Ditching your laptop (MBA) for an iPad

[darngooddesign]

The iPad is no replacement for an MBA. Those who think the iPad can replace their MBA never needed a COMPUTER in the first place.

I agree with this. If the iPad works as a replacement for your only computer, which is what's being discussed, you didn't need to buy a computer. Your needs were very basic compared to everything a full computer can do.

The iPad's advantage is it does everything half-assed! That's the truth...

No single convergence device will be as good at everything as a bunch of specialized devices. The point is that you don't have to carry five different devices to accomplish those tasks. The iPad is pretty good, not half-assed, at all those things you mentioned, its more than good enough to deal with its failings.

Back on track. The iPad can replace your computer provided you don't need a computer to do more than what it can do. Do your research.

 

[3bs]

I don't own an iPad but I've used it enough to know that it can't replace a laptop

 

[mayassa]

I'm replacing my MacBook pro 17 with my new MBA and ill keep my ipad2 for travel and the crapper.

 

[ZBoater]

iPad 2 and MBA owner here. I agree with the comments that if an iPad replaced your laptop, then you didn't need a laptop to begin with. The iPad is an AMAZING device, and it can do a LOT, but something as simple as uploading a file to a site can be a chore. Most people don't need this flexibility, but I need access to my file system so I can FTP, download, upload, and do all sorts of 80's computing stuff.

I also need to run Quicken for Business, DVD Profiler, iTunes (the iPad today is useless without a computer running iTunes), and the iPad can't do that.

I can see how for some people, an iPad can be the only device they use. My parents for example could get away with just the iPad, as all they do is email, very light web browsing, and Mobile Banking. Bam, iPad only.

For the rest of us, we need the real thing.

 

[Artmuzz]

I have owned an iPad for a couple of years now and even though there are excellent apps it is still no substitute for a Mac (or PC for that matter). For a while I have been saving up for the new iPad 2 but finally used that money to buy the new i5 intel core 11 inch MacBook Air. Why did I choose the MacBook Air 11 inch over the iPad 2? Well the answer is that I was wanting a small portable device that I could use Logic Pro and Reason and use Final Cut Pro and for the size the MacBook Air, it is totally awesome. Also I was wanting full use of the internet with Flash and download files from the likes of Rapidshare. For a device that is just a little tiny bit bigger than an iPad i have all the power that my old 2008 MacBook Pro has to write and produce music and video. Another reason I chose the MacBook Air over the iPad 2 is because I already own an iPad that is still good at the music apps like NanoStudio and Sunrizer synth plus I can still use my old iPad as a midi controller for my MacBook Air if I want. One thing I do wish the MAcBook Air had that the iPad has is Touch Screen capabilities.

 

[vseera]

Actually, I went the other way. Initially, I only had an iPad and a MBP.

But I noticed that I almost never used the iPad, instead, choosing to use my MBP most of the time. And I found the MBP too big and heavy.

So I got an MBA and have never looked back! I don't miss the iPad for anything (have my iPhone for all the iOS apps goodness). Plus, usually the iPhone apps are cheaper than iPad ones and there are more of them, so thats a winner.

The only thing I miss on the iPad is my Zinio magazine subscriptions. It was just so intuitive to read magazines on that device, reading them on the iPhone is just too small and on the MBA, too cumbersome.

I tried reading books on the iPad but gave up. The screen was just too bright and used to give me a strain more often than not. My Kindle is used almost everyday without any issue.

 

[Fernandez21]

I have owned an iPad for a couple of years now and even though there are excellent apps it is still no substitute for a Mac (or PC for that matter). For a while I have been saving up for the new iPad 2 but finally used that money to buy the new i5 intel core 11 inch MacBook Air. Why did I choose the MacBook Air 11 inch over the iPad 2? Well the answer is that I was wanting a small portable device that I could use Logic Pro and Reason and use Final Cut Pro and for the size the MacBook Air, it is totally awesome. Also I was wanting full use of the internet with Flash and download files from the likes of Rapidshare. For a device that is just a little tiny bit bigger than an iPad i have all the power that my old 2008 MacBook Pro has to write and produce music and video. Another reason I chose the MacBook Air over the iPad 2 is because I already own an iPad that is still good at the music apps like NanoStudio and Sunrizer synth plus I can still use my old iPad as a midi controller for my MacBook Air if I want. One thing I do wish the MAcBook Air had that the iPad has is Touch Screen capabilities.

Really? Thats amazing seeing how it was only released a year and a half ago.

just teasing. I agree with most of your post, I have an iPad 2 that I have barely touched since getting my air. Earlier I was set on upgrading to the next iPad whenever it came out, but now I'm not so sure.

 

[pollaxe]

I got an iPad (first gen) about a year ago (I was very surprised, I was an ardent Apple-hater up until that point) and I've had a lot of use out of it during those twelve months.

However, whilst it was a great little gizmo for web and emails I found my fingers are too big to make typing and editing text very easy and I didn't like the grease and fingerprints that seem to fly on the screen every time the cover was opened.

The MBA is, strangely, my iPad replacement. I hardly ever use the iPad now (it's next to my slumbering fiancee who says she's doesn't really like the device but she seems to use it an awful lot, mainly for Facebook and Angry Birds!) and in many ways, the MBA has become what I'd initially hoped the iPad might do. It's lovely having a keyboard, it's fast, it can do useful things on my home network and I'm so glad it's not a touchscreen! I know Apple are looking at a grease-busting solution for their screens but for the time being, it's the MBA all the way for me. The only thing I miss on the iPad is its battery life.

 

[jonutarr]

< ipad

NO

Had an iPad for a couple of months, most uncomfortable device I've ever used, my neck was either hunched over giveing me head aches, propping it upright I couldn't type properly and holding with one hand while using it with the other (and all variations) gave me RSI

I like the technology but iPads are literally just a pain

 

[cardinalryan]

The iPad is no replacement for an MBA. Those who think the iPad can replace their MBA never needed a COMPUTER in the first place. The iPad doesn't do computing... it does entertainment observation.

As I stated elsewhere, the iPad isn't great at anything other than nice battery life and being extremely portable. It simply fails in comparison at any one thing like using it as a book, to watch movies, check email, type a book, surf the web, play games, compute, listen to music, or run Mac OS X applications.

The iPad's advantage is it does everything half-assed! That's the truth...

Read a book - too bright (fancy with gimmicky page turning) and inferior to Kindle and Nook.

Watch movies - too small and annoying to hold in the right position.

Check email - if I want to check email on the go an iPhone is better. If I need to reply to an email in depth, my MBA is better.

Type a book - please, without a physical attached keyboard it's grossly inferior.

Surf the web - without Flash it's a fail. It doesn't matter why or whose fault we cannot see even content on websites (don't blame SJ, don't blame developer for using Flash, and don't blame the coder who implemented it - as 98% of all web capable devices had Flash installed as of last year). The bottom line is it's a fail. It doesn't matter if we take the assumption that SJ is doing the wrong thing or the developer shouldn't use Flash at all, or the coder shouldn't have used Flash for content or navigation. The bottom line is without Flash the iPad is a fail for Internet.

Size - it's too big to put in a pocket and too small to really enjoy the display and its inherent qualities *being IPS.

Materials - feels great, but what does one look like after dropped? I plan to give mine to my young daughter for as long as it lasts... while aluminum is beautiful, for an entertainment device I believe Apple should have picked a better case material. We have seen this with the plastic MBs over the MBA/MBPs that are aluminum. When a plastic MB is dropped, it's usually not that big of a deal. When an aluminum Mac is dropped, it's often $1000 or more and Apple most of the time voids the warranty.

Play games - one cannot tell me this is better than a Wii, Xbox, or Playstation... better than an iPhone, maybe.

Compute - please... what a joke.

Input or Creation - not this Apple product.

Music - too big to carry along. No real improvements over an iPod.

Mac OS X apps - let's face it this is no Mac. One who uses a Mac for work/creation/input simply cannot replace a Mac with an iPad. The iPad is second rate at everything it does.

So where the iPad really achieves greatness is if one just wants a device to "sorta" do things, or do them half-assed!

All of this is one person's opinion and not a shred more. I have had both units and I prefer the iPad due to it's ultra portability. If I need to do anything that the iPad can't do, I'll use my iMac.

 

[glen e]

said it before, this war back and forth on ipad vs laptop is childish & ridiculous...the ipad is for consuming content and is not meant to be a computer. The MBA is for creating content. Period.

When I'm on the couch, I want to read my email and don't want some laptop that is cumbersome to use - even if it's my MBA 11. The pad succeeds brilliantly.

When I'm writing a long letter, or creating a keynote presentation, I need my MBA and the ipad won't work.

But they peacefully coexist in my house, because as my signature says:

 

[JSalig]

I will never understand how some people can be so gleeful over the idea of iPads replacing MacBooks. Why would anyone root for that to happen? Why does it need to happen? Personally, I love the form factor of laptops and can't imagine life without one.

 

[thelead]

There just aren't enough apps for my iPad to keep me interested. I really don't care for more than 5-10 apps. Browsing webpages isn't even enjoyable if you are like me: opening 5-10 pages in tabs and reading them one at a time.

My iPad doesn't get used very often (besides "Night Stand" app, FieldRunners, Boggle, and Angry Birds). It really only gets taken to places where it wouldn't be ideal to take a laptop (like the beach).

 

[richpjr]

I will never understand how some people can be so gleeful over the idea of iPads replacing MacBooks. Why would anyone root for that to happen? Why does it need to happen? Personally, I love the form factor of laptops and can't imagine life without one.

It doesn't need to replace it. I believe that Apple is slowly moving towards converging devices, but we are a long way off from something that does everything well. The screen on an iPhone is too small. Typing on an iPad sucks. A MBA is too big for some places I go and isn't always online. The iMac is a desktop and obviously can only be used in one place. So I have 4 difference devices from Apple, each with their own uses.

 

[jpl6]

I got a MBA to replace my iPad for mobile computing.

Mobile Computing Timeline for Me:
HP Envy 15 (HP's MBP) -> iPad 1 -> MBA

Uses Now:
MBA - All Computer Tasks (Surfing, Video, Writing, Coding, etc.)
HP Envy 15 - Gaming
iPad 1 - Consuming content on the go (when I don't want to use MBA) or when I'm on the loo (lol).

But yeah, my usage of the iPad has decreased significantly after I got my MBA. Glad I didn't upgrade to the iPad 2 now.

 

[Yumunum]

An iPad is a huge iPhone. That's all it is. And for that reason, I stopped using my iPad after the "honeymoon" phase. My iPhone is always with me, and easier to hold and type on. For real computing I have a MBA.

Really, I don't see myself buying another tablet until things change drastically. If you're thinking of buying an iPad, just realize that it is ONLY a bigger iPhone. There will be no more functionality than you already have. You won't be able to anything more.

Sorry if I just ruined iPads for you. And I don't want to hear about [app here] that's slightly different than it's iPhone counterpart. It isn't enough

 

[andrewlgm]

There's a lot of people over in the iPad section saying since they received their iPad they haven't touched their laptops.

Some have even sold their MBP's already because they're so blown away with their iPads.

Any MBA owners here who bought iPads and feel the same way?

I'm guessing there isn't as many

Whenever I'm out and about with the iPad I really feel the lack of a keyboard. In my case, the iPad will never replace a true keyboard and the ability to multitask side by side of a laptop- word and power point presentation for studying side by side cannot be done with the iPad.

----------

An iPad is a huge iPhone. That's all it is. And for that reason, I stopped using my iPad after the "honeymoon" phase. My iPhone is always with me, and easier to hold and type on. For real computing I have a MBA.

Really, I don't see myself buying another tablet until things change drastically. If you're thinking of buying an iPad, just realize that it is ONLY a bigger iPhone. There will be no more functionality than you already have. You won't be able to anything more.

Sorry if I just ruined iPads for you. And I don't want to hear about [app here] that's slightly different than it's iPhone counterpart. It isn't enough

I feel the same way. I love the iPad for bed time reading. But when I'm in school, I must use my laptop in classes, and when I'm on the train the iPhone is much more manageable than the iPad. I use the iPad once every 3 days when I'm actually at home and in bed at a decent time.

 

[glen e]

Nobody "ruined" an ipad for me...I love them - I can run keynote on my phone or my ipad...but for a presentation in front of an audience, it's easier to run said presentation on an ipad than phone. Yeah, it's a big phone and I have no problem with that. And batt life is alot better for presentations using an ipad than the MBA...

 

[jrtaylor6]

I have a iPhone 4, and dont see the difference between them.

 

[jamesryanbell]

There's a lot of people over in the iPad section saying since they received their iPad they haven't touched their laptops.

Some have even sold their MBP's already because they're so blown away with their iPads.

Any MBA owners here who bought iPads and feel the same way?

I'm guessing there isn't as many

I TRADED MY iPAD 1 FOR THE MBA - exact opposite. I've never looked back for a second. I'm a musician for a living, and I had issues with the touchscreen when typing. I have callouses on my finger that seemingly killed the "signal" in my fingers, leaving a lot of dead letters when I typed. It's all about what YOU need. For me, "no physical keyboard, no care".

Strangely, I rarely ever have the problem on iPhone 4. Something about the angle at which I type on the iPad I guess.

-- Ryan

 

[orfeas0]

A keyboard does defeat the purpose and completely unnecessary. We've been using physical keyboards all our life and it takes time to get used to something different. Instead of using a keyboard accessory, take the time to learn to use the iPad one. I already get 60WPM and I bet that number will come up the more I use it.

Waw, that's impressive! I just did a test and I'm hitting 69 WPM on my laptop!! And I type pretty fast! 60wpm on an ipad is extraordinary! I haven't used an iPad that much to compare , but from my iPhone experience I don't expect too much from the ipad. Sure the ipad is bigger but the responsiveness etc isn't that good for typing.

 

[Dunbar]

Surfing the internet on the iPad is painfully slow. For that reason alone it's not a laptop replacement. The external bluetooth keyboards seem pretty limited in their usefulness with no mouse option. It does travel nicely though. You don't have to take it out of your bag to go through security.

Hey, somebody bumped an old thread!

 

[Nychot]

Interesting discussion

I had an ipad1 and sold it for an ipad2. Its with me all the time. Its a perfect entertainment and research center. I do my real work on my mac mini attached to a 23 inch hp monitor. I use the truly wonderful apple bluetooth keyboard and the fantastic apple magic trackpad. That said, i had sold my macbook so didnt have a mac laptop. A little under two weeks ago i bought an open box 2010 base macbook air at bestbuy for $750 18 months same as cash and they gave me a free apple tv. While it was an open box it had never been registered. Its new. BUT since i got it i rarely use it and still rely on my ipad for everything outside of my work mac mini. The air is a thing of beauty. Its fast. It has a keyboard but it doesnt have the app abilities of the ipad. My wife also has an ipad2 and we look like robots attached to them. Its sturdy, great screen, so portable. To make a long story short im debating whether to return the MA because i dont really see myself using it on a par with the ipad. Im already looking forward to the ipad3. If you dont need a "conventional" laptop, go for the ipad. Its truly wonderful. Btw, i took advantage of the firesale on the hp touchad 32gb for $149 that arrives next week and it'll be interesting to see how it compares to the ipad. Hope this helps.

 

[willisbr]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

I bought my MBA 13" last month and hAvent touched my iPad since.