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iPad Pro The iPad Pro + Magic Keyboard has basically replaced my Macbook—Anyone else doing the same?
- Thread starter omelet1978
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Yes, that I definitely plan to do since they lowered my trade-in value from $700 to ~$200 when they noticed my current MBP has “pixel smearing.” It’s just going to be a matter of whether I’m able to resist shiny new MBPs or not!
I don’t have a great track record in resisting shiny new Apple products…
I have a MBP (2017) that never gets used now. I use my IPP 12.9" and Windows desktop (34" ultra widescreen gaming rig) - the MBP feels like it's sort of between the two but is not better than either (at specific tasks) or do anything unique so why use it! It's like it's there 'just in case' but I do not know what that case isYes, that I definitely plan to do since they lowered my trade-in value from $700 to ~$200 when they noticed my current MBP has “pixel smearing.” It’s just going to be a matter of whether I’m able to resist shiny new MBPs or not!
Yes, been using 11” iPP and MK for a year. This is now being handed down to hubby and my 13”MBP went to my son. Eagerly waiting for my new 12” M1 iPP with white MK to replace the 11” iPP and 13” MBP.
iPadOS is not even close to be a Mac or Linux replacement.
- Even now it's not possible to show the mail headers in Apple Mail or have the debug menu in Safari.
- There is a well integrated Unix shell left. Something like iSH isn't a replacement. To slow and not integrated.
- It's impossible to run long term tasks in the background or when power off the display.
- It's impossible to set own keyboard shortcuts like in macOS for the apps
- It's impossible to set own gestures like with Better Touch Tool for the Trackpad
- There is no Xcode
- There are no real alternative Browser engines possible, like the one from Firefox and Chrome
- It's not possible to have enhanced settings for files, like using PDF, Image (Exif, IPTC) and Video metadata, settings for encoding Vidoes or extended render/export settings in Images and Videos for output best quality.
- Apple Files is a joke
iPadOS is great for users who doesn't do IT-related topcis (development, debugging) and who doesn't care about all the details when they use and create files. It's sad because form-factor of iPad is also great for developers. I like my Smart Keyboard on the iPad with this big external Trackpad, especially in environments with some dirt and pollens in the spring when sitting in the garden. Some pollens on the keyboard? Blast away and all is fine. No pollens under the keyboard
- Even now it's not possible to show the mail headers in Apple Mail or have the debug menu in Safari.
- There is a well integrated Unix shell left. Something like iSH isn't a replacement. To slow and not integrated.
- It's impossible to run long term tasks in the background or when power off the display.
- It's impossible to set own keyboard shortcuts like in macOS for the apps
- It's impossible to set own gestures like with Better Touch Tool for the Trackpad
- There is no Xcode
- There are no real alternative Browser engines possible, like the one from Firefox and Chrome
- It's not possible to have enhanced settings for files, like using PDF, Image (Exif, IPTC) and Video metadata, settings for encoding Vidoes or extended render/export settings in Images and Videos for output best quality.
- Apple Files is a joke
iPadOS is great for users who doesn't do IT-related topcis (development, debugging) and who doesn't care about all the details when they use and create files. It's sad because form-factor of iPad is also great for developers. I like my Smart Keyboard on the iPad with this big external Trackpad, especially in environments with some dirt and pollens in the spring when sitting in the garden. Some pollens on the keyboard? Blast away and all is fine. No pollens under the keyboard
I don’t think the iPad Pro will ever become a main developer device, if you work in web development or do any amount of coding you will need a macOS-capable computer. I was reading Craig Federighi’s testimony in the Apple v Epic trial, and it’s clear that Apple sees macOS as the operating system for the computer-literate, and iPadOS and iOS as the operating system for “everyman“ devices.
I get a lot of pleasure out of my iPad, I do nearly all my research, reading and connecting with fellow professionals on the device. But the main apps I use for that are Safari, Books, Mail and Twitter. So my use cases are not intensive.
I get a lot of pleasure out of my iPad, I do nearly all my research, reading and connecting with fellow professionals on the device. But the main apps I use for that are Safari, Books, Mail and Twitter. So my use cases are not intensive.
I'm in a similar boat. I currently have an iMac Pro and M1 MacBook Air. I'm considering replacing my M1 MBA with the new 12.9" iPad Pro.
The main reason is that I do quite a lot of photography, and the 12.9" iPad Pro seems like a perfect mobile photo editing option. I have edited on an 11" iPad Pro with the Apple Pencil in the past, and preferred that to editing on both my iMac Pro and M1 MBA. Having a larger and higher contrast screen along with an even faster chip would be amazing.
As I think about this, I'm wondering what (if anything) I would miss by giving up the M1 MacBook Air. I use it for pretty basic stuff:
And I still have the iMac Pro for anything that requires MacOS and more computing power.
Is there anything else I'm not considering that I should be?
The main reason is that I do quite a lot of photography, and the 12.9" iPad Pro seems like a perfect mobile photo editing option. I have edited on an 11" iPad Pro with the Apple Pencil in the past, and preferred that to editing on both my iMac Pro and M1 MBA. Having a larger and higher contrast screen along with an even faster chip would be amazing.
As I think about this, I'm wondering what (if anything) I would miss by giving up the M1 MacBook Air. I use it for pretty basic stuff:
- Web browsing (Brave/Safari) and email (Spark)
- Productivity (Asana, Things, Google Docs, Calendar, Roam Research, etc.)
- Watching videos, listening to music, etc.
And I still have the iMac Pro for anything that requires MacOS and more computing power.
Is there anything else I'm not considering that I should be?
This is why I’m tempted to buy the new bridge keyboard with the bigger trackpad and function keys. Then it will feel like a real laptop experience but with iOS.
I have a 2010 MacBook Pro I still use 5 days a week. It needs to be replaced soon. Just got a iPad pro 11 for a good price after trade in of my iPad 7th gen. I’m starting to think I should return it and go with the MacBook Air. The way I see it is I paid around 550 with tax for it. If I want a combo case it will be another 200. Then I would need an adaptor so I can plug in my speakers. In total it would be around 800 and still not as capable as a laptop. A MacBook Air that is much more capable comes with more storage, keyboard, bigger screen and I wouldn’t need adaptors all for under $700 after the trade in price.
Yeah.
I replaced my first gen iPad Pro 12.9 with an M1 iPad Pro 12.9.
In 2018 I had a work trip out of the country and decided that I was going to just bring my iPad. It was the first time I genuinely relied on my iPad. I bought a cheap, crappy keyboard case thing from Amazon and used my iPad for everything I would normally have used my MacBook Pro for.
Since then, I’ve never traveled with my MacBook Pro. During that entire 10 day trip, there wasn’t a single moment I felt like I wished I had my MacBook Pro. Even before that; my MacBook Pro had been living in the hotel room for working in the evening and my iPad been the thing that came with me to meetings or conferences.
My MacBook Pro spends the overwhelming majority of it’s life on a desk as a desktop replacement for photo and video editing. IF the software could catch up, my M1 iPad, which is much faster, would replace it entirely.
If the software doesn’t catch up (and I don’t think it will), I’ll eventually replace my MacBook Pro with an Apple Silicone Mac Mini. And then that’ll be my ‘computing strategy’, an iPad for portability, a Mac Mini for desktop workstation work.
I replaced my first gen iPad Pro 12.9 with an M1 iPad Pro 12.9.
In 2018 I had a work trip out of the country and decided that I was going to just bring my iPad. It was the first time I genuinely relied on my iPad. I bought a cheap, crappy keyboard case thing from Amazon and used my iPad for everything I would normally have used my MacBook Pro for.
Since then, I’ve never traveled with my MacBook Pro. During that entire 10 day trip, there wasn’t a single moment I felt like I wished I had my MacBook Pro. Even before that; my MacBook Pro had been living in the hotel room for working in the evening and my iPad been the thing that came with me to meetings or conferences.
My MacBook Pro spends the overwhelming majority of it’s life on a desk as a desktop replacement for photo and video editing. IF the software could catch up, my M1 iPad, which is much faster, would replace it entirely.
If the software doesn’t catch up (and I don’t think it will), I’ll eventually replace my MacBook Pro with an Apple Silicone Mac Mini. And then that’ll be my ‘computing strategy’, an iPad for portability, a Mac Mini for desktop workstation work.
This is helpful, thanks!
Do you ever use the iPad Pro with the case/keyboard in your lap? I often use my MacBook Air that way, and I've heard that the iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard doesn't balance very well in the lap.
Imagine someone cutting off the bottom of a MacBook Pro and then sticking your iPad to it.
Brydge - Docking Stations & Keyboards for iPad and Surface
Brydge - Docking Stations/Hubs & Premium keyboards for Apple iPad & Microsoft Surface Pro & Go.
www.brydge.com
It doesn’t. All the weight is at the top. Even with the weighted base of the Magic Keyboard.
So; I bought a Magic Keyboard with the M1 iPad Pro. Which means I’ve had it for a whole day, and that’s it. But yes, I’ve used it a lot during that time. Previously I had a cheap crappy Amazon one. I liked it because it was the only one I could find that let you use the iPad in portrait mode with the keyboard (handy for writing).
You definitely have to rest your wrists to keep it balanced. If you let go, it’ll topple. I’m typing this sitting on my back deck with the Magic Keyboard as we speak. It’s sitting on my lap, it’s definitely doable, but it’s not as well balanced as a MacBook Pro.
Great, thanks. Didn't realize "Brydge" was the brand, not a type of keyboard.Brydge - Docking Stations & Keyboards for iPad and Surface
Brydge - Docking Stations/Hubs & Premium keyboards for Apple iPad & Microsoft Surface Pro & Go.
Looks great. I just wonder about not having a trackpad.
Looks like the Brydge keyboard could be the solution to the "typing in the lap" problem, but sadly it doesn't have a trackpad. Not sure how much of an issue that would be.
I would find it really frustrating to not have a trackpad. Now that I have the Magic Keyboard with trackpad; I wouldn’t want to go back. I’d rather have the weight issue.
To be clear; it’s not at ALL that you can’t type in your lap (I’m quite literally doing that right now!), it’s just not quite as comfortable as one might be used to. It’s really not a big deal, IMHO, just something to get used to.
I use the trackpad for gestures constantly. Like scrolling around webpages or scrolling around the OS. It’s really intuitive and, well, Phil Schiller was partially right; it’s what you naturally want to do rather than touching the screen. (Partially right because I’m about to hit the ‘post reply’ button with my grubby index finger instead of navigating the cursor on the touchpad. Screw you, Phil.)
Yeah, I'd probably miss the trackpad when I'm using a keyboard with the iPad. That's different than, say, photo editing with the iPad using the Apple Pencil. I think I'll go with the Magic Keyboard to start and see how that works. Thanks.
Brydge MAX+ for iPad Pro
Wireless keyboard with multi-touch trackpad for iPad Pro. Featuring a Magnetic SnapFit case and Bluetooth wireless technology.
www.brydge.co.uk
might be the best keyboard option I would say for the iPad.
Awesome! They made one with a trackpad! That's what I'll get.Brydge MAX+ for iPad Pro
Wireless keyboard with multi-touch trackpad for iPad Pro. Featuring a Magnetic SnapFit case and Bluetooth wireless technology.
might be the best keyboard option I would say for the iPad.
Nothing replaces a true file system, e.g., Mac, Windows, Linux. But it matters what you use it for.
Yeah, I'd be worried about that if I didn't have an iMac Pro as well. But for just mobile computing, I don't think I'll miss it. Most of the files I work on these days are in Google Drive, Dropbox, or iCloud Drive. My photos are stored in the cloud with Lightroom CC. All of these are easily accessible on the iPad Pro of course.
I really like the solid construction. Almost returned it because of the trackpad but after an update seems to work very very well. I’ll admit it’s a little heavy to be carrying around but easily detachable.
There's a few things I need a legacy computer for. Most RPG virtual tabletops suck donkeys but they're even worse (as in, barely functional) on mobile/iPad. So, it's boot up the Mac mini or the ancient PC laptop and get it up and running.
Other than that....
Other than that....