iPad Where are we heading with the Ipad "Pro" replacing the laptop?

[Osamede]

Many people seem to be offended by the idea of the Ipad Pro veering into macbook territory. But I believe that Apple is preparing for a world where a laptop is a very high end product owned mainly by professional users - and the Ipad "Pro" is probably the hub of a home digital network mainly implemented by AR and IOT (glasses, Homepod2, and many other ithings.)

Read more here on the AR aspect of it:

Mobile Phones and Laptops will be extinct - Hello Augmented Reality! - Prabin Joel

When I was a child, I was told that the world you see is not real. I grew up to confirm that the world I see is indeed real. But, I grew up further to understand that the world I see can be augmented. Yes! I can design the way I would want to see the objects around.

prabinjoel.com

 

[AutomaticApple]

Read more here on the AR aspect of it:

Mobile Phones and Laptops will be extinct - Hello Augmented Reality! - Prabin Joel

When I was a child, I was told that the world you see is not real. I grew up to confirm that the world I see is indeed real. But, I grew up further to understand that the world I see can be augmented. Yes! I can design the way I would want to see the objects around.

prabinjoel.com

That 4 year old article is going to predict the future! 😅

 

[Osamede]

It's not here yet, is the point. But it is where we are heading slowly.

I was not aware by the way that all predictions 4 years ago must necessarily be already reality today. If this is what you think, you have not understood the concept of long term visions.

Better to focus on the substance inside the article, rather than the date: 😉

 

[muzzy996]

Many people seem to be offended by the idea of the Ipad Pro veering into macbook territory. But I believe that Apple is preparing for a world where a laptop is a very high end product owned mainly by professional users - and the Ipad "Pro" is probably the hub of a home digital network mainly implemented by AR and IOT (glasses, Homepod2, and many other ithings.)

I can't imagine a time when inexpensive laptops that provide access to non-mobile based operating systems for those who can't afford high end computers cease to exist. Not that I necessarily think that's truly what you're saying. People are diverse, thus the tech market is diverse too. Companies can choose to cater to whatever market they choose, so if Apple wants to only play in certain markets then so be it - I won't be offended by it.

 

[Osamede]

I can't imagine a time when inexpensive laptops that provide access to non-mobile based operating systems for those who can't afford high end computers cease to exist. People are diverse, thus the tech market is diverse too. Companies can choose to cater to whatever market they choose, so if Apple wants to only play in certain markets then so be it - I won't be offended by it.

Apple’s not in the business of providing cheap laptops, are they? No.

Further the low end of laptops- netbooks - got swallowed whole by tablets, a long tome ago. The tablet will continue to eat up the laptop segment until it’s pretty much high spec users. This will accelerate further and further.

 

[sparksd]

Apple’s not in the business of providing cheap laptops, are they? No.

Further the low end of laptops- netbooks - got swallowed whole by tablets, a long tome ago. The tablet will continue to eat up the laptop segment until it’s pretty much high spec users. This will accelerate further and further.

While Apple does not build inexpensive laptops, a lot of other companies do. The problem with netbooks - I had one - wads their poor performance compared to almost any other device. They were doomed no matter what. Tablets are not eating up the laptop segment.

https://www.statista.com/statistics...forecast-for-tablets-laptops-and-desktop-pcs/

https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share/desktop-mobile-tablet

 

[Digitalguy]

Apple’s not in the business of providing cheap laptops, are they? No.

Further the low end of laptops- netbooks - got swallowed whole by tablets, a long tome ago. The tablet will continue to eat up the laptop segment until it’s pretty much high spec users. This will accelerate further and further.

Cheap laptops are not going anywhere... Windows ones and Chromebooks, as well as used ones, including Macbooks. They will remain the majoirity in many segments. As a university teacher, I see all sort of laptops but only a small minority of tablets for instance...

 

[Airforcekid]

I picture desktop as a service as the future. My ipad pro is my main work machine right now when im not doing anything intense im using iPad os but I RDP into windows, Linux or Mac OS when I need to. I use Shadow for gaming so why would I buy a laptop that will last a year or two when I can utilize the cloud to pay $100 a year to have a PC that will never become outdated or slow down? Once the average person has decent internet (10Mbs range) I see this taking off.

 

[oneMadRssn]

Apple’s not in the business of providing cheap laptops, are they? No.

The Macbook Air can be found on sale for $900 pretty regularly, which is probably the cheapest laptop of that screen type and resolution. So it's all relative. Apple does not sell literally the cheapest laptop possible, but Apple does compete in the budget laptop space.

 

[sparksd]

I picture desktop as a service as the future. My ipad pro is my main work machine right now when im not doing anything intense im using iPad os but I RDP into windows, Linux or Mac OS when I need to. I use Shadow for gaming so why would I buy a laptop that will last a year or two when I can utilize the cloud to pay $100 a year to have a PC that will never become outdated or slow down? Once the average person has decent internet (10Mbs range) I see this taking off.

The last sentence is the rub - with schools closed and work from home has taken off during the pandemic, it's clear that a lot of people do not have access to high-speed connections, either due to poor service in their area or cost (a big issue if you want/need high data usage). When I travel, I do not count on having decent Internet connectivity so I don't depend on availability of cloud services.

 

[JagRunner]

I can pretty much do everything I need to on an iPad. I will probably go that route once my MacBook dies and I need a replacement. That will be many years from now. My Macbook is only 2.5 years old.

 

[sracer]

The Macbook Air can be found on sale for $900 pretty regularly, which is probably the cheapest laptop of that screen type and resolution. So it's all relative. Apple does not sell literally the cheapest laptop possible, but Apple does compete in the budget laptop space.

Your "screen type and resolution" qualifier notwithstanding, $900 on sale is NOT in the budget laptop space.

 

[oneMadRssn]

Your "screen type and resolution" qualifier notwithstanding, $900 on sale is NOT in the budget laptop space.

How so? A ton of laptops are $1500 or $2000+. I'd say anyone looking at under $1000 is looking in the budget category.

 

[sracer]

How so? A ton of laptops are $1500 or $2000+. I'd say anyone looking at under $1000 is looking in the budget category.

"Budget" doesn't have a universally accepted definition but a working definition is that it is at the lower end of the pricing spectrum. Off-sale pricing for 13"+ laptops start at around $300.... and go up to $2000 (for gaming rigs). $900 is near the middle of that range.

"Budget" would be in the $300-500 price range.

If you want to make the case that the Macbook Air is the budget model of the Apple line-up, I wholeheartedly agree.

 

[sparksd]

"Budget" doesn't have a universally accepted definition but a working definition is that it is at the lower end of the pricing spectrum. Off-sale pricing for 13"+ laptops start at around $300.... and go up to $2000 (for gaming rigs). $900 is near the middle of that range.

"Budget" would be in the $300-500 price range.

If you want to make the case that the Macbook Air is the budget model of the Apple line-up, I wholeheartedly agree.

$300-$500 was the range I consider budget, also. That's based on a friend who recently needed a laptop and specifically said "budget" and even $500 was real stretch. $900 was in the realm of unthinkable.

 

[muzzy996]

One thing that is common in threads like this is some of us will speak in absolute terms which others will then react to because nothing is absolute.

If one goes onto Best Buy right now and shops for laptops in the price range of $250-$500 the initial filter leaves roughly 120 laptops available from various brands. Expand that price range to $750 and the list grows to around 250. The idea that "the low end of laptops- netbooks - got swallowed whole by tablets, a long tome ago" doesn't seem to hold up because these items clearly exist to be sold.

 

[cupcakes2000]

Cheap laptops are not going anywhere... Windows ones and Chromebooks, as well as used ones, including Macbooks. They will remain the majoirity in many segments. As a university teacher, I see all sort of laptops but only a small minority of tablets for instance...

The problem with this type of outlook, is it’s not considering the ‘newness’ of the iPad as a replacement computer platform. Nokia, as the dominant player, weren’t scared when the iPhone came out, for example.

Consider a basic iPad all the way up to a top spec pro. Starting at a few hundred, right up to thousands. They all operate with iPados, they all can use a pencil, a mouse and keyboard - or non of them. It’s absurdly useful for lectures and studying.
IPados is only in its first real iteration. Once it gets out of the gate properly, there will be no stopping it.

 

[Digitalguy]

The problem with this type of outlook, is it’s not considering the ‘newness’ of the iPad as a replacement computer platform. Nokia, as the dominant player, weren’t scared when the iPhone came out, for example.

Consider a basic iPad all the way up to a top spec pro. Starting at a few hundred, right up to thousands. They all operate with iPados, they all can use a pencil, a mouse and keyboard - or non of them. It’s absurdly useful for lectures and studying.
IPados is only in its first real iteration. Once it gets out of the gate properly, there will be no stopping it.

While I do hope that what you say will become true in the future, we can only speculate why this hasn't happened
I'll take the case of the University where I teach as an example:
1. Screen size: the budget ipad and the air are 10.2 and 10.5, this is probably smaller than most would be comfortable with. I still see quite a few students carrying 15in devices because "they want a comfortable screen size"...
2. File management is inferior to desktop OS... While the File app is a big step forward, it's not comparable to a true "centralized" file system.
3. Apps not available or only mobile versions available. My students have all free Office and 1TB Onedrive. Office Ipad apps are more limited (less features and you cannot even use 2 Word files side by side, let alone copy and paste easily as they still don't even support mouse input properly...) and you cannot have your onedrive (or dropbox) synced in real time like on a desktop OS. Other apps simply do not exist and many students do not even know what a remote desktop app is... Also some want to use desktop chrome and its extensions, which only works on Windows, macos and chromebooks
4. Ipads didn't support trackpads and mice until very recently. The only decent trackpad solution is the logitech combo touch for 10.2/10.5. I have it, but it makes the ipad almost as heavy as a macbook air (and heavier than my 11.6in air) and not very lappable with its surface style (kickstand based) system....
5. Ipads do not support some peripherals, especially wired ones.

I would say the first 3 points are major ones... And while the file apps will probably be improved, the budget ipads should become quite a bit bigger, which is unlikely to happen in the short term..., and I don't see MS making full Office apps for ipad, nor other software companies making their apps for ipad when many don't even make them for Macs.... Maybe ARM Macs will change the situation for ipad over the coming years...

 

[ericinboston]

...Further the low end of laptops- netbooks - got swallowed whole by tablets, a long tome ago. The tablet will continue to eat up the laptop segment until it’s pretty much high spec users. This will accelerate further and further.

1)Netbooks didn't really get eaten by tablets. The Netbooks were just very under-powered machines aimed at a very niche market of people who just wanted to surf the web and check email. They had extremely small storage options, cpu option, OS options, RAM, and i/o options. I bought a used Dell and it was a toy just to bring on vacation 10 years ago. That was it. Vacation. I never used it again because it was basically useless for any kind of day in/day out device.

2)Tablets are essentially the Amazon Fire and iPad. They really haven't damaged the low end laptop market from what I see. I still see plenty of people with $500 laptops which I consider low-end. Sure, there may be some 1.5 year old in-stock only super sale at Walmart where a $500 laptop is on sale for $329 because they want to get rid of them. There are some Dell and other vendors selling brand new machines for $299 but I don't know who's buying them. Anyone who wants a laptop for true laptop needs (more than just surfing and email) is spending $700 and up.

DigitalGuy has some great comments above which I agree with. But on your topic as a whole, the iPad/Tablet will never replace a true "personal computer" as it has been defined the past 35+ years (physical keyboard, phyiscal mouse, monitor, upgradeable/replaceable components). Designers use personal computers and workstations to CREATE iPads/tablets and other electronics devices. Look around your house and every single thing that runs on electricity has been designed on a personal computer over the past 35 years: cable box, alarm clock, stove, microwave, phone, shaver, hair dryer, answering machine, monitors, tvs, stereo receivers, speakers, etc. Not a single one of those can be created on an iPad Pro. Even most non-electric things are created/designed on personal computers: Lego blocks, scissors, picture frames, soda cans and bottles, sneakers, jackets, tires, etc. The iPad is simply not made for the kind of granular control that a mouse or keyboard can give. Not to mention working on a 12" screen. The last time a personal computer was connected to a 12" screen was probably 1983 (such as all the Apple //e monitors or even the 13" Commodore 64 monitors). Ultimately, the human finger cannot match a mouse or keyboard. The iPad is a touch-centric device. Period. Also, the iPad may begin to have the CPU/GPU for CAD processing, but it doesn't have any integration to a real file system or doing the actual design work that is industry standard or day-in-the-life of a CAD person.

The humans that design things cannot use an iPad (Pro) for design work.

 

[aakshey]

Apple’s not in the business of providing cheap laptops, are they? No.

Further the low end of laptops- netbooks - got swallowed whole by tablets, a long tome ago. The tablet will continue to eat up the laptop segment until it’s pretty much high spec users. This will accelerate further and further.

Not really. In India (a country with 1.3 billion population), thousands/tens of thousands of iPads are sold in a year. But cheap laptops are sold in the tens of millions. Probably 10x+ times compared to even iPhones.

Apple sells 50k to 100k iPads in India. That’s less than 1% of laptops unit sold.

 

[rui no onna]

Not really. In India (a country with 1.3 billion population), thousands/tens of thousands of iPads are sold in a year. But cheap laptops are sold in the tens of millions. Probably 10x+ times compared to even iPhones.

Similar situation in the Philippines. Apple products are generally too expensive compared to income.

There's also the breadth of freeware and open source software for x86 PC platform. There are plenty of places where people would balk at paying $9.99+ for good apps much less be willing to pay for monthly/yearly app subscriptions.

 

[cupcakes2000]

1)Netbooks didn't really get eaten by tablets. The Netbooks were just very under-powered machines aimed at a very niche market of people who just wanted to surf the web and check email. They had extremely small storage options, cpu option, OS options, RAM, and i/o options. I bought a used Dell and it was a toy just to bring on vacation 10 years ago. That was it. Vacation. I never used it again because it was basically useless for any kind of day in/day out device.

2)Tablets are essentially the Amazon Fire and iPad. They really haven't damaged the low end laptop market from what I see. I still see plenty of people with $500 laptops which I consider low-end. Sure, there may be some 1.5 year old in-stock only super sale at Walmart where a $500 laptop is on sale for $329 because they want to get rid of them. There are some Dell and other vendors selling brand new machines for $299 but I don't know who's buying them. Anyone who wants a laptop for true laptop needs (more than just surfing and email) is spending $700 and up.

DigitalGuy has some great comments above which I agree with. But on your topic as a whole, the iPad/Tablet will never replace a true "personal computer" as it has been defined the past 35+ years (physical keyboard, phyiscal mouse, monitor, upgradeable/replaceable components). Designers use personal computers and workstations to CREATE iPads/tablets and other electronics devices. Look around your house and every single thing that runs on electricity has been designed on a personal computer over the past 35 years: cable box, alarm clock, stove, microwave, phone, shaver, hair dryer, answering machine, monitors, tvs, stereo receivers, speakers, etc. Not a single one of those can be created on an iPad Pro. Even most non-electric things are created/designed on personal computers: Lego blocks, scissors, picture frames, soda cans and bottles, sneakers, jackets, tires, etc. The iPad is simply not made for the kind of granular control that a mouse or keyboard can give. Not to mention working on a 12" screen. The last time a personal computer was connected to a 12" screen was probably 1983 (such as all the Apple //e monitors or even the 13" Commodore 64 monitors). Ultimately, the human finger cannot match a mouse or keyboard. The iPad is a touch-centric device. Period. Also, the iPad may begin to have the CPU/GPU for CAD processing, but it doesn't have any integration to a real file system or doing the actual design work that is industry standard or day-in-the-life of a CAD person.

The humans that design things cannot use an iPad (Pro) for design work.

So what you’re essentially saying here is that now we having invented the ‘traditional’ computing system of a mouse, a keyboard, a monitor (and upgradable parts, for some reason), no other thing can exist to create or design things on?

You can’t see, in the near future, a (likely more powerful, much bigger), iPad type touch first, stylus, mouse, keyboard system? I mean, that’s the same as your so called traditional computing system, only with the ability to draw on it.

By the way, you can- of course- design things on an iPad. Plenty of people do. Perhaps you still need traditional computers in the workflow - but as I mentioned previously, the idea of the iPad as a serious computer has only just come about, realistically, in the past year.

 

[Osamede]

Not really. In India (a country with 1.3 billion population), thousands/tens of thousands of iPads are sold in a year. But cheap laptops are sold in the tens of millions. Probably 10x+ times compared to even iPhones.

Apple sells 50k to 100k iPads in India. That’s less than 1% of laptops unit sold.

Exhibit 1 in wildly conflating arguments while distracting with "data". We got here random claims of how many Ipads are sold and how many laptops are sold.

Meanwhile I said...tablet form factor.....swallowed the low end laptop market. If you think Ipad = tablet, I don't know why even bother to post.

 

[rui no onna]

Exhibit 1 in wildly conflating arguments while distracting with "data". We got here random claims of how many Ipads are sold and how many laptops are sold.

Meanwhile I said...tablet form factor.....swallowed the low end laptop market. If you think Ipad = tablet, I don't know why even bother to post.

That's because apart from cheap Fires, etc, the iPad is pretty much the tablet market.

Either that or 2-in-1 Windows 10 tablets which really are more laptop first, tablet second.

 

[samiwas]

Many people seem to be offended by the idea of the Ipad Pro veering into macbook territory. But I believe that Apple is preparing for a world where a laptop is a very high end product owned mainly by professional users - and the Ipad "Pro" is probably the hub of a home digital network mainly implemented by AR and IOT (glasses, Homepod2, and many other ithings.)

Read more here on the AR aspect of it:

Mobile Phones and Laptops will be extinct - Hello Augmented Reality! - Prabin Joel

When I was a child, I was told that the world you see is not real. I grew up to confirm that the world I see is indeed real. But, I grew up further to understand that the world I see can be augmented. Yes! I can design the way I would want to see the objects around.

prabinjoel.com

I rarely use my iPad for anything on a regular basis. I'm a laptop guy. 3D modeling and CAD drafting on an iPad is something I don't even want to think about. I also despise on-screen keyboards. I know you can get regular keyboards for an iPad, but then it's essentially a laptop. I do very much wish they made a touchscreen MacBook Pro or iMac.