I’m a operations manager for a employment agency and part time law student.
I use it as my computer. Docked to one of my monitors and stage manager is always on. Most of my work is browser based and all of my other work is in writing in pages.
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iPad as a laptop replacement
- Thread starter Omar Comin' Yo
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I use it as my computer. Docked to one of my monitors and stage manager is always on. Most of my work is browser based and all of my other work is in writing in pages.
In jest, but has anyone else noticed the iPad main device people seem to be more frustrated than Mac users? Just putting that out there 😅
For the example that started this: "I have hope that the M3 will be so good in the graphics that it will be able to drive my 4K 27”/32” displays and charge and have lots of apps open/active and not overheat. both the M1 and M2 stop charging at 80% (and sometimes even below that) because they are too hot.
So IMHO/ with my use the iPP M1 and M2 are not powerful enough yet…"
It sounds like they need a Mac (or laptop) more than anything else. If both the OS and the hardware are holding them back, the answer is clearly an iPad and a laptop, not just an iPad.
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Not enough activity in the thread for you, or you just get bored and decide to go fishing again? What is it this time t_h? Trout, Salmon, or your very favorite, the rare and elusive Blow-hard fish?
What is it with these fishing guys? It's either not enough worms, or just too many darn flies distracting them.
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This is what I mean. I don't know where the aggression is coming from.
i think I made a pretty decent point to be honest. That poster needs things from an iPad that even the M2 iPad Pro from a hardware standpoint can't do. Therefore the iPad probably isn't a good laptop replacement for them. They probably need a laptop/desktop alongside it.
What's amazing, is that there are so many iPad users here that are happy with their devices and have very successfully done what the title of this thread asks, but people just can't acknowledge that. Seems they are the frustrated one's who can't get that kind of use out of the iPad, and just can't live with the thought that other people can easily do so.
Envy and jealousy are such strong emotions. Throw in a little boredom, and watch out.
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What's amazing, is that there are so many iPad users here that are happy with their devices and have very successfully done what the title of this thread asks, but you just can't acknowledge that. Seems you are the frustrated one who can't get that kind of use out of the iPad, and just can't live with the thought that other people can easily do so.
Envy and jealousy are such strong emotions. Throw in a little boredom, and watch out. View attachment 2364709
Why should every post talk about how your favourite setup is the best? This thread is here to discuss the idea of iPad as a laptop replacement, not for everyone to parrot your opinion.
Are you confusing me with someone else? I just can't reconcile the energy you're coming at me with, with the content of my posts.
Anyway, I'm not going to recommend that someone who clearly states that the M2 iPad Pro is not powerful enough for their use case, use an iPad as their primary computer.
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Why should every post talk about how bad people think the iPad sucks as a laptop replacement? The thread is also here to discuss the success of those who have. To use your words, "not for everyone to parrot your opinion". It seems that every time someone who posts their iPad success story, someone thinks it's their job to be the "Great iPad Detractor".
Anyway, I can live with the fact and accept that there are many who can't replace their laptops with an iPad. Can others live with the fact and accept that there are many who can? I am not nearly the only poster in this thread, or even on this forum who has.
BTW...It's not an opinion that many people can, just like it's not an opinion that many people can't. And then, there are many somewhere in between. They are all fact....Not opinion.
Neither am I.
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Why would you even bother trying to make the case I think this way? Again, are you confusing me with someone else?
Then you're either confusing me with someone, or you are so zealous about the iPad that you think anyone who doesn't share your opinion is automatically your opponent in some kind of iPad war. Which is a truly bizarre way to look at things.
Why wouldn't I be able to? Do you even read people's posts, or do you just filter everything into a) iPad good and b) iPad bad, and that's all you're capable of seeing?
Just for sake of clarity, here is the original posters inquiry that started this thread.
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It's a sticky in the iPad section. This is getting truly unhinged.
I'm sure most of us are happy to just discuss the idea of using an iPad as a laptop replacement. The thread isn't called "post only good things about the iPad as a laptop replacement". When people try to do it in their day to day life, they run into all the nuances of what it's like to actually live it. And that's not going to be universally positive or universally negative for almost anyone. And different people use their stuff in different ways.
The iPad is an evolving platform, this thread has been going for a decade, and it remains an interesting one. Sad that some people are only here to fight some sort of battle about it.
I absolutely agree. Seems like the op's original intent was to find people that had the success with the iPad that he was looking for, and it's been a real crap fest for those that have shared their success and posted in a positive way. We are all just passed off as blind, deaf, and dumb Apple fanboys if we enjoy and defend our use of the iPad.
After being an iPad owner since the original, one would think that I would very well know the limitations of the iPad. Those limitations have diminished much over the years with hardware and software advancements, so much so....that I have happily, easily, and preferably run my real estate and property management business with my M1 iPad Pro 11 for over 2 years now. Before that, I tried using a Surface Pro 6 for my mobile purposes.
Edit: Not that I think there is anything wrong with the Surface Pro.
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Just for reference since this is a thread looking for those that have successfully replaced their laptops with an iPad.
Who Can do Their Day Job Effectively on the iPad?
Why iPad - Yes It Does That. And Then Some.
Professions that use an iPad
Businesses that use the iPad
Things You Can do With Your iPad
Time Magazine: “I think if you’re looking at a PC, why would you buy a PC anymore?” Cook said in an interview with The Telegraph. “No really, why would you buy one? Yes, the iPad Pro is a replacement for a notebook or a desktop for many, many people. They will start using it and conclude they no longer need to use anything else, other than their phones.”
Macworld: Cook said: “Will the tablet displace the PC market? Today there are a lot more believers in that. I’d bet there are a lot of people in the audience who use their iPad a lot more than their computer. I know I do that. And I love the Mac, but I find myself spending more and more time on my iPad. As time goes on, I think it will get more and more like that. I don’t see the tablet replacing the need to replace all PCs or Macs. I don’t mean to imply that at all. What I see is that the tablet for some people takes over what their PC was for them."
Who Can do Their Day Job Effectively on the iPad?
Why iPad - Yes It Does That. And Then Some.
Professions that use an iPad
Businesses that use the iPad
Things You Can do With Your iPad
Time Magazine: “I think if you’re looking at a PC, why would you buy a PC anymore?” Cook said in an interview with The Telegraph. “No really, why would you buy one? Yes, the iPad Pro is a replacement for a notebook or a desktop for many, many people. They will start using it and conclude they no longer need to use anything else, other than their phones.”
Macworld: Cook said: “Will the tablet displace the PC market? Today there are a lot more believers in that. I’d bet there are a lot of people in the audience who use their iPad a lot more than their computer. I know I do that. And I love the Mac, but I find myself spending more and more time on my iPad. As time goes on, I think it will get more and more like that. I don’t see the tablet replacing the need to replace all PCs or Macs. I don’t mean to imply that at all. What I see is that the tablet for some people takes over what their PC was for them."
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I’m not one of those “iPad main device people,” as I too, own a MacBook and an iPad. My comment is directed at those who snarkly tell people who have questions about their iPad to “get a MacBook”. Totally unhelpful.
Fair enough - in that example though, the guy is fairly uniquely someone who is outright saying an M2 iPad Pro is from a hardware standpoint not powerful enough, and is talking about things it simply can't do like connecting to multiple monitors.
In that specific case I think 'get a MacBook' is totally reasonable. Especially because they'll still have their iPad to use for the things they like using an iPad for.
That was my text, I believe. And I don’t need a mac or laptop most certainly, thank you very much. I use my iPad on a daily basis and my MacBook Pro 14” M1 or Work-issued Window laptop less then once a week.
The reason I like the iPad is simple: I write notes during meetings and interviews with the pencil in Nebo, that converts them into ASCII. That text can be used anywhere. At the end of a day I write emails, reports etc. with Nebo for extra notes and 4 to 8 apps I switch constantly between. I do like a larger screen, keyboard and mouse with that, so I connect it to a 27/32” screen. The battery is usually around 30/40%, so it’s nice if it charges back at the same time. When I travel to and from work by train, the 5G connection and portrait are really nice when reading newspapers and (work-related) magazines.
To all the people telling me the iPad is so much over powered, I would like to say: connect it to a 4K screen, charge it, use a few pro-apps really heavily and switch a lot between them, and the iPad gets it realy warm in summer!
So a more efficient and more powerful chip would be welcome for me. Am I an outlier? Probably. But so are most people over here that tell iPads can never be a laptop replacement (for coding, CAD drawing and many other things). They are not 90% of the populations, to whom an iPad is really nice and an iPad Pro is probably serious overkill.
I would love to see lots of constructive threads started by iPad fans about how they’ve set up their iPads to be productive for them.What's amazing, is that there are so many iPad users here that are happy with their devices and have very successfully done what the title of this thread asks, but you just can't acknowledge that. Seems you are the frustrated one who can't get that kind of use out of the iPad, and just can't live with the thought that other people can easily do so.
Envy and jealousy are such strong emotions. Throw in a little boredom, and watch out. View attachment 2364709
Part of my challenge is this: I have a very well-equipped MacBook Pro setup at home, with a 4K monitor, keyboard, external storage, NAS backup, 4K webcam, all attached with a single Thunderbolt cable. And the truth is that I’ve used Mac OS for decades and I use this setup all day long, so I’ve tweaked things and bought hardware bits and pieces to make it very stable, smooth and seamless.
The iPad Pro I recently bought is intended to make me productive when I’m traveling — which I don’t do that often! When I take my MacBook with me, I just drop a mouse and charger in my bag and I know what my limits are, but it otherwise works. The iPad… I really haven’t figured out how to make it productive for me. It’s great for downloading Netflix movies to watch on the plane, and email/web browsing are great. Beyond that, I’m struggling.
In my post above, I embedded some links that you might find useful. Please check them out and I’d be happy to have a positive discussion about our iPads.😊👍🏻
Here is a link to my post.
iPad as a laptop replacement
Just for reference since this is a thread looking for those that have successfully replaced their laptops with an iPad. Who Can do Their Day Job Effectively on the iPad? Why iPad - Yes It Does That. And Then Some. Professions that use an iPad Businesses that use the iPad Things You Can do...
forums.macrumors.com
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That's fine, only you know what you need, but the things you described in that text are things an iPad simply cannot do.
Use what you like, but there was a very snarky post about all the things an iPad does that a Mac doesn't, which conveniently ignored all the things you stated. And I thought that was quite funny given there was an equal number of things you stated that only a regular computer can do.
In summary, I don't know where this persecution complex and angst is coming from in the last few posts. I used an iPad as a primary device for years, and some random person on the internet not understanding that did not cause me to lose sleep. I just enjoyed my iPad.
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This one is usually good for that.
What do you typically need to do while travelling? I used an 11" M1 iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard as my sole device when travelling over the last couple years and it was brilliant for that. I didn't run into a single thing I wanted to do that I couldn't. But it was all personal travel - I didn't need to do my day job while travelling, which would have necessitated bringing a laptop as well.h
I switched to cloud only storage a number of years ago. Upgraded to Google's 2TB plan (and upgraded my internet so I could actually upload a bunch of stuff), and that made me far more mobile and able to do stuff from any device, from any location. It also let me retire my ageing server/NAS that was taking up too much space in my apartment.
What have been the sticking points where you just threw up your hands and gave up?
I’ll add my $0.02...
I’ve had a 2013 15” MBP since new and a 2018 iPad Pro 11-inch since new. Around 2018 my personal computing needs changed as I began using a Windows work-supplied laptop. iPad Pro served as my coffee table/living room/jumbo-size at-home iPhone for light media consumption. Poke around on the web sometimes, BT music to my speakers, etc. But oftentimes, too lazy to pick it up so use my iPhone instead.
Fast forward to today, I do my serious computing on a Mac Studio as I don’t need a productive laptop at this stage of life. Picked up a Magic Keyboard and it completely transformed and brought new life to my 2018 iPad Pro. For my mobile computing needs, the iPad Pro is an absolute joy. The native iPad apps are fun to use, the screen is beautiful, and with Mac shortcuts and the MK quality, it feels like a laptop. Face ID just works. The size just works. Learning curve to do light multi-tasking, but it works surprisingly well. Being able to use a keyboard+trackpad and at a moments notice poke the screen is great. Went to play with MacBooks in the Apple Store recently and found myself tapping the screen constantly.
All this to say, even an individual’s computing needs can vary over time so there’s no size fits all approach and really no point to the debate. It really depends on the individual and needs in time. But if serious productivity is not a priority, you have room in budget, and don’t currently have a laptop, it’s worth playing with an iPad+MK combo. You might be surprised. I feel like the feasibility of the 12.9” isn’t there for most, iPad OS can make better use of the smaller 11” screen size than a Mac. But it’s definitely a luxury device.
I’ve had a 2013 15” MBP since new and a 2018 iPad Pro 11-inch since new. Around 2018 my personal computing needs changed as I began using a Windows work-supplied laptop. iPad Pro served as my coffee table/living room/jumbo-size at-home iPhone for light media consumption. Poke around on the web sometimes, BT music to my speakers, etc. But oftentimes, too lazy to pick it up so use my iPhone instead.
Fast forward to today, I do my serious computing on a Mac Studio as I don’t need a productive laptop at this stage of life. Picked up a Magic Keyboard and it completely transformed and brought new life to my 2018 iPad Pro. For my mobile computing needs, the iPad Pro is an absolute joy. The native iPad apps are fun to use, the screen is beautiful, and with Mac shortcuts and the MK quality, it feels like a laptop. Face ID just works. The size just works. Learning curve to do light multi-tasking, but it works surprisingly well. Being able to use a keyboard+trackpad and at a moments notice poke the screen is great. Went to play with MacBooks in the Apple Store recently and found myself tapping the screen constantly.
All this to say, even an individual’s computing needs can vary over time so there’s no size fits all approach and really no point to the debate. It really depends on the individual and needs in time. But if serious productivity is not a priority, you have room in budget, and don’t currently have a laptop, it’s worth playing with an iPad+MK combo. You might be surprised. I feel like the feasibility of the 12.9” isn’t there for most, iPad OS can make better use of the smaller 11” screen size than a Mac. But it’s definitely a luxury device.
A lot of it ultimately boils down to what "productivity" means for that individual.
For me, I rarely travel, and when I do, I rarely need to do the same sort of work I do in school. So my iPad excels as a "not a laptop replacement" because I don't find myself doing laptop work while abroad.
Last year, I was on a 4-month course and I commuted with my MBA and iPad Pro together. The iPad excelled for lectures in the first half of the day when I need a device for taking notes, and my laptop was better in the afternoon during tutorials if I need to do typing or access their blackboard platform (which sucks on a tablet).
So in my case, my iPad is not intended to replace my laptop, but to do the stuff that I can't do on a laptop. They complement, not replace each other.
How do you use iPad for taking notes?
I’ve heard about this but I don’t know how people do it.
Which makes pointless the title of this thread. My 12.9” iPad Pro is a substitute for my 16” MacBook Pro when I’m traveling (or running around on transit all day). For those who have very light computing needs to begin with it can be an alternative to a laptop. iPad doesn’t need to replace anything to be worthwhile.
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I use an Apple pencil with the Apple Notes app, CollaNote, Nebo, and MS OneNote. Really functional, flexible, and you never run out of paper. You can even turn your handwriting into print.
Here's a good, less expensive Apple Pencil Alternative
Here is a good video on taking notes with the iPad.