienced” in that I have used an iPad for work for a number of years but realise I am still fairly ignorant when it comes to understanding how things work under the hood (which ironically is what drew me to iOS in the first place, that Apple hides a lot of this complexity and makes it so I never had to deal with them).

 

[Slartibart]

@omarc

The "open in" option is broken. In addition to not being able to view the pdf in the files app, attempting to open it in another app (like pdf expert or notability) results in an error message as well.

What exact error message?

But in any case: backup the files folder (iCloud Drive, OneCloud, Dropbox, external medium, whatever). Then delete the File app. Restart and reinstall Files via the Appstore.

EDIT: send before finishing- you can also try »Reset All Settings«.