Using an iPad as the ONLY computer for home / work?

[Oric]

my experience, i have stopped taking laptops to daily business trips because of the hassle at the airports, checking e-mail through the blackberry was a very nice convenience. Now with iPad, with a proper screen and a maıl client, i have started carrying ipad everywhere I go. Only (-) point i will give is the lack of 100% MS Office compliant powerpoint. Some presentations look screwed in fonts or colors. i charge the ipad everyday because after work hours the kids play with it so it is well worth the money.

so using an ipad as the only portable office tool and playing device is OK I have 7 more computers otherwise.

 

[zerogear]

It all comes down to price and preference for sure. I switched to Mac almost a year ago and not looking back.

I switched to Mac two years ago, looked back 2 weeks after the switch and switched back.

 

[zerogear]

Yea, the iPad actually loads websites / email / PDF / word / excel much much faster than my laptop, so no complaints there. I know because I just bought it.

That's because your laptop doesn't have a SSD. My laptop loads email/websites/pdf/word much faster than the iPad.

 

[JMorton6]

No. Even if there are all the apps you need to get things done (and I don't think there are) I would never EVER put so much trust into something so focused on FUN over work.

Also, if you just use streaming sites for porn then you're screwed. No flash or anything else that makes the good sites work.

What happens when dropbox closes shop because they're losing money? What happens if they have some server issues when you need your files? You're putting all your eggs in one very new basket without considering what happens when something doesn't work right. You have many options if something goes wrong with a laptop, but very little if something goes wrong with your cloud service or ipad hardware.

If you want to make it your primary device, go ahead. But don't make it your ONLY device. Don't just ditch your laptop... you already have it so keep it. Get an ipad but at least you'll have a real computer for when (not if, but WHEN) you run into a problem, you have a backup device to use.

Thanks for the response, but I think you're being a bit negative:

1. Just because it's made by Apple, doesn't mean it's "focused on fun." If it was made by RIM, you'd say it's for business even if it was actually less functional. Marketing of a device and it's capabilities are two entirely different things.
2. Xvideos, etc, work just fine *shrug*. Also, there are browsers for iPad that enable Flash. Not a clue how they do it, but google it - works like a charm. I didn't get one because I don't need flash - it's mostly used for ads and is damn annoying and slow.
3. Dropbox will never close, and if they do they'll give people a ridiculous amount of warning (as in a year or more). But with 2 million users, they're no more likely to close than Facebook, etc. Come on, it's a gold mine!
4. A laptop is FAR (!!) more likely to break than an iPad. They're not even in the same ballpark as far as reliability goes. Also, to fix a laptop (if it's serious) is far more complicated and time-consuming than picking up a new one at the store, sending the broken one to Apple and then eBaying the replacement. Fast? Check. Guaranteed to work? Check. Free? Check. Beat that!
5. The whole point of getting it is to ditch the laptop - if I keep it, there's no point in getting the iPad. I travel a lot, and I like to travel light - small luggage with a few pairs of shirts and tops, toothbrush and hairgel and I'm ready to go to another continent. I love it. More costly equipment presents problems: in many countries, if you can't keep it close by (light shoulder bag for camera, etc) or in a hotel safe, it's as good as stolen, and the more stuff you have, the harder it is to keep it. Even 5-star hotels get broken into, and safes get jacked. Having a laptop with business files stolen would be a nightmare, but the iPad has GPS and cell tower locator, remote wipe, etc, plus all files are stored remotely and accessible with a password only. Peace of mind man.

That being said, I got the iPad earlier today and it's going great!

 

[JMorton6]

You can't do that though. You have to sync it with iTunes to update it. If you aren't using the same computer to update it that you did the first time, it will erase everything on your iPad. If you absolutely want to use an iPad as your primary computer, go out and buy yourself a cheap netbook for syncing purposes.

Fuck iTunes - I jailbroke the iPad and I'm pretty sure I can just download the firmware now.

 

[JMorton6]

my experience, i have stopped taking laptops to daily business trips because of the hassle at the airports, checking e-mail through the blackberry was a very nice convenience. Now with iPad, with a proper screen and a maıl client, i have started carrying ipad everywhere I go. Only (-) point i will give is the lack of 100% MS Office compliant powerpoint. Some presentations look screwed in fonts or colors. i charge the ipad everyday because after work hours the kids play with it so it is well worth the money.

so using an ipad as the only portable office tool and playing device is OK I have 7 more computers otherwise.

Glad to know it's working for you - I'm *LOVING* it so far! Amazing how DocsToGo saves all my Excel / Word docs right to Dropbox - talk about convenience, and I can now email my PDFs with literally one click as opposed to (on the PC) having to load my mail software, create new email, attach file, etc, etc (what a pain!). If I ever meet Steve Jobs, I'm gonna hug him, haha.. never been an Apple fan, always hated what they stood for, but wow the iPhone4 and iPad are truly some of the best (if not the best) products I've ever purchased.

 

[AnyMal]

I switched to Mac two years ago, looked back 2 weeks after the switch and switched back.

I work in IT and deal with Windows crap on daily basis, so "looking back" is not even an afterthought.

 

[Nothinman]

I've been using Apple's devices (well, phones) for years now, and nothing's ever broken on me. If the iPad does break in a year or whenever, I'll just leave all the apps to download overnight and it'll be good as new in the morning. Thanks for the heads-up though.

Will that include all of your settings as well? I'm genuinely curious because I've never owned an iOS device (and never will), just Android so I use a tool called Titanium backup to keep all of my app and OS settings backed up to my SD card.

 

[Tyranicus]

Will that include all of your settings as well? I'm genuinely curious because I've never owned an iOS device (and never will), just Android so I use a tool called Titanium backup to keep all of my app and OS settings backed up to my SD card.

No, the only way to backup settings, as far as I know, is to sync with iTunes. There may be a jailbroken app that will do it for you, but there is no other legitimate way to do it.

 

[JMorton6]

Will that include all of your settings as well? I'm genuinely curious because I've never owned an iOS device (and never will), just Android so I use a tool called Titanium backup to keep all of my app and OS settings backed up to my SD card.

Yea, but what settings - really? It takes 5-10 minutes to configure a new device, and that's assuming you want to have a custom theme, etc like me. If not then probably 2-3 minutes. I'm sure there is probably a way to do it, but it would probably take as long to back up / restore these as it would to just spend a few minutes configuring it. Also, like I said - after 3 years and multiple devices, I've never had an issue, and I'm a pig - I use em in the washroom, on sandy beaches, high humidify environments, etc.

 

[Nothinman]

Yea, but what settings - really? It takes 5-10 minutes to configure a new device, and that's assuming you want to have a custom theme, etc like me. If not then probably 2-3 minutes. I'm sure there is probably a way to do it, but it would probably take as long to back up / restore these as it would to just spend a few minutes configuring it. Also, like I said - after 3 years and multiple devices, I've never had an issue, and I'm a pig - I use em in the washroom, on sandy beaches, high humidify environments, etc.

Remembered wifi networks, individual notification settings, screen timeouts, disabling haptic feedback, keyboard settings, user dictionary, game state/scores, multiple mail accounts, passwords for things like Facebook, Pandora, etc. Maybe it's different for iOS since there's so little that's actually configurable...

 

[TheStu]

Remembered wifi networks, individual notification settings, screen timeouts, disabling haptic feedback, keyboard settings, user dictionary, game state/scores, multiple mail accounts, passwords for things like Facebook, Pandora, etc. Maybe it's different for iOS since there's so little that's actually configurable...

All of those things, save for the haptic feedback and keyboard settings (because iOS doesn't have them) would be lost in a wipe. Some of those things might get backed up by MobileMe, but I can't be certain. Syncing once a month would help alleviate it, especially since there are no OTA updates.

 

[zerogear]

I work in IT and deal with Windows crap on daily basis, so "looking back" is not even an afterthought.

Ah, I don't use Windows

 

[Nothinman]

All of those things, save for the haptic feedback and keyboard settings (because iOS doesn't have them) would be lost in a wipe. Some of those things might get backed up by MobileMe, but I can't be certain. Syncing once a month would help alleviate it, especially since there are no OTA updates.

So there's no iOS app that will backup your settings even if you're jailbroken?

 

[TheStu]

So there's no iOS app that will backup your settings even if you're jailbroken?

If you're jailbroken I really have no idea, I don't do much with jailbreaking. My current iPod Touch (nee iPhone) is jailbroken but that was mostly just for giggles.

I think part of it is because of the syncing/backup process. My roommate has had an iPhone for 2-3 years, he has never had to redo his settings because he syncs and backs up to his computer.

 

[Nothinman]

If you're jailbroken I really have no idea, I don't do much with jailbreaking. My current iPod Touch (nee iPhone) is jailbroken but that was mostly just for giggles.

I think part of it is because of the syncing/backup process. My roommate has had an iPhone for 2-3 years, he has never had to redo his settings because he syncs and backs up to his computer.

Yea, but the OP didn't want anything that requires a computer. I can boot up my Incredible to a factory reset state, tell Titanium to restore all missing apps+data and system data and be back to fully configured in a few minutes. And the backup jobs run on the phone and has Dropbox sync support too so there's no need to hook it up to a computer for that either. And I wouldn't want anything that requires iTunes anyway...

 

[TheStu]

Yea, but the OP didn't want anything that requires a computer. I can boot up my Incredible to a factory reset state, tell Titanium to restore all missing apps+data and system data and be back to fully configured in a few minutes. And the backup jobs run on the phone and has Dropbox sync support too so there's no need to hook it up to a computer for that either. And I wouldn't want anything that requires iTunes anyway...

Yea, I know that is what the OP said, I am just confirming your hunch, that there is no system-less way to do it on iOS. Apple very much made iOS to be dependant upon iTunes, and I don't know when we will see that change.

 

[zerogear]

Yea, I know that is what the OP said, I am just confirming your hunch, that there is no system-less way to do it on iOS. Apple very much made iOS to be dependant upon iTunes, and I don't know when we will see that change.

Unlikely that it'll change, because they've built a whole eco-system upon it. While there is iTunes on the device itself, it doesn't provide the same exposure as having people launch the program every time they want to sync/change something on their device. Most of the time, no matter how much I avoid it, I still end up seeing their Music/App home page before I finish syncing.

 

[bearxor]

Since I finally got the iPad in the middle of the summer, my regular laptop use has dramatically decreased. That's not to say I never use my laptop, because I do. If I had to guesstimate, I'd say it dropped by a good 95% or so.

Unfortunately, some parts of my job still entail modifying/burning disc images and some heavier net admin duties and these aren't accomplishable on the iPad. But, if I spent 100% of my time doing normal office type work, I wouldn't see a reason to have a laptop other than for backup/upgrading purposes.

4.2 has gotten us a lot closer to our "computer-free" future. So much so that I would say iPad with 3.2 felt more like a beta than it did a finished product.

I firmly, FIRMLY believe that the ultra-vast majority of people will be using simple slate-like devices by 2015 and traditional computers or laptops will become almost extinct, regulated to corners of homes for games or for the kids to use while supervised and for companies whom might need them for various things. I mean, in my experience, most companies are phasing out desktops anyways in favor of thin clients that are just running CE.

We'll get there, but not quite yet. And whether or not Apple continues to dominate in this market past the next year is COMPLETELY up to them. They need to blur the line even further between a traditional computer and an iPad. Open the iPad up and let us do some things on it that you might not accept on phones, rather than stringent rules that apply to both devices.

This ball is definitely in Apple's court.

 

[TheStu]

Unlikely that it'll change, because they've built a whole eco-system upon it. While there is iTunes on the device itself, it doesn't provide the same exposure as having people launch the program every time they want to sync/change something on their device. Most of the time, no matter how much I avoid it, I still end up seeing their Music/App home page before I finish syncing.

They could move to wireless syncing, and after that move could then just let a person type in their MobileMe credentials and have all that stuff get downloaded. I didn't need a computer to get my WinMoPho working, though I did if I wanted to put music on it.

 

[JMorton6]

If you're jailbroken I really have no idea, I don't do much with jailbreaking. My current iPod Touch (nee iPhone) is jailbroken but that was mostly just for giggles.

I think part of it is because of the syncing/backup process. My roommate has had an iPhone for 2-3 years, he has never had to redo his settings because he syncs and backs up to his computer.

I'm sure there are like 87 apps for jailbroken phones that do that. Just check a specialized forum.

 

[Nothinman]

I'm sure there are like 87 apps for jailbroken phones that do that. Just check a specialized forum.

But have you actually checked? Being sure about something doesn't automatically make you right...

 

[JMorton6]

But have you actually checked? Being sure about something doesn't automatically make you right...

No because I don't need it, but I think it's a safe guess considering that there are literally dozens of apps that do any stupid thing imaginable, including stuff you'd think no one would ever need, so surely there's a ton of em that handle a vital function like back up.

 

[zerogear]

No because I don't need it, but I think it's a safe guess considering that there are literally dozens of apps that do any stupid thing imaginable, including stuff you'd think no one would ever need, so surely there's a ton of em that handle a vital function like back up.

The backup function for JB'd device exists, but what it does is create a backup of your settings to be also backuped via Sync function on iTunes. That way if/when your iPad/iPhone dies, you can restore the backup and then restore the settings via that program. So no, there is nothing that isn't dependent on a PC as a lifeline

 

[Eug]

I've been using Apple's devices (well, phones) for years now, and nothing's ever broken on me. If the iPad does break in a year or whenever, I'll just leave all the apps to download overnight and it'll be good as new in the morning. Thanks for the heads-up though.

I'm a very big Apple fan (see my sig), but that also means I have a LOT of experience with Apple hardware. They break lots, trust me.

In fact, I've been out my iMac for 2 months as it's been going through the repair --> replace --> replace again process and I finally got the phone call telling me it's now ready to take home.

And even ignoring the settings, don't forget you'd lose some of your personal data/info from the iPad too unless you had sync'd it somewhere.

my experience, i have stopped taking laptops to daily business trips because of the hassle at the airports, checking e-mail through the blackberry was a very nice convenience. Now with iPad, with a proper screen and a maıl client, i have started carrying ipad everywhere I go. Only (-) point i will give is the lack of 100% MS Office compliant powerpoint. Some presentations look screwed in fonts or colors. i charge the ipad everyday because after work hours the kids play with it so it is well worth the money.

so using an ipad as the only portable office tool and playing device is OK I have 7 more computers otherwise.

I largely have stopped taking my 13" MacBook Pro unless I specifically need Keynote or something. Instead I take a 11" Windows 7 netbook with dual-core Core 2 class CPU, which has better battery life and of course MS Office as well. The iPad would be wholly inadequate. I had considered one as a coffee table surfer, but my GF likes Flash videos so for now it's not a great option. That's changing now though, as a lot of sites are starting to support the iPad much better... so I may get an iPad 2.

BTW, I noticed a few of my colleagues bought iPads as soon as they came out. A couple of them tried taking just the iPad around to meetings. Now I see them with BOTH their iPads and MacBook Pros, or else just the latter. Unfortunately, as they've learned, iPads really aren't very good productivity devices (yet).