iPad Pro Will you buy another iPad or go laptop?

[Sensamic]

I'm selling my iPad Pro M1 11 inches after getting a great deal. I wasn't really thinking of selling it, since I'm extremely happy with it with the MK alongside.

But with the money I'll get back I'm now thinking which route to go next: new iPad Pro 11 or 12.9 with M3 or a MBA M2/M3. I have an iMac as my main medicine, but sometimes I want a more desktop OS experience, although when I'm in the couch a touch screen is the best experience.

Curious to hear what others are planning to do after their current iPad expires (whether selling it and upgrade or it breaks).

 

[rui no onna]

I have monthly AC+ so if my M1 iPP breaks down, I'll just get it "repaired".

With that said, I have multiple laptops at my disposal. Frankly though, I barely use any of them. The only time they get out of the bag is when I travel and don't have access to my desktop.

 

[sparksd]

I'd get a new iPad Pro and also have a laptop.

 

[Iwavvns]

I’ve been researching the iPad line lately, and it looks like that line will allow me to do everything I want. I’m leaning more toward an iPad Pro, but I want to wait and see what 2024 will bring to the iPad line.

 

[Isengardtom]

iMac + iPad is a great combo in my experience

Personally I really dislike laptops so the chance of Apple selling me a MacBook is 0

 

[sracer]

iMac + iPad is a great combo in my experience

Personally I really dislike laptops so the chance of Apple selling me a MacBook is 0

I had that combo for ages... I had the iMac set up with remote desktop so that when I was out and about with my iPad and needed to do Mac OS-type stuff, I'd remote into the iMac from the iPad. That worked well.

Now the "dynamic duo" is a base M2 Mac Mini and a base 9th gen iPad. This combo with accessories cost about the same as a base Macbook Air (and more flexible).

 

[Abazigal]

I'm selling my iPad Pro M1 11 inches after getting a great deal. I wasn't really thinking of selling it, since I'm extremely happy with it with the MK alongside.

But with the money I'll get back I'm now thinking which route to go next: new iPad Pro 11 or 12.9 with M3 or a MBA M2/M3. I have an iMac as my main medicine, but sometimes I want a more desktop OS experience, although when I'm in the couch a touch screen is the best experience.

Curious to hear what others are planning to do after their current iPad expires (whether selling it and upgrade or it breaks).

I am still holding on to my 2018 iPad Pro because it's still going strong and the newer models don't feel like they add enough of an upgrade. I do use my iPad daily for teaching in the classroom, and for a large amount of my work and leisure. So I will definitely be getting another iPad, just waiting for either my current ipad to finally kick the bucket (I did have its battery replaced this year as it was swelling), or Apple finally releases one that I feel is worth getting (and even I don't know what I want in a new iPad, because my current one is really good enough for me).

 

[Greenmeenie]

For me? ALWAYS iPad. I ditched my laptop back in 2018 when I bought my first iPad Pro. It does everything my laptop did and more. I know it’s not for everyone, but I will never get another laptop again.

 

[dasjati]

I will probably get another iPad, but not an iPad Pro and likely not even an iPad Air.

I love my M1 11” iPP. It’s the most versatile and flexible computer I’ve ever owned. But I do most work on a Mac and the many subtle differences between how things work on a Mac vs how they work on an iPad add too much friction to use them together.

I still appreciate the iPad as a device for reading and watching stuff. And I can totally see how people use it as their main computing device. But it’s just not for me.

So desktop Mac plus laptop Mac will be my future and when my iPP falls apart, I will see if I get whatever is the base iPad then.

 

[JustAnExpat]

For me, they are different tools, for different purposes.

Laptop:
- Main computer.
- Runs emulated games (that I legally own).
- Runs VMs.
- Has a complex file system allowing drag and drop, complex folders structures to be created, etc.
- Can have multiple windows open

iPad:
- Secondary machine
- Can be used as an external display for the laptop.
- Can be used to hand edit documents. I *NEED* a pencil in my hand to see mistakes when I write. I use a knockoff paper like screen protector on it.
- Can be used easily when I travel

I'm using a base iPad 8.

 

[Iwavvns]

For me, they are different tools, for different purposes.

Laptop:
- Can have multiple windows open

it looks to me like the new iPads with Stage Manager can do that now as well. At least, that is what I am seeing in review videos, I haven’t tried it myself yet.

 

[JustAnExpat]

it looks to me like the new iPads with Stage Manager can do that now as well. At least, that is what I am seeing in review videos, I haven’t tried it myself yet.

Using Stage Manager requires an M1 or M2 chip (for some reason). I tried using Stage Manager on my MacBook Air, but it just doesn't work for me. I don't know if it's different for the iPad or not.

 

[Iwavvns]

Using Stage Manager requires an M1 or M2 chip (for some reason). I tried using Stage Manager on my MacBook Air, but it just doesn't work for me. I don't know if it's different for the iPad or not.

Why would any MacBook need stage manager? On MacBooks you can already have multiple windows on screen and resize them, which is what stage manager on iPads does. Or, am I misunderstanding what stage manager is?

 

[JustAnExpat]

Why would any MacBook need stage manager? On MacBooks you can already have multiple windows on screen and resize them, which is what stage manager on iPads does. Or, am I misunderstanding what stage manager is?

I don't know why MacBooks (and other machines) have Stage Manager, but it exist for the M1 and up machines. Go to Settings/ Desktop & Dock if you want to enable it. Here's some information about it on Macs. https://support.apple.com/en-us/102355

 

[Iwavvns]

I don't know why MacBooks (and other machines) have Stage Manager, but it exist for the M1 and up machines. Go to Settings/ Desktop & Dock if you want to enable it. Here's some information about it on Macs. https://support.apple.com/en-us/102355

Thank you for that link, it appears stage manager does do more than I thought it did. I wonder if at some point Apple is simply going to discontinue the MacBook line and replace it with the iPad Pro line. iPadOS and macOS keep getting closer and closer to each other as far as feature sets.

 

[JustAnExpat]

Thank you for that link, it appears stage manager does do more than I thought it did. I wonder if at some point Apple is simply going to discontinue the MacBook line and replace it with the iPad Pro line. iPadOS and macOS keep getting closer and closer to each other as far as feature sets.

Unless they radically change how iPod OS operates, I can't see them discontinuing the MacBook line (besides, how would users be able to make new programs?). Apple has discontinued successful product lines before, like the Apple 2 and the iPod.

 

[iPadified]

This is how I see it: should I choose a screwdriver or a hammer as my only tool...Joke aside: At work I need both, at home I need an iPad. User demands differs widely between people so chose the combo that works for you.

 

[leifp]

I suppose, to answer this question, I need to ignore this question. IF they release a MBPro with cellular connectivity, I might be in the market for a laptop to replace my iPad. Much more likely, however is that I will be replacing my laptop with a desktop when the time comes (my M1Max remains more powerful than I require). When it comes time to replace the iPad, I may just end up consolidating my phone and tablet (sticking with the phone, unless I have my druthers, which would be against Apple’s income stream preferences, so I feel I know how that wind blows…)

in short: probably not.

 

[Any name]

I’ve been researching the iPad line lately, and it looks like that line will allow me to do everything I want. I’m leaning more toward an iPad Pro, but I want to wait and see what 2024 will bring to the iPad line.

Don’t get fooled. I also thought I could compose documents on an iPad but the device is a pain in the ass.
I still have a use for it, though

 

[Iwavvns]

Don’t get fooled. I also thought I could compose documents on an iPad but the device is a pain in the ass.
I still have a use for it, though

I currently have an iPad 9th generation and I compose documents (Pages, Numbers, Notes) with dictation, I hardly ever touch the keyboard. Just tap the microphone icon and start talking. It seems to work fine on this iPad, so I’m assuming it will work the same or better on an iPad Pro.

 

[JustAnExpat]

I suppose, to answer this question, I need to ignore this question. IF they release a MBPro with cellular connectivity, I might be in the market for a laptop to replace my iPad. Much more likely, however is that I will be replacing my laptop with a desktop when the time comes (my M1Max remains more powerful than I require). When it comes time to replace the iPad, I may just end up consolidating my phone and tablet (sticking with the phone, unless I have my druthers, which would be against Apple’s income stream preferences, so I feel I know how that wind blows…)

in short: probably not.

I'm curious, what advantage would a MBPro with cellular connectivity give that connecting the computer to an iPhone (or another cell phone) to the internet?

 

[Abazigal]

I'm curious, what advantage would a MBPro with cellular connectivity give that connecting the computer to an iPhone (or another cell phone) to the internet?

I don’t need to hotspot my phone to my laptop (and potentially drain its battery life even more quickly), I guess.

 

[Ctrlos]

I 'replaced' my work iPad Pro with a Chromebook. I just needed something to run my blog from and ChromeOS does the job admirably. The latest Google updates make it look incredibly slick. I wasn't comfortable doing it on my work portable as its probably against the rules.

That said I do miss the iPad experience. Given my space bar has just knackered I might send the Cbook back and get an older 7th/8th base iPad instead.

 

[sracer]

This is how I see it: should I choose a screwdriver or a hammer as my only tool...Joke aside: At work I need both, at home I need an iPad. User demands differs widely between people so chose the combo that works for you.

ANYONE can be a master carpenter if they have a garage full of woodworking tools. But it takes a true wood craftsman to do woodworking with only a handsaw, hammer, and flat-head screwdriver. Chisels?! In the hands of a wood wizard, a screwdriver is just as good. 😂🤣😂

I completely agree with you. For years I had been on the search for that holy grail... a converged device that equally worked well as a desktop computer and a mobile tablet. There have been a few devices that came so very close, but none hit the mark. Then I stopped searching.

One interesting result is that by distributing tasks and workflows across the tools best suited, I don't need the top shelf models of each.

 

[klasma]

I never had a real need for a laptop (in the sense of a mobile desktop system), and given the poor ergonomics I also wouldn’t want one. (I did own laptops over the years, but didn’t use them much.) I use a desktop setup with large monitor and ergonomic keyboard, and iPads for video conferencing, recreational browsing, media consumption, and for apps you’d also use on your iPhone. Real work and productivity requires the desktop setup. They complement each other.