For myself, the problem is manual dexterity - I (and 7 million+ other Americans) have essential tremors so my fingers or a pencil work very poorly for detailed screen manipulation. So I still need a laptop and the iPad remains primarily a (very good) consumption device for me. I know I fall into the "Yeah, well you're a special case" category but I also find the combination of keyboard and finger-screen-interaction for significant amounts of work to be inefficient.
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What do you still need your laptop for?
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For myself, the problem is manual dexterity - I (and 7 million+ other Americans) have essential tremors so my fingers or a pencil work very poorly for detailed screen manipulation. So I still need a laptop and the iPad remains primarily a (very good) consumption device for me. I know I fall into the "Yeah, well you're a special case" category but I also find the combination of keyboard and finger-screen-interaction for significant amounts of work to be inefficient.
I agree the virtual trackpad is a very handy feature, and I use it frequently. It is especially helpful in locating the cursor when working on a detailed document. One downside however..... if you want to highlight words or sentences, I find it difficult to do so with the virtual trackpad. Sometimes, it works fine. Other times, I have to reach up to touch the text and move the “handle” with my finger on the text rather than use the virtual track pad.
This could all be on me.....user error. But, I find it fiddly. Perhaps someone has suggestions to help me be more consistent with this gesture; that is how to consistently highlight words or sentences using the virtual trackpad.
If you have an external keyboard, you can use opt-shift, and control-shift to highlight words and lines.
Speaking for myself, when using the ASK I think it sucks to have to keep reaching up to touch the screen to select or click on anything. A mouse would be much more convenient.
Yes, I have a separate keyboard Bluetooth that I use from time to time, but I was referring to the virtual trackpad which only operates when the virtual keyboard is active.....I.e. no physical keyboard.
I have found text selection is better with a physical keyboard. I think if you are using an iPad Pro as a laptop-type replacement, a physical keyboard is pretty much a requirement.
Yes, we knew that.
There's nothing to understand. If you don't need a mouse under certain circumstances, then you are good to go.
Yes, we know that too.
Not sure I understand the trend to force oneself to use an iPad and nothing else. Seems to me like you are letting technology dictate what you can and cannot do, instead of finding technology that enables you to do everything you want.
There are a number of things that an iPad is great for, besides consumption. Annotating PDFs, drawing, AR, all benefit from the form factor and touch-centric, simple interface. There are however countless scenarios where an iPad is a passable choice, but a real computer would be much better suited for it. Why suffer?
Personally I use my laptops for development, data analysis and modeling, ML, as well as video and music editing as a hobby. Just to list a few software applications: Xcode, Anaconda (with Python, Spyder, R, RStudio and countless packages/modules), etc. as well as Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro, with a variety of plug-ins, MS Office, and .NET. All well beyond iPad capacity. I do use it, primarily as a book reader though.
There are a number of things that an iPad is great for, besides consumption. Annotating PDFs, drawing, AR, all benefit from the form factor and touch-centric, simple interface. There are however countless scenarios where an iPad is a passable choice, but a real computer would be much better suited for it. Why suffer?
Personally I use my laptops for development, data analysis and modeling, ML, as well as video and music editing as a hobby. Just to list a few software applications: Xcode, Anaconda (with Python, Spyder, R, RStudio and countless packages/modules), etc. as well as Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro, with a variety of plug-ins, MS Office, and .NET. All well beyond iPad capacity. I do use it, primarily as a book reader though.
Are you sure about that? I’m using an external Bluetooth keyboard but touching that suggestion bar doesn’t do anything.
Not the suggestion bar, you have to do it in the text entry area and be active entering text (ie see the suggestion bar visible).
When you are entering text if you need to move the curser like a track pad you just tap with two fingers inside the text area and start moving both fingers around.)
Here I’ll show you quickly on the Tapatalk app. It works in any app where you are currently entering text. For rest of web pages etc it still works on the onscreen keyboard too. And we have option of keyboard shortcuts as well as someone pointed out. But this was to show in conjunction with a BT keyboard.
It started when "dear leader" stated that the iPad Pro was a notebook replacement. The faithful took that as a command.
It is a bit odd that some are letting the tool dictate the tasks.
Owning an iPad just for YouTube is kind of a waste of money... you should maybe sell it and use towards your next MBP upgrade.
Yeah well lightroom on OS X is still way more powerful, with the lens correction and auto straighten features and better raw processing options, presets etc. I do t get why really, the iPad has the power! I really hope adobe will bring all features over eventually.
Other than that the only thing I still need the MacBook for Is offloading data form professional video cameras on shoots. If these two things could be addressed somehow I would gladly sell my MacBook.
I really wish I could use Lightroom presets on the iPad. I realize filters like my Topaz filters that work in an external app aren't going to ever work. but I hold out hope a standard lightroom preset like Trey Ratcliff's preset pack will work someday.
I have the iPad 2017 (non Pro), so no ASK. I have the old Apple wireless Bluetooth keyboard. It’s light weight, pairs easily with the iPad and is a dream to type on. I also like using a separate keyboard so I am not stuck in one typing or viewing position. The only problem is that I don’t always have it with me, which is the nice thing about the ASK, since it is always on the iPad Pro and also serves as a screen cover.
I actually find using the virtual keyboard to be a pretty good option for light typing duties, which is most of what I do. The virtual trackpad and the new quick type keyboard have made it even better. I just need to get better with highlighting text using the virtual trackpad. If I have a significant amouint of typing to do, I agree that the physical keyboard is hard to beat, and I use mine a fair amount.....~1/4 of the time.
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It started when "dear leader" stated that the iPad Pro was a notebook replacement. The faithful took that as a command.
It is a bit odd that some are letting the tool dictate the tasks.
I agree with you. The term “laptop replacement” has been taken to mean that you will only use an iPad as a computing tool regardless of the task at hand. I think the lack of context related to the application or use scenario is what creates a lot of confusion.
For example, if I said: “my employer provides me with a computer for work, so I only need a simple solution for my personal computing needs, and an iPad will work just fine. In the past, I would have had to purchase a traditional laptop just to do routine personal stuff, so the iPad has replaced my need to own a laptop at home.”
Another example, if I said: “I used to carry a laptop on business trips because that was the only option, but now I have a desktop computer in the office and an iPad for travel and meetings. When mobile, my job only requires light content creation....basically notes, email, and some document edits. The iPad is perfect for this stuff, so it has replaced my need to have a laptop at work.”
So, if put in the proper context, an iPad can be a laptop replacement.
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And, if you think about it, isn't the bottom line that the iPad acts as a 21st century replacement replacement for your film camera (and dark room), your cassette Walkman, your typewriter and your fax machine, rather than your personal computer - even though your computer did, for 5 to 10 years, briefly serve as a pro tempore replacement?
Mind you, that, in my eyes, is the iPad's greatest achievement: the personal computer is a woefully inadequate substitute for the aforementioned traditional electronic and mechanical tools, easy to operate and lug around.
On the other hand it's great for... well, what computers have been for until Napster and the "digital hub" trend turned them into jacks of all trades and masters of none.
That would be: computing, mostly, for science, engineering and accounting.
In a such way, the iPad did more for the PC than the PC ever did for the iPad.
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Do the words "Gorilla Arm" and "travel distance" ring a bell?
On the other hand I thought you could use a mouse with your iPad:
Mostly for just one thing:
multi-display support.
Academic writing / university related work with just one 12.9 inch display - not possible for me. The iPad doesn't offer the option to connect external displays - my MacBook Pro does. As long as this is the fact, I can't see myself going all in for iPad. I like my iPad Pro 10.5 for light work, but at the moment its just not where I need it to be to act like a serious laptop replacement.
multi-display support.
Academic writing / university related work with just one 12.9 inch display - not possible for me. The iPad doesn't offer the option to connect external displays - my MacBook Pro does. As long as this is the fact, I can't see myself going all in for iPad. I like my iPad Pro 10.5 for light work, but at the moment its just not where I need it to be to act like a serious laptop replacement.
You can connect to external displays, via Adapter or wirelessly through Apple TV. A lot of schools and universities now have these on site from what I’ve seen.
But that support is severely restricted and impossible to have 2 different apps displayed simultaneously (one on each display).
Am curious why you choose to use an IPP as a digital notebook when your Surface Pro 4 could accomplish that as well?
Also, is it important for you that handwritten notes and annotations you take on the iPad can be accessed and further edited on your Windows machine? If so, what app/s do you use for this? Am aware OneNote is cross platform but wonder if you use this or something else?
I have a non-pro iPad and a stylus-equipped Windows 2-in-1. The main reasons I have not upgraded to an iPad Pro are 1) I'm not sure of any added value I would get from the Apple Pencil (which I would only really use for work-related tasks) given i already have a stylus on my work device (the Windows 2-in-1) and 2) I wonder if it would be a hassle to use and integrate stylus-related content on two different platforms.