iPad Pro Will you buy another iPad or go laptop?

[MBAir2010]

seems to me that the word "replacement" is a uncertain phrase for our ecosystem.

this December I have used the MacBook air less than ever since 2005.
since the Mac mini does all my graphic design projects while drawing on the iPad is a must.
I was typing on the mini via a monitor this month of course sitting be hind a desk is more efficient and faster
while all this year I toted a MacBook around the house in several place to type for different scenes and emotions.

if I had to keep or use only 1 device, I guess the MacBook Air since that does everything and on the go.
hopefully this scenario never happens.

 

[Heindijs]

iPad for convenience. Pickup and use everywhere. Pretty much only for webbrowsing and watching series.
Macbook Pro for work on the go. I don't know how I'd use my iPad as a replacement.

I only like 13inch Macbooks because any bigger and they start replacing my desktop

 

[Username-already-in-use]

Both, but they are on different upgrade cycles since my iPad is from 2021 and my MBP is 2023.

 

[rui no onna]

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?

Convenience.

Imagine how annoying it would be not having data on your phone and having to connect to a mobile hotspot every time you need internet.

If tethering via wifi, you’d be draining your phone battery a lot quicker.

 

[bwilh3lm]

I bough my wife the M1 Macbook air when it was on sale but the screen somehow managed to get a hairline crack. We aren't even sure how. So now its useless without a external display. Apple wants $500 to fix it, which is more than half the cost of what I paid for it.

I have a iPad Pro M1 and I love it. With a keyboard and pencil there isn't really that much difference between it and a laptop other than OS. Also the iPad screens are a lot sturdier IMO, especially if you use it in conjunction with a screen protector.

 

[darngooddesign]

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).

Im not sure why you would get rid on an iPad which you enjoy using just to have MacOS for the times that you don't want to use your iMac. Why don't you use your iPad to Remote Desktop into your iMac?

Personally I'm always going to have an iPad because it's my least necessary but most used device.

 

[kc9hzn]

I’m in an odd position myself. For a while (due to financial limitations and Windows dependencies in a prior job), I’ve been using an iPhone for personal stuff and a Windows laptop for work. I have my Mac mini once more, but it’s a 2012 model.

In the meanwhile, I’ve purchased an e-ink Android tablet that does reasonably well for notetaking and is brilliant as an ebook reader. And I’ve been deliberately taking efforts to reduce my smartphone usage, and I now have a corporate issued laptop mostly for work from home (I rarely need to travel for work). My old laptop is now delegated to personal tasks that require a desktop or specifically a Windows machine (such as Sonic Stage for my Hi-MD player, but it also serves as my only DVD player currently).

I’ve given some thought to buying an Apple Silicon Mac mini now that I’ve upgraded my phone. I’m not 100% sure what I’d use it for (though it would be nice to be able to archive older data in my OmniFocus database again, and I could probably find other tasks). I’m also tempted to buy an iPad and slap the Smart Keyboard Cover on it (probably don’t need the Magic Keyboard since work has issued that new laptop to me). An iPad’s bigger viewing screen would be nice for some of the things I currently do on my phone (such as creating multipage PDFs from scanned documents), plus it would be great for some productivity tasks and for stuff where handwriting is nice but e-ink isn’t fast enough (oh, and the on-device handwriting recognition is great). I probably don’t need the iPad Pro anymore, so I’d probably just go with the iPad Air.

What I don’t see myself doing is buying a MacBook. I just don’t need macOS on the go, that’s all there is to it. Honestly, I could live without buying a new Mac mini or iPad, but there might still be some utility in them.

 

[Timpetus]

For me, my iPads are only a second screen for displaying lead sheets when I play with my band and watching video on the go when I can't hold my phone close enough to my eyes. There's a reason I'm still using an iPad 4 and an iPad Air 2, but my MBP is an M1 Max 14" - it is the device for which I require actual power, as I do real work with it. It's still nice and portable, so I find the iPad barely ever comes out of my backpack. For me, iPads are too much of a middle ground - less portable than my phone, because too large to fit in my pocket, but far less powerful and flexible than my MBP.

 

[NastyMatt]

I will be buying another iPad - hopefully the Pro coming out next year will be a decent bump in spec.

I currently have an IPP, MBA and Windows desktop. The MBA is used the least - probably never opened unless for some work thing that won’t work on the iPad due to security restrictions (at work). I use the IPP for a LOT of what I do. I also game a fair bit so will have a Windows gaming rig for the foreseeable future too.

The IPP is just sooo versatile - I just can’t see me not having one.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

I test drove the latest Pro/Mini iPads for weeks and concluded that I so much prefer Mac OS that my ancient, slow iPad Air will continue to suffice for tablet needs. I will look at the 2024 iPad offerings, but either of my two MBPs (2016 and M2) are by far my preferred devices.

 

[nmart1214]

If you can swing it, get a cheaper iPad like an iPad 10/Air and a MacBook. I use my iPad 10 for college classes and as a third monitor for my Mac setup, and all my trivial stuff that needs to be open sits on the iPad screen(rendering screens, finder tabs, music controls, etc.)

 

[geta]

13” MBA + Mini 6 are great combo, each device have its usage and they complement each other perfectly.

 

[muzzy996]

Both for me, in multiple sizes as well. I jump between an iPad Mini, Surface Pro 9, Dell Precision laptop and a custom built PC depending upon what I am doing and where. I much rather have choices on what tools to use when than compromise in some way for the sake of device reduction.

 

[joeblow7777]

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.

For me, it's the last 2 points for laptops that make it so that I don't see an iPad ever fully replacing one for me. iPadOS is just too limited and sandboxed. If I want to do something as simple as attach a file to an email from my iPad, the file has to be on a cloud service or in an app that my preferred email app recognizes and works with. Sometimes I even have to do it the opposite way and open the file in its app and "export" it to my mail app. On a laptop, I can simply attach any file from anywhere on my computer. Bottom line is that as much as I love my iPad for numerous tasks, there are some things that are very straightforward on a laptop that require convoluted workarounds on an iPad.

 

[Zest28]

For me, it's the last 2 points for laptops that make it so that I don't see an iPad ever fully replacing one for me. iPadOS is just too limited and sandboxed. If I want to do something as simple as attach a file to an email from my iPad, the file has to be on a cloud service or in an app that my preferred email app recognizes and works with. Sometimes I even have to do it the opposite way and open the file in its app and "export" it to my mail app. On a laptop, I can simply attach any file from anywhere on my computer. Bottom line is that as much as I love my iPad for numerous tasks, there are some things that are very straightforward on a laptop that require convoluted workarounds on an iPad.

What do you mean? On the iPad you can attach any file that is stored anywhere. Even if the file is stored on a Mac, you can attach it to your emails on the iPad.

And there is no work around, you just click add attachment in the mail app and navigate to your Mac where the file is and done. And this also works with files that are directly on the iPad (doesn’t need to be in an app), NAS drives and cloud services.

 

[stanza.richi]

I’ve got a late 2013 MacBook Pro Retina and a 2018 iPad Pro 12.9”. Both of them are still sufficient for my needs and I’m not planning on upgrade both early (upgraded iPhone last year and Apple Watch this tear). For sure I use more my iPad than my MacBook, but my MacBook is older and may be the next in the future.

 

[Global_traveler]

When my iPad Pro dies, and I’m expecting that in a few months, I’ll get the coming 2024 iPad Air, to be used as a monitor for a Mac Mini. Luna Display allows you to control your Mac apps using the ipad screen. You don’t even need a hard connection at home, as it connects via your WiFi. At the local coffee shop, it’s a USBC cable. I can plug the Mini in there, or use my Rav Power battery, as it has a standard 3-prong outlet. Saw this on YT and the guy claimed 3-4 hours of run time.

 

[WC7]

Likely will buy a 'regular' iPad ... since I am doing more easy chair 'work'!

Had the iPad Pro but don't think I need the pro model anymore. My desktop is the iMac.

 

[The Game 161]

I will always rock an iPad Pro and MacBook. Two different use cases which works test

 

[Lesimac]

After having several iPads have gone back to laptops because at least you can replace a laptop battery for now at least and at some expense. at lest i can then get 7 or 8y from a MacBook. so Apple cut the **** about caring for the environment when you filling it up with 4y old iPads solely because can't change battery's and screens cost 2/3 the price of a new one.

 

[Siliconguy]

They are different tools for different jobs for me. The base 9th generation iPad works really well for watching things and look ups, the laptop is for more serious work and is more secure on the lap than the iPad and keyboard combo and has better connection capability too.

My one attempt to use a spreadsheet on a touch screen did not go well. The ability to precisely insert a parenthesis into the middle of an equation may have improved since then, but I doubt it.

 

[phrehdd]

I used a 2015 MBP for years. Later, I went back to a Mac Mini and got the M1 512/16. An amazing lil’ machine. However, it didn’t fulfill my needs so I ended up with a Studio Max. Truthfully, I do miss the MBP quite a bit. I had also an iPad Pro 12.x model and a keyboard. As I recently moved and have to re-arrange things to set up my computer station, I opted to use the iPad akin to a laptop. I still like the iPad for art, but it is no where near the experience of a laptop or desktop (for me). My ideal would be likely an M2 or M3 MBP with 1 terabyte drive and 48-64 gigs of RAM If I did not have my M1 Studio Max 1terabyte/64gigs. The iPad doesn’t come close.

 

[darngooddesign]

When my iPad Pro dies, and I’m expecting that in a few months, I’ll get the coming 2024 iPad Air, to be used as a monitor for a Mac Mini. Luna Display allows you to control your Mac apps using the ipad screen. You don’t even need a hard connection at home, as it connects via your WiFi. At the local coffee shop, it’s a USBC cable. I can plug the Mini in there, or use my Rav Power battery, as it has a standard 3-prong outlet. Saw this on YT and the guy claimed 3-4 hours of run time.

Last time I checked if you are using your Mac mini in headless mode you have to enable automatic login without a password.

 

[thmsnt]

I just picked up a new 14 inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro a few weeks ago. I was using a 12.9 inch iPad Pro M2 for the previous 6 months, but ultimately the annoyances/bugs of iPadOS made me go back to the MacBook. BTW, if anybody is interested in a near-mint condition white Magic Keyboard for an iPad Pro 12.9 lemme know 😂

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Cellular iPad mini 9 or 10 is an immediate buy... about the time the 6 reaches end of useful life. These double as my phone (buds for calls, VOIP app for the telephony) so it is as essential to me as iPhone is to most other Apple people.

The big 3 for me is desktop, laptop and iPad. However, my next generation may be laptop (doubling as desktop in a dock) and iPad... and I'm hoping Vision Pro delivers a fantastic virtual laptop screen which MIGHT lead to me wanting only the bottom half of a laptop linking through a dock to a desktop monitor at home and VPro when on the road.