Is the new 10.5 iPad Pro really an alternative to a Macbook?

[Atimix]

I gave the 12.9" 6 months. I used it most of the days at work, heavily relied on iCloud etc. I've now given up and have switched to an Surface Pro. While the iPad Pro does quite a lot of things, it still falls miserably short in others:

- only one Word document can be open at any time
- anything involving Files is slow and weird (files getting copied to and fro between iCloud drive and the app in use, every time you change them etc.)

So in short: still no decent file system, still no real multi-tasking, still a big iPhone.

I like it for PDF markup, but that's something the Surface Pro does equally well. So in conclusion (and this is coming from someone who relies heavily on the Apple ecosystem), if you need a laptop replacement, go for a Surface Pro. If you're a graphics artist, go with the iPad Pro.

Using word in 2018...? (Try Google docs dawg)

Really huge complaints you got here.

 

[rasputin1969]

A laptop replacement is a device which is not a laptop but that has the same power, flexibility and versatility. The iPad is nothing like that. It has a set of features that you also find on laptops, but not all of them, not even close to be that, in terms of hardware (ports and support for external devices), operating system and software ecosystem. If you use a laptop in such a limited way that an iPad can replace it 100%, there’s nothing bad with that, actually good for you, wish it was the same for me too, as I enjoy using my iPad more than a Mac. I enjoy my iPad as a complementary device. I actually enjoy using my bicycle more than my car. And I’m sure some people can replace their car with a bicycle and be very happy. But you cannot say that a bicycle is a car replacement.

This %200

 

[kis]

Using word in 2018...? (Try Google docs dawg)

Really huge complaints you got here.

Google Docs? You're surely kidding I work for the government (no, not US) - sorry, can't trust Google with public records here.

 

[unobtainium]

This is exactly what I am doing and have been doing with the iPad Pro 12.9 since it first came out. Over time, I tried replacing it with a 12” MacBook, a 13” MBP 2016, with and without a 4k 27” external display, and more recently an iMac 5K and every time I come back to the iPad Pro 12.9. The best computer Apple makes for dissertation writing, in my experience.

What about citation software? Is there any way to plug Zotero into mobile Word, for example?

 

[Cascades42]

What about citation software? Is there any way to plug Zotero into mobile Word, for example?

Personally I export my citation references to Numbers (so I have the full bibliographic reference and the key next to it), and copy the keys into Scrivener as required - but I don't use Word for my academic writing. I just run Zotero's RTF Scan afterwards to replace the keys with the references and create my bibliography.

 

[EnderTW]

Not sure about others but I think that the iPad balances between being able to do “PC things” well and also being a tablet at the same time. The surface pro attempts to do this, it does a decent job at doing “PC things” but not a good job at being a tablet.

The cool thing about the iPad is that even when doing “PC things” it does it in a unique way, it’s not just a pc application. That’s the kicker and the powerful thing. Lightroom, Lumia app for video editing, Ulysses’s writing app, these all do things that are “pc things” in Apple’s design/way.

I like it!

 

[xAnthony]

I'm still using an old Mini for personal use, however it has been my PC replacement for the last 3 years. The iPad is great and can do 90% of tasks that I have needed to accomplish. Only times I've experienced issues with the iPad, was when I had to upload documents to certain websites. Other than that, it's been great.

As for my work life, it could replace most tasks, however would be much slower at doing so. File management is not fully there yet. I will be purchasing a new iPad Pro in 2018.

 

[Paddy M]

It is far from a laptop replacement, but, for the uses you stated, it seems to be perfect for you, IMHO

The iPad Pro - especially the larger one with a smart connect keyboard is awesome. It’s screen is massive and incredibly easy to view. It does not surpass a M book. I do not like using a laptop so mostly use my iPad Pro.

 

[canesalato]

The iPad Pro - especially the larger one with a smart connect keyboard is awesome. It’s screen is massive and incredibly easy to view. It does not surpass a M book. I do not like using a laptop so mostly use my iPad Pro.

I also like the big one and sometimes I use it with an Apple Keyboard as well.

 

[Macalicious2011]

Not sure about others but I think that the iPad balances between being able to do “PC things” well and also being a tablet at the same time. The surface pro attempts to do this, it does a decent job at doing “PC things” but not a good job at being a tablet.

The cool thing about the iPad is that even when doing “PC things” it does it in a unique way, it’s not just a pc application. That’s the kicker and the powerful thing. Lightroom, Lumia app for video editing, Ulysses’s writing app, these all do things that are “pc things” in Apple’s design/way.

I like it!

I would also add that the iPad is grab-and-go while a laptop or desktop might require new drivers, software to be reinstalled etc. Although I am a geek who enjoyed building PCs at a young age of 14, nowadays time is more valuable to me.

Getting home from work I just want things to work! This convenience and ease of use is even more important to those less technically minded. Add to the fact that the iPad Pro is 90% as capable as a PC at browsing and simple tasks but is 75% cheaper than a Macbook Pro.

For a certain group of user, the iPad is capable for PC replacement.

 

[AFEPPL]

Ipad pro is not even close to a replacement device.
Microsoft has come close IMO with the surface but even then you have to live in a world of compromises and workarounds. Those work arounds are even worse in the apple eco system with no filesystem.

Ipad is fine for little/discrete apps and some safari work, but this whole apple marketing campaign is more about moving sales from PCs to iPads and then letting the users find out they need a mac too. Win:Win $$

 

[Macalicious2011]

Ipad is fine for little/discrete apps and some safari work, but this whole apple marketing campaign is more about moving sales from PCs to iPads and then letting the users find out they need a mac too. Win:Win $$

haha I wouldn't want to be that person. Anyone debating between the two and expect to rely on the device for productivity, especially for a 6-8 hours rather than typing a 300 word paragraph at Starbucks over a spiced latte, is better off getting a PC/Macbook.

 

[unobtainium]

haha I wouldn't want to be that person. Anyone debating between the two and expect to rely on the device for productivity, especially for a 6-8 hours rather than typing a 300 word paragraph at Starbucks over a spiced latte, is better off getting a PC/Macbook.

I just bought a 10.5” iPP and found that I could type just as fast on the Smart Keyboard as I can on my 2013 MBP. I didn’t feel like upgrading to a new MBP because of their keyboard issues, ironically.

 

[GfPQqmcRKUvP]

Using word in 2018...? (Try Google docs dawg)

Really huge complaints you got here.

LOL. Do you think everyone should use Numbers instead of Excel in the workplace too?

 

[adamfozzy]

I don’t see iPad Pro as MacBook replacement, more a MacBook killer for me. I have a Mac mini and iPad Pro. I do tasks on my iPad I couldn’t do on a MacBook. I’ve tried every combination the last 12 months, MacBooks, Macbook Pros, Surfaces and find the Mac mini and iPad using Jump Desktop is best value to me.

 

[DNichter]

My iPad Pro replaced my MacBook in 2017. I find it to be a much better solution for my work needs. As iPad's continue to sell more than Macs, I anticipate more and more features coming to iPad over the next few years. I don't handle any operational tasks so the iPad is perfect for me.

 

[adamfozzy]

My iPad Pro replaced my MacBook in 2017. I find it to be a much better solution for my work needs. As iPad's continue to sell more than Macs, I anticipate more and more features coming to iPad over the next few years. I don't handle any operational tasks so the iPad is perfect for me.

Yes, I have similar view. I am massive iPad fan so everything in my work and home use is designed to work around it. For the things I can’t do on an iPad, that’s where the Mac mini comes in and jump desktop comes in. For me an iPad Pro and Mac mini at £1100 is so much better value than a MacBook or MacBook Pro at £1200. It’s all personal choice though.

 

[PKoz]

I just bought a 10.5” iPP and found that I could type just as fast on the Smart Keyboard as I can on my 2013 MBP. I didn’t feel like upgrading to a new MBP because of their keyboard issues, ironically.

I started to have a problem with the R key on my 2017 MacBook Pro but it resolved itself in one day. But yeah, as soon as that happened, as briefly as it did, I started thanking myself that I am using the iPad Pro more and more. I've really got the hang of the multi-tasking on the iPad Pro. I think on the next release I'll go for the larger one. And hopefully, FILES gets better. Most of all we need to see more apps directly support FILES.
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My iPad Pro replaced my MacBook in 2017. I find it to be a much better solution for my work needs. As iPad's continue to sell more than Macs, I anticipate more and more features coming to iPad over the next few years. I don't handle any operational tasks so the iPad is perfect for me.

FTP was a big one for me and I got the hang of taking an attachment from mail and sending that to my FTP app which then lets me upload it. I can then save the same file to my iCloud drive. I think next I will look into ZIP apps. The iPad Pro is coming really close at this point. There are still things I just can't do either because they can't be done or I just haven't learned a good way to do them.

If I make a quote for a client using excel, I need to be able to send that one tab to PDF and I need to have control over how it is formatted. So the one tab with the quote to one PDF page. And that needs to be easy. Needs to be able to save that one page to iCloud to a specific folder per client. Things like that are so easy on a Mac.

If all I needed was to create documents for others to view as a whole, the iPad would be quite enough. But it's never quite that simple. Hope it gets there soon though. I'd rather carry around just an iPad than a laptop. It's lighter, stays on all day and I like that I can easily replace the keyboard.