Can iPad PRO replace computer?

FilFil

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A year ago I received an iPad PRO as a New Year gift. Since then, I have been using it almost every day. It is very convenient, you can watch movies, play games, work and do many other things on it. But can it completely replace a computer or laptop?
I think NO, because a laptop is more convenient to use, it has a keyboard and a mouse. Despite the fact that you can buy yourself a keyboard and connect a mouse to your iPad, it will not be cheap and will not be very convenient to use the mouse. Also, the laptop is more powerful and you can play games on it that cannot be played on the iPad.
But the iPad has its advantages. For example, it is definitely suitable for artists, if you buy an Apple Pencil, you can draw pictures very conveniently. Also, the iPad is more convenient to carry with you than a computer. The charging time and the capacity of the battery are about the same.
Do you think an iPad Pro can replace a laptop? And is it worth buying an ipad PRO for work?
 
Tablets are primarily designed for consumption, laptops/PCs etc are designed for production. You can use a tablet for production but it will always be a poor second to a proper keyboard and mouse.

Depends on how hard you want to make things for yourself or whether you want to use it as an artist - you haven't said. I know people who have tried to use tablets (android and i-pads) for office work and they all seemed to go back to a laptop in a very short time. Rarely see tablets as office devices now.
 
It purely depends what you are trying to do.
I use my iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard every day - so it has a keyboard and trackpad.
It’s great for me for the writing and research I do. Pages and Numbers are great for my office stuff.
But I also use my iMac every day.
A great many people could just use an iPad, but many also simply cannot.
e.g. I can’t use XCode on an iPad and I need multiple monitors for a lot of the things I do.
 
will not be very convenient to use the mouse. Also, the laptop is more powerful and you can play games on it that cannot be played on the iPad.
Why isn't it convenient to use a mouse?

With the new iPad Pro's announced today they have the same processor/graphics/ram etc as the MacBook Pro and iMacs (also announced today) - the prices aren't massively different when you add in a keyboard etc.

Certainly my question is more where the OS is going... the latest MacOS on the new machines can run iOS apps, if the developer allows. So will we see a cross over in the other direction? I struggle with the idea of spending £2,150 + keyboard etc for something to play candy crush or ProCreate
 
I use my Ipad Air + logitech keyboard for 90% of my home computing / surfing etc. And I've a Chuwi Corebook Pro for when I need Windows or a slightly bigger screen. Perfect combo for me and under a grand all in.
 
Can iPads work with standard BT keyboards & mice?
Instant on/off? (never had an iPad)
 
I use my ipad to watch netflix at the gym and to carry around with me for very basic tasks.

For my usages of watching 4K HDR films via MADVR, PC gaming and modding; alongside downloading, etc... the ipad Pro is pretty much useless. Even multi tasking wise, it doesn't really stand up to the PC for when I decide to do productivity work.

Absolutely love, dream-like device which I wish had all the hardware optimised for Windows 10.

Working within IOS is sadly very restrictive. For niche tasks, its awesome but then when it comes to importing, exporting, using external peripherals... it all just becomes a faff.

The IOS closed ecosystem and being at the will and mood of apple re: extra features such as gaming and the recent xbox game pass issue just further drives home is REALLY difficult to form a logical reason to dump 1k+ into an ipad.

But when I see it in person, I'm sure I'll end up buying one and then regret it.


For casual usage and portability, they are awesome but then again I've never tried an ultra thin laptop/netbook which I'm sure would be pretty awesome too.
 
Can iPads work with standard BT keyboards & mice?
Instant on/off? (never had an iPad)
Only ever tried with their own Magic Mouse which is BT and was instant on/off however mouse + iPad was a bit clunky as iOS is designed for touch screen input. Keyboard was a physical connection.
 
There is a legitimate argument that Apple should put Mac OS on the iPad Pro.

I think its a point every decent review has said for the past couple of years.

Hardware is amazing but sadly its still 'just' an iPad. They have little excuse to not put MacOS on it given it uses the similar proprietry chip they are putting in their MBP.

They are trying to protect the iPad product line because if they do make the iPad a convertible MBP they will be sacrificing A LOT of MBP sales alongside having to back on their word and incorporate touch into IOS.


In short, apple want people to own a MBP AND an IPAD. They do not want you to own one or the other.


Of course the easy answer is Apple FURTHER improve their MBP with functionality the ipad doesn't have and ports it doesn't have ; but this is not something apple will easily entertain.
 
Of course the easy answer is Apple FURTHER improve their MBP with functionality the ipad doesn't have and ports it doesn't have ; but this is not something apple will easily entertain.

Or avoid Apple with their scalping and buy a Windows Surface or Android tablet?
 
Hardware is amazing but sadly its still 'just' an iPad. They have little excuse to not put MacOS on it given it uses the similar proprietry chip they are putting in their MBP.
Similar? Its the same no?

Or avoid Apple with their scalping and buy a Windows Surface or Android tablet?

By scalping I assume you mean high cost? If so then the latest Surface Pro is £1,269 for 256gb storage and 8gb ram compared to £1,099 for the 12.9" 256gb storage and 8gb ram iPad Pro. At £170 cheaper I am not sure how its the Apple product that's a rip off?

I had a Surface Pro at a previous client's 18 months ago and for day to day use it was fine but trying to use large spreadsheets or access databases and the thing quickly ground to a halt. Never tried to use an iPad as a laptop substitute so cannot comment on it but I don't like using a mouse with it (unless its changed in the last OS update)
 
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Similar? Its the same no?



By scalping I assume you mean high cost? If so then the latest Surface Pro is £1,269 for 256gb storage and 8gb ram compared to £1,099 for the 12.9" 256gb storage and 8gb ram iPad Pro. At £170 cheaper I am not sure how its the Apple product that's a rip off?

I had a Surface Pro at a previous client's 18 months ago and for day to day use it was fine but trying to use large spreadsheets or access databases and the thing quickly ground to a halt.
I was actually refering to the comments on accessories prices and need to have an iPad & Mac comment.

I've never had any Tablet and came here looking for views. The accessories prices and premiums for storage space increases are way high.
 
Or avoid Apple with their scalping and buy a Windows Surface or Android tablet?

my next laptop will have to be windows i think.

i just really think i'd enjoy portable gaming via steam and its something MBPs don't offer easily.
 
I was actually refering to the comments on accessories prices and need to have an iPad & Mac comment.

I've never had any Tablet and came here looking for views. The accessories prices and premiums for storage space increases are way high.

Again you need to make sure you're comparing like for like, Apple Pencil is £119, Surface Slim Pen is £129. iPad Pro folio keyboard is £179, Surface Pro's is £149. There is not a lot in it and especially when you consider the extra cost of the Surface Pro in the first place.

Anyone doing products with similar features to Apple are similar prices... but you have to consider the whole package not just the CPU/GPU etc. Apple just don't have the big plastic laptop for £300. For many people there is possibly little value in an aluminium case rather than plastic or ultra slim profile rather than it being 10mm thicker etc and they'd rather have similar performance in a bigger case made from cheaper components for a much cheaper price.
 
Again you need to make sure you're comparing like for like, Apple Pencil is £119, Surface Slim Pen is £129. iPad Pro folio keyboard is £179, Surface Pro's is £149. There is not a lot in it and especially when you consider the extra cost of the Surface Pro in the first place.

Anyone doing products with similar features to Apple are similar prices... but you have to consider the whole package not just the CPU/GPU etc. Apple just don't have the big plastic laptop for £300. For many people there is possibly little value in an aluminium case rather than plastic or ultra slim profile rather than it being 10mm thicker etc and they'd rather have similar performance in a bigger case made from cheaper components for a much cheaper price.
I'm more considering the Tab S7+ which seems to come with pen and then keyboard/case at £99 and looks to take SD card. Could get on Amazon, Like New for £750 for the 5G/128GB version.

The Surface Pro/Go are more laptop than tablet with a PC OS.

Do you have any experience of Apple Pro to say the S7+ ?

I'm currently torn between the new large iPad Pro or this S7+. Art/drawing not a big concern for me.

Have had Apple & Samsung phones and fine with either OS.

I already have a decent 13" 11th Gen ultra portable and the Surface Go looks to have a low performance CPU and the iPad and Samsung seem to be the instant on/off type premium Tablets.

Anyway, sorry, this isn't the thread as its about iPad Pro as a PC replecement.
 
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I've only ever had lower-middle range Android devices given to me by work which also meant they were also locked down with what I could do with them. I therefore cannot say what the more premium offerings are like. The ones I've had are ok but I felt a little a touch more clunky and sometimes comes up with messages like "this app may not be optimised for your phone" which I've never had with an apple device.

The Tab S7+ benchmarked about 10% below the 2018 iPad Pro (let alone the 2021) and that doesn't factor in that Apple devices tend to punch a little above their weight in real life because of it being a single ecosystem (no need to support potentially hundreds of different video card and cpu combinations etc). Its really more a parallel to the iPad Air both in price and benchmarking of performance but the Air doesn't come in a large screen.
 

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