Going iPad only

[MacAttacka]

Not being able to set up a file and file folder system on my iPad is my one single largest GRIPE! Yes, I know there are some apps but they are all work arounds and do not let me exploit my 64gb of RAM that I purchased. Apple's failure to do this will always keep my iPad in the realm of a Internet appliance rather than a serious business device.

Seagate makes a wireless hard drive that will do what you want and I am sure that it will,store more info than you could ever want. It is not what I want to carry. I use DropBox but even it is crippled and will not work like it does on my computers and you must download a file before you can use it. DropBox is as close as it comes. Apple will not change and makes me still interested in the new Win8 tablets to arrive later this year.

I want more freedom from Apple and iTunes!

I need Microsoft office and some form of file manager. I need be free to upload my files online, download them and share them. Bluetooth and wifi should be able to take care of any file transfer and printing issues.

Even with options such as ifile we still need a change of plan from Apple so the apps themselves facilitate this.

I work in finance on our company network has multiple drives and folder full of spreadsheets and reports. If the iPad was able to access these networks and act as a functional client then it could easily replace the millions of Wintel PCs in businesses.

I have high hopes that Tim Cook will start steering Apple in a more business friendly direction.

 

[Stealthipad]

I need Microsoft office and some form of file manager. I need be free to upload my files online, download them and share them. Bluetooth and wifi should be able to take care of any file transfer and printing issues.

Even with options such as ifile we still need a change of plan from Apple so the apps themselves facilitate this.

I work in finance on our company network has multiple drives and folder full of spreadsheets and reports. If the iPad was able to access these networks and act as a functional client then it could easily replace the millions of Wintel PCs in businesses.

I have high hopes that Tim Cook will start steering Apple in a more business friendly direction.

Well I did not mention MS Office as I knew that Apple could to help me there, but like you, if I had files and Office . . . . Well I would be one happy camper and my iPad would become a very capable friend.

Hope we see it happen one day.

 

[palpatine]

I've been thinking about going this way as my work mobile device.

The main things I do on my current mobile work laptop (Mac Book Air) are:

Email - no problem with that, seamless apart from the ease of attaching files, but hopefully that will improve;

Internet - again, no real issues with only the occasional website not being supported by Safari;

Office documents - with the addition of a wireless keyboard, I can get by with the iOS offerings (Pages & Numbers) for simple documents, but the file management is cumbersome and lacks the simplicity of opening/saving/importing/exporting of documents that is part of everyday life on OSX or Windows;

Photo albums - the iPad is ideal for this;

Presentations - I haven't yet tried Keynote on either the iPad or Mac, but the reviews do look good, again apart from file management issues. It appears that with the addition of a VGA adapter these can be displayed on a projector and can even be controlled using an iPod or iPhone as the remote.

So I'm almost swayed if the file management can be improved on the iPad, but at that point I'd be wanting to store all my data on the iPad and I'm already close to the limit on my 128GB Mac Book Air. So, bring a 256GB iPad with better file management and I'll be sold!

presentations work great on keynote with the ipad. i don't tend to do terribly advanced ones (embedded audio and video with lots of things gyring and gimbling in the wabe). i regularly use it.

as for file storage, dropbox is the best (tried sugarsync and icloud). it isn't perfect, and you'll still need a computer somewhere to mess around with the files.

i think what it comes down to is convenience. even IF the ipad could do everything i want, i'd still need a computer i think, because sometimes it is just too much of a hassle, and it is easier to do it on the computer. remember, we are giving up a HUGE amount of performance with the iPad -- it's like stepping back a few years in terms of performance. a lot of times, like writing in a word processor, it doesn't matter. but, for processor intensive stuff (ocr of a pdf file or image editing), i save it for when i get home at night and can do it easily on my laptop.

i'm cool with having both. i just want to be able to go on a trip for a couple of weeks and still be able to do all of my work. with careful prep, the ipad is just fine, but i wish it was a little more flexible. we'll get there. heck, i didn't even have copy/paste on my ipod in the early days of ios

 

[David Menzel]

heck, i didn't even have copy/paste on my ipod in the early days of ios

Yeah! That's why I'm very confident

 

[HeatherA]

I'm sure some other people must have tried or is trying to go iPad only(no main computer, just iPad). I know I could go iPad only if the storage wasn't an issue. I've been trying to find a way to add external storage without any success. Has anyone here successfully gone iPad only?

You're brave. I can't do it. Not until the iPad behaves much like a computer for my day to day work tasks. I have 4 or 5 different browsers and none of them render my blog's admin correctly nor does it work as it does on my MBP. So I have to do my work on my MBP and it's only at the end of the day when I am doing leisure things that I can spend quality time on my iPad.

 

[itcheroni]

I haven't used my computer since the jb came out for the ipad2.

I can download and play any torrent via itransmission and avplayerhd, by moving the downloaded file via ifile.
I can download, manipulate, sign and print any pdf via docusign ink and iannotate.
I can scan any document wirelessly with my hp printer via vuescan.
I have added additional storage via the cloud with dropbox and can send links to anyone that needs a file from there. All my photo's and documents autoload to dropbox as they are created.
I do all my online banking via apps from the app store like Chase.
If I need to I can remote log in to my computer via splashtop.
I can shop ebay, amazon and craigslist with the apps.
I have pages and keynote to handle my document writing and powerpoint stuff.
Tapatalk handles all my forums.
Photoshop Touch and psd viewer can handle my photoshop needs for photo manipulation.
I can send photos wirelessly back and forth between any idevice and computer with transfer app.
If I felt so inclined, I could download any song from Pandora in mp3 format.
Flash is handled via Photon web browser.

There is basically nothing I can't do on my ipad, except load a cd or add expandable memory, but these are hardware liitations.

Thanks for this list. Quite a few useful apps I didn't know about.

You're brave. I can't do it. Not until the iPad behaves much like a computer for my day to day work tasks. I have 4 or 5 different browsers and none of them render my blog's admin correctly nor does it work as it does on my MBP. So I have to do my work on my MBP and it's only at the end of the day when I am doing leisure things that I can spend quality time on my iPad.

Yes, I know. I'm practically a hero. haha. Well, I don't need to do anything for work, so it makes it a lot easier to simplify down to iPad. Though I'm leaning towards having a mac mini with it.

 

[b166er]

I've been able to go long stretches of time without using my MBP but there are still many things the iPad does not do that I need from time to time. I still have the need to burn DVDs from time to time also.

 

[dukeblue91]

I use the iPad as my only portable computer and have gone away from a laptop.
But I still need my Mac Pro for to many things that the iPad can't do or can't do well.

There are several ways to add storage for your files and they are from cheap to expensive.
We all know about Dropbox or box.net but then there are a few wifi enabled devices that you can access without the need for the internet like the Seagate, Kinston Wi drive or air stash come to mind.
You can also use several apps to get connected to your TimeCapsule but you need a connection for that.

Thinks are advancing very rapidly on how we use the iPad and I think in a couple of years it will be more common for people to rely on the iPad without the use of an additional computer, we are not that far removed from that today and for some it is very doable already today.

 

[Eddie Bombay]

You'd have a better chance of going Transformer only before the iPad. Only thing I'd miss is the fluidity of iOS, ecosystem & of course...the app market.


I'm sure this would change when I have the option to Jailbreak 5.1

 

[whynotgotovegas]

I went iPad only...there are a lot of accessories you need to buy, keyboard, cases, stylus, ect., but it's totally worth it in the long run. iPads are the future

 

[iClive]

iPads are the future

Agreed!

 

[Stealthipad]

I went iPad only...there are a lot of accessories you need to buy, keyboard, cases, stylus, ect., but it's totally worth it in the long run. iPads are the future

I pads might be the future for people who never needed a computer in the first place but it will be a long time before a iPad will replace my office and home desktops. Even my laptop is safe for a long time unless Apple loosens it stranglehold on the iPad.

A "keyboard, case, stylus etc" is still not going to get the iPad to run Quickbooks Pro, AutoCad, MS Office, etc. might be fine for a kid who biggest worry is where his next sack of pot is coming from but it could not get the real work that I need to do on a daily basis.

 

[urkel]

For me, the iPad lessened my computer usage but it didn't eliminate my computer needs. So I feel the idea of going "iPad only" to be more like a dare rather than a practical solution for most people.

 

[entatlrg]

I haven't used my computer since the jb came out for the ipad2.

I can download and play any torrent via itransmission and avplayerhd, by moving the downloaded file via ifile.
I can download, manipulate, sign and print any pdf via docusign ink and iannotate.
I can scan any document wirelessly with my hp printer via vuescan.
I have added additional storage via the cloud with dropbox and can send links to anyone that needs a file from there. All my photo's and documents autoload to dropbox as they are created.
I do all my online banking via apps from the app store like Chase.
If I need to I can remote log in to my computer via splashtop.
I can shop ebay, amazon and craigslist with the apps.
I have pages and keynote to handle my document writing and powerpoint stuff.
Tapatalk handles all my forums.
Photoshop Touch and psd viewer can handle my photoshop needs for photo manipulation.
I can send photos wirelessly back and forth between any idevice and computer with transfer app.
If I felt so inclined, I could download any song from Pandora in mp3 format.
Flash is handled via Photon web browser.

There is basically nothing I can't do on my ipad, except load a cd or add expandable memory, but these are hardware liitations.

There may be nothing you can't do with your iPad. But to do so quickly, efficiently and with ease is another question.

People should stop touting the iPad as a laptop replacement unless people are very light users and don't mind taking the extra time it takes to fumble and stumble around then it's fine.

I love my iPad, it's my favorite Apple product. But it sure doesn't replace my MacBook Air. The two work excellent together. For for anyone wanting to buy a product computing needs the iPad is not it.

 

[Jackintosh]

I dislike the whole laptop scene and find that device a poor compromise between portability and functionality, as well as cumbersome. I'm so glad the iPad came along and am perfectly happy with a Mac Mini / iPad combination. One is truly desktop and the other truly portable.

But to this thread, yes almost 100% iPad and very little desktop.

 

[TraceyS/FL]

My iPad1 was my only internet for awhile... it got interesting when I needed to do a few things - i'd move files via iTunes and back again to send out.

It worked for me, and I still can do most of what i WANT to do on the iPad - however, right now I NEED to use the mini I bought for my online school stuff.

I normally look longingly at my iPad while i'm stuck here working! LOL!!

I think it's doable depending on what you do - but i'm not sure i'd want to be without some other computer in the house either.

I'm pretty sure that i'm NOT going to buy an MBA though for school - which is a switch from about 3 weeks ago.

 

[Stealthipad]

There may be nothing you can't do with your iPad. But to do so quickly, efficiently and with ease is another question.

People should stop touting the iPad as a laptop replacement unless people are very light users and don't mind taking the extra time it takes to fumble and stumble around then it's fine.

I love my iPad, it's my favorite Apple product. But it sure doesn't replace my MacBook Air. The two work excellent together. For for anyone wanting to buy a product computing needs the iPad is not it.

What he said!

 

[cdmoore74]

Impossible!!! Otherwise your just a basic (and I do mean basic) internet user.

 

[0m3ga]

There may be nothing you can't do with your iPad. But to do so quickly, efficiently and with ease is another question.

People should stop touting the iPad as a laptop replacement unless people are very light users and don't mind taking the extra time it takes to fumble and stumble around then it's fine.

I love my iPad, it's my favorite Apple product. But it sure doesn't replace my MacBook Air. The two work excellent together. For for anyone wanting to buy a product computing needs the iPad is not it.

You learn how to be efficient by neccessity. This is true with all things in life. And with efficiency comes ease of use. By the way, I have in fact replaced my laptop. I also happen to have very specific needs in the medical field. I can upload MRI scans via the cloud and download them onto the ipad for viewing and manipulation.
I also have every major airlines app installed to quickly and easily book flights. Faster in fact than on a computer.
I can download and manipulate any file from any source on the web. Delete, move, rename, copy... Same as an pc.

As long as you are jailbroken and able to work outside the sandbox, there is very little you can't accomplish on an ipad. External hardware like a disk drive is the only limitation, but even that is changing with bluetooth and wifi. And once Microsoft finishes Office for ipad, game over!

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Impossible!!! Otherwise your just a basic (and I do mean basic) internet user.

Wrong. I have listed several major examples of what can be accomplished. Just because YOU are incapable of doing so, doesn't mean others can not.

 

[Mainsail]

Storage and backup is the missing link

I will assume for a moment that most folks have a work computer provided by their employer, so their basic office needs are covered.

For home use only, I think the iPad is getting very close to being all most folks need. Let's face it, for personal use most folks want email, web access, social networking, maps, personal finance, photos, videos, music, and some games. These types of things can all be easily done on an iPad.

For my needs, the one thing that I haven't figured out is how to store and backup photos and video from the iPad to an external drive without going through a PC. There are some cloud options. iCloud backs up camera roll. You can keep photos on Flickr. But, I have yet to figure out a convieniant way to store/backup albums and sideshows locally without syncing through a PC.

 

[Eddie Bombay]

Although a bit buggy you can get a Slate. My cousin has one and he pretty much ditched his desktop for it. Think it was by Samsung. Looked pretty slick.

 

[ReallyBigFeet]

Tried it, and it is possible for me for short day trips here and there. But if I'm going on a week-long road trip, I really need my MBA and my iPad. I use the iPad for note-taking in meetings, drawing quick sketches for clients, even for displaying PowerPoint presentations. But I use my MBA for MS Office apps, Outlook and a host of other things.

I think if your only uses are light email, web surfing and the remainder is recreational use, the iPad is fine. There are many things I use my MBA for that I COULD accomplish via the iPad an some helper apps...but the reality is they all involve workarounds, sub-optimal content creation methods and more than a little wonky tricks. So why bother unless you HAVE to or just WANT to?

Not like the MBA weighs all that much more really.

 

[D.T.]

Tried it, and it is possible for me for short day trips here and there. But if I'm going on a week-long road trip, I really need my MBA and my iPad. I use the iPad for note-taking in meetings, drawing quick sketches for clients, even for displaying PowerPoint presentations. But I use my MBA for MS Office apps, Outlook and a host of other things.

I think if your only uses are light email, web surfing and the remainder is recreational use, the iPad is fine. There are many things I use my MBA for that I COULD accomplish via the iPad an some helper apps...but the reality is they all involve workarounds, sub-optimal content creation methods and more than a little wonky tricks. So why bother unless you HAVE to or just WANT to?

Not like the MBA weighs all that much more really.

Great post. I’m headed up to DC, probably next month, mostly business related and seriously thinking about going with just the iPad.

Don’t need my development machine, and for notes, email, web, remote access/VPN, brainstorming, shuffling a few docs around, I think the iPad will be outstanding.

 

[dukeblue91]

Although a bit buggy you can get a Slate. My cousin has one and he pretty much ditched his desktop for it. Think it was by Samsung. Looked pretty slick.

This is your second post in this thread trying to pimp an Android device in a iPad discussion.
You are acting like a Troll.

 

[Cynicalone]

I think you really need a main computer to store all your stuff.

If Apple added an iCloud like version of Dropbox with 50 or 100GB of storage and a rudimentary file system on the iPad some light computer users might be able to go all in on the iPad.