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Should the iPad become a Mac Replacement?

  • Yes - the iPad should become a general Mac replacement

    Votes: 38 12.6%
  • Yes - the iPad should become a Mac laptop replacement

    Votes: 53 17.5%
  • No - the iPad should stick to the original design intent

    Votes: 171 56.6%
  • I don’t have a preference for what the iPad evolves into

    Votes: 40 13.2%

  • Total voters
    302

eicca

Suspended
Oct 23, 2014
1,773
3,605
If a company can make more profit by doing X instead of Y, then it should do X instead of Y, no matter how much the customers would prefer it do Y.

Ring decides X and steals private user camera footage when customers prefer Y in which Ring DOESN’T steal private footage.

Meta decides X and illegally shares private user data when customers prefer Y in which they DON’T illegally share private user data.

But, gotta make profit somehow or the shareholders get pissed. I get it.
 

monstermash

macrumors 6502a
Apr 21, 2020
974
1,062
Ring decides X and steals private user camera footage when customers prefer Y in which Ring DOESN’T steal private footage.

Meta decides X and illegally shares private user data when customers prefer Y in which they DON’T illegally share private user data.

But, gotta make profit somehow or the shareholders get pissed. I get it.

Once again....I didn't say about about breaking the law.
 

eicca

Suspended
Oct 23, 2014
1,773
3,605
Once again....I didn't say about about breaking the law.
The principle is the same. A company needs profit to survive, yes, but they also need to provide value to their customers or they won’t have customers.

Apple is lucky enough to have a huge momentum with the sheeple that they can ignore value and sell subpar overpriced stuff and still please their shareholders.
 

sparksd

macrumors G4
Jun 7, 2015
10,023
34,493
Seattle WA
The principle is the same. A company needs profit to survive, yes, but they also need to provide value to their customers or they won’t have customers.

Apple is lucky enough to have a huge momentum with the sheeple that they can ignore value and sell subpar overpriced stuff and still please their shareholders.

With all of that Apple gear in your signature, it would appear that you're with the sheeple. You seem to be pouring a lot of money into a company that you clearly detest. But I suppose one has to stand by their principles ...
 

eicca

Suspended
Oct 23, 2014
1,773
3,605
With all of that Apple gear in your signature, it would appear that you're with the sheeple. You seem to be pouring a lot of money into a company that you clearly detest. But I suppose one has to stand by their principles ...
Oh don’t worry, I’ve put plenty of thought into my purchasing choices and made sure I didn’t pay full retail for any of them. Particularly the Mac Pro, which is a textbook example of what Apple was capable of when they actually cared about product value.

Just because I own the stuff doesn’t mean I think Apple is perfect. The alternatives are simply worse.
 
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Mr. 123

macrumors 6502
Sep 20, 2016
386
261
I think the iPad is an amazing device which for some can replace their computer needs but that definitively doesn’t apply for everyone.

I do music composition and production as well as graphic design, and that cannot be done on an iPad. MacOS is just more capable and runs more apps and has more customisation etc. for instance importing wav files into iTunes is not possible on an iPad, which is a small thing. I use mainly Logic Pro for music and the full Adobe apps for design And these apps don’t exist on the iPad (Adobe does but it’s not the same as desktop). The ram limitations are another aspect, because using samples for composition needs a lot of ram.

I also have a MBA (2015) which I use when I write text or researching stuff when I’m out of the house. i also have an iPad Air which I love and besides the use cases I described for the iMac and the MBA, the iPad is my go to device because it’s so fast easy to use and just great. Browsing, messaging, facetime, researching, emailing, some music listening and streaming. Annotating documents and research papers on the iPad was a game changer for me as I would be di this easily with the pencil on the train so that when I arrive I do writing work immediately on the MBA thanks to what I did on the iPad.

Different devices serve different purposes and it all works well together.

Additionally, when I’m home, the iPad has replaced my iPhone basically. I take all calls on it, all messages etc and the phone just lies somewhere and relays calls etc to my watch and iPad.
 
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Digitalguy

macrumors 601
Apr 15, 2019
4,671
4,508
Just dropping in to spread some dookie...



I just want to run an Apple Watch Ultra & 14.1" M3 Pro iPad Studio for my daily cell phone & computer needs...
I have said it for ages here, once Apple figures out how to sell an iPad for at least $2000 (that is the combined price of a Macbook air and IPad pro 12.9) they'll give at MacOS functionality with it (which doesn't mean it will run full MacOS)
A 14.1 iPad Studio with the specs of a 14.2" MacBook pro will cost at least as much (no keyboard included? no worries, it has touch screen etc. and it will probably be the non binned version, so the price is justified).
Just don't expect those features to come to the regular iPad pro.
 

ericwn

macrumors G5
Apr 24, 2016
12,121
10,912
The principle is the same. A company needs profit to survive, yes, but they also need to provide value to their customers or they won’t have customers.

Apple is lucky enough to have a huge momentum with the sheeple that they can ignore value and sell subpar overpriced stuff and still please their shareholders.

Guess the value proposition is there otherwise people wouldn’t buy the stuff to that degree. All that talk about sheep is simply downplay of a successful business because one doesn’t deem them worthy of that success.
 

iPadified

macrumors 68020
Apr 25, 2017
2,014
2,257
Just dropping in to spread some dookie...



I just want to run an Apple Watch Ultra & 14.1" M3 Pro iPad Studio for my daily cell phone & computer needs...
To answer his question, about 2000 USD for the 1 Tb model with 16 Gb RAM. Maybe more if it comes with iPhone Pro 14/15 camera system*. Nice for (my) home use including making cook books, ray tracing (!) using Octane renderer, gaming, picture editing, and movie watching in relaxed setting away from the desk.

Better apps: yes please, but for instance Office on MacOS is not particularly good. In larger project, excel and powerpoint freezes. Fusion360 is OK but not particularly stable either.

*I am an odd bird who must use company issued low end iPhones and I am intersted in the macro photo.
 

Digitalguy

macrumors 601
Apr 15, 2019
4,671
4,508
To answer his question, about 2000 USD for the 1 Tb model with 16 Gb RAM. Maybe more if it comes with iPhone Pro 14/15 camera system*. Nice for (my) home use including making cook books, ray tracing (!) using Octane renderer, gaming, picture editing, and movie watching in relaxed setting away from the desk.

Better apps: yes please, but for instance Office on MacOS is not particularly good. In larger project, excel and powerpoint freezes. Fusion360 is OK but not particularly stable either.

*I am an odd bird who must use company issued low end iPhones and I am intersted in the macro photo.
Honestly Apple could even get away with the same storage as the 14" MacBook pro, that is 512GB, paired with 16GB RAM, and they'll probably throw in the non binned version of the M3 (which for the M2 is $2300 for the Mac) to say, you see, you are getting more for those $2000.
 

iPadified

macrumors 68020
Apr 25, 2017
2,014
2,257
Honestly Apple could even get away with the same storage as the 14" MacBook pro, that is 512GB, paired with 16GB RAM, and they'll probably throw in the non binned version of the M3 (which for the M2 is $2300 for the Mac) to say, you see, you are getting more for those $2000.
We can hope but there are these OLED rumours as well. Next years worries.
 
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eicca

Suspended
Oct 23, 2014
1,773
3,605
Guess the value proposition is there otherwise people wouldn’t buy the stuff to that degree. All that talk about sheep is simply downplay of a successful business because one doesn’t deem them worthy of that success.

Apple’s colossal success came from revolutionizing user experience. If they had released the muddled mess of their current software/hardware back when they were trying to regain traction, they’d have been laughed out of the market.

So no, other than Apple Silicon, I don’t believe they have much that is worthy of true innovative success these days. Ease of use, reliability, it’s all gone out the window in favor of adding gimmicks just to tell the shareholders they’re doing something new.

Remember when you could just pick up an Apple product and know how to do everything without even thinking about reading a manual? Looooooooong gone.
 

sparksd

macrumors G4
Jun 7, 2015
10,023
34,493
Seattle WA
Apple’s colossal success came from revolutionizing user experience. If they had released the muddled mess of their current software/hardware back when they were trying to regain traction, they’d have been laughed out of the market.

So no, other than Apple Silicon, I don’t believe they have much that is worthy of true innovative success these days. Ease of use, reliability, it’s all gone out the window in favor of adding gimmicks just to tell the shareholders they’re doing something new.

Remember when you could just pick up an Apple product and know how to do everything without even thinking about reading a manual? Looooooooong gone.
I don't think that people find iPads & iPhones that complicated to use. My 95-year-old mother was a first time iPad user and she did quite well.
 

ericwn

macrumors G5
Apr 24, 2016
12,121
10,912
Apple’s colossal success came from revolutionizing user experience. If they had released the muddled mess of their current software/hardware back when they were trying to regain traction, they’d have been laughed out of the market.

So no, other than Apple Silicon, I don’t believe they have much that is worthy of true innovative success these days. Ease of use, reliability, it’s all gone out the window in favor of adding gimmicks just to tell the shareholders they’re doing something new.

Remember when you could just pick up an Apple product and know how to do everything without even thinking about reading a manual? Looooooooong gone.

Customers are repeat customers because they see the value on their purchase. Your variation of “everything was better back then” has not yet arrived in my reality. Apple is mainstream now and delivers products for that user base.
 

iJaximus

macrumors newbie
Jul 24, 2022
15
20
Work in office = iPad + Magic Keyboard
Work from home = M1 16 Mac

The 16 is a little tad heavy to carry during commute, plus I can achieve everything that needs to be done for work on the iPad as well. (Cloud guy here)
 

JTK Awesome

macrumors 6502
Jun 26, 2022
291
376
Boston, MA, USA
I don't want Apple to put a touchscreen on the MacBook. I want them to develop a version of iPadOS that can do almost everything MacOS can do, then stop making MacBooks, and say everyone who wants mobile computing can buy iPad + keyboard.

There will be a huge chorus of complaints, with people saying they can't do this or that with the new system, or they are forced to adopt convoluted workarounds, but that will eventually die down, and we will be finally living in a fully touch-compatible mobile computing world.

Figuring out when to force such a switch was what Steve Jobs was good at, and that is why I miss him a lot.

One thing the iPad can’t do, at least in the MKB: Stay stable on a user’s lap! My wife refuses to give up her MBP more for this reason than anything else.

Other than adding a 1/4” thick lead plate to the keyboard side of the MKB, I don’t know that Apple can do about this. Maybe fill iPads with Helium?
 

gpat

macrumors 68000
Mar 1, 2011
1,936
5,346
Italy
If someone could crack the boot loader and let me put Linux on this thing, it would be a national holiday.

As soon as Apple is forced to allow sideloading as mandated by the EU, expect some kind of Parallels/VMWare solution to be available for it.
About native booting another whole OS... meh. Wouldn't count on it. It would require ages for it to become a viable solution. Just look at Asahi Linux.
 

Mac... nificent

macrumors 6502a
Nov 20, 2012
943
498
About native booting another whole OS... meh. Wouldn't count on it. It would require ages for it to become a viable solution.
Apple had the answer to this question before they introduced the iPad Pro. Just look at their early ads. This should be a very good year for the iPad Pro.
 
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spiderman0616

Suspended
Aug 1, 2010
5,670
7,499
Apple’s colossal success came from revolutionizing user experience. If they had released the muddled mess of their current software/hardware back when they were trying to regain traction, they’d have been laughed out of the market.

So no, other than Apple Silicon, I don’t believe they have much that is worthy of true innovative success these days. Ease of use, reliability, it’s all gone out the window in favor of adding gimmicks just to tell the shareholders they’re doing something new.

Remember when you could just pick up an Apple product and know how to do everything without even thinking about reading a manual? Looooooooong gone.
Where are these manuals everyone has to use these days? I’m looking in all my Apple boxes and there definitely aren’t big fat manuals in there. My 70 year old father in law who refused to ever use even a flip phone or a Windows PC back in the day figured his iPods and iPhones out just fine. I think one time I had to help him figure out why his iPod screen wouldn’t work (it just needed a reboot) and that was about the extent of the help he‘s ever needed from myself or my wife.

As someone else mentioned, Apple is a mainstream company now and they make consumer electronics, not just Macs. I would say BECAUSE of that fact, they are more user friendly than ever. The proof is in the insane sales year after year after year. At some point we’re going to have to get over this concept that everyone who uses Apple products is in some sort of hipster cult. People buy Apple stuff because it’s user friendly and it’s good stuff. As long as that keeps happening, Apple is going to keep making good, user friendly stuff.

So I’m not sure where this dystopian version of Apple you seem to have is coming from, but millions and millions of users disagree with you.
 

eltoslightfoot

macrumors 68030
Feb 25, 2011
2,564
3,125
This is easy. Just allow those of us who have an M1 iPad Pro or higher to run Mac OS X as an option. Everyone else gets regular iPadOS.

Although to be honest, I feel like they might be on a better path with a slow approach of iPadOS slooooowly gaining more and more MacOS like functionality without the legacy stuff.
 
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Mac... nificent

macrumors 6502a
Nov 20, 2012
943
498
I agree about the lack of innovation, but June 5th should be a day that (hopefully) changes that with the new Reality VR/AR headset. As far as Apple products needing a manual, they don’t have one because they don’t need one. In our store we have 6 year olds walking up to the iPad display and using them just fine. If you can’t figure out how to use an iPad in your first 5 minutes of holding one in your hands, then you probably shouldn’t be buying one. In fact I think the argument could be made that most kids know how to use an iPad better than using simple math, like 7+2😏
 
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