iPad as a laptop replacement

[AudreyV]

I really liked the post that asked for specific use cases for this question, rather than general opinions. And lots of people have given their specific uses. So here is mine. I’m a retiree, and use my iPad constantly during the day and evening. Use it for music, reading, viewing, email and browsing. Because it is my constant companion, I will get the new one for even slight improvements in screen and sound. I will get the 11 I tow it with me wherever I go, and want the smaller one for ease of carrying. There still remains one thing for which I use a laptop. Fact is, I’m not even sure if I could use my iPad, I’ve just never taken the time to really figure it out. Whenever the old laptop goes, however, I’ll take the long trip to an apple store to ask if my need can be met with my iPad, and if so, how.

So here’s my laptop use case. I collect old magazines of a particular genre, now long out of copyright. These get scanned in, and shared with interested friends. My laptop has windows fax and scan and connects wirelessly with my scanner. I place the magazine page on the scanner, preview the scan, adjust the sizing to the page just previewed, and do the final scan. Repeat as necessary. When done, I save the scans one page at a time to a photo sub album. Now I go to abbyy fine reader, highlight all the pages for this issue of the magazine from where they are saved in pictures, open them in abbyy, and save as a pdf document. Now I can post to the appropriate social media groups either as photos or as a PDF, and also can email to interested friends not on social media.

My duo setup works fine for now, but my laptop is nearing the end of its useful life, so I’ll be interested in whether the Genius Bar will be able to help me find a workable arrangement to use my iPad for this, when the time comes, or whether I’ll have to continue to use a laptop. I read this forum a lot but don’t understand everything I read, so I apologize in advance if any of my explanation is so behind the common understanding of iPad technology as to be laughable.

 

[The Samurai]

I really liked the post that asked for specific use cases for this question, rather than general opinions. And lots of people have given their specific uses. So here is mine. I’m a retiree, and use my iPad constantly during the day and evening. Use it for music, reading, viewing, email and browsing. Because it is my constant companion, I will get the new one for even slight improvements in screen and sound. I will get the 11 I tow it with me wherever I go, and want the smaller one for ease of carrying. There still remains one thing for which I use a laptop. Fact is, I’m not even sure if I could use my iPad, I’ve just never taken the time to really figure it out. Whenever the old laptop goes, however, I’ll take the long trip to an apple store to ask if my need can be met with my iPad, and if so, how.

So here’s my laptop use case. I collect old magazines of a particular genre, now long out of copyright. These get scanned in, and shared with interested friends. My laptop has windows fax and scan and connects wirelessly with my scanner. I place the magazine page on the scanner, preview the scan, adjust the sizing to the page just previewed, and do the final scan. Repeat as necessary. When done, I save the scans one page at a time to a photo sub album. Now I go to abbyy fine reader, highlight all the pages for this issue of the magazine from where they are saved in pictures, open them in abbyy, and save as a pdf document. Now I can post to the appropriate social media groups either as photos or as a PDF, and also can email to interested friends not on social media.

My duo setup works fine for now, but my laptop is nearing the end of its useful life, so I’ll be interested in whether the Genius Bar will be able to help me find a workable arrangement to use my iPad for this, when the time comes, or whether I’ll have to continue to use a laptop. I read this forum a lot but don’t understand everything I read, so I apologize in advance if any of my explanation is so behind the common understanding of iPad technology as to be laughable.

Theres loads of scanning apps in the app store. I have used them a few times and they work faster than a traditional scanner connected to a desktop/laptop. Once you open the app, it opens the camera and you take your shot. You can save it as a PDF and email it to yourself or share it on social media right within the app.

 

[Dave-Z]

Theres loads of scanning apps in the app store. I have used them a few times and they work faster than a traditional scanner connected to a desktop/laptop. Once you open the app, it opens the camera and you take your shot. You can save it as a PDF and email it to yourself or share it on social media right within the app.

This.

I use Scanner Pro by Readdle. Fantastic app.

Even the built-in Notes app has a rudimentary document scanner.

 

[AudreyV]

Theres loads of scanning apps in the app store. I have used them a few times and they work faster than a traditional scanner connected to a desktop/laptop. Once you open the app, it opens the camera and you take your shot. You can save it as a PDF and email it to yourself or share it on social media right within the app.

Thanks much, Samauri, I’ve actually tried a few of the scanning apps, and as you say they are much faster, and for small personal need scans, I’d use them. But the quality has never been as good for me as a controlled, cover shut, scan from a dedicated scanner. I will take your suggestion, however, and try it again, maybe the quality has improved. Mainly, though, my question for the Genius Bar will be whether I can control a separate scanner with my iPad.

 

[Dave-Z]

Thanks much, Samauri, I’ve actually tried a few of the scanning apps, and as you say they are much faster, and for small personal need scans, I’d use them. But the quality has never been as good for me as a controlled, cover shut, scan from a dedicated scanner. I will take your suggestion, however, and try it again, maybe the quality has improved. Mainly, though, my question for the Genius Bar will be whether I can control a separate scanner with my iPad.

I know my all-in-one printer/scanner has an iOS app. I don't use it but I tried it and I get the same controls/settings for the flatbed scanner that are available on macOS. Maybe take a look for that?

 

[subjonas]

I really liked the post that asked for specific use cases for this question, rather than general opinions. And lots of people have given their specific uses. So here is mine. I’m a retiree, and use my iPad constantly during the day and evening. Use it for music, reading, viewing, email and browsing. Because it is my constant companion, I will get the new one for even slight improvements in screen and sound. I will get the 11 I tow it with me wherever I go, and want the smaller one for ease of carrying. There still remains one thing for which I use a laptop. Fact is, I’m not even sure if I could use my iPad, I’ve just never taken the time to really figure it out. Whenever the old laptop goes, however, I’ll take the long trip to an apple store to ask if my need can be met with my iPad, and if so, how.

So here’s my laptop use case. I collect old magazines of a particular genre, now long out of copyright. These get scanned in, and shared with interested friends. My laptop has windows fax and scan and connects wirelessly with my scanner. I place the magazine page on the scanner, preview the scan, adjust the sizing to the page just previewed, and do the final scan. Repeat as necessary. When done, I save the scans one page at a time to a photo sub album. Now I go to abbyy fine reader, highlight all the pages for this issue of the magazine from where they are saved in pictures, open them in abbyy, and save as a pdf document. Now I can post to the appropriate social media groups either as photos or as a PDF, and also can email to interested friends not on social media.

My duo setup works fine for now, but my laptop is nearing the end of its useful life, so I’ll be interested in whether the Genius Bar will be able to help me find a workable arrangement to use my iPad for this, when the time comes, or whether I’ll have to continue to use a laptop. I read this forum a lot but don’t understand everything I read, so I apologize in advance if any of my explanation is so behind the common understanding of iPad technology as to be laughable.

Yeah it depends if your scanner has an iOS app.
Brother apparently has one:
https://support.brother.com/g/b/sp/...rod=mfcl2700dw_us_eu_as&faqid=faq00002961_001
I haven’t used it, but Brother products in general tend to work well for me.

 

[Mahasamatman]

Yeah it depends if your scanner has an iOS app.
Brother apparently has one:
https://support.brother.com/g/b/sp/...rod=mfcl2700dw_us_eu_as&faqid=faq00002961_001
I haven’t used it, but Brother products in general tend to work well for me.

Same here for my Epson XP-750 printer/scanner. The iOS app has a scan option...

 

[TinaBelcher]

2 years since this topic was created and the iPad is still not closer to a computer replacement, sadly. Apple has instead turned the iPad into a Wacom for artists and graphic designers.

 

[Dave-Z]

Yeah, I love my iPad and it's still my primary device, but Apple is developing iOS at a snail's pace.

 

[bnmcj1]

Nothing is going to convince me that a trackpad is not needed.

 

[subjonas]

Apart from spreadsheets I can’t see anything that’s easier on a Mac than on an iPad..

Even that’s improving .

Easier for you or for anyone? There are some things that are just a matter of preference, but others are objectively better on a Mac, but it just depends on the person whether or not they care about those things. Same goes the other way for things that are objectively better on an iPad.
[doublepost=1541873882][/doublepost]

Nothing is going to convince me that a trackpad is not needed.

With a keyboard, I agree.
My regret is that we need to use keyboards with tablets in the first place. Tablets are for holding and therefore should have a different text input method than a device that is meant to sit on a table, preferably a method that is just as fast and accurate as a keyboard and doesn’t take up half the screen, and doesn’t make other people listen to what you are inputting. If someone could solve that, we would have a perfect, completely uncompromised tablet experience. (I’m not that someone.)

Edit-
Actually, tablets can also be meant for a table or a mount, so it would have been more accurate to say that tablets are meant for interacting with the screen only. As soon as you have to take your hands off the screen (and place them on the keyboard), you’ve diminished the tablet experience.
But the point remains, the only way we’ll get a perfect tablet experience is if we get a good text input method (fast, accurate, doesn’t take up half the screen) that doesn’t require one to take their hand(s) off the screen.

 

[George Dawes]

I prefer the stability of iOS over MacOS , super ease of use and the zero hassle when problems occur.

With iOS it literally all just works , not something that can be said about macOS these days imo.

 

[Dave-Z]

With iOS it literally all just works

In general, yes. There are still stupid things that happen. Every iOS update turns cellular data use on for the TV app. I keep cellular data for media applications off because of limits on my plan, but every update that one gets toggled back on. In iOS 12 the Reminders app crashes on me if I change too many things too quickly. Split screening drops you to Springboard if one of the applications crashes. There's also the issue that at times we still have to wait for animations to finish before being able to interact with various elements. All in all just weird behaviour. I'm sure it will get worked out.

I prefer the stability of iOS over MacOS

Absolutely agree. And not just better than macOS, better than Windows and Linux, too. (My preference in operating systems is iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows.)

 

[AudreyV]

Thanks for the replies, a friend is letting me come over tomorrow with my iPad to try using his scanner which has an iPad scan app. Might figure this out without going to a Genius Bar.

 

[TheRealAlex]

3w

2 years since this topic was created and the iPad is still not closer to a computer replacement, sadly. Apple has instead turned the iPad into a Wacom for artists and graphic designers.

This line of thinking reminds me of.

When the mainframe computer came out, the professional class was convinced that computers could never do what they did. That was true. They did different things and much better. Then work changed giving rise to business analysis beyond “accounting”.
When the first PCs (and word processors) came out, the professional class said they could not replace typewriters.

To this day we have young adult born who never used a Typewritter. To that affect children born today will likely never use a PC.

I am fascinated by human nature, banking, shopping, photography. All done mainly on mobile phones now.
20 years from now when the children born today. Will be using portable Tablets as their Main PC. Wondering how or why old people Owned clunky Desktops.

 

[ValO]

It is a shame, that now it has usb-c, there is not an option to use the iPad Pro as a wired monitor and keyboard for the new Mac mini.

So , connect the Mac mini to the iPad Pro by usb-c, wireless attach a trackpad and you have a nice Mac for at home and the heavier stuff, it would also be nice if you could use the Smart Keyboard with the Mac mini, together with the wireless trackpad or mouse.

I know this can be done with a Remote Desktop app, but a dedicated wired option would have been more responsive and less laggy.

 

[secretk]

So another reason why an iPad cannot replace a laptop for me. Sometimes I do heavy tasks that drain the battery a lot. I want to be able to use the device while plugged in. With the current short cable that's not possible and it's not comfortable at all. Not to mention that the batteries themselves are not that durable to be always plugged in.

Editing text is still PITA no matter if you have keyboard or not. iOS is like unusable for writing text. Seriously. I have Android phone and it's way easier to edit text there than on iOS. It's not about the mobile OS, it's iOS itself and the way you have to interact with the text to edit it. Way slow, way inaccurate and just plain annoying. It is OK for phones, but if they want me to take an iPad as a serious laptop replacement this has to be improved.

 

[Brammy]

So another reason why an iPad cannot replace a laptop for me. Sometimes I do heavy tasks that drain the battery a lot. I want to be able to use the device while plugged in. With the current short cable that's not possible and it's not comfortable at all. Not to mention that the batteries themselves are not that durable to be always plugged in.

Editing text is still PITA no matter if you have keyboard or not. iOS is like unusable for writing text. Seriously. I have Android phone and it's way easier to edit text there than on iOS. It's not about the mobile OS, it's iOS itself and the way you have to interact with the text to edit it. Way slow, way inaccurate and just plain annoying. It is OK for phones, but if they want me to take an iPad as a serious laptop replacement this has to be improved.

1- get a longer cable.
2- with an external keyboard, there are some great text selection shortcuts.

 

[bnmcj1]

1- get a longer cable.
2- with an external keyboard, there are some great text selection shortcuts.

Too cumbersome. Trackpad is needed.

 

[secretk]

1- get a longer cable.
2- with an external keyboard, there are some great text selection shortcuts.

I can get a longer cable but due to being Apple's proprietary port they are insanely and needlessly expensive.

External keyboards do not mix with an iPad. I have such. The lag is so annoying it's not even funny. No amount of shortcuts would help this. I get pissed at this thing every minute on attempt to type something. Easy typing on iOS is a contradiction in itself. Also for some reason no matter what I set up as settings in the on screen keyboard, it resorts to default for the external keyboard. That in itself is an annoying fact.

I was prepared that typing on an iPad would not be as easy as on a laptop, but seriously this takes the cake. I type better on my Android phone with on screen keyboard than on this. On screen keyboard is not user friendly at all for editing text and external keyboard is so laggy that I have to wait 5 seconds for every word I type to check it out. In the end I get my 4.6 inch phone and type the email there as it's faster. It's that bad.

 

[Brammy]

I can get a longer cable but due to being Apple's proprietary port they are insanely and needlessly expensive.

External keyboards do not mix with an iPad. I have such. The lag is so annoying it's not even funny. No amount of shortcuts would help this. I get pissed at this thing every minute on attempt to type something. Easy typing on iOS is a contradiction in itself. Also for some reason no matter what I set up as settings in the on screen keyboard, it resorts to default for the external keyboard. That in itself is an annoying fact.

I was prepared that typing on an iPad would not be as easy as on a laptop, but seriously this takes the cake. I type better on my Android phone with on screen keyboard than on this. On screen keyboard is not user friendly at all for editing text and external keyboard is so laggy that I have to wait 5 seconds for every word I type to check it out. In the end I get my 4.6 inch phone and type the email there as it's faster. It's that bad.

That should not be normal behavior. I haven't had any problems with external keyboards on any iPad. What model iPad do you have?
[doublepost=1541945077][/doublepost]

Too cumbersome. Trackpad is needed.

I'm not saying mouse support isn't needed, but I also like being able to select text without reaching for a second device.

 

[secretk]

That should not be normal behavior. I haven't had any problems with external keyboards on any iPad. What model iPad do you have?

I am having the 6th gen iPad (regular from 2018). I am thinking that it's a combination of the Bluetooth interface (4.2) with the lack of Promotion and the lower screen refresh late. I type quite fast so it seems that the more I type, the more the iPad has issues in visualizing it on the screen.

It's my first iPad though and I don't know if this is normal for the model I have or it's an issue with the keyboard or the iPad I have. The thing is that the keyboard was not cheap and I don't want to buy another one to experience the same issues you know.

 

[Brammy]

I am having the 6th gen iPad (regular from 2018). I am thinking that it's a combination of the Bluetooth interface (4.2) with the lack of Promotion and the lower screen refresh late. I type quite fast so it seems that the more I type, the more the iPad has issues in visualizing it on the screen.

Huh, that is weird. I know of a few people on Twitter (@jsnell) who type very fast with bluetooth keyboards and haven't complained about lag. I'm wondering if it is on the keyboard end of the problem.

 

[secretk]

Huh, that is weird. I know of a few people on Twitter (@jsnell) who type very fast with bluetooth keyboards and haven't complained about lag. I'm wondering if it is on the keyboard end of the problem.

Thanks for the feedback that it's not a general problem but something more specific. It could be about the keyboard too. That thought had crossed my mind as well because no one is experiencing my issues and whenever I share it here people are surprised. Problem is finding keyboards for this model is harder than for the Pro. And given my experience with this one I don't want to risk it.

I might ask around in the stores that we have nearby to see if I can test the keyboards in store. This one was purchased online and I don't want to risk it again.

 

[Brammy]

Thanks for the feedback that it's not a general problem but something more specific. It could be about the keyboard too. That thought had crossed my mind as well because no one is experiencing my issues and whenever I share it here people are surprised. Problem is finding keyboards for this model is harder than for the Pro. And given my experience with this one I don't want to risk it.

I might ask around in the stores that we have nearby to see if I can test the keyboards in store. This one was purchased online and I don't want to risk it again.

I currently use an Apple Smart Keyboard, which obviously isn't bluetooth, and haven't had any lag. I also used some sort of bluetooth clamshell case with my iPad 3 and didn't have any lag back then.

You might have some luck at an Apple store trying an Apple Keyboard to see if the problem persists.