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Can the rMB effectively replace an iPad for mobile users?

This may or may not sound a little funny, but one of the reasons I wouldn't get rid of my iPads is that there are a lot of cases when I want to use something that is a little more drop-proof and is much less snag-prone than a laptop. I keep my iPads in the SmartCases and they'll definitely survive a drop onto a carpeted floor...and with no cover there's nothing for someone to accidentally bump into or snag. I admit that this is a First World question and even there probably a 1% questions. :eek:
 
A year or so ago I sold a 13" MBA to buy a Samsung Note Pro 12. 2 tablet as a laptop replacement, using a samsung bluetooth kb and mouse. It worked for a while. But now I've gotten a 2014 mba 11" and it works so much better for professional needs than the tablet. It actually does it all and I find myself using the little MBA now more than my stable of android tablets. I tested the new Macbook at the apple store recently and really liked it, especially the keyboard that I had concerns about. There really isn't that much difference between my MBA 11" that I bought new from BB for $720 and the $1299 new 12" Macbook. I find the little MBA really light as a feather, powerful and so compact. The screen has great resolution and I personally feel the whole Retina thing is a marketing gimmick. I write professionally and see no problem with the standard screen. I also have a 2010 MBP 15" and a desktop Mac mini and a 24" screen, and have written a number of books on it, all non retina. If I were you I'd get the 11" mba for now, just because of the price difference, but I'd also keep the iPad. I use my tablets because the apps are far superior and wide-ranging than anything offered by Apple for its computers. iPad and Android apps are now on a par, as I had iPads 1-3, and the latest touch.
 
If it helps to think about this, I own keyboard cases or covers for both of my iPads. I don't use them any more. To me, part of the beauty of the iPad is that it's flat and has a touchscreen. For what I use them for, they're really better off as they come out of the box, and therefore they really don't overlap with a laptop.
 
I think the answer to the question is the other way around. Can the rMB replace an iPad? For the most part yes, but as others have mentioned the iPad is a much more convenient media device for use in bed, couch, etc. I use my iPad for most of this stuff these days, albeit with a bluetooth keyboard/case that both increases the utility of the device by having a keyboard and diminishes it by making it slightly more cumberrsome/less convenient.

But in my case the iPad cannot replace a real computer. I can't do local code development and testing on an iPad. In my case, this is lightweight web code, server side code and utilitties in Python, Perl and Ruby. That requires a full PC operating system (MacOS, Windows, Linux).

I can see the rMB totally replacing the iPad yes, especially with the smallish form factor, with the exception of iOS games perhaps. But for quickly looking up stuff, as well as Skype and Facetime calls, it really is hard to beat a tablet.
 
Blogs etc are fine, but I can't get myself to read a book on a device.

To me nothing can replace the enjoyment of reading (actual book).
 
Mostly agree - iPad and rMB do not 100% overlap

PsychicRutabaga said:
I think the answer to the question is the other way around. Can the rMB replace an iPad? For the most part yes, but as others have mentioned the iPad is a much more convenient media device for use in bed, couch, etc. I use my iPad for most of this stuff these days, albeit with a bluetooth keyboard/case that both increases the utility of the device by having a keyboard and diminishes it by making it slightly more cumberrsome/less convenient.

But in my case the iPad cannot replace a real computer. I can't do local code development and testing on an iPad. In my case, this is lightweight web code, server side code and utilitties in Python, Perl and Ruby. That requires a full PC operating system (MacOS, Windows, Linux).

I can see the rMB totally replacing the iPad yes, especially with the smallish form factor, with the exception of iOS games perhaps. But for quickly looking up stuff, as well as Skype and Facetime calls, it really is hard to beat a tablet.
Click to expand...

This was what I wanted to ask in my OP. There have been some useful replies here. My conclusion is that while there is significant overlap in usage of the iPad and rMB, neither device can do everything the other does, or is the best choice in every given situation.

I do like to use my iPad with the keyboard, even if not typing, because it acts as a screen stand, so I can read without having to hold it up, or try to prop-up a foldable case on a bed or couch. However, I can also just pull off the iPad from the keyboard and use it stand-alone, which is much better for some uses.

The iPad is also considerably cheaper than the rMB (half price) and potentially more robust, when encased properly. If you're carrying it around, it's less likely to suffer damage due to accidental drops etc. I can't see many people opening up their rMB in the street to check a map, read an email etc., which I often do with the iPad.

However, an iPad is never going to be a productivity machine, except for limited tasks. I need to run software that is simply unavailable on tablets, and for this I need a desktop OS.

So the answer to question as to whether an rMB can replace an iPad (or vice versa) is "no", at least for my use cases.
 
I have new rMB and iPad Air with LTE. I am going to keep iPad mainly for travel. I don't want to carry around, leave at hotels, this expensive and small device. If I lose or drop or my iPad gets stolen I can deal with that. Also, on a plane the iPad is great when the person in front of me reclines all the way back and my device is on my tray. Like someone else said very 1st world issues here.
 
The iPhone 6+ replaced my iPad. So for me, the new MacBook can most definitely replace my iPad. It's like an iPad with a keyboard. Small, light and portable enough. I did a size comparison next to an iPad and its just a tad bit larger. Which is amazing.

I don't see the point in owning a tablet anymore. For everything else, I can just use my iPhone 6+.
 
After playing with the RMB over the last several days, if you don't need LTE (I do), and don't need an applecare plus type of coverage (I do as I drop my ipad at work all the time) then the rMB makes the ipad superfluous IMHO.
 
Absolutely no to the question unless Apple makes something like the Surface 3 but that will unlikely happen since Apple doesn't like cannibalizing its own products and it's more profitable to sell two devices instead of one.
 
Aside from the retina screen, the rMB isn't offering much that the MBA didn't. I wouldn't consider it a ' replacement' of the iPad. I like my iPad because its a grab and go; no keyboard, charger, any accessories needed (for me). The key difference for me is fact that it is still pretty difficult to use a macbook just standing. You either need to hold it from the bottom with one hand and manage the mouse and keyboard with the other, or find some kind of surface to use it properly. The iPad being able to easily function while standing is the key difference. Id wish there would be a transition to bring the advanced features of OS X to a simpler device.
 
newellj said:
This may or may not sound a little funny, but one of the reasons I wouldn't get rid of my iPads is that there are a lot of cases when I want to use something that is a little more drop-proof and is much less snag-prone than a laptop. I keep my iPads in the SmartCases and they'll definitely survive a drop onto a carpeted floor...and with no cover there's nothing for someone to accidentally bump into or snag. I admit that this is a First World question and even there probably a 1% questions. :eek:
Click to expand...

No, that's a good point. If you drop your laptop, you are screwed. But I don't really use my laptop recklessly like that. You also mentioned before about using your iPad in the bathroom and stuff. I have never once used a mobile device in the bathroom, but I realize I'm in the minority.

I do think the iPad has its place still, but a lot of it seems like the advantages are just for convenience.
 
johngwheeler said:
I know some people are claiming (incorrectly) you can do the same things on an iPad that you can on the rMB, but what about the other way round?

I have an iPad 2 that is really showing its age with iOS 8.3 (it's very sluggish), and was thinking of either getting a new iPad Air or looking at the rMB.

I tend to use my iPad nearly all of the time with a Logitech keyboard, which I've found really makes the device much more useful for any kind of text input - I've never been efficient with the on-screen keyboard, and the loss of screen real-estate that it involves.

The *important* exception to this usage is when I travel or am more mobile, where having a keyboard-less device is often more convenient - e.g.use on airline tray tables when eating, using the device while standing, reading on the bus etc.

I have a rMBP 15, so this would be a secondary device capable of doing some productivity work (MS Word / Pages, Evernote, reading iBooks & PDFs, e-mail, browsing etc.).

Can you see the rMB effectively replacing, and improving on, an iPad for most of the above, or would the clamshell laptop form factor be too restrictive?

If the rMP had a detachable keyboard (containing an Intel / Mac OS X computer) with a simple tablet in the screen (iOS), it would be perfect, but I don't think the technology is ready for super lightweight hybrid or 2-in-1 devices yet.

Thoughts?

TIA
Click to expand...

If you travel a lot, because of what you mentioned in the bold text above, get an iPad Air 2.

I own both an iPad Air 2 and the new MacBook now, and I use both as my daily drivers. I kind of see a new iPad as your secondary that's best suited for all situations and travel. Get a Smart Cover with it so you can prop it up like a laptop screen, or angle it as if it's a keyboard. That suits all situations for my iPad and makes it flexible enough to cover everything I'm doing. Sounds like iPad apps will be enough to cover everything you need to do on the road, but some prefer to have real desktop environment on the go. I also think it's frustrating sometimes that the iPad doesn't have a definitive .PDF file viewer/reader on it. Some files open in iBooks for whatever dumb reason. I had an iPad 2 with Retina Display (3rd Generation iPad) that was trying to run iOS7/8. It just couldn't do it. The iPad Air 2 was a totally awesome upgrade. It's a screamer and runs iOS8 better than the new iPhones do.

If you have to have a physical keyboard, the new MacBook is a dream to type on after getting used to it.

I love my new MacBook. When you get used to the new trackpad and keyboard, you might fall in love like I did, but you'll absolutely hate going back to your 15" MBP's dated trackpad/keyboard. It'll do everything you mentioned better than the iPad, but that's just because of the fact that it's a portable desktop and not a mobile OS. The new MacBook is also extremely portable, so light sometimes I forget it's in my bag, so low-profile sometimes I mistaken it for my iPad Air 2.
 
No matter how you adapt it, the iPad still runs iOS. If you want to run desktop apps, OS X is a huge differentiator. On the other hand, I real wish there was a cell radio option for the rMB.
 
I don't own an rMB, but I had an 11" MBA for years and was in love with its form factor. At some point I bought an iPad mini retina in addition to the MBA, because I hoped to relieve some of the pressure from the MBA's failing battery by watching Youtube etc only on the iPad mini.

I still used both machines in very different scenarios. I hate typing on touchscreens, so even for the quickest email response I'd usually whip out my Macbook Air. Also for tab-intensive browsing I'd usually go with the Macbook Air, because the iPad would never load tabs in the background.

The iPad mini came out in bed, when I wanted to watch movies laying on my side - a laptop would have remained horizontally popped up and I wouldn't have gotten a good viewing angle. If I want to quickly show someone else something on the internet, I usually hand them the iPad mini, instead of the laptop where manifold apps are open and they could mess up something by accidentally pressing a key.
On transport, like the tube, coaches or planes I usually had my MBA as well as my iPad mini with me in my bag - but ALWAYS chose to pull out the iPad because it was still smaller and easier to maneuver in cramped spaces. Just think of sitting in an airplane, having your rMB popped up on your little tray table and suddenly the guy in front of you pushes back his seat into your rMB's screen.

tl;dr: The rMB still has the L-shape of a laptop, which in some situations simply proves less practical than the flat shape of a tablet.
 
As a doctor the iPad mini is irreplaceable. I was one of the detractors and mad all those IPad/tampon jokes. Then saw how great the iPad was with my colleagues and waited until the 1st iPad mini since it fits perfectly in my coat pocket. It's been great for on the go drug databases and other reference info. It's got several books on the kindle app. Before the Retina MacBook I used it in a pinch with a keyboard to take notes at conferences or do some patient charts on EMR (though quite awkward and painful)

Another great use is magazines and Netflix/Hulu plus when I'm at the gym. I live in Chicago so it's too cold for me to run outside 4-5 months of the year so during my treadmill runs I'll catch up on TV shows. Not only do I get less bored but at times will run more than intended just to finish an episode.

I will try to replace it when I upgrade to an IPhone 6plusS? But we'll see if that lasts
 
my 3 iPads and 2 computers are not in danger of replacing each other, they do the tasks they are best suited for ... However, for portability, the best for me is the iPad Air 2 with LTE, with the even more weightless Logitech Keys To Go keyboard in the back pocket of a very slim bag. The smart cover props the iPad up behind the keyboard, when I want to use that.

When I need it, I carry my 13" MBPr and an iPad in one bag.

I hate tethering - especially since my iPhone 5 battery has been draining so much faster after the last IOS upgrade - and I don't like using public wifi. and so, until there is a laptop with LTE it can' t replace my iPad for mobility.
 
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