So I've seen a lot of these "iPad replacing laptop" threads and I have a question

[Mak47]

At this point (with the iPad 3) I can say that I have a laptop and use it on occasion, simply because I like to have lots of gadgets. There is no reason that I truly "Need" my laptop.

I could not however, go without any computer. Depending on your use, you may be able to, but I can't. I do use my desktop now more than my laptop, and I really only use the laptop because I can. The iPad is my "Go to" mobile device.

Apple's goal in the near term is for the iPad/iPhone to be like cars and Macs and PC's to be like trucks. Trucks are very useful and lots of people need them, but most people won't need them every day or use them for the majority of their tasks. Everyone however, needs a car for basic day to day needs.

For example, a family might own an iMac that is shared by everyone, while each person has their own iPad. Obviously, they could choose a laptop over a desktop and share it the same way depending on their preferences.

 

[BiggAW]

In my opinion, the ipad will never ever replace a laptop.

Some people would say, that in the future, an ipad (or a table) could have a core as powerful as the top i7 quad today and have proper cooling, now all programs will run fine! So you're gonna use today's program??? You don't think that in the future, programs will develop further going along with the computer technology, and that requirements of programs would stay the same? No way. If photoshop requirements are only today's standard in the future, it would make it useless, as of course, technology in the future would develop, people would probably be holding a phone with at least 50-100 megapixels camera( nokia's 40+ megapixel camera phone is already out). Will today's photoshop be able to handle that easily, non lag and no memory hog? Probably not.

Even then, you're limited by screen size, KVM, and I/O.

 

[mofunk]

The iPad is not meant to replace a standard OS X computer. Tim Cook even says as much.

Of course if you need Adobe CS Suite or Final Cut Pro then an iPad isn't going to be your laptop. But neither is an Android tablet. Or a Windows 8 RT tablet for that matter.

Maybe in 5-10 years an iPad-like device will be all anyone needs for any general computer task. But a low-power ARM processor has a long way to go to catch up to 8-core 3GHz i7 desktop-class processors with 8+GB of RAM. Or maybe not ever. There are obviously severe design limitations required in the mobile realm compared to machines which have no weight, size or AC power restrictions.

huh??? I was just answering the OP question.

How many of you have actually replaced your computer with an iPad. I don't want to know about how it compliments your computer or how you've thought about replacing your computer with one, like stated in previous threads, but if you've completely gone computer free, and what's the experience like?

For what I do on my MBP, it would be a NO. I haven't replaced my MBP with my iPad because it doesn't fit my needs. It cannot handle the workflow. But in the end I guess I didn't need to answer cause it the iPad hasn't. I don't think we have to wait 5yrs though. Its solely on Apple. The fact that I'm still running OS9 (flipping from OSX) on my Mac Quicksilver, it could happen on an iPad. Meaning that you don't need all that much power. The iPad is at 1Ghz now. All they need is a power boost and maybe some way to connect to an external drive. I like that now Adobe's Cloud allow you to use these Apps like Photoshop. So any day now lol