Can the IPP replace a MBP in this situation?

[profmjh]

I have a rMBP. There are some things I need it for, e.g. using Adobe InDesign, which I use occasionally. And even for using Excel: I really don't like the iPad version of Excel and it doesn't offer the features I use (e.g. linking one spreadsheet to another).

So I'm keeping my rMBP come what may. But it's annoying me at the moment. As I've posted elsewhere, it's much, much slower than my iPad Air 2 when it comes to the internet. I don't know why.

Which means I've started revisiting the iPad Pro. I've come up with a use-case for work, which is vaguely convincing. But the truth is I'm looking for something to use as a casual laptop: e.g. for browsing the internet when I'm watching tv. The physical keyboard and design of a laptop obviously are ideal for this. I've tried phasing in my iPad Air 2 but it's too small to sit comfortably on my lap and I don't like the on-screen keyboard (takes up too much space so you can't see what you're doing).

tl;dr

Does the IPP work well as a laptop for general browsing? Is it comfortable? Is the on-screen typing experience good? (I'm not interested in the super-ugly smart-case thing.)

Can I downgrade my rMBP to a specialist-use only machine and have the IPP as my go-to device?

 

[silverblack]

I love my iPP and could suggest many reasons why one to buy it. But slow Safari on your Mac isn't one.

Safari is NOT supposed to be slow as the way you described it. That is not normal, and something went wrong. Take a look at the link and try resetting Safari as suggested -
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6603972?tstart=0

If you have not already, upgrade OS to El Capitan, better yet set it up as new from scratch.

 

[profmjh]

I love my iPP and could suggest many reasons why one to buy it. But slow Safari on your Mac isn't one.

Safari is NOT supposed to be slow as the way you described it. That is not normal, and something went wrong. Take a look at the link and try resetting Safari as suggested -
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6603972?tstart=0

If you have not already, upgrade OS to El Capitan, better yet set it up as new from scratch.

You're probably right about a crappy MacBook experience being a poor reason to buy an IPP. But the issue is bigger than Safari. Increasingly Mail tells me it's got a connection problem and doesn't download mail.

I'm not sure I can be bothered for the trauma of a clean-install, even if I knew how to do one.

You could still tell me why you love your IPP!

 

[Ghost31]

Well I love mine! And typing is so good on the on screen keyboard I've almost debated whether I want to cancel my order for the keyboard cover or not. My iPad pro to me is so much more than my MacBook. I use it for everything a lot more comfortably and if I need to log onto my MacBook, I do it remotely through my iPad pro. I say get it

Full size software keyboard is amazing

 

[silverblack]

You could still tell me why you love your IPP!

I'd be happy to.
First there are all the great things you do with an iPad in general:
- light weight mobile device connected to the Internet, super long battery life, and is rechargeable with a portable battery pack
- notifications that works better than on OS X (email notifications, messages, calendars, reminders, ...)
- Infuse 3 Pro, a superb app for movie watching (search subtitles, beautiful UI, time sync subtitle and audio with picture, position and font of subtitle, multiple file format including .avi and .flv)
- news apps that collect information from multiple sources (Flipboard for tech news, CNN for news, Tapatalk for polling information from multiple forums)
- PDF reading, magazine reading

Now for the iPad Pro:
- Pencil will bring note-taking to a whole new level, and drawing of course if you are an artist
- PDF annotation and document editing with hand writing markup
- The larger screen means running two apps on split screen at a practical zoom level
- Larger screen in portrait mode only possible of the iPP (PDF reading, magazine, portrait photo editing
- Movie watching at arms length, which is comparable to or better than a 60" TV at 10 feet away
- Did I mention the long battery life, and further extended battery life with a battery pack?

 

[fanta88]

I would say you're best served either servicing your rMBP (you never stated what year/make) or buying a new one.

While the IPP is great for general browsing, you will still need your rMBP for tasks and thus will need to endure whatever afflicts it. I will also say the on screen keyboard is nice and shows you more of the screen, PROVIDED you are using an app that has been updated for the IPP. That's a big qualification: I'd say around half my apps are NOT updated for the IPP and simply use a blown up version of the regular keyboard you see on the Air, which is kind of comical.

 

[Ghost31]

I would say you're best served either servicing your rMBP (you never stated what year/make) or buying a new one.

While the IPP is great for general browsing, you will still need your rMBP for tasks and thus will need to endure whatever afflicts it. I will also say the on screen keyboard is nice and shows you more of the screen, PROVIDED you are using an app that has been updated for the IPP. That's a big qualification: I'd say around half my apps are NOT updated for the IPP and simply use a blown up version of the regular keyboard you see on the Air, which is kind of comical.

Logging onto the Facebook app and seeing the giant low resolution old school keyboard is just painful

 

[fanta88]

Logging onto the Facebook app and seeing the giant low resolution old school keyboard is just painful

Agreed. The facebook app in general is hideous. Everything is simply blown up. So much empty space.

Obviously this is a problem with the developers and not really something Apple can control, but it does impact one's enjoyment of the device. Another example would be any google app aside from chrome.

 

[profmjh]

Hmm . . .

I have a MacBook Pro (retina, Late 2013). In the last 20 minutes or so, my iOS devices (which are sitting next to me and the laptop, which I am typing this message on) have alerted me to four e-mails. The laptop hasn't alerted me at all. I'm sitting six feet away from my router with a direct line of sight. I just checked and Mail says (as usual) there's an account error (see below for detail if you're interested). When I load pretty much any webpage, the progress bar moves forward an inch and then just sticks there for ten, twenty seconds before loading the page.

Being a fanboy, I'm itching to buy something new. Not good, I know. You've all slightly put me off the iPad Pro because of the lack of updated apps, though I know that will come. Plus I've got the Air 2 and I don't know what the point of that would be if I bought the Pro.

Now I'm lustfully eyeing up the new MacBook.

--------

There may be a problem with the mail server or network. Verify the settings for account “xxx@me.com” or try again.

The server returned the error: Connections to the server “p04-imap.mail.me.com” on the default ports timed out.

 

[noreaster7]

I have a rMBP. There are some things I need it for, e.g. using Adobe InDesign, which I use occasionally. And even for using Excel: I really don't like the iPad version of Excel and it doesn't offer the features I use (e.g. linking one spreadsheet to another).

So I'm keeping my rMBP come what may. But it's annoying me at the moment. As I've posted elsewhere, it's much, much slower than my iPad Air 2 when it comes to the internet. I don't know why.

Which means I've started revisiting the iPad Pro. I've come up with a use-case for work, which is vaguely convincing. But the truth is I'm looking for something to use as a casual laptop: e.g. for browsing the internet when I'm watching tv. The physical keyboard and design of a laptop obviously are ideal for this. I've tried phasing in my iPad Air 2 but it's too small to sit comfortably on my lap and I don't like the on-screen keyboard (takes up too much space so you can't see what you're doing).

tl;dr

Does the IPP work well as a laptop for general browsing? Is it comfortable? Is the on-screen typing experience good? (I'm not interested in the super-ugly smart-case thing.)

Can I downgrade my rMBP to a specialist-use only machine and have the IPP as my go-to device?

I got my iPad pro a couple weeks ago, and as a go-to device for general browsing, media consumption, etc., it really is the best option available. I sold my rMBP shortly after recieving my iPad, but there is another MacBook in my household that allowed me to feel comfortable making the switch. The onscreen typing experience is as good as it gets, but I still find myself hooking up a bluetooth keyboard for anything longer than a few sentences (like this post, for instance).

I completely agree with you about the Apple Smart Keyboard Cover... I have the Logitech Create keyboard and have until January 15th to return it, the only way I can see myself keeping it is as a more protective, more productive case that I slip my iPP into for travel, typing, and things like that. It just adds too much bulk, which really isn't worth it given that it lacks the ability to set the screen to any angle like a laptop (and why the heck did I buy an iPP if I want to turn it into a fat, heavy laptop?)

While I'm completely satisfied with the iPad, just haven't found the killer accessory of my dreams. I have the basic Smart Cover for casual use, and the Logitech Create (which I might return or keep, given whether I decide I'd rather have my $150) for productivity. The Zagg Slim Book is neither slim nor light, but the laptop-like angles are great (I actually cancelled my preorder of it after reading the MacRumors review, but it showed up on my doorstep yesterday anyway, I'll be returning it shortly). I'm interested in the Brydge keyboard case, probably the best option I've heard about, though it doesn't protect the back of the iPad and doesn't come out until late Spring...

Long story short, the iPad Pro is worth the commitment, but be aware you'll need a $100-200 accessory to really get a go-to-device experience out of it... and the best accessory for you might not even be on the market yet.

 

[Ghost31]

What's holding you back from iPad pro besides a few apps not Being updated?

 

[fanta88]

Hmm . . .

I have a MacBook Pro (retina, Late 2013). In the last 20 minutes or so, my iOS devices (which are sitting next to me and the laptop, which I am typing this message on) have alerted me to four e-mails. The laptop hasn't alerted me at all. I'm sitting six feet away from my router with a direct line of sight. I just checked and Mail says (as usual) there's an account error (see below for detail if you're interested). When I load pretty much any webpage, the progress bar moves forward an inch and then just sticks there for ten, twenty seconds before loading the page.

Being a fanboy, I'm itching to buy something new. Not good, I know. You've all slightly put me off the iPad Pro because of the lack of updated apps, though I know that will come. Plus I've got the Air 2 and I don't know what the point of that would be if I bought the Pro.

Now I'm lustfully eyeing up the new MacBook.

--------

There may be a problem with the mail server or network. Verify the settings for account “xxx@me.com” or try again.

The server returned the error: Connections to the server “p04-imap.mail.me.com” on the default ports timed out.

I understand the desire to purchase something new and shiny, and at the end of the day it's your $$$, but it doesn't seem to me that you have a specific need the IPP and only the IPP addresses. You are averse to the smart keyboard and don't seem to have a real use for the pencil. Plus, you already have an Air 2, which is still a fine tablet.

Certainly the larger screen is far more pleasant, as are the speakers, but I personally don't think that merits the cost.

 

[profmjh]

What's holding you back from iPad pro besides a few apps not Being updated?

That's actually a really good question, even though it's a really obvious one to ask!

Here's my thinking right now. (And these thoughts attempt to address fanta88's concerns.)

At the moment, I don't know what my iPad Air 2 is for. I slightly regret buying it. It's too small to replace my laptop for casual browsing while I'm watching tv, and I don't like typing on it. I do like touchscreen devices, though, and I love the clarity of the display. It's both double speed 4G and WIFI, so it has great (and functioning!) connectivity.

I'm a private tutor. My current set-up is that I have my MacBook that my student and I both look at, and I write notes on A4 paper. The MacBook has become an embarrassment recently as the webpage problem has become an issue. I also use the MacBook to do my accounts on Excel, and to design documents using InDesign. And I use it to browse the web when I'm watching tv.

I'm now wondering if I should get an iPad Pro with cellular capability and transfer the nano-sim from the Air 2, so that the Pro gets the best of both worlds. I could use the Pro with a Pencil for taking notes (meaning I get to keep an electronic copy of them, which could well be useful, and my students might prefer receiving an electronic copy of them). The Air 2 could then be used by the student during my lessons: I could load it up with the materials and apps I use, as well as giving them WIFI internet access, so that we both have a screen to look at and they can interact with it rather than just watching me.

The MacBook then becomes a storage device and gets used for Excel and InDesign.

Which brings me back to my original question in a sense: can the iPad Pro replace the MacBook for on-lap browsing while watching tv?

Given Apple's returns policy, it seems to me I should probably just go ahead an order one and see if this whole set-up actually works.

[I think my MacBook knows I'm plotting against it. I just got half a dozen e-mails all come in at once, and when I posted this message, it went through immediately.]

 

[fanta88]

What you described makes a better case for an IPP.

The pencil is excellent for taking notes. The closest to pen+paper in my experience, especially in Apple's Notes app. I use it to write out ideas and scenes all the time. It's easier than flipping out the smart keyboard or even fiddling with the on screen keyboard (I write faster than I type).

And yes, it can replace the MacBook for on-lap browsing while watching tv. It is arguably better suited for that than the MBP or Air 2.

I'd say if portability isn't a concern, and it doesn't seem to be, the IPP might be worth your time.

 

[profmjh]

What you described makes a better case for an IPP.

The pencil is excellent for taking notes. The closest to pen+paper in my experience, especially in Apple's Notes app. I use it to write out ideas and scenes all the time. It's easier than flipping out the smart keyboard or even fiddling with the on screen keyboard (I write faster than I type).

And yes, it can replace the MacBook for on-lap browsing while watching tv. It is arguably better suited for that than the MBP or Air 2.

I'd say if portability isn't a concern, and it doesn't seem to be, the IPP might be worth your time.

I've nearly persuaded myself. The only issue now is whether I go for the WIFI only 32GB. It's £220 cheaper. What am I getting for that extra £220? More memory? I'm not really a big app user. Cellular? I don't really need that: the Air will still have 4G.

Plus I think I can get a 32GB by Wednesday. The 128GB + Cellular I won't be able to get before mid-January.

 

[fanta88]

Well, if you don't use many apps, load songs and/or movies, and truly see it as a browsing/streaming device, a 32 should be fine. Apps that have been updated for the IPP are somewhat larger, of course.

That being said, I have a 128+cellular, and the only thing I (slightly) regret is the cellular only because I realized I don't need it too much. I am very happy I have the headroom of the 128, though.

 

[profmjh]

Well, if you don't use many apps, load songs and/or movies, and truly see it as a browsing/streaming device, a 32 should be fine. Apps that have been updated for the IPP are somewhat larger, of course.

That being said, I have a 128+cellular, and the only thing I (slightly) regret is the cellular only because I realized I don't need it too much. I am very happy I have the headroom of the 128, though.

Well, there's always the possibility of using Personal Hotspot, I suppose, though I don't know how well that works in practice.

Hmm. Just noticed my Air 2 is using 34.7GB of storage.

 

[Smeaton1724]

I've nearly persuaded myself. The only issue now is whether I go for the WIFI only 32GB. It's £220 cheaper. What am I getting for that extra £220? More memory? I'm not really a big app user. Cellular? I don't really need that: the Air will still have 4G.

Plus I think I can get a 32GB by Wednesday. The 128GB + Cellular I won't be able to get before mid-January.

In the UK? Stock at Apple is scarce but appears plentiful at resellers.

Go with the 128GB, 32GB is pitiful and all those notes, photos and sketches mount up. I've been using an iPad 4 with stylus for a long time with notability and I've used up nearly 1GB - audio recordings/photo markups, notes etc.

 

[profmjh]

In the UK? Stock at Apple is scarce but appears plentiful at resellers.

There's one where I live. I'll check it out tomorrow.

 

[JD2015]

Does the IPP work well as a laptop for general browsing? Is it comfortable? Is the on-screen typing experience good? (I'm not interested in the super-ugly smart-case thing.)

Can I downgrade my rMBP to a specialist-use only machine and have the IPP as my go-to device?

I think a rMBP is overkill for what you use it for. It is primarily aimed at people doing heavy video and photo editing. A MacBook Air or Retina MacBook would be better suited for your needs. Anyway, that is another debate.

An IPP is my one device having sold my MacBook Air and IPad Air 2. I use this with a Apple Magic keyboard (ASK) and the Apple pencil. Both are essential to get full use out of an IIP. Using the own screen keyboard is okay but for short emails only. I use a lot of productivity apps (Microsoft office - remember you need to pay for subscription to use this on an IPP; Goodnotes4, Ithoughts, PDF expert, Ulysses and so on). I additionally do some light photo editing using Adobe free set of photo apps and pixelmator. Video editing needs are met by iMovie and Pinnacle pro. If you like drawing loads of good apps for this also which are easy to use.

Web browsing on Safari is good though I still find it has some bugs in whatever IOS machine I use with it. However, is still a really good browsing experience as got more real estate. Scrolling is a breeze when using touch. With the keyboard it is slightly buggy but nothing to ruin the experience.

The IPP can be do many things better than a MacBook. For example. Split screen looks much clearer and nicer on an IPP than a MacBook. A MacBook handles app selection better for split viewing better though. Reading and annotating is better on an IPP than a MacBook. It is easier to set things up on an iPad than a MacBook as do not have access to deep into the system. It just works on an IPP. I find editing photos and video slightly better on an IPP. Watching videos is superior on an IPP as picture is amazing along with the sound. I cannot say how you won't get the most out of an IPP if you do not have a ASK and Apple pencil. The other smart cases add to much bulk and are not as nice IMHO. There are some minor features missing from ASK (e.g. Backlight keyboard) but it is not a deal breaker for me at least. It is very comfortable to type on and fast. The Apple pencil is great for handwriting and obviously drawing. Is good also to use for selecting and moving cursor around. It cannot be used to enable split view though. Battery life for IPP are great. Having a fan less device is also a major advantage for me and would only consider a retina MacBook if needed a dedicated laptop.

Downsides for me of an IPP are slow battery charge, difficult to move substantial files (i.e. Greater than 1 GB) off and onto it, but have not explored this deficiency and how to overcome it much. If you really find yourself needing to heavy lifting stuff which are not possible or use a specific app not on IOS then I would advise buying a Mac mini which can be accessed remotely using say Parallels.

Once you start just using an IPP you won't miss a dedicated old fashioned laptop. I often find myself now when using a laptop at work instead of my IPP, forget that they are not touch screen. I use it for work (email, document management, running workshops etc), studying, entertainment, photo editing and so forth. Is a fantastic device and I link it up with my iPhone 6s Plus and an Apple TV (when wanting to hook it up to larger screen or a projector).

 

[fanta88]

Well, there's always the possibility of using Personal Hotspot, I suppose, though I don't know how well that works in practice.

Hmm. Just noticed my Air 2 is using 34.7GB of storage.

Personal hotspot works well enough.

Yeah, everything tends to add up. Plus, you really only have around 26 GB available on a 32 I think. iWork, Office apps, they're all sizable and build up large caches over time. If you sync iMessages (which you probably will want to do), that's potentially another big chunk. iCloud photo library might be large, especially if you elect to store the originals on the IPP for editing (I do this. I have around 2,000 photos and they take up 3.5GB). The Adobe apps are relatively small, but there are a lot of them....

 

[Ghost31]

That's actually a really good question, even though it's a really obvious one to ask!

Here's my thinking right now. (And these thoughts attempt to address fanta88's concerns.)

At the moment, I don't know what my iPad Air 2 is for. I slightly regret buying it. It's too small to replace my laptop for casual browsing while I'm watching tv, and I don't like typing on it. I do like touchscreen devices, though, and I love the clarity of the display. It's both double speed 4G and WIFI, so it has great (and functioning!) connectivity.

I'm a private tutor. My current set-up is that I have my MacBook that my student and I both look at, and I write notes on A4 paper. The MacBook has become an embarrassment recently as the webpage problem has become an issue. I also use the MacBook to do my accounts on Excel, and to design documents using InDesign. And I use it to browse the web when I'm watching tv.

I'm now wondering if I should get an iPad Pro with cellular capability and transfer the nano-sim from the Air 2, so that the Pro gets the best of both worlds. I could use the Pro with a Pencil for taking notes (meaning I get to keep an electronic copy of them, which could well be useful, and my students might prefer receiving an electronic copy of them). The Air 2 could then be used by the student during my lessons: I could load it up with the materials and apps I use, as well as giving them WIFI internet access, so that we both have a screen to look at and they can interact with it rather than just watching me.

The MacBook then becomes a storage device and gets used for Excel and InDesign.

Which brings me back to my original question in a sense: can the iPad Pro replace the MacBook for on-lap browsing while watching tv?

Given Apple's returns policy, it seems to me I should probably just go ahead an order one and see if this whole set-up actually works.

[I think my MacBook knows I'm plotting against it. I just got half a dozen e-mails all come in at once, and when I posted this message, it went through immediately.]

I like your plan my man! That sounds like it would work perfect for you. As you're finding out, in many cases, an iPad is not only a replacement for a laptop. It can be even better. I know since I got mine my uses have changed completely. I had an air 2 and didn't use it nearly as much as I use my pro. I wrote a post awhile back that might apply to you.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ipad-pro-owners-mini-tablet-companion.1944754/#post-22369066

 

[profmjh]

I really appreciate everyone's input on this. Thank you all.

I think it really all comes down to cash. If money were no option, I'd say buying an iPad Pro is a pretty easy call. (Hell, if money were no option, I'd get one of the new MacBooks too, because they're just so pretty . . . )

Here's my compromise position.

I regret buying the iPad Air 2 but I don't want to sell it because I've got 20 more payments on it and the sale price wouldn't cover those because the deal included a large monthly data allowance. But if the SIM can simply be switched to an iPad Pro, I wouldn't mind selling the Air 2 itself: it'd recoup some of the cost and I'd still have my data, so I'd be getting something for my monthly payments and I wouldn't feel like too much of an idiot for buying it in the first place.

I can't sell the MacBook because I need some of its functionality. And my students can use its screen, while I use the iPad Pro, so I wouldn't miss the Air 2.

The iPad Pro makes much more sense for me as a tablet in the way that Ghost31 explained in his other forum post. Plus it may have the professional advantage I've indicated when I get the Pencil (in ten years time once Apple has got its act together and actually found some to sell: they've really screwed this one up). And it might actually work for browsing, unlike my increasingly irritating MacBook. [This is my fourth attempt to post this message.]

I'll have to see what stock is available where I live.

 

[Ghost31]

I(in ten years time once Apple has got its act together and actually found some to sell: they've really screwed this one up). .

Ah that explains why my ship date for the pencil says 2025. My daughter should be in college by the time I get to play with my pencil! Whoo!

 

[profmjh]

Ah that explains why my ship date for the pencil says 2025. My daughter should be in college by the time I get to play with my pencil! Whoo!

CHECK THIS OUT!!!

I just ordered an Apple Pencil for delivery on Wednesday 23rd December, before 10.30am!!!

The delivery cost me £9.95 (for the rush) but it also comes with a 2 year guarantee and I can return it if I want. (I bought it from John Lewis in the UK, who are super-reputable.)

Admittedly I don't have an iPad Pro yet, but at least I know I'll have the pencil. Woot!

 

[Ghost31]

CHECK THIS OUT!!!

I just ordered an Apple Pencil for delivery on Wednesday 23rd December, before 10.30am!!!

The delivery cost me £9.95 (for the rush) but it also comes with a 2 year guarantee and I can return it if I want. (I bought it from John Lewis in the UK, who are super-reputable.)

Admittedly I don't have an iPad Pro yet, but at least I know I'll have the pencil. Woot!

That...what?! Do you have some kind of inside connection I don't know about?! I ordered mine on December 3rd with a delivery date of January 8th. I must not be one of apples favorite customers. Ya know... if you don't end up getting that iPad pro, I know a guy that would just absolutely love a pencil! Hint hintttttttt