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iPad The iPad is not a computer replacement

I think some people posting here should seriously look into the definition of what a computer is before they have any opinion and express it.

As other has expressed here and elsewhere, the tasks requiring computing varies greatly and that is reflecting on the device designed for the task. There are many tasks a Mac is completely unsuitable for: embedded system, supercomputing, portable computing.

Perhaps these kind threads belong in the Mac forums instead of the iPad forums?
 
Analog Kid said:
Everybody is so up in arms about what a computer is that they completely missed this: they opened and are using their mom's birthday gift... :oops:
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I got it used. A 6th gen iPad that included an Apple Pencil and a case that I thoroughly cleaned and set up for her before laying it on the kitchen table for her to see when she wakes up.

I didn’t buy a brand new iPad and use it before giving it to her :eek:
 
As long as I can't get uBlock Origin on the iPad, it'll never be able to replace my computer.
Browsing the web without an ad blocker isn't a tolerable experience to me.
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Mainsail said:
I would agree that an iPad is best at consumption type activities.
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I don't even agree with that basic assessment.

Consumption of what?
Videos? Well, there we have the minor issue of aspect ratio and the major issue of file management.
Photographs? Yeah, probably.
Music? Yeah, the Pro is really good at that.
Websites? Forget about it without a good ad block.
Comics? Probably better than any other device.
Books? Second only e-ink devices.
Textbooks? Real winner here.
 
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“iPad doesn’t work for me, therefore it must be an inferior product. I am right and everyone else is wrong.”
 
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The Samurai said:
Not to be rude but as I am older with vast experience than any of you, I can confirm the iPad is not a computer. If you try and argue, you will simply fail.
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I'm old, just a hair short of 50 years of experience (49) in s/w, h/w, and large systems development. It is a computer. What do you define a computer as?
 
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I still think a Mac (Desktop) + iPad is a great combo for a lot of people. When you have serious work to do, nothing beats a full sized desktop rig at your office or in your den. When mobile, I prefer a mobile operating system with touch interface For lighter productivity tasks.

There are exception; college students should probably have a good laptop. They do a lot of content creation away from their dorm rooms. Consultants might be another good exception.
 
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nickdalzell1 said:
Tab discards still happen on iPadOS 13. Try opening two tabs to Reddit or Youtube. Switch between them and they instantly refresh themselves and lose whatever place you're on and go back to the top of the page.
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Are you on iPadOS 13.2? iPadOS 13.3 should've fixed any memory problems.
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TomOSeven said:
Browsing the web without an ad blocker isn't a tolerable experience to me.
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Use a browser with a built-in ad blocker.
 
I work in IT, my elderly neighbor has a laptop that is constantly needing my attention becasue she doesn't understand how to use it or how it works. I don't mind, it is what neighbors do. I did suggest that since all she is doing is light photo editing, e-mail, banking, shopping, etc, that rather than get another laptop when the time comes, she should get an iPad and try that out for a little while.

Paired with a bluetoth keyboard for typing I think would be the perfect laptop replacement for her. I would suggest the same thing to my mother who also struggles with Computer use.
 
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even iOS 13 on my iPhone 6S doesn't stop tab discarding. If you have more than two open (say 4 or 8) it happens all the time. Only workaround I got is using separate browsers as separate windows and not doing the 'tab' thing. I really have never been interested in tabbed browsing even in the early days because back then tabs would 'crash' all the time.

Only real way to stop tab discarding entirely is to disable javascript. But that of course will break most sites today.
 
"Desktop site" isn't guaranteed since it's ultimately the web server that decides what content to deliver depending on your browser user agent. Selecting "desktop site" in mobile browser only slightly changes the browser's user agent. Even if the web server delivers the desktop site, Safari on iPadOS/iOS still isn't a full desktop class browser. The only real desktop class browsers are on desktop OS like Linux, BSD, Windows, MacOS, ChromeOS, etc. Chrome on Android is a close second then Safari on iPadOS/iOS.
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ggibson913 said:
I work in IT, my elderly neighbor has a laptop that is constantly needing my attention becasue she doesn't understand how to use it or how it works. I don't mind, it is what neighbors do. I did suggest that since all she is doing is light photo editing, e-mail, banking, shopping, etc, that rather than get another laptop when the time comes, she should get an iPad and try that out for a little while.

Paired with a bluetoth keyboard for typing I think would be the perfect laptop replacement for her. I would suggest the same thing to my mother who also struggles with Computer use.
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Only issue is a lot web sites still require a desktop class browser so they don't render properly in Safari on iPadOS/iOS. Better choice is a Chromebook that has full desktop class browser, has built in proper keyboard and is usually less expensive than iPad+keyboard combo. The seniors I help have also been burnt by Apple's design for obsolescence since Apple bundles Safari update with OS update so once the device stops receiving updates, Safari usually stops working for sites that require updated browser and Safari can't be updated separately via Apple App Store. For that reason, laptop/desktop with local admin rights removed or Chromebook are better options.
 
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ggibson913 said:
I work in IT, my elderly neighbor has a laptop that is constantly needing my attention becasue she doesn't understand how to use it or how it works. I don't mind, it is what neighbors do. I did suggest that since all she is doing is light photo editing, e-mail, banking, shopping, etc, that rather than get another laptop when the time comes, she should get an iPad and try that out for a little while.

Paired with a bluetoth keyboard for typing I think would be the perfect laptop replacement for her. I would suggest the same thing to my mother who also struggles with Computer use.
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My 93 year-old mother (RIP) was given an iPad and she took right to it. She was just doing simple things of course but this was a woman who had never used a computer of any kind prior to that. She was living in a retirement home and needed very minimal assistance on it - if any at all - when we visited.
 
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Just found a trick I never noticed before. For full desktop sites you can go to settings--Safari--Advanced--Request desktop site--always and it seems to make mobile sites go away.

I really miss though how you could just modify an URL to force desktop or mobile by including the "m" before the full URL. Example: Desktop YouTube = https://www.youtube.com Mobile Youtube = https://m.youtube.com

Then sites started to redirect to mobile automatically. I guess because they have to cater to the stupid majority users who can't figure out URLs. I'm glad I pre-dated the internet and actually read computer manuals.

My grandmom is 91. She used to have a laptop running Windows Vista (she was using Windows 98 in 2006!) and she sadly fell for every single "you've won!" advert that'd show up as a banner and got it filled with viruses which made me have to come and wipe and reinstall her OS every month or two (thankfully she had no apps/data to worry about losing--she only uses it for Facebook)

She finally upgraded to a Windows 10 PC and while she still falls for those ads, Windows Defender thankfully has stopped the viruses. She has a smartphone (was forced to--she was using a 2003 Samsung SGH-x427 flip phone from Cingular's era; stopped working when AT&T killed GPRS/GSM 2G) but hates it. Can't unlock it, can't figure out how to access camera or answer a call. Heaven forbid laptops stop existing into the future.

If you only use a tablet or iPad for say YouTube or games or Facebook (which is about all I use mine for since there's ZERO chance of it ever replacing a Mac or Win10 PC) it's fine. IF you actually need work done a laptop has no equal in a tablet.

I'm old fashioned despite my young age though, but tablets for me are for media consumption as Steve once said about the iPad 1. I also see smartphones as convergence devices, replacing things like remote controls, cameras, flashlights, etc in one device. I will never feel inclined to strain my eyes watching TV or doing whatever folks do on those Zack Morris style bricks that have become the new normal.
 
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The Samurai said:
Not to be rude but as I am older with vast experience than any of you, I can confirm the iPad is not a computer. If you try and argue, you will simply fail.
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Age is not a guarantee of wisdom and efficiency.

iPad can be a good alternative to people with different needs and workflows. Just because it doesn’t work for some does not mean it doesn’t work for others.

People should just use what works best for them and leave it at that. This argument about the definition of a ”computer” is pointless.
 
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danniexi said:
People should just use what works best for them and leave it at that. This argument about the definition of a ”computer” is pointless.
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Indeed. Which, in my view, is precisely why Apple dreamt up "What's a computer?" in the first place - to get people thinking. I wonder if they realised the amount of frothing it would cause among the PC overclocking brigade. I think they probably did 🤩
 
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