Do you think an iPad is a good replacement for a personal computer?
I have been considering trading out my 2013 MacBook Pro for an iPad (probably a pro with a magic keyboard) to replace it for daily use. The only thing I really do with my personal computer is watch YouTube, movies, and surf the web. How do people feel about this? Has anyone done this?
For consuming content as you describe, tablet is fine.
For the stuff you’re describing, I think it would work. You should get a keyboard and mouse if it is going to replace your personal laptop completely. It’s difficult to use an iPad only for editing spreadsheets, docs, etc.
Why trade? You will not get much. I have a 2015 pro… I’m gonna buy the 2020 air
The iPad is cheaper and more portable is my my main reasoning. Not to mention the ability to use it as a tablet for consuming media is nice in certain settings.
I have an iPhone 11 Pro Max.. I watch shows on it when I’m traveling… the size and weight increase of the iPad just didn’t get balanced out by the increase in screen size. My wife uses an iPad so it’s personal preferences at the end of the day. Also she Carrie’s a handbag which can hold an iPad while I only have my pockets
“Should I trade in my car for a go cart because I only drive the speed limit?”
While I understand your general sentiment I don’t think this is the best comparison. Maybe if you said car vs golf cart and I said my only use case was to drive it around my neighborhood? Idk just having fun with the idea haha
Lol, You clearly do the overthinking thing a lot.
I traded in my old MacBook and got an ipad about 3 months ago. Typing emails is somewhat painful, even with a Logitech keyboard--it's kind of cramped and not very ergonomic. It work well though, for YouTube and reading and general web surfing. I can code on it with the a-shell app but that's kind of painful. In the end, the only thing I end up using my work computer for outside of work is leetcode.
Thanks for your insight! Yeah, I figured typing would be slightly more difficult, but if I ever found myself typing a lot at home I could just plug in a full sized keyboard right?
Yeah Bluetooth keyboards work, haven't tried a wired one yet
The only downside I see is in the future if you want to do more with personal laptop you will have to buy one. As long as you don’t want to do more in the next 3-4 years iPad should be fine.
That is my reasoning pretty much. I don’t really program much anymore on my free time.
Sure, couple of years back I was in the same dilemma to I choose between laptop or iPad. But personally I choose a PC. I felt the cost difference vs the probability of me wanting to do more later, curve showed more roi on the laptop side than on the iPad. I wanted to look it from objective and rational POV and separate emotion. So I can later add in the emotional weightage. And I knew with iPad I was emotionally leaning towards it, so I was making a rational argument out of it to justify iPad over laptop. So by taking the emotion out I know which has more roi objectively. Once I had the results and added in the emotion. That emotion was not strong enough. I wanted iPad because back then in flights I see lot of people holding iPads and doing different things, mostly games. I thought it was cool and I wanted to have it for me. When I realised this the decision was clear. Do I want that enough, if yes iPad if not laptop. So figure your thing out. 😊
iPad can be used for everything (except code): Watch movies, take notes, presentation, games, net, etc If you don’t need to code/type much, iPad is a better choice.
If I could go back - I’d get a MacBook Air/pro instead tbh. I don’t use the pencil nearly as much as I thought I would.
iPad + PlayStation