iPad: Bye Bye laptop! Jailbroken iPad here I come!

[waa1futs]

The iPad has a lot of benefits over a laptop:

- Retina display
- 10 hour battery life
- Very light and thin
- No viruses to worry about
- Voice dictation
- Can watch videos on the treadmill at the gym
- Apple store customer service
- Low price compared to ultrabooks
- Thousands of apps

***************************************
Common complaints which can be fixed:

1. How do I get music/videos on my iPad without a computer?
Bridge**

2. What is the best bluetooth keyboard with a built in iPad stand?
Logitech ultrathin keyboard

3. How do I use a bluetooth mouse?
BTC Mouse**

4. How do I manage my files?
Dropbox

5. How do I play real games on an emulator with a physical controller?
Snes9x EX**

6. How do I watch flash videos?
iSwifter browser

7. How do I download files?
Atomic web browser

8. How do I download youtube videos for offline viewing?
iCab

9. How do I create/edit Office documents?
Pages

10. How do I upload documents to websites?
iUploader

In the past even one of these problems might have made me hesitant to go 100% pc-free but no longer. I can't think of a single reason though why I would use a laptop over an iPad anymore.

** requires jailbreak

[bobgorila]

The number one incontrovertible reason to use a laptop:

You can actually use it on your lap. Try balancing an iPad on your lap - even in some of the sturdier keyboard docks it's nowhere near as usable as an actual laptop.

[waa1futs]

Originally Posted by bobgorila

The number one incontrovertible reason to use a laptop:

You can actually use it on your lap. Try balancing an iPad on your lap - even in some of the sturdier keyboard docks it's nowhere near as usable as an actual laptop.

The logitech ultra-thin keyboard seemed more than sturdy enough for me to rest the iPad on my lap while I type without any need to try and balance it. I simply put the iPad in the dock, placed it on my lap, and start typing.

[needfx]

Tablets are still away from totally replacing the functionality of a laptop, but that really depends on the user.

[pommie82]

The games on a iPad aren't as good as a laptop or a console you might be a slightly not impressed with the game side of things i just thought that i would let you know the games on the iPad or iPhone are just games for waste time e.g. waiting for a bus or a doctor something like that then they fit the bill quite nicely but they aren't really big games that you can play for many hours i have many of times completed iPad games or iPhones games from start to finish in about a hour or so and thought oh is that it then they normally give you a advertisement for another game to buy.

[waa1futs]

Originally Posted by needfx

Tablets are still away from totally replacing the functionality of a laptop, but that really depends on the user.

For me, the iPad 100% does replace a laptop now with the recent jailbreak tweaks Bridge & BTC Mouse filling in the last two gaps. I'm sure it does for others who don't need 3rd party programs like photoshop or torrents as well.

Originally Posted by pommie82

The games on a iPad aren't as good as a laptop or a console

Thanks, but I already said in the original post that I'll use emulators like Snes9x EX, GBA.emu, NES.emu, and GBC.emu with a wiimote classic controller for a real console gaming experience on the iPad.

Super Metroid, Legend of Zelda: A link to the past, Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger, Metroid Fusion, Golden Sun, etc. Mmmmmm

[qbricc]

Whenever this topic is discussed on this forum, there is a mass of people lining up to knock the idea of replacing a laptop with iPad. If the user can make it work for them, then why not.

Here's an idea, why not try some helpful pointer rather than 'it'll never work'.

There is a growing group of people wanting to get rid of the computer in their life. Why? because a lot of people view computer ownership as a pain in the ass. The iPad takes that pain away for many.

Good luck waa1futs.

[SpyderBite]

If you already have an iPad and are content with the setup you described above; why the announcement? You'll still have your laptop standing by for those occasions when a notebook computer is more convenient.

If you're planning on buying an iPad instead of a laptop; I'd have to ask: why not just spend a couple more bills (assuming you're going with a 64gb model) and just get a MBA which has everything you need plus 10x the resources? In the end, you're just building a MBA out of an iPad but limited to iOS with less horsepower and storage.

I guess I don't understand your goal. Plenty of people use their tablets as a primary mobile solution. Some people are able to manage with just a smartphone. But, is it necessary? Is your laptop broken? Are you broke and can't afford another $300 to get a full notebook? Is this just a meme thread?

[waa1futs]

Originally Posted by qbricc

Whenever this topic is discussed on this forum, there is a mass of people lining up to knock the idea of replacing a laptop with iPad. If the user can make it work for them, then why not.

Here's an idea, why not try some helpful pointer rather than 'it'll never work'.

There is a growing group of people wanting to get rid of the computer in their life. Why? because a lot of people view computer ownership as a pain in the ass. The iPad takes that pain away for many.

Good luck waa1futs.

Thank you very much for the kind words qbricc

I'll keep this thread updated with any struggles I have or additional benefits I learn from going pc-free with the iPad.

I just see alot of major benefits by going with an iPad over a laptop, without the drawbacks of going iPad only in the past, and I don't want to have a wasted laptop collecting dust when it could be sold for good money or donated to a family member in need.

Cheers mate.

[needfx]

Originally Posted by needfx

Tablets are still away from totally replacing the functionality of a laptop, but that really depends on the user.

Originally Posted by qbricc

Whenever this topic is discussed on this forum, there is a mass of people lining up to knock the idea of replacing a laptop with iPad. If the user can make it work for them, then why not.

Here's an idea, why not try some helpful pointer rather than 'it'll never work'.

There is a growing group of people wanting to get rid of the computer in their life. Why? because a lot of people view computer ownership as a pain in the ass. The iPad takes that pain away for many.

Good luck waa1futs.

here u go

[waa1futs]

Originally Posted by SpyderBite

If you already have an iPad and are content with the setup you described above; why the announcement?

For those, besides yourself, who are on the fence about doing this and would like the information on how to go pc-free with the iPad as their only computer.

Originally Posted by SpyderBite

You'll still have your laptop standing by for those occasions when a notebook computer is more convenient.

I hate the idea of clutter, if the iPad does everything I need then theres no need to have a laptop lying around collecting dust and depreciating in value instead of just selling it.

Originally Posted by SpyderBite

If you're planning on buying an iPad instead of a laptop; I'd have to ask: why not just spend a couple more bills (assuming you're going with a 64gb model) and just get a MBA which has everything you need plus 10x the resources? In the end, you're just building a MBA out of an iPad but limited to iOS with less horsepower and storage.

You assume wrong. I am going with the 16gb ($500) so I am not going to spend double the price to get an 11inch macbook air that doesn't have the retina display, only half the battery life, can't be used on the elliptical at the gym to watch movies. Actually because of these 3 disadvantages of the macbook air I wouldn't even buy one if it was the same price as the iPad! 10 hour battery life (iPad) vs 5 hour battery life (11inch air) is a huge boost in functionality while saving me $500.

Originally Posted by SpyderBite

Are you broke and can't afford another $300 to get a full notebook?

Calling someone who is going to buy an iPad "broke" is a bit of an oxymoron

I'm going with the iPad over a laptop because of all the advantages I described at the bottom of post #1 in this thread, I have none of the drawbacks iPad users used to have to deal with being pc-free, and this option is not only better for me but the smarter route by being less expensive.

[SeanR1]

Originally Posted by SpyderBite

If you already have an iPad and are content with the setup you described above; why the announcement? You'll still have your laptop standing by for those occasions when a notebook computer is more convenient.

If you're planning on buying an iPad instead of a laptop; I'd have to ask: why not just spend a couple more bills (assuming you're going with a 64gb model) and just get a MBA which has everything you need plus 10x the resources? In the end, you're just building a MBA out of an iPad but limited to iOS with less horsepower and storage.

I guess I don't understand your goal. Plenty of people use their tablets as a primary mobile solution. Some people are able to manage with just a smartphone. But, is it necessary? Is your laptop broken? Are you broke and can't afford another $300 to get a full notebook? Is this just a meme thread?

It was helpful for me, I didn't know about a couple of the jailbreak apps. Thanks OP!

[dchao]

For me, there is no way the iPad will let me rip a DVD, let alone my BD's. But once the movies are ripped (on my MacPro), I can then watch them on my iPad.

Another minus, I could not run VMware or Parallel on iPad either. does anyone know a win7 emulator?

[onthecouchagain]

iOS6 is jailbroken already?

[Night Spring]

Originally Posted by waa1futs

Thanks, but I already said in the original post that I'll use emulators like Snes9x EX, GBA.emu, NES.emu, and GBC.emu with a wiimote classic controller for a real console gaming experience on the iPad.

Super Metroid, Legend of Zelda: A link to the past, Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger, Metroid Fusion, Golden Sun, etc. Mmmmmm

Have you actually played any of those games you mention on the iPad, and if so, how well do they run? Personally, I'm leery of any emulators -- there is always something that doesn't quite work as well as it should.

Originally Posted by dchao

Another minus, I could not run VMware or Parallel on iPad either. does anyone know a win7 emulator?

What exactly do you want to do with a Win7 emulator on an iPad? I've found that if you break it down to exact tasks you want to accomplish, like "I want to edit Word documents," "I want to do remote admin tasks on my work network" -- then there are usually ways to do them from an iPad, it just requires you to work out a different workflow from what you would do on a windows computer.

[Mainsail]

I think it is very possible to have an iPad as your only computer. At home, I rarely use our family laptop, and the ipad is more than sufficient for my day to day computing requirements. Also, for those that say you can't get productive work done on the ipad, I respectfully disagree. I have written numerous documents using Pages and built spreadsheets with Numbers, and they work great. Now that iWork supports "Open In" functionality, it is much easier to save documents to Drop box and the like. My daughter wrote some college applications (500 words) on the iPad while we were on vacation, and she had no problem at all. I prefer using cloud storage for photos and docs, so files are more accessible. I don't care to rip CDs, and my iTunes collection plus Pandora gives me plenty of mobile music. The list of apps is endless, and many of these are easier to use than desktop solutions.

I actually think it boils down to UI. If you can do most of what you need with a touch UI, then the iPad is a great solution. If you need to have multiple windows open and precise mouse interface, then you need a laptop. The good news is that for most consumers, they really only need the laptop solution for work...and their employer provides them a work computer...probably a windows PC.

[waa1futs]

Originally Posted by Night Spring

Have you actually played any of those games you mention on the iPad, and if so, how well do they run? Personally, I'm leery of any emulators -- there is always something that doesn't quite work as well as it should.

The 4 emulators by dev Robert Broglia (Snes9x Ex, GBA.emu, GBC.emu, and NES.emu) run flawlessly, I'm playing Secret of Mana as we speak leveling up against pink rabites =)

His emulators are the only ones with wiimote classic controller support and the ability to map which buttons do what. He also constantly updates them for better performance and features.

I would highly recommend them.

[ZBoater]

How do you watch/rip a cheap DVD movie?

How do you update the firmware on your favorite gadget?

How do you access that one websites that still runs flash?

How do you get at the files your coworker gave you in a thumb drive?

How do you run Quicken?

How do you.....

Sigh.

Good luck.

[waa1futs]

Originally Posted by ZBoater

How do you watch/rip a cheap DVD movie?

Netflix, Amazon instant, YouTube, Crackle, and Hulu are more than sufficient for my movie needs. All of these run perfect on the iPad.

Originally Posted by ZBoater

How do you update the firmware on your favorite gadget?

Why would I update for iOS 6 for no worthwhile new features and lose the much more valuable jailbreak?

Originally Posted by ZBoater

How do you access that one websites that still runs flash?

I don't have any essential sites that require flash.

Originally Posted by ZBoater

How do you get at the files your coworker gave you in a thumb drive?

Use iFile to get the files from their laptop over wifi or have them simply send me a download link via Dropbox.

Originally Posted by ZBoater

How do you run Quicken?

I don't already do that's a non-issue.

Originally Posted by ZBoater

How do you.....

Sigh.

Good luck.

Bottom line is the iPad as my only device works for me now that the final two pieces of the puzzle came out in the last week: BTC Mouse & Bridge. Thanks for taking the time to come up with every random scenario the iPad doesn't work for you but those situations don't happen to me so I (and most other people) will be fine =)

[Mainsail]

Originally Posted by ZBoater

How do you watch/rip a cheap DVD movie?

How do you update the firmware on your favorite gadget?

How do you access that one websites that still runs flash?

How do you get at the files your coworker gave you in a thumb drive?

How do you run Quicken?

How do you.....

Sigh.

Good luck.

Well, my answers may not satisfy your needs, but they work great for me....

I stream Netflix for mobile and watch DVDs on my TV with a DVD player. But not very often.

I don't own any gadgets that need firmware updates. I have an iPhone and do all of the updates over the air with wifi.

I have never ever run into a web page that I cared about that could not be opened with IOS. Not a problem for me.

I would have the colleague email the doc to me or save it to an accessible shared server. For most people this is not an issue, since they would use their employer provided computer for this task.

I use and prefer Mint to Quicken

It can be done, but it involves a few compromises to simplify things a bit.

[Technarchy]

Originally Posted by bobgorila

The number one incontrovertible reason to use a laptop:

You can actually use it on your lap. Try balancing an iPad on your lap - even in some of the sturdier keyboard docks it's nowhere near as usable as an actual laptop.

Typing on my lap now with my iPad and logitech ultrathin...

Not that hard...

[iRCL]

Congratulations, you're going to jailbreak an iPad and use a tablet for a role it was never intended to fill

Remind us why you're not using an Android tablet

[r0k]

I recently replaced my aging 2008 Macbook. I considered an iMac, a 13 in MBP an 11 in MBA, and a 15 in MBP. I also own an iPad 1 which for me is "just as good as a laptop" when I'm on the road. I have the original Apple case as well as a keyboard/stand that doesn't require me to take it out of the Apple case. The portability and utility of my iPad encouraged me to consider a larger, heavier machine for home use. I settled on the late 2011 15in hires MBP. I'm loving it as the screen is just as nice as the 23 in 1080p monitor I have sitting next to it.

I can use it on my lap with the keyboard/stand but I prefer to use it as a tablet. I haven't jailbroken it but now that Apple has voted my iPad "off the iOS6 island" I might consider jailbreaking in the future.

I think an iPad makes a great main computer as long as you have a Mac around somewhere to do the stuff that isn't readily done on the iPad. You can use the iPad to control your Mac with at least a half dozen screen sharing programs. The idea that an iPad can serve as a "main" computer is quite credible. I do admit, however that the iPad struggles to fill the role of "only" computer.

[Mainsail]

Originally Posted by iRCL

Congratulations, you're going to jailbreak an iPad and use a tablet for a role it was never intended to fill

Remind us why you're not using an Android tablet

I agree that many people initially purchase their iPad as a secondary device, but then they find that a very high percentage of their day to day activities can easily be done on the ipad. After a while, it becomes their primary device; that is to say, the device they use the most.....which raises the question.

I don't think it is necessary to jailbreak an ipad to use it as a primary computer. Well, I haven't jail broken any of my iOS devices and they are definitely my primary computing appliances.

Honestly, I understand how an iPad won't cut it for large spreadsheet applications and document development. For me, even a laptop is not ideal for these tasks, since I prefer a separate large monitor, keyboard and mouse. But, this is really not a consumer choice for many people, since employer IT departments dictate what most people will use for these applications.

For many people, the only time they exercise choice with respect to technology is for their home system. I remember when you needed to have a big tower PC just to pickup email and web at home. We all got stuck in the file management paradigm. Everything had to be on a massive hard drive. Now, there are alternatives, and they work great.

[Mrg02d]

The only thing I need a laptop for is autocad, quartus, and Excel. Those are for work though. For school, I use my ipad along with a bluetooth keyboard, pages, keynote, and dropbox.