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When will the iPad be our main computer?

Rather a silly question really. Kind of like asking "when will a motorcycle replace a car".

I have a bicycle, a motorcycle and a car. I never ask myself if my bicycle will ever replace my motorcycle and if my motorcycle will ever replace my car. Each has its own uses and they will co-exist for as long as people continue to use them.

I have an iPhone, an iPad, a MacBook Air and a Mac Mini Server. I use them all for different purposes. My iPad is good for book and magazine reading, surfing the net and looking at pictures. My Air is my business companion when I travel or do serious document editing or creation as well as coding, and my Mac Mini is my media server and my movie and picture editor.

I love all of my devices and have no expectations or desire for any one of them to replace any other.
 
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bingeciren said:
Rather a silly question really. Kind of like asking "when will a motorcycle replace a car".

I have a bicycle, a motorcycle and a car. I never ask myself if my bicycle will ever replace my motorcycle and if my motorcycle will ever replace my car. Each has its own uses and they will co-exist for as long as people continue to use them.

I have an iPhone, an iPad, a MacBook Air and a Mac Mini Server. I use them all for different purposes. My iPad is good for book and magazine reading, surfing the net and looking at pictures. My Air is my business companion when I travel or do serious document editing or creation as well as coding, and my Mac Mini is my media server and my movie and picture editor.

I love all of my devices and have no expectations or desire for any one of them to replace any other.
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Well, to be fair, the question is not "when will an iPad replace your computer". The OPS question is "when will the iPad be our main computer".

So, for your analogy, let's say that the car is your main form of transportation. Under what conditions might the bike become your main form of transportation. Perhaps, when sufficient public transportation infrastructure becomes available in your city or neighborhood.

I don't think it is a ridiculous question because for many people the iPad is their main computer; as measured by frequency of use.
 
It depends on how you use the computer.
For example, the iPad is what my great grandparents have an iPad and it works just fine, way better than a computer for them. An iPad is easier for them to use.
Me, my iPad could definitely not replace my computer.
1. You cant do any serious gaming on an iPad (ie steam games, Need for speed, Portal, etc...)
2. My computer has my entire music library which I sync my iPhone to. It also has my backups.(Yes i know about icloud backups).
3. There are a ton of programs that aren't on the iPad. Do i need to list?
There are more, but heres a few reasons why my iPad will not replace my computer currently.
 
Mainsail said:
Well, to be fair, the question is not "when will an iPad replace your computer". The OPS question is "when will the iPad be our main computer".

I don't think it is a ridiculous question because for many people the iPad is their main computer; as measured by frequency of use.
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I agree with you 100%. However, it is still hard to make a decision based on the frequency of use.

My Mac Mini is on 24/7, so by that definition it wins the title of being my main computer hands down. My MacBook Air gets more use than my iPad, because it still does things that the iPad cannot. However, the iPad shines in the bedroom for reading.

If someone ask me a question like: "You are allowed to have only one device to be your main computer, so chose between the Mac Mini, MacBook Air or the iPad". In this case I have to chose the MacBook Air

Obviously I make my decision not based on the frequency of use, but the overall capability of the device in question.

So, if the decision is going to be made as measured by frequency of use, you are right. The iPad is already the main computer for many.

But if the decision is going to be made by the overall capability of the device, I don't know which device wins the title but it surely isn't the iPad.
 
bingeciren said:
I agree with you 100%. However, it is still hard to make a decision based on the frequency of use.

My Mac Mini is on 24/7, so by that definition it wins the title of being my main computer hands down. My MacBook Air gets more use than my iPad, because it still does things that the iPad cannot. However, the iPad shines in the bedroom for reading.

If someone ask me a question like: "You are allowed to have only one device to be your main computer, so chose between the Mac Mini, MacBook Air or the iPad". In this case I have to chose the MacBook Air

Obviously I make my decision not based on the frequency of use, but the overall capability of the device in question.

So, if the decision is going to be made as measured by frequency of use, you are right. The iPad is already the main computer for many.

But if the decision is going to be made by the overall capability of the device, I don't know which device wins the title but it surely isn't the iPad.
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I understand your perspective, and a lot of people on this forum share it. I never really interpreted "main computer" as "only computer" or as "you are allowed to only have one computer". One of the things that has changed in the last few years is that most people have more than one computing device. This is the reason cloud syncing and backup has become so important. The desktop is really no longer your digital hub. That responsibility is slowly moving to the cloud.

So, when I read "main computer", I think about which device I use most often to do the 90% of my personal stuff in today's world of multiple devices. I also don't count my work computer because frankly I have no say in that devices......it is selected by Procurement and the CIO department of my employer.

I understand that my perspective might not be shared by many on this forum, but I would guess that the majority of consumers fall into the category of having a work computer provided by their employer and home computing needs that are pretty basic......so, the iPad suffices and can become their main computer.
 
I don't think any device that requires you to carry it in a bag will be our most capable device, unless you're talking about legacy devices like laptops. It's pretty clear that the only thing stopping our phones from being our primary computers are hardware constraints. But as those go away, wouldn't the ideal be to have an all powerful phone that can dock with bigger screens and peripherals when you need it but can be fully mobile when you don't?
 
I was thinking about one thing regarding tablets today and decided to search the forums...

I find that the "app experience" of websites is a generally very pleasing experience compared to the websites, sometimes better in different ways. I was thinking though, how does one TYPE stuff out on tablets at ease? I surf on my iPhone 5s a lot and typing long paragraphs out are just annoying on a phone, is a tablet any different?
 
Does anybody use an iPad as primary computer?

With maybe just random laptop/desktop usage for when you need to get something done that can't be done on a tablet? I'm considering going to an iPad for my next 'computer' and just keeping my 2011 MBP as backup for when I can't get something done on my iPad.
 
It is hard to push the iPad into doing much more than it was designed for.

While I love mine and it has near replaced my laptops, the office and home desktops are still where the real work gets done. My ipad is more recreational:cool:
 
DramaLLama said:
With maybe just random laptop/desktop usage for when you need to get something done that can't be done on a tablet? I'm considering going to an iPad for my next 'computer' and just keeping my 2011 MBP as backup for when I can't get something done on my iPad.
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There are a lot of threads about this, but I guess I can answer this one too. :)

I use my iPad daily for most tasks. I just got rid of my Mac Mini and PC laptop and got a 2011 MBP. I use it maybe once a week, and usually just for school work. Once I am done with school in a few months it will probably see even less use.

For my uses, my iPad rMini is my main device, the MBP is a backup.
 
iPad were designed as something in between computer and smartphone. It runs blown up smartphone OS with lots of limitations. Other than content consumption, web browsing, emailing and playing some games, iPad usage is pretty much limited. I know there are lots of professional applications on iPad that you might get things done, but iPad's OS still limiting what you can do with it.

It does not connect external drive, it does not connect most printers, it does not multitasking well, it does not accept mouse (so it is kind kind to get anything meaningful done, mouse is designed something you can navigating bunch if content faster, selecting item faster, accurately point to something faster. This is important, because when you do content creation, you need these. Even when you do office editing, being able to quickly select text is important. Kind hard to accurately selecting text if you have fat fingers).

I will say these, iPad runs limited blown up smartphone OS which prevent you do anything meaningful. Until it gets you more powerful OS, I cannot consider IPAs as primary OS. There are lots of usage scenarios I can tell you that iPad fails badly.
 
Our iPad is more or less a toy. It's used it to let our grand daughter play preschool games, read news, google things when required and not near a computer, and to interact with Apple TV & ChromeCast. I don't think I could use any tablet as a primary system.
 
The only things I do on my laptop/chromebook are typing and ripping DVDs. Typing I could even do on my ipad with a keyboard. So apart from infrequent use for media management most of my computing tasks are done on my ipad. I use my ipad mini everyday, my laptop maybe once or twice a month, sometimes even less. So I suppose based on frequency of use the iPad is my primary computer but I'd never ditch my laptop.
 
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I wanted to use my iPad for most of my things

this did work until the cases that my family got me did nothing and they kept breaking where my macbook air is so durable you might as well use it instead of iPad only.
 
DramaLLama said:
With maybe just random laptop/desktop usage for when you need to get something done that can't be done on a tablet? I'm considering going to an iPad for my next 'computer' and just keeping my 2011 MBP as backup for when I can't get something done on my iPad.
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Hard to say unless you tell us what kind of things you do on a computer. But if you can afford it, it's not a bad idea to just go ahead and get an iPad. If it works out, fine. If not, you can then buy a new MacBook. A 2011 MBP should still have a lot of life left in it, anyway. It's, what, 3-4 years old? Should be okay for another 2-3 years.
 
My iPad mini has replaced about 85-90% of my need for a Mac. Certainly, there are still many functions i still need a computer for, but most of my primary business tasks are easily accomplished using the iPad.
 
DramaLLama said:
I was thinking though, how does one TYPE stuff out on tablets at ease? I surf on my iPhone 5s a lot and typing long paragraphs out are just annoying on a phone, is a tablet any different?
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Among touch screen devices, I find it easiest to type on the full size iPads. The keys are almost the same size as on a physical keyboard. I found typing on the mini awkward, and it's nearly impossible on the iPhone.

That said, even the full-size iPad is nowhere near as fast as typing on a physical keyboard.
 
GGJstudios said:
My iPad mini has replaced about 85-90% of my need for a Mac. Certainly, there are still many functions i still need a computer for, but most of my primary business tasks are easily accomplished using the iPad.
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I see you post around here a lot, what size storage do you recommend? Or what size do you use for yourself?
 
DramaLLama said:
I see you post around here a lot, what size storage do you recommend? Or what size do you use for yourself?
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Storage size is strictly determined by your individual usage habits and needs. I started with a 32GB model, but I'm finding I could easily use more, since I store a lot of music and photos. For others, they may never use up 16 GB.
 
At the moment a tablet just isn't able to replace my laptop, it can do too many things that the iPad cannot. So in a word, the iPad has not replaced my laptop
 
For me, I use my iPad Air, and retina mini as my main/only computers.
My work requires reading lots of pdf's, so iPads are ideal companions for me :)
 
I use both of my iPads to do probably 80% of what I used to do on the computer now. I still watch most if my iTunes purchases on my 2008 MB connected to a 24" Samsung monitor.

iTunes is the biggest reason that I still use a Mac. If I could connect my iPad to the monitor, I would.
 
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