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Kind of. You're still limited to a single small display and quite limited [wired] connectivity, among other limitations.

iOS is what really needs to be improved to make it more capable like a MacBook, though. It needs to be reworked for multitasking. Can't even have two apps using audio output at the same time.

Yea, definitely. All things I think they can improve upon. If Apple starts releasing some of their software for the iPad though, it could help drive some of those things.
 
I love my 10.5 iPP but there's no way I could use it as a replacement for my laptop / desktop. It's not just the development side of things either: Office apps are far more limited and using touch when the iPad is connected to a keyboard is far less convenient than using a mouse or trackpad

On the flip side, there are some things it does far better than a laptop can (for example, it's the perfect device for taking meeting notes with OneNote) and it definitely has a place in my business workflow.
 
Yes, I think you are correct. From an IT department perspective, the cost of supporting iPhone + MacBook < iPhone + iPad + iMac, since 2 Devices < 3 Devices. But, in the long run, professionals will use the devices that make them most productive, and the IT department will adapt.

We saw this same thing when IT refused to move from Blackberry to iPhone. They sighted security cost. Or, when they insisted everyone had to use a PC rather than a Mac. They sighted acquisition cost rather than looking at life cycle cost. Managers, Marketing, product development, and other professional staff on the front line with customer responsibilities were able to drive the back-office IT Department kicking and screaming to adopt devices that were more productive for their business needs.

Agree. One difference: in my company we moved from BB to iPhone/Android - replacing one device with another. For those users of iPads though, it is the inclusion of an additional device, not a replacement device. Cost increases. Our IT group has had no problem adapting. They just pass the cost to the person/department asking for the additional devices - hence the departments IT cost increases.
Hardware: acquisition and maintenance. Software: porting, security, and testing.
 
People are lazy and will choose whichever option results in the least work for them.

In other words, water is wet.

wet
wet/
adjective
  1. 1.
    covered or saturated with water or another liquid.

By technical definition, wet as an adjective doesn’t describe water. Water is not saturated with the liquid.
 
OK Phil, arrange an iPad Pro v Mac competition.

The arena-The Moscone Center (Your home turf)
The competition will be recorded and the final video placed on YouTube

Rules of the competition:
1. The iPad Pro must perform every task the Mac performs.
2. There must be a fire extinguisher on stage for when the iPad Pro catches on fire! :p

To save time, you need to install the following apps on the iPad Pro that will be used in the competition:
1. NUKE by The Foundry
2. Davinci Resolve by Black Magic Design
3. Media Composer 8.9.4 by Avid
4. MAYA by Autodesk
5. Houdini 16.5 by SideFX

P.S. To save more time first check the system requirements!
P.S.S Just a heads up. We will be dealing with 6K Dragon and 8K footage!
 
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OK Phil, arrange an iPad Pro v Mac competition.

The arena-The Moscone Center (Your home turf)
The competition will be recorded and the final video placed on YouTube

Rules of the competition:
1. The iPad Pro must perform every task the Mac performs.
2. There must be a fire extinguisher on stage for when the iPad Pro catches on fire! :p

To save time, you need to install the following apps on the iPad Pro that will be used in the competition:
1. NUKE by The Foundry
2. Davinci Resolve by Black Magic Design
3. Media Composer 8.9.4 by Avid
4. MAYA by Autodesk
5. Houdini 16.5 by SideFX

P.S. To save more time first check the system requirements!

Ok, but your hypothetical competition really has nothing to do with the point that Phil was making. He was talking about using the right tool for the job, and that many folks are finding the iPad is the best mobile device for their needs. Now, that doesn’t mean that they threw away their Mac. It just spends more time at home or in the office.

Also, there are plenty of highly productive professional people that us an iPad everyday and have never heard of the applications that you listed. So, not really sure I get the point....other than you need these apps and they don’t run on an iPad.

BTW - this weekend I spent some time tracing and documenting the electrical system on my sailboat that has been in the family for over 45 years. I created about 4 pages of documentation using the notes app on the iPad. It was great for adding photos of panels, switches, etc and inserting comments plus markups and annotations to the photos that I took with the iPad. Didn’t have a good internet connection at the Marina, so could not have done this in real-time with a laptop and iPhone. When you are tracing out ancient wiring, you really want to make your notes on the spot......too easy to mess up later. The iPad was the perfect tool for the job.

Maybe this hypothetical competition should include real world tasks most people do every day. Probably not a boat....but many people have a daily need to take notes, annotate photos, PDFs and other documents.
 
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Then tell MR or whom ever to write accurate "headlines"!
Phil Schiller Says iPad Pro Can Both Supplement and Replace the Mac

Yes, for some people, the iPad can replace the Mac. It did for me. I don't see any reason for me to go back to macOS. Now, does that mean it can replace the mac for everyone? No, of course not. Those with specific use cases like yourself, it wouldn't work. For some people though, it can.
 
He was talking about using the right tool for the job...

If he knew anything about "using the right tool for the job" they would not have come out with the joke of a computer that was the 2013 Mac pro. The same computer that was built using 3 year old tech when it came out!
They would not be behind in coming out with the next "right tool" (next Mac pro) in 2019 after the miscalculations of last time.
A better question is, do they even know the right tool for the job? They built their last "Pro" computer to favor Final Cut Pro which is at best third used for cutting feature movies behind Avid and Premiere Pro. They bought Shake from Nothing's Real out of Santa Monica CA and lost the entire staff and CEO to The Foundry. At the time Shake was used on King Kong, The Lord Of The Rings 1-3 and others.
So what does Apple really know about using the "right tool"?
 
Then tell MR or whom ever to write accurate "headlines"!
Phil Schiller Says iPad Pro Can Both Supplement and Replace the Mac

Here again, I really don’t understand your point. Honestly, not trying to be snarky.

For many people, the iPad supplements their Mac. For some use cases, it replaces the Mac. Are you honestly saying that everybody’s needs to own a traditional computer?

My parents have absolutely no need for a traditional computer.
My daughter has an employer provided computer (actually 2), so she could get by just fine with iPad only for her personal life. The iPad has replaced her personal MacBook.
My nephew just completed Navy OCS. He will only use DOD provide computers for work. He replaced his personal laptop that he used in college with an iPad.
 
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Maybe this hypothetical competition should include real world tasks most people do every day. Probably not a boat....but many people have a daily need to take notes, annotate photos, PDFs and other documents.

The hypo could include "real" world tasks "most" people do everyday. That point would be mute because the Mac is very capable of the those tasks. It also would not be practical to use a computer in those cases. This is the reason for the two products to coexist.
Before this, T Cook was beating the drum of the iPad Pro would replace the "computer". The old ground work to really down size the number of Mac before stating there is no need for them.
Which brings me back to the original premise. They love to speak of replacing the Mac but won't show that the replacement device is up to the task.
A crude analogy is someone yelling that they can play like sax Coltrane, sing like Pavarotti, play guitar like Buckethead
but won't stand on stage next to those who can!
[doublepost=1513632732][/doublepost]
Here again, I really don’t understand your point. Honestly, not trying to be snarky.

It's not really necessary for you to understand the point. To expound wound be more redundant that it has been. The only thing that is necessary is that there are "tools" available for a more "inclusive" set of users. Since Apple does not like doing this pertaining to "computers" they have lost a large % to Linux and Windows based machines.
 
Then tell MR or whom ever to write accurate "headlines"!
Phil Schiller Says iPad Pro Can Both Supplement and Replace the Mac

A better headline would be:

“With the exception of a very niche but exceptionally whiny group of users who make up an almost inconsequential portion of Apple’s bottom line, the iPad Pro can actually make for a very compelling alternative to the Mac.”

 
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Ok, but your hypothetical competition really has nothing to do with the point that Phil was making. He was talking about using the right tool for the job, and that many folks are finding the iPad is the best mobile device for their needs. Now, that doesn’t mean that they threw away their Mac. It just spends more time at home or in the office.

Also, there are plenty of highly productive professional people that us an iPad everyday and have never heard of the applications that you listed. So, not really sure I get the point....other than you need these apps and they don’t run on an iPad.

BTW - this weekend I spent some time tracing and documenting the electrical system on my sailboat that has been in the family for over 45 years. I created about 4 pages of documentation using the notes app on the iPad. It was great for adding photos of panels, switches, etc and inserting comments plus markups and annotations to the photos that I took with the iPad. Didn’t have a good internet connection at the Marina, so could not have done this in real-time with a laptop and iPhone. When you are tracing out ancient wiring, you really want to make your notes on the spot......too easy to mess up later. The iPad was the perfect tool for the job.

Maybe this hypothetical competition should include real world tasks most people do every day. Probably not a boat....but many people have a daily need to take notes, annotate photos, PDFs and other documents.

Sounds like Phil is trying to sell widgets. ;)
 
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A better headline would be:

“With the exception of a very niche but exceptionally whiny group of users who make up an almost inconsequential portion of Apple’s bottom line, the iPad Pro can actually make for a very compelling alternative to the Mac.”


if I may.

"With the exception of a very niche but exceptionally whiny group of users who make up an almost inconsequential portion of Apple’s bottom line and didn't bother to RTFA, the iPad Pro can actually make for a very compelling alternative to the Mac."
 
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Yes, for some people, the iPad can replace the Mac. It did for me. I don't see any reason for me to go back to macOS.

Wrong logic. Just because you bought a car when all you needed is a bicycle doesn't mean a bicycle can replace a car.
 
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Wrong logic. Just because you bought a car when all you needed is a bicycle doesn't mean a bicycle can replace a car.
Hi. I teach logic. The word “can” only indicates that something works in at least one instance. If there is one person out there who is able to use an iPad instead of a Mac, then an iPad “can” replace a Mac. “Can” does not indicate that it is suitable in all circumstances, or even many or most circumstances.
 
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No, I just adapted my workflow to apps on the iPad. Works great. No more security issues, better apps, future is bright.
You can only use an iPad to replace a Mac if an iPad can do the work you need done.

If you require 5, 10 or 100 times more compute power than is available from an iPad, you can’t “adapt your workflow” your way out of that.

The iPad can do many things well. It can do some things not at all. As has been said many times before, it depends on your requirements.

I like Jobs’s car/truck analogy. Why buy a truck when you only have to haul groceries home from the store? Sure, you could haul groceries in a truck, but that’s no reason to buy a truck. But if I’m a carpenter and need to haul 4’x8’ sheets of plywood, I’ll need to buy a truck. They’re not going to fit in the trunk of a Camry.

To your situation, you were able to replace your truck with a car because you don’t really need a truck. If you had needed to haul plywood once a week, you wouldn’t buy a car unless renting a truck once a week is ok with you. Or unless it is acceptable, for your needs, to cut that 4x8 sheet of plywood into 8 pieces that are 4’x1’ before you haul it (adapting your workflow).
 
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You can only use an iPad to replace a Mac if an iPad can do the work you need done.

If you require 5, 10 or 100 times more compute power than is available from an iPad, you can’t “adapt your workflow” your way out of that.

The iPad can do many things well. It can do some things not at all. As has been said many times before, it depends on your requirements.

I like Jobs’s car/truck analogy. Why buy a truck when you only have to haul groceries home from the store? Sure, you could haul groceries in a truck, but that’s no reason to buy a truck. But if I’m a carpenter and need to haul 4’x8’ sheets of plywood, I’ll need to buy a truck. They’re not going to fit in the trunk of a Camry.

To your situation, you were able to replace your truck with a car because you don’t really need a truck. If you had needed to haul plywood once a week, you wouldn’t buy a car unless renting a truck once a week is ok with you. Or unless it is acceptable, for your needs, to cut that 4x8 sheet of plywood into 8 pieces that are 4’x1’ before you haul it (adapting your workflow).

Sure, makes sense. It works for me.
 
Sure, makes sense. It works for me.
iPads—supplementing, or even replacing Macs—work for a lot people! This is threatening to some; they’re either afraid of change, or are scared that it means Apple will de-prioritize the Mac or even stop making it altogether.

Maybe those folks will stop worrying about iPad now that Apple has introduced the fastest, most capable Macs ever with the new iMac Pro (and with a new, modular, upgradable Mac Pro still to come).
 
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I love my 10.5 iPP but there's no way I could use it as a replacement for my laptop / desktop. It's not just the development side of things either: Office apps are far more limited and using touch when the iPad is connected to a keyboard is far less convenient than using a mouse or trackpad

On the flip side, there are some things it does far better than a laptop can (for example, it's the perfect device for taking meeting notes with OneNote) and it definitely has a place in my business workflow.

Is that really the iPad though, or just because the app is better ?

Truth be told, i've stopped using my iPad.. I've given up on the whole "leave mac at home, take iPad" style, because to me, that is no longer a good reason when u have a large screen anyway. and the 12' Macbook Pro is thin anyway..

Although i still see why there is a convenience to do that, for me, i don't see the point to choose anymore between which device u wish to take since they all do the same thing. its only the apps which matter which says "i'll use this"
 
Is that really the iPad though, or just because the app is better ?

Truth be told, i've stopped using my iPad.. I've given up on the whole "leave mac at home, take iPad" style, because to me, that is no longer a good reason when u have a large screen anyway. and the 12' Macbook Pro is thin anyway..

Although i still see why there is a convenience to do that, for me, i don't see the point to choose anymore between which device u wish to take since they all do the same thing. its only the apps which matter which says "i'll use this"

It isn't only the app for me, it is the interaction between apps, clouds, and other systems. Maybe you could call that the app. Or more likely the constraints placed upon the apps by iOS.
 
Yes, for some people, the iPad can replace the Mac. It did for me. I don't see any reason for me to go back to macOS. Now, does that mean it can replace the mac for everyone? No, of course not. Those with specific use cases like yourself, it wouldn't work. For some people though, it can.
I agree. I have a MacBook Air but but I Never use it anymore. To be fair I didn’t use it much before I had my iPad Pro. However now I really have no use for it because I’m always on my iPad Pro. I used to use my air 2 a lot before that and my iPad mini before that. Since getting the iPhone in 2009 I’ve gravitated forwards tablets and phones and away from computers.
 
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So the iPad can replace the notebook? Let's see if they can replace the iPad's lightning-connector with a Type USB-C... as they SHOULD HAVE by now!
This is actually the thing combined with a file system that would allow me to abandon my Mac ... I’m not a power user by any means but need quick and fast file management ...sigh
 
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