iPad as a laptop replacement

[muzzy996]

Yup we're off topic slightly but I think in this case it's okay because there are some of us for whom access to certain software functionality impacts to what degree an iPad can replace a laptop.

My gripe is that they did make lite versions of their apps for other platforms, yet charge the exact same price as the full version for them, even though apps like Word in particular are missing so many basic simple core features we know they can implement, because they’ve implemented them in other Microsoft Office apps on the iPad like OneNote… If they’re going to charge me just as much as for the full version, at least make an effort. At least deliver simple basic features… Or, since it is a lite version, give me a discount… 🤷🏼‍♂️

I think this is what Microsoft 365 Basic is for, but MS obscures the existence of that plan from their front facing pages when people are shopping for Microsoft 365 plans. $2/mo or so for just mobile and web app access vs higher pricing for desktop licenses.

I would love to have more robust versions on my mobile devices too, but I just don't see it happening no matter how much I think it should. Honestly this issue is one of my barriers to purchasing another large iPad Pro because I am fully locked into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem with no ability nor desire to change (Windows and MS 365 is a corporate preference in software platform where I work).

As things stand the mobile and web versions of Office apps continue to be supplemental versions to the desktop apps in Microsoft's eyes, particularly since the enterprise sector makes up over 3/4 of their revenue from the Office products.

 

[Kal Madda]

Yup we're off topic slightly but I think in this case it's okay because there are some of us for whom access to certain software functionality impacts to what degree an iPad can replace a laptop.

Fair enough, that makes sense. I was mostly talking about where things were beginning to drift, if that makes any sense.

I think this is what Microsoft 365 Basic is for, but MS obscures the existence of that plan from their front facing pages when people are shopping for Microsoft 365 plans. $2/mo or so for just mobile and web app access vs higher pricing for desktop licenses.

I never heard of that option. So is that specifically for the mobile and web versions? I would actually say that is pretty reasonable pricing for the web and mobile versions, it’s $24 a year. If that’s the case, I will cut them some slack on that front, as that isn’t really bad pricing for them, considering it used to cost several hundreds to buy a license for desktop back in the day if I recall correctly.

I would love to have more robust versions on my mobile devices too, but I just don't see it happening no matter how much I think it should. Honestly this issue is one of my barriers to purchasing another large iPad Pro because I am fully locked into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem with no ability nor desire to change (Windows and MS 365 is a corporate preference in software platform where I work).

As things stand the mobile and web versions of Office apps continue to be supplemental versions to the desktop apps in Microsoft's eyes, particularly since the enterprise sector makes up over 3/4 of their revenue from the Office products.

Yeah, I would love to see them improve just a few basic things. To be fair, at this point I have gotten used to Pages at this point, and so I don’t know I’d go back to Office even if they did make the changes I’d like them too. I’d have to consider it. But I definitely would like to see them improve stuff like this. I get not including some more niche stuff, or not wanting to make the feature set too good so that it preserves platform lock-in, but there are just some things that make very little sense to me with their current implementation. Like custom document templates would just make so much sense. Companies use these all the time. Microsoft doesn’t make phones, and barely makes “tablets”. With custom document templates on the mobile version, those who need to fill out small forums while doing other tasks around the company, kind of like checklists, could just carry their phone or tablet with them to do so. Take the answers/data, plug them into the form, save the document, move onto the next one. It would just make so much more sense than having to lug a Windows laptop around for something as simple as that… 🤷🏼‍♂️. I can sort of get the potential “the mobile version isn’t meant for final page formatting/layout work” argument, though I disagree with it. But custom document templates just seems a very basic thing that would appeal to business/enterprise use… 🤷🏼‍♂️

But yeah, sadly you’re probably right that they aren’t going to improve this very much anytime soon, which is quite a shame.

 

[DeepSix]

I wish Apple would release a double sided iPad. Why? So two people can look at the screen at the same time. Having a screen on both sides would be nice.

 

[lostPod]

Anyone on here doing web or software development on the iPad? Is there a decent IDE app or code editor similar to Visual Studio Code? I remember using the app CodeAnywhere and it was great as it had built in FTP -- but it is gone now.

 

[Kal Madda]

Anyone on here doing web or software development on the iPad? Is there a decent IDE app or code editor similar to Visual Studio Code? I remember using the app CodeAnywhere and it was great as it had built in FTP -- but it is gone now.

I don’t do web dev professionally, I’ve only tinkered a bit, but I have a friend who does do it professionally. There’s a couple options he uses and recommended to me that you may find useful. 👍🏻

One is the web version of Visual Studio Code:

https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/setup/vscode-web

That link is to a page about how to use the web version, and it includes a link to the web app there near the top of the page.

The friend who uses his iPad for web dev also recommended an app called Code that is built on the same engine as VS Code:

Code App App - App Store

Download Code App by thebaselab Ltd on the App Store. See screenshots, ratings and reviews, user tips, and more games like Code App.

apps.apple.com

The latter Code App has built-in FTP, which you may find useful. 👍🏻

I’ve used both for tinkering with web development and coding, and found them useful. So they may be useful for you. 🙂👍🏻