What the poll is titled, are you interested in switching to the iPad now? (As an iPad primary user myself already, I can possibly provide some helpful tips and info for those who are considering making the switch. I’m also running the iPadOS 26 Developer Beta, so can answer questions about the functionality incorporated presently in the first beta). 👍🏻
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Are you interested in switching to iPad primary use now with the changes introduced in iPadOS 26?
- Thread starter Kal Madda
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Nice with the upgrades, but why would I buy a 13” iPad and a keyboard, at a higher cost than a MBA that does more?
It still lacks a customisable desktop and a fully fledged file manager too.
It still lacks a customisable desktop and a fully fledged file manager too.
I can’t see mine (iPad Pro M1 12.9”) becoming my primary productivity device anytime soon, but it does get better as my supplementary device with each OS iteration. Whilst a chunk of my work is through email/documents/presentations, I still have to kick into Excel power use mode from time to time, and the MS Excel iPad app just doesn’t cut the mustard for me. If I didn’t have the need for Excel as I do now, I could possibly make the shift. I use the iPad when meeting with or working at client sites, and am progressively doing more of my work on the iPad at home in the living room rather than heading into my office to use the Mac. I do think that for a lot of use cases, the iPad is a great and very viable option now, and it’s probably been three years since I’ve seen a regular laptop around the table in a board meeting - the iPad has definitely become the device of choice for company directors!
Also...
Can you take great pictures with a MacBook?
Can you scan documents and photos with a MacBook?
It's really hard to turn an MBA into a tablet - and harder yet to switch it back. My 13" M4 with Magic Keyboard has replaced my laptop. If you want a tablet form factor, then your question is not relevant.
Just bought an M4 iPad Pro 13”, plan to sell my MacBook within the next two weeks after testing out my workflow. I don’t expect any issues, I need basic Google Suite (I use the browser for this, so far no issues), Zoom, and use of several iPad applications tailored to my profession. I love the idea of having one ultraportable device with cellular data for work and travel, journaling/ note taking, and a beautiful OLED display. I’m dangerously using the iPad OS 26 beta currently, and so far it has been stable for my needs.
It’s only been 24 hours so far, but my immediate impression is that iPad OS 26 + M4 Pro/ Magic Keyboard hardware makes this the best computer experience I’ve had yet.
It’s only been 24 hours so far, but my immediate impression is that iPad OS 26 + M4 Pro/ Magic Keyboard hardware makes this the best computer experience I’ve had yet.
Awesome! I’m glad to hear it’s working out really well for you! 👍🏻. If you run into anything you have questions about, feel free to ask, I’ve been using the iPad as my primary computer for the past 5 years, and I am also running the iPadOS 26 beta. I also write a SubStack for software reviews and resources primarily focused on the iPad, so feel free to check it out if that would be helpful as well (link in my bio page here). 👍🏻
For my Day to Day Stuf etc. I only use my M4 iPad Pro. Still use my 16 MPB especially as there is no Topaz or DXO for iPad, No Rapidweaver etc. And of course my Backup runs via by MBP which with an iPad is not viable.
You cannot replace one with the other or vice versa. You need both. But what I will do next time is not to go for a 16” MBP… and I need 4TB internal storage…
Could I Repalce my MPB with an iPad Pro… well only if Topaz and Rapidweaver would be fully available and LR Mobile would be as LR Classic on a Mac. That wont happen… Everything else just works fine for me on an iPad Rro.
You cannot replace one with the other or vice versa. You need both. But what I will do next time is not to go for a 16” MBP… and I need 4TB internal storage…
Could I Repalce my MPB with an iPad Pro… well only if Topaz and Rapidweaver would be fully available and LR Mobile would be as LR Classic on a Mac. That wont happen… Everything else just works fine for me on an iPad Rro.
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I understand why you would want to hang onto a Mac for those apps and stuff, though I wouldn’t say you cannot replace one with the other, because many people have done so already. I think it depends on what you need or want from a computer. But I think you were meaning in your situation with your use-case, which I understand. 👍🏻
LR Mobile isn’t simply LR Classic - not even close. I use my iPad Pro as Front End to LR Classic - basic to final Edits and Sorting. Backup, Library Management and everything Denoise, Gigapixel and NIK is still on the Mac.
Also OM Workspace and Rapidweaver are Mac Only which I need. The MPB usage is like every 1 to 2 weeks… else on the iPad.
My 11” iPad Pro has been my main computer for years. I risked it and put iPadOS 26 on it, and I must say I am happy I did. The whole Liquid Glass aspect of the new OS is mostly glitz, the redesign of pop up menus when selecting things, and the way the windowing system works is the big news.
I’ve always had issues with selecting text, and the redesign of the window coming out from under my finger makes it all feel so natural. The horizontal menus turning into vertical menus are a real win, though it would be better if they went directly to vertical rather than favorites being horizontal and second click pop up for the remainder.
There are some window controls in shortcuts. They are a little buggy yet, but setting up an icon in the dock to open and place commonly together apps (like Mail ⅔ and messages ⅓ of the screen) is nice. Currently buggy, but it will be really convenient.
Switching between side by side, to single app at a time with two swipes up became very intuitive to me rather quickly. It all seems to make a lot more sense, and I don’t feel like I’m fighting it.
I’ve always had issues with selecting text, and the redesign of the window coming out from under my finger makes it all feel so natural. The horizontal menus turning into vertical menus are a real win, though it would be better if they went directly to vertical rather than favorites being horizontal and second click pop up for the remainder.
There are some window controls in shortcuts. They are a little buggy yet, but setting up an icon in the dock to open and place commonly together apps (like Mail ⅔ and messages ⅓ of the screen) is nice. Currently buggy, but it will be really convenient.
Switching between side by side, to single app at a time with two swipes up became very intuitive to me rather quickly. It all seems to make a lot more sense, and I don’t feel like I’m fighting it.
I'm the same in terms of LR. I'd really like to see Denoise in the mobile edition.
Oh yeah, I totally understand that, and I guess I mis-phrased that. What I was meaning to say is that I wouldn’t say that nobody can replace one with the other as a general rule, since people’s needs differ, some can replace one with the other perfectly fine, and others can’t. 👍🏻. Sorry about the misunderstanding. 👍🏻
With preview app in iPad, I can immediately do one thing that I could not do on Mac. That is, I can do handwriting directly on pdf file using preview now. With Mac alone, there is no way to do that unless you connect an additional iPad or wacom tablet (extra cost)
I have said it before and I'll say it again. IMHO the iPad is the most versatile device that Apple has ever made...hands down! And now with iPad OS 26....just Wow!
I successfully used my iPad Pro as my primary computer since ~2020 or so. It was great during that time! Handled everything I could throw at it - photo editing, writing, some light video work, even spent a lot of time reading and taking notes on it.
This year I just couldn't do it anymore. I found myself running into the limits of iPadOS constantly. It wasn't even that multitasking was rough - it was some core functions of a computer it was failing at.
The straw that broke this camel's back was my day job now offering a 401k. Great! I'll fire up the web portal on my iPad Pro and set up my contribution or whatever. Imagine my surprise when it would not work in Safari. Weird, I thought to myself, let me try Orion or disable all my extensions or something. No dice. Can't run alternative browser engines on iPadOS - if a site doesn't work in Safari, you can't just switch browsers. Gotta fire up a whole other device to use that site.
I'm sure Tim was laughing all the way to the bank when this schmuck hit the order button on a MacBook Pro.
Apple needs to understand is that they need to do more than make iPadOS look like a real computer operating system. It needs to work like one, be as flexible as one.
This year I just couldn't do it anymore. I found myself running into the limits of iPadOS constantly. It wasn't even that multitasking was rough - it was some core functions of a computer it was failing at.
The straw that broke this camel's back was my day job now offering a 401k. Great! I'll fire up the web portal on my iPad Pro and set up my contribution or whatever. Imagine my surprise when it would not work in Safari. Weird, I thought to myself, let me try Orion or disable all my extensions or something. No dice. Can't run alternative browser engines on iPadOS - if a site doesn't work in Safari, you can't just switch browsers. Gotta fire up a whole other device to use that site.
I'm sure Tim was laughing all the way to the bank when this schmuck hit the order button on a MacBook Pro.
Apple needs to understand is that they need to do more than make iPadOS look like a real computer operating system. It needs to work like one, be as flexible as one.
If things work out as I hope, then a 13” iPad Air will be my daily main computer, and my MacBook Pro (M3 Pro) will be my workstation.
AutoCAD Mobile seems to do most of what I need, but I can’t say for sure until I actually get to test it out for myself on actual work, but it doesn’t really matter as I still need my MacBook Pro for thermal modelling. I’m lucky that app even has a Mac version!
AutoCAD Mobile seems to do most of what I need, but I can’t say for sure until I actually get to test it out for myself on actual work, but it doesn’t really matter as I still need my MacBook Pro for thermal modelling. I’m lucky that app even has a Mac version!
I selected “secondary device”, but actually feel that primary/secondary doesn’t necessarily make sense here. What is your iPhone then, a tertiary device? Traditional computers are really a different type of device than handheld touch tablets, with different use cases, which I can’t really classify as primary or secondary.
What may play into this is that I don’t use laptops (bad ergonomics), only desktop computers. Hence I wouldn’t be very interested in a “laptop replacement” anyway.
What may play into this is that I don’t use laptops (bad ergonomics), only desktop computers. Hence I wouldn’t be very interested in a “laptop replacement” anyway.
As is usual for polls here, this poll is absurd. Most of the available choices involve some kind of an answer agreeing with the idea of choosing iPad over Mac.
I use Opera on my Mini 7 (and my M4 MBP) all the time when Safari fails me. Are you running iPadOS version 15.0 or higher? Opera will work if you are.
I literally have “No, I will continue to use iPad as secondary device”, or “No, I’m not interested in iPad”. Those are hardly agreeing with the idea of choosing iPad over Mac….