iPad When do you think iPads will replace laptops?

[s2mikey]

David Hockney, for example has been doing all his art on iPad and exhibiting with whole walls of them. gorillaz, for example, wrote most of an album on an iPad. Many more, less famous than them, but doing professional work, such as musicians using banks of iPads, and some performance artists doing very interesting things with them. Do a search on You Tube for some examples.

The problem with the central question here and on numerous other threads is ... Too black and white, and it's not a constructive argument. Speak for yourself, what you do or don't do and don't presume that applies to everyone else. A limitation for your needs and processes might not be the case for someone else.

There are some amazingly capable apps in art and music particularly that are also very cheap, allowing musicians on a budget to do a lot, and as always limitations, in art anyway, can inspire ingenuity.

Yeah, plenty of art and music creation apps but how about serious business productivity apps? Or....software development? Someone here already correctly pointed out that you can't write apps for iPads on an iPad. It's impossible. And, unless everything is on the cloud or dropbox, there are file management issues that simply won't go away. Storage space also gets to be an issue after some time. Laptops now have terabyte drives. iPads max out at 128GB. That could be a hindrance for some users. Printing isn't particularly foolproof at this point either.

Plenty of serious games that just won't port correctly to an iPad either.

That being said.... I love my Air.

 

[rowspaxe]

I think the more significant development--is people--enabled by cloud storage--going to multiple devices. I have 2 laptops and am considering a second tablet. But all my files are on google drive or skydrive.

 

[thelookingglass]

We are at least five years away before people will start using tablets or phones exclusively. It's just a matter of time and one would be silly not to believe so. The only real constraint is software and time will fix that.

I imagine in the future we will have iphone-like devices that will just dock with a bigger monitor at home and will do virtually everything we need. A tablet will be nothing but an intermediate thin client.

 

[liquidsuns]

Already replaced laptops for me. I have an iPad Air and an iPhone 5 and that's it. I get by just great. I don't have a job that uses a computer, but neither do most people. I use both them for college classes just fine.

I'm super happy, too, cause I don't like PCs. I understand them perfectly, I fix them for all my friends and family, I used to build them. I kinda hate them. They are boring and messy and way over complicated. I'll take iOS and its amazing apps any day- not to say it couldn't use improvement.

Edit: I type school papers, and personal writings, create and record music and do A LOT of photo editing on my iOS devices. All of these tasks are more fun on iOS. Especially photo and music creation. There are dozens and dozens of apps for these tasks that just aren't even found on PCs.

 

[nabwong]

When do you think iPads will replace laptops?

I personally don't care if the ipad ever replaces the laptop. Gives me an excuse to buy more gadgets

One thing the ipad cannot do, connect a dac, amplifier and speakers/headphones to listen to flac/lossless. Still need a laptop for that. Won't change anytime soon

 

[Klae17]

The question being answered is different than the one asked. The question being answered is "has the iPad replaced a laptop for you?" but the question asked is when will the iPad replace laptops? I read the latter more as "when will iPads replace <all> laptops?" meaning when will a tablet be a suitable replacement for anyone who uses a laptop now.

If I read it right, it will be a VERY, VERY long time. While iPad can do a lot of things- especially on the content consumption and light "computing" sides of things, those who need computer power- especially on the production side- need a "real computer."

I'm going to go with a Star Trek timeline: in the 23rd century when keyboard-based input is "quaint" (forgotten) and the AI is smart enough to program itself to do anything you want by a simple verbal description (Siri's great, great grandchild or so). Since a new iPad comes out every year, I predict it will be the iPad 257. If we want to be the usual Apple optimistic, I'll back that down to iPad 157.

Also that year, Apple will back iWork 2250 features back down to 2150 level, take the backlash and then promise to put the missing features back "in future enhancements." And the iDevices then will be so thin that they'll be fully transparent. Apple fans will have to carry around the boxes to prove they actually own one. Etc.

The OP said clearly that laptops wouldn't go away. So he didn't mean ALL laptops.

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So you don't own any gadget that would require its firmware updated? Ok. If you can avoid all these use cases and have no need to, say, reply to an email chain and attach a document, for example, the iOS will work fine for you. Otherwise you will need a little more oomph than the iPad.

I love my iPad. And I can get a LOT done with it. Just not everything I need.

I don't have gadgets that need firmware updates like that. No Harmon since iOS had a gps, btw. Everything is over the air. And no DVD rips, I have iTunes and Hulu and netflix.

 

[nightlong]

Being a musician as well as writer and photographer, and being fortunate enough to be able to afford a variety of tools that suit my different purposes, I don't have to take an either/or approach, and I see all of these tools as 'instruments', like samplers, synthesisers, acoustic instruments, analog, digital, etc.

In my responses here I have not been denying the obvious limitations of iPads, I have been responding to this content versus creation cliche.

I love all my Apple gadgets, but the iPad has become my favourite because more than anything else it has changed the way I work, it is my most 'personal' computer, it's my ideas machine, a notebook, sketch pad (for music, writing, designing multimedia projects, which are part of my business). I don't have to sit in a chair or at a desk all the time (significant health improvement for my back especially), and apart from the iPhone it's my main communications device for business and personal, a library of reference materials, GPS for my car, kitchen assistant (recipes etc), exercise stuff (yoga and workout apps), entertainment (TV series, not movies, I have a serious home theatre system for movies), it's always with me, whereas even my previous MacBook AIR or new MBPr are not.

So in many of these things it has done some replacing of computers but also of paper and other let's say analog materials, but it has opened up so many new avenues in the way I work, think, play, and travel. I could not do all my work on it, but I don't just consume with it either.

 

[smooth]

I haven't switched entirely to using my ipad, but yes I do spend the majority of my sessions on it.

Personally, my macbook air's warranty expires next year, and I was thinking about getting an Imac after that.

Like I stated in an earlier post, you still need a computer to do stuff like research papers and heavy typing sessions, or some extreme video editing, but at what point will the mobile space become more about tablets and less about laptops.

A good tablet is the same price as a below average laptop.

My wife and I each have our own MBPs and iPads. We both find ourselves using the iPads much more often and for more and more things. Our kids will be needing to use computers very soon for school work so we are planning on getting an iMac and when our laptops go bad, not get new ones.

I agree that some things, like a lot of typing or video editing, need to be done on computers. But even if it could be done on an iPad, I don't know if I would want to because of the screen size. I think the iPad is perfect for what I use it for, but when I do make occasional videos my MBP is much easier on the eyes for it.

For my job, I have an 11" Dell Duo. Between the smaller screen and keyboard, it isn't as comfortable to spend a lot of time on that thing, which sometimes I have to do. A keyboard for the iPad (which I do plan on getting at some point) would be even smaller - which wouldn't be bad for short periods of time or quick projects.

Now if the iPad Pro does get released, and the OS and productivity apps get some improvements, I can see maybe not needing a laptop or computer at all.

 

[ZBoater]

I think the laptop vs. tablet debate also has to do with which generation you are and what your computer experience is. Those of us who grew up without computers and were introduced to the PC in the 80's have developed an understanding of file structures, complex UIs and text based apps. Millenials on the other hand have been sheltered from the command prompt and are mostly graphical UI centric. This is obviously a gross generalization, but it factors into marketing strategy.

As millenials get older and their purchasing power increases, tech companies will cater more to them than to Generation X. As I have been playing with my Dell Venue, having access to the file system, having to do driver and patch updates, running EXE files in my download folder, choosing which folder to install, etc., all that is like a warm blanket for me. I missed it.

For someone who grew up with graphical UIs, all this would like be like "WTF?".

Two different generations, two different perspectives.

Sure, there are Millenials who have embraced the prompt and can code and may still need access to a serial port to configure an old router. But it's a very, very small group. As it gets smaller, the market will shift.

I think we are in the process of seeing the shift, but it may be a few years before the scales tip. Maybe 5-7 more years. Just guessing.

 

[Dmunjal]

The iPad (and iOS) will definitely need better multitasking, file system access, and inter-process communication to replace a laptop.

But even more than that, we should look at how people work. The iPad is a much better tool for mobile on-to-go computing and consumption. But if you actually work at a desk which many people will do for some time, we will need a real keyboard and connectivity to a larger screen. Maybe even a mouse? For some activities, a mouse is still easier than a touchscreen.

Ideally, an Ipad Pro with iOS 8 with some of these advanced features borrowed from OSX and a docking station that can connect to all my existing accessories might be able to completely replace a laptop/desktop.

The interesting thing is that Android and Windows tablets are closer to this reality right now than Apple.

Right now, I can't even reply to an email with an attachment. That's a pretty basic task that I can't do right now with an iPad.

 

[ZBoater]

...Right now, I can't even reply to an email with an attachment. That's a pretty basic task that I can't do right now with an iPad.

This is one of my remaining pet peeves with iOS (the other being lack of ports). This could have been solved years ago. The walled garden approach could still allow for a shared file storage area, I mean, like iCloud only on your iPad. So I could choose to save files in my local storage, and give access to email to get files from there, like it does from the photo library. The fact this has not been addressed I think gives clues as to Apple's priorities.

 

[rowspaxe]

Those of us who grew up without computers and were introduced to the PC in the 80's have developed an understanding of file structures, complex UIs and text based apps.

How hard is it to understand a file tree? Osx would be far less confusing if they didn't try so hard to conceal the full path. Windows is very simple.

But my larger point is ios with a file tree and ports, etc...becomes an interesting alternative to ocx, windows and -- i guess --chrome.

 

[ZBoater]

How hard is it to understand a file tree? Osx would be far less confusing if they didn't try so hard to conceal the full path. Windows is very simple.

But my larger point is ios with a file tree and ports, etc...becomes an interesting alternative to ocx, windows and -- i guess --chrome.

I used to teach basic computer operations. It is easy for folks who know. For people who have been shielded from the inner workings of a file system for their entire experience with computers, it is not as easy. There is a lack of basic foundational knowledge, like the difference between RAM and hard drive storage, file directory structures, file extensions, etc.

I remember knowing my way around win.ini and system.ini like the back of my hand. The youngins today just click and go.

 

[iEvolution]

Probably never especially since Apple cant figure out how to put a basic file system on it.

touch screen is clumsy for production uses, keyboards dont have functional shortcuts like computers making everything more time consuming, iPads have no file system, grossly overpriced in comparison to what you can get in a laptop.

Theyre not going to replace laptops especially in the business sector.

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I used to teach basic computer operations. It is easy for folks who know. For people who have been shielded from the inner workings of a file system for their entire experience with computers, it is not as easy. There is a lack of basic foundational knowledge, like the difference between RAM and hard drive storage, file directory structures, file extensions, etc.

I remember knowing my way around win.ini and system.ini like the back of my hand. The youngins today just click and go.

I actually miss those days, they've simplified technology so much that a blind monkey could use it. I think because of the simplification that software companies have cut features that are "too complex" or left features out because not many would use it.

computers were my niche and my passion, I dont know I just miss those days where online interactions were relatively anonymous and computing actually took skill.

 

[a042349]

When do I think iPad's will replace laptops?

Well if you mean the full functionality of a laptop - never - based on Apple's direction so far.

Apple is not moving the iPad towards laptop functionality, they're moving users away from laptop like usage patterns. Apple wants you to own an iPad AND a MacBook Air.

Now if the question were a more generic "when can tablets completely replace laptops" then I think the answer is today.

Before I say this I should mention what a fan of Apple products I am. I've had an iPad 1, 2, 4 (wife now owns) and a Mini 1 (which I still have). We both also use iPhones very happily.

However I just bought a device that for me, will likely be the end of my iPad usage for good. I bought the Asus T100 Transformer. Full Windows 8.1 in a convertible tablet/laptop for $379. I should mention I'm a PC geek, engineer, and make a living in PC IT s/w packaging/distribution/etc.

For what I do on a tablet, this one is easily the best I've ever had. I use my tablets primarily as portable web surfing boxes, about 80% I'd say. The rest is similar reading type activities - Facebook, Flipboard, Kindle, Reddit (reader apps), etc. Email/Calendar, some light video (Netflix/Plex), and a few light games pretty much rounds out my tablet usage. All of this is available in the finger friendly/tablet apps for the Windows Metro UI.

The Asus is the best portable web browsing tablet I've ever had simply because it is a REAL PC, with a full PC level browser (Chrome) running on it. All my extensions (no ads - yay AdBlock), no tab reloading, not a single browser crash in the three weeks I've owned it, downloading, uploading, flash, Java, etc. It's all there and it all just works.

I use my laptops for everything above (as needed) plus the usual - device maintenance (iOS, GPS, Android flashing, etc), printing, remote connection to work servers, iTunes (lol), DVD burning, USB drive tasks, torrents (shhhh), etc.

It's fast as my y/o Core i3 Lenovo (which I gave to the wife), lasts over 10 hours on battery, cost less than an rMini (64GB) and for the first time in my tablet using life I don't ever think that "I'll work on that when I get back to my PC" - cause I'm already ON my PC.

If only Apple would create an iPad that you could drop into a keyboard dock, and click an icon to launch a full OSX environment - with shared data on the iPad side. Man they'd sell a million of them...oh wait, they already sell more than a million of them without that. Oh nevermind...lol

I think these new Windows slates, that can do both intensive Windows x86 apps and lighter tablet consumption apps are going to become very popular and give Apple's iPads a good run for the consumer dollar.

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As I have been playing with my Dell Venue, having access to the file system, having to do driver and patch updates, running EXE files in my download folder, choosing which folder to install, etc., all that is like a warm blanket for me. I missed it.

This line made me laugh, and I can relate as an older Windows IT guy. When I got my T100 I felt the same way. Finally a tablet with a proper command prompt and security patches every Tuesday!!!

 

[s2mikey]

I think the laptop vs. tablet debate also has to do with which generation you are and what your computer experience is. Those of us who grew up without computers and were introduced to the PC in the 80's have developed an understanding of file structures, complex UIs and text based apps. Millenials on the other hand have been sheltered from the command prompt and are mostly graphical UI centric. This is obviously a gross generalization, but it factors into marketing strategy.

As millenials get older and their purchasing power increases, tech companies will cater more to them than to Generation X. As I have been playing with my Dell Venue, having access to the file system, having to do driver and patch updates, running EXE files in my download folder, choosing which folder to install, etc., all that is like a warm blanket for me. I missed it.

For someone who grew up with graphical UIs, all this would like be like "WTF?".

Two different generations, two different perspectives.

Sure, there are Millenials who have embraced the prompt and can code and may still need access to a serial port to configure an old router. But it's a very, very small group. As it gets smaller, the market will shift.

I think we are in the process of seeing the shift, but it may be a few years before the scales tip. Maybe 5-7 more years. Just guessing.

Well, damn, that was well said! Pretty much nails it. I bet many of the replies fit the generation that they support. Or at least mostly.

 

[Menel]

Probably never especially since Apple cant figure out how to put a basic file system on it.

touch screen is clumsy for production uses, keyboards dont have functional shortcuts like computers making everything more time consuming, iPads have no file system, grossly overpriced in comparison to what you can get in a laptop.

iPads do have a file system, an advanced one. HFSX.

 

[rowspaxe]

iPads do have a file system, an advanced one. HFSX.

Thanks Dr Obvious. It has a file system--but there is no finder or functionally exposed file tree.

Anyone who can not immediately grasp the concept of files and folders is an idiot--i dont care if they are 9 or 90. You can make an arguement for idiot proof file saving--they have kind of implemented this in Lion--but why not have a backdoor access to the file tree so people who are so inclined can grab and re-arrange their files.

The problem is ios is a phone os--and the ipad..and the iphone...have out grown it

 

[cardfan]

It already has for many. The majority of people have simple needs that an ipad does for them.

Basically what we're seeing are those that truly make use of desktops or laptops buying them. The rest get tablets because now they have that choice. In the past, they needed that PC that they hardly understood just to surf the web.

I do have to say that there's a lot of nonsense on the web though. Most reviewers are bloggers or those who value writing apps or light photo editors. Tablets are good for these. Macs are good for these. Their sense of what productivity is means writing which to me equals simple needs. It's hard then to take someone's opinion seriously when all they do is write simple blogs.

But as a CPA, these aren't great tools for me. So it just depends on what you do. I buy an ipad for entertainment purposes and personal use. I use the company laptop for work on the go. At home, I have 27" monitor and a Dell tower for my business & personal use. Windows is a must.

 

[Dmunjal]

It already has for many. The majority of people have simple needs that an ipad does for them.

Basically what we're seeing are those that truly make use of desktops or laptops buying them. The rest get tablets because now they have that choice. In the past, they needed that PC that they hardly understood just to surf the web.

I do have to say that there's a lot of nonsense on the web though. Most reviewers are bloggers or those who value writing apps or light photo editors. Tablets are good for these. Macs are good for these. Their sense of what productivity is means writing which to me equals simple needs. It's hard then to take someone's opinion seriously when all they do is write simple blogs.

But as a CPA, these aren't great tools for me. So it just depends on what you do. I buy an ipad for entertainment purposes and personal use. I use the company laptop for work on the go. At home, I have 27" monitor and a Dell tower for my business & personal use. Windows is a must.

This is a very accurate point. When would it make sense for a Windows user to look at a Windows 8.1 convertible with the power of a desktop and a docking station instead of an iPad as a single device solution?

Right now, they are still too heavy and don't have enough Metro apps for tablet use.

 

[sracer]

For my use cases, both the iPad and Surface (non-Pro) are very, very close to replacing my laptop for everyday use. I'd still need a laptop for the occasional tasks like ripping DVDs and CDs.

It's interesting to me that the Surface has the hardware configuration to do that today... full USB, full bluetooth support (profiles for keyboard, mouse, etc.), microHDMI, microSD, TypeCover2. It has terrific printer support (I can print to every networked printer that I've encountered... none of them AirPrint-capable). What prevents me from using it as a laptop replacement are the (lack of) apps. While the number of apps is growing at a healthy rate, the same can't be said for the growth in the number of "quality" apps.

On the iPad side of the equation, the software is already there for me. But the hidden filesystem, lack of printing support, and limited hardware configuration, prevent me from using it as a laptop replacement.

Both are so close for me, but missing key pieces.

 

[dgdosen]

Tablets and pcs will converge. They're too similar in size and you shouldn't have to carry two devices of similar size.

Here's why:
- Tablets are getting more powerful
- Laptops are getting more energy efficient

We'll end up with a device that can stand alone as a tablet with the desired size for a user. I'm sure Intel and ARM will work to get there from their perspective corners as if their lives depended on it.

Add to that:
- Easy ways to shift displays to somewhere else (TV's or big monitors for typical PC kind of work) depending on what the user wants
- Easy ways to connect a keyboard or not

- That's it! You can already shift displays to a TV with airplay. Need to bump that up that bandwidth to support retina displays and/or gaming

I think the surface pro is a step in the right direction. I'll bet Apple will soon leapfrog anything it can do in an environment that I'd like. I'll bet the choice will be here by the time 2016 rolls around, and will just get better over time.

 

[patseguin]

They already have for me. Anything I could do on my MBP I can do on my air. Heck, the tablet is close to replacing the desktop for me were it not for some games.

 

[Shanghaichica]

I'm not sure that they can. I admit that I barely use my laptop these days, all the basic things like email, web browsing, watching videos, listening to music, etc I now do on my one of my mobile devices. However there are certain tasks like, managing my ebook library, ripping DVDs and word processing, creating power points etc that you can't get away with not using a computer.

 

[McGiord]

Just some random thoughts about this.

There are different potential ways how a future iPad could make it as the sole portable computing solution.
Some enablers:
- The 64 bit architecture is now mass produced
- Connection speeds are faster and more available than they were before
- Cloud solutions are everywhere from different players
- (wild guess) Almost every household that have/had a computer have an iPad or a Tablet
- Many non-apple laptop users still carry a mouse with them and don't use the trackpad (many are terrible trackpads).

If you have a desktop at home, then connecting to it with your iPad as a remote client to manage your desktop will mean no longer need for a laptop.
If the future Apple Airport Extreme?time Capsules come with Apple features to act a your personal cloud and allow you to remotely connect to it from anywhere else in the world with the right security and good speed the laptop will no longer be needed.
They have the money and technical capability to even no longer need to sell hardware but create Mac OS Cloud or iOS Cloud and give us a web interface to connect to your license running at some Apple server farm.
The iPad of the future will be the "fastest" way to run it, and allow you to have local files/apps seamlessly copied to your local flash storage or local iCloud (like the Fusion drive does), and also you can manage what stays local when you want.

Peripheral devices can help to make the link with any other hardware device needed (considered obsolete or mainstream to have people continue to use their stuff). The only thing is that apple will still be in between the users and the developers to approve apps, accessories, etc…so unless other competitors with these features start leading the market it is still far fetched.