iPad as sole computer

[Dendy Jarrett]

Funny- There is mention above about the lack of the ability to burn DVD's, CD's or Blu-Ray.
I just purchased my new retina display iPad this past week, and took a long look at the new Retina Display Mac Book Pro.
NO drives at all. All-Flash storage.
I believe you are seeing the end of the era of CD's and DVDs. I predict that in the next two years everything will be cloud based streaming.
I think all of your storage will be cloud based as well.
We that have been Mac "geeks" have grow used to speed based on storage capacity and the like. I think that we are embarking on a new era of compression that will not degrade quality and once arrived at the other end, can be restored to full file size after "transport".

Also, I have seen two friends that have "hacked" their iPads and run the full blown OSX (snow leopard) on their iPads. Color me stunned. Of course they voided their warranty by doing so ... but hey, who cares!

D

 

[nutpantz]

It never ceases to amaze me that after centuries of fighting to share information and to build personal libraries, after gaining the personal computing power to put a man on mars at the same time the space at home to hold the entire written works of man....
People give it all up for the convenience on holding something in their hand that is flashy like a shiny rock...

people wonder why natives all over the world have up land for shiny rocks and fancy promises.
He who forgets history repeats it.

 

[Chazz Layne]

It never ceases to amaze me that after centuries of fighting to share information and to build personal libraries, after gaining the personal computing power to put a man on mars at the same time the space at home to hold the entire written works of man....
People give it all up for the convenience on holding something in their hand that is flashy like a shiny rock...

people wonder why natives all over the world have up land for shiny rocks and fancy promises.
He who forgets history repeats it.

Odd that you would go through the trouble of registering to post that. The debate here is if one can do the same (or more), with less hardware. I don't disagree on the point you are making, but I don't see how it applies in a conversation that, if anything, is in support of the free sharing of information (preaching to the choir?). In fact, I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone in this community willing to "give up their land" for a shiny iPad.

 

[NothingClever]

iPads are the new knee-boards for R/W pilots.

 

[Frank]

Chaz, not sure if you took my post wrong, if I came across wrong or if you did understand me. I love my iPad. I'm on it right now. I spend at least an hour on it every day. Email, periodicals, social media, forums, eBay, YouTube, research...all of these things are amazing on my iPad. I wouldn't want to do these things on a laptop with my iPad at my hands.

Maybe with more time I will have a little better feel for using it solely, but as of right now, for me, using it as my computer for writing has proven to be very time consuming and inefficient. If I wasn't in grad school, I would use my iPad 100% of the time. (8 weeks between undergrad and grad school I never touched my computer)

Just my opinion, that's all. Glad it's worked out great for you!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[some_dude]

I like my iPad but I consider it to be part of a suite (iPhone, iPad, MacBook Pro). When I travel I input ideas/data into my iPhone due to its 'always in my pocket' convenience, then edit/expand that information/idea when I have time to sit down at my laptop.

The iPad for me is the intermediate device. Easier to travel with than a laptop with a bigger display and typically more robust apps than my iPhone but not as portable as an iPhone and painfully slow when it comes to productivity.

That said, the iPad has become my go-to social media device and I'll frequently be using iPad apps to interact with the Internet while editing on my laptop.

For me the limitation is that iOS just not that efficient as a multi-tasking platform. Common editing is slow and tedious compared to using a keyboard and mouse and the device itself doesn't have the processing power or resolution of a laptop.

In the end it comes down to what your requirements are. My wife could probably use an iPad as her sole "computer", but for me it's not quite there yet.

 

[RiverCityDave]

Funny- There is mention above about the lack of the ability to burn DVD's, CD's or Blu-Ray.
I just purchased my new retina display iPad this past week, and took a long look at the new Retina Display Mac Book Pro.
NO drives at all. All-Flash storage.
I believe you are seeing the end of the era of CD's and DVDs. I predict that in the next two years everything will be cloud based streaming.
I think all of your storage will be cloud based as well.
We that have been Mac "geeks" have grow used to speed based on storage capacity and the like. I think that we are embarking on a new era of compression that will not degrade quality and once arrived at the other end, can be restored to full file size after "transport".

Also, I have seen two friends that have "hacked" their iPads and run the full blown OSX (snow leopard) on their iPads. Color me stunned. Of course they voided their warranty by doing so ... but hey, who cares!

D

I called the death of the CD/DVD several yeas ago. It exists today, merely as a way to exercise some sort of control on the distribution of media. Networks, in particularly THE network is so fast for most people, that its a waste of time to deal with hard media. Im of course speaking on the "civilized world". My kids almost NEVER actually get out a Disc anymore. They hit netflix, or on demand and watch what they want. As the cloud as a whole expands, there will simply be no need for connected users to own physical media.

Now, that brings up something I think about now and again, consider that when the Avengers was released, netflix dropped all the "supporting movies" like Iron man, Captain America, etc. This is external control. You cant blame them, they exist to make a dollar, but it brings up some interesting concerns.

In any case, I think the ipad is a generation or two away from replacing other types of mobile computers. There will always be "old folks" who cling to their clam shells, but in general, they are going to fade as the Desktop has. My MBP is 3 1/2 years old (1st uni body release), and only recently have I begun to want a new one. Im a power user, I have upgraded the RAM and hard drive several times in mine, and everything still works flawlessly despite 18 months in Afghanistan, and not exactly treating it with kid gloves here in the states. So since I've been considering it, Ive been wondering, do I NEED a new one? The answer I've come to is no. I am buying an Ipad 3, and keeping this around for when I need it. The only things I use it for are big photo edits as Chazz said earlier, and some multi tasking. My kids use FAR more than I do, and I often have to fight them for it since its apparently the "BEST PLATFORM FOR MINECRAFT!!!" in the house. WHen they use the net, they use one of our existing ipads.

My current COA is Ipad 3 in October, probably Retina MBP in March. Its funny, the things Ive gotten used to on the ipad, that I use an app for, I find myself fumbling around on my mac with the next time I use it, since there isnt an "app" and I have to use the browser.

 

[Frank]

In the end it comes down to what your requirements are. My wife could probably use an iPad as her sole "computer", but for me it's not quite there yet.

Thank you for summing up my thoughts, again!

My wife uses her Nook at home, her PC at work. Had the anticipated "iPad Mini" been available a year ago, I would not have boughten her a Nook! She says the iPad is too big and loves the size of her Nook.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Voodoo Blue 57]

I think the answer to the OP depends on what you want to do. The iPad can not replace the laptop or desktop if you are doing multitasking, graphic design, etc. But if you want something to search the web, read and answer email, etc then the iPad works fine.
I like traveling with the iPad. It is lighter and you can leave in in your backpack or bag unlike a laptop, and 80% of the time it handles everything I need to do.

As far as flash is concerned, most of the good designers, manufactures, or companies give you the option to view either Flash or HTML. I've found that "generally" if something is in Flash only then it is probable too old for my needs.

 

[Frank]

MBA on the way

 

[haven]

The thing I miss on the iPad is a split screen view of two apps, usually a web browser and a text editor. This feature is being promoted on Samsung's new 10 inch tablet.

 

[off-roader]

I called the death of the CD/DVD several yeas ago. It exists today, merely as a way to exercise some sort of control on the distribution of media.

I don't know about you but every time I download a new 2GB update of Scenic Maps, I wish INTENSELY for ipad DVD support.