I think where the iPad gets interesting for a lot of people are those who already have a work computer to use at their 9-5. For someone working in website management, design, and marketing as I am - there’s no way the iPad is ready to be a full-blown work device for me. The lack of DevTools and true desktop-class apps remain a limitation. It’s just not there for when I actually need to get work done.
But for a personal computing device, the iPad is
almost there to replace my Mac at home. I enjoy the range of user experience that the iPad offers, which makes daily tasks like content consumption, light web browsing, and general productivity often more enjoyable than on my Mac. The extra usability of having a touchscreen is nice when desired, but the ability to hunker down and be productive is there with the typing/trackpad experience of the MKB and improvements to multitasking over time.
The three main areas that just still have me holding onto my Mac are:
- File management
- Desktop-class apps
- Consistency in web browsing
File management & desktop-class apps
If you haven’t seen Federico Viticci’s write-up on these (and other suggested iPadOS improvements), I highly recommend it:
https://www.macstories.net/stories/not-an-ipad-pro-review/
He does an excellent job of breaking down exactly where iPadOS is falling short and tangible ways that Apple could improve the experience.
To summarize these two for me, managing and working with files of all kinds on the iPad is just not yet on par with the Mac. Everything from handling PDFs, to editing Word documents, to working with spreadsheets in Excel is simply less capable or more time consuming. I understand that these workflows need to be distinct and built for touch, but when using Stage Manager, I’d love to see them evolve into a more Mac-like experience. It’s closer than ever before, but just annoying enough to still have me reaching for my Mac when I actually want to get things done.
Consistency in web browsing
For me, this is a near-daily frustration. There are still many websites that don’t work as well on the iPad despite the larger screen size (I’m on a 13” Pro) and requesting desktop sites in Safari. Today’s example was Best Buy - it simply doesn’t render how you would expect on a Mac. Yes, I could use the Best Buy app and some would argue that‘s the point of iPadOS - to be more app-driven than pure web browsing - but it’s still a common encounter that leaves me frustrated and switching to my Mac when trying to really research something like a purchase, trip, etc.
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I’m hopeful for some improvements at WWDC, but rumors seem to be suggesting little in terms of iPadOS capability expansion beyond trickle-down AI updates. Crossing my fingers for Monday!
Even with these shortcomings, I’m still absolutely loving the new 13” and continue to use it for 80% of the computing I do at home on a day-to-day basis. And part of me is actually okay with the Mac still winning out in terms of certain tasks. That’s the nature of a product mix at the end of the day - each of Apple’s devices find ways to be better at certain tasks and this is what makes their ecosystem of products so “magical“.
