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Reviews are in... not a laptop replacement

M

macguy360

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 23, 2011
836
510
Cnet, Engadget, Techradar....

They all say the new Pro is powerful and better than almost anything out there in performance.... but due to software limitations of IOS, it cannot replace a laptop.

I have to agree. I have tried to use my 2nd Gen iPad Pro for videography/photography and the lack of a file system makes it incredibly difficult.

Photographers take hundreds to thousands of photos for photo sessions. Trying to manage that many photos by uploading onto the photos app, edit and then try to delete all the photos after the session is just ridiculous. There needs to be a way to sort photos and videos into folders at a minimum so that after an editing session the folder can be offloaded onto an external hard drive.

So when they showed the iPad hooked up to a camera during the unveiling, I’m not sure what photographer they think will legitimately be using it.
 
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Just read in another thread that Lightroom can work with RAW files on SD cards without having to import them. Maybe check that out?
 
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The results are not very surprising as all that has changed is the hardware and the hardware has been sufficiently powerful for many use case for a while.
It’s the software side that hasn’t changed enough to make some users replace their laptop work horses.
 
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PBG4 Dude said:
Just read in another thread that Lightroom can work with RAW files on SD cards without having to import them. Maybe check that out?
Click to expand...

And The Verge mentioned that in order to import those images Adobe has to import them into the camera roll and from there they can be imported into Adobe’s app.
That’s not anywhere near a sophisticated solution. Adobe couldn’t work around it so they created a Siri shortcut to then delete those images from the camera roll.
 
PBG4 Dude said:
Just read in another thread that Lightroom can work with RAW files on SD cards without having to import them. Maybe check that out?
Click to expand...
You sure you don’t mean that it can import the raws off an sd? You can’t work directly off the sd card as far as I know
 
ericwn said:
The results are not very surprising as all that has changed is the hardware and the hardware has been sufficiently powerful for many use case for a while.
It’s the software side that hasn’t changed enough to make some users replace their laptop work horses.
Click to expand...

This
While iOS is sufficient for some (many) users to replace a traditional laptop, the work flow of others is such they require a true file system, mouse support and other fundamental capabilities.

This is not new, and knowing the Pro would be running iOS 12 this should come as no surprise to anyone.
 
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macdaddy1991 said:
You sure you don’t mean that it can import the raws off an sd? You can’t work directly off the sd card as far as I know
Click to expand...
That’s the part that surprised me and why I mentioned it.
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ericwn said:
And The Verge mentioned that in order to import those images Adobe has to import them into the camera roll and from there they can be imported into Adobe’s app.
That’s not anywhere near a sophisticated solution. Adobe couldn’t work around it so they created a Siri shortcut to then delete those images from the camera roll.
Click to expand...
Oh right! That was how they did it.
 
ericwn said:
And The Verge mentioned that in order to import those images Adobe has to import them into the camera roll and from there they can be imported into Adobe’s app.
That’s not anywhere near a sophisticated solution. Adobe couldn’t work around it so they created a Siri shortcut to then delete those images from the camera roll.
Click to expand...

I've looked for that shortcut and can't find it - have you used it?
 
ericwn said:
No I came across it in the review by The Verge.
Click to expand...

I am disappointed in the nerfed USB-C port. Other than charging, why bother changing it? You can’t even use a USB printer through it. This import from an SD card has been around four at least 7 years with the lightening adapter for the original iPad. This is a missed opportunity. I was aware of this from the day it was announced last week. I do not do much photography on my iPad as I have always felt Lightroom on the Mac was more comfortable with multiple monitor support. I am not an artist, but have used the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil from day one. I am a trial attorney and it is a great device to keep notes, do so me middle level motion practice on and review cloud data (I almost never have to bring a hard copy unless I need actual evidence to present to the court or a witness). I end up with my MacBook Pro with me anyway in the event I need the things the iPad Pro cannot provide. Opening up the file system and a more useful USB-C will kill the Surface Pro. I can’t help but agree with the Verge, this is a very awesome iPad, but it is still an iPad.
 
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Hopefully these will be the wake up call Apple needs to deliver on the software side of things.

On the hardware side of things, now we have usb-c, its done. Absolutely everything holding back the iPad now is software related.
 
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These reviews are always the same - and they're skewed toward the tech audience.

We need to stop trying to call the iPad a laptop replacement but rather a laptop/computer alternative. That's truly what it is and can be for a lot of people.
 
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I'm not sure why we're even having the "iPad isn't a laptop replacement" discussion, again. We all knew, and tech sites knew, that iOS is iOS. Having a huge amount of horsepower wouldn't change the fact that its running iOS. It CAN be a laptop replacement, for some, but not others. I think iOS will continue to develop, version 11 was a big step forward, and it will keep becoming more and more like a full fledged computer OS, but it isn't that right now.
 
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The reviews at this point are largely irrelevant. Until the os gets an update, you will not be able to use an iPad to replace a computer. There are still too many websites that are not optimized for iOS, or continue to use Flash. There is still no file system, and no way to transfer files from an external source.

So spare the reviews on a new piece of hardware that is bound by the limitations of the same old operating system.
 
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ra4oasis said:
I'm not sure why we're even having the "iPad isn't a laptop replacement" discussion, again. We all knew, and tech sites knew, that iOS is iOS. Having a huge amount of horsepower wouldn't change the fact that its running iOS. It CAN be a laptop replacement, for some, but not others. I think iOS will continue to develop, version 11 was a big step forward, and it will keep becoming more and more like a full fledged computer OS, but it isn't that right now.
Click to expand...

Because Apple keeps touting it as a laptop replacement. During the keynote they showed a picture of one connected to a Sony A7 Mirrorless camera insinuating that you can use it for photography. Good luck with that. I know from personal experience.
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profets said:
These reviews are always the same - and they're skewed toward the tech audience.

We need to stop trying to call the iPad a laptop replacement but rather a laptop/computer alternative. That's truly what it is and can be for a lot of people.
Click to expand...

Kind of like a bicycle is an automobile alternative... unless your commute is 20 miles or its raining outside.
 
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Come on now, you all know how Apple works by now... they hold back 'obvious' features and then when they are finally released... everyone loses their mind and forgets that they've been hamstrung for so long...

I'm calling it now, improved file system access in iOS 13.
 
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AlliFlowers said:
The reviews at this point are largely irrelevant. Until the os gets an update, you will not be able to use an iPad to replace a computer. There are still too many websites that are not optimized for iOS, or continue to use Flash. There is still no file system, and no way to transfer files from an external source.

So spare the reviews on a new piece of hardware that is bound by the limitations of the same old operating system.
Click to expand...

Reviews are completely relevant given they are from the tech industry and not some non-tech news source.
 
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gazzrenn said:
Come on now, you all know how Apple works by now... they hold back 'obvious' features and then when they are finally released... everyone loses their mind and forgets that they've been hamstrung for so long...

I'm calling it now, improved file system access in iOS 13.
Click to expand...
Probably was meant for iOS 12 until they turned 12 into a fix-it update. The newest iPad Pro and iOS 12 probably started around the same time. We now have the hardware iOS 12 was originally designed for, but not the software the iPad Pro was designed for.
 
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Azathoth123 said:
I do not believe Apple advertises or describes iPads as a laptop replacement. It doesn’t replace my car either. Apple already make laptops.
Click to expand...
That’s true, up to a point. The iPhone basically beat up the iPod and stole it’s lunch. The iPad could do the same to MacBooks as long as Apple saw it as a net-gain.
 
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macguy360 said:
Because Apple keeps touting it as a laptop replacement. During the keynote they showed a picture of one connected to a Sony A7 Mirrorless camera insinuating that you can use it for photography. Good luck with that. I know from personal experience.
[doublepost=1541432461][/doublepost]

Kind of like a bicycle is an automobile alternative... unless your commute is 20 miles or its raining outside.
Click to expand...

More like a car is an alternative to a truck, and the majority of drivers don't need a truck.
 
I use my gen 1 iPad 12.9” for photography all the time. My Fuji X100F (and many other cameras) will transfer files wirelessly via their app. I shot photos from my last vacation with an iPhone and Fuji X100F and processed them on the iPad. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this workflow.

It would be clumsy to manage a thousand hi-res images or videos, if you’re doing that, get a powerful desktop.

It makes lousy toast too.
 
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