iPad iPad instead of laptop

I used Printer Pro--until I bought an AirPrint capable HP 8600 this past October. AP worked great for me...but there are dozens of options on the market. Just pop the companion app on your home computer and you're golden--you can print from anywhere in the world!

**This was a Huge deal for us, as we are always signing 'coffee shop contracts' and taking deposits with Square for future bookings.

J

Since purchasing my iPad, I now only use my laptop for work, converting DVD to iTunes, and managing all Apple iOS devices at home (3 iPads and 2 iPhones). If you don't have any of that to worry about, you should be good.

akdj said:

I used Printer Pro--until I bought an AirPrint capable HP 8600 this past October. AP worked great for me...but there are dozens of options on the market. Just pop the companion app on your home computer and you're golden--you can print from anywhere in the world!

**This was a Huge deal for us, as we are always signing 'coffee shop contracts' and taking deposits with Square for future bookings.

J

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Yeah, there's 3 kind of general approaches to printing from an iOS device:

1) AirPrint compatible printer

2) AirPrint printer sharing device

3) AirPrint services shared via an app running on a Mac or PC connected to a printer (printer doesn't need to be AP compatible)

We're actually using the 3rd option, with a little Netbook that wasn't being used

I contemplated the move recently.

If you just use the iPad for internet stuff, it is pretty close to 100% awesome. Some sites still foul the iPad due to Flash, but the iPad is an amazingly fast web tool. It's good for music and video as well, if you have another computer to feed and exchange files on the Pad. Pages-Numbers-iLife are all good.

This latest iPad is getting close to a laptop in ability. You still are very limited by software and connectivity, if you have an iPad. However, it is an excellent "field" device which you can use for recording audio and video and making documents; it works best as a secondary to a desktop or laptop.

I tried this very recently, and the biggest issue was websites with forms you fill out.....aka A LOT of websites you pay bills on do not play well with a tablet. It really is a deal breaker IMO.

I believe the OP indicated that he has a nice desktop, so an iPad + desktop is a great combo for many people. This is my setup, and it works for me.

I agree that the iPad has certain limitations, but with each successive iteration of the OS, these have become fewer. Also, the iPad has some advantages, such as size, weight, and long battery life. For many folks, it is more than sufficient as a mobile replacement for their laptop ( especially if they have a desktop to supplement for heavy lifting).

While I do larger scale content creation on my desktop, I can create short documents with relative ease on the iPad. Also, the iPad is great for reviewing and annotating PDFs. The device can be very productive and useful even if it isn't my go-to computer for large content creation.

This Christmas, I was planning on replacing the family macbook. Then, I realized it hadn't left the dock since I bought my first iPad almost 3 years ago. So instead, I bought a Mac Mini for the family, iPad for wife, and iPhone for my son......essentially for the same price as a base level 13 inch Macbook. Of course, I already had a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, since the older laptop had been docked. This won't work for everyone, but it was a great option for our family.

racer1441 said:

Desktop will hit all of that.

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HP photosmart. Ipad and iPhone sees it natively!

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Missed the part about the desktop. You're right...as a portable device, the iPad can pretty much do it all. If ever I need desktop capabilities while I'm away, I can always remote in via iTeleport.

akdj said:

...Those of us that do need a desk/laptop in our daily lives might step back and asks themselves IF they really do. You've quantified a couple very select situations one WOULD need the power afforded by a real computer...but the power today available in our smartphones and tablets exceeds, IMHO, the real power and storage capacity that most of the general public actually needs!

J

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No disagreement here. But not everyone is willing or able to modify their process to suit Apple. Yes, Mint works, but I use Quicken, and have for years. I don't want to change just so I can live in an iPad only world. Sure, I can use an iPhone friendly radar detector, but I already OWN an Escort. I don't want to throw away my Escort for the privilege of going iOS only. Etc. Etc.

I should add I recently discovered VueScan. It lets me scan papers using my HP multifunction printer directly from the iPad. Scratch another one off the list why you NEED a PC....

Mainsail said:

This Christmas, I was planning on replacing the family macbook. Then, I realized it hadn't left the dock since I bought my first iPad almost 3 years ago. So instead, I bought a Mac Mini for the family, iPad for wife, and iPhone for my son......essentially for the same price as a base level 13 inch Macbook. Of course, I already had a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, since the older laptop had been docked. This won't work for everyone, but it was a great option for our family.

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That really sounds like a good idea! I've been contemplating using my iPad for most things instead of my MacBook, instead of vice versa. But as others have posted, there are just some things you can't do on an iPad. But an iPad with a Mac Mini sounds like a perfect combo - with a bluetooth keyboard for the iPad. However, my MBP is less than a year old, so it would be a while before I retire/pass on this thing.

mattopotamus said:

I tried this very recently, and the biggest issue was websites with forms you fill out.....aka A LOT of websites you pay bills on do not play well with a tablet. It really is a deal breaker IMO.

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Had the same issue but I use Internet banking via my banking app. You can add the bills you pay online then use your banking app like chase or BOA to pay all at once.

No need to fill out all the forms on websites.

Johns12 said:

How are all of you printing from your iPads?

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AirPrint enabled printer. Most printers don't even need a computer hooked up to be used nowadays.

Can't be done for most tasks due to the iPad's dependency on syncing with a laptop (or desktop) in the first place. If they made Final Cut Pro for iPad that might be a different story ^.^

Zwhaler said:

Can't be done for most tasks due to the iPad's dependency on syncing with a laptop (or desktop) in the first place.

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Not true. You can setup a new iPad without ever having to plug it into a computer. Software updates and even syncing can be done wirelessly via wi-fi.

xMClass said:

Not true. You can setup a new iPad without ever having to plug it into a computer. Software updates and even syncing can be done wirelessly via wi-fi.

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Syncing with what? iPad without iTunes is like a hot dog without ketchup....

ZBoater said:

Syncing with what? iPad without iTunes is like a hot dog without ketchup....

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We have 2 iPads and 4 iPhones in our house, and I haven't synced to iTunes since iOS 5 was released....well over a year ago. All devices are backed up to icloud. Music, books, video and other content downloaded via cloud. Documents synced via Dropbox. Photos accessed via Flickrstackr and Photo Stream.

Effortless and no problems.

This thread has been very helpful! I am currently planning on using an iPad as my mobile device and building a hackintosh for my desktop. Until that happens, though, my MBP will be my main desktop and used for production on the go.

racer1441 said:

iCloud.

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Really? And how did your stuff get onto iCloud in the first place? Magic? Or did you just buy all your content brand new from Apple? If you did, congrats.

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Mainsail said:

We have 2 iPads and 4 iPhones in our house, and I haven't synced to iTunes since iOS 5 was released....well over a year ago. All devices are backed up to icloud. Music, books, video and other content downloaded via cloud. Documents synced via Dropbox. Photos accessed via Flickrstackr and Photo Stream.

Effortless and no problems.

Click to expand...

I avoid iTunes like the plague. But for most its just not practical. Not all content comes from Apple. Sometimes I have a CD or a song I buy from Amazon I need to get onto my iPad. Sometimes I use an app that uses iTunes to sync content. Sometimes I have to get content onto the iCloud that didn't originate on the iPad.

There is life outside of the appstore you know....

Ok, so I am still unclear. How do you print from an iPad? I am using a wireless printer. My wife uses her iPad for most of what she does, but many times, she has to go back to the laptop. Printing, accessing websites that require flash, and editing word docs, etc.

ZBoater said:

...I avoid iTunes like the plague. But for most its just not practical. Not all content comes from Apple. Sometimes I have a CD or a song I buy from Amazon I need to get onto my iPad. Sometimes I use an app that uses iTunes to sync content. Sometimes I have to get content onto the iCloud that didn't originate on the iPad.

There is life outside of the appstore you know....

Click to expand...

I agree.

For anyone who is really into their music, an iPad alone doesn't cut it because at a bear minimum you can't edit your ID3 tags.

Johns12 said:

Ok, so I am still unclear. How do you print from an iPad? I am using a wireless printer. My wife uses her iPad for most of what she does, but many times, she has to go back to the laptop. Printing, accessing websites that require flash, and editing word docs, etc.

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Basically a wireless printer broadcasts messages on your network, that your PC sees and responds by listing that printer - it sounds like you're already setup to do this.

So to print on your iPad, your wireless printer has to broadcast using a protocol that it can understand, and that's an Apple specification called AirPrint.

Once you have an AirPrint compatible printer up and running on your network, it's as simple as choosing the print option on your iOS device and you'll see it by name ... select, copies, etc., print. Done.

Some printers broadcast that AirPrint protocol right out of the box, if they're not compatible, you have to connect something to the printer that can broadcast for it. That comes in two flavors: a standalone print sharing box or a computer, connected to the printer, then sharing it out using AirPrint.

The latter means that computer has to be up and running to use the attached printer, the box is a little device that wedges in between the printer and network and provides the broadcast.

Here's an example of all three options:

AirPrint out of the box printers (from Brother):

http://www.brother-usa.com/printer/cloud/airprint-app.aspx#.UOxhWqViiRY


AirPrint server device:

http://www.lantronix.com/it-management/xprintserver/xprintserver.html


AirPrint computer "server" app:

http://www.ecamm.com/mac/printopia/

I agree that if you want to keep your complete music library on the iPad you probably want to sync via iTunes. I don't use iTunes Match, but can't you gain access to music in your library via the cloud if you pay the annual fee.....like $25? Yes, you need a desktop library, but you don't need to connect your mobile device to your computer to download and backup this music.

For me, I keep the full music library on my desktop and only use iTunes purchased songs on my mobile devices, which are downloaded and backed-up via the cloud. Over the years, we have bought a few hundred songs from the iTunes Store. With iBooks, Podcasts, Pandora and Netflix, I have way more content than I need on my iPad....but everyone is different.

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