A Serious Talk about iPads. 

I think we need to shift the conversation about iPads towards the fact that for 85% of all iPad users, the 10th gen iPad will do everything they could ever want to do with the the iPad. And for the remaining 15%, an M1 iPad Air would do the rest. The iPad pros are what keep the conversation centered on the iPad as a laptop replacement, with its vastly overpowered hardware for what the software supports. Probably 1% of users would actually ever need an iPad Pro, even users in the “iPad Nirvana” group.

This is where I finally landed. I’ve had them since the beginning and when I had my 12.9 M2 with 1TB and a Magic Keyboard and all these accessories I finally realized it was never going to be a Mac. So I sold it all. And i went without for a few months. I missed it for a few things so I waited until the M4 was announced. I bought an 11” Pro, a Smart Folio case, and the new Pencil. Now I only use it for drawing, editing in Lightroom, and media consumption.

I lost it when I saw Christopher Lawley among the nouns 🤣

My main issue (and I say this as an owner of the full iPad Pro experience) is that it is a more limited device that costs waaaaaaay more to buy as a package than a Mac does. I used an iPad as my only computer for a year and then got an m3 pro MacBook and I think the iPad for me is now mostly just an entertainment device.

A Swiss Army knife is not supposed to replace a butcher knife. They are tools for different purposes. If you can only buy one, get the one that fits your needs the best. Personally, I have an iPad and a Mac. Apple said that half of the Mac owners also have an iPad, so this is fairly common. It should be mentioned that iPad sells somewhere between double and triple the number of Macs in a given period, so more people are reaching for iPads than Macs. Of course, a good deal of people use Windows with iPads, so it fills more roles than the Mac.

Video was BANG on Tom. The "Instant" factor is 100% my go-to ipad use haha. My ipad is keeping my channel afloat haha. Happy to be featured.

"Artists Specific Users Students Christopher Lawley" If CL doesn't make a shirt, he's missing a massive opportunity

I really appreciate your illuminating discussion! I'm a visual artist & writer-both verbal & nonverbal in my creativity. I also do a lot of pnline political activism. I would say that since getting the 2024 13" M4, I'm definitely sliding into iPad Nirvana. I am blown away by the deep blacks & vivid true colors of the OLED screen, the Apple Pencil Pro is an astonishingly well-designed device, & there are so many software innovations for multitasking, multiple windows, shortcuts, accessibility... the list goes on & on. I'm an older gal, nearly 70, but I have so much creative work ahead of me now that I have the right tools. My journey with computers started all the way back in the mid-1960s. I was a computer geek before that term existed, learned to code in multiple languages, etc., etc. I got my first desktop computer in 1987. I've had desktops & laptops running MS-DOS, Windows, Linux & MacOS operating systems. (Unix, then Linux, then Ubuntu, were my faves. They are the most flexible by far & best supported by a dynamic community that shares oodles of free software.) For me the huge inflection point was in 2011, when I got my first iPad-the iPad 2. I got it sort of as a toy, to make non-serious art on (my serious art is not digital), but almost instantly, much to my surprise, it became all the computer I needed. After the iPad 2, I had two successive iPad Airs. I never needed or wanted an external keyboard, because I got so adept at writing with a stylus on the iPad on-screen keyboard, I wrote a whole fat book that way, on my very first iPad. I could rave on & on about how & why iPads have changed my life, but the key feature they've had from the get go is portability. I am totally addicted to being able to walk about with my iPad in my left hand, my stylus/pencil in my right hand, sit anywhere I want with a big fluffly cat in my lap, be utterly free of having to sit at a desk or a table. My iPad fits nto that delightful niche previously occupied by paper journals & sketch books. And my iPad was an absolute life saver 5 years ago, when I had severe trauma to my legs, necessitating multiple painful surgeries & a long stay in rehab. I was able to watch movies, make art & write up a storm while utterly immobilized for months in a hospital bed. I know that as I get older & begin to have vision &/or hearing issues, my iPad will be able to keep me happy & stimulated until the day I die. I fully expect to record my last words on Earth, to make my last doodles & photos, on my trusty iPad.

I appreciate your candid thoughts. For me my iPad will always be a companion device to my M3 Pro MBP 14.

Christopher Lawly made a massive video about iPad keyboard. And it got me. I have seen a level of emptiness that cannot be recaptured. It's so bad, yet so wonderful.

You absolutely nailed it. You simply have to stop thinking replacing your mac with an iPad and baaaaam you are really enjoying the experience... But then you are maybe thinking of switching to the 11‘‘. This is what I will do now. Do you also have those thoughts?

My ipad pro 12.9 has been my only device for the last 7 years. No keyboard, no stand. I type on the screen using the smart cover. I do have the pencil and the logi mouse. The “instant” adjective is wonderfully spot on, and also the flexibility one, I can work wherever never needing a desk. I think Its time we understand that just like a gaming pc wont be what the iphone is and viceversa, the ipad is its own device , not a laptop. Because I really want apple to take the ipad further instead of trying to make it into a clunky laptop. We have those, the air is wonderful. So I want a better ipad to continue having a great ipad experience. Thanks for the awesome video

The instant thing is so true, I find myself grabbing my (genuinely great) iPad mini 6 for basically *everything* at school or when needing to note take seriously

That’s an excellent video. Me as an artist, I use the iPad pretty much every day. I do have a Mac because I still need it for some specific tasks but the iPad is pretty much everything I need today

there are two types of ipad users: artists and everyone else. everyone else doesn't need the latest and greatest. and most artists don't even need the latest.

This is why the best companion is the IPad mini because most people use it for content consumption and then leave the MacBook for actual work, just hoping to see the iPad mini with OLED in the future and that will be game over

That bottle funneling is the best explanation to end this endless debate of "can ipad replace MacBook".. From the steve job first ipad presentation it was clearly stated that ipad sit between iphone and mac..so it's really depends on how each people daily use and how far they can "tolerate" less convenient usage or alternative apps if the want to blend iphone and mac into single device ipad..

👀

The iPad Pro in general is overextending its main purpose as a device that only really tailors to artists (even in that case, the air is a great device even glancing over the refresh rate) and people with a specific workflow. Imo, Apple should really focus really on the IPad Air and bring in a broader audience if they don’t even want to bulge over bringing over the laptop experience while having touch and Apple Pencil support.

Your thoughts are the same as mine. Truly disappointed in iPadOS 18 (running the beta). The hardware is amazing, but you'd be fine with a M1 iPad Pro. There's literally no advantage to getting the M4 like we had hoped there might be.

Probably one of your most thoughtful and conceptually accurate videos I've seen. If one compares the iPad to a Macbook then the stand-out benefits of the iPad are: 1. Smaller more "pick-me-up" size = more convenient to use and carry around ie more portable and more ergonomic eg it extends use-cases: I never used to read books on laptop and now my iPad is full of my kindle library (cookbooks, manga, novels, manuals and more). This is in reference to 11"/460g. 2. Responsiveness is critical to reducing inertia and "getting things done" as you pointed out: The Instant Apps on/off wake-up device switch apps means it's really breezy to do simple tasks and switch tasks. 3. Your funnel diagram captured 100% my own concept of the benefit of the iPad vs it's limitations: - 80% of general or useful computing can be done on iPad eg email, phone, view media, web surf, look-up (AI apps), maps or even gaming with controller and cloud service etc - +10% of extended use eg writing, drawing, reading books you'd not normally do on a laptop - -10% Specialist Uses for Productivity you CANNOT do on the iPad and resort to full desktop-OS for is equivalent to the Thorn In The Lion's Paw: It's excruciating despite how "apparently" small a problem it may appear to be! This was my own thoughts before your superior representation of the funnel-diagram with equally accurate Christopher Langley in iPad Nirvana (lol). So far I've found, the best extensibility software for iPad for Productivity = REMOTE DESKTOP Using RDP/VNC + iPad + Network + Computer + External monitor and keyboard/mouse you can effectively run productive stuff using spare peripherals if available or just your iPad screen if commuting and internet connection. Not ideal but does work. And atm battery life is a bit of a limitation with this set-up for longer than 6-8 hours. Until that gap in the funnel is resolved eg new iPad Category by Apple, then this is the current last piece in the iPad jigsaw that takes the Thorn out of the Lion's Paw so to speak and provides some relief.

I’ve heard from other creators that the iPad isn’t about replacing your laptop, it’s about doing a lot of things in one thine ‘piece of glass’, or the *versatility* of the iPad. You can type away on a script on and iPad and Mac with ease, you can edit a video on iPad, Mac and iPhone, you can also do prototyping on a Mac or iPad, and you can draw on iPad and iPhone. Notice that in all of the examples, the iPad is mentioned in all of them. That’s how versatile the iPad is. And it can even get your ideas quicker. You can prototype an app on both iPad and Mac (on Figma or Sketch), but you can put down your idea on iPad easily compared to the Mac, where you need to think about the nitty gritty details (think iPad’s Freeform as Figma but you draw out your ideas, and that’s just one part of Freeform!) As for how the iPad can get Mac-y features, honesty I couldn’t find any significant parts where features from the Mac need to be ported to iPad (pre WWDC thought, windows snapping should be on iPad though) And as for the graph on 8:20, I wonder how we can widen up the funnel bottleneck. iPads aside, this is another great video from Tom! Thanks, you’re the best!

Appreciate the shoutout to Lumafusion, I edit videos for a channel with 50k+ subs entirely on that software and it only gets better. Love your content Tom, keep it up!

Hey Tom, thank you so much for the video. I think you have nailed it with the diagram. For a long time I’ve been trying to replace my MBP for an iPad Pro, but I’ve realized that the iPad still has that friction for creators (video editor’s mainly), that I prefer to stick with a Mac. Anyway, since the iPad Pro M4 has come out, I’ve been using it more and more, and now I only use the Mac for editing and the rest of my workflow I do it naturally with the iPad. This thing has “that something” that you you want to invest more time into it, or at least is how I’m feeling it lately. Anyway, good video Tom (as always!)

I was tempted to buy an M4 iPad but I only use my 2021 iPad Pro for RU-vid, browsing and email. So, I bought a new case for my old device and now I feel good!

Great video. I believe labeling the iPads as “instant machines” is on point. Since touch is the primary interface for the devices, things responding as soon as you interact with them is a very important part of the experience. Due to this, it is important for the iPads to be “overpowered” so they can continue to perform tasks quickly for years. This also means that apps will have to consider snappiness and may need to reduce complexity to run according to that expectation. MacBooks are a bit different since we are used to (or at least tolerate) having loading times. The M series was a game changer in that regard, but factors like RAM and memory speed are still very important between SKUs. The suggested RAM amount for MacBooks these days is at least 16GB, for example, with 8GB machines getting severely hindered if you push them hard enough. In contrast, even professionals can work on base-level 8GB iPad Pros with barely any differences from the 16GB variant. I believe Apple knows and embraces this distinction, which is why the MacBook doesn’t have Face ID, a camera, and other “instant” features that the iPad has. If you want more “instant” experiences, Apple sells the iPad. TLDR: Awesome video. I believe your perspective will remain relevant as long as Apple continues to sell both iPad and MacBook devices.

being an entrepreneur as well as a college student, my iPad Pro has been the ultimate versatile multitasker ever since the launch of iPad Pro 3rd gen in 2018 I can definitely say that I belong to one of the few iPad nirvanas out there

Let's not kid ourselves, however "media" spins this such as here, ipad was media consumption machine for most and maybe a art device too now. that's really it. People argue over this because it could be much more. I mean look at the disaster that is file management...

Great point about how MacBooks have improved since the first two iPad Pros came out. The shift to M1 moved more of my work from iPad and onto the MacBook as well. Hadn’t thought about that…

Another great video! You hit the nail on the head. I do love being able to go wherever I want and still be able to use FCP on my iPad. While I would love it if I could replace my MacBook I can’t, but that’s ok. Each device has its own purpose.

Not even once I heard on all reviews of IPads before I bought my m2 last year, about file app and audio files. My plan was to get external monitor and use only iPad, but as with my purchases of CDs and vinyls I receive digital versions I realised I can not even make a playlist and listen whole album. I need to click every song separately once selected song is finish… that’s the problem for me, I can’t plug in cd player (even from Apple) and to add my music from files to music app i need laptop (Windows or Mac) and iTunes. Disaster.

That’s a pretty fair review. As I have stated before, I run a law firm. I use my iPad Pro M4 for all my administrative tasks. And my MacBook Air mostly for Microsoft office.

Just discovered you on RU-vid. Great vid, content - my MacBook Air got to old so replaced it with my iPad M4 - I don’t own a laptop at this point and honestly it’s working well.

I own a macbook air and an iPad and love both, but definetly the macbook is AWESOME. Even for media consumption, I prefer use the macbook: super light, better quality image, bigger, mindbloqing battery life, etc. But, I ABSOLUTELY love to take notes and to study in my iPad

I think Apple was banking on applications to focus more on the mobile experience and less on the desktop and laptop experience. it's slowly starting to happen but unfortunately, isn't there yet. One big hurdle is definitely how much of a % apple gets from App Store downloads so it's a bit of a weird double edge sword. keep iPad OS and reduce the % intake so developers can focus on that transition or keep things the same and have users and developers stay on Mac because of the limitations.

Your views are spot on! I would love to use the iPad as my only computing device, but it really frustrates me that even though it has a more powerful processor than my Mac, some of the main apps I use (Notion, Word, Excel) don’t offer the same functionality as the laptop version

I am a student and I love my iPad! Its great for taking notes. Buuuut as a Student I have to write a lot of scientific essays. And that is not possible on the iPad because writing programs are so bad. Now you can say try it and get used to it. But even then I need special apps for citation. I need apps to do statistic tests and so on. If you just write a literature based paper it would work but it would be a pain. But if you have to do your own research you cant write a paper just with your iPad. And then you need a second device as a student which comes with extra costs.

This title 🔥 very interested in this perspective right now. Feel like we are at a bit of an important point in time for the iPad but still nothing happened with the software in terms of using all the powers…. Watching now 🤓☕️

My problem with the iPad is that it’s treated as a tablet and not a keyboard-less MacBook. The hardware is much more powerful than the software.

The only reason I bought an ipad pro is for illustration purposes. Mac can't do that. Other than that, I mostly use it as an overpriced entertainment device, and I still do most of my editing work on a computer. Great video Tom, new sub!

This is a great video. I have gone back and forth on my setup so many times. As of now though, I use an M2 Pro Mac Mini paired with a Studio Display for video editing and intensive tasks at home. I use the 11 inch M4 iPad Pro for lounging around the house, gaming, content consumption, etc. and it also serves as my travel “laptop” with the new Magic Keyboard pro. I used to have a MacBook Pro and iPad Mini 6, but found that the iPad was often relegated to use just before bed, and the MacBook was hardly ever opened unless I needed a laptop for a few days where I wouldn’t be home. I have found now that I am getting so much more use out of the iPad/Mac Mini setup. Both devices truly feel like they are meeting my needs. Still, fascinating discussion about the limitations of iPad OS and the versatility of the iPad hardware.

I’m in a similar boat and mainly using the iPad as a smart monitor these days which I find quite sad sometimes. I’m still hoping that if regulators force Apple to open up alternative app stores and side-loading etc, someone will find a way to get a Mac-style OS running on it

Great video! Apple seems to be only focusing on a certain demographic of “creators.” They ignore web developers & UI designers completely. Which is ironic because thats who develops the very apps the ipad thrives on. I love the iPad Pro but until I can use Figma, its just a entertainment device for me. Not sure if I should blame developers or Apple.

After buying the OG iPad Pro in 2015 alongside the keyboard cover and Apple Pencil, I've always thought that I'll only be using this as my sole computer for the next couple of years. Fast forward 9 years later, I've made peace with myself as I realized that the reason I actually buy the iPad Pros were for the better screens, 4 speakers and always connected cellular connection (hence why I never bought any of the keyboard covers past the first one) lol

I love my ipad and I accept what it is and isn’t. It helped me find my ideal setup which is the iPad with magic keyboard for all daily computing use. A desktop Mac for more complicated stuff. My Macbook is just collecting dust at this point and I use it maybe twice a month.

lol that Christopher Lawly reference got me 🤣

I am not an iPad nirvana person. I paid a boatload of money for an iPad Pro 4 and Magic Keyboard to do the same things I used to do on an Android tablet that cost one fifth as much (and had many problems), on the off chance that there might be some killer app in the future that needs the power. Still, I don’t regret the purchase. To me, all the nice little things about using the iPad add up to justify the cost and the hassles of switching from Android.

Great Vid as always Tom. What folio case were you using on the iPad? (The green one) I had one from ESR which was so poor and started separating so had to return! Would love a recommendation!

I believe we can finally format drives now a small win

Nice video and to the point. I have an M1 11” iPad Pro and an iPad Mini 6 and they are my computers 99% of the time. I only use our M1 MacBook Pro for one task, stacking my Astrophotography Data, in an app Like SIRIL or PixInsight. I think Apple will continue to inhance iPadOS over time as it has done with MacOS.

I love how Christopher Lawley got mentioned in iPad Nirvana😂

What the iPad is missing two things a better file management and have something like Samsung DEX (Desktop Experience) meaning fix Stage Manager.

Question - If you were the creator of a tool like Lumafusion which is better than the Apple alternatives, would you continue investing knowing that Apple has a track record of taking those ideas and putting it into their own apps? I’m trying to understand the upside for the software creators in the app ecosystem. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts! Thanks 🙏

I need After Effects so going iPad only is a no go, although for every other task I tend to gravitate towards my iPad because when things work on the iPad they are more enjoyable to do. And I wouldn't want After Effects on the iPad, what I want is an app that does most of what AE does but in an iPad way, leveraging multitouch, gestures and the pencil... much like how I prefer editing podcasts on Ferrite on the iPad than with something far more powerful like Audition on a Mac. Having said that Files app overhaul and background task are something absolutely needed!

Remember that iPad was on track to be Mac replacement -- a rebooted paradigm for general purpose computing (more or less). There's no reason why a

I hate it when people say something like „the iPad is not a real computer“ or „iPadOS is a limited operating system“ because that’s just so stupidly wrong. iPadOS is just very different. For some people it’s perfect and for others not. But that’s the same with all Operating Systems. For some people macOS is perfect, for other it’s very bad. The same with Windows, Linux, Android and ChromeOS. But that’s nice. We have different kinds of PCs for different kinds of people and anyone can buy the one that works best for them. People should stop complaining about iPadOS and instead just get a Computer that works for them.

I waited for Christopher Lawley in the iPad nirvana, I got Christopher Lawley in the iPad nirvana 😂

iPads are definitely very useful for beginners. I started my video editing and graphic design journey on an iPad.

The iPad is an entertainment device first & foremost. Look at the lineup from the bottom-up. Regular streaming, searching, & note taking use. The Pro are for specific users like artists & that’s it. Anything more is a hilariously bad way of looking at this type of device 😅

Other than pro apps (adobe premiere and the real Final Cut Pro) and a better files app I think the iPad is great. Idk what else I need to do on my iPad

Although I'm not an apple user, i feel that If they had announced some better software updates for the iPad OS during the whole Apple intelligence stuff, it would have added to the whole experience of the event and would not have taken away from it.

iPadOS did get some unique handwriting features and also we finally got the ability to format external drives 🎉

I upgraded at the beginning of this year from an older 8 gen iPad, to a M2 iPad Pro 11 inch, and well for my use is great, it comes with me everywhere, battery is great I plan out my day in the morning, watch videos and shows while im eating breakfast at work, when I finish I sit back play some Mario kart thanks to Delta with my coworker, I get home I spend some time going through pinterest getting ideas for my bussines and personal projects, draw and take notes, I use an app called Penbook, which its great it makes me create a book for each project im woking on, and end my day by watching a movie or something, and yes at this time before I go to bed im almost at 40% life battery, I can't imagine my life now without it

Great video buddy and I definitely agree with you that the iPad is what the iPad is and it’s never never gonna be some magical macOS or a laptop replacement

I never think iPad Pro for video editing or mere media consumption. As a doctor, I find that using iPad Pro is very helpful for teaching residents, medical students, and technicians, and also have long and continuous zoom meeting while I do my job at the lab, and even in satellite locations. Using the 13’ gives me more space to do editing excel or word files while reading materials and having zoom meeting minimized. It’s very light compared to my Macbook Pro. It lasts almost two days, too. I also use it to sign digital documents on the go. I also use it to draw illustration, mind map, and read e-textbooks in my spare time.. I don’t really get it about the video editing side. I tried doing this in my Samsung Tab S9 Ultra but found it was much heavier and not as intuitive doing it in my iPad Pro.

I finally jumped to a 12.9 inch iPad Pro and I love it! But! I also paired it with a m2 Mac mini pro which I think is a kind of perfect Frankenstein monster 😂

Great hardware and performance but still too limited and expensive.

LOL Christopher Lawley 🤣

I love the versatility of the iPad - I take it off the keyboard and touch it - using it like a book - I take me pencil and write on it - ideas - thoughts or even draw a bit - I open books and read - I switch to RU-vid and watch something - while on the side writing some messages… all this is not on my MacBook… and that’s why I use the iPad more than the Mac… considering selling my Mac and getting the m4 :)

Considering a new iPad Pro to replace my 2019 MBP 16". I never considered switching to an iPad for everything but if I'm honest, I can do pretty much everything on the iPad. Awesome hardware on the iPad but I'm wondering if the experience would annoy me ;-)

Great video. I hear the complaints about iPadOS so often but I struggle to understand what people want. If it’s missing software, that’s not an OS thing that’s for developers to fix. All I can think of is Stage Manager, as mentioned, could use some improvements.

Always enjoy your videos! My day job is mostly run on my iPad and if I didn't have a MBP I could make that part of my life 100% iPad. The photo and video editing hasn't made that transition yet, only because I haven't taken the time to figure it out.

I’ve been looking forward to this video, ever since your last one. When you said something along the lines of “this maybe isn’t designed for yours or my needs, but for users of the future brought up on smartphones” - I had a hunch you’ve been cooking something like this. I’m very happy to be right, I was so excited to see this drop. Great video as always, man!

iPadOS is super disappointing. Stage manager on external ultra widescreen is so clunky and apps crash. Throwing a video stream to a tv results in massive borders, whereas on a MacBook it’s flawless. It can’t chromecast because it’s not got a real chrome browser. It should be able to do more, the hardware is better than my MacBook Air, but so many basic things are missing. Yes, the pencil is great, the snappy app loading is great, but please fix multitasking and screen scaling and audio streams. Then it could replace my MacBook more often, and save me carrying 2 devices. I don’t want to stop it being a great iPad, I want it to do the newer features like external displays, keyboard, mouse support BETTER. Then it might justify the huge price tag.

🤣🤣 iPad Nirvana *, *, *, Christopher Lawley...

You need a WiFi connection for your MacBook, whereas I can take my iPad with mobile connection anywhere.

iPad afterlife?

Hey man, I really appreciate the content on this channel and tech RU-vid as a whole, but I’ve noticed a lot of repetition in the discussions. One important aspect that’s consistently overlooked is how essential iPads (and tablets in general) are for musicians. From students to seasoned professionals, every musician I know relies on an iPad for daily tasks like music creation, practice, and performance. Somehow, this crucial topic has flown under the radar in tech reviews. The problem is that tech reviewers often fall into an echo chamber-focusing on the same popular topics and missing out on everyday realities for many people. For musicians, using an iPad isn't a unique or niche application; it’s a fundamental part of their workflow. Let’s break out of this cycle and start discussing how tech truly impacts various fields, including music! Thanks for all your great content, and I hope to see this topic covered in future videos.

5:01 sigh what’s taking them so long to make it able to take up the whole screen smh

11:55 what video editing app is this?

It’s pretty clear that the M4 chip is all about providing a good AI experience to come in version 18. Y’all speculating that we were going to get MacOS lite are delusional. At the end of the day you would have to blow up iPadOS to get there. That would take at least 5 years to get there.

Hit the nail on the head with the final section. I’ve made this point many times that people who keep wanting the iPad to run MacOS are just set in their ways (not their fault, it happens) The next generation doesn’t have to only include young people either. If you want to learn something new like animation or video editing, I personally think it’s way easier and often more enjoyable on iPad with simpler apps with modern interface.

forts

I read books and view video's and email on my M1 Ipad Pro. I really don't think the additions to Ipad IOS 18 will be a real benefit to me.

The next gen of creators or even the young people now actually have more subscribers/likes/views than those who edit on a mac or PC. Theor content is focused on substance than focusing on siphisticated editting. Canva, Capcut etc are already great for simple editting

Ah again the same kind of video comparing laptop to ipad that’s not the point they are individual devices and need to be used as such

How much can you all really talk abt Ipad's huh, same sht !!

08:09 --> @ChrisLawley 😅😅😅