iPad Pro Seriously, why not just get MacBook?

[adamfozzy]

Nothing. I am not against iPad, but iPad Pro combo doesn’t make any sense price wise. I am more incline to purchase 10.1 inch iPad with cheap keyboard case. Same experience, much lower price point.

iPad is always meant for the device in between laptop and phone. This is how Steven Jobs presented and this is how iPad function. Therefore, when Apple is charging laptop money for a tablet combo, it is no longer sense.

Steve Jobs presented it as that in early 2010 and by the end of 2010, when interviewed, said that app developers and users will take the iPad to places we can't imagine yet - I've seen that most as a teacher. So 10 years later we cannot just use the iPad based on what Jobs presented 10 years ago. Value is perspective; you may not want to spend over £1000 on an iPad but others will find far more value in it. I've used a 12 inch Macbook to edit my website, make video tutorials and teach with for the last 2 years - the only thing i could not do with an iPad was edit my website and now i can with cursor support. So i traded my Macbook in for an iPad Pro and it does everything I did with my Macbook but better in some cases (video editing for one) plus does things that my Macbook could not do; note taking, tablet, takes photos/video, better audio, better screen, better processor, better RAM management, more available storage. Plus when teaching I can undock it from the keyboard and walk around talking with my students and make notes for assessment with a device that is half the weight of a Macbook Pro.

Therefore, when Apple is charging laptop money for a tablet combo, it is no longer sense.

So i would spend laptop money on an iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard...but that's my choice for my needs and does make sense to me. I think you should not say that people who spend over £1000 on an iPad Pro have no sense.

 

[BeatCrazy]

I take my iPad (have 2018 11” Pro w/ASK and 2020 12.9 w/AMK ordered) all over the house, and even in my backyard. It just seems weird to take my MacBooks (I have the 2017 12” and 2018 13” Pro) all over my house. They just seem cumbersome in comparison, even the 12”.

Plus I like the immediate on/off of the iPads. I feel like an can just pick up and go, the laptops feel more fragile, if that makes any sense.

 

[adamfozzy]

I take my iPad (have 2018 11” Pro w/ASK and 2020 12.9 w/AMK ordered) all over the house, and even in my backyard. It just seems weird to take my MacBooks (I have the 2017 12” and 2018 13” Pro) all over my house. They just seem cumbersome in comparison, even the 12”.

Plus I like the immediate on/off of the iPads. I feel like an can just pick up and go, the laptops feel more fragile, if that makes any sense.

Perfect sense to me - I've made the transition from 12 inch Macbook to iPad Pro 12.9. The Macbook was a beauty for portability but the iPad Pro is just so much more versatile. Also, every time I used the Macbook I slipped into work mode because you have to sit upright with it but I can relax with the iPad more.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Perfect sense to me - I've made the transition from 12 inch Macbook to iPad Pro 12.9. The Macbook was a beauty for portability but the iPad Pro is just so much more versatile. Also, every time I used the Macbook I slipped into work mode because you have to sit upright with it but I can relax with the iPad more.

Oh yeah I forgot to mention the viewing angle versatility. Obviously beneficial however you’re slouched on the couch, but more important when I’m using it in the kitchen or elsewhere. I can prop it a hundred different ways (with potentially MUCH smaller footprint than a MacBook), as well as taking advantage of portrait mode when I need to.

 

[Beaverman3001]

Macbooks don’t have built in LTE unfortunately. And at this point I just prefer a more simple device when browsing around. If I wanted or needed to do real work I’d use my Mac Mini.

 

[Adelphos33]

Advantages of the iPad:

1) better app ecosystem (including for enterprise apps)
2) more adaptable (you can take the iPad out of a case and use it for enterprise)
3) Better integration with iOS (most people use mobile OS more than desktop OS)
4) Better ability to switch to functions like point of sale device, drawing device, medical device, etc depending on apps
5) Stylus support

Advantages of laptop
1) Better multitasking and file management
2) More adaptable from an OS perspective - you can do things like boot camp windows
3) Many individual apps are more robust and capable

Both are critical for me. The main difference is that iPad is the only tablet that is worth owning while I could easily switch my MacBook for a solid Windows laptop.

 

[alia]

This might seem like the weirdest reason ever, but I’ve had two MacBooks with keyboards that start to go... on my iPad, I can just attach a new one with no hit to portability or form factor.

 

[mattopotamus]

I love people like this who assume this is a completely binary question.

Why not just get a MacBook? Because I can afford to have both, and each excels within their own niche.

this. I use a MacBook Pro essentially as a desktop computer, and an iPad as a “laptop”.

 

[AutomaticApple]

Very well said. Teddy just likes to show up here every few weeks to start some provocation. I doubt s/he has ever used an iPad.

Trolling too?
[automerge]1587315935[/automerge]
Its worth mentioning that this thread already has 3 pages of provoked iPad users in... what, a couple of hours? The OP has certainly gotten an enormous amount of angry reactions out of people.

 

[ApfelKuchen]

In the broad sense, this is about tools. Why might one person have a single hammer in their tool box while another has a half-dozen? Some craftspeople revel in having the perfect tool for every task, others pride themselves on accomplishing their work with a handful of general-purpose tools. Some swear by the same tool that others swear at. There's no right or wrong with this because the choice of tools is personal.

Toolmakers thrive in part because of this diversity in their end-users. They can keep on spinning out optimizations and variants because there's a portion of their customer base that is in constant search of perfection (hence all the bashing when the latest variant is not yet the perfection they've dreamt of). Others only buy a new tool when the old one wears out.

Tool users love to talk about the tools they love (and hate)... the subtext is often, "I'm a better craftsman/I'm more discerning than you." To that, the classic rejoinder is, "The proof is in the results." Tools are not an end in themselves. They are built to perform tasks, and the expertise of the user in performing those tasks is a key element to the results. The right tool can make the task easier, and some tools do bring unique capabilities, but overall there's plenty of great work done on sub-optimal tools and plenty of mediocre work done with excellent tools.

But if all this tool talk went away we as a species would have far less to talk about.

 

[sparksd]

In the broad sense, this is about tools. Why might one person have a single hammer in their tool box while another has a half-dozen? Some craftspeople revel in having the perfect tool for every task, others pride themselves on accomplishing their work with a handful of general-purpose tools. Some swear by the same tool that others swear at. There's no right or wrong with this because the choice of tools is personal.

Toolmakers thrive in part because of this diversity in their end-users. They can keep on spinning out optimizations and variants because there's a portion of their customer base that is in constant search of perfection (hence all the bashing when the latest variant is not yet the perfection they've dreamt of). Others only buy a new tool when the old one wears out.

Tool users love to talk about the tools they love (and hate)... the subtext is often, "I'm a better craftsman/I'm more discerning than you." To that, the classic rejoinder is, "The proof is in the results." Tools are not an end in themselves. They are built to perform tasks, and the expertise of the user in performing those tasks is a key element to the results. The right tool can make the task easier, and some tools do bring unique capabilities, but overall there's plenty of great work done on sub-optimal tools and plenty of mediocre work done with excellent tools.

But if all this tool talk went away we as a species would have far less to talk about.

Exactly. I have 2 iPads, a laptop, and a desktop, all used for different tasks. I have a DSLR and a compact camera for different uses. I have a multitude of climbing packs and ice axes for different kinds of routes. We all have similar lists; there is no universal kind of hammer.

 

[supertiffany]

I am desktop and laptop person. Personally carrying Acer Swift 3 as my go to laptop and Acer Nitro 5 as my gaming laptop. Personally build couple desktop PCs used as productivity and media center/gaming PC. Also have a MacBook Air, if I need MacOS.

I primary use my iPad Pro as media consumption devices with occasional use of Apple Pencil. I can’t think of any scenarios that iPad Pro + Magic Keyboard + Apple Pencil makes much sense from either pricing or usage.

First of all. iPad Pro itself is very expensive. 256GB 12.9 inch iPad Pro is already 1099USD and that is already more expensive than entry level MacBook Air. And MacBook Air does lot more than iPad could ever do. When you factoring the cost of the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil, you are adding other 429 dollar into the bill. All the sudden, you are approaching MacBook Pro pricing. With all the professional applications, easier to use operating system and more powerful hardware. It is very hard to justify cost of iPad Pro combo.

Secondly: It seems that iPad Pro plus the magic Keyboard combo is about 1.1kg according to amazon. The MacBook Pro itself is not much heavier than the iPad Pro. For portability perspective, the iPad Pro plus Magic Keyboard combo is not much portable than MacBook Pro and MacBook Air is almost as portable as iPad Pro itself.

I don’t know. It doesn’t make to much sense to spend that kind of money on iPad Pro combo when they can get much better MacBook Pro.

For me, the iPad Pro combo is almost as much as my Acer Nitro 5 and Acer Swift 3 combined (both refurbished and both are great computers).

you seem to mention about refurbished but not use it as an example for the ipad pro 3rd gen which is a little different or almost the same with the lastest gen


you can get a 12.9 256gb for only $829 and with magic keyboard that will make it cheaper than the macbook pro,for the pencil just extra 100 more

not only that you get a tablet, so rather buying a macbook pro and a separate ipad

you only buy 1 and only bring 1

this is great for those who need:

always on the go
ipad os
signing documents
tablet
computer for office/browsing
video/photo editing
sketching

again reposting this:
you get the following with the ipad pro
better battery life
better speakers
better screen
of course a touch screen


the fact that you said you are a desktop/laptop person this device isnt for you

but again how about those who arent?

if you think everyone will be like you, then there fails your point.

being assuming about everything will always be a failure, just like what you're doing.

 

[ascender]

Well, in terms of hardware, the iPad Pro, compared to the new MacBook Air...

Has a better screen; better performance (better single core than any Mac laptop); much better quality front facing camera; FaceID; can be used as a tablet/laptop (with a case); supports the Apple Pencil; potentially better battery life.

Apps load instantaneously on the iPad and some seem to be more reliable than their new catalyst counterparts. Music app is a great example which seems to work much quicker/more reliably than the desktop version when it comes to airplay for example.

If your apps are all available in iOS, its definitely worth considering an iPad Pro.

Thing is, everybody’s workflow and use-cases are different, but as someone who has done all their work on macOS for about 25 years, I do see the attraction in iOS now, especially since native cursor support was added. Also, the number of tasks for which you used to have to “jump through hoops” (or get some convoluted workaround) on ios compared to macOS have decreased dramatically since ipadOS came about.

It will be interesting to see if Apple start to push the standard iPad with Logitech keyboard/trackpad case as a “cheap” way to get an Apple device which will let lots of people do their web browsing, email, productivity and content consumption. Interesting times....

 

[rui no onna]

If you don't mind which iPad are you using? I am asking because the iPad I have could be smooth or could be so not smooth that it makes me want to smack it somewhere. My laptop is far more stable and smoother in that regards. Not sure why it happens with the iPad. I don't know how I manage this. For example now I am reading a book. I like to read books in the Books app as I can highlight and add notes and in general it just makes the experience closer to the actual book experience. However now it is so slow. Like I try to highlight something and I wait for 2 seconds to do it. I want to add a note to it. I wait another 2 seconds. It is really annoying. I tried to kill the app and start it again but no change. Cannot say if it iPadOS, the iPad or the Books app or all three in some sort of combination.

The thing I like about my laptop is that if an app goes wrong, I can kill it and restart it and it is all fine. With iPadOS this rarely works. I have to soft reset the iPad which I can do but this process it not any faster compared to my laptop.

Ultimately this is the reason why for now I want to have both a laptop and an iPad.

Possibly just Books app. I use Marvin 3 and I've had no issues highlighting a 4000+ page omnibus (EPUB) even on an iPad Air 2. Initial opening and rendering does take a while though and full text search is naturally slower compared to A9 and higher. Sadly, it's abandonware at this point and it doesn't support automatic annotations syncing.

Background App Refresh disabled, I close rarely used apps and disable Siri Search Suggestions for most apps (Books included).

 

[adamfozzy]

My contributions to this thread have not been about getting into an iPad v Macbook debate because it's been done to death and also Apple sell both for a reason. This has been more about the OP basically saying that people who spend over £1000 on iPad are stupid for paying so much money. If he/she had said that spending £1000 on a Macbook was stupid they would have had the same response.

 

[rkuo]

I guess I’m not as cynical about the OP’s question as many of you are.

I think there are a lot of users out there that are so in love with the form factor that they end up trying to squeeze the proverbial “square peg into a round hole” and use it for things that would be better on a Macbook or PC. That’s just how the world works. I enjoy hearing from many other perspectives, however, because there’s always a little nugget of useful info here and there that helps me form my own opinions. I think that’s why these threads are so popular.

Now, as for the whole iPad vs Macbook argument, I think it’s unarguable that the Mac covers all your bases ... if you need one device, most people (not all tho!) need some sort of computer for the flexibility it entails. That’s why laptops and computers came first to begin with.

Even my 75 year old mother who uses her iPad nonstop still needs a Mac around as backup for the occasional website or word/excel doc that the iPad just can’t deal with properly.

As for me, I have never considered using the iPad as a computer replacement. In no way can it replace my Mac’s ability to write code, have many browser tabs and terminals open, play YouTube in the background, drive multiple monitors and expand storage, etc, keep long running tasks in the background, etc. There’s just no comparison at all. Dear god, even switching apps on the iPad is frustrating. With a computer I just open a window and then click back and forth. On the iPad, having two apps side by side is a really poor semblance of multitasking, and the number of “tap and holds” just to get from one app to the other makes the experience degrade extremely quickly, to the point that I am spending several seconds instead of just a click to get an app on the screen next to another one.

However, the iPad really is my preferred portable form factor due to the seamless on/off, LTE support, amazing battery life, and touch capabilities. Whereas I had to carry a Macbook for work previously, I’m now hoping that I’ll be able to ditch it in favor of a Remote Desktop solution and eventually macOS on ARM.

There’s more to say here but I’ll just see how the conversation evolves for now.

 

[secretk]

Possibly just Books app. I use Marvin 3 and I've had no issues highlighting a 4000+ page omnibus (EPUB) even on an iPad Air 2. Initial opening and rendering does take a while though and full text search is naturally slower compared to A9 and higher. Sadly, it's abandonware at this point and it doesn't support automatic annotations syncing.

I see. Yeah most probably something with the Books app itself. Also the battery. I have noticed weird pattern with my iPad. The performance gets worse once the battery hits around 30 %. Cannot prove this as a fact as it is just based on my observations. However it seems that when there is less battery left the iPad has more issues with apps/tabs reloading, apps crashing etc.

Background App Refresh disabled, I close rarely used apps and disable Siri Search Suggestions for most apps (Books included).

Background App Refresh disable I get why do you disable Siri Search Suggestions?

 

[rui no onna]

Background App Refresh disable I get why do you disable Siri Search Suggestions?

Mostly because it's annoying. Suggestions from every single app I use just clutter up search results. Less performance hit due to indexing is just a bonus.

 

[brentsg]

It's almost like we don't all have the same requirements and preferences. Odd.

 

[ascender]

I think there are a lot of users out there that are so in love with the form factor that they end up trying to squeeze the proverbial “square peg into a round hole” and use it for things that would be better on a Macbook or PC.

Absolutely agree. Some of the workarounds we’ve had to do over the years on ios have been absolutely crazy, but that situation seems to be improving all the time and since ipadOS came along, has accelerated again IMHO.

Native cursor support is a massive one - that has been a big barrier to considering the iPad as a proper laptop replacement.

 

[ericwn]

I guess I’m not as cynical about the OP’s question as many of you are.

I think there are a lot of users out there that are so in love with the form factor that they end up trying to squeeze the proverbial “square peg into a round hole” and use it for things that would be better on a Macbook or PC. That’s just how the world works. I enjoy hearing from many other perspectives, however, because there’s always a little nugget of useful info here and there that helps me form my own opinions. I think that’s why these threads are so popular.

Now, as for the whole iPad vs Macbook argument, I think it’s unarguable that the Mac covers all your bases ... if you need one device, most people (not all tho!) need some sort of computer for the flexibility it entails. That’s why laptops and computers came first to begin with.

Even my 75 year old mother who uses her iPad nonstop still needs a Mac around as backup for the occasional website or word/excel doc that the iPad just can’t deal with properly.

As for me, I have never considered using the iPad as a computer replacement. In no way can it replace my Mac’s ability to write code, have many browser tabs and terminals open, play YouTube in the background, drive multiple monitors and expand storage, etc, keep long running tasks in the background, etc. There’s just no comparison at all. Dear god, even switching apps on the iPad is frustrating. With a computer I just open a window and then click back and forth. On the iPad, having two apps side by side is a really poor semblance of multitasking, and the number of “tap and holds” just to get from one app to the other makes the experience degrade extremely quickly, to the point that I am spending several seconds instead of just a click to get an app on the screen next to another one.

However, the iPad really is my preferred portable form factor due to the seamless on/off, LTE support, amazing battery life, and touch capabilities. Whereas I had to carry a Macbook for work previously, I’m now hoping that I’ll be able to ditch it in favor of a Remote Desktop solution and eventually macOS on ARM.

There’s more to say here but I’ll just see how the conversation evolves for now.

Fair however all these devices are computers. From the smartwatch to the personal computer they all fall under the general category.

Everyone is different and the pro and con of iPads and Macs have been posted all over this board for a decade now.

I have no problem reading one thread per user on what works best for them, I do however wonder why somebody would buy a tool they obviously despise and make not just one but a lot of posts against said product. It’s like we’re back in digital camera days where it’s Canon vs Nikon or something like that.

 

[petvas]

View attachment 907359

Advantages of the iPad:

1) better app ecosystem (including for enterprise apps)
2) more adaptable (you can take the iPad out of a case and use it for enterprise)
3) Better integration with iOS (most people use mobile OS more than desktop OS)
4) Better ability to switch to functions like point of sale device, drawing device, medical device, etc depending on apps
5) Stylus support

Advantages of laptop
1) Better multitasking and file management
2) More adaptable from an OS perspective - you can do things like boot camp windows
3) Many individual apps are more robust and capable

Both are critical for me. The main difference is that iPad is the only tablet that is worth owning while I could easily switch my MacBook for a solid Windows laptop.

I love all technology and I use both macOS and iOS extensively, but I find some of your arguments to be inaccurate.

Better app ecosystem as an advantage of the iPad? Even for enterprise apps? macOS is much more suited for enterprise use compared to iOS..

Then you write that the iPad has better integration with iOS. ??? The iPad runs iOS. Apple Marketing is calling it iPad OS. The Mac has great integration with iOS devices. Continuity & AirDrop are typical examples. iCloud Sync provides a tight integration between all Apple devices, independent of OS.


If I didn't have enough money to own both a MacBook Pro and an iPad, I would definitely get a Mac. It is much more suited for my needs and can do everything I need in the best way possible. The iPad is just like a hobby to me. I like using it, and I am trying the new computing paradigm, but still, when I want to do anything serious I use one of my Macs. Not my iPad. I understand that different people have different needs. It is also great that the iPad has improved so much in the last years. Maybe a day will come where the iPad can use desktop class applications. This is its weakest spot for now. Apple also needs to improve the iPad hardware, offering options for additional RAM.

 

[Madhatter32]

View attachment 907359

Advantages of the iPad:

1) better app ecosystem (including for enterprise apps)
2) more adaptable (you can take the iPad out of a case and use it for enterprise)
3) Better integration with iOS (most people use mobile OS more than desktop OS)
4) Better ability to switch to functions like point of sale device, drawing device, medical device, etc depending on apps
5) Stylus support

Advantages of laptop
1) Better multitasking and file management
2) More adaptable from an OS perspective - you can do things like boot camp windows
3) Many individual apps are more robust and capable

Both are critical for me. The main difference is that iPad is the only tablet that is worth owning while I could easily switch my MacBook for a solid Windows laptop.

I use both but until they make a 15 inch iPad with much better file management, my MBP 15 is not going anywhere. I can't image doing hours of work on such a small screen.

 

[Adelphos33]

Also in terms of cost, from now on, for my “main” iPad, I plan on futureproofing with maximum storage, cell capability and

I love all technology and I use both macOS and iOS extensively, but I find some of your arguments to be inaccurate.

Better app ecosystem as an advantage of the iPad? Even for enterprise apps? macOS is much more suited for enterprise use compared to iOS..

Then you write that the iPad has better integration with iOS. ??? The iPad runs iOS. Apple Marketing is calling it iPad OS. The Mac has great integration with iOS devices. Continuity & AirDrop are typical examples. iCloud Sync provides a tight integration between all Apple devices, independent of OS.


If I didn't have enough money to own both a MacBook Pro and an iPad, I would definitely get a Mac. It is much more suited for my needs and can do everything I need in the best way possible. The iPad is just like a hobby to me. I like using it, and I am trying the new computing paradigm, but still, when I want to do anything serious I use one of my Macs. Not my iPad. I understand that different people have different needs. It is also great that the iPad has improved so much in the last years. Maybe a day will come where the iPad can use desktop class applications. This is its weakest spot for now. Apple also needs to improve the iPad hardware, offering options for additional RAM.

When I say ”enterprise,” i mean that my job uses a variety of apps (mail, various customer management software, data services, other apps) that are only available on my desktop computer in Windows or in a mobile app form on iPad os or Android. And the iPad apps are excellent. These apps are not available on MacOS. Many enterprises have built applications specifically for iPad and the form factor that they haven’t bothered to build for MacOS. This may not be the case for all kinds of work, but it is the case for mine and I know many other industries

 

[Abazigal]

To use an analogy, I need screws screwed in, and the MacBook is the hammer, while the iPad is the screwdriver.

For that tasks I do, the iPad just offers the better experience all round.

One thing I did every day (before this whole school closure) is walk around the classroom with iPad in hand. It’s mirrored to my projector screen via an Apple TV. I annotate on documents with my Apple Pencil, turn on the camera app to get a makeshift visualiser, scan documents with scanner pro,

Now that I am at home, I am recording screencasts via the screen recording function, and creating lessons through our school’s portal. When it’s time for a break, I can browse reddit, listen to music, even have some light gaming.

This is where the iOS library of apps is awesome. Apollo is better than the reddit website any day. There’s Tapatalk for Macrumours, Tweetbot for Twitter, overcast for podcasts, and I am back to playing Grimvalor (with my steelseries controller).

Everything is just faster, smoother, more convenient.