iPad Pro The end of the iPad era for me, the dawn of M1 era

[secretk]

It doesn’t seem logical to say that iPads were the wrong bet, so they introduced Macs based on the same silicon. They have significantly different interfaces - neither has a chance of being a complete replacement for the other without a redesign of the OS.

I agree that MacBooks cannot replace iPads. The question is how many people have the need to have Mac that replaces fully their iPad? I know more people that would like iPads to replace their Macbook than vice versa. Maybe it is just me though.

I know a lot of people who buy expensive computers whose capabilities they never, ever use. An iPad or Chromebook would suit just as well.

Could be but for me even this is not true. I use my personal laptop for simple tasks that are just more enjoyable on laptop with bigger screen than on an iPad. I just do not want to spend 8 hours on the small iPad screen during my weekend. It is not healthy for my eyes or neck or even my hands. And I do not enjoy iPadOS.

iPads are also useful out in the field for various business tasks, whether in engineering, sales, underwater science (I’ve encountered all three).

Agree. iPads have usage. I am not saying that they are not useful devices. They are. I just don't see them as a device that can be my daily driver. It is too constraining. It is in between device for me that fills in rather niche space between my phone and my laptop. However if I did not have the money I would leave it out of my arsenal as I need my laptop and my phone more. Then again my work does not require me having an iPad. It is a different story if I was in engineering field or say a medical worker.

If people expect the iPad to completely replace everything a traditional computer does in a similar manner, they’re always going to be disappointed. If they take advantage of the unique interface instead of trying to go back to the mouse/keyboard paradigm, I think they’ll be more productive.

I am productive with an iPad thanks to the pencil. Love the pencil, love the available apps that I can use with the pencil, the almost invisible latency. Everything about that. Without the pencil, you have to pay me to use the iPad because honestly iPadOS is not an enjoyable experience for me. And I just don't see the need for tablet in general. I use my laptop for media consumption, chatting with friends and browsing because I find those activities more enjoyable on a bigger screen, with bigger keyboard and with mouse.

To make myself clear. If Apple are betting on iPads being great tablets then they are right. If they are betting on people replacing their laptops with an iPad I do not see it happening. Let me give you few examples of users:

1. Me. I am Computer engineering specialist. I used to be Software Developer, now I am leading a team of 20 + Developers. I am the type of person that loves to have full control over my devices (software, to some extent hardware). I love to tinker with my devices. I love to use multiple screens. I do all of my work on Microsoft apps (Outlook, OneNote, Office apps). I create presentations and big Excel files with multiple sheets, formulas and dependencies. I would not use an iPad for that for work. At home I use my laptop for everting - it is my browsing device, my communication device and my TV (spend my life on watching YouTube and online TV). I would not use my iPad for any of that because the screen is small.
2. My parents. Their needs are very basic, so basic that any basic laptop can work for them that is cheaper than the basic iPad.
3. Students.
3.1. STEM Students. They honestly need laptop, sometimes even Windows specific laptop because they use specific software that works only on Windows. Maybe they can use Macs but they need to be able to run Windows simulator for those apps.
3.2 Other students. Still not sure that iPad works for them as they still need lots of typing and honestly iPads for me are not ergonomically good choice for long sessions of typing. I am talking 5-6 hours a day typing.

Of course there are people that can do only with iPads but I don't think that those are the majority of the people. I believe that the majority of people have multiple reasons (see some of them above) to not want to go only the iPad route.

 

[Deliro]

There are even decent laptops (not Macs, but Windows) that are cheaper than iPad Pros.

The 12.9 IPP w/ 256gb and MK was for me is in MBP territory price wise. You could buy a base MBA and base iPad and still be cheaper than the above IPP setup.

I'll end up losing a couple hundred bucks if I decide to sell my iPad setup in favor of my MBA, but live and learn. There's just no comparison in the productivity/ease of use advantage when you're using a MB vs a IPP keyboard setup (at least for my use cases).

Even small things like being worried constantly about scuffing that softish trapper keeper type of material on the MK is gone when I use a MBA. I even bought AppleCare *just* for that day my MK starting to fray on the corners. And I never buy AppleCare. Again the IPP is a great device, when used as a tablet.

 

[Adelphos33]

This is an interesting debate...

With the M1 chip, high end iPads no longer have a real performance advantage over MacBooks. This is a fact. Now, the question is why would one invest heavily into the high end iPad as opposed to the MacBook.

I think the issue is that the iOS/iPad ecosystem, for many jobs, has become essential. For my work, there are many iOS apps that make my life easier that aren’t available on MacOs or Windows. Plus, IPads continue to do some things better than MacBooks:

1) They can be outfitted with cellular
2) They are still instant on
3) They are arguably better for things like music, movies, etc
4) They may be better for things like portable note taking, e-mailing, and other light portable computer work

The conundrum is - do you need a $1,500 iPad for this? Or does the iPad Air, or even the regular iPad, fit that next? An M1 MacBook Air paired with a lower cost iPad may fit most people’s needs.

 

[Apple_Robert]

This is an interesting debate...

With the M1 chip, high end iPads no longer have a real performance advantage over MacBooks. This is a fact. Now, the question is why would one invest heavily into the high end iPad as opposed to the MacBook.

I think the issue is that the iOS/iPad ecosystem, for many jobs, has become essential. For my work, there are many iOS apps that make my life easier that aren’t available on MacOs or Windows. Plus, IPads continue to do some things better than MacBooks:

1) They can be outfitted with cellular
2) They are still instant on
3) They are arguably better for things like music, movies, etc
4) They may be better for things like portable note taking, e-mailing, and other light portable computer work

The conundrum is - do you need a $1,500 iPad for this? Or does the iPad Air, or even the regular iPad, fit that next? An M1 MacBook Air paired with a lower cost iPad may fit most people’s needs.

I have found my current sweet spot with the M1 and my 11" iPad Pro (that I already owned).

 

[Seanm87]

The problem I feel is that the magic keyboard and mouse support was a real game changer for the ipad in my opinion. It turned the iPad into a fully fledged laptop (software differences aside). At that point the iPad had so much going for it over the macbooks like instant on, fast speed, no fan and very versatile. It honestly felt like the future for me and traditional laptops would look old fashioned. I sold my MacBook Air and went all in on ipad and didn’t regret it.

However 6 months later apple now throws a curveball with the M1 macs and now all those advantages IPad had now aren’t special as the MacBooks can do almost the same as them but with a full desktop OS.

I mean the bottom line is that both products are fantastic. Me I’m keeping my iPad Pro MK combo and also getting an M1 MacBook so I have the best of both worlds. I certainly don’t need both but I’m very lucky to have enough money to afford both. And I’m a sucker for apple products haha.

An IPad magic keyboard combo was a laptop replacement for me but I have fairly basic uses.

 

[subjonas]

Just a note (which is more like personal opinion). I do not even find iPadOS more intuitive. It is not. There is a lot of fragmentation and the Settings app themselves are really a hot mess. Maybe it is intuitive for people that use just 5 % of it and this way it is easy to remember. This is not how I like to use my "toys". I like to use them as much as possible. Once I go to this road, I actually find the system quite complex and unintuitive. I have issues remembering all of the gestures and available settings. Sometimes gestures are even getting mixed - like the gesture to show the dock is too similar to the one to see all open apps.

There are even decent laptops (not Macs, but Windows) that are cheaper than iPad Pros.

Yeah, we would never know what Apple plans to do. Maybe they indeed realized that they made the wrong bet and this is why they now have M1 Mac. Who knows? I think that Apple would like the iPad to be more than just secondary device, this is why they market it this way. For me however this approach/strategy has the opposite effect. It makes me question even more the iPad as a computer replacement thing. Especially considering the price of the device that does put it into category of lots of good Windows laptops.

I am not saying that it does not work for some people but it does not work for me. And I wonder how many people can go by only with iPads.

Yeah I think iPadOS/iOS is very intuitive for a certain set of common tasks, which is what it was designed for. Once you start to go beyond that is when it starts to get muddled, like you said. And yeah some things like the gestures may just be a matter of personal preference.

I wonder how many people can as well. But going back to whether the majority WILL, I forgot to emphasize a major roadblock that I want to throw in, which is that non-tech enthusiasts probably don’t take much time to evaluate their own personal tech needs. That takes a degree of thought that most probably don’t care to do. So even if they know the iPads’ capabilities, they don’t necessarily know what THEY need, especially in the future. But they‘re pretty sure that a laptop will cover it. So again, they would need MAJOR motivation to go through that brain exercise. Again, significantly lower price would have been the ideal motivation, but yeah that didn’t work out.

And I’m assuming the majority is unable or unwilling to have both a laptop and an iPad, which I think is probably the case, as you said. Otherwise, of course, they could have both and naturally over time find out which device is sufficient and ideal for all their needs and which device ends up sitting on a shelf for a year, or if both have a place.

I sometimes wonder if Steve Jobs marketed the iPad into a corner with his original messaging. It spent a long time just being that in between device, and to this day, that’s what most people still consider it to be.

I personally happen to disagree and think the iPad Pro with MK is a fantastic productivity machine, but that’s neither here nor there—most iPad buyers out in the world seem to still look at it as only for reading and watching Netflix, and that unfortunately may not ever change.

I would think Apple is probably well aware of this, which is why they haven’t taken iPadOS and turned it into a full blown desktop OS. Most iPad owners probably don’t want that.

Yeah first impressions stick. That is another roadblock along with what I mentioned (basically lack of compelling incentive for the majority user to consider/attempt the switch). As far as why Apple hasn’t turned the iPad into a desktop/productivity-focused OS, yeah most iPad owners probably like their iPads as is. But I also think Apple genuinely believes that the desktop/productivity-focused OS is best paired with a clamshell keyboard+trackpad form factor for most people. They probably see the productivity slate as too niche. And (so far) they just haven’t bothered with a hybrid.

 

[rss2193]

Ive posted something similar in the iPad as a laptop replacement thread. I have the ipad Pro 2018 11" and it holds a $445 trade in value still with Apple. I feel more and more for my needs that I find myself needing a physical keyboard attached to whatever I am using the most and having a desktop OS fits more of what I want from a daily device. I still feel like its limitng me (the iPad that is) as a student who works on Word, Outlook quite often and obviously uses YouTube, Hulu, etc frequently. I am not really bothered by something being on my lap while using and the MacBook Air does give me the option to connect to an external monitor a little easier from a desk setup. I've gotten into coding as more of a leisure, hobby thing than anything else at this moment so I feel like a laptop would be better suited for working with that.

Anyone else think Im crazy for considering trading the iPad Pro in now and picking up the base MBA M1? and pick up maybe an iPad Air later down the road as a more general use tablet. The iPad Pro may just be the best fit for me at this point and Im just kind of realzing it. Any outside input would be greatly apprecaited!

 

[Adelphos33]

I bought a new iPad this year that is quickly becoming my favorite - it is portable, powerful, relatively affordable. I watch videos and read on it, do personal e-mail and browsing, have installed work e-mail and some other work apps like Bloomberg and others. I carry with me to my office every day and I use it for things like Zoom and WebEx calls. I have done tons of work meetings on this. It is a great machine.

Which machine is it? The 8th Generation iPad with Cellular. Mine cost $559, much less than a $999 MacBook Air, and offers some distinct advantages even compared to the M1 MacBook Air (touch screen, portability, better video camera, cell connectivity, strong app ecosystem). I think an iPad like that, priced like that, is a no brainer. Adding trackpad and mouse support can also be done after the fact. To me, that kind of iPad at that kind of price point makes the most sense.

The issue becomes how do I approach upgrading my $1,249 iPad Pro 12.9” when the new version comes out next year. It is beautiful and will be technically superior to a MacBook Air in all likelihood (better screen, speakers, equal processor, better cameras) and will have many of the iPad advantages. The issue is does it make sense to spend $1,500 or more to kit it out when MacBook Airs and Macbook Pros are running M1 chips. iPad Pros will still be beautiful, but I struggle to make sense of the pricing when comparing it to more flexible machines like MacBooks.

 

[Mackilroy]

I agree that MacBooks cannot replace iPads. The question is how many people have the need to have Mac that replaces fully their iPad? I know more people that would like iPads to replace their Macbook than vice versa. Maybe it is just me though.

Indeed. The question is, why? If there's already a family of devices that do precisely what you need, is there a point in going for a different platform that doesn't have some key features just because it has an attractive form factor?

Could be but for me even this is not true. I use my personal laptop for simple tasks that are just more enjoyable on laptop with bigger screen than on an iPad. I just do not want to spend 8 hours on the small iPad screen during my weekend. It is not healthy for my eyes or neck or even my hands. And I do not enjoy iPadOS.

I'm referring to the power of the hardware and the available software, not the screen size or form factor. From your posts, it seems like you're trying to shoehorn the iPad into a niche it just doesn't quite fit, and you're (rightly) finding that you enjoy using your laptop more.

Agree. iPads have usage. I am not saying that they are not useful devices. They are. I just don't see them as a device that can be my daily driver. It is too constraining. It is in between device for me that fills in rather niche space between my phone and my laptop. However if I did not have the money I would leave it out of my arsenal as I need my laptop and my phone more. Then again my work does not require me having an iPad. It is a different story if I was in engineering field or say a medical worker.

And that's perfectly fine. No device need be all things to all people.

I am productive with an iPad thanks to the pencil. Love the pencil, love the available apps that I can use with the pencil, the almost invisible latency. Everything about that. Without the pencil, you have to pay me to use the iPad because honestly iPadOS is not an enjoyable experience for me. And I just don't see the need for tablet in general. I use my laptop for media consumption, chatting with friends and browsing because I find those activities more enjoyable on a bigger screen, with bigger keyboard and with mouse.

To make myself clear. If Apple are betting on iPads being great tablets then they are right. If they are betting on people replacing their laptops with an iPad I do not see it happening. Let me give you few examples of users:

1. Me. I am Computer engineering specialist. I used to be Software Developer, now I am leading a team of 20 + Developers. I am the type of person that loves to have full control over my devices (software, to some extent hardware). I love to tinker with my devices. I love to use multiple screens. I do all of my work on Microsoft apps (Outlook, OneNote, Office apps). I create presentations and big Excel files with multiple sheets, formulas and dependencies. I would not use an iPad for that for work. At home I use my laptop for everting - it is my browsing device, my communication device and my TV (spend my life on watching YouTube and online TV). I would not use my iPad for any of that because the screen is small.
2. My parents. Their needs are very basic, so basic that any basic laptop can work for them that is cheaper than the basic iPad.
3. Students.
3.1. STEM Students. They honestly need laptop, sometimes even Windows specific laptop because they use specific software that works only on Windows. Maybe they can use Macs but they need to be able to run Windows simulator for those apps.
3.2 Other students. Still not sure that iPad works for them as they still need lots of typing and honestly iPads for me are not ergonomically good choice for long sessions of typing. I am talking 5-6 hours a day typing.

Of course there are people that can do only with iPads but I don't think that those are the majority of the people. I believe that the majority of people have multiple reasons (see some of them above) to not want to go only the iPad route.

I think Apple is betting that for your average user (who is not you at all, mind), iPads *could* replace their computers, but they sell and will keep selling traditional machines because there are many people who prefer desktop OSes and form factors.

Conversely, I enjoy using iPadOS and my iPad even sans Pencil, though I also use the Pencil extensively to sketch, write, and draw. To go through your list:

1. Indeed. The iPad makes no sense for you as a primary device, and perhaps even secondary. From how you type, I'm kind of surprised you have one at all.
2. Possibly, but an iPad would be easier to operate and likely more reliable. Cheap Windows laptops are generally cheap for a reason, and it isn't because they're reliable workhorses.
3.1. As someone who got his degree in engineering, I always had access to labs with high-powered computers if I needed them, at any hour of the day or night. Everything else I did could have been done on an iPad - I frequently used it to take notes and do homework, for example.
3.2. If you're writing a paper with Word, probably not, but again, labs are generally available; libraries offer free computer time if you just can't afford both an iPad and a laptop (though if you can't, I question getting an iPad vs. a laptop if you really need a keyboard).

If they have need of a keyboard, mouse, or desktop OS, they definitely shouldn't go iPad only. If they don't, it's serviceable. But none of this addresses the people who want a device that is essentially both the iPad and a laptop combined, able to switch between both OSes and use both touch or mouse/keyboard. I suspect one of two outcomes: Apple will never build such a device, as it would go against their design philosophy and their profits; or they'll build a hybrid device many years down the line when multiple generations have grown up with touch OSes as their daily drivers.

 

[secretk]

Yeah I think iPadOS/iOS is very intuitive for a certain set of common tasks, which is what it was designed for. Once you start to go beyond that is when it starts to get muddled, like you said. And yeah some things like the gestures may just be a matter of personal preference.

Definitely. I personally had to read a lot and watch lots of YouTube videos to grasp the gestures and iOS in general. Now do have in mind that I bought my first ever iOS device in 2018 so I have not spend years working with them. And maybe this is why I find them less intuitive than say someone who have used them say since 2010.

I wonder how many people can as well. But going back to whether the majority WILL, I forgot to emphasize a major roadblock that I want to throw in, which is that non-tech enthusiasts probably don’t take much time to evaluate their own personal tech needs. That takes a degree of thought that most probably don’t care to do. So even if they know the iPads’ capabilities, they don’t necessarily know what THEY need, especially in the future. But they‘re pretty sure that a laptop will cover it. So again, they would need MAJOR motivation to go through that brain exercise. Again, significantly lower price would have been the ideal motivation, but yeah that didn’t work out.

This is a very good point. Non-tech people would not spend much time considering their options. They usually go the road they know. Now they might ask a friend who is tech savvy but in general we people are lazy. We do not like to change a lot of things in our life. It is like - if it works, don't change it. So I would assume not a lot of people would find the reason and motivation to go from one OS to a completely different one just like that. It takes way too much efforts to learn new things and after a certain age we are not very efficient with learning new things.

And I’m assuming the majority is unable or unwilling to have both a laptop and an iPad, which I think is probably the case, as you said. Otherwise, of course, they could have both and naturally over time find out which device is sufficient and ideal for all their needs and which device ends up sitting on a shelf for a year, or if both have a place.

Yes, but not everyone can afford having both unfortunately. Maybe the basic iPad and a mid range laptop. Problem then would be that the mid range laptop might have better sound and screen compared to the basic iPad so people would naturally fall into the laptop preference camp.

 

[secretk]

Indeed. The question is, why? If there's already a family of devices that do precisely what you need, is there a point in going for a different platform that doesn't have some key features just because it has an attractive form factor?

Exactly! We people are lazy creatures. We always try to achieve the biggest results with the least amount of efforts.

I'm referring to the power of the hardware and the available software, not the screen size or form factor. From your posts, it seems like you're trying to shoehorn the iPad into a niche it just doesn't quite fit, and you're (rightly) finding that you enjoy using your laptop more.

See I don't even see the power in hardware and software. It has great CPU but limiting RAM. The only case where I find my iPad more powerful than my laptop is when I use Lumafusion. I am sure that my laptop CPU is less powerful than A12X. However it is the threads count. My laptop has 8, the iPad has one. In the end I can run processes in the background on the laptop while doing something else and with the iPad I cannot. This makes me sitting and waiting doing nothing when working with an iPad and with laptops I do not even think about. In term of software - yes the iPad has some great software apps, but for what I use (Microsoft office) the laptop cousin wins in terms of software and especially integration. I work on Microsoft integration between OneNote, Outlook and Microsoft To Do. I have all those apps on my iPad but they do not integrate well.

And that's perfectly fine. No device need be all things to all people.


I think Apple is betting that for your average user (who is not you at all, mind), iPads *could* replace their computers, but they sell and will keep selling traditional machines because there are many people who prefer desktop OSes and form factors.

Yep and there are also a lot of people that would not want to go through the process of changing completely form factor and OS even if the new device could work for them.

Conversely, I enjoy using iPadOS and my iPad even sans Pencil, though I also use the Pencil extensively to sketch, write, and draw. To go through your list:

1. Indeed. The iPad makes no sense for you as a primary device, and perhaps even secondary. From how you type, I'm kind of surprised you have one at all.

It is the Pencil. I am visual learner. I love to highlight when reading books and to jot down ideas when I do brainstorming. I prefer the analog feel. However I ended up with huge amount of papers and I could never find a thing. I decided that with digital tool I can do all of that without creating a mess on my desk.

2. Possibly, but an iPad would be easier to operate and likely more reliable. Cheap Windows laptops are generally cheap for a reason, and it isn't because they're reliable workhorses.

Agree but so are iPads. Apps and tabs are crashing like crazy on my basic iPad. I had to restart it two days ago. Not to mention the backup process of an iOS device and iTunes on Windows - mess is understatement. I honestly do not see my average users parents ever understanding that process. For them the laptop is the easier option. Can they service it on their own? Nope but it is easier to find people that know how to service Windows machine in my country than iOS devices. Especially in the small town they live.

3.1. As someone who got his degree in engineering, I always had access to labs with high-powered computers if I needed them, at any hour of the day or night. Everything else I did could have been done on an iPad - I frequently used it to take notes and do homework, for example.

Yes, this is a good point. When I was studying, we had access to the computer labs but not during the night. Cloud services were also non existent. That being said I still like to be able to use those machines whenever I have an idea without having to go to the lab. My creative process works crazy night hours time and I want to be able to record the idea and test things within minutes.

3.2. If you're writing a paper with Word, probably not, but again, labs are generally available; libraries offer free computer time if you just can't afford both an iPad and a laptop (though if you can't, I question getting an iPad vs. a laptop if you really need a keyboard).

Yes it is doable, but not the best choice for me. I need the comfort of my own desk, having multiple monitors and less noise and movement around me. I can do it but this sort of studying could even affect my grades because I would not have the focus I need to achieve my best.

If they have need of a keyboard, mouse, or desktop OS, they definitely shouldn't go iPad only. If they don't, it's serviceable. But none of this addresses the people who want a device that is essentially both the iPad and a laptop combined, able to switch between both OSes and use both touch or mouse/keyboard. I suspect one of two outcomes: Apple will never build such a device, as it would go against their design philosophy and their profits; or they'll build a hybrid device many years down the line when multiple generations have grown up with touch OSes as their daily drivers.

Yes, I am one of those people that would love having a device that can be both a tablet and a laptop. The thing is for me touch is not an efficient input method. It is tiring for long usage (like 8 hours a day). It works great for leisure but not for professional use when you need 100 % efficiency. We need a machine that can work both with touch and mouse in a good way. Not sure when we can have this though.

 

[abhi182]

Ive posted something similar in the iPad as a laptop replacement thread. I have the ipad Pro 2018 11" and it holds a $445 trade in value still with Apple. I feel more and more for my needs that I find myself needing a physical keyboard attached to whatever I am using the most and having a desktop OS fits more of what I want from a daily device. I still feel like its limitng me (the iPad that is) as a student who works on Word, Outlook quite often and obviously uses YouTube, Hulu, etc frequently. I am not really bothered by something being on my lap while using and the MacBook Air does give me the option to connect to an external monitor a little easier from a desk setup. I've gotten into coding as more of a leisure, hobby thing than anything else at this moment so I feel like a laptop would be better suited for working with that.

Anyone else think Im crazy for considering trading the iPad Pro in now and picking up the base MBA M1? and pick up maybe an iPad Air later down the road as a more general use tablet. The iPad Pro may just be the best fit for me at this point and Im just kind of realzing it. Any outside input would be greatly apprecaited!

If I had to keep a single computing device, the M1 MBA >>> iPad Pro - no questions about that
Having said that, the ipP perfectly complements the MBA
And like many other responders on this thread, I seem to have found my sweet spot with these two together.

I don't say the part above lightly as am a little OCD about my computing devices - and as a recent example - I barely used my 2019 MBP TB because it felt a bit too heavy and hot..

However, 445USD is not a bad trade-in value and it may be worthwhile to just do a swap for now - and get the iPad Air later if you feel something is amiss

 

[subjonas]

It is like - if it works, don't change it.

Exactly. Why add a variable to your life if it’s not needed or wanted? ?

Maybe the basic iPad and a mid range laptop. Problem then would be that the mid range laptop might have better sound and screen compared to the basic iPad so people would naturally fall into the laptop preference camp.

Yeah true. Ideally all peripheral things would be equal, so the choice could be solely between the core traits.

 

[spiderman0616]

If I had to keep a single computing device, the M1 MBA >>> iPad Pro - no questions about that
Having said that, the ipP perfectly complements the MBA
And like many other responders on this thread, I seem to have found my sweet spot with these two together.

I don't say the part above lightly as am a little OCD about my computing devices - and as a recent example - I barely used my 2019 MBP TB because it felt a bit too heavy and hot..

However, 445USD is not a bad trade-in value and it may be worthwhile to just do a swap for now - and get the iPad Air later if you feel something is amiss

I'm the same way--I'm very nitpicky about workflow and redundancies in my hardware and software. Pre-M1, my thinking was, "Why would I ever need to own a Mac again when my iPad Pro does what I need without all the heat and fan noise? Plus, it has a touch screen and Apple Pencil support!" Post-M1, my thinking is, "Why do I need an iPad Pro if I have a Mac that has twice the battery life, better performance, and can run the iPad apps I use regularly anyway?" Loss of Pencil support and touch screen are not big negatives for me when all is said and done, as I wasn't using either of those things much anymore anyway.

 

[KittyKatta]

I agree that MacBooks cannot replace iPads. The question is how many people have the need to have Mac that replaces fully their iPad? I know more people that would like iPads to replace their Macbook than vice versa. Maybe it is just me though.

I’ve been thinking about it and I’m not sure. The “iPad computer” advantages used to be pretty clear. Battery, Weight, Speed and Apps. But the M1 MacBook really does seem to address all those categories. And then when you factor in price then i could see a lot people wondering why they are trying to replace a computer with a tablet.

$1349 - iPad Pro 12.9 + Magic Keyboard
$1349 - MacBook Air + iPad 8

Personally, I love the iPad so I would still go with a Pro11+MK. But for many others then I could see why they would see much more value in buying a Mac AND a basic iPad to just be a tablet.

 

[rss2193]

If I had to keep a single computing device, the M1 MBA >>> iPad Pro - no questions about that
Having said that, the ipP perfectly complements the MBA
And like many other responders on this thread, I seem to have found my sweet spot with these two together.

I don't say the part above lightly as am a little OCD about my computing devices - and as a recent example - I barely used my 2019 MBP TB because it felt a bit too heavy and hot..

However, 445USD is not a bad trade-in value and it may be worthwhile to just do a swap for now - and get the iPad Air later if you feel something is amiss

That was kind of my thought process. $445 USD is not a bad value right now to trade that in and make the swich for now. and I would agree, I think the iPad Air is more in my wheelhouse for tablet needs. the iPP is just slight overkill for me I feel.

 

[scupking]

With the new MBA the only iPad price wise that makes sense is the iPad 8. The standard iPad and MBA combo is a better option then a pro 12.9 with keyboard.

 

[burgman]

Since I got my M1 Air my 12.9 hasn’t been used, just sold it and picked up a used 2019 iPad Air to use until if/when an updated iPad mini drops.

 

[secretk]

I’ve been thinking about it and I’m not sure. The “iPad computer” advantages used to be pretty clear. Battery, Weight, Speed and Apps. But the M1 MacBook really does seem to address all those categories. And then when you factor in price then i could see a lot people wondering why they are trying to replace a computer with a tablet.

$1349 - iPad Pro 12.9 + Magic Keyboard
$1349 - MacBook Air + iPad 8

Personally, I love the iPad so I would still go with a Pro11+MK. But for many others then I could see why they would see much more value in buying a Mac AND a basic iPad to just be a tablet.

Makes sense. To be honest even before M1 chips I had kind of "Yes but" to all those categories:

1. Battery - yes better battery life, but less durability when it comes to using the device almost always plugged in. And this is how I use my laptop most of the time. Overall the iPads are less serviceable when it comes to battery issues compared to laptops. They have less cycles, you have to charge them more often, the charging cables are short and using an iPad while charging is more cumbersome than using a laptop while being plugged in.
2. Weight - yes but I don't spend a lot of time carrying around my iPad while walking. I use it either on a desk or in rare cases in bed. In bed I prefer to use the laptop because due to the bigger size and weight is more lappable than the iPad that I have to hold constantly.
3. Speed - yes but it cannot sustain high performance for long periods due to thermal issues. I find it hard finding apps and use cases that take advantage of this speed (excluding Lumafusion).
4. Apps - iOS does have a lot of apps, but most of them are not interesting enough. For a lot of apps you can't even try them out before paying for them. It is really difficult to find the app you want/need and there is a lot of fragmented user experience. I am sure that there are interesting apps, but for the average user like me I do not find them. I find more apps for my Windows laptop.

M1 however like you said gives us better battery life, comparable speed but sustains it for longer, you can run if you need apps on your MacBook though let's be honest I do not see Procreate on Macbook making sense. Or say Notability/GoodNotes/Nebo. I mean sure you can with your keyboard, but those apps shine with pencil usage.

I like my 11 inch iPad but this is because I like to read books on it and highlight and write notes. I also like to use my Pencil for brainstorming and handwriting. I also use it as a digital notebook as I am into digital planners. So this is why for me 11 inch iPad makes sense and fills in a need that a laptop cannot do no matter what.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

The iPad replaced my personal computer at home but could never replace the computer I use for work. Even a Mac isn’t good enough for that. I think the iPad Pro range has got a little out of hand in terms of pricing, but the are overkill for what I need at home to be honest.

 

[spiderman0616]

Makes sense. To be honest even before M1 chips I had kind of "Yes but" to all those categories:

1. Battery - yes better battery life, but less durability when it comes to using the device almost always plugged in. And this is how I use my laptop most of the time. Overall the iPads are less serviceable when it comes to battery issues compared to laptops. They have less cycles, you have to charge them more often, the charging cables are short and using an iPad while charging is more cumbersome than using a laptop while being plugged in.
2. Weight - yes but I don't spend a lot of time carrying around my iPad while walking. I use it either on a desk or in rare cases in bed. In bed I prefer to use the laptop because due to the bigger size and weight is more lappable than the iPad that I have to hold constantly.
3. Speed - yes but it cannot sustain high performance for long periods due to thermal issues. I find it hard finding apps and use cases that take advantage of this speed (excluding Lumafusion).
4. Apps - iOS does have a lot of apps, but most of them are not interesting enough. For a lot of apps you can't even try them out before paying for them. It is really difficult to find the app you want/need and there is a lot of fragmented user experience. I am sure that there are interesting apps, but for the average user like me I do not find them. I find more apps for my Windows laptop.

M1 however like you said gives us better battery life, comparable speed but sustains it for longer, you can run if you need apps on your MacBook though let's be honest I do not see Procreate on Macbook making sense. Or say Notability/GoodNotes/Nebo. I mean sure you can with your keyboard, but those apps shine with pencil usage.

I like my 11 inch iPad but this is because I like to read books on it and highlight and write notes. I also like to use my Pencil for brainstorming and handwriting. I also use it as a digital notebook as I am into digital planners. So this is why for me 11 inch iPad makes sense and fills in a need that a laptop cannot do no matter what.

Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo were two that I used a lot on iPadOS that really took advantage of the power and were tailor made for the Apple Pencil. The smart selection tools and masking would sometimes chug a tiny bit, but other than that, they were both great. Publisher still isn't available for iPadOS unfortunately.

But yes, like you said--almost every advantage the iPad Pro had over the Mac is now gone as far as I'm concerned. The iPad still has a nicer looking screen and the Pencil support. Both ended up being things I was willing to give up. If I got another iPad at this point, it would most likely be a mini with a gen 1 Pencil, but I might wait until the mini gets a major redesign and works with Pencil 2 (or 3!). I really really love the iPad, but the logic behind using it as my main computer got completely demolished when the M1 launched.

 

[secretk]

Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo were two that I used a lot on iPadOS that really took advantage of the power and were tailor made for the Apple Pencil. The smart selection tools and masking would sometimes chug a tiny bit, but other than that, they were both great. Publisher still isn't available for iPadOS unfortunately.

Good point. I have not used enough Affinity Photo to talk about it .

But yes, like you said--almost every advantage the iPad Pro had over the Mac is now gone as far as I'm concerned. The iPad still has a nicer looking screen and the Pencil support. Both ended up being things I was willing to give up. If I got another iPad at this point, it would most likely be a mini with a gen 1 Pencil, but I might wait until the mini gets a major redesign and works with Pencil 2 (or 3!). I really really love the iPad, but the logic behind using it as my main computer got completely demolished when the M1 launched.

My problem is that I do not like the 1st gen pencil that much. I would actually get wrist pain from using it. The surface of the second one is better.

 

[spiderman0616]

Good point. I have not used enough Affinity Photo to talk about it .

My problem is that I do not like the 1st gen pencil that much. I would actually get wrist pain from using it. The surface of the second one is better.

I owned both models, and my son has the 1st gen one for his base model iPad right now. The problem for me with the first gen was that if I was doing a big project in Designer, my hand would eventually get a little sweaty and then it would slide down the Pencil while I was working. The 2nd gen is way better as far as the textured surface, but also for charging, storage, weight, etc.

 

[The Game 161]

it's weird I'm loving my m1 air and use my iPad Pro 12.9 equally as much to my surprise...I have a use case for both macOS and iPadOS

 

[secretk]

I owned both models, and my son has the 1st gen one for his base model iPad right now. The problem for me with the first gen was that if I was doing a big project in Designer, my hand would eventually get a little sweaty and then it would slide down the Pencil while I was working. The 2nd gen is way better as far as the textured surface, but also for charging, storage, weight, etc.

Same here. The thing is that once I feel it sliding I grasp it even further and the pressure I was applying to stop it from sliding lead to wrist pain. I tried some case for the pencil but then it is too wide and uncomfortable to hold for another reason.