iPad Why did you choose an iPad rather than a Laptop?

[sird28]

I think in the end the iPad is just fun to use.... M1 MacBook's are fantastic devices I had a M1 MacBook Air (Base) and really having nothing negative to say about it. But for my work situation I was basically using it like a iPad already....

So iPad are right now like 80-90% there for most users for a "laptop style" usage and a killer tablet. It is so fun to use mouse and keyboard and then just pull the screen off and use a tablet. That hybrid ability is game changing, it feels like the future of computing, while the MacBook's are really really good laptops, but they are just that laptops....

Obviously if you use heavy programs like Final Cut for example then a MacBook is a necessity, but for a everyday user I just think the hybrid device of the iPad is good enough in laptop area, fantastic tablet, and just fun to use put it ahead of the M1 MacBook's for me.

I'm currently using 256 GB Space Gray 11 inch iPad Pro M1. I think the 11 inch is the perfect hybrid device small laptop feeling with great tablet experience. I think the 13 is a way better laptop replacement, but makes kind of a crappy tablet due to its size.

I think the surface did have the design right in the end, but it was just a really bad tablet, with bad software and no apps at all, so in the windows world a tablet doesn't make any sense at all, so just buy a laptop because its what Windows is good at.

 

[sird28]

double post sorry

 

[muzzy996]

When I purchased my iPP 12.9 (2017) it was to serve as a means for me to take important reference data with me to meetings with clients and to take notes during those meetings. It served that purpose well; I'd use OneDrive with my Windows machine at the office (Laptop Workstation) to share data with the iPad and I'd use Notability for note taking, PDFing my notes and saving them to OneDrive. For me the convenience of a tablet form factor trumped that of a laptop since I much preferred being able to take hand dictations or annotate with the pencil over using the keyboard. I'm a civil engineer/project manager, so in my meetings I'll typically annotate PDF drawings in real time in front of client/team members as we collaborate. In some ways it is easier to do that using a pencil than it is on a laptop with mouse/keyboard, in others its not (like taking quantities where full blown PDF tools with ability to scale/measure are better on a laptop/PC).

Then came the pandemic and meeting format has shifted to virtual platforms. My iPad Pro is now just a media consumption device for me. I use it daily and still love it but I can no longer justify buying new iPad Pro models until I'm fully back to pre-covid workflows.

 

[Cheffy Dave]

I would appreciate some input from guy/gals that use an iPad/Tablet for actual work, rather than just consuming media. My equipment has always been a desktop for power use and a laptop on the go. That said, I have owned the original iPad and another - a mini or some such that I still have. They were/are great for consuming as I said, to pass the time in a hotel room or doctor's office, but I never found a use other than that.

It seems to me that the purchase of, say, an iPad pro with a keyboard and a stand just gives you an ersatz laptop, with nowhere near the capability of an MB Air. Or does it? If you use a slab instead of a laptop for actual work, I would like to know why you chose one over the other.

I own an Airport Shuttle business,and use my 12.9 M1 iPAD Pro to run it, keeping track of Customers, calls
( it’s Cellular) schedules, plane arrivals/departures, gas, miles logged, drivers whereabouts, and service records, 8 cars.
Before that did the same thing with a 2018 12.9 iPad Pro. Upgraded for the M1 Chip, 16 GB RAM, and 2TB SSD. Banking / checking is VERY fast on the iPad Pro vs my 2013 MBA
I also am an avid Photographer,Photo editing is better on an iPP, with Affinity Photo, and use Scrivner for my Cookbook.
Then of course, there is media consumption. So far this iPP is keeping up with this 73 year old

 

[fallotdark]

my reason is really easy

because it has goodnotes

if a chair could run goodnotes,i would buy a chair instead of an ipad

 

[UH8183]

I would love to live in a world where I had just an iMac + iPad + iPhone. The iMac would be for desktop productivity and multi-tasking intensive work. iPad would be for reviewing/marking-up documents and taking notes. An ideal on-the-go device for light productivity. In this scenario, I would only use the iPad in tablet form (maybe with a pencil or simple stylus), without bulky keyboard or trackpad, so I never tried to turn it into something it is not. Then iPadOS would be the perfect OS because it is designed for touch based tablet use. I would be like those star fleet officers that carry around a light tablet and then use the onboard starship computer for their computations in the astrometric lab. With the help of Seven of Nine....of course. Yes, I would use the iPad simply and as God and Steve Jobs intended..... as a third type of device that sits between a computer and a smartphone.

Well, that's my dream anyway. Unfortunately, I still need to have an MBA for those occasions when I need to be productive and do multi-tasking tasks away from my desk. Alas.

That's my world. M1 Mini, Small Iphone SE2 and on Monday the Ipad 8th gen cellular. PC laptop will be going on sale as soon as the Ipad is set up.

I really like a desktop set up, so the Ipad is a good companion.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I was only using a personal laptop for surfing the web so back in 2013 I ditched it for an iPad. Never looked back really as it’s much easier to handle in the evenings when sitting on a sofa in front of the TV.

I couldn’t do documents on an iPad though which is why I don’t, as it’s a frustrating experience. I leave that to my works laptop as any documents I ever create are for work anyway.

 

[Slartibart]

The only difficult part I find using Affinity on iPad is font management.

I switched to the free Fontcase and xFont (also bought iFont, but at the end I prefer Fontcase and xFont) which make fonts systemwide available. You still have to install a profile, but Fontcase and xFont accumulate the fonts in a single one. (iFont does one for each font which has advantages when you want to remove a font fast from the system).

 

[iHorseHead]

That's why

 

[ericwn]

The iPad Pro is not meant to replace my Intel MacBook Pro, but my older iPad Pro.

And the M1 MBP is a downgrade over my Intel MBP as 4 ports is actually not even enough. 2 ports is unacceptable for me.

So if I upgrade my Intel MBP, it will be the new 14” or the 16”.

This discussion however is for those who indeed have replaced or chosen an iPad over a MacBook.

 

[ericwn]

my reason is really easy

because it has goodnotes

if a chair could run goodnotes,i would buy a chair instead of an ipad

Wasn’t there a goodnotes client for macOS?

 

[The Game 161]

Gone back to 12.9 as stuff I used my Mac for I can do on the iPad with better display, refresh rate and apps I use on my iPhone. Plus good to have that cellular option.

 

[Traverse]

For me it was because the iPad offered the greatest overall versatility to my overall setup since I have a Mac desktop. If I could only have one device, it would be a MacBook without question. However, I really like the iMac + iPad Pro combo.

The iPad's form factor lends itself to be superior to the Mac for many uses cases (marking up PDFs, reading, drawing, recorded "smart board" in the classroom, etc.) The iPadOS ecosystem also has some really fantastic apps that just don't exist for the Mac. From productivity apps to just simple thinks like an actual Netflix app that lets you download off-line.

However, I would always want a macOS machine available.

 

[boogiedout]

I work social services, have a desk computer. thats work…everything else i could ever imagine needing to do on a computer at home i do on the ipad (air3). It’s the perfect commuting device for the Everyman. I dont programme??‍♂️
i do photo and video editing for a YouTube show without any hiccups, i surf, YouTube, watch tv, email, writing with pages…there’s nothing i cant do and its so much more versatile than a laptop or a desk top, id never go back

 

[WorldIRC]

My goal is to move from a Macbook Pro only setup to a Mac Mini + iPad Pro setup. My iPad Pro will hopefully become my portable / remote use device. Just waiting on the next gen Mac Minis to ensure my home setup is sufficient for my needs (i run 2x 4K monitors at home and need at least 16GB ram due to virtualization).

 

[SigEp265]

I switched to the free Fontcase and xFont (also bought iFont, but at the end I prefer Fontcase and xFont) which make fonts systemwide available. You still have to install a profile, but Fontcase and xFont accumulate the fonts in a single one. (iFont does one for each font which has advantages when you want to remove a font fast from the system).

thanks for the tip!

 

[darngooddesign]

I switched to the free Fontcase and xFont (also bought iFont, but at the end I prefer Fontcase and xFont) which make fonts systemwide available. You still have to install a profile, but Fontcase and xFont accumulate the fonts in a single one. (iFont does one for each font which has advantages when you want to remove a font fast from the system).

Since you've used both, will you give us a quick comparison between Fontcase and xFont from a users point of view.

 

[leperry]

I have both. The iPad actually fills a HUGE role in my workflow. Procreate is a game changer and allows me to create custom designs for photo panels, mugs, T-shirts, etc. I’ve never been a traditional graphic designer. My designs and artwork comes from my drawing with my hand, not with manipulating vector lines in Illustrator. So being able to create digital art in Procreate is a necessity. However, I do know how to work my way around inDesign for my day job, which is why I have a MacBook. I know Affinity is working on a desktop publisher for the iPad. If this works out, I could completely ditch my laptop and go iPad-only. inDesign and file management are really the only two reasons why I have a laptop, and it’s annoying that I really only have two reasons to keep a laptop…

 

[Abazigal]

I find that the ipad is great for presentations and note-taking overall. Which is still a large part of my work.

I think that at the end of the day, my decision tree for what device to use for which task still boils down to this graph here. The nature of much of my work still falls squarely in the pink ipad zone. It’s not so complex that I cannot get it done on an ipad, and I find I am faster unlocking my ipad and accessing certain files for reference comparing to a conventional PC.

 

[subjonas]

I require and have both the Mac and iPad for different uses, but since 6 years ago, I’ve chosen the 12.9” iPad as my main personal productivity device. It’s the only device I take with me in my bag to coffee shops, and short trips, etc., so it is many times my only device (besides my iPhone). I use it pretty much exclusively as a productivity tool—supplemental for work and primary for personal productivity. It’s been extremely useful, the best solution for me, and overall it’s done the job well. That said, at least about 75% of the time I do find it a compromise to varying degrees (usually low), because 75 is the percentage of time I use it with a keyboard. It makes sense because it wasn’t designed for the keyboard, while the Mac was. And though for the most part it’s adequate, it’s at those times that I would prefer a MacBook not only for the dedicated keyboard form factor but for dedicated productivity, which macOS was designed for. But 20% of the time, I absolutely need to use the pencil, which a MacBook cannot do at all, so the pencil is the real reason I have an iPad instead of a MacBook. And I require the large 12.9” screen for pencil work, so having a MacBook + small iPad combination is unfortunately not an option for me. And having both a 12.9” iPad and MacBook Air is too much functional overlap for me—also I’m unwilling to carry two large devices in my on-the-go bag as of now—so I just accept and manage the limitations of the iPad, but thankfully it is with minimal frustration. But besides the pencil, I also enjoy the iPad’s other advantages, like its lightness without the keyboard, and the ease and simplicity of ipadOS.

FYI- the remaining 5% of the time, I use the iPad by itself without any peripherals, mainly to read PDFs in portrait orientation and occasionally to present the screen to someone at work while on my feet (both of those uses are also much better with the larger screen), but those are more added conveniences for me, not absolute necessities. I don’t really use it for “traditional” tablet use. For that I prefer an iPad mini.

 

[kristalsoldier]

I would appreciate some input from guy/gals that use an iPad/Tablet for actual work, rather than just consuming media. My equipment has always been a desktop for power use and a laptop on the go. That said, I have owned the original iPad and another - a mini or some such that I still have. They were/are great for consuming as I said, to pass the time in a hotel room or doctor's office, but I never found a use other than that.

It seems to me that the purchase of, say, an iPad pro with a keyboard and a stand just gives you an ersatz laptop, with nowhere near the capability of an MB Air. Or does it? If you use a slab instead of a laptop for actual work, I would like to know why you chose one over the other.

I use an iPad Pro (11”, 2020), for work. I also use Thinkpad for work. I also use a SG21U for work. And, I use all three for non-work purposes.

 

[Madchemic39]

It is lighter, suits me more as day to day.

 

[Slartibart]

Since you've used both, will you give us a quick comparison between Fontcase and xFont from a users point of view.

xFont gives you easy access to Google’s free fonts catalog - approx. 950 different fonts at the Moment. Preview, download&install, management, discovering or search - quite comfortable.

Any other font - e.g. fonts I bought or downloaded from sites like dafont.com I install with Fontcase.

As of iPadOS 14.7 the whole process of installing fonts is quite quirky - these apps ease the whole process as far as currently possible. They generate a profile which you then have to install via system preferences to make the font(s) system wide available to e.g. the Affinity apps, Pages, Keynote, etc.. So you need probably 3 different apps to install a font(s) of you choice: your browser/file manager app to download, one of these font apps to generate a profile for the font(s), system preferences to install that profile.


nota bene: if you have the need to “manage” fonts, in the sense of ”activating/deactivating” a particular font style or a whole family - closest to that comes iFont, highly recommended. But for just installing any given font Fontcase - or xFont for Google’s free fonts - does the job.

 

[Mainsail]

I find that the ipad is great for presentations and note-taking overall. Which is still a large part of my work.

I think that at the end of the day, my decision tree for what device to use for which task still boils down to this graph here. The nature of much of my work still falls squarely in the pink ipad zone. It’s not so complex that I cannot get it done on an ipad, and I find I am faster unlocking my ipad and accessing certain files for reference comparing to a conventional PC.

Great chart and an interesting way of looking at device use. Task duration was a big part of the work environment for me. In particular, before I retired, it was not uncommon for me to spend a few hours at a time on spreadsheets, presentations, and other documents. So, the thing about this chart is that it can leave the impression that the colored area represents the amount of device use for work. When in fact, as you move to the right, the activity takes up a large portion of your work day and activities. Also, as you move up the chart you gain complexity, which is often associated with the more difficult and sometimes critical tasks. In other words, the size of the shaded region does not really indicate much about how effective an iPad is for work. I still like the chart, but a quick glance at the shaded area might give the wrong impression.

 

[kp98077]

I tried using my 12.9 iPad with my work dell laptop but just too much bulk for travel. So now thinking of 11 Pro... but file wiles, there's no comparison to the Mac...