Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPad Pro vs MacBook

M. Gustave said:
Why do you need to 'ditch your Macs and PCs'? Nobody is claiming that an iPad can do every conceivable computing task, and it's utterly ridiculous for you to act as though we are. You're building up a case against a straw man of your own creation.

If you had merely said "my tasks require a Mac and/or PC", or asked can an iPad currently do xyz, rather than deliberately provoking with comments like iOS is "crippled", and implying that an iPad is useless for anything other than an occasional movie in bed, you wouldn't be getting the pushback you have.
Click to expand...
Well, I can think of a lot things I can't do with my iPad that I can do with my Mac. Yet, I believe the reverse is not true. O course, iPad Pro offers pen support which is something I can't do with a Mac unless I add an appropriate peripheral, but examples like these are not too many.

I simply work better and faster with my Mac than my iPad, for what I do. This is no different than using my motorcycle to beat the traffic and the parking problem. However, this is not enough reason to abandon my car either. As much as I like my bike for its advantages, It will not replace my car.

Same goes with my iPad; it has its uses and advantages but as far as I'm concerned, it is not a replacement for my PC/Mac devices.

You may have different needs and preferences, which I understand and respect, and I expect you to do the same without being rude and making it sound like I'm inept and don't know what I'm talking about.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: ericwn and jonny301
bingeciren said:
. . .O course, iPad Pro offers pen support which is something I can't do with a Mac unless I add an appropriate peripheral, but examples like these are not too many. . .
Click to expand...

That one example is the entire reason I bought a 12.9" iPad pro. I use it as a whiteboard for lecturing as a teacher, and as for writing math notes. It doesn't replace my laptop though.

At first I bought a Lenovo 2 in one laptop with pen support. But I discovered that for me at least, it was neither as good a laptop as my macbook Air, or as good a pen-enabled device as the iPad pro, so that's the combination I use now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jeremiah256, Night Spring and bingeciren
RickTaylor said:
That one example is the entire reason I bought a 12.9" iPad pro. I use it as a whiteboard for lecturing as a teacher, and as for writing math notes. It doesn't replace my laptop though.

At first I bought a Lenovo 2 in one laptop with pen support. But I discovered that for me at least, it was neither as good a laptop as my macbook Air, or as good a pen-enabled device as the iPad pro, so that's the combination I use now.
Click to expand...
One significant advantage I can think about an iPad Pro (but not the 13" because it's too big for what I'm going to describe it for) is being able to take notes in a class. I wish I had that while I was going to university. It is nearly impossible to write down math equations and sketch diagrams using a MacBook.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nighthawk67 and RickTaylor
JT2002TJ said:
You can only download the app if it is still avaliable on the app store. It will not show up on the list of purchased apps.
Click to expand...
This is false. I downloaded Cinema Box while it was briefly available in the App Store and I'm still able to download it on any new device I get. I've even downloaded it on a few friends' phones by logging in with my account since it's been removed.
 
Channan said:
This is false. I downloaded Cinema Box while it was briefly available in the App Store and I'm still able to download it on any new device I get. I've even downloaded it on a few friends' phones by logging in with my account since it's been removed.
Click to expand...

This is only true, if the developer still has a license. Once gone, the app will be gone forever. The point still remains, there are instances where you may want an app and your only option to get it back is if you have a computer AND you already transferred it on a computer. Making the statement that iOS 100% does not need a computer anymore FALSE.

One example, disproves that statement.
 
JT2002TJ said:
This is only true, if the developer still has a license. Once gone, the app will be gone forever. The point still remains, there are instances where you may want an app and your only option to get it back is if you have a computer AND you already transferred it on a computer. Making the statement that iOS 100% does not need a computer anymore FALSE.

One example, disproves that statement.
Click to expand...
So you're saying Apple will pull an app for breaking their terms, but still allow it to be redownloaded as long as the developer pays for a license?
 
Channan said:
So you're saying Apple will pull an app for breaking their terms, but still allow it to be redownloaded as long as the developer pays for a license?
Click to expand...

No. When Apple pulls them, they pull them. There are apps that may no longer be for sale, that are avaliable in the itunes store purchased section until the app developer no longer has a dev license. 2 different situations, but both are examples where the app is not avaliable for download.
 
One is a true work machine, one is a consumption device that can be mildly productive yet still inefficient to actually get work done on.
 
Brammy said:
The new MacBooks aren't that bad.
Click to expand...

I think they were saying that the MacBooks are "a true work machine" and the ipad is "a consumption device that can...".

So they are saying the same thing as you.
 
JT2002TJ said:
No. When Apple pulls them, they pull them. There are apps that may no longer be for sale, that are avaliable in the itunes store purchased section until the app developer no longer has a dev license. 2 different situations, but both are examples where the app is not avaliable for download.
Click to expand...
Okay, but I'm telling you about an app that Apple pulled because it's an app to stream free movies and TV shows, yet I can still download it from the purchased section in the App Store without using a computer.
 
Channan said:
Okay, but I'm telling you about an app that Apple pulled because it's an app to stream free movies and TV shows, yet I can still download it from the purchased section in the App Store without using a computer.
Click to expand...
There may very well be exceptions but I don't know if that is generally true. I have iMAME (arcade emulator) on my iPads. It was pulled from the App Store. I would be quite surprised if it is still sitting on Apple's servers for download.
 
It depends. If the developer account is suspended -- aka Dash -- then the app is also no longer available for download.
 
Brammy said:
It depends. If the developer account is suspended -- aka Dash -- then the app is also no longer available for download.
Click to expand...
So if the developer releases an app that Apple approves, but later finds out it goes against their terms and removes it from the App Store, as long as the developer doesn't get suspended, the app can continue to be redownloaded?

That sounds like an odd policy.
 
To me it is true... an iPP 12.9 is really just a big iphone with pencil abilities. I can do everything (except writing features) on my iphone that I can do on my iPP. I have had a pencil since day 2 (got is the day after release day), I have now stopped carrying it. For me the pencil is not part of my usage "workflow."
[doublepost=1478095199][/doublepost]
Channan said:
So if the developer releases an app that Apple approves, but later finds out it goes against their terms and removes it from the App Store, as long as the developer doesn't get suspended, the app can continue to be redownloaded?

That sounds like an odd policy.
Click to expand...

No. They typically pull it, but think of how many apps there are. They can fall through the cracks. Think of it this way, there are examples where apps are still available after Apple pulls them, this is not normal practice, but it happens.

Therefore, the entire point of this fork in the OP conversation was to show, that we are not at a point where there is no need for a computer. No longer hosted apps, and restoring devices in endless loops, still require itunes.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
JT2002TJ said:
we are not at a point where there is no need for a computer. No longer hosted apps, and restoring devices in endless loops, still require itunes.
Click to expand...

I do agree with this conclusion. But I also think it's possible I'll never buy another computer again. I know I definitely don't need to buy another laptop, as the iPad Pro meets my portable computing needs. And I have an iMac that should be good for a few more years, at least. And by the time the iMac needs to be replaced, it's possible that iOS would have gained all the features I need in a computing system.

Also, IMO, ability to install pulled apps is really a very niche requirement that doesn't apply to most users. While there are a few apps that I've tried to hang on to after they stopped being updated, they stopped working one by one with each iOS update. It's just how technology goes. Old things are incompatible with newer things unless they get updated.
 
Night Spring said:
I do agree with this conclusion. But I also think it's possible I'll never buy another computer again. I know I definitely don't need to buy another laptop, as the iPad Pro meets my portable computing needs. And I have an iMac that should be good for a few more years, at least. And by the time the iMac needs to be replaced, it's possible that iOS would have gained all the features I need in a computing system.
Click to expand...

I can agree with this. I haven't bought a laptop in years (well, I did buy one for my wife working on her masters), I bought a good windows 7 desktop (will be good for up to 10 years). But, I still could not survive without the desktop. I did my entire masters using my desktop with the ipad for readings. There is no way I could have finished my masters without the desktop (was working 6 days a week, and in school)... I had to write 2 major papers a week using electronic textbooks (So, dual monitors was a must).

Night Spring said:
Also, IMO, ability to install pulled apps is really a very niche requirement that doesn't apply to most users. While there are a few apps that I've tried to hang on to after they stopped being updated, they stopped working one by one with each iOS update. It's just how technology goes. Old things are incompatible with newer things unless they get updated.
Click to expand...

I think it is more important than you would think. The problem with our sample of users on this forum is we are MUCH quicker to upgrade devices. Remember there probably are more ipad 1 & ipad 2's out there than both iPPs. They will still have use for apps that may not work on the latest OS which can drop off the Apple store. Now lets look at ipad 3, 4, 4.5, air 1. These users may not update to newer ipads for 5+ years, so even with the ability to backup to the cloud, older apps will become more and more important.
 
Mr_Killjoy said:
Even if they did want to use an app that would rapidly become dated, they could still go re download it in their purchased apps. It's a 100% non issue.
Click to expand...

I don't think that's accurate. Removed Apps (by the App Store team) won't show up in purchased items.
 
ericwn said:
I don't think that's accurate. Removed Apps (by the App Store team) won't show up in purchased items.
Click to expand...
Not true. I bought Vidyo when it came out. Apple then pulled it, but it shows in my purchased history and I can redownload it.
 
The discussion of people using iPads as a primary device typically goes like this:

Those of us who do Real Work(tm) on an iPad are accused of not doing Real Work(tm)
Real Work is apparently defined as "whatever I do on a device that you don't do"
Other Folks accuse people who use the iPad as their primary device as doing simple tasks with a computer that also could probably be done with Kenner's MyFirstLaptop
iOS people accuse OS X people of living in LegacyLand and not adapting with the times.

These are extreme examples, but this forum is littered with similar conversations.

I wrote about two pieces about going iOS Primary here and here.

I still use a Mac, but the times I *need* to use a Mac are few and far between. I'm not a developer, so I don't need Xcode on my iPad. I think my use cases are pretty typical: I write in Ulysses, manage Office files in the O365 apps, surf the web, use Workflow to download YouTube videos, store my files in Dropbox and iCloud, read. I don't view opening my Mac as a sacrifice or a failure. It's just the best tool for that job.

I could do almost all of my Day Job (business analyst) on an iPad. There are a few complicated Excel files that I'm not sure how iOS Excel will handle (but it seems to do an ok job once I tested it), and no native Visio.

At home, I use a non-iOS device for playing games, custom Lightroom presets, converting eBooks with Calibre, and working with my Tableau files. The times I need to do any of these are few and far between.

The thing is, no matter what, no device is perfect for everyone. There are tasks iOS is perfectly suited for, and tasks it's a dumpster fire for. But so is every computing platform. The Mac is good at some tasks Windows isn't. If your work is heavily invested in the Microsoft platform, a Mac probably isn't the best choice for them. Some tasks Linux is better.

Where we get into arguments is each side tends to present their arguments as absolutes, instead of just acknowledging that computers aren't the trucks Steve Jobs said. They are horses. And horses for courses.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • Like
Reactions: Devyn89, RudySnow, jeremiah256 and 3 others
JT2002TJ said:
The problem with our sample of users on this forum is we are MUCH quicker to upgrade devices. Remember there probably are more ipad 1 & ipad 2's out there than both iPPs. They will still have use for apps that may not work on the latest OS which can drop off the Apple store. Now lets look at ipad 3, 4, 4.5, air 1. These users may not update to newer ipads for 5+ years, so even with the ability to backup to the cloud, older apps will become more and more important.
Click to expand...

Yes, posters on this forum are more tech savvy than the general population. So you are right that we upgrade our devices more often. But in my experience, people who hang onto older devices tend to be not as tech savvy, and don't install a lot of third-party apps, and the ones they do install tend to be mainstream ones that do get updated and don't get pulled from App Store. So I stand by my opinion that people wanting to install apps that have been pulled is a niche problem.
 
  • Like
Reactions: M. Gustave
MOD NOTE

We have removed a number of off-topic bickering posts from this thread. Please ensure the tone is kept civil moving forward.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back