iPad as a laptop replacement

[Meedoss]

Returned the MGK for the 3rd time lol can't get on with it.
Picked up a 5 month old MacBook Air M4 16/256 for the same price.

iPad is just a tablet for me, always has from V1, looks like always will be.

 

[Ludatyk]

Returned the MGK for the 3rd time lol can't get on with it.
Picked up a 5 month old MacBook Air M4 16/256 for the same price.

iPad is just a tablet for me, always has from V1, looks like always will be.

According to your sig... you have a Mac Mini as well, so your setup includes a desktop Mac, iPad and MBA? I think that's too much overlap... but different strokes for different folks.

 

[Meedoss]

According to your sig... you have a Mac Mini as well, so your setup includes a desktop Mac, iPad and MBA? I think that's too much overlap... but different strokes for different folks.

Yep, the MBA was too good a price to knock back, will use it around the house and back verandah and when travelling.
I am a track pad only person don't use a mouse. MGK is too small.
I have a office at home for my business, a iPad or even 13" Mac is too small for me at a desk, hence the Mac mini and ASD.

 

[bondr006]

I installed 27 db1 on my M1 iPad Pro last night. So far so good. Running smooth with just one glitch so far. The Files app will not open. I mean, it opens…but crashes immediately.😕 I have force restarted the iPad several times to no avail. Hopefully it gets fixed by the time the public beta comes.

I will be exploring the new os today. So far, I like the new changes. Took me a minute to figure out getting the menu bar to show😊 I like being able to access the control center on the external monitor now. It’s still indexing but like I said, I’ll be exploring. Let’s see how it goes.👌🏻🙂

I had none of these issues on 26 or any of its betas.

I am attaching a screen cap video of the Files app problem

Edit: Just discovered that screen vid caps are blank at this point. Also, trying to delete them from the photos app makes the photos app crash.😐

Edit 2: Also can’t use emojis on my iPad. I can on my 13PM which is running 27 db1 also.

Edit 3: OK, the files app works fine on the iPad screen proper. It just crashes when I try to open on the external monitor. Funny thing is, when I open it on the iPad screen, I can transfer the window over to the external monitor without it crashing. Also, screen vid caps work fine on the iPad screen proper but record blank on the external monitor. Emojis also work fine on the iPad screen proper but no go when typing on the external monitor.

Edit 4: Apparently there are some external monitor issues. When I try to access History in the sidebar in Safari while on the external monitor, Safari just crashes…..every time.

 

[Ludatyk]

I installed 27 db1 on my M1 iPad Pro last night. So far so good. Running smooth with just one glitch so far. The Files app will not open. I mean, it opens…but crashes immediately.😕 I have force restarted the iPad several times to no avail. Hopefully it gets fixed by the time the public beta comes.

I will be exploring the new os today. So far, I like the new changes. Took me a minute to figure out getting the menu bar to show😊 I like being able to access the control center on the external monitor now. It’s still indexing but like I said, I’ll be exploring. Let’s see how it goes.👌🏻🙂

I am attaching a screen cap video of the Files app problemView attachment 2637407

Edit: Just discovered that screen vid caps are blank at this point. Also, trying to delete them from the photos app makes the photos app crash.😐

Edit 2: Also can’t use emojis on my iPad. I can on my 13PM which is running 27 db1 also.View attachment 2637407

Edit 3: OK, the files app works fine on the iPad screen proper. It just crashes when I try to open on the external monitor. Funny thing is, when I open it on the iPad screen, I can transfer the window over to the external monitor without it crashing. Also, screen vid caps work fine on the iPad screen proper but record blank on the external monitor. Emojis also work fine on the iPad screen proper but no go when typing on the external monitor.View attachment 2637407

Edit 4: Apparently there are some external monitor issues. When I try to access History in the sidebar in Safari while on the external monitor, Safari just crashes…..every time.

Interesting on the Files app... I haven't had problems with it. Can't really comment on issues with external monitor... not used yet.

Do you plan on downgrading?

 

[bondr006]

Interesting on the Files app... I haven't had problems with it. Can't really comment on issues with external monitor... not used yet.

Do you plan on downgrading?

Nope. Gonna ride it out. Files app works fine for me on the iPad proper. It’s just on the external monitor it has the problem. This has got me scratching my head because I had none of these problems on 26…betas and all. Hopefully by the time the public beta comes out, some of it will be sorted out. I also reported everything to Apple so far.

 

[ClaraStahlbaum]

Not a huge fan of the touch screen. For me, it always felt awkward to use. If I use an Ipad with a Keyboard...might as well just get a Macbook. I know this contradicts what I said previously in some other threads.

 

[Silvestru Hosszu]

I have given up on iPP 12.9 + MKB. I bought a Macbook Neo and I'm much more comfortable and productive with a desktop OS.
It is not that I was not able to fulfill most of the task with the IPP but it took much longer kind of aggravated me having to make 5 steps on the mobile OS while I was able to accomplish the same end on MacOS in 2 steps.

 

[Ludatyk]

It is not that I was not able to fulfill most of the task with the IPP but it took much longer kind of aggravated me having to make 5 steps on the mobile OS while I was able to accomplish the same end on MacOS in 2 steps.

Care to provide a scenario where it took you 5 steps on the iPad vs 2 steps with the Mac to accomplish a task?

 

[Silvestru Hosszu]

Care to provide a scenario where it took you 5 steps on the iPad vs 2 steps with the Mac to accomplish a task?

I have to confess that it was more of a hyperbole to emphasise the added inconvenience (at least) for me in using the iPad.
Where I mostly feel the pain is document management (working with docx files) and files in general. For example, if I want to move some files from the download folder I have to copy it to the destination folder and afterwards come back to downloads and delete those files.
I know that these are minor inconveniences but they quickly add up.

 

[Ludatyk]

For example, if I want to move some files from the download folder I have to copy it to the destination folder and afterwards come back to downloads and delete those files.
I know that these are minor inconveniences but they quickly add up.

You can move files instead of copying... you know that right? That's if you are moving files within the OS... now if you are copying files to an external drive then that's no different than using a Mac.

 

[Silvestru Hosszu]

You can move files instead of copying... you know that right? That's if you are moving files within the OS... now if you are copying files to an external drive then that's no different than using a Mac.

Sorry of the late answer.
Yes, I know what you are talking about, but it is quite annoying sometimes. For example, downloads is a iCloud folder, and I made a local to clean up downloads but keep the files I am interested in. In this setup you simply cannot move in 1 step the files from one folder to another.
If you know a way I would thank you a lot for it.

 

[Ludatyk]

Sorry of the late answer.
Yes, I know what you are talking about, but it is quite annoying sometimes. For example, downloads is a iCloud folder, and I made a local to clean up downloads but keep the files I am interested in. In this setup you simply cannot move in 1 step the files from one folder to another.
If you know a way I would thank you a lot for it.

Why not have your Downloads folder stored on the iPad instead of iCloud? That’s how mine is setup… much easier to move files across the OS.

Because once it’s in iCloud folder… it’s essentially an external drive, probably why you have to delete the file after copied to a destination.

 

[Kal Madda]

Sorry of the late answer.
Yes, I know what you are talking about, but it is quite annoying sometimes. For example, downloads is a iCloud folder, and I made a local to clean up downloads but keep the files I am interested in. In this setup you simply cannot move in 1 step the files from one folder to another.
If you know a way I would thank you a lot for it.

A Siri Shortcut could probably automatically sync the contents of both folders, and then delete the original from iCloud. I don’t know if that would help you out. 👍🏻. I think Siri Shortcuts could be your friend here. I personally prefer to keep my Downloads folder as a native folder, that way I’m not using up as much iCloud storage. You can select whether Downloads is in iCloud or On My iPad in Safari Settings. That could be another option.

I hope that helps you out. 👍🏻

 

[Silvestru Hosszu]

Thanks to both of you for the suggestions.
Having the download folder in iCloud has certain advantages, the main one being that I can acces those files on any Apple device. For example, I download a boarding card on the iPad and I have access to it also on my iPhone at the security gate.
I cannot ignore the fact that such challenges enthused me when I was in my 20s and 30s but are annoying me now in my 50s.
I am old and I have to cope with it...

 

[Ludatyk]

Thanks to both of you for the suggestions.
Having the download folder in iCloud has certain advantages, the main one being that I can acces those files on any Apple device. For example, I download a boarding card on the iPad and I have access to it also on my iPhone at the security gate.
I cannot ignore the fact that such challenges enthused me when I was in my 20s and 30s but are annoying me now in my 50s.
I am old and I have to cope with it...

Always open to help… your reasoning for switching just didn’t make much sense to me. We all have our preferences… if you prefer the Mac, great! But moving or copying files is no different between Mac or iPad. Have files I share across my iPad, Android phone and Mac… so I understand the importance of accessing files throughout any device.

 

[Silvestru Hosszu]

I hear and I understand your point. I think that the main reason is simply my lack of willingness to learn an alternate workflow.
15 years ago I was firmly in the android camp because I liked tinkering (lost many nights on xda looking for custom roms and endlessly flashing phones). Now, I'm on the opposite camp. I just want something familiar which works with minimal effort.

 

[richpjr]

I picked up Satechi DockCube TB5 dock on Prime Day sale for use with my 13" M5. It's a pretty slick dock. Love the footprint, built in NVME SSD slot, having card readers and a headphone jack in front and a front power button. Getting to use the ethernet port instead of wifi is another big bonus. TB5 is obviously more than it can handle but I now have a future proof dock for the next generation iPad.

 

[Ludatyk]

I picked up Satechi DockCube TB5 dock on Prime Day sale for use with my 13" M5. It's a pretty slick dock. Love the footprint, built in NVME SSD slot, having card readers and a headphone jack in front and a front power button. Getting to use the ethernet port instead of wifi is another big bonus. TB5 is obviously more than it can handle but I now have a future proof dock for the next generation iPad.

Still have the Belkin TB4 dock for my 13" M4... probably keep this setup for awhile, prefer having usb-c ports only dock and I came from the M1 iPad so I'll likely try to go for the M7 model. But it all depends on what features it will have...

Do you use that dock with your Mac or is that going to be solely used for the iPad?

 

[richpjr]

Still have the Belkin TB4 dock for my 13" M4... probably keep this setup for awhile, prefer having usb-c ports only dock and I came from the M1 iPad so I'll likely try to go for the M7 model. But it all depends on what features it will have...

Do you use that dock with your Mac or is that going to be solely used for the iPad?

Right now, soley with the iPad. I needed more ports and a card reader and got to get rid of an external ssd enclosure. My M4 Max Mac Studio has all the ports I need built in.

 

[Beefbowl]

I picked up Satechi DockCube TB5 dock on Prime Day sale for use with my 13" M5. It's a pretty slick dock. Love the footprint, built in NVME SSD slot, having card readers and a headphone jack in front and a front power button. Getting to use the ethernet port instead of wifi is another big bonus. TB5 is obviously more than it can handle but I now have a future proof dock for the next generation iPad.

That is a really nice looking dock and a solid set of ports. List price is moderately eye-watering so I hope Prime day was a good deal 🙂

 

[richpjr]

That is a really nice looking dock and a solid set of ports. List price is moderately eye-watering so I hope Prime day was a good deal 🙂

It was $80 off so I was happy (if one can be happy spending that much on a dock!).

 

[Kal Madda]

So, I’m going to be experimenting with a new desk setup! At this point, on the occasions when I want to work at my desk, the majority of the time lately I’ve just been docking my iPad to my desk monitor, since the iPad has all my current project files, apps, etc. and I use it as my primary computer. Currently, when I go to dock my iPad, I have to switch input sources on the monitor’s OSD software. Which isn’t a big deal, but after a while, it does add up to a lot of switching input sources.

At the same time, the only thing I’m using my Mac Mini for these days is Xcode. And since I mostly work in the cooler part of my house away from my desk (when I work at home), I end up using VNC to connect to the Mac Mini for Xcode, and even running it on my local network I still encounter a decent amount of latency with VNC.

So, I ordered a 14” 1200p portable monitor, an extra power cable for my Mac Mini, and a cheap Bluetooth keyboard and trackpad combo. And the plan is to add a new minimalist setup for my Mac Mini that will allow me to move it away from my desk so I can more readily access it for Xcode. I can use the portable monitor when I need to for things like updates, and also use SideCar to control it more reliably with my iPad since I’ll be in range.

And then when I want to work at my desk, it will be far easier to dock my iPad. I’ll be able to simply plug it in and not bother with switching HDMI inputs. And if I want to work at my desk with the Mac mini, I can just unplug it and carry it to my desk, since I will now have two power cables! 👍🏻

And the beauty of the portable monitor is, I will be able to use it for multiple devices. I can also use it with my iPad for adding some extra screen space for 3D projects and such if I want to in a more portable and mobile friendly setup. I’m not expecting the image quality to be near as good as my iPad’s display for a number of obvious reasons, so I wouldn’t use it for more image quality sensitive workflows, but for basic productivity stuff, it should be perfectly fine. And I don’t use my Mac Mini for any of those kinds of workflows on a regular basis anyways, the only thing I’m using my Mac Mini for at this point, as I mentioned before, is Xcode, which doesn’t really require super high image quality anyways.

I’m super excited to test this new setup out. I think it’s going to open up a lot of new possibilities for my workflow. 👍🏻. I’ve been inspired by some of the setups I’ve seen in this thread and others, and am really excited to see how the portable monitor concept works out! 👍🏻

 

[richpjr]

So, I’m going to be experimenting with a new desk setup! At this point, on the occasions when I want to work at my desk, the majority of the time lately I’ve just been docking my iPad to my desk monitor, since the iPad has all my current project files, apps, etc. and I use it as my primary computer. Currently, when I go to dock my iPad, I have to switch input sources on the monitor’s OSD software. Which isn’t a big deal, but after a while, it does add up to a lot of switching input sources.

At the same time, the only thing I’m using my Mac Mini for these days is Xcode. And since I mostly work in the cooler part of my house away from my desk (when I work at home), I end up using VNC to connect to the Mac Mini for Xcode, and even running it on my local network I still encounter a decent amount of latency with VNC.

So, I ordered a 14” 1200p portable monitor, an extra power cable for my Mac Mini, and a cheap Bluetooth keyboard and trackpad combo. And the plan is to add a new minimalist setup for my Mac Mini that will allow me to move it away from my desk so I can more readily access it for Xcode. I can use the portable monitor when I need to for things like updates, and also use SideCar to control it more reliably with my iPad since I’ll be in range.

And then when I want to work at my desk, it will be far easier to dock my iPad. I’ll be able to simply plug it in and not bother with switching HDMI inputs. And if I want to work at my desk with the Mac mini, I can just unplug it and carry it to my desk, since I will now have two power cables! 👍🏻

And the beauty of the portable monitor is, I will be able to use it for multiple devices. I can also use it with my iPad for adding some extra screen space for 3D projects and such if I want to in a more portable and mobile friendly setup. I’m not expecting the image quality to be near as good as my iPad’s display for a number of obvious reasons, so I wouldn’t use it for more image quality sensitive workflows, but for basic productivity stuff, it should be perfectly fine. And I don’t use my Mac Mini for any of those kinds of workflows on a regular basis anyways, the only thing I’m using my Mac Mini for at this point, as I mentioned before, is Xcode, which doesn’t really require super high image quality anyways.

I’m super excited to test this new setup out. I think it’s going to open up a lot of new possibilities for my workflow. 👍🏻. I’ve been inspired by some of the setups I’ve seen in this thread and others, and am really excited to see how the portable monitor concept works out! 👍🏻

I currently share a similar setup to your current monitor setup. My Mac Studio is connected to a monitor that has a built in USB-C hub. I have my 13' iPad Pro hooked up to a TB5 dock that runs to a second input on the monitor. The dock has a built in NVME slot with a 2TB SSD in it so I have lots of storage available for use on my iPad (mainly for editing photos and videos). I switch inputs to move the monitor between the Mac and iPad. The beauty for my use is that I have an audio interface with studio monitors hooked up to a USB C port on the monitor's hub. When I switch inputs, the built in hub automatically switches between the Mac Studio and the iPad so I get the full use of the audio interface on both my Mac and iPad. Having the audio on the iPad is really nice for gaming and on the Mac for controlling my music gear and recording music. I have an MX Keys S keyboard and MX Master 4 mouse. Both support multi-device switching so I don't have to have 2 sets or re-pair Bluetooth to switch systems.

I totally see your point about switching inputs. It isn't a big deal, but kind of awkward to reach behind the monitor to do so. But it's worth it to get the flexibility to move back and forth between the 2 systems.