Considering replacing Macbook with iPad

Discussion in 'iPad Tips, Help and Troubleshooting' started by mnichollsuk, Feb 9, 2012.

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  1. mnichollsuk, Feb 9, 2012

    mnichollsuk macrumors newbie

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    #1
    Hi all

    I have a few questions about swapping my mac out for an iPad. Im not a heavy mac user but i have about 30GB of music from the old days, and about 10GB of music from iTumes. I also have a 30GB iPhoto library.

    These are the 2 man things i need and use my mac for. I also have a time capsule to ensure these things are backed up, and i like the thought of having my own local backup, though cloud is ok i guess.

    My questions are:

    If i use iTunes match now, before i get rid of my macbook, does that mean all my music is in the cloud forever? What happens if the service stops and there is no more iTunes match? I no longer have a mac with the music on as 30GB was ripped from CD's, so would i then only have my iTunes purchased music? Would i always need to keep a backup of my old ripped music on a HDD somewhere just in case iTunes Match stopped? And even if that was the case without a mac how would i get this music back onto my iPhone and iPad?


    How do i manage a 30GB photo library with no mac? I'm happy to pay extra for storage on iCloud, but can it handle a 30GB library and push it to both devices?


    I think my other worry is relying in cloud only. I almost want an app on the iPhone and iPad to allow backups to a time capsule so i know if the cloud stops or Apple died tomorrow, my data is in my own house

    Any thoughts?

    Many Thanksa
     
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  2. hchavarria, Feb 9, 2012

    hchavarria macrumors 6502

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    #2
    I don't believe iTunes match was intended to replace you storage of music but rather allow you to have access to your entire library without actually having it stores on the iPad. It sounds like your intent is to use the iPad as your only computer and that is not what it was intended for but rather it's intent is to be an extension to your computer. I got rid of my laptop for my iPad but I have an iMac at home.
     
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  3. mnichollsuk, Feb 9, 2012

    mnichollsuk thread starter macrumors newbie

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    #3
    Agreed, however once you have loaded your music into the cloud via match, in theory you could then dump your mac as your music should then always be avaliable to you.
     
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  4. mnichollsuk, Feb 10, 2012

    mnichollsuk thread starter macrumors newbie

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    #4
    Bascially i only have a mac because of the need to store non iTunes purchased music (iTunes match fixes this after one scan doesn't it?) and my iPhoto library - seems like a waste of a £1000 macbook, when an iPad would do....

    any thoughts/ suggestions?
     
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  5. ayeying, Feb 13, 2012

    ayeying macrumors 601

    ayeying

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    #5
    This isn't going to work for several reasons.

    1) An iPad isn't an entire computer replacement
    2) iCloud doesn't do anything for your photos, all your photos will be locally stored on your iPad.
    3) iTunes Match isn't keeping music on the cloud either. It allows you to access your iTunes Library without syncing it up, but you do still download into the iPad.
    4) If you want to back up, you can use iCloud Back Up but it will only back up your settings. When you restore, all your Apps will be redownloaded. Your photos outside of Camera Roll will not be backed up.
     
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  6. porcupine8, Feb 14, 2012

    porcupine8 macrumors 6502a

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    #6
    You could get a wifi hard drive like the Seagate GoFlex that can connect to your iPad and use it for storage.

    I would not get rid of a personal physical backup of your files even if they are in one cloud service or another. Anyone's servers can go down.
     
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  7. camardelle, Feb 14, 2012

    camardelle macrumors 6502

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    #7
    I was under the impression that iTunes match was implemented because a couple vesions of iTunes ago we lost the ability to backup our music. Maybe it was the other way around?
     
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  8. mattraehl, Feb 14, 2012

    mattraehl macrumors 6502

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    #8
    The iPad isn't ready to be a primary computer. (Except perhaps for an elderly person with limited computing needs?)

    Low storage space is easily one of the technical limitations that is holding it back, and even if you could buy a 256 GB iPad there is no iPhoto for the iPad yet so your photo management options would be very rudimentary compared to what you are doing on your Mac. (However with apps like Snapseed and Luminance, affordable, easy, powerful photo editing on the iPad has already surpassed the Mac in my opinion.)

    iTunes match could potentially work for you but there is a song limit (20k?), and getting rid of your original copies of non-iTunes music could come back to bite you down the road. Like you said the service could always go away at some point in the future, or maybe there could just be an error with your account or something, you never know.
     
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  9. mnichollsuk, Feb 15, 2012

    mnichollsuk thread starter macrumors newbie

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    #9
    Ok, so my iPhone and all settings is backed up to the cloud, I've just done iTunes match and now all of my music is in the cloud, the only reason i am now keeping my mac is because of iPhoto. Literally.

    Everything else is now in the cloud. I have copied all of my non iTunes music over to a USB stick just in case match falls of the planet tomorrow, it is just photos.

    Once iPhoto can go up to the cloud i can swap my mac for an iPad and get rid of my time capsule.

    Im not a heavy laptop user, just browse the net a bit, i use my iPhone for almost everything nowadays - its totally changed the way i use the internet.

    For me, thats all that is missing from being able to say i don't need a mac. Just photos. I have a £1000 mac, to hold my photo library!
     
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  10. Night Spring, Feb 15, 2012

    Night Spring macrumors G5

    Night Spring

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    #10
    How about getting one of those hard drives with wifi built in for your photos?
     
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  11. mnichollsuk, Feb 15, 2012

    mnichollsuk thread starter macrumors newbie

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    #11
    All my photos come are taken from my iPhone (please years of archive photos) so my photos need to be on a iPhoto compatible device
     
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  12. Night Spring, Feb 15, 2012

    Night Spring macrumors G5

    Night Spring

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    #12
    I think iPhoto has an export function, doesn't it?
     
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