iPad as a laptop replacement

[sparksd]

Microsoft want to do the least possible effort to be on other platforms. They don’t want iPadOS versions to be competent, they want you to buy Windows, and pay extra for a Copilot subscription.

Corporations beholding to shareholders are rarely altruistic. That includes Apple - just look at their pricing (e.g., $349 for a Magic Keyboard which conveniently needs updating with new iPad models).

 

[Kal Madda]

…$349 for a Magic Keyboard which conveniently needs updating with new iPad models).

And it’s a premium accessory, of course it’s not going to be as cheap as a plastic bluetooth case. And they had to change the internal magnet layout in the iPad due to the reduced thickness with the new design. So they couldn’t maintain backwards compatibility and make it thinner. And the prior 1st Magic Keyboard Case was compatible with 5 years of iPad Pros, and is still compatible with iPad Air models… So no, it isn’t the bad thing you want to make it out to be…

 

[richpjr]

Yeah, I completely agree. And I even grew up using BS Office for school and such. When I moved off Windows to the Mac, I ended up trying Apple’s iWork suite, and I never looked back. Not that Office doesn’t have its use cases, I’m sure that some genuinely prefer it, and that’s perfectly fine, not saying anything against that. But Pages just feels so much less distracting to me than Word. I really like Pages, and if given the choice between the two, I would choose the free version of Pages any day of the week. 🙂👍🏻

But you’re right, I’ve seen tons of people who would like to switch to an alternative Office software and move to iPad-only or iPad-primary use (because essentially every other office software suite on the iPad is more full featured than MS Office on the iPad), but can’t because their job requires MS Office. This is why I really think BS, I mean, MS, needs to up their game and actually provide basics in their Office apps for other platforms, even if only in the web version. MS Office essentially has a monopoly, and many customers have no choice but to use their software, which is why they should at least do better and not try to also lock users onto one particular platform. But their monopoly is also likely the reason they won’t change their anti-customer behavior, they sadly have no incentive to improve their product when people are effectively forced to use it no matter how crappy it is…

Pages and Numbers feel like toys compared to Word and especially Excel - and I don't say that as an insult to them. If your needs are simple to moderate you can get by with them if you can live with the formatting and conversion issues passing documents to MS Office users. I never could. Some of the massively complicated models in Excel I have gotten from engineering and finance over the years could not even be dreamed about in something like Numbers. I recognize that not all users are power users but Office is the standard for a reason. As always, it depends on one's specific needs.

 

[Kal Madda]

Pages and Numbers feel like toys compared to Word and especially Excel - and I don't say that as an insult to them. If your needs are simple to moderate you can get by with them if you can live with the formatting and conversion issues passing documents to MS Office users. I never could. Some of the massively complicated models in Excel I have gotten from engineering and finance over the years could not even be dreamed about in something like Numbers. I recognize that not all users are power users but Office is the standard for a reason. As always, it depends on one's specific needs.

I don’t really use Excel or Numbers. I use Pages. And Word on the iPad or even the Mac feels more like a “toy” than Pages does to me, with watered down functionality in so many basic and simple areas. I can’t create custom document templates in MS Word web app or iPad version, where I can easily create custom document templates on even my iPhone with Pages… So many basic features Word is missing that Pages has. I couldn’t really use Word for my work duties.

 

[Sully]

Corporations beholding to shareholders are rarely altruistic. That includes Apple - just look at their pricing (e.g., $349 for a Magic Keyboard which conveniently needs updating with new iPad models).

Once my current M1 iPad Pro is obsoleted, I’m thinking of getting a Framework laptop and using Linux to replace the iPad. For me the iPad works fine as a travel computer. But, I leave it on the keyboard 95% of the time and I hardly ever use the pencil. So a small laptop makes sense.

With cloud computing, I can integrate the Linux OS with what I do on my Apple hardware and then no worries about Apple’s forced upgrades. I can tinker with the Framework and use FOSS. The downside is that I’m pretty used to Apple’s excellent hardware.

 

[richpjr]

I don’t really use Excel or Numbers. I use Pages. And Word on the iPad or even the Mac feels more like a “toy” than Pages does to me, with watered down functionality in so many basic and simple areas. I can’t create custom document templates in MS Word web app or iPad version, where I can easily create custom document templates on even my iPhone with Pages… So many basic features Word is missing that Pages has. I couldn’t really use Word for my work duties.

On the iPad, sure as has been discussed it is not on par with the desktop version. You can work around it on the web version but it is indeed not fully supported. The desktop version reigns as far as handling complex tasks but if you only use an iPad your tools are limited, both in Word and Pages. If Pages works for you, that is all that matters. I couldn't live with the conversion errors (something that should not be hard to clean up) as most of the business world uses MS. Sending back a Word document you edit in Pages can be very painful.

 

[Luftkopf]

Corporations beholding to shareholders are rarely altruistic. That includes Apple - just look at their pricing (e.g., $349 for a Magic Keyboard which conveniently needs updating with new iPad models).

Well sure. Charging the most you can get away with is one of the hallmarks of capitalism. Always has been. And I’m under no illusions about Apple. Their upgrade and accessory pricing makes that clear! Still, there is scope within that for strategy. Maximising shareholder value isn’t what is stopping Microsoft from improving non-windows versions of office apps. They’re not mutually exclusive concepts.

Pages and Numbers feel like toys compared to Word and especially Excel - and I don't say that as an insult to them. If your needs are simple to moderate you can get by with them if you can live with the formatting and conversion issues passing documents to MS Office users. I never could. Some of the massively complicated models in Excel I have gotten from engineering and finance over the years could not even be dreamed about in something like Numbers. I recognize that not all users are power users but Office is the standard for a reason. As always, it depends on one's specific needs.

I know you said you’re intending no offence, but still, that’s a bit of a pejorative way of describing it. Pages and Numbers aren’t trying to be Word and Excel, they’re different tools that are better in different circumstances.

I don’t have corporate needs, I am not a power user, nor do I need to exchange documents with Word and Excel users, and aside from needing to use industry spreadsheets (provided by the Australian Building Codes Board), Pages and Numbers are better for my needs.

I don’t need to tow, nor haul bulk goods, so I don’t drive a ute.

 

[richpjr]

I know you said you’re intending no offence, but still, that’s a bit of a pejorative way of describing it. Pages and Numbers aren’t trying to be Word and Excel, they’re different tools that are better in different circumstances.

I don’t have corporate needs, I am not a power user, nor do I need to exchange documents with Word and Excel users, and aside from needing to use industry spreadsheets (provided by the Australian Building Codes Board), Pages and Numbers are better for my needs.

I don’t need to tow, nor haul bulk goods, so I don’t drive a ute.

That is fair. My use has been corporate for my entire career so I never really had a choice.

 

[Luftkopf]

That is fair. My use has been corporate for my entire career so I never really had a choice.

All these debates usually boil down to 'what's the right tool for the job' don't they. MS Office is definitely the right tool for some jobs, and iWork is the right tool for others. The trick is knowing when.

 

[lyngo]

All these debates usually boil down to 'what's the right tool for the job' don't they. MS Office is definitely the right tool for some jobs, and iWork is the right tool for others. The trick is knowing when.

Right on. And sometimes it is subjective to the person using the tech, too. I am always open to suggestions, but I also know what works best for me in given situations, too.

 

[edubfromktown]

Not a laptop replacement for me; 2-in-1 i7 16 GB Chromebook i7 and M3 Pro 14" MBP cover 90+%.

A 1st gen 9.7" iPad Pro still comes in handy (with and old school Redpark adapter). It is the absolute smallest RJ-45 (get Console app) out of band terminal access device I own for jacking into all sorts of IT enterprise and SOHO equipment.

 

[Abazigal]

Not a laptop replacement for me; 2-in-1 i7 16 GB Chromebook i7 and M3 Pro 14" MBP cover 90+%.

A 1st gen 9.7" iPad Pro still comes in handy (with and old school Redpark adapter). It is the absolute smallest RJ-45 (get Console app) out of band terminal access device I own for jacking into all sorts of IT enterprise and SOHO equipment.

View attachment 2606229

I think I recognise that keyboard case as the first one I purchased for my first iPad. Zagg brand? 😀

 

[eltoslightfoot]

I think I recognise that keyboard case as the first one I purchased for my first iPad. Zagg brand? 😀

I don't know, it almost looks like a Logi Create. I had one of those for my first iPad Pro 12.9" and wrote most of a novel on it. Loved that thing.

 

[edubfromktown]

I think I recognise that keyboard case as the first one I purchased for my first iPad. Zagg brand? 😀

Logi case that still works flawlessly.

No (battery) power needed and connects with the three little dots on the iPad

 

[xxFoxtail]

I was very close to selling my M2 MacBook Air not too long ago. I had it reset and put on Swappa, decided last minute to hold on to it for longer. Kind of glad I did. After Apple updated Pages and Numbers, I decided to stop using them and go back to MS Office (which I'm paying for anyway through my business), didn’t really sit right with me with Apple pushing those AI things on me and making me pay for them. Office is usable, but pretty bad and limited on the iPad. So, I went back to using the MacBook again for work related things, and keeping the iPad as my spare, at home device.

My set of problems/nitpicks with Excel on the iPad -
-Opening Excel files through the Files app works, but won’t let me print them without backing out of the file and re-opening it from Excel's file browser, which sometimes doesn’t even show up in recents, I'd have to search for the file again.
-I use the Files app because I regularly need to duplicate a file, which isn't possible in the OneDrive app or in Excel, itself.
-There must have been some kind of update recently that completely changes colors of certain cells. Switching over to another sheet and back fixes this.
-Sometimes Excel just completely whites out and freezes. I have to regularly make sure I completely close each of the open Excel windows before it actually works again. Sometimes I notice I have like 5 or 6 open, would be nice if there was a quick way to close them all like on the Mac.

These problems aren’t really deal breakers. If I didn’t have my MacBook anymore, I can certainly get by with just the iPad. But, I'd rather focus on actually working instead of trying to figure out why my spreadsheet isn't printing. The Mac is just a more reliable machine in this regard for me. As I currently stand, my M4 iPad Pro has a lot of life left in it still, though it might be my last iPad.

 

[Kal Madda]

…After Apple updated Pages and Numbers, I decided to stop using them and go back to MS Office (which I'm paying for anyway through my business), didn’t really sit right with me with Apple pushing those AI things on me and making me pay for them…

I respect your opinion, but I really don’t see how the additional optional add-ons Apple is offering can be characterized as being forced on anyone. Nobody has to pay for them if they don’t want to. You can use the Pages app for free just as you did before, but now with some new features even for the free tier, and some optional add-ons for those interested in those kinds of features. I really don’t get why someone would go to the hassle of switching out softwares just because there’s some optional features people could choose to pay for if they wanted to… 🤦🏼‍♂️

 

[Luftkopf]

I was very close to selling my M2 MacBook Air not too long ago. I had it reset and put on Swappa, decided last minute to hold on to it for longer. Kind of glad I did. After Apple updated Pages and Numbers, I decided to stop using them and go back to MS Office (which I'm paying for anyway through my business), didn’t really sit right with me with Apple pushing those AI things on me and making me pay for them. Office is usable, but pretty bad and limited on the iPad. So, I went back to using the MacBook again for work related things, and keeping the iPad as my spare, at home device.

My set of problems/nitpicks with Excel on the iPad -
-Opening Excel files through the Files app works, but won’t let me print them without backing out of the file and re-opening it from Excel's file browser, which sometimes doesn’t even show up in recents, I'd have to search for the file again.
-I use the Files app because I regularly need to duplicate a file, which isn't possible in the OneDrive app or in Excel, itself.
-There must have been some kind of update recently that completely changes of certain cells. Switching over to another sheet and back fixes this.
-Sometimes Excel just completely whites out and freezes. I have to regularly make sure I completely close each of the open Excel windows before it actually works again. Sometimes I notice I have like 5 or 6 open, would be nice if there was a quick way to close them all like on the Mac.

These problems aren’t really deal breakers. If I didn’t have my MacBook anymore, I can certainly get by with just the iPad. But, I'd rather focus on actually working instead of trying to figure out why my spreadsheet isn't printing. The Mac is just a more reliable machine in this regard for me. As I currently stand, my M4 iPad Pro has a lot of life left in it still, though it might be my last iPad.

Are you arguing that adding iWork to the Creative Suite by adding a few fringe premium AI features is the first step in either a deliberate enshïttification or a Verschlimmbesserung in a switch to a freemium model? I can see where Apple informs people that the option is there, but I don't see any coercion to use AI features I'm not interested in. I simply don't pay, and get on with my life.

 

[xxFoxtail]

I respect your opinion, but I really don’t see how the additional optional add-ons Apple is offering can be characterized as being forced on anyone. Nobody has to pay for them if they don’t want to. You can use the Pages app for free just as you did before, but now with some new features even for the free tier, and some optional add-ons for those interested in those kinds of features. I really don’t get why someone would go to the hassle of switching out softwares just because there’s some optional features people could choose to pay for if they wanted to… 🤦🏼‍♂️

Are you arguing that adding iWork to the Creative Suite by adding a few fringe premium AI features is the first step in either a deliberate enshïttification or a Verschlimmbesserung in a switch to a freemium model? I can see where Apple informs people that the option is there, but I don't see any coercion to use AI features I'm not interested in. I simply don't pay, and get on with my life.

Will these go away after my free trial is over? If not, it'll be staring me in the face every time I work on a spreadsheet. It's very easy to hide in the Mac versions of these apps, I can’t figure out how to hide it on the iPad. Again, not the end of the world or probably as big of a deal as I’m making it sound. I just choose to use something else now instead, which came with its own problems I mentioned above. So I took a completely different approach and dusted off my MacBook and will use that again for now at least until Microsoft can fix Excel on the iPad (I've reported these problems a few months ago, nothing has been acknowledged yet).

Most of my iWork files were transferred over to MS Office when I started that Office subscription anyway. There were just a few files I still used Pages and Numbers for. The iPad is otherwise the perfect device for me, I'm just able to be slightly more productive with the Mac. I'm not intentionally trying to throw any device or app under the bus. Pages and Numbers have been free to use for years, I didn't mean to complain too much about them.

 

[Luftkopf]

Will these go away after my free trial is over? If not, it'll be staring me in the face every time I work on a spreadsheet. It's very easy to hide in the Mac versions of these apps, I can’t figure out how to hide it on the iPad. Again, not the end of the world or probably as big of a deal as I’m making it sound. I just choose to use something else now instead, which came with its own problems I mentioned above. So I took a completely different approach and dusted off my MacBook and will use that again for now at least until Microsoft can fix Excel on the iPad (I've reported these problems a few months ago, nothing has been acknowledged yet).

Most of my iWork files were transferred over to MS Office when I started that Office subscription anyway. There were just a few files I still used Pages and Numbers for. The iPad is otherwise the perfect device for me, I'm just able to be slightly more productive with the Mac. I'm not intentionally trying to throw any device or app under the bus. Pages and Numbers have been free to use for years, I didn't mean to complain too much about them.

Well that sounds quite reasonable. I think I read more than you intended into your previous post, my apologies. You've got to use what works best for you.

For me, the Creative Suite premium features are very easily ignorable, and as long as they stay niche AI stuff that I have no intention of ever using, it's not going to bother me. When I will get annoyed is if they were to start locking existing functionality behind a paywall.

 

[Kal Madda]

Will these go away after my free trial is over? If not, it'll be staring me in the face every time I work on a spreadsheet. It's very easy to hide in the Mac versions of these apps, I can’t figure out how to hide it on the iPad. Again, not the end of the world or probably as big of a deal as I’m making it sound.

You can customize the toolbar for the iWork apps on iPadOS by selecting “View” in the iPad Menu Bar. “Customize Toolbar” should be the bottom option, just as on the Mac. 🙂👍🏻

I just choose to use something else now instead, which came with its own problems I mentioned above. So I took a completely different approach and dusted off my MacBook and will use that again for now at least until Microsoft can fix Excel on the iPad (I've reported these problems a few months ago, nothing has been acknowledged yet).

Most of my iWork files were transferred over to MS Office when I started that Office subscription anyway. There were just a few files I still used Pages and Numbers for. The iPad is otherwise the perfect device for me, I'm just able to be slightly more productive with the Mac. I'm not intentionally trying to throw any device or app under the bus. Pages and Numbers have been free to use for years, I didn't mean to complain too much about them.

Ok, that makes sense. Sorry if I came off as too strong, I think I misunderstood you a bit. I’m all for using the tool that suits needs best. 👍🏻. For me, the iWork apps meet my needs better than the MS ones, though, I still do use OneDrive and OneNote for some things. 👍🏻.

 

[eltoslightfoot]

You can customize the toolbar for the iWork apps on iPadOS by selecting “View” in the iPad Menu Bar. “Customize Toolbar” should be the bottom option, just as on the Mac. 🙂👍🏻

There is still a button on the menu bar that can’t be removed that have color and are clearly premium.

I can’t remember what it specifically is called because I already switched back to MS Office. Ah well. Even if it hasn’t risen to the level of ensh*tification that fans of iWork seem to think, clearly this is a sign things are headed in the wrong direction.

 

[Kal Madda]

There is still a button on the menu bar that can’t be removed that have color and are clearly premium.

I can’t remember what it specifically is called because I already switched back to MS Office. Ah well. Even if it hasn’t risen to the level of ensh*tification that fans of iWork seem to think, clearly this is a sign things are headed in the wrong direction.

That button has non-premium content as well, so removing it would remove the free content housed inside it. It’s a content button that includes shapes, charts, etc. all in one button instead of having to use a bunch of different buttons.

I’m a fan of iWork, and I don’t think any such thing, so I think you meant “some ‘fans’ of iWork”…. And no, some optional add-ons people can choose to pay for or not is not a sign that things are supposedly “headed in the wrong direction”... 🙄🤦🏼‍♂️ All core features of iWork are free. None of the features of Office are free, except reading documents…

How did I know things were going to circle back to another debate about Pages/iWork… 🙄. This has deviated far off-topic, if people want to hate on Pages and/or iWork, please just start another thread for that… 🤦🏼‍♂️. This thread feels like it’s beginning to devolve from a pleasant thread here in the forum, a breath of fresh air where people can talk about the stuff they like and share the softwares/tools they’ve been using for their iPad-primary workflow, to one like every other thread here where people just debate roundy roundy about silly stuff, and we don’t get to actually just talk about the things we like… 🙁🤦🏼‍♂️

 

[jgbr]

I have finally accepted after multiple trials and attempts, that an iPad will never be a replacement for a laptop. Many have warned its not nor what it was designed for. Fair. But ultimately, if you want to do work, pick up a MacBook, never been a better time to get one really.

 

[I7guy]

I have finally accepted after multiple trials and attempts, that an iPad will never be a replacement for a laptop. Many have warned its not nor what it was designed for. Fair. But ultimately, if you want to do work, pick up a MacBook, never been a better time to get one really.

My wife’s iPad is a 95 replacement for here windows surface. She has an IPP m1 with the MKB and it is her go to. There is only a small subset of things the surface is needed for.

This means she gets the efficiency and reliability of the iPad most of the time, without dealing with windows idiosyncrasies.

 

[eltoslightfoot]

That button has non-premium content as well, so removing it would remove the free content housed inside it. It’s a content button that includes shapes, charts, etc. all in one button instead of having to use a bunch of different buttons.

I’m a fan of iWork, and I don’t think any such thing, so I think you meant “some ‘fans’ of iWork”…. And no, some optional add-ons people can choose to pay for or not is not a sign that things are supposedly “headed in the wrong direction”... 🙄🤦🏼‍♂️ All core features of iWork are free. None of the features of Office are free, except reading documents…

How did I know things were going to circle back to another debate about Pages/iWork… 🙄. This has deviated far off-topic, if people want to hate on Pages and/or iWork, please just start another thread for that… 🤦🏼‍♂️. This thread feels like it’s beginning to devolve from a pleasant thread here in the forum, a breath of fresh air where people can talk about the stuff they like and share the softwares/tools they’ve been using for their iPad-primary workflow, to one like every other thread here where people just debate roundy roundy about silly stuff, and we don’t get to actually just talk about the things we like… 🙁🤦🏼‍♂️

That's my point. A "fan" of iWork will clearly not think things are headed in the wrong direction. I disagree. Apple used to really care about adding value for the hardware through the software. Now it is like the equation is reversed. They want you to buy the hardware and then accept that the subscriptions will be needed to get the "premium" experience.

When a corporation begins to stratify every experience in this fashion, it is not good. Apple used to give you more--we know what to expect from Microsoft, so that is not a great comparison. Basically, as the saying goes, Apple used to be the chosen one.