Apple Depicts iPad as Laptop, Textbook, and Paperwork Replacement in Series of New Ads

[blackcrayon]

Your iPad post is too long.

So you trade the highest-specced laptop in the world for something you can do with any android tablet/chromecast 1/3 the price, seems like typical apple consumer reasoning.

But you would probably apply the same (terrible) argument to having a Macbook pro. That a PC laptop "1/3 the price" would be the same thing.
Just because a tablet form factor fits Abazigal's needs, doesn't mean Abazigal wants to use a very poor example of a tablet while doing it. I guess a "typical apple consumer" reasons that paying more for a quality experience is better than paying 1/3 for garbage. So I guess you were offering a neutral observation.

 

[pearvsapple]

Nobody buys iPad nowadays. iPhone made the iPad obsolete when Apple offered larger screen. Anything the iPad can do, the iPhone can do it as well.

 

[blackcrayon]

Before I can consider an iPad a proper laptop replacement, it needs to be rescued from the iTunes shackle.

Example, I want to import my openVPN profile to my iPad Air and the only damn way to do this is by attaching my iPad to a *GASP* real computer and copy the file over using iTunes.

Same for other types of files, like a video recorded with another non apple blessed hardware.

Your first example sounds false, if it isn't, then it's a serious oversight with your openVPN app. iCloud, email, web, there are numerous ways to copy files onto an iPad that dont use itunes.

Second example is absolutely false. There's no need to use the built in Video app on an iOS device to get videos into and out of the device and play them. Look up "PlayerXtreme Pro" for one of dozens of examples. Hell if it's a native format you could load them all into iCloud drive.

 

[ipponrg]

You can run MS Word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint on an iPad. I've done it several times.

For most basic purposes, it's fine. Try doing something more advanced. This is where iOS apps become a limitation.

When it comes to these, I usually do the work on a laptop, then I view on an iPad if necessary. In most cases, the laptop allows more versatility in professional situations than an iPad unfortunately. My iPad has now been delegated to just being a simple web surfer, e-reader, or occasional note/recipe viewer.

Second example is absolutely false. There's no need to use the built in Video app on an iOS device to get videos into and out of the device and play them. Look up "PlayerXtreme Pro" for one of dozens of examples. Hell if it's a native format you could load them all into iCloud drive.

The fun of using the cloud as an alternative to USB storage.

 

[blackcrayon]

Nobody buys iPad nowadays. iPhone made the iPad obsolete when Apple offered larger screen. Anything the iPad can do, the iPhone can do it as well.

True. The iPhone 8+ has just about the same screen size as a 12.9" iPad. And supports the pencil.
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For most basic purposes, it's fine. Try doing something more advanced. This is where iOS apps become a limitation.

When it comes to these, I usually do the work on a laptop, then I view on an iPad if necessary. In most cases, the laptop allows more versatility in professional situations than an iPad unfortunately. My iPad has now been delegated to just being a simple web surfer, e-reader, or occasional note/recipe viewer.



The fun of using the cloud as an alternative to USB storage.

I think we were talking about file transfer, not really storage in this case.

 

[coachingguy]

I don't know who they are running this marketing campaign for, if it's marketed as a complementary device, you are going to sell someone a computer and an ipad. Everyone who wants a tablet likely already bought one, as in hinted at by the ipad sales numbers trending downward since 2013.

While you may be technically correct (https://www.statista.com/statistics/269915/global-apple-ipad-sales-since-q3-2010/) it's not a continuous downward trend. There are quarter spikes when Apple releases an improved model or people buy as gifts. As a whole, the sales figures are very strong, Anecdotally I own 3 iPads, 2 mini's and an iPad 6... I know quite a few people who are in the same position with multiple iPads... And if Apple releases a Mini-Pro, I'll be all over that too... (I know, I'm not holding my breath...)

But, as has been mentioned, for coders, hard core graphics and word processing/spreadsheets, the iPad is not the ideal tool... But for many (most?), the iPad certainly fills their needs.

IMHO

Coachingguy

 

[WannaGoMac]

If they really really did, then they should fix iCloud. As designed and run at present, I cannot count on it as my primary.

Use Google or Microsoft or Dropbox clouds. They all work fine in iOS now.

 

[friedmud]

So the iPad can back up iPhones and other devices now? They can connect to / format external storage drives, run 3D printers and Blender?

No? Guess it isn’t a laptop replacement yet FOR ME.

Fixed that for you.

It's not a laptop replacement for me yet either - at work (scientific computing). But at home it basically is. I haven't had a personal laptop in many years... I just use my iPad Pro.

You have to realize that Apple makes a range of machines to meet a range of different computing needs. For some people: all they need is an iPad. For others, they require a high-powered workstation. Different solutions for different needs.

 

[dk001]

Let's be honest. The iPad IS a laptop replacement for MOST people MOST of the time.

We aren't talking about Enterprise where you're using Access, Excel, and SQL all day. Most people sit on their computers and use them for:

Facebook
Google
Internet
Mail
Twitter
Snapchat
YouTube
Instagram
Banking
Reading

iPad checks all of those and does some of them better because they were built on mobile.

Depends on the level of training.
My moms bank does not have an app for iOS and the website fails to display all the options available that are visible on a laptop. She had no idea about the "Request Desktop Site" option in Safari. Not that always works either

iOS on an iPad has a lot of potential. Sadly, the option "how do I" is not readily apparent to the majority in a lot of cases.

Update: Ran into this same issue when responding to a court document via email link. Not all fields were available even in "Desktop" mode. Had to use a pc.

 

[Brammy]

For most basic purposes, it's fine. Try doing something more advanced. This is where iOS apps become a limitation.

This is my problem. I can do 90% of what I need to do on an iPad. But that last 10% you really can’t find a good workaround on iPad.

 

[sdwaltz]

1) An iPad Pro can do about 90% of what a laptop can do at this point. It'd be about 95% if there were pointer support.
2) Speaking from personal experience, an iPad/Apple Pencil combo definitely can replace a pencil and a stack of paper, along with paperwork. It's revolutionized my day-to-day work because I no longer lose things. Am I going to lose a sheet of paper I took notes on? Absolutely. Will I lose a $900 iPad? No.

 

[baryon]

Strangely, the iPad is marketed towards people who don't need the complexity of a desktop computer, yet the unintuitive, constantly changing tricks you need to do to get something simple and basic done are not suited for those very people. If I was going to choose the ideal computer for a non-tech savvy person, it would definitely be a Mac and not an iPad. Learn things once, write down how to do it, and it's not going to change significantly. Things work as you expect them. With the iPad, you have all these hidden gestures and constantly changing locations for things, and constantly changing apps. The YouTube apps keeps changing how you close a video, for example. Once you had to swipe down on the video, then right to make it go away. Then they made it go away instantly. Then they re-introduced the original gesture. You pretty much have to constantly keep up with now apps are doing things because it keeps changing. Dropbox keeps changing its shortcuts, sometimes removing features, or hiding the "open in" menu within the "share" menu that's hidden in the "3 dots" menu. Why is opening a file in the "share" menu? It makes no sense. On a Mac, things don't ever change so drastically.

The iPad can do most things a computer can do, but there remains a handful of very important things that pretty much everyone will need to do every once in a while (downloading a ZIP, converting a file, etc) that the iPad has no solutions for. So just for those handful of things, you have to keep your computer. But if you're going to keep your computer, the iPad is not a replacement, but a companion device. Which is a luxury, and you can very well get by with just a computer and no iPad. Not the other way around.

 

[sracer]

I like these videos. Short. Addressing practical issues without being too over-the-top. In each of those scenarios, the 2018 iPad works as well (if not better) than the iPad Pro. That's probably an unintended result.

I don't see that the focus of these ads is to show the iPad replacing a laptop, but to show in more specific scenarios how the iPad can offer a more enjoyable, effective experience. This is smart... and more accurate. Seems to me that they're backing away from the iPad replaces a laptop theme.

 

[Val-kyrie]

Apple, make a laptop half the size as mbp and name it whatever you want. That's what I want. Stop wasting time to change people's minds by ads. That's low.

This is just paving the way for Apple's transition to ARM. They are just following the old adage that if you say something enough times, people will believe it. I call it propaganda.

This.

Apple seems vested in positioning the iPad as the general-purpose computer for the masses, and I fully support Apple's efforts in achieving this.

I agree that Apple views the iPad as a general purpose computer, but I don't support Apple's efforts to achieve this for one simple reason--it will be the end of Macs. Feel free to quote me if I'm wrong, but I believe this is Apple's vision--iDevices and eventually also SaaS.

At least with the iPhone, you can make a good argument that Apple should advertise it more than both the Mac and iPad, due to the larger potential customer base. And to an extent I agree.

But both the iPad and Mac bring in close to the same amount of revenue, which I was actually shocked to see given how much more advertising is bought for the iPad, even marketing it as a "laptop replacement".

It seems like Apple wants the iPad to eat into the Mac's market share, which is only another blow for those of us sticking to the Mac platform for various reasons, and witnessing its continued neglect.

Yep. Apple is trying to convince people they don't need Macs. If Apple can quell the masses, they won't be concerned with professionals who need the greater computational power of traditional PCs (Windows and Macs).

I don't know why people keep dancing around this with weird wording. Yes, it can fully replace a laptop for some people. For others, it can't. I don't think anyone here is saying that an iPad can replace a laptop for all people. For most operational tasks, a traditional PC is a better tool.

I think the weird wording is a result of how people perceive Apple positioning its lineup. It is fairly obvious Apple wants to transition to all iOS devices, or at least all devices running ARM. There is a real concern among some users, myself included, that we are facing a painful software shift (to Windows or Linux).

Well, in the near future, the iPad could end up being Apple’s reason for abandoning the entry level Macs (I.e. MaBook Air and Mac Mini). From their viewpoint, if your computing needs are simple, then buy an iPad.

I am not saying I fully agree with this logic......just saying this seems to be Apple’s direction.

Unfortunately, the handwriting has been on the wall for some time, in this regard. My problem is that not all of my software can be transitioned to Windows or Linux at the moment, so I am stuck in limbo and waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop. Until then, I will continue to monitor the situation.

 

[nvmls]

But you would probably apply the same (terrible) argument to having a Macbook pro. That a PC laptop "1/3 the price" would be the same thing.
Just because a tablet form factor fits Abazigal's needs, doesn't mean Abazigal wants to use a very poor example of a tablet while doing it. I guess a "typical apple consumer" reasons that paying more for a quality experience is better than paying 1/3 for garbage. So I guess you were offering a neutral observation.

The "quality" ship has sailed since 2012 but yea, marketing does that.

 

[bbednarz]

I'll believe the iPad is a laptop replacement when I can run 3 or 4 Linux VMs on it or when I can use it to do raw processing for a Hasselblad.

These ads are not for you. These are for the general consumer that have no idea what a VM is and just need something to browse the web and send emails. For that use case, these are absolutely laptop replacements.

 

[nvmls]

Some of us like the quality feel of Apple products. That and software updates.

If you can't afford it don't buy it.

Yea so do our kids, but can see past the "Apple feel" smoke every time they try to make something productive with it.
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These ads are not for you. These are for the general consumer that have no idea what a VM is and just need something to browse the web and send emails. For that use case, these are absolutely laptop replacements.

The zombie consumer, yea Apple's got lots. I would exploit them too.

 

[dk001]

Use Google or Microsoft or Dropbox clouds. They all work fine in iOS now.

I do .

 

[bbednarz]

Yea so do our kids, but can see past the "Apple feel" smoke every time they try to make something productive with it.
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The zombie consumer, yea Apple's got lots. I would exploit them too.

...or people that want a $300 device that will do the same thing for them that a $1000+ device will.

 

[ipponrg]

True. The iPhone 8+ has just about the same screen size as a 12.9" iPad. And supports the pencil.
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I think we were talking about file transfer, not really storage in this case.

Sorry -- that's what I meant. If you recall, people used to use their USB storage devices (thumbsticks, zip drives, CD-RWs, etc) to transfer files from 1 PC to another device.

 

[dk001]

I like these videos. Short. Addressing practical issues without being too over-the-top. In each of those scenarios, the 2018 iPad works as well (if not better) than the iPad Pro. That's probably an unintended result.

I don't see that the focus of these ads is to show the iPad replacing a laptop, but to show in more specific scenarios how the iPad can offer a more enjoyable, effective experience. This is smart... and more accurate. Seems to me that they're backing away from the iPad replaces a laptop theme.

I wonder if the general consumptive user sees them as such? Be interesting to find out.

 

[lightmyway]

The problem here is that Apple is assuming that nobody in a flight is going to open a Terminal and invoke the C compiler. And the shocking reality is that one of the main reasons why I switched to the Mac years ago is how well the Terminal worked (as opposed to Windows) in a computer that "just worked" (as opposed as a Linux PC).

But now, Apple says to us: "go away, use a Linux PC".

Ha! That’s a problem? 99.9% of people don’t need a computer for that. And while Macs are in need of an update (and will get them!), the current ones are still more than enough to do those tasks. The vast majority of people can and should use an iPad as their computer, as these ads show. Steve explained this years ago with his cars vs. trucks analogy, and people on these forums still can’t get the message.

 

[bunnicula]

Apple: no. Not really. Apple should release a Mac tablet. iOS is a limited jailed-sandboxed toy without an accesible file system and lacking USB port among other shocking limitations.

I think they will. I think the iPad will split off between iOS devices and MacOS devices at some point.

 

[asiga]

The vast majority of people can and should use an iPad as their computer, as these ads show. Steve explained this years ago with his cars vs. trucks analogy, and people on these forums still can’t get the message.

One thing is getting the message. Of course we get it, we’re not stupid. But another thing is accepting it. And we won’t, because we’re against becoming braindead slaves of internet toys. In fact it’s the same game of the old PC vs Mac ads campaign: we’re still at the side of the Mac guy in the ads, while the current Apple user base has changed into the PC “guy with a suit”. The final episode will be autonomous cars, and it’s easy to guess which of the two characters would love autonomous cars and which of them would love to drive. So yes, no matter if we get the message, we are against devices that turn you into a dumb slave. That’s the reason why we chose the Mac in the first place.

 

[Hustler1337]

Lol why do some people seem to get irate that Apple is pushing the iPad as a laptop replacement? For a lot of people it is. Everything you “present” as “evidence” against the iPad being a replacement device is purely anecdotal. Hate to break it to some of you but the iPad/iPad Pro CAN be a computer replacement for some people. Not everyone is a “pro” user. I’d argue that half the people that refer to themselves as “pros” aren’t.

So for example, transferring files to/from a removable disk storage is considered "pro" these days?

Fact is, the iPad is only suitable for basic level computing. It will never replace a computer without true mouse support and desktop-grade CPU and GPU power.