Has anyone here gone “full iPad”?

[Bikerjon]

I’ve been a fan of iPads for certain tasks for years, but being a multiple Mac user I’ve never felt the need to actually go and buy one. This may be changing. I feel a strong desire to simplify my main setup and buy an iPad Pro, hook it up to a big screen and try using it as a desktop. I could get the magic keyboard for using in Laptop mode and then I can easily remove it to become a tablet. Essentially I'd have one device for 3 different uses/modes.

Just interested if anyone here has gone this route? Most of the software I use these days is either web or app driven, with the remainder being provided free by Apple for word processing, email, photos etc. I know there will be some pitfalls and it’s not by any means a cheap option, but the simplicity of it all has got me thinking.

[somouk]

I haven't but have tried to, the iPad struggled with the basics like word docs that have fillable fields and file management is a pain.

I'll likely be ditching the iPad pro in favour of an new macbook air unless something amazing happens when an iPad refresh comes around.

You'll also need to make sure it is a newer M1 iPad if you intend to use the big screen features as shown off at WWDC as part of iPad OS 16.

[Bikerjon]

Yeah it would definitely be an M1 iPad. I haven't got round to watching WWDC yet but assume they've sorted or improved external displays with the new OS. My word processing needs are basic. To be honest I didn't even renew my 365 subscription this year as I barely use any MS software now and can get by quite happily with Apple Apps or Google Docs.

I suppose some of my thinking is being driven by the unstoppable march of "Apps". If I buy a new product/gadget/service it's more likely to come with an App than regular desktop software - meaning I'm reaching for my phone more often than my laptop.

[somouk]

Apple M1 laptops can also run the app you would have installed on your phone or iPad... yet with all the functions of the laptop and Mac OS in the background.

Something to consider.

Well worth watching the WWDC presentation on iPad OS 16. New iPads will also be announced in September so depending on how performance worried you are, they will no doubt release an M2 one then.

[Narcisus]

Yes I have 12.9’ Pro with a magic keyboard and Mouse although I mainly use the trackpad on the keyboard.

Replaced my 17’ i7 XPS laptop I use it for the Adobe suit of apps mainly Photoshop, Lightroom and Prem. Google apps etc.

Don’t miss the laptop at all.

[robsa]

As others have said, I tried but couldn't manage it, the limitations drove me nuts. Cut down software and no proper file system or file browser just made it a huge pain to do anything fairly simple involving moving or searching for files. Don't get me wrong, the 12.9" iPad Pro is an amazing bit of kit and superb for drawing and media consumption, but even for something as simple as using it as a word processor I found it not great and frustrating, even with the outrageously expensive and heavy Apple keyboard.

[tim0409]

I have an M1 iPad and MBA and couldn’t manage with just the iPad; as has been mentioned, unless they put some serious effort into iPad OS to utilise the great hardware it will always be lacking.

It’s daft things like trying to copy a large amount of text from a website; it just wouldn’t work so I had to reach for my Mac.

[wyson]

iPad is ripe for this. Connect a screen. Mac OS UI and software pop up. Use it as a tablet, iPad OS UI and software come into effect.

I bet they are testing this right now at Apple, including on the iPhone. Would be so great. I think they are the only firm with feet properly in all Desktop / Laptop / Mobile device camps. Now unified with Apple Silicone, there isn’t a technical reason why they can’t.

[paulrockliffe]

I have a PC so I'm not reliant on my tablet as an only device, but I do use a tablet as a laptop replacement. It's the Samsung S8 Ultra, which has both Android and Samsung Dex, so it works really well as a laptop too.

What I would say is that it works great overall, but I do have a few use-cases where there isn't a mobile app equivalent and to get around that I setup a Windows 11 Virtual Machine on my Server and use RDP to put Windows on the device if I need to. That sounds really clunky, but it works surprisingly well, when you connect you wouldn't know you weren't in Windows. You can do the VM thing with Apple OS too if you have something that will run a VM for you.

I think if you use it that way in anger you'll find loads of annoying things that get in your way. That's fine if you can leave it till you get home and deal with it on another machine, but if you can't it's a pain, but really depends what you're actually doing.

[Bikerjon]

wyson said:

iPad is ripe for this. Connect a screen. Mac OS UI and software pop up. Use it as a tablet, iPad OS UI and software come into effect.

I bet they are testing this right now at Apple, including on the iPhone. Would be so great. I think they are the only firm with feet properly in all Desktop / Laptop / Mobile device camps. Now unified with Apple Silicone, there isn’t a technical reason why they can’t.

In my eyes that would be overcomplicating things - something I'm keen to avoid. However I do agree that some people would find this a great solution, particularly as there are already signs of convergence between iOS and MacOS.

Thanks for the other comments. File management seems to be a common complaint so I'll look into that. I do have access to other machines so I'd never be left high and dry if I were to take the plunge.