The iPad is no longer touch-only. Since Apple added support for pencil, mouse/trackpad and brought out more keyboards, the iPad is a multi-model input device.
True but it's not very good as a laptop replacement. It's much more expensive than an Air and can't run the same apps. While doing my research it seemed a lot of people either already had a laptop or preferred to have a laptop if they had to pick one.
This is coming from a Surface 5 user - I gave up eventually because it was never powerful enough, but it is a much better approach to multi-input laptop replacement since it can run anything.
It is not a laptop replacement. And apple does not design it to be one.
It's a very nice device to have next to your Mac Studio / Mac Pro to do your work while not at your desk. The creative possibilities of the iPad are spectacular. The ease of maintaining one is 100x bigger than a notebook.
it's simply another type of device, not a replacement.
> It's a very nice device to have next to your Mac Studio / Mac Pro to do your work while not at your desk.
I'm kinda curious - what does it do that my laptop can't? Am I missing out on anything by bringing a full computer with me when I have to work?
I've got an iPad (an older one) and it's just about completely useless for me. It doesn't support my file syncing app, it insists on using it's own file formats, it doesn't trust me to install apps and doesn't have enough builtin IO to charge and use a mouse at the same time. Lugging around a second Mac seems like a much more seamless experience to me.
1. Personally, an iPad for me is just another nice gadget. I'm a developer and I want my MacBook
2. The iPad has a lot of things less technical people prefer over a notebook:
2.1 - easy of / lack of - maintenance. It just works, you click the home button and it works, things are simply there
2.2 - battery life. iPad wins hands down from all other alternatives
2.3 - pencil. both for creative work as for boring office work and signing contracts
2.4 - games for the kids/pets. Roadtrip? waiting for the doctors appointment? anything? give them the iPad and have them kill time with $random thing
2.5 - support. No matter what the problem is, walk into an Apple Store and have it fixed. (I know some parts of the world have different service, but at least here in .nl its perfect)
I don't really see the iPad as a laptop replacement. My laptop (MBA) is a mobile workstation. I have a Mac Mini as a work computer, and I view my laptop as the mobile equivalent. But if I only need to consume content or do tasks like writing, drawing, or quick editing in this case, it's a suitable device. The reduced multitasking is a plus in this case, and I wish that Space and Stage Manager on the laptop were not that clunky.
N.B. I have the iPad Air 4, and it's quite light compared to the MBA. And I can use a smaller bag when going out.
