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When will the iPad be our main computer?
- Thread starter ShaneBunting
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Depends what you use your computer for. Browsing the internet and playing flash games, sure.
But those of us that use a desktop for WORK, no way.
I run solidworks, autocad, and CAM software on my desktop. No way an iPad will ever replace that for that application. And it is not just a matter of computing power. keyboard + mouse + spaceball for input, two 16x10 24" monitors for output. A tablet is just not the solution to that equation.
If your version of work is writing the great american novel, than maybe... after you add a keyboard. But why when a laptop like the MBA is just as portable and already has the keyboard.
And my MBA has replaced my iPad for browsing. I tried for two years, but the iPad just could;'t cut it for light tasks like browsing and answering questions like this in the forum.
Short answer: NEVER
I haven't read all the pages, but this is an interesting thread for sure. We all know that Apple didn't invent the tablet, but they were first to make them mainstream. Surely Apple realized that a VERY large percent of the population mostly surfs, email, watches videos listens to music and has pictures with very little needed for files. Because of this, a tablet will fulfill most needs of the consumer, myself included (though) I still haven't bought a tablet yet. Im using my MBP for about 1/10 of its capacity as it is for my small business. Now that the iPad can be loaded with iWork, I could really use it by itself. Part of the reason that I haven't upgraded yet is because I use my MBP for watching movies here on the road and the iPad though clearer screen, is still much smaller than my 15 inch screen.
If my MAC ever goes to mac heaven, then I will upgrade to a tablet. Who knows where they will be in the next few years.
If my MAC ever goes to mac heaven, then I will upgrade to a tablet. Who knows where they will be in the next few years.
I think for many of us it has become the main device to use for basic stuff and even some work. However, just about everyone still has some type of windows laptop or other solution for those few tasks that you just need a full workstation for.
It's getting close though.... Getting close.
It's getting close though.... Getting close.
You can, you just need an app to save it to, like GoodReader or Filebrowser.
Plus, there is no download progress indicator if you download files through Safari, and background downloading is iffy, so if you switch to do anything else, you risk interrupting the download. So not the best way to do it, but it can be done in a pinch.
Final Cut Pro is not for the standard user
producers are a category a part, the minority
here we are talking 'zillions'
----------
IF we talk 'ipad' possibly you are right
IF we talk 'evolution, iteration number 14th-34th of Ipad¨
i think it's behind the corner
everything is getting :
FLAT
BIG
WIRELESS
TOUCH (extintion of keyboards)
(extintion of mobile phone, eaten by glasses or watch + tablet)
we started with a small, thick, black and white CRT
we are at 60-70-80'' SMART tvs
the thin line is there
million ppl have tvs
million ppl likes the internet (mostly), connectivity
they have just to merge the 2 worlds
'server' at home, as big as you can afford
'client' in our pockets/bags
I think it could replace it for me when Apple releases a Pro model that adds more processing power and RAM, a larger display (around 11-12"), limited USB device support (using apps and extensions to import files from a scanner, for example), better file management (perhaps with an iCloud Drive app), pressure sensitive display with better stylus support for drawing and design, and better keyboard support with perhaps a slim, Apple designed keyboard case. Obviously I would also need the software, such as more complete versions of Adobe CC, a more complete version of Coda, CodeKit on the iPad (although I could potentially get around that by compiling on the server), and split screen multitasking so that I can quickly and easily check against Safari while I code. But I'm still not sure about this as it's not going to be ideal. Perhaps for the design side of things, and especially the photography side of what I do, but for coding and maybe video editing, IDK. I wonder how long until we'll see Xcode for iPad, haha. Probably within 5 years. I mainly see the iPad as a starting point where I can get things going, and then finish up and polish on my Mac. Perhaps iOS and Mac OS will converge to the point where your iPad is in touch mode, and then docks into a keyboard case or is hooked up to a display and goes into mouse/Mac mode. That way you can easily get started, and then hook it into a huge screen with a desktop interface to finish up things faster and make them look great. With some kind of Thunderbolt interface you could even have external drives and video cards to help boost capacity and performance. But that's probably a ways off.
For some people it already is.
But I will tell you one thing. If i need to fill out a form or do something important i use a real computer...
The chance of a website being reloaded is too high.
Until they make an Apple equivalent of the Microsoft Surface Pro, the iPad will remain under the bed and will only be used for reading and bed surfing.
iPads are computers already , they are just more limited. Many people who used to do simple browsing and emails have replaced their laptops.
A traditional computer is used for heavy work like 3D, building websites, programming, editing movies, publishing books...etc .
I guess the difference between ipads and traditional computers is like the difference between Ford Fiesta and Ford F-150. But as technology advances the line gets a lot more blurry. The iPad Air 2 is 12x faster than the original iPad and that is only in 4 years!
I did a geekbench test and Air 2 has a higher number than my macbook '08 . Does it mean it can run Final Cut and Left4Dead ? that I don't know.
A traditional computer is used for heavy work like 3D, building websites, programming, editing movies, publishing books...etc .
I guess the difference between ipads and traditional computers is like the difference between Ford Fiesta and Ford F-150. But as technology advances the line gets a lot more blurry. The iPad Air 2 is 12x faster than the original iPad and that is only in 4 years!
I did a geekbench test and Air 2 has a higher number than my macbook '08 . Does it mean it can run Final Cut and Left4Dead ? that I don't know.
For me, the issue is not so much computing power, as screen size and the limits of touch input. It's possible to write on the iPad while on the go, but the small screen, and trying to precisely position the cursor by touch, makes it a much slower process than on a desktop with proper monitor and keyboard/mouse input. I do love my iPad, and it is often useful to be able to do a little writing and editing while on the go, but I'd go crazy if the iPad was the only device I had to write on.
That said, I imagine an iPad, or even an iPhone, could be our main computing device in the future. What it would have to do is connect to big screen monitor/keyboard/mouse setup when at our desks, and go into tablet mode when away. I think the processing power of A7/A8 chips are already enough to support this for regular office work -- what we need is the software to run desktop mode on tablets, and peripheral connectivity. Keyboards already connect through bluetooth, and connecting mice is a matter of writing software for it, but it's the connecting monitor part that isn't quite there yet. It seems monitors still have to be connected with cables in order to work smoothly. Ideally, everything will just connect wirelessly when in proximity to a desktop station.
And then, designing software that seamlessly switches between tablet and desktop mode is far from easy. Windows 8 was a valiant attempt, but way too clunky. I don't blame Apple for taking a more cautious approach. I think for the immediate future, it is better to keep tablets and desktop OS separate. But I don't doubt that somewhere in Apple's secret labs, people are working on merging OS X and iOS.
The same argument was made when laptops came out.
Desktops, laptops and tablets can and will co-exist - choice is good. For me and MY needs, a tablet can't and won't ever replace a 27" iMac.
Desktops, laptops and tablets can and will co-exist - choice is good. For me and MY needs, a tablet can't and won't ever replace a 27" iMac.
It depends on what you mean by a "main computer". I have an iMac, MBP, mini, and a few Windows machines. The iPad gets used more than all of the other computers put together. It wouldn't qualify as something I would currently have as my only computer, but I don't need it to. What it does now is perfect for my needs (although I would love to run 2 apps side by side).
I can understand why people want one device that does it all. It is the reason I bought my first smartphone and used it to replace an mp3 player and a handheld gaming device. However, I like a 15 inch laptop screen (minimum) and that size is too big for a tablet. Therefore, two devices would be the minimum for me. However, if they want to provide a dual boot iPad that runs iOS and OSX at the same price point of the current iPad while retaining the thin and light body, I am sure I would find a use for it. I just wouldn't throw out my MBP.
I can understand why people want one device that does it all. It is the reason I bought my first smartphone and used it to replace an mp3 player and a handheld gaming device. However, I like a 15 inch laptop screen (minimum) and that size is too big for a tablet. Therefore, two devices would be the minimum for me. However, if they want to provide a dual boot iPad that runs iOS and OSX at the same price point of the current iPad while retaining the thin and light body, I am sure I would find a use for it. I just wouldn't throw out my MBP.
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When it can run full versions of matlab and Mathematica. In other words, never. An ipad would never work as a replacement for a fast computer for me.
This is what the so called iPad Pro would have to be, a full computer that can run any app downloaded from the net and not just from the app store.
This is why I bought a Surface Pro 3 last night. Not only can it be portable, it can run anything I install and, I can use any hard drive attached, wired mouse, bluetooth mouse, bluetooth keyboard, usb hub and anything else a computer can do and even connect to a display with it's built in mini display port. It also has an amazing display. I haven't picked up my iPad since buying this.
If and when the iPad can do these things, I will gladly buy it!
I haven't given up on iOS or OSX. I still have an iPhone, iPad and a 2012 Mac Mini that I bought just a few months ago.
I just wanted a portable touch screen real computer that I could do things on instead of the limitations that Android tablets and iPads currently have.
The nice thing is, I can still sync my iPad/iPhone to do what I did on my Mac Mini.
