iOS Is an ipad a good alternative for a laptop

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izumi miyamurra

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I prefer using a tablet rather than a laptop but it does have it's limitations right now I am using a tab s6 lite and it's alright for watching videos and movie but it stutters when doing something demanding so I am looking into buying an ipad air but considering it's price plus the accessories I would not be able to upgrade my laptop later so is it worth it or should I invest in a laptop instead
 
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izumi miyamurra said:
I prefer using a tablet rather than a laptop but it does have it's limitations right now I am using a tab s6 lite and it's alright for watching videos and movie but it stutters when doing something demanding so I am looking into buying an ipad air but considering it's price plus the accessories I would not be able to upgrade my laptop later so is it worth it or should I invest in a laptop instead
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Yes and no..Its a function of your use case.
I was an out & out thin & light laptop person.
Today, I am 70% ipad pro and 30% laptop.

Bear in mind that no tab will be able to completely replace a PC/Mac. Several complx usage scenarios do require me to pull out my laptop or shift to desktop even though id rather prefer to complete the task on the tablet.

Most people will continue to need a laptop/desktop although a well configured tab can act as a better substitute for anywhere between 50-90% of usage scenarios.

Also, keep in mind that you will absolutely need (ideally) the OEM keyboard accessory for the tablet to be a meaningful substitute - which means that the tab setup will typically end up costing more than an equivalent laptop. None of the 3rd party KB accessories available for either the ipad (or samsung galaxy if you prefer android) come anywhere close to the OEM KB from the respective manufacturer
 
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JMak said:
Unless it's the 12.5 incher, there is no point getting an ipad in my view (I own the 8th gen 10.2 Incher)
Better get a good solid laptop, there are pretty light now and have enough scope...
My 2 cents
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I would love to get the 12.5 in her but iPad Pro is way out of my budget plus the accessories too so i was thinking about getting iPad air 4 or iPad air 5 . I do already have a laptop and it works fine but it is too heavy to carry to classes and battery life on it sucks
 
superczar said:
Yes and no..Its a function of your use case.
I was an out & out thin & light laptop person.
Today, I am 70% ipad pro and 30% laptop.

Bear in mind that no tab will be able to completely replace a PC/Mac. Several complx usage scenarios do require me to pull out my laptop or shift to desktop even though id rather prefer to complete the task on the tablet.

Most people will continue to need a laptop/desktop although a well configured tab can act as a better substitute for anywhere between 50-90% of usage scenarios.

Also, keep in mind that you will absolutely need (ideally) the OEM keyboard accessory for the tablet to be a meaningful substitute - which means that the tab setup will typically end up costing more than an equivalent laptop. None of the 3rd party KB accessories available for either the ipad (or samsung galaxy if you prefer android) come anywhere close to the OEM KB from the respective
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I do mostly light work on online compilers or take notes on it for heavy use I have to use desktop pc anyways so it doesn’t matter that much
I would prefer getting an iPad since I am already in the apple ecosystem
The oem keyboard are too expensive so I might get used one instead
 
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It depends mostly on your use case, if ya do very specfic and demanding stuff like AutoCAD or Blender then get a laptop, but if your usage is more towards office work like filing documents, sending emails, light compilations and all, then the ipad is perfectly usable. Although I'd still recommend to have a cheap laptop or PC just in case ya can't do something on your Tablet.
 
izumi miyamurra said:
I would love to get the 12.5 in her but iPad Pro is way out of my budget plus the accessories too so i was thinking about getting iPad air 4 or iPad air 5 . I do already have a laptop and it works fine but it is too heavy to carry to classes and battery life on it sucks
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I have the air 5 and I probably use it way more than my phone lol, get it used if ya can, would save ya a lot of money
 
Agree with @desiibond. I am a tablet person. I have Tab S6, and S7plus, and iPad Pro 12.9 as my daily drivers and as improved as iPadOS is, it isn't anywhere close to replacing a laptop/PC. The multiwindow and copy paste, and file management are nowhere close.

Even with all the flexibility, I struggle to make Android (even with the Wonderful Samsung Dex) meet the productivity and flexibility.

If you are into taking notes, then yes, nothing like a tablet. Personally though, I prefer Samsung Tabs as they pen implementation is a lot better. But that's subjective.

If it is browser based work where you do not have to switch windows or upload anything (essentially point and click), then yes a tablet will work.

@superczar for me the Keychron keyboards work pretty well even with Apple stuff. Yes, the trackpad is missing, but there's Bluetooth mice for that. I would like to know what benefits the Apple Keyboard bestows. (Been looking for a proper excuse to get one).
 
soulweaver said:
@superczar for me the Keychron keyboards work pretty well even with Apple stuff. Yes, the trackpad is missing, but there's Bluetooth mice for that. I would like to know what benefits the Apple Keyboard bestows. (Been looking for a proper excuse to get one).
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Wky only Keychron..Any keyboard will work incl ultra cheap ones - but on a desk..
which kind of defeats the whole purpose of a tab to begin with na.

The Apple KBs - and similarly for the Samsung folios act as a case + KB in one without adding more weight (vs say a regular case)
Make the whole thing lappable and allow for laptop like usage on the couch, bed or anywhere - which is what (At least for me) the Raison d'être for a tablet to begin with.

If i am sitting on a desk, why bother with a tab and might as well use a regular system..no?

On a side note, if you are looking for one for your ipad, consider the Apple smart keyboard as well . I have both the ASK and magic keyboard.. and unless you really need a trackpad with a tab, the ASK is in many ways a better choice .. Its significantly cheaper, a lot lighter and can take a lot more abuse.

On the flip side, it doesnt have backlight and the key feel is a bit different from the magic KB (or regular KBs) due to the sealed keys but that also keeps it resistant to water/dust and does not take too long to get used to.
 
I use iPad Pro for work (use remote desktop + native apps)

The iPad works great with apps optimized for it. Using it as a Windows laptop replacement is a tough sell.

Few things I cannot do on iPad.

  • Using kb shortcuts on productivity apps like Excel.
  • Split screen limited 2 apps.
  • Can't extend the screen to a larger monitor.
  • Poorly made file explorer app.
iPad works great and uses it as a laptop replacement.
  • Consume content.
  • Create content using apps like Adobe Suite.
  • Inking with Apple Pencil like note-taking, drawing, etc.
 
I have pretty much switched over tothe iPad Pro for most of my purposes - emails, photo editing, presentations etc.
It's true that some of the Windows apps are not available on the iPad but some key pointers which attracted me are
- Excellent battery life for the price.
- Great multitasking performance now with stage manager.
- Note taking with apple pencil.
 
The thing with ipad is that the software is bad. Mac got the macos but ipad is still on ios, I am saying this as the ipad has the horsepower to run much more heavy stuff but is limited by its os. Also currently no tablet can replace your laptop unless all your work revolves around Excel, words, ppt, etc. I hope apple gives some more love to this product.
 
kalph09 said:
I use iPad Pro for work (use remote desktop + native apps)

The iPad works great with apps optimized for it. Using it as a Windows laptop replacement is a tough sell.

Few things I cannot do on iPad.

  • Using kb shortcuts on productivity apps like Excel.
  • Split screen limited 2 apps.
  • Can't extend the screen to a larger monitor.
  • Poorly made file explorer app.
iPad works great and uses it as a laptop replacement.
  • Consume content.
  • Create content using apps like Adobe Suite.
  • Inking with Apple Pencil like note-taking, drawing, etc.
Click to expand...
ipad pro screen works in full screen mode on external monitors - try it out
 
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