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Analog Kid

macrumors G3
Mar 4, 2003
9,351
12,579
Can I ask what is it that it does better than a laptop?

My thoughts are...

1. watch a movie or TV show as it's more portable and easier to handle.
2. touch style games or games that take advantage of a gyroscope or whatever it's called.
3. more handy overall

Personally, I prefer using a computer for everything except number 1 as I don't play mobile games very often.

I use a computer for a lot of document writing and serious code development tasks. If I need a keyboard, I tend to use my MBP. I have a keyboard for my iPad, but mostly use it when I only want to carry one thing (or on an airplane where I put the 16" in overhead and use the smaller iPad on the tray table).



The iPad is much better for note taking. Typing notes is ok, but it doesn't serve the purpose of embedding those notes in my memory like writing them long hand does. Plus I can much more easily include sketches, arrows, write in the margins, write things in non-linear time order etc. I can write math directly without having to distract my brain with esoteric LaTeX notation. I can select and reorder stuff, change colors, underline, emphasize, circle, cross out... All the stuff we used to do on paper but lost when we got forced to keyboards and mice.

I use my iPad for document review and markup. It's a much more tangible experience to be able to view a whole page in portrait and point the pencil exactly where I want to draw a circle, and scribble notes. It's back to the paper workflow that I always preferred, but digital.

I can sketch and illustrate. I'm not an artist, but drawings are an easier way to convey information in most cases and not everything can be easily drawn using squares, triangles and circles and the trackpad makes a horrible stylus. I can quickly scribble my crappy little drawings and cut and paste them into a document or just as easily select and cut from the iPad and paste into the Mac.

I do use my iPad sometimes to run Jupyter notebooks through Juno (I can't recommend that application enough!). I have text editors and a Git client (Working Copy, also excellent). I generally prefer to do development tasks on a bigger screen, but there are times I intentionally move to my iPad and keyboard because the change of context and single app paradigm sometimes helps me focus. I keep a development folder sync'd to my Mac via iCloud that makes it easy to switch back and forth. I can terminal into remote machines when needed.

I run Logic on it, which is remarkably capable-- it replaces my pedalboard, amp, effects and DAW. This is another place where touch is a much more natural interface-- adjusting knobs, cutting and mixing, etc. I also have Logic on my Mac, but never use it there. It's not convenient to interact with when holding or standing behind an instrument. It also captures MIDI nicely. I'm not a professional musician, mind you, so I'm not sitting down and doing hardcore sound engineering and mastering.

I'll use AnyTune to slow down tracks to learn. Again, I don't need a desk and keyboard, I want to scroll through a song, set some loop marks, adjust the playback speed, and play along.

Kids love it when I open the virtual instruments on screen and they can hit all the drums or stab at the piano. I'm much more comfortable with them slapping away at my solid, rigid iPad than I would be them hitting a Macbook in the same way.

I include it in my camera bag every time I go out. I have it bluetooth connected to my Nikon Z8 so it's constantly providing GPS coordinates and time to the images and downloading copies of each for review on a larger display than the one on the camera. This saves my phone battery and gives me a much better screen to look at. I can look at the shots I've taken and if I'm stopped for lunch or something, edit them in Affinity Photo.

Yes, it's an excellent media consumption device. I think you're selling it a bit short with a focus on "touch" games. I'm not a big gamer, but I do have a few that I enjoy and have a Xbox controller paired with it. That makes for a very portable console setup.

When I'm mobile and only carrying my iPad, I rely on it for browsing, email, messaging, maps, etc. When I have my iPad and laptop, it makes an excellent, portable, second display.


All of those things are better on the iPad than they would be carrying a Mac around.
 
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Isengardtom

macrumors 65816
Feb 14, 2009
1,339
2,179
I agree with you. There's a reason why the iPad is a more popular tablet than the Surface Pro. While there's certainly improvements that can be made to iPadOS, a desktop/laptop OS isn't necessarily the best fit for a tablet.
The vast majority want to install Mac programs on their iPad and that’s the main reason I see for this push for MacOS to the iPad.

This something Apple can allow through iPadOS
 

smoking monkey

macrumors 68020
Mar 5, 2008
2,362
1,508
I HUNGER
Yes, it's an excellent media consumption device.
Those are some good examples. Thanks for explaining in detail. Appreciate it.

I think you're selling it a bit short with a focus on "touch" games.
To clarify: I didn't say my list was definite, but that it was my list and what I find the iPad better for. I was looking for things that I couldn't think of and you've helped out in that regard.

Interesting. My workflow is 180 to yours and everything is basically better for me on a computer. I need screen real estate for my key apps along with my GPTs to run along with them side by side. Or I need a midjourney window open along with keynote and a few open folders.
 

iPadified

macrumors 68020
Apr 25, 2017
2,014
2,250
More like a feedback loop. They made iPad as a glorified iPhone initially for a couple years, now everyone accepts iPad being a glorified iPhone. Keyboard, mouse and Apple Pencil are added much later and expensive, so this glorified iPhone doesn’t really pick up steam in terms of replacing Mac or become a good Mac substitute.
Maybe people actually like the large iPhone resemblance and do not have more advanced tasks to do than the iPad can deliver. Pencil is part of touch interface especially for creatives while keyboard a mouse is not. Sometimes also iPad users need to write lots of text like a report. Then it is good to use a keyboard. I think the keyboard/trackpad are for those who like the big iPhone user interface but sometimes need to write much text. It is not an indicator for macOS on iPad.
 

meDANOcine

macrumors regular
Sep 18, 2014
100
116
I expect my M4 iPad use will be nearly identical to my M1 iPad use:
1. Notetaking/markup
2. Reading
3. Watching videos while flying
4. Casual web browsing
5. Virtual desktop for work when traveling or in meetings

The 13" iPad is an extremely capable device. I do wish certain apps had feature parity with desktop versions (looking at you Adobe and Microsoft) but I also understand that developers have to build apps that work with the iPad mini all the way up to the iPad Pro. Having used my iPad as a virtual desktop for years I can also say how frustrating the experience is to use a touch-first device with desktop apps. I respect the work that developers are doing to make apps with a new interface, I just wish the iPad versions of certain apps weren't missing critical features.
 

Neil J. Squillante

macrumors regular
Jun 18, 2017
111
154
New York, NY
I have several webpages that don’t properly fit, if you hold it in landscape and soon in, then out then the webpage doesn’t seem to fit the screen, this is using full screen. it seems to have issues when I click buttons in webpages too? I don’t have a keyboard attached to mine and I think that’s half the problem.

This observation could (or should) unite the two camps. Many productivity apps don't run well in Safari on the iPad even with the Magic Keyboard. Ideally, all major products would have an iPad app (like Notion) but most don't. If just one important app doesn't run in Safari, you cannot use the iPad as even a travel machine let alone your main machine. Safari is the biggest problem but many other holes exist large and small.

I'm sure most here have run Sidecar at least once. It's usable but you can also see why Apple would not want even the large iPad Pro to boot into macOS. Instead, how about making macOS an app you can download? It would look like Sidecar with some functions as part of the interface. The emulation would be native. Apple could make it M4 iPad Pro only and sell it similar to Final Cut Pro and Logic. I would pay for that and also get the 2 TB 13-inch iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard.
 

Shirasaki

macrumors P6
May 16, 2015
16,249
11,745
Maybe people actually like the large iPhone resemblance and do not have more advanced tasks to do than the iPad can deliver. Pencil is part of touch interface especially for creatives while keyboard a mouse is not. Sometimes also iPad users need to write lots of text like a report. Then it is good to use a keyboard. I think the keyboard/trackpad are for those who like the big iPhone user interface but sometimes need to write much text. It is not an indicator for macOS on iPad.
Whilst it is not an indicator for macOS on iPad, lots of people have been complaining lackluster iPadOS and express their discontent of iPad still being a glorified iPhone, and subsequently wants more From iPad and iPad Pro specifically. iPadOS may not need to be macOS (terminal support, *nix support etc) but it can’t be iOS forever either. Only those people working in basically Apple endorsed industry can leverage Apple Silicon the Apple (aka best) way. Everyone else utilises varying degree of performance. Obviously not everyone need to buy iPad Pro, but what iPadOS deliver is very underwhelming for that iPad Pro asking price.
 

hagjohn

macrumors 68000
Aug 27, 2006
1,861
3,669
Pennsylvania
I agree with you. There's a reason why the iPad is a more popular tablet than the Surface Pro. While there's certainly improvements that can be made to iPadOS, a desktop/laptop OS isn't necessarily the best fit for a tablet.
The question is what is the iPad mainly being used for and what is the Surface Pro mainly being used for.
 
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joeblow7777

macrumors 604
Sep 7, 2010
7,185
9,028
The question is what is the iPad mainly being used for and what is the Surface Pro mainly being used for.
In my experience and observations, the Surface Pro is used almost exclusively as a laptop. iPads are sometimes used as laptop replacements, but are generally used for more casual tasks.
 

sparksd

macrumors G3
Jun 7, 2015
9,962
33,953
Seattle WA
In my experience and observations, the Surface Pro is used almost exclusively as a laptop. iPads are sometimes used as laptop replacements, but are generally used for more casual tasks.

I have a 16GB i7 SP7 and use it almost exclusively as a laptop. I don't find Windows on a tablet to be all that great of an experience and likely will not purchase another 2-in-1 - I'll go with a traditional laptop.
 

joeblow7777

macrumors 604
Sep 7, 2010
7,185
9,028
I have a 16GB i7 SP7 and use it almost exclusively as a laptop. I don't find Windows on a tablet to be all that great of an experience and likely will not purchase another 2-in-1 - I'll go with a traditional laptop.
Exactly my point. I really like the Surface Pro as a concept, but I bought a Surface Laptop instead.
 

alecgold

macrumors 65816
Oct 11, 2007
1,489
1,044
NLD
Mine fell to about 90% within a year and now it‘s at 84% but it‘s been stuck there for a full year now. In truth a battery at 84% is already used up and the battery life is horrible but I have had it since release and Apple themselves say that batteries are consumables and should be replaced eventually. It‘s been 3 years yet Apple won‘t service the iPad. My experience is nothing out of the ordinary.

You might find your iPad remaining at 83% until after AC+ expires. You can extend the coverage of course but then you are just giving Apple more money without any guarantee they‘ll replace the battery with AC+. I don‘t ever buy AC+ for the iPads either as the AC+ price is above 10% of the device cost which makes it a very costly insurance.
I do ac+ on everything and certainly on my IPP’s as they travel with me daily. And as I get the 1Tb 5G version, it gets rather expensive. so the €159 for my 11” that is costing almost €3000 incl accessories… is a rather good deal!

I don’t want to believe about the batteries and Apples behaviour, but I don’t dare to say it is not true 😢
 

swelliott

macrumors newbie
May 12, 2024
8
41
A few years ago, I set out to rewrite the first app I released to the App Store (original release: August 2008). After a bit of consideration, I realized that this could be done competently using only iOS/iPadOS devices for every task in the effort.

Using Swift Playgrounds, I rewrote and modernized old code using Swift/SwiftUI. Working Copy (truly excellent, as mentioned elsewhere in this thread) served as my interface to GitHub. Files moved bits and pieces around, and Pixelmator enabled visual comps to be constructed. San Fransymbols (also excellent) enabled SF Symbols lookup and enhanced previews. App Store Connect was the worst part of the workflow, though I just used Apple’s web interface most of the time for this task (just as I do on the Mac). TestFlight distributed builds to my development devices, and lastly Translate helped me with initial drafts for localization needs.

All of these tools are readily available on the iPad, and for very reasonable costs (or often just for free). My physical hardware is a M1 iPad Pro 11, along with a Magic Keyboard and a Magic Mouse (less occasionally used).

10+ hour portable battery life, seamless WiFi/5G connectivity, an excellent screen, a very good-feeling keyboard, and a good old mechanical trackpad ‘click’ make development on this ~2lb/1kg device a joy (as much as app engineering/development can be called a ‘joy’). I consider the 11 Pro with a Magic Keyboard the best portable device Apple has ever produced.

I began the effort a few years ago with the question ‘Can I really use this tool to make and maintain a mature, production-quality app?’

The answer turned out to be ‘yes’. Created by iOS, for iOS. A journey that’s come full circle.

Edit: To directly answer the thread’s original question - I’m going to be doing more of all of this
 
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Analog Kid

macrumors G3
Mar 4, 2003
9,351
12,579
Interesting. My workflow is 180 to yours and everything is basically better for me on a computer. I need screen real estate for my key apps along with my GPTs to run along with them side by side. Or I need a midjourney window open along with keynote and a few open folders.
Yeah, those are the kinds of things I use a laptop or desktop for. The question though was what the iPad is better at— it doesn’t do everything, and really can’t. Not because of the OS, but because designing it to excel at the types of things it does means it’s not designed to be as good at other things.
 
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Onimusha370

macrumors 65816
Aug 25, 2010
1,036
1,499
Play RE4R until the cows come home :)

I've bought the 256gb so I'm really hoping that 8GB is enough and I don't need to get the 1TB/16GB to get the most out of games
 
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