iPad as a laptop replacement

[ux4all]

I just completed my first week of iPP 12.9 use. I understand the idea of a pointer device interaction not working on an iPP so I hope Apple improves the touch interaction. Perhaps it is my fat fingers, but it takes a few touches to get the cursor just right on smaller text. The Pencil2 is way too expensive for me to use just for the fine cursor control I require. I also have the smart folio with keyboard and have gotten use to the slapping of the keyboard versus the travel of a mechanical keyboard (yeah, I'm old school).

Maybe when Logitech produces their smart case/keyboard for the 3rd gen, I might jump on board with the pencil but for now I'm working through it.

 

[joshwithachance]

The iPad Pro 12.9 is the most enjoyable computing experience I've ever had with a device. Most likely selling my 5K iMac and just using the Pro as it does everything I need it to.

 

[spacebro]

I've been using jump desktop a lot lately. This was the last piece I needed to never have to touch my laptop or desktop again. When you remote into macOS or windows with jump desktop, there is a circle under the mouse pointer that you can drag around or tap to click. After using this for a while, it is more intuitive than having a real mouse. With blink shell and jump desktop, the iPad can really do anything, provided you have windows, macOS, and linux machines to connect to. But now those can be headless and out of the way. Before this, my desk was cluttered up with a desktop monitor, desktop mouse, desktop keyboard, MacBook Pro, and iPad stand with another keyboard for the iPad. Now, just the iPad stand and iPad keyboard. My desk has so much clear space and room for opportunities!

 

[Dave-Z]

When you remote into macOS or windows with jump desktop, there is a circle under the mouse pointer that you can drag around or tap to click. After using this for a while, it is more intuitive than having a real mouse.

Try using Jump with the Citrix X1, it's pretty amazing.

I have a similar setup with my Linux desktop being headless. Though I'm again changing my setup so I'll have a monitor for my Linux machine and use a Windows 2-in-1 for my tablet/laptop. My 12.9" iPad has issues with the touchscreen being unresponsive and the laminated panel is separating inside so as time passes I can see more and more LEDs bleeding light along the one edge. It's out of warranty and I'm not paying for the new generation because reasons.

 

[spacebro]

Try using Jump with the Citrix X1, it's pretty amazing.

I have a similar setup with my Linux desktop being headless. Though I'm again changing my setup so I'll have a monitor for my Linux machine and use a Windows 2-in-1 for my tablet/laptop. My 12.9" iPad has issues with the touchscreen being unresponsive and the laminated panel is separating inside so as time passes I can see more and more LEDs bleeding light along the one edge. It's out of warranty and I'm not paying for the new generation because reasons.

When I took my 2017 to get looked at for unresponsive screen, they saw light bleed and replaced the iPad. I don't even think they used my AppleCare plus to replace it. Apple employees deal with this a lot and recognize it right away, you should go in and see what they can do. Also, get AppleCare plus, its only $5/month. These devices are fragile, they even self destruct.

 

[ericwn]

When I took my 2017 to get looked at for unresponsive screen, they saw light bleed and replaced the iPad. I don't even think they used my AppleCare plus to replace it. Apple employees deal with this a lot and recognize it right away, you should go in and see what they can do. Also, get AppleCare plus, its only $5/month. These devices are fragile, they even self destruct.

Can you elaborate on the self destruct by chance?

 

[muzzy996]

I find these threads entertaining, and we could just as well be debating about whether or not a fork can replace a knife as far as I’m concerned. I’ve cut many a nibble of food with a fork in my life and will continue to do so but there’s always a right time for the right tool for a job. There’s surely many jobs out there that an iPad can do well (it’s my preferred means to lurk forums or watch YouTube or do general browsing on for example) but I’ll always do my production work on a system that is more efficient in doing so; it just boils down to what one needs to be doing, how efficient they need to be at it and how well the tool meets those needs.

 

[kp98077]

Well I still have a laptop but I rarely use it. I probably only use it once every month or maybe every two months. I will always keep a real computer in the house but tablets and mobile phones are capable of meeting 98% of my computing needs.

I agree with you, in fact I just got the 11” a week or so ago and went on a vacation to Costa Rica, and brought only my 11” iPad Pro. Well, just my luck, I had to end up doing some work ..... mainly emails, images, words, excel, etc. and zero problems at all, and further, this device was a please to use at the pool, at the desk, on the plane or where ever! I was really shocked how fast and how much better it performed over my prior 10.5 to be honest.....

 

[Disconnect_00]

Can you elaborate on the self destruct by chance?

He’s being facetious/exaggerating greatly. He can’t elaborate, because no iPhone/iPad/iWhatever has ever “self destructed”.

I agree with you, in fact I just got the 11” a week or so ago and went on a vacation to Costa Rica, and brought only my 11” iPad Pro. Well, just my luck, I had to end up doing some work ..... mainly emails, images, words, excel, etc. and zero problems at all, and further, this device was a please to use at the pool, at the desk, on the plane or where ever! I was really shocked how fast and how much better it performed over my prior 10.5 to be honest.....

This was a huge difference to me as well. I came from a 10.5” to the 11”, and the performance improvement is staggering. It’s a device that feels much more like a computer, and is also much more immersive. I find myself enjoying the content, or being able to focus on the content far more on the 11” than on the 10.5”, and further, I seem to be significantly more productive due to the performance boost. So far the 11” has easily paid for itself in the productivity it’s provided.

I find these threads entertaining, and we could just as well be debating about whether or not a fork can replace a knife as far as I’m concerned. I’ve cut many a nibble of food with a fork in my life and will continue to do so but there’s always a right time for the right tool for a job. There’s surely many jobs out there that an iPad can do well (it’s my preferred means to lurk forums or watch YouTube or do general browsing on for example) but I’ll always do my production work on a system that is more efficient in doing so; it just boils down to what one needs to be doing, how efficient they need to be at it and how well the tool meets those needs.

For some, the current iPad Pro is exactly that - the right tool for the job. I’d argue that in today’s day and age, most don’t need a desktop or laptop computer - PC or Mac for that matter - and that an iPad can be sufficient. There’s a learning curve, of course, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t the right tool for many. As I stated above, mine has paid for itself in the profits it’s generated by being a tool for work. I’ve had it for about a week. That’s saying quite a bit about the capabilities, and what’s really possible with the iPad Pro.

 

[dljor]

He’s being facetious/exaggerating greatly. He can’t elaborate, because no iPhone/iPad/iWhatever has ever “self destructed”.


This was a huge difference to me as well. I came from a 10.5” to the 11”, and the performance improvement is staggering. It’s a device that feels much more like a computer, and is also much more immersive. I find myself enjoying the content, or being able to focus on the content far more on the 11” than on the 10.5”, and further, I seem to be significantly more productive due to the performance boost. So far the 11” has easily paid for itself in the productivity it’s provided.


For some, the current iPad Pro is exactly that - the right tool for the job. I’d argue that in today’s day and age, most don’t need a desktop or laptop computer - PC or Mac for that matter - and that an iPad can be sufficient. There’s a learning curve, of course, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t the right tool for many. As I stated above, mine has paid for itself in the profits it’s generated by being a tool for work. I’ve had it for about a week. That’s saying quite a bit about the capabilities, and what’s really possible with the iPad Pro.

How to open two word documents side by side on the iPad ?
[doublepost=1549175493][/doublepost]How do people work with multiple word documents, or PowerPoint files side by side on the iPad? Split screen doesn’t seem to work.

While writing a paper, I often have several other documents open in my iMac. Can’t figure out how I can use the iPad as my sole devise.

 

[ipponrg]

How to open two word documents side by side on the iPad ?
[doublepost=1549175493][/doublepost]How do people work with multiple word documents, or PowerPoint files side by side on the iPad? Split screen doesn’t seem to work.

While writing a paper, I often have several other documents open in my iMac. Can’t figure out how I can use the iPad as my sole devise.

You're using it wrong.

Jokingly aside, iOS is really targeted at simple workflows. Slightly more complicated flows (i.e. doing things in a desktop manner) in iOS involve workarounds that some people think is worth the trouble on the iPP.

http://www.applemust.com/how-to-open-two-word-documents-in-split-view-on-an-ipad/

 

[subjonas]

Opening two instances of the same app may come to iOS, but if iOS has to run two apps just to have two documents open within one app, it seems like a waste of memory, not to mention a waste of screen real estate to have two of the same UIs. I think it might actually be more efficient if apps implemented side by side documents on their own, like Safari and Notability currently do, so that it’s just one instance of the app, and one set of controls/UI, but two open documents.
The problem is nobody seems to be telling developers to do this. Even Apple hasn’t done this for any apps other than Safari. It’s pretty astounding considering all document apps desperately need this.

Notability two document screenshot:

 

[mrex]

My wife just started trying to use her iPad as a replacement for her laptop and if the iPad survives the week without getting thrown through a window I'll be surprised. The lack of a mouse, dealing with the idiosyncrasies of using cloud storage instead of local storage and differences between the mobile and desktop versions of Word and Excel and driving her bonkers.

i would rather use google docs and sheets because it integrates nicely with google drive - and they work well on online too.

 

[Brammy]

I am finding lately my iPad usage to be declining as a production device.

For me, the problem is the apps. Certain apps (the Affinity Suite, Procreate, Things) are great at getting and helping me get things done. I can, however, sympathize with what made Fraser Speirs give up on the iPad. I am involved in a school project we are using Google Docs for. The Google suite on the iPad is not good. For the individual contributions to the project we are using separate Google Documents for. The iPad is largely fine for this. However, for when we collate the document I want to create custom styles, use the table of contents, and all the stuff a large document needs. I can't do them on the iPad, or if I can, not as easily as I can on browser. If Google just let me use Chrome on iOS to edit stuff, I'd be in good shape.

I have found this level of document wrangling to be a pain on all iOS editors. Some, like Pages, let me edit styles. But there isn't one app on iOS that lets me do everything in one go.

The iPad is great for when I want to write and draw on my personal stuff. It was also fine for when I wrote term papers. but large, medium-complexity documents it falls down hard.

 

[kp98077]

I am finding lately my iPad usage to be declining as a production device.

For me, the problem is the apps. Certain apps (the Affinity Suite, Procreate, Things) are great at getting and helping me get things done. I can, however, sympathize with what made Fraser Speirs give up on the iPad. I am involved in a school project we are using Google Docs for. The Google suite on the iPad is not good. For the individual contributions to the project we are using separate Google Documents for. The iPad is largely fine for this. However, for when we collate the document I want to create custom styles, use the table of contents, and all the stuff a large document needs. I can't do them on the iPad, or if I can, not as easily as I can on browser. If Google just let me use Chrome on iOS to edit stuff, I'd be in good shape.

I have found this level of document wrangling to be a pain on all iOS editors. Some, like Pages, let me edit styles. But there isn't one app on iOS that lets me do everything in one go.

The iPad is great for when I want to write and draw on my personal stuff. It was also fine for when I wrote term papers. but large, medium-complexity documents it falls down hard.

Yes this is why for work I use my PC half the time sadly....however, the other half and the and other half of free time with the iPad!

 

[spacebro]

Ipads do self destruct. They get battery bulge in a space that is too small and destroy the whole device.

 

[ascender]

There’s quite a few threads in here which cover similar topics from different angles. I admitted defeat in using a 12.9 iPad as a laptop replacement, but I’ve recently been trying to use my 11” iPP whilst travelling and I have to say, the more I use it, the more i’m Really enjoying the iPad and iOS experience.

What I will say is that while the first 14 days where you can return a device was really good for me as it made me realise the 12.9 is not a good portable device for content consumption, I’ve since realised that 14 days just wasn’t long enough for me to get used to using an iOS device as my main computing device. I found the experience frustrating and like Jon Gruber, it felt like I was wearing mittens when using iOS compared to trying to do stuff in macOS. Everything just seemed to take longer to do.

With a few weeks of using iOS almost exclusively, i’m Working much more quickly and efficiently on the iPad. So maybe it is the case that you do need to give the transition a bit more of a chance and a bit more time than you’d expect.

The only annoying thing though is that I think my perfect situation would be to have an 11” and a 12.9” iPad Pro. The 12.9 would replace my laptop, but I still think its too big for media consumption and doing basic productivity while sitting on the sofa, in bed etc - I think the 11” really is the sweet spot.

And yes, I could just get a normal 9.7” iPad, which is a great device and very affordable, but once you’re used to the new Pro’s screen size & quality, faceid etc, it does feel like a massive step back.

 

[spacebro]

There’s quite a few threads in here which cover similar topics from different angles. I admitted defeat in using a 12.9 iPad as a laptop replacement, but I’ve recently been trying to use my 11” iPP whilst travelling and I have to say, the more I use it, the more i’m Really enjoying the iPad and iOS experience.

What I will say is that while the first 14 days where you can return a device was really good for me as it made me realise the 12.9 is not a good portable device for content consumption, I’ve since realised that 14 days just wasn’t long enough for me to get used to using an iOS device as my main computing device. I found the experience frustrating and like Jon Gruber, it felt like I was wearing mittens when using iOS compared to trying to do stuff in macOS. Everything just seemed to take longer to do.

With a few weeks of using iOS almost exclusively, i’m Working much more quickly and efficiently on the iPad. So maybe it is the case that you do need to give the transition a bit more of a chance and a bit more time than you’d expect.

The only annoying thing though is that I think my perfect situation would be to have an 11” and a 12.9” iPad Pro. The 12.9 would replace my laptop, but I still think its too big for media consumption and doing basic productivity while sitting on the sofa, in bed etc - I think the 11” really is the sweet spot.

And yes, I could just get a normal 9.7” iPad, which is a great device and very affordable, but once you’re used to the new Pro’s screen size & quality, faceid etc, it does feel like a massive step back.

I've been using an iPad instead of my MacBook for over a year now. I'm still learning shortcuts and tricks. New shortcuts and UI processes are still being added. iOS is a work in progress while desktop OSes are pretty close to their final state. After they added the multiple desktop thing to windows 10 and macOS, I don't think we will see any more UI changes to desktop OSes. The desktop OS is in its final, perfected state. People are comparing that, with their own 20 years experience using it, to iOS which is a work in progress, and they have almost zero experience using it. iOS on tablets will come out on top of desktop OSes on laptops, its only a matter of time.

 

[jonnyb098]

He’s being facetious/exaggerating greatly. He can’t elaborate, because no iPhone/iPad/iWhatever has ever “self destructed”.


This was a huge difference to me as well. I came from a 10.5” to the 11”, and the performance improvement is staggering. It’s a device that feels much more like a computer, and is also much more immersive. I find myself enjoying the content, or being able to focus on the content far more on the 11” than on the 10.5”, and further, I seem to be significantly more productive due to the performance boost. So far the 11” has easily paid for itself in the productivity it’s provided.


For some, the current iPad Pro is exactly that - the right tool for the job. I’d argue that in today’s day and age, most don’t need a desktop or laptop computer - PC or Mac for that matter - and that an iPad can be sufficient. There’s a learning curve, of course, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t the right tool for many. As I stated above, mine has paid for itself in the profits it’s generated by being a tool for work. I’ve had it for about a week. That’s saying quite a bit about the capabilities, and what’s really possible with the iPad Pro.

I too went from the 10.5 to the 11 and for whatever reason this just feels different in a good way. While I still think iOS needs some more tweaks , the iPad Pro finally feels deserving of saying "the biggest change to iPad since iPad". It actually FEELS like a Pro device now with the new industrial design. I always thought them slapping PRO on the same looking iPads a couple years ago was lazy. Now all we need are some iOS tweaks (coming this year) and itll be damn near perfect. I was once of the thought iOS needed a mouse, but upon actually thinking about it I think a mouse simply doesn't fit on iOS. It's meant for Mac OS , and Mac OS on a tablet doesn't really make much sense. Apple is selling way more iPads than Macs every quarter which proves most people are perfectly fine with a touch interface. What iOS needs to be really good is better file management and default apps. Just more control overall. Apps like Affinity Photo and Designer are proof that the iPad Pro with pencil is killer for much cheaper than a Mac, adobe and a Wacom. While those still have their place in the world, Affinity shows the true power of what a tablet can do and it's pretty incredible for those who have used them.

 

[Greenmeenie]

For me, My 11” ipad pro has totally replaced a laptop for all my needs. The screen is big enough, yet the ipad is so portable - which is great since i travel a lot. Writing on the ipad is a breeze. Surfing the web. Sending emails. Trading stocks. All so much nicer on an ipad in my opinion. I’m an artist, so i don’t need to carry a seperate wacom device with me either. Just my ipad & apple pencil. It is the best digital sketchbook i have ever used by far. And it’s also fantastic for taking notes with. The ipad is so much better for media consumption than a laptop. Watching movies on it, Wether i am at a desk or laying down is a more intimate experience than using a laptop. I love my ipad pro. I take it with me wherever i go.

I can’t wait for iOS 13 and all the new changes it will bring. I think if Apple opens up the usb-c port to allow connecting an external hard drive, it will truly become the perfect all in one device for me.

 

[Abazigal]

Opening two instances of the same app may come to iOS, but if iOS has to run two apps just to have two documents open within one app, it seems like a waste of memory, not to mention a waste of screen real estate to have two of the same UIs. I think it might actually be more efficient if apps implemented side by side documents on their own, like Safari and Notability currently do, so that it’s just one instance of the app, and one set of controls/UI, but two open documents.
The problem is nobody seems to be telling developers to do this. Even Apple hasn’t done this for any apps other than Safari. It’s pretty astounding considering all document apps desperately need this.

Notability two document screenshot:
View attachment 819646

Notability's implementation is actually quite clunky (you can only view your recent documents or have to search via document name), and you can't just go back for one document. Still, having the option is better than no option, and I hope they refine the UI in subsequent updates.

 

[ascender]

After a week of using nothing but an iPad, I sit down to reinstall macOS on a MacBook and am confused as to why the screen isn’t responding to my finger. Argh!

 

[secretk]

After a week of using nothing but an iPad, I sit down to reinstall macOS on a MacBook and am confused as to why the screen isn’t responding to my finger. Argh!

I had similar experience today. My company laptop has touch screen and I use it sometimes. Especially when I am in the bed. Well today I was using my personal one in the bed and I tried to touch the screen more than once.

Shows me that I want a device that can be both laptop and tablet (or at least act as a digital notebook as this is how I use my iPad).

 

[subjonas]

Notability's implementation is actually quite clunky (you can only view your recent documents or have to search via document name), and you can't just go back for one document. Still, having the option is better than no option, and I hope they refine the UI in subsequent updates.

Ah I have only a handful of documents in notability, so I haven’t run into problems finding documents yet. Hopefully, notability improves that. But I actually have the same issue with iOS split screen. If one or both apps I want to split screen aren’t on the dock, it’s clunky getting them up.
What did you mean by “you can't just go back for one document”?

 

[Abazigal]

Ah I have only a handful of documents in notability, so I haven’t run into problems finding documents yet. Hopefully, notability improves that. But I actually have the same issue with iOS split screen. If one or both apps I want to split screen aren’t on the dock, it’s clunky getting them up.
What did you mean by “you can't just go back for one document”?

Say I have document A and B open side by side. I want to open document C, which happens to be in the same folder. If I tap on back, it exits both documents.

And I have hundreds of PDFs in notability, sorted across multiple folders, plus I don’t always remember their exact name, so I have to either open both and then use the recents view, or type the first few letters and hope I get it right.