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iPad as a laptop replacement

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With rising prices (e.g. M2 MBA) I have no doubt the new iPad Pro’s will receive another price increase or at a minimum the 11”. The current 12.9” sits at $1100 and doesn’t compete with a computer unless you start adding pricey accessories. Additionally, iPadOS 16 just gate kept anything that wasn’t an M1 Pro model so any new multi tasking isn’t coming to the rest of the lineup including the M1 iPad Air to my knowledge.

That said, as Apple users can we finally admit iPad Pro models are extremely overpriced, require too many accessories, and NOW functionality is either withheld due to your chip which you’ll never know before hand or everything is so cramped the OS doesn’t let you do much regardless.

If you like iPad Pro’s then cool but you’re still overpaying for what you get and the new iPadOS looks so confusing with all the gestures and hoops you need to perform its exhausting. Seriously, what will it take for iPad Pro users to show Apple they aren’t happy and stop buying $2500 iPads?
 
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Sheepish-Lord said:
Additionally, iPadOS 16 just gate kept anything that wasn’t an M1 Pro model so any new multi tasking isn’t coming to the rest of the lineup including the M1 iPad Air to my knowledge.
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Actually, Stage Manager is supported on the M1 iPad Air, as shown on Apple’s website.

“5. Available on iPad Air (5th generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation), and iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation).”
 
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Sheepish-Lord said:
With rising prices (e.g. M2 MBA) I have no doubt the new iPad Pro’s will receive another price increase or at a minimum the 11”. The current 12.9” sits at $1100 and doesn’t compete with a computer unless you start adding pricey accessories. Additionally, iPadOS 16 just gate kept anything that wasn’t an M1 Pro model so any new multi tasking isn’t coming to the rest of the lineup including the M1 iPad Air to my knowledge.
Click to expand...

Based on this, the M1 iPad Air is getting all the software features that are coming to the M1 iPad Pro 11.

www.apple.com

OS - iPadOS 26

iPadOS 26 delivers a fresh design, an intuitive, new windowing system, and a more helpful Apple Intelligence, so you can flow through work and play.
www.apple.com


Sheepish-Lord said:
That said, as Apple users can we finally admit iPad Pro models are extremely overpriced, require too many accessories, and NOW functionality is either withheld due to your chip which you’ll never know before hand or everything is so cramped the OS doesn’t let you do much regardless.

If you like iPad Pro’s then cool but you’re still overpaying for what you get and the new iPadOS looks so confusing with all the gestures and hoops you need to perform its exhausting. Seriously, what will it take for iPad Pro users to show Apple they aren’t happy and stop buying $2500 iPads?
Click to expand...

The accessories are entirely optional. Also, you’re assuming everyone wants to use the iPad Pro as a laptop replacement and are unhappy with their iPad Pros.

I never intended to use the iPad as a direct laptop replacement. It’s a tablet optimized for touchscreen and I knew that going in. The fact that it’s a tablet is why I bought it. I’m quite content with iOS/iPadOS. That’s why I kept upgrading iPads over the years.

I’m certainly happier with the iPad versus other Windows and Android tablets I’ve tried. I once spent $2K+ over a 2-year span trying out Windows and Android alternatives and after that failed experiment, I went back to the iPad.

The iPad Pro is very pricey, yes. Especially so at higher configurations. To me though, it’s better to spend $$$ on a device I know I’ll use everyday than try a bunch of other devices that will just end up unused in a drawer.

Now if someone bought an iPad Pro and all the accessories expecting it to be a 1:1 laptop replacement, then yeah, it’s not going to meet their requirements.

When iPad Pros stop selling, then Apple will stop making them. I don’t see why you need to convince strangers on the internet that the iPad doesn’t meet their needs based on your criteria.
 
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No.

EDIT: it’s like you missed the currently running WWDC and quite a lot of previously and current announcements from third party developers… Honi soit qui mal y pense 🤓
 
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@Sheepish-Lord

Great! Another "Your iPad sucks" thread. Totally disagree with you. I replaced my MBP with my M1 iPP 11 for running my Real Estate businesses back in Nov 2021 and have never been happier. I am also thrilled at the new functionality that iPadOS 16 is bringing to the M1 iPads.

For you, I council to not buy one, or immediately get rid of the one you have. Sure don't want to see you so unhappy with the best tablet computer available.
 
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Sheepish-Lord said:
With rising prices (e.g. M2 MBA) I have no doubt the new iPad Pro’s will receive another price increase or at a minimum the 11”. The current 12.9” sits at $1100 and doesn’t compete with a computer unless you start adding pricey accessories. Additionally, iPadOS 16 just gate kept anything that wasn’t an M1 Pro model so any new multi tasking isn’t coming to the rest of the lineup including the M1 iPad Air to my knowledge.

That said, as Apple users can we finally admit iPad Pro models are extremely overpriced, require too many accessories, and NOW functionality is either withheld due to your chip which you’ll never know before hand or everything is so cramped the OS doesn’t let you do much regardless.

If you like iPad Pro’s then cool but you’re still overpaying for what you get and the new iPadOS looks so confusing with all the gestures and hoops you need to perform its exhausting. Seriously, what will it take for iPad Pro users to show Apple they aren’t happy and stop buying $2500 iPads?
Click to expand...

I love the UX of the iPad, it helps me stay focussed and be productive, I like the touch based gesture UI and generally think that it is getting really good (though I have many ideas on how it could be improved). I will be replacing my A12X iPad Pro with a bigger 13” M2 iPad Pro when they are released because it will enable me to do more on my iPad by giving me an external screen when I want and a larger canvas when I am on the go.

As I’ve said in many places I am very unhappy with Stage Manager as an external display solution and think this thread is an example as to why it doesn’t matter if you give mac people what they say they want in terms of windowing, it seems like mac users wont be happy till the iPad is essentially a mac.
I hope they add Split-View and Slide-Over to external display support but I’ll suffer through stage manager when connected to an external display while I hope for those.

I can now almost fully do my job on iPad, I would like a visual core data schema editor for Swift playgrounds and I wish they would give us a swift playgrounds beta at the same time as the Xcode beta so iPad users could get play with beta software and not just mac users.
 
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Couldn't disagree more.

The iPad is indeed a laptop replacement but as with anything else for certain users. For users that only need to email, bank and check facebork the iPad is a very capable replacement, 3 immediate members of my family replaced either desktops or laptops this way.

If you are a heavy user of a MBP then maybe not so much. Why are you treating this in such an absolute fashion, there is obviously a wide range of use cases for a laptop and some of those are easily performed by an iPad or iPad Pro.
 
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jdb8167 said:
The same A12Z was used in 2020 iPad Pro and the DTK Mac mini precursor to the M1. The DTK used swap virtual memory with no issues. It's not a technical limitation.
Click to expand...

Curious, did you or someone you know have access to the DTK Mac mini with A12Z to confidently and decisively say that it didn’t have any issues or bugs when running MacOS?
 
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The iPad Pro works as a laptop replacement for a lot of people. Just because some here don't see the point or can't use it as such doesn't mean that "we can finally agree...." Stop trying to speak for others because you can't and shouldn't. Worry about your own work flow and leave it to others to use the iPad Pro as they will.
 
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Apple_Robert said:
The iPad Pro works as a laptop replacement for a lot of people. Just because some here don't see the point or can't use it as such doesn't mean that "we can finally agree...." Stop trying to speak for others because you can't and shouldn't. Worry about your own work flow and leave it to others to use the iPad Pro as they will.
Click to expand...

I think maybe we also need to stop talking about laptop replacement, as if it needs to be like a laptop to “replace” one. By that I mean we can replace a laptop in the sense that the person no longer buys a laptop but we can also mean replace in the sense that the iPad can do everything a laptop can.

I think that people can replace their laptops in the first sense in the sense that many people no longer feel like a laptop is the best device for them and an iPad is a superior successor to a laptop. This is my perspective, I find the iPad and its UX to be better than a MacBook in most cases and there are only a few remaining edge cases that bring me back to my Mac.
 
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bcortens said:
I think maybe we also need to stop talking about laptop replacement, as if it needs to be like a laptop to “replace” one. By that I mean we can replace a laptop in the sense that the person no longer buys a laptop but we can also mean replace in the sense that the iPad can do everything a laptop can.

I think that people can replace their laptops in the first sense in the sense that many people no longer feel like a laptop is the best device for them and an iPad is a superior successor to a laptop. This is my perspective, I find the iPad and its UX to be better than a MacBook in most cases and there are only a few remaining edge cases that bring me back to my Mac.
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I agree. Too many people around here spend way too much time obsessing over strangers and actions that have no bearing whatsoever on their own life.

I also agree that there is no real need to try and put the iPad or Mac in a narrow definition as if one size fits all. Use what works and don't worry about work flow labels. It is all really meaningless. What matters is getting your work or play time done in the fashion that makes you happy, regardless of device.
 
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You’re not me said:
It was/is not intended to be a laptop replacement.
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I have trouble saying that definitively
Apple themselves have pivoted all over the place with how they've marketed and positioned the iPads over time

I honestly think even they are a little confused about what exactly the iPad is or should be...or what it will be a few years from now.
 
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turbineseaplane said:
I have trouble saying that definitively
Apple themselves have pivoted all over the place with how they've marketed and positioned the iPads over time

I honestly think even they are a little confused about what exactly the iPad is or should be...or what it will be a few years from now.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I think they don’t know how to position the iPad as a uniquely powerful product and they keep kind of going back and forth on being unique to itself and being more mac-like.
 
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