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iPad Air vs. Microsoft's Surface Go: Which Is a Better Laptop Replacement?
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You can call it whatever you want, it doesn't hold a candle to the number of applications you can run on full windows. No amount of twisting and wishing is going to make that so in the foreseeable future. The iPad is as useful as a doorstop to many professionals, I am not an outlier.
Good points. I have the latest iPad Pro and find it a good adjunct to my MBP. It’s great for reading PDFs and magazines, something the MBP is just to big to do on a plane, etc. I use a Logitech BT keyboard which is small and very portable.
I find the pencil plus Notability good for taking nites; and it has replaced my MontBlanc digital paper for that since Apple fixed the lag issues when writing.
I los find it useful or doing basic Word and Excel work when I don’t want to take my MBP with me. PowerPoint is still a PITA to use; real mouse support would go a long way. One issue I have is the iOS version lack some of the functionality, especially Excel, of the desktop versions.
I can see the iPad being a viable laptop alternative in a few years if Apple keeps adding functionality.
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True, but a lot depends on teh specific app. I use PowerBI, and it is slow even on a laptop and i shudder to think what it would be like on a Go. In the end, it comes down to what machine will run the apps you need at an acceptable speed.
I own a Surface Pro 2, which is slightly better than the Go, but older, but not a big fan. I originally got it to use as a tablet only for note taking. Sure, the idea of running desktops on a tablet is good for a power user, but in practice, the experience sucks. It's mostly because the interface on Windows, even with 10 is meant for a mouse and keyboard. Also, the ecosystem of touch optimized apps, even on Windows 10 is very poor since UWP flopped hard. There is not even an official Youtube app and using touch for Youtube is not a great experience. You will have to reach for the stylus or use a mouse to change the position.
In general, I don't like the idea of 2 and 1. They are the jack of all trades, but master of none. The user experience is not great for either and there are design compromises as seen with the Surface Pro tablets. Even with the type cover, using it on your lap isn't a great experience since it lacks stability. Granted, the Surface Pro 2 is old, but the battery life isn't good (only 4 hours) and it's heavier than an iPad Pro. Also, I am not a big fan of Windows 10, especially with them taking user control away with the inability to disable the Windows Store, reduced user control (removal of some Group Policies unless you update to the Enterprise version), forced updates, and telemetry. Add that to the bugs such as 1809 initial final release deleting user files and now a bug that breaks VPN with the latest updates, I can't trust Windows 10, except for the LTSC/LTSB builds without the useless garbage that is found in the consumer and even the mainline Enterprise releases.
While the iPadOS experience improves things a lot that I can do some more things like writing blog posts, viewing desktop sites, and other productivity additions, there is still room for improvement. Still, there are many things that my Macbook Pro serves my needs better or things that the iPad can't do. In my view, it's best to use the correct tool that does the job better instead of using a jack of all trades 2-in-1 device and not have the best experience with either.
In general, I don't like the idea of 2 and 1. They are the jack of all trades, but master of none. The user experience is not great for either and there are design compromises as seen with the Surface Pro tablets. Even with the type cover, using it on your lap isn't a great experience since it lacks stability. Granted, the Surface Pro 2 is old, but the battery life isn't good (only 4 hours) and it's heavier than an iPad Pro. Also, I am not a big fan of Windows 10, especially with them taking user control away with the inability to disable the Windows Store, reduced user control (removal of some Group Policies unless you update to the Enterprise version), forced updates, and telemetry. Add that to the bugs such as 1809 initial final release deleting user files and now a bug that breaks VPN with the latest updates, I can't trust Windows 10, except for the LTSC/LTSB builds without the useless garbage that is found in the consumer and even the mainline Enterprise releases.
While the iPadOS experience improves things a lot that I can do some more things like writing blog posts, viewing desktop sites, and other productivity additions, there is still room for improvement. Still, there are many things that my Macbook Pro serves my needs better or things that the iPad can't do. In my view, it's best to use the correct tool that does the job better instead of using a jack of all trades 2-in-1 device and not have the best experience with either.
I’m not convinced a laptop with touchscreen is that usable. A client gave me a Dell with a touch screen and I find it much easier to use a mouse than the touchscreen. The touch screen lacks the precision of a mouse so other than pressing a button or opening a file I’ve found it to be more of a novelty than useful. YMMV.
It’s so simple I can’t believe you don’t see it. The iPad can become a hybrid device. Project Marzipan makes it possible to compile iPad applications for macOS. When the iPad is undocked, it uses the iOS-style UI based on touch. When the iPad is docked to a keyboard case, the UI changes to pointer-based UI. The app is the same, but the UI adjusts to the docked/undocked mode. Apple can easily pull it off by merging the iPad Pro with the now discontinued MacBook based on the ARM architecture.
That doesn’t mean that the regular iPad must become the hybrid device. The iPad Pro should absolutely become such a device, though.
If Apple priced such a device between $1,000 $2,000 depending on the specs, they would sell tens of millions of such devices every year.
Good points. My 2015 MBP is used by a family member and it does everything she needs; although when I got her a new iPad it pretty much replaced the MBP for her needs. I get the lates MBP every few years because it makes me more productive. It’s all about use cases and what meets your need, IMHO. Even my 10 year old mini did toe man duty as a video server until new programs let me stream video directly from my NAS at an acceptable rate.
Laptops haven’t replaced desktops; I’m pretty sure they never will. But laptops can replace a desktop, for a subset of less demanding users/applications. As laptops have gotten more powerful, they can replace desktops for a larger percentage of customers.
Similarly, I don’t expect tablet computers to replace laptops. But for the subset of users who don’t need all the power/capabilities of a desktop or laptop, tablets are a viable replacement. The number of users who can use a iPad as a replacement for a laptop/desktop has increased over the years as the hardware, OS and apps themselves improve. This trend will no doubt continue.
I love my K380. I can connect it to my iPad. MacBook depending on my needs.
Wait, what? With an external monitor, the laptop is absolutely a desktop replacement. In fact, Apple uses the same CPUs, same RAM size and same SSD size and speed in iMacs and MacBook Pros.
i'm a power user, 3 ex laptop 1 mac mini ex, 1 imac 2017 .. Laptop the main issue is heat .Ipad wouldn't replace laptop dramatically but a bit slow down. Tablet era in android allready dead since the era or phablet come out.
I think should said workstation instead of desktop.
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the only diff in apple world one is soldered ram cannot expand and another can be only expanded ram if more higher price or mac mini(difficult high) or imac pro (difficulity high) or 21 imac like me (high difficulty) .
If new mac pro i'm consider as workstation instead of desktop class.
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i want mouse badly in ipad in on top of desk(desktop) not in lap mode (laptop)
Sorry for butting in
First of all, it is incorrect to include file system as legacy stuff. All modern OS (iOS, Android, Linux, Unix-based, macOS, Windows) needs or requires a file system. iOS has a filesystem and from what I've read from their website its using AFPS.
https://developer.apple.com/library...de/FileSystemOverview/FileSystemOverview.html
I don't know if there is an application in iOS that lets you navigate the filesystem. I don't have an iOS device.
Another thing, external hard drives and SD cards are not legacy stuffs. Specially SD Cards or micro SD cards. They may evolved into smaller and faster storage volume but will never be called legacy in our current lifetime. A lot of mobile devices depended on them, from Cameras, phones to drones. I understand sd card is not available for iPhone or iPad and I believe the reason for that is marketing. With different storage capacity you can up the price in a big margin and earn a lot of profit from it. Same with Macbook, Apple can ask you a lot fro an upgrade from 128GB to 256GB SSD.
External hard disk will never be a legacy stuff in our life time. Maybe in a few years from now HDD will be legacy because it will be replace by SSD as prices are dropping. Cloud serves maybe enough for pictures, calendars, and documents but that's about I but for large files it is not that very useful. Even with a ver fast internet connection it will still take a lot of time downloading 1gig data to your device.
I get it, iOS users are used to relying in cloud services because they can't used a USB Flashdrive or Sd card in their devices. Thats one reason why I am not into iOS devices, it feels like a prison, a beautiful prison because it has its nice apps and other things but still it is a prison for my data.
Using Finder and accessing data from cloud is totally different. But I know you know that
. We haven't touch the topic of security and privacy yet which is an important concern for cloud services.
I think there is a real chance to join the two concept of tablets and notebooks and Apple is the only one at the moment that is able to do that. Maybe with SwiftUI we can get there. As long as you don’t need a keyboard or an external display the touch input is great! If gives this „immersive feeling of using the internet “ that Steve Jobs describes when he introduced the iPad. For example surfing the web is fantastic with a touchscreen.
But as soon as you need a keyboard or you want to use several apps together maybe also with a bigger second display than you also need a pointing device. The iPads and iPadOS are much closer to this vision than the MacBooks with MacOS or even Windows Notebooks. The hardware is much more efficient than this thermal design nightmare called MacBook and making them thinner get things even worse (look at this awful butterfly keyboards and the additional heat problems ...)
In contrast the iPads have no problems with a thin and light design (at least if they get a sturdy chassis) and at the latest the A13 iPads with maybe 8 GB RAM will eat most MacBooks to lunch. Maybe they can even offer a 16“ second display with an integrated battery in the iPad design with a kickstand as the ultimate mobile workplace....
But as soon as you need a keyboard or you want to use several apps together maybe also with a bigger second display than you also need a pointing device. The iPads and iPadOS are much closer to this vision than the MacBooks with MacOS or even Windows Notebooks. The hardware is much more efficient than this thermal design nightmare called MacBook and making them thinner get things even worse (look at this awful butterfly keyboards and the additional heat problems ...)
In contrast the iPads have no problems with a thin and light design (at least if they get a sturdy chassis) and at the latest the A13 iPads with maybe 8 GB RAM will eat most MacBooks to lunch. Maybe they can even offer a 16“ second display with an integrated battery in the iPad design with a kickstand as the ultimate mobile workplace....
i have 1 imac and another monitor.But still all screen is occupy.Laptop to big,while ipad mini cum keyboard + mouse is my best choice for searching something i want.With new os, i think you can extend ipad macbook screen to ipad (side car)
But at least web browsing is horrible in tablet mode on the Go compared to an iPad.....
I know but my dream for the future would be to use the iPad as the main computer and add a display only device to that....
Which would make it the clear winner as a pure tablet, but as a laptop replacement it falls flat on its face. Anyway for the majority of people there is no replacement for a laptop at this point in time. Some people with simple needs can use a tablet but for the rest of us it's a non starter.
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With the iPad Pros getting performance and price wise in MacBook territory it’s a kind of waste to use them as an „adjunct“ to the MBP. From the hardware and even from several aspects of the OS perspective the MBP looks like a thing from the past. Hope the future starts soon to improve iPadOS so much that it can replace it....
If you notice, majority of people with Windows laptops use the touch screen for scrolling. This is mainly due to the awful trackpads of the majority of Windows laptops, even today.
A lot of people can’t see past their own nose. "Productivity" is often limited to programming, excel, and CAD, as if no other type of profession exists.
What I am seeing here is that people are basically admitting that the iPad can be a laptop replacement so long as they don't need to code, or run multiple terminal windows, or a bunch of other niche use cases.
Which sounds like it would be basically fine for like 70-80% of the user populace? I mean, even if I could run google docs on my work-issued windows laptop, the reality is that I don't really do so much these days, preferring instead to wait till I get home where I have the benefit of a larger display thanks to my 5k iMac.
When Steve Jobs said the iPad would be the car and the Mac would be the pickup truck, I think he too envisioned a future where it was 90% iOS and 10% OS X (as he called it then).
The thing about vision, which Steve had in spades, is you have to be able to look beyond the present and your current workflows, and realize that tools are always getting better. So when the iPad was introduced in 2010, I knew without a doubt that this was the future. I also knew it would take a while before the hardware and software got to the point where it really could replace a Mac 90% of the time.
Getting there is only a matter of time. And probably sooner rather than later.
No its not just for niche use cases, my job for example requires the use of full desktop applications that simply are not available on a tablet OS. Even for a tablet with full keyboard and mouse support software is still the roadblock that stops it being a real substitute. So while it may be ok for you and i have no doubt it is, there are many people who use real desktop class specialized software.
This article has no doubt poked the flamewar fires!!!
Personally I would choose the iPad as it’ll be a more pleasurable experience, but as said in the video you can get a lot of actual laptops for that money...
Although for me I’d have an iPad Pro 11”
Personally I would choose the iPad as it’ll be a more pleasurable experience, but as said in the video you can get a lot of actual laptops for that money...
Although for me I’d have an iPad Pro 11”
normal people rarely bought apple product except for pro (excluding iphone). So yes it was limited to developer,designer, video editor,photographer from most point of view. No normal user would buy 40k mac pro cheeze aa just for fun.
And what i see now , those video editor also want to move out to windows based because over price . If they can edit via photoshop (ipad) and just send to usb for other windows editing or video editor can edit 4k video via lumia fusion instead of buying bulk 1 grand imac or mac mini or system administrator want to check or or developer want to debug code via ssh.. Ipad pro or ipad mini which cost 300 usd it way cheap to creative to deploy their idea. Windows can do this long time ago but if IPAD OS officially live, i'm sure apple market will be more rise.