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iPad as a laptop replacement
- Thread starter Omar Comin' Yo
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I replaced my laptop with an iPad. I have a desktop for things that I prefer not to do on the iPad.
That's a pretty odd opinion in a thread where multiple people have said that they already have!
That's a pretty odd opinion in a thread where multiple people have said that they already have!
Yes sir I have! I have a HP laptop that I never use now that I got my iPad mini 2! The iPad is awesome! I haven't touched my laptop since i got the iPad! My iPad preforms better, is actually faster at daily tasks and it's alot more user friendly I don't know if everyone could replace their laptops with iPads, but if your just doing everyday stuff like Facebook, YouTube and reading, an iPad can totally replace your laptop.
I don't know if everyone could replace their laptops with iPads, but if your just doing everyday stuff like Facebook, YouTube and reading, an iPad can totally replace your laptop. 
I don't even own a computer at the moment. Just my iPad for the past month. Has worked great for me.
I still have a laptop, and an old iMac, and still use both. But I use iPads more than anything.
I have two, and when I am writing on one I use the other for internet things or to look my notes and research, which gets around the multitasking deficiency of IOS.
But I use my iPads for so many things, I love the convenience, portability, and not having to sit all the time.
They have changed the way I work and increased my productivity.
When i want to rest my long-abused writer's back from sitting, I can do browsing, research, review writing i did in the morning or watch a movie or read a book and so on, laying down, on my side, with iPad on a hoverbar. I couldn't do this with a laptop.
I have two, and when I am writing on one I use the other for internet things or to look my notes and research, which gets around the multitasking deficiency of IOS.
But I use my iPads for so many things, I love the convenience, portability, and not having to sit all the time.
They have changed the way I work and increased my productivity.
When i want to rest my long-abused writer's back from sitting, I can do browsing, research, review writing i did in the morning or watch a movie or read a book and so on, laying down, on my side, with iPad on a hoverbar. I couldn't do this with a laptop.
iPad can't replace a real computer. They are too restricted in what you can do.
Sure, for people who just web browse and check email and twitter an iPad is perfect. But if you do anything beyond that, you will find yourself frustrated. Laptops have far more CPU and storage capacity, and you can store any data you like and manage it however you want.
Right now on my iMac I have six browser tabs open, twitter, Telegram (IM) Email, music going, and seven SSH sessions across two screens. Sure, I technically *can* do that on an iPad if I really wanted to, but I'm not a masochist!
Sure, for people who just web browse and check email and twitter an iPad is perfect. But if you do anything beyond that, you will find yourself frustrated. Laptops have far more CPU and storage capacity, and you can store any data you like and manage it however you want.
Right now on my iMac I have six browser tabs open, twitter, Telegram (IM) Email, music going, and seven SSH sessions across two screens. Sure, I technically *can* do that on an iPad if I really wanted to, but I'm not a masochist!
iPad can't replace a real computer. They are too restricted in what you can do.
Sure, for people who just web browse and check email and twitter an iPad is perfect. But if you do anything beyond that, you will find yourself frustrated. Laptops have far more CPU and storage capacity, and you can store any data you like and manage it however you want.
Right now on my iMac I have six browser tabs open, twitter, Telegram (IM) Email, music going, and seven SSH sessions across two screens. Sure, I technically *can* do that on an iPad if I really wanted to, but I'm not a masochist!
Not totally true, IMO. I used to think that but after actually working with some documents and all that on the iPad i find it quite pleasing for moderate productivity tasks. Sure, there are still things I refer to the laptop for but I'd say I'm at the point where I'm 80/20 ipad usage versus laptop usage.
Everyone is different of course. However, the iPad can do much more than just consume web content or check email.
I've said this on several other threads like this, where people who don't use an iPad for anything other than entertainment and most basic functions dismiss it as being incapable of any serious creative or professional work because they don't use it that way.
There are a lot people using ipads as professional tools. Unfortunately not many of them visit this forum.
There are a lot people using ipads as professional tools. Unfortunately not many of them visit this forum.
I couldn't have said it better!
It really depends on what you use a computer for.
I write. And I teach.
I find using my iPad is easier than using a laptop.
When I interview someone, the iPad breaks down some of the barriers that can exist between me and the interviewee when I use a laptop. (interestingly, lots of people want to see the iPad actually being used, so that often breaks the ice when the subjects we are discussing are a bit tricky)
I have a standalone, blue tooth keyboard for when I need to write long documents.
I use a stylus for jotting quick notes. I can also digitize and mark up PDF documents.
All of that is real work.
I don't do spreadsheets. I don't do engineering quality math.
For those things and other similar endeavors, a laptop is probably a better option.
But beware of those who dismiss an iPad as a mere 'toy', or just a consumption device simply because it doesn't do what THEY need. That's valid for them. But not for everyone.
Yes. This. As I said, I find myself more and more using my iPad for tasks that are clearly productive oriented and not consumption or entertainment based. Little things here and there that used to do with the laptop I am now doing with the ipad. I will as it that even though you CAN do certain things with the iPad doesn't mean you'd want to. Heavy spreadsheet editing and things like that are better served with the trusty laptop.
It's still amazing though what can be accomplished with a tablet.
For college I still prefer to use my MacBook Pro 13" ... When i'm writing term papers, and have about 20 open windows and need to flip back and forth, I definitely find that it is easier to use my laptop. I do sometimes use my iPad simultaneously to research, but at the end of the day, I don't think that we are 100% at the point of replacement. I think that we are getting closer though, so maybe with this "iPad Pro" everybody is talking about, it will finally provide for a laptop replacement.
Macbook Air: Work, taking notes at school/writing papers, managing iTunes/music
iPad 2: Readings for school, browsing the web, mobile gaming, I may start school papers on there and hand them off to my Macbook to finish/continue
iPad 2: Readings for school, browsing the web, mobile gaming, I may start school papers on there and hand them off to my Macbook to finish/continue
Surface Pro 3(and other Windows 8 tablets) and any tablet(Android/Ipad) can replace your laptop!
As i said many times before they are definitely capable of doing very demanding tasks like video editing.
There are lots of people replaced there desktops/laptops with a tablet for personal use and business/productivity use and they are way more portable than laptops and getting way more powerful and there are lots of people have replaced there laptops with tablets and even in work places!
I have completely replaced/ditched my laptop with tablets a powerful 11.6 inch Windows 8 tablet Acer Iconia W700(I5 Core) and a high end Android tablet Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 and it is great!
I have had my iPad 3 stuck with a black screen and the only way to get it to reboot was with iTunes. When I did the last update on my old 4S (I keep it around for Airmusic/Airfoil) it locked up. I had to plug it into a computer to restore it.
I could replace a laptop with it if I had a Desktop computer, but I will always want another computer in the house for the reasons above and other reasons (photos, iTunes, security cameras, etc.) that probably don't apply to your situation.
I could replace a laptop with it if I had a Desktop computer, but I will always want another computer in the house for the reasons above and other reasons (photos, iTunes, security cameras, etc.) that probably don't apply to your situation.
Not so fast everyone
If you are a software developer, need bash shell, database connections, and programming languages you will never switch to an iPad. Honestly my ipad sits in the corner unless my kids use it on vacation to watch movies. Laptop 95% for me!
If you are a software developer, need bash shell, database connections, and programming languages you will never switch to an iPad. Honestly my ipad sits in the corner unless my kids use it on vacation to watch movies. Laptop 95% for me!
Not quite yet. I still need a Mac to access my Hard Drives on which I store photos, movies and music. That is about it though, honestly my computing needs at this point could likely be handled by a Mac Mini.
No way could an iPad ever replace my laptop for what I do. But a Surface Pro 3 sure could. That thing is very well made and is actually a full blown machine. I don't think we're too far from the day when there will be an Apple equivalent. Microsoft is ahead of the game on this one, but certainly something similar to the SP3 is the trend of the future, just perhaps more streamlined.
well at the moment my ipad air 2 is my main computer as my laptop is on it's death bed, it's still usable but I'd rather not as it's mpre hassle than it's worth. It will do for the next few weeks but at the end of the month I'll be buying a new laptop. To be honest I can do 95 % of my computing needs on my ipad. I just like to have a laptop just in case I need it.
I could do a fair portion of my work on the iPad (with a BT keyboard), as much of it is text-based, but without being able to have multiple apps displayed simultaneously (e.g. a text processor and Skype), it would be a little cumbersome and just not ergonomic. I also find the screen too small, but I'm used to 17" and that had seemed cramped at first too when I down-sized from a widescreen monitor.
For some of the hobby stuff, like making electronic music, I also need more CPU power than the iPad Air 2 currently offers, though I've started to slowly switch to dedicated music hardware (hardware synthesizers, drum machine, etc), which would be a great setup with the iPad as the heart.
The iPad doesn't have enough connectivity, though I guess I could work around that by throwing money at the problem (swap external USB drives for those with wifi connection, for example). Finally the software of the company I work for doesn't have an iOS version yet (being worked on).
So it's almost possible for me, but it would be somewhat inconvenient and inefficient, at least currently. The advantage would be that it fits better with a more minimalist lifestyle (less clutter) and quite possibly cut down on distractions.
For some of the hobby stuff, like making electronic music, I also need more CPU power than the iPad Air 2 currently offers, though I've started to slowly switch to dedicated music hardware (hardware synthesizers, drum machine, etc), which would be a great setup with the iPad as the heart.
The iPad doesn't have enough connectivity, though I guess I could work around that by throwing money at the problem (swap external USB drives for those with wifi connection, for example). Finally the software of the company I work for doesn't have an iOS version yet (being worked on).
So it's almost possible for me, but it would be somewhat inconvenient and inefficient, at least currently. The advantage would be that it fits better with a more minimalist lifestyle (less clutter) and quite possibly cut down on distractions.
You need more CPU power? The iPad Air 2 is as powerful as a 2014 MacBook Air! I have seen benchmarks were it actually beats the 2014 MacBook Air,
Even if the iPad could use VSTs and VSTis, or AUs, no, it would not be sufficient. There are some software synthesizers (like Diva) where my i7 laptop (with 16 GB of RAM) starts choking. Creating electronic music is a relative niche thing, though, but the one area where I need horsepower. (A MB Air would not be sufficient, either.)
I replaced my lap top with the iPad a few years ago.
Wrote my dissertation in my iPad mini 2, continue to use it as sole device as I pastor a church, produce documents (mostly pages) write sermons (mostly notebooks 7) scribble notes on agendas (notability), do in depth bible research (accordance). There are a lot of other apps I use as well, but the iPad does great for content creation and research. The apps are there and often better than laptop ones I have found too. Only frustration can be lack of duel screen for having two apps open at the same time but I work round it easy enough.
I find it sad really that so few use their devices for more than Facebook and Netflix, so much more potential, so much work in those apps from developers and people can't see beyond tweeting and posting statuses.
Wrote my dissertation in my iPad mini 2, continue to use it as sole device as I pastor a church, produce documents (mostly pages) write sermons (mostly notebooks 7) scribble notes on agendas (notability), do in depth bible research (accordance). There are a lot of other apps I use as well, but the iPad does great for content creation and research. The apps are there and often better than laptop ones I have found too. Only frustration can be lack of duel screen for having two apps open at the same time but I work round it easy enough.
I find it sad really that so few use their devices for more than Facebook and Netflix, so much more potential, so much work in those apps from developers and people can't see beyond tweeting and posting statuses.