Ipad as computer replacement?

[tomarseneault]

For school there are two issues, in class device and course work device. For an in class device an IPad is idea, Long battery life, light weight, small form factor and Internet ready. note taking is a breeze either by screen keyboard, external kb, or by stylus. And the browser is good enough for better than 90% of what you may need (in my current on line course there is one page that will just not format in a useable way). One note I would make is if you decide to go with an external kb, shop around and get a good one. The two I bought, though easy to carry are a pain to type on. Get one you can use an will love you long time.

For class work, it may suffice for lower division undergrad work. Pages is fine for Papers and I have found many high end calculators for all you math and science needs. My degree was very technical and many of the applications I needed were not available on the IPad, at least not to the complexity needed. Also I found pages lacking for term papers. Though you could do them you had to jump through hoops to get the right formatting (new formatting standards bring adopted by many schools are making that less of a hassle).

Numbers I have found lacking even for simple spread sheets.

Flash, want to avoid any religious debate here but one set of classes I use require Flash. So IPad is useless for those classes. They are on line courses.

For upper division work and graduate work a desk top/laptop is required. Unfortunately a Win pc is need many times.

 

[JockeyStrap]

my ipad has completely replaced my laptop, for what i was using the laptop for, i can do it more quickly on the ipad, so i sold the laptop

 

[quake5254]

There are still a lot of things I can do with a laptop over iPad.

 

[birdydon]

Yes. What you need to do is to set up a "server" on your desktop machine for a popular file sharing protocol such as FTP or WebDAV. Following that, you can install an iOS client. WebDAVNav+, for example, can be used for a WebDAV server. A little Googling should show you how to set one up. If you need to transfer files only from your desktop to your iPad, an app like Air Ransfer Pro will do the job nicely. Also consider GoodReader which will connect to many kind of servers.

 

[HappyPelican]

I very rarely use my laptop anymore. I've found I'm able to do about 98% of what I need on my iPad. There are two websites I use which require me to use my laptop because for some odd reason, the bill pay screen I need simply won't open on my iPad and unfortunately I have to pay my bills

 

[Luber905]

I've *almost* completely abandoned my old BlackBook. love the thing, have done so ever since I bought it. But it's so much simpler, faster, more convenient, nicer to work on the iPad. I do have a ZaggFolio Bluetooth keyboard case which is a necessity at times but the ipad outshines the laptop by light years.

 

[GaryRea]

Well, I'm a PC, so I have a slight bias, but, even if I were using a Mac, I would still say there are certain things I would want either a laptop or desktop for. The virtual keyboard in the iPad is a pain in the ass, for one thing, and I'm seriously considering getting a physical keyboard add-on. Other than that and some possible screen size issues with certain types of apps, I think the iPad could be a replacement for a laptop or desktop, with some adjustment.

 

[coolstuffs]

I have the Ipad but I still could not find any reason or justification why I should replace my computers with it.

 

[dhevans_6]

I have to say after having my new MacBook air for two weeks I could do without the iPad and stick with the MacBook.

The iPad is king at consuming content, and you can't turn a MacBook to portrait, but if I had to choose between them, I think it would be the mac for me. it's just more versatile and I don't see the 11" screen being too small (it has a 24" monitor to hook up to if need the real estate).

I am however lucky in that I can own both, but won't be so stoked to now rush out and replace the iPad when the next version comes out!

 

[AQ_OC]

It really depends on who you are. If I were retired, for example, an iPad w/ BT kb might be fine. But I do too many different and demanding things to depend on an iPad alone. But it can do a surprising amount of things that used to be the domain of standard computers.

 

[derina]

Quite a few colleges have gone tablet. So is yours one of them. I know you can get quite a few textbooks through the apps(not sure of the names). I know of a couple of colleges in Arizona,California,Florida. They require a wireless keyboard and some note taking apps. The professors have you email the papers though pages app.


A friend of mine is going to a Christian college, and that is what she needed. She bought the 64 iPad and just syncs her work to her iCloud account.

 

[quake5254]

Sounds interesting. No more books to carry. I just wonder how easy would it be to cross reference.

 

[janner43]

We took early retirement a few years back & are fully "post PC". Everything we do or need to do is done on tablets

Android to start with, about to buy a new iPad -

 

[AdmiralAdama]

We took early retirement a few years back & are fully "post PC". Everything we do or need to do is done on tablets

Android to start with, about to buy a new iPad -

Heading there myself. Not the retirement part but
a house without a PC.

AA

Sent from my iPhone using iPF

 

[Pinkpoison]

i have to say yet again,as much as i love my ipad it could never replace my MacBook Pro.