iPad as a laptop replacement

[thmsnt]

It doesn’t make sense when you start using a mouse with iPad. The traditional arrow cursor is superior when you need to click precisely on a pinpoint area of the screen…. like in rapid and precise text editing of SMALL FONTS, precise copy and paste, and yes…. graphics and image editing on an iPad. That precise arrow pointer is a godsend.

And besides, when you do go back to finger touching the screen, the blob pointer quickly disappears.

Agreed! I hope they at least give us an option to change the blob cursor to a regular arrow or even triangle.

 

[teh_hunterer]

It doesn’t make sense when you start using a mouse with iPad. The traditional arrow cursor is superior when you need to click precisely on a pinpoint area of the screen…. like in rapid and precise text editing of SMALL FONTS, precise copy and paste, and yes…. graphics and image editing on an iPad. That precise arrow pointer is a godsend.

And besides, when you do go back to finger touching the screen, the blob pointer quickly disappears.

I get why they want to make it the default, but giving us the option for a traditional mouse pointer would be much nicer.

With text selection as well, I don't understand why it has to be so hard. I get the sense that the iPad just doesn't want to let you select text normally. Even if they gave us the option of a mouse pointer, text selection would still be broken. I mean how many times have you selected text with the mouse, and it just starts randomly selecting text in the wrong direction, or behaves in some other incomprehensible and inconsistent way?

 

[sananda]

I’ve been using an iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard for work everyday for the past few months (and more recently with a ThinkVision mobile monitor).

There are a few irritations with Stage Manager: I don’t find it fluid to open further windows of an already open app (especially if I want to group it with another window), opening a window on either the iPad or external screen makes the open window on the other screen suddenly scroll, copy and paste doesn’t work a lot of the time, I appear sideways in a Teams video call (but only to me not to the other person).

But the biggest irritations is this covering the send button in Teams:

 

[The Game 161]

I’ve been using an iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard for work everyday for the past few months (and more recently with a ThinkVision mobile monitor).

There are a few irritations with Stage Manager: I don’t find it fluid to open further windows of an already open app (especially if I want to group it with another window), opening a window on either the iPad or external screen makes the open window on the other screen suddenly scroll, copy and paste doesn’t work a lot of the time, I appear sideways in a Teams video call (but only to me not to the other person).

But the biggest irritations is this covering the send button in Teams:

View attachment 2240448

You can move that to another side. Just hold it down and should be able to move it

my main issues with stage manager appear fixed in iOS 17 as you csn resize to any windows size and also place there anywhere.

 

[sananda]

You can move that to another side. Just hold it down and should be able to move it

Well that’s going to revolutionise my life! Thank you! Previously I‘d only been able to temporarily move it out of the way and then it would snap back into the previous position so I didn‘t realise I could move it to the other side.

 

[The Game 161]

Well that’s going to revolutionise my life! Thank you! Previously I‘d only been able to temporarily move it out of the way and then it would snap back into the previous position so I didn‘t realise I could move it to the other side.

Yeah it drove me mad and I thought you must be able to move this ha

 

[Macalicious2011]

I get why they want to make it the default, but giving us the option for a traditional mouse pointer would be much nicer.

With text selection as well, I don't understand why it has to be so hard. I get the sense that the iPad just doesn't want to let you select text normally. Even if they gave us the option of a mouse pointer, text selection would still be broken. I mean how many times have you selected text with the mouse, and it just starts randomly selecting text in the wrong direction, or behaves in some other incomprehensible and inconsistent way?

Creating power point decks or spreadsheets on the iPad is an absolute pain in the backside because of this. It doesn’t matter whether you are using a mouse or track pad, this type of productive work takes longer and is more frustrating than on a desktop.

 

[teh_hunterer]

Creating power point decks or spreadsheets on the iPad is an absolute pain in the backside because of this. It doesn’t matter whether you are using a mouse or track pad, this type of productive work takes longer and is more frustrating than on a desktop.

Yeah, and with the stuff I have to do and the speed I have to do it at, I can't afford to be dicked around by how bad Google Sheets is on the iPad.

 

[Macalicious2011]

Yeah, and with the stuff I have to do and the speed I have to do it at, I can't afford to be dicked around by how bad Google Sheets is on the iPad.

It's a massive shame that iPads have a reduced feature set. Even with an external keyboard, mouse and 23 inch monitor, using a £800 iPad feels like a dumbed down - like eating spaghetti with a spoon.

However I remain hopeful that the full capacities of the iPad will be unlocked. After all, we have come a long way since iPad 2. There is no mouse, keyboard support, split screen, file manager syncs with my Mac.

Now that iPads and Macs use the same SoC, the foundation has been for iPads to run full OSX applications without giving developers too much extra work.🙂

 

[teh_hunterer]

However I remain hopeful that the full capacities of the iPad will be unlocked.

I'll see you here next year. And the next. And the next 😅

 

[Macalicious2011]

I'll see you here next year. And the next. And the next 😅

Me smiling at hopeful thoughts of my £2,000 M9 iPad Ultra with OLED getting full OSX apps.

 

[rappr]

It's a massive shame that iPads have a reduced feature set. Even with an external keyboard, mouse and 23 inch monitor, using a £800 iPad feels like a dumbed down - like eating spaghetti with a spoon.

However I remain hopeful that the full capacities of the iPad will be unlocked. After all, we have come a long way since iPad 2. There is no mouse, keyboard support, split screen, file manager syncs with my Mac.

Now that iPads and Macs use the same SoC, the foundation has been for iPads to run full OSX applications without giving developers too much extra work.🙂

Apple would have to port AppKit to iOS for many legacy MacOS apps to run on iPad, and i *think* they see UIKit and SwiftUI as the way forward. I think its way more likely we’ll see some kind of virtualization or dual booting system akin to Boot Camp back in the day on Intel MacOS.

 

[JamesMay82]

It's a massive shame that iPads have a reduced feature set. Even with an external keyboard, mouse and 23 inch monitor, using a £800 iPad feels like a dumbed down - like eating spaghetti with a spoon.

However I remain hopeful that the full capacities of the iPad will be unlocked. After all, we have come a long way since iPad 2. There is no mouse, keyboard support, split screen, file manager syncs with my Mac.

Now that iPads and Macs use the same SoC, the foundation has been for iPads to run full OSX applications without giving developers too much extra work.🙂

Don’t Italians use a spoon for their spaghetti 🤔

 

[sparksd]

Don’t Italians use a spoon for their spaghetti 🤔

My Italian-heritage wife certainly does, combining it with a fork for twirling the spaghetti on the spoon.

 

[FletchTopper]

Officially joined the iPad Pro family last week. Have been enjoying the upgrade from my iPad Air 2. Haven't used it a ton (mostly because I want to keep it as new as possible for a while) but I am always looking for reasons to pull it out or open it. Will report back soon, as I got it with the intention of it being a laptop replacement, but suffice to say it's been a great week

 

[Jordan4613]

I've been thinking about replacing my 14" MBP with a 12" iPad Pro, but with my luck, there will be that one application I'll need the second I get rid of the macbook.

 

[bondr006]

I've been thinking about replacing my 14" MBP with a 12" iPad Pro, but with my luck, there will be that one application I'll need the second I get rid of the macbook.

One of my favorite YouTubers

 

[Populus]

As someone with an iPad Pro for more than 5 years, now with an M2 iPad Pro, I’ve realized I like to use it as an iPad, and not as a computer replacement. If Apple releases a 12” MacBook I’ll get for it, but I’ll keep my iPad for complementary tasks. I use it a lot, mind you, but not everything, and I cannot replace my Mac with it.

 

[JohnR]

Just received the 11” M1 IPP refurb today. Replaces my 2013 MBA which I still have but the battery life sucks. Also make an intel Mac mini if I need more. So far I like this

what are some must have apps?

 

[teh_hunterer]

I've been thinking about replacing my 14" MBP with a 12" iPad Pro, but with my luck, there will be that one application I'll need the second I get rid of the macbook.

I had a go at doing that, didn't really end well. The 12.9" iPad Pro is big enough that in pretty much any situation that the 12.9" was appropriate to use, so was the 14" MBP. Neither felt meaningfully portable compared to the other.

I found myself actually reaching for the 14" MBP more often even for entertainment because they are so similar in size yet video content looks so much better because of the aspect ratio.

You could do what I did, which is buy the 12.9" iPad Pro from Apple and give it a try during the 14 day return window. I returned mine though.

 

[yabeweb]

I have been using the 11 Pro M2 with Magic Keyboard as a replacement of my ex MBP 14 M1 Pro for two months now.

Since I work mostly on Affinity I can say I have been able to fully replace my needs, I had to get used to a new workflow, which took a bit, but now I would not go back.

Sure the MBP was more powerful and versatile, but I end up being more productive on the iPad, also portability, even with added weight from the MK, it’s unparalleled, and being able to lift the screen from the keyboard is a godsend in some situation.

Now the keyboard could be a tad better, a function row and ex key would def help, but I do not see that as a show stopper.
In the end the answer to this discussion is… it can and it cannot.
It all depends on what you mean by computer, what task you do and if there are the apps on iOS for your needs.

The iPad is a platform, it can replace the old style computer for some.

 

[Zest28]

What you need a laptop for if you have a M1 iPad Pro and a PC desktop at home?

The iPad is a laptop replacement.

MacRumors: “But I cannot do this on my iPad”. Well, there are things a MacBook cannot do that an iPad can, and you can always remote access into your PC desktop from the iPad.

 

[Slartibart]

you can always remote access into your PC desktop from the iPad.

No. You can’t.

Additionally: this thread is about “replacement”.

Of course you can amplify your productivity on iPadOS in various scenarios via, actually, whatever “remote” connection. But it is definitely not the panacea as you present it.
People have many times here presented their case why an iPad serves them as a replacement and although why not.

There are usage scenarios in which without a doubt an iPad gets for example full functional parity with a lap/desktop - but there are although scenarios where this simply does not happen. Not locally, not remotely.
And yes, there are of course the usage cases in which an iPad simply excels.

 

[sparksd]

MacRumors: “But I cannot do this on my iPad”. Well, there are things a MacBook cannot do that an iPad can, and you can always remote access into your PC desktop from the iPad.

Not always. I often travel where Internet access is sketchy or completely unavailable so it's not something I count on.

 

[alecgold]

If internet is unavailable, what can you do? Even if you could work, you can communicate/send the results, so why bother?
I know I can’t work without Internet.