When will the iPad be our main computer?

[rowspaxe]

If apple made an OS X tablet with an i5/i7 and a good stylus, I'd totally buy it. So far my surface pro has been awesome, so I could see myself going with that.

Agree. I mean I dont even use any Metro apps. But if I had access to ios apps in a similar daul usage scenario--it would really be awesome. I dont know way people are so tepid or even hostile to this scenario. I dont know if apple will ever get the pen thing in, but imo touch screen ios/osx macs are coming soon, with or with out Tim Cook. The primary computer challenge for apple in the next 10 years is not expand total market share, but maintain profit share by getting existing premium apple consumers to replace their aging laptops. I dont think retina laptops have been as big a draw as apple thought.

 

[teralpar]

My ipad rMini is my main computer. I haven't touched my laptop in over a year.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I love my iPad for web browsing and playing games. However I back my digital photos up to my iMac, edit them in Lightroom (as well as a host of plugins). I can't imagine even if you could do all that on an iPad, I'd be happy on such a small screen.

 

[mantan]

It already is for the Facebook Generation.

My grandchildren use it for everything.

I laughed at bit at the term 'Facebook generation' as most younger people have moved on to something else and see Facebook as a parents/grandparents site.....

 

[easy-peasy]

When will the iPad be our main computer?

When an iPad can...
- stand up on its own without having to hold it
- use a bluetooth mouse or trackpad on a keyboard
- have a physical keyboard w/ trackpad as a standard part of the product
- come in multiple screen sizes
- reply to an email with an attachment
- interact with USB devices
- download things without the need for third party applications

... basically when the iPad becomes a computer.

I think it's safe to say that the future of computing will be in tablets

Don't try to make money at picking stocks to go up in the future. You'll go bankrupt

 

[rowspaxe]

I think it's safe to say that the future of computing will be in tablets?

We may have reach "peak tablet". The big phone--or phablet--seems to provide a useful tablet alterntive to a lot of users. I dont know if were really in the "post pc" world or the "post 3 year lifespan pc" world. Certainly the ipad has aquired a market niche--but its hard to see the air osolescing as quickly as the earlier ipads. I dont see apple or anyone replicating the smartphone/tablet sales surge in the forseeable future.

 

[Misskitty]

Am I the only one here who RARELY uses their home computer (laptop in my case) anymore? WHen I come home from work, Im tired and I just want to relax...which is get the ipad, read and lay on the couch or in bed.

When you work a desk job and sit in front of a computer for 8.5 hours a day, the last time you want to be doing when you get home is sit in front of your home computer.

 

[rei101]

iPad have a place but actual computers too.

There are 2 kind of people, users and developers.

Users are people who surf the web, take pictures, listen to music. Basically they manipulate media and some emails and text. Those are the ones who are better using iPads.

Developers are the ones creating content and data. Video editors, professional photographers, web designers, programmers, excel users, musicians.

This last group need a more sophisticated interface, more detail. They need actual computers. So... they will never use an iPad to finalize a great product just because of the limitations of the interface.

 

[s2mikey]

For some people they already are.They will never completely replace desktops as some things are just unintuitive on a tablet, but it's already started for some people as tablets offer enough power for the average person.

This is probably the right answer. IMO, I don't want tablets to replace computers. I just need them to be really good tablets and that's all. I believe laptops and tablets should co exist to provide everything a household would need for "computing" and portability.

No need for tablets to take over. Not what they are for.

 

[TechGod]

This is probably the right answer. IMO, I don't want tablets to replace computers. I just need them to be really good tablets and that's all. I believe laptops and tablets should co exist to provide everything a household would need for "computing" and portability.

No need for tablets to take over. Not what they are for.

Fully agree with this statement. I'm learning this through my iPad only challenge.

 

[MrWillie]

They are getting closer, at least for me at home.

It needs native NAS/server support.

Would like to be able to use it to manage my iPod Nano.

Much better handling of email attachments. IMHO it's broken and needs to be revamped. This is why I've never owned an iPhone.

Real MS Office. (I can live without VB support, like on the RT)

Native support for remotely controlling a Mac/Winders machine.

I need my laptop to back up my iPad and iPhone in iTunes.

Actually, no you don't, and you haven't for a couple of years.

 

[HenryDJP]

Never

Exactly and we'll never see a cellular phone that can surf the internet, play music on it, with a touch screen, snap pictures, record video or can do anything other than make a call.

 

[Night Spring]

Am I the only one here who RARELY uses their home computer (laptop in my case) anymore? WHen I come home from work, Im tired and I just want to relax...which is get the ipad, read and lay on the couch or in bed.

When you work a desk job and sit in front of a computer for 8.5 hours a day, the last time you want to be doing when you get home is sit in front of your home computer.

This is exactly how I feel, too! My home desktop now often goes unused for days at a time.

That doesn't mean, however, that I'm ready to get rid of my desktop/laptop and go iPad only. I still use my desktop/laptop to do most of my work related tasks, plus managing my digital media collection, which is far too big to fit on my iPad. I think I'll always need a desktop, just because I need one to manage and backup my media collection.

The laptop, however, I can see replacing that with a tablet device, which turns into a desktop when docked to a desk station, with full keyboard, large monitor, etc. Windows 8 had generally the right idea, but botched the execution because the transition from desktop mode to tablet mode wasn't seamless. Also, it seems to me the hardware isn't quite there -- Windows hybrids strike me as being a bit heavy and awkward. Or, like the Surface, light but too small. But I think technology could get us there in the next 5-10 years. And if Apple stays true to form, they'll be the first to offer an elegant and easy to use hybrid that hits the right spot for the majority of users. In the meanwhile, they'll offer the most elegant and easy to use tablets and laptops, while Microsoft and other PC makers torture the market with not-quite-there hybrids.

 

[rdy0329]

In terms of hours spent?

In terms of the length of time I'm facing a screen, the iPad IS my main computer but in terms of productivity, it has a long way to go.

I can't fathom the way my sister uses her iPad 3rd gen for everything (she's 13 and I'm 21) but alas, they make it work from simple presentations to homeworks and entertainment at school but I always tell her: you'll need a laptop sooner or later. Although I've been saying that line for 2 years already.

 

[VI™]

An iPad is an acceptable replacement for someone that does very basic computing and doesn't require anything that requires file manipulation or fine input control.

An iPad could be a traditional desktop or computer replacement if the hardware was either power enough or you could dock with some type of hardware accelerator.

People that do serious photo and video editing require fine inputs and power that you just can't get with a tablet. If I could however drop my iPad in to a dock so that it allowed me that ability to use a 30" monitor and provided me with the power I needed and the accessories I use to edit, then it would be one step closer.

Also, the OS would have to evolve. I took my MBP to a friend's bar and used it to fix a network that was having issues. I had to physically connect to several routers and set up network addressing structures and routing tables to get it to work correctly. This isn't something I could do with just my iPad and even if it had a full OS like MS's Surface Pro, then I don't think it would be very easy to type in command line commands with just the touch interface.

I believe with the voice recognition though, it's another good step in the right direction. An additional problem I have is that it's not where it needs to be yet. I can't just talk to my iPhone or iPad and have it understand me without making corrections. I have to enunciate clearly to get it to fully understand or take correct dictation. Plus the fact that commands have to be worded a certain way hurt it. If I could say "Set the IP for router "NAME" to 192.168.2.1" or "Router "NAME" needs the IP 192.168.2.1" and have an OS do it for me, that would be amazing. But as of now, that's way too advanced for what the iPad offers.

 

[darngooddesign]

This question pops up every so often even though the answer is fairly obvious. For some people it already is, for some it can be if they are willing to find workarounds, and for others it won't ever be. But that's just the iOS, if you are asking about tablets in general the only thing stopping it is the OS it runs and the hardware packed in a tablet.

 

[Brittany246]

Never, unless someone comes up with a better and faster way to type on a tablet. You'll usually need to prop up a tablet if you want to get any work done, so you might as well just have a laptop or desktop. Also, there's no way something running iOS will replace my laptop. If the iPad magically ran OSX, then maybe... but even then, It probably wouldn't just because it doesn't have a physical keyboard.

 

[QCassidy352]

Once the ipad can drive several monitors, use a mouse, run apps side by side, have multiple open windows from the same app side by side, and operate on a file structure (which may never happen in the native iOS interface), it will be an acceptable alternative to a laptop/desktop for what is - to me - "real work" (several apps and windows open side by side so that the user can read off of one or more pages and input into one or more other pages). I don't do hardcore gaming, photo, or video, so for me, that would be the point at which an ipad could be my main computer. For those who do those power-intensive things, an ipad will NEVER be as good as a laptop (which will never be as good as a desktop).

Edit: for what it's worth, I'm just saying when it would be possible for me, But I don't actually want a tablet be my main computer. I have an iPhone, Mac, and iPad, and I find the iPad to be by far the least useful of the three. I'm a lot more likely to phase the iPad out of my rotation than to make it my main computer.

 

[takeshi74]

I think we can all agree that the ipad has become a necessity to our daily lives and that it has become a primary device.

We all cannot. It has for some. It has not for others.

 

[repentix]

I will never ever replace my Desktop or my laptop for that matter with an ipad. I like having the option of replacing the ram, storage, processor (obviously not in a laptop(but it was possible in the old days ) and the battery. Being able to just install a new ssd into my computers without the need of replacing the whole device(yes even the memory in an ipad fails) . In my eyes an ipad is planned obsolecence at it's hight.

I will not be buying an ipad in the near future, however I would consider buying an ipad if you would have the option of life long guarantee, multiple displays on one unit (like two displays in the ipad) and the specs my mac pro has with replacabillity and ports of my mac pro. I would actually happily buy a REALLY FAT ipad or surface for that matter, if I could replace the parts in it (ram, ssd, processor, battery) and if it would feature lots of ports´and display ports.

I like my mac pro with it's 4 monitors, I can work better on it. I just feel cramped on an ipad....oh and I forgot the ipad does everything wirelessly I hate wireless --> that means one port for charging AND syncing oh yes your ipad still has to SYNC WITH A PC! Come on apple you can do better but no it's all about the design and how you want to make it even thinner, making the people dependant on apple....it didn't use to be like that with macs but with the retine and air they just made that happen too.

 

[QCassidy352]

Users are people who surf the web, take pictures, listen to music. Basically they manipulate media and some emails and text. Those are the ones who are better using iPads.

Not sure why those folks are better off with an ipad. I'd rather use a light laptop if those were my only uses. With a MacBook Air, you can have two apps on the screen at once, two windows from the same app at once, more robust music/photo/mail apps, better web browsers that play better with more sites... Why is an ipad better for those uses, other than cost?

 

[ApfelKuchen]

It won't be my main computer for the foreseeable future, because that isn't Apple's vision for what iPad is, or is likely to be. And that's alright.

iPad is a hugely useful tool for me - it does many things my computer does and some it doesn't, it enables me to carry a computing device with a decent-sized screen wherever I go... But it's not likely to ever have the kind of complex, flexible configuration and storage capacity that I require in a desktop, or a user-accessible operating system. That kind of complexity and flexibility would make iPad less friendly, more daunting, likely less secure. Just as Mac was "the computer for the rest of us," iPad has to be "the computer for the rest of the rest of us."

Still, these are famous last words. I remember when minicomputer users scoffed at the "toy" computers that were cropping up on every desktop. Only they really needed computers. Of course, they were wrong. I think the difference is that there's now no doubt that everyone can make good use of computing devices. It's really a matter of whether one size fits all.

 

[VI™]

Am I the only one here who RARELY uses their home computer (laptop in my case) anymore? WHen I come home from work, Im tired and I just want to relax...which is get the ipad, read and lay on the couch or in bed.

When you work a desk job and sit in front of a computer for 8.5 hours a day, the last time you want to be doing when you get home is sit in front of your home computer.

I had to do math homework and take a quiz. Both of those aren't compatible with an ipad. I also had to start writing a speech, which I wouldn't want to do on an ipad. I had two word docs open so I could use an outline I had written and several chrome windows open at one time for research purposes. Trying to do this on an ipad would take more time to flip through windows and would be a hassle. Plus, it wouldn't allow me to have multiple windows showing on the screen at the same time. It's just not practical. Not to mention that by the time I have finished this post, I could already have several paragraphs typed out on my notebook.

After all that was done I booted up windows and played an MMO for a few hours while watching tv. That's something the ipad isn't capable of.

 

[JohnLT13]

The longer I've had my iPad the less I use it. I just find its limitations more and more everyday.

 

[Q-Dog]

The longer I have iPads, the less I use a regular desktop ot laptop computer.