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All iPads iPad as your only computer? Seems easy to do and in many ways better than a laptop.

I was thinking of using an iPad to replace my wife's business laptops. That was a very short analysis. In a word, impractical.

That's not to say that for some, it can't be done. It can, if your needs are limited. I don't use my MBP, iPad or iPhone for work. If I had to give one up, the iPad would be the first to go. I can't manage my bank account without my MBP.
 
Very possible, but depends

This question of using an iPad as your primary or only computer has been coming up a lot lately because the device is becoming more and more capable.

It really depends on your needs, but I think most people could simplify their lives by using an iPad as their personal computer. I would preface this by saying that I assume most people's work requirements are covered by a computer provided by their employer. They have no say in the device, and do not use it for personal content....it's off limits for security reasons.

For me, essentially all of my personal computing needs are met by the iPad. Well, I have an iPhone and Apple TV too. In a few places, I have made some compromises to gain simplicity and convienance. For example, I used to store all photos on the family Mac. Now, I use Flickr, and I am more selective about uploading. Of course, it forces me to weed through the duplicate and crummy pictures, but the cloud makes the photos available for sharing with the grandparents. We use Dropbox for documents, so the kids can work on homework anywhere. For movies and music, I stick to only iTunes and streaming content...and I am still overwhelmed by the vast amount of media available to me.

I know the idea of making a few compromises in ones personal digital life will seem crazy to some folks on this Forum. The trade-off is worth it to me. Anyway, this is how I use the iPad:

Email
Calendar & Reminders
Contacts
Web browsing - Safari
Web Apps - CNN, Weather, Web MD, Wikipedia, UTube, Podcasts, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Finances - Mint and Banking Apps
File Management - Drop box, Goodreader
Books & Education - iBooks, iTunes U, Kahn mobile
Media organization & editing - iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand (iLife)
Media storage (photos and video) - Flickrstackr, photo sync, photo stream
Music - iTunes, Pandora (streaming)
Movie streaming - Netflix, HBO2Go
Productivity - Notes, Pages, Numbers, Keynote (iWork)
Utilities - find my phone, find my friends, *Remote, Airport, FaceTime*
Device settings and In-App backup & storage - iCloud
 
Meever said:
Too many limitations.

Lack of storage. Poor copy paste. Lack of true muti tasking. File format limitations.

It's a fantastic secondary device but I would never use it as my primary workhorse.
Click to expand...

This is exactly it.

In UG school, I used a $300 Acer laptop which was almost wore out once school was over with. I wiped it clean and practically donated it to a high school student.

This past Christmas my wife purchased me an iPad. When I started Grad school, I thought I would give using my iPad as a sole device a chance. It has proven to be ok with a blue tooth keyboard but it just isn't practical. Actually, writing a paper was horrible for the reasons described above. (multi-tasking, copy/paste, and no mouse)

It's great if I want to read something via an app or review a document or web site but a MBA is in the near future for me.
 
ZBoater said:
The day iTunes can update the firmware on a Garmin or Escort Radar Detector is the day I sign up...

And a DVD is what you get to watch a movie and avoid being financially raped by iTunes....
Click to expand...

Agreed.

I sold my old MBP on Thurs last week, tried iPad only for 4 days, couldn't handle it, couldn't print or edit docs properly so ended up buying a new MBP yesterday, so no unless surfing the net is ALL you do then an iPad isn't enough.
 
Go to my pc has been hugely beneficial to me in turning the into a temporary laptop abroad.
 
ZBoater said:
The day iTunes can update the firmware on a Garmin or Escort Radar Detector is the day I sign up...

And a DVD is what you get to watch a movie and avoid being financially raped by iTunes....
Click to expand...

I am still trying to figure out how to play a DVD on my iphone or ipad...:p
 
Can never replace a laptop until it can do all a laptop does. The iPad is great for entertainment but not for creativity. I can't type properly on the iPad and I hate carrying around a keyboard. I need my laptop to put videos and music on my iPad.
 
Even this week, Apple is streaming Matchbox Twenty's new album on iTunes. Can I get it on my iPad? Nope. Only on a real computer. Apple themselves is proving you still need something else.
 
I pretty much use my iPad for everything I need. I've only found a couple snags. I tried to install a printer a couple of weeks ago. No disk drive to use the CD with. That and with my wireless router, I'd still have to use my laptop to get the password for my wi-fi. I'd say for school, a laptop is needed. Definiately. For me, I'm done with school. No need to type a 30pg research paper. I use my iPad for the following:

internet
Calendar which is synced to my droid (soon to be new iPhone)
Email
Facebook
Misc. games to pass the time
Netflix, Crackle, Hulu Plus oh and YTEpisodes.com (AWESOME SITE!!!)
Banking/paying all my bills
I have over 1000 photos on Dropbox which are synced from my droid
Rent movies on iTunes (Same cost as comcast, not a dealbreaker for me)
Flipboard to keep up with my interests
oh and... MacRumors. ;)

Now that I have an iPad, I have not used my laptop in about... 6 months. Its the best $$$ I've spent for myself. Can't imagine a day without it. Only issue... next time I'm going for the 64GB. I got 16... what was I thinking?!?! :p
 
My iPad 3 (which I love and use 80% of the time BTW) is, in its present form, not a viable nor complete substitute for my MBA. If I could have only one and not the other, I would be reluctantly forced to choose the laptop. :eek:
 
It works in a pinch, but not as a primary computer.

You can't manipulate files, which is the major issue with the iPad.

You can create serious documents, like long Excel, PowerPoint, or Word documents.

If you actually do real work like in Corporate Office, it's just not going to work out well enough.
 
I agree with many on this thread. For Corporate Office use, the iPad is just not going to be a good substitute as a primary computer. Most folks will need to use the laptop assigned to them by the IT department, which will most likely include MS Office and corporate specific apps.

As much as I love my iPad, I also think most students need to have a good laptop as their primary computer. Students generate a lot of content, and the iPad is not optimized for that function. I just bought my son a MacBook Air for middle school....now I want one, but I really don't have a need.

For day to day home use, the iPad can easily handle most people's computing requirements. This is especially true for individuals willing to use cloud storage and streaming services. In the old days, everyone needed to buy a full size PC tower just to browse the web, send an email, or compose a short letter. The iPad is so much more capable than these old machines, and it's a delight to use.
 
Now? Depends, but mostly i would say no.

In the future? Certainly.

People were also complaining about laptops in their beginnings, mostly about the same things.
 
I have a PC desktop, a MBP 13 late 2011, iPad2, and iPhone4. For serious graphics & photography work, it's the PC desktop with a huge screen. For regular use (like everything else), it's my MBP. The iPad is great for portability - to the gym, etc. Great for reading books, magazines, a few games, and such. When I travel, I take the iPhone 4 and tether the iPad. Perfect combo. I wouldn't want to do without it. But the iPad's limitations of no file system and no external drive accessibility (flash or otherwise) takes it out of the workplace equation for me.
 
iPad is not a complete substitution for a PC but Windows 8 tablet might be. Just check the tablets that Samsung announced today at IFA (especially the Pro line with Intel processors)
 
While one's usage needs will affect how the iPad can be a laptop/desktop replacement, here's an example of where it can -- and does -- work.

My gal's aunt's computer died. My gal was thinking of replacing it with a Mac Mini. That wasn't really going to work, though, for sundry reasons. As we were discussing it, I brought up the idea of an iPad.

We took into account how the aunt used her computer: e-mail, photos, music, web sites. The iPad does all of those things.

My gal got her an iPad and the aunt LOVES it. It does everything she needs and more. Much more.

The short of it is that if someone uses their computer solely as a consumer of content, then an iPad can replace a computer. Without a doubt. If one uses their computer for work -- content creation -- then there may be some snags.

In the aunt's situation, it's MUCH better than a laptop and even more so than a desktop. It's easy and intuitive. It's fun. It's really opened the world for her.

So, it's definitely possible. It all depends on the use of the machine.

T.
 
Big.Mac.Daddy said:
P.S. the iPad isn't a perfect device with no flaws, nothing is perfect. Here are a few things I figured out solutions for:

PROBLEM: Software keyboard isn't good for long typing sessions
ANSWER: Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover

PROBLEM: No trackpad
ANSWER: Jailbreak and use a bluetooth mouse

PROBLEM: No file system
ANSWER: Use Dropbox or iFile

PROBLEM: No good gaming
ANSWER: Jailbreak and use Snes9x EX w/ a bluetooth controller

PROBLEM: How do I get music on my iPad w/out a computer?
ANSWER: Use Pandora or buy music through iTunes app

PROBLEM: No Microsoft Office
ANSWER: Use Polaris Office or Pages
Click to expand...

This is just my opinion, but if you're going to go to the trouble and expense of overcoming all those limitations, wouldn't a base-model refurbished MBA make more sense? Yes, it would cost a little more than an iPad, Logitech keyboard cover, bluetooth mouse, and bluetooth gaming controller, but it also would do more.

I love my iPad 1 and use it every day, and I use my 2008 MBP far less than I used to. I went through the same thought process of wondering whether I could get by with just an iPad, but eventually I decided I couldn't. For what I do, there are still enough things that a Mac is better at. For instance, as cool as GarageBand on the iPad is, it doesn't come close to Logic on my Mac. (I'm not a professional musician, so I don't need Logic, but I sure do like it.) And although there are a lot of great photography apps for the iPad, Aperture and Photoshop Elements on the Mac are still more powerful for serious amateur photography processing. Or maybe I'm just more used to doing such things on a Mac. I'm certainly more used to working with the OS X file structure. But for casual web surfing and checking my email, I go to my iPad every time. As the iPad becomes more powerful, though, I suspect that the gap will narrow.
 
psac said:
Even this week, Apple is streaming Matchbox Twenty's new album on iTunes. Can I get it on my iPad? Nope. Only on a real computer. Apple themselves is proving you still need something else.
Click to expand...

Sounds more like a feature to me.
 
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