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iPad as a laptop replacement

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flobach said:
Well, my iPad died last night :( Playing a game (bloons!) and the screen went all weird, stripy, then off. No amount of hard reset helping - just a black screen. So...maybe the issues I mentioned were partially hardware-related?

Got an appointment with the Genius Bar on the weekend...now to think what I will do when the likely verdict of DOA comes. Shame, I had hoped that the device would last a tad longer...
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Oh wow, so sorry to hear that. 🙁. I hope they have a fix for you. Yeah, I wonder if that could have been part of the problems you were having as well.

Again, so sorry to hear that. I wonder if it was a previously owned iPad if perhaps it was slightly water-damaged or something. And then it failed after a while. If it was new, then that wouldn’t explain it. But yeah, that definitely isn’t normal.

I hope they’re able to fix it or swap it for you. 👍🏻
 
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Thanks everyone! Was a new iPad, bought Easter 2023, so I had it for 2¾ years. Did a lot with it, it's been through everything from my primary device, secondary to my MacBook Air, and even in my desk drawer for two weeks to try and simplify and go Mac&iPhone only (spoiler alert - I missed the iPad, even though I didn't *need* it..what an emotion device, strange).

A little bit of hope is that I connected it to an external display, and I could see my wallpaper, my mouse pointer (iPad on Magic Keyboard), but I couldn't summon spotlight (cmd-space), nor the dock or do anything else. Hmm. I'll let you know what the verdict is!
 
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bondr006 said:
I am sorry to hear that. The thing is only 3 years old and should have many years left on it. My M1 iPP 11 is still thankfully going strong(knock on wood). I have never had an Apple device die before it was well out of support. I hope Apple has some good news for you. If you get the right Apple genius, he might take mercy on you and make things right. My iPhone 5 had an expanding battery problem and was out of warranty, but they replaced it when I took it to the genius bar. Good luck!
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third device to die on me actually! My first apple device, a 2006 iMac (ah, the white plastic :) had a logic board failure a year after purchase, got a new logic board through an authorised reseller in Australia (no Apple Stores in Australia in 2007). 9.7" iPad Pro two years after purchase got extremely hot all of a sudden, then never turned on again. Got a new one from apple UK, no questions asked. So, here's hoping that Apple Germany has some mercy, even if I did buy the iPad in Australia :)
Also had some antenna issues on my iPhone 5S two weeks post purchase, and Apple UK gave me a brand new phone. So customer service is great, one of the reasons I stick with Apple directly.
 
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flobach said:
third device to die on me actually! My first apple device, a 2006 iMac (ah, the white plastic :) had a logic board failure a year after purchase, got a new logic board through an authorised reseller in Australia (no Apple Stores in Australia in 2007). 9.7" iPad Pro two years after purchase got extremely hot all of a sudden, then never turned on again. Got a new one from apple UK, no questions asked. So, here's hoping that Apple Germany has some mercy, even if I did buy the iPad in Australia :)
Also had some antenna issues on my iPhone 5S two weeks post purchase, and Apple UK gave me a brand new phone. So customer service is great, one of the reasons I stick with Apple directly.
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Oh wow! I’ve never had any of my Apple devices fail on me like that, in fact, I still have a Mid 2012 MacBook Pro that’s still running. I wonder if it has anything to do with that strange Aussie climate? 😉👍🏻

But yeah, Apple’s customer service is top notch, I’ve never had to replace a device yet, but I have contacted them for other customer support stuff, and they’ve always been great and very helpful. 👍🏻. I hope they get your problem sorted, and get your iPad back up and running! 👍🏻
 
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flobach said:
Thanks everyone! Was a new iPad, bought Easter 2023, so I had it for 2¾ years. Did a lot with it, it's been through everything from my primary device, secondary to my MacBook Air, and even in my desk drawer for two weeks to try and simplify and go Mac&iPhone only (spoiler alert - I missed the iPad, even though I didn't *need* it..what an emotion device, strange).

A little bit of hope is that I connected it to an external display, and I could see my wallpaper, my mouse pointer (iPad on Magic Keyboard), but I couldn't summon spotlight (cmd-space), nor the dock or do anything else. Hmm. I'll let you know what the verdict is!
Click to expand...
Ok, so new, shouldn’t have to worry about any damage from prior owners, so yeah, must be something different. Hopefully they can diagnose it and get it back up and running for you. 👍🏻🙂

Yeah, the iPad is my favorite computer I have ever used. There’s just something about the form factor and software combo. And I love the new Magic Keyboard Case, it really makes the iPad feel like a laptop when I want it to. 👍🏻. There’s so many iPad apps that I either find to be better than the Mac versions (eg. Affinity apps iPad UI is far better for many things like duplicating projects and previewing projects before opening them then the desktop versions of Affinity). I tend to prefer the iPad versions of apps. I think most of the time it gives developers a fresh chance to reconsider their UI and modernize it. And there’s so many things about iPadOS and the way it handles different things that I prefer over the macOS way of doing things. 👍🏻

Hmm, that is very odd… It’s strange that it would show the desktop wallpaper and cursor, but nothing else. I have no idea what would cause that.
 
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Kal Madda said:
Oh wow! I’ve never had any of my Apple devices fail on me like that, in fact, I still have a Mid 2012 MacBook Pro that’s still running. I wonder if it has anything to do with that strange Aussie climate? 😉👍🏻

But yeah, Apple’s customer service is top notch, I’ve never had to replace a device yet, but I have contacted them for other customer support stuff, and they’ve always been great and very helpful. 👍🏻. I hope they get your problem sorted, and get your iPad back up and running! 👍🏻
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The Australian climate. I live in Adelaide and left a 1986 IBM keyboard in the back of my car one day when I was at work, back in '06 or '07. By the time I knocked off it looked like an art piece, as the case started melting and drooping. It still worked though. I used it for another decade!
 
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Bungaree.Chubbins said:
The Australian climate. I live in Adelaide and left a 1986 IBM keyboard in the back of my car one day when I was at work, back in '06 or '07. By the time I knocked off it looked like an art piece, as the case started melting and drooping. It still worked though. I used it for another decade!
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Wow, I guess it must get very hot there! That’s impressive it still worked! 👍🏻
 
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Really like the nano iPad but can’t use it alone with my ASD, have a mini M4 16/512 coming tomorrow.

Another thing, cause it’s connected to my apple keyboard/trackpad via Bluetooth, when out of my office and around the house it stays connected so the iPad keyboard is hidden, have to tap the keyboard symbol then tap show keyboard to use it.
So annoying.
 
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Meedoss said:
Really like the nano iPad but can’t use it alone with my ASD, have a mini M4 16/512 coming tomorrow.

Another thing, cause it’s connected to my apple keyboard/trackpad via Bluetooth, when out of my office and around the house it stays connected so the iPad keyboard is hidden, have to tap the keyboard symbol then tap show keyboard to use it.
So annoying.
Click to expand...

Turn the keyboard off when not using it….
 
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Meedoss said:
Sorry to hear that 😂
My SIL lives at Port Norlunga.
We are at Coffs Harbour.

Yeah not good to leave anything in the car in Summer here.
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Hah! Adelaide's great! At least we have good wine, and low humidity!
That's in the area I grew up in! My grandpa lived there for a bit too.
I never got the chance to check Coffs out. I was always passing through having to get somewhere else. Nice part of the world though.
 
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Meedoss said:
Got my mini set up, so good, iPad OS is just not good enough to use with a display as a MacBook replacement.
Sorry.
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No need to be sorry, just aware enough to realize that it doesn't work for you. In other words, it's your opinion based on your personal experience. My opinion and personal experience, along with many others here, is that it does work for us as a MBP/MBA replacement. Not only works well, but works better for our needs and uses. I am a realtor and property manager, and my M1 iPP 11 replaced my MBP back in Nov 2021, and I've never looked back. I love iPad OS because it makes my workflow faster and smoother. I have just gotten iPad OS from the beginning, and it does things for me on my iPad that Mac OS and a laptop just can't do...or do as well. Don't get me wrong...I like Mac OS on my Mac Mini, but prefer my iPP and iPad OS for all things mobile. It is in mho, that the iPad is the most flexible and versatile device that Apple has ever made. You can read my story about that journey HERE.

Again, I realize this is mine(and several others here), and not everybody's experience. In fact, there are many that use a combo of the Mac and iPad in varying degrees for their work and or entertainment. That's kinda where I fall, although a lot more of my work gets done on the iPad than my Mini. The Mini gets used mostly as a server, for storage, and for entertainment. 😉

Edit: Just wanted to add that iPad OS 26.2 is my favorite OS update so far, and I've been with iPad OS from the beginning. There are still a few things on my wish list like the ability to make the external display the main display with the ability to change wallpaper, add app icons, add folders, add widgets, access the Control Center, and being able to turn off the iPad screen while using the external monitor if desired. When these things are added, I will be using my iPad more often as my desktop setup also, and not just my mobile MBP replacement.
 
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Meedoss said:
Got my mini set up, so good, iPad OS is just not good enough to use with a display as a MacBook replacement.
Sorry.
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It’s great that you’re enjoying your Mac Mini, I’m happy that’s working out well for you. But I would push back on the statement you made that iPadOS is not good enough to use with a display. Are there some areas for improvement? Sure, there’s some changes I’d like to see in terms of external display support with iPadOS. But as it is, it’s often far more useful for me than macOS on the same display. Don’t get me wrong, I like macOS, and that’s a big part of why I keep an M1 Mac Mini around to tinker with it, but iPadOS on my desktop monitor is often more compelling, which is why I set up my desk so that I can easily dock my iPad. At this point, I think I often end up using my iPad with my desktop monitor more often than my Mac Mini. And especially now with macOS 26 and what they did to the Launchpad, I find myself using my iPad at my desk even more often. On my Mac Mini, I have to use a third party app now just to replicate a Launchpad/Home Screen like experience, and even then, it’s more limited than the Launchpad was, as there were system-level interactions in the Launchpad like notification badges that third-party replacements can’t support. And where apps used to be simple to uninstall from the Launchpad, now there is no simple way to cleanly uninstall an app from macOS. You have to go into the Applications folder and delete the app and hope it deletes any of the related extensions in other parts of the system as well. It’s just incredibly tacky, and I hate that they completely removed Launchpad and didn’t even replace so much of that kind of utility in that dumb app folder thing that pops up now. App Library on iPadOS is far more useful, with apps in categories that are visible without having to open the category, and that can be quickly accessed from there. They should have at least replicated the App Library, perhaps with manual organization options, rather than what they did for the Mac in macOS 26. Not to be too negative, but that’s literally the only major complaint I have about Apple’s software lineup this year, and it could have easily been avoided. Why not just give people the option to use Launchpad or Spotlight Search? It’s not as if they couldn’t have coexisted… That one change makes it much more painful to use a Mac for me…

But anyways, my short rant about the removal of Launchpad aside, I do like macOS in general, even though it’s far less efficient on so many fronts, and isn’t essential for my workflow in any way. But if I want to be productive, iPadOS and my desktop monitor are a better combo than my Mac Mini.

For me, it’s actually such a difference that I have toyed around with the concept of a “desk iPad”, or an iPad that I leave at my desk docked to my desktop monitor, and sync my project files between my portable iPad Pro and this said docked iPad. I already have an iPad 11th Gen. setup as a desk smart display. Though, economically, it makes more sense to just dock my iPad Pro when I want to. To be honest, if the Mac Mini could be an iPad in a box, that would just about be the dream for me. Needless to say, when my Mac Mini falls from support, I am not really sure whether I will decide to get another Mac Mini, or a cheaper refurbished iPad I could dock at the desk as I described. I would miss being able to tinker with latest macOS, but it would be more practical for my workflow and productivity. And maybe I could do both, who knows, I’m still turning it over in my mind, it will probably be a long while before I need to worry about updating my Mac Mini. 👍🏻

I know that’s a long comment, that’s just my thoughts about it. I’m very happy that your M4 Mac Mini is working well for you, it’s a great little computer, and it’s amazing how much power they’ve packed into such a small device. 👍🏻
 
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Kal Madda said:
I hope everyone has a very Happy New Year!!! 🎉🎊🙂
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Also wishing everyone a safe, prosperous, and Happy New Year!
d1479dd849944c92b8ec66ac23bf0a6f.gif

Happy New Year.gif
 
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bondr006 said:
No need to be sorry, just aware enough to realize that it doesn't work for you. In other words, it's your opinion based on your personal experience. My opinion and personal experience, along with many others here, is that it does work for us as a MBP/MBA replacement. Not only works well, but works better for our needs and uses. I am a realtor and property manager, and my M1 iPP 11 replaced my MBP back in Nov 2021, and I've never looked back. I love iPad OS because it makes my workflow faster and smoother. I have just gotten iPad OS from the beginning, and it does things for me on my iPad that Mac OS and a laptop just can't do...or do as well. Don't get me wrong...I like Mac OS on my Mac Mini, but prefer my iPP and iPad OS for all things mobile. It is in mho, that the iPad is the most flexible and versatile device that Apple has ever made. You can read my story about that journey HERE.

Again, I realize this is mine(and several others here), and not everybody's experience. In fact, there are many that use a combo of the Mac and iPad in varying degrees for their work and or entertainment. That's kinda where I fall, although a lot more of my work gets done on the iPad than my Mini. The Mini gets used mostly as a server, for storage, and for entertainment. 😉

Edit: Just wanted to add that iPad OS 26.2 is my favorite OS update so far, and I've been with iPad OS from the beginning. There are still a few things on my wish list like the ability to make the external display the main display with the ability to change wallpaper, add app icons, add folders, add widgets, access the Control Center, and being able to turn off the iPad screen while using the external monitor if desired. When these things are added, I will be using my iPad more often as my desktop setup also, and not just my mobile MBP replacement.
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I am talking about using it with a ASD display as a laptop replacement, no Mac.
It works but too many annoyances for me.
 
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Meedoss said:
I am talking about using it with a ASD display as a laptop replacement, no Mac.
It works but too many annoyances for me.
Click to expand...
Meedoss said:
Got my mini set up, so good, iPad OS is just not good enough to use with a display as a MacBook replacement.
Sorry.
Click to expand...

Oh, then it was just the way that you worded it that prompted my reply. If I understand correctly, you're talking about using it on a desktop with an external asd display, and that would be a desktop replacement.😏 But, not getting too far off topic, I also like using my iPP as a desktop setup occasionally. And like I said above, there are a hand full of things that would make that experience perfect for me, but it works fine for me as it is now. External monitor support for the iPad sure has come a long way, I must say.

Saw your original response in my email.
 
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Meedoss said:
I am talking about using it with a ASD display as a laptop replacement, no Mac.
It works but too many annoyances for me.
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Ok, and I’m not saying you’re wrong for having different preferences. But I do think it’s important to clarify that it isn’t a replacement for you, your setup, and your needs. Which is perfectly fine, nobody’s saying that’s a bad thing. But for many others, myself included, it is a great replacement, and in many cases is even a better option. 👍🏻
 
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