iPad multitasking is still troublesome to me. Multi-app support could be better. If they improved this I could easily replace a laptop with my iPad pro. Currently it cannot though so I am in the market for a new laptop.
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iPad as a laptop replacement
- Thread starter Omar Comin' Yo
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If I can play boom beach on the new MBA M1, I’m sold for the M1 ?
They are still very different products, and I don’t expect them to behave the same, I don’t know why anyone does.
I use my iPads for most things, yes there are a few things I still need my MacBook for. I still find the iPad’s file management awkward ... it’s weird finding something clumsy on an iPad when it is mostly so easy and intuitive to use. And, so annoying when it won’t accept some hard disks, even if you have the iPad plugged into power.
it is partly Apple’s fault, pushing as they sometimes have, iPad as a replacement. But their target market then isn’t a geek at a Mac Pro, but a very lite laptop user.
Apple needs to make the file system on iPads work properly or why bother having it. it still wouldn’t do everything a Mac can, but for many people this would make iPad much more able to replace at least a laptop.
I use my iPads for most things, yes there are a few things I still need my MacBook for. I still find the iPad’s file management awkward ... it’s weird finding something clumsy on an iPad when it is mostly so easy and intuitive to use. And, so annoying when it won’t accept some hard disks, even if you have the iPad plugged into power.
it is partly Apple’s fault, pushing as they sometimes have, iPad as a replacement. But their target market then isn’t a geek at a Mac Pro, but a very lite laptop user.
Apple needs to make the file system on iPads work properly or why bother having it. it still wouldn’t do everything a Mac can, but for many people this would make iPad much more able to replace at least a laptop.
I'm just beginning to get used to my new iPad Pro with magic keyboard, and the differences in using this setup vs a computer or laptop are very interesting.
It is very convenient to be able to both control the iPad with the keyboard or trackpad, or using the touchscreen, but having both available requires some adjustment.
I was surprised to discover that you can use 'command-tab' to switch between applications, just as you can on a regular Mac. I found that worked without thinking about it, automatically using that keyboard shortcut and then finding that it worked just as it does on the Mac.
Using split screen is also very convenient, and controlling that with the touch screen is easy and straightforward.
I can imagine that once you get really familiar and comfortable with using the iPad plus keyboard, it becomes a very powerful and capable computer, more so than my old iPads were, that is for sure!
It is very convenient to be able to both control the iPad with the keyboard or trackpad, or using the touchscreen, but having both available requires some adjustment.
I was surprised to discover that you can use 'command-tab' to switch between applications, just as you can on a regular Mac. I found that worked without thinking about it, automatically using that keyboard shortcut and then finding that it worked just as it does on the Mac.
Using split screen is also very convenient, and controlling that with the touch screen is easy and straightforward.
I can imagine that once you get really familiar and comfortable with using the iPad plus keyboard, it becomes a very powerful and capable computer, more so than my old iPads were, that is for sure!
1) Same Hardware Components
2) Same Program types
3) Same Air and Pro monikers
4) Same company
Yes, we can all name 50 things that are different between Macs and iPads. But just because this hardware is in the shape of a tablet does not mean that this hardware is incapable of doing what a “real” computer does. iPads have been “real” overpowered ARM based computers for years and the only reason we “can’t” do more is 100% due to Apples neglect towards the platform.
Again, I love the iPad more than any other Apple product. But for something called “iPad Pro” then there needs to be a better way to display its Pro-ness than its price tag and its Geekbench scores.
I wouldn’t say it’s neglect as much as they probably just don’t believe in it. They’ve been expanding the iPad’s productivity features, and it’s enough for “many many people”, but it still keeps its one foot in the portability/simplicity-focused camp, which limits what it can do vs Mac/macOS (productivity-focused). That will probably always be the case for the general iPad line. They could split off the iPad Pro from the regular iPads and turn it into an all-out tablet touch equivalent version of Mac/macOS—more like a macPad—but that is a huge endeavor, and comes with its own set of compromises, and so far they probably don’t think there’s a real market for it.
This must have something to do with the G Suite admin settings. I use G Suite for my business and I use Apple's Mail program on the Mac, which I much prefer over Gmail's interface, without any issues. My wife works at a school that uses G Suite and she also isn't able to use Apple Mail on the Mac. My hunch is the admin for the school's G Suite has this function turned off and this forces everyone to use Gmail on the web.The problem is that the work email account I am using only works in the chrome browser and the gmail app. It’s one of those enterprise gmail accounts that don’t work with third party email clients, so I haven’t gotten it to work from the default mail app.
And I don’t want to email my superior using my personal gmail account.
So iOS has the native gmail client which supports my work gmail account and has share sheet support, and I am already using my iPad to teach in the classroom, so my iPad Pro is really the Swiss army tool for me at work.
I do really like my iPP 2020 11” with MK, but after 4 months of use I do find situations that I go to the Mac Mini to complete. I am with out laptop at this time. I find the file management is so much easier on Mac OS and I am not a fan of spreadsheet creation compared to OS. Also I just about given up on multitasking with the 11” dual screen. I could see the 12.9” would be better for this.
This is a great device and if it’s what you learned on then it might be a different story. This might be as good as it can get on iOS, but in my opinion its not as good as OS. Thinking about getting a new MBA for those situations, still planning on keeping this little speed demon though.
This is a great device and if it’s what you learned on then it might be a different story. This might be as good as it can get on iOS, but in my opinion its not as good as OS. Thinking about getting a new MBA for those situations, still planning on keeping this little speed demon though.
I am seriously thinking of getting a 12.9" 512gb iPad pro with MK, and selling my 2018 11" and my late 2015 iMac 27". i am no power user, mainly email, pages, safari, all my photos/videos, few work documents are all in the cloud.
Don't use a mouse prefer touch pads.
Bad idea?
Don't use a mouse prefer touch pads.
Bad idea?
I would be buying from my Telco so wouldn't be able to return once i open it, unless faulty.
Damn. I mean as long as you have what you need app-wise you’ll likely be able to make it work.
iPad-only works well for a lot of people, but some occasionally and unexpectedly run into those random desktop OS-only tasks. So if it’s possible to keep around a cheap desktop for awhile (even a Windows one), or if you have access to someone else’s, that would be safer. And after awhile if you’re confident you won’t ever need it, you can remove the “safety net”.
If you use any plugins in Word or macros in Excel you cannot do those things on iPad. Additionally the plugin structure on the iPad prevents the use of most plugins.
I’ve been wanting to try out an iPad only setup for a while and this year is the first time I’ve actually felt comfortable using it for everything.
I went from the 10.5” pro to the 12.9” pro with magic keyboard and never looked back. Life is so much easier I think having the trackpad makes things much easier than stabbing the screen but I like that I can just quickly take it off the keyboard to use as a tablet.
That being said the most I’ve been using mine for really is some basic word processing and usual media consumption. I’m wanting to dabble in web development and downloaded a coding application (can’t remember what it’s called) and it seems to work quite well but time will tell!
Still have Mac envy though now I’ve seen the new MacBooks and still toying with having an iMac again.
I went from the 10.5” pro to the 12.9” pro with magic keyboard and never looked back. Life is so much easier I think having the trackpad makes things much easier than stabbing the screen but I like that I can just quickly take it off the keyboard to use as a tablet.
That being said the most I’ve been using mine for really is some basic word processing and usual media consumption. I’m wanting to dabble in web development and downloaded a coding application (can’t remember what it’s called) and it seems to work quite well but time will tell!
Still have Mac envy though now I’ve seen the new MacBooks and still toying with having an iMac again.
Have proven that at least with causal users (aka my wife) there are lots of people now who only know the iPad due to a cheaper entry price point and it being native touch that if you give them a $999 Macbook Air, they would be uncomfortable using it. At the same time, they are far more productive on an iPad than I would ever be.
They edit photos and post them in a business social account in Canva.
Use different apps to organize Books for homeschooling, recipes, and home maintenance ideas.
Use Word, Preview, to read documents and sign contracts.
Organize and plan the homeschool lesson plan.
Run an online business in Sheets.
Use a fitness app for daily workouts
Facetime and video calls
and more and more.
The iPad just aligns to her use case and life.
Not once did she come back to me and said the iPad lacks power for anything that she does. And she can make her personal and business life work.
At the end of the day. It is just a different computer for different folks. It will probably not replace the power that professionals have on a Mac. But there are millions and millions of users during this pandemic that are more and more tuned with the iPad workflow.
They edit photos and post them in a business social account in Canva.
Use different apps to organize Books for homeschooling, recipes, and home maintenance ideas.
Use Word, Preview, to read documents and sign contracts.
Organize and plan the homeschool lesson plan.
Run an online business in Sheets.
Use a fitness app for daily workouts
Facetime and video calls
and more and more.
The iPad just aligns to her use case and life.
Not once did she come back to me and said the iPad lacks power for anything that she does. And she can make her personal and business life work.
At the end of the day. It is just a different computer for different folks. It will probably not replace the power that professionals have on a Mac. But there are millions and millions of users during this pandemic that are more and more tuned with the iPad workflow.
I’ve been on the iPad-as-a-laptop-replacement bandwagon for about five years now. I have an iMac at home that is my primary machine, but when I’m on the go, my iPad Pro is the computer I take with me.
The iMac was primarily used for photo and video editing, managing my digital media, and gaming for the past several years, with my iPad handling everything else. However, as a teacher, the iMac is my workstation for remote learning (my school has been on-and-off remote for the past 8 months, although we’ve been in-person more than many of our nearby peer institutions). I can’t imagine trying to manage everything I need to run simultaneously during a class lesson through just an iPad.
The iMac was primarily used for photo and video editing, managing my digital media, and gaming for the past several years, with my iPad handling everything else. However, as a teacher, the iMac is my workstation for remote learning (my school has been on-and-off remote for the past 8 months, although we’ve been in-person more than many of our nearby peer institutions). I can’t imagine trying to manage everything I need to run simultaneously during a class lesson through just an iPad.
Thus far, I've had no need to have the computing power and flexibility that a laptop offers, while on the road. All the "power stuff" that I need to do, I have desktops for work and home.
If I'm on the road, I still bring my iPad Air (1, from 2013) since it's light, and I have a Chromebook for superior internet browsing experience.
If I'm on the road, I still bring my iPad Air (1, from 2013) since it's light, and I have a Chromebook for superior internet browsing experience.
Yeah, Apple has said in no uncertain terms that the iPad can replace a computer for “many people”. And I’m sure it’s true. But they have also affirmed the necessity of the Mac for different category of uses. It keeps coming back to that car vs. truck analogy. Apple has been really sticking to it.
To me it is a confusing/mixed message. Apple advertises it as a computer but claims it is not a computer in the same sentence. So what is it then
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Car vs truck, good analogy.
Daily tasking vs heavy lifting.
For me the iPad Pro and Magic keyboard is like a compact-turbo-equipped SUV.
Now waiting for that M series iMac for my desktop “truck”.
To me it is a confusing/mixed message. Apple advertises it as a computer but claims it is not a computer in the same sentence. So what is it then
I think it’s just a way of saying while it is a computer (and really a bazillion things are computers) it’s unlike your typical off the shelf computer aka laptop.
It might be worth remembering that “Car vs truck” analogy was used by Steve Jobs who also firmly believed that iPads will replace PCs one day. For now, I think, Apple are intentionally holding iPadOS back, despite perfectly adequate hardware to support a fully mature OS.