Can the iPad replace the desktop or laptop?

[ipad987]

I was going to buy the ipad because I use my desktop and laptop for work as well as general web browsing, but is it true that you cannot use Microsoft Office (it does not have to be Office as long as I am able to use a another word processor) on the iPad and also not be able to have more than one application open at the same time. For example, I regularly have a word processor open and one or two windows of a web browser open at the same time and switch between them because I like to work and browse at the same time. However, after reading a few reviews of the iPad on various sites, I have come to the understanding that you can only have a single application open at the same time and not even have more than a single window of the web browser open at once.

If so, can anyone recommend a tablet device which I can use as an alternative to my desktop and be able to do things as if working on my desktop.

I wanted to buy a tablet device because of the flexibility of being able to work anywhere I want i.e. in the hands, on the table, on the bed, and so on.

If these limitations mentioned above are correct, then are there any alternatives? I have heard very good things about the HP tablet device as it allows multitasking but that device seems many months away from release. i am looking to buy something soon.

 

[wot_fan]

Hi and welcome .

While it is true that you cannot currently multitask with the iPad, you still may be able to do what you want to. With the iPhone, if you are working on a note and you need to check a website, you just hit home and open safari. Once your done with the web you hit home and then the notes app. The note app opens at the same point it was closed so you can't tell that it wasn't open the whole time. Most people that want multitasking for the iPhone/iPad want to be able to open a music app (like pandora) and then go work on something else without losing the music from pandora. If you want music while working, the only option now is to use the iPod. (BTW, the OS supports multitasking. Apple just doesn't let 3rd party apps to it. Rumor has it that version 4.0 of iPhone OS will support multitasking).

As far as Office goes, Apple has its version available for the iPad. It is broken into 3 apps ($10 each). Pages is the word processor, Numbers is the spreadsheet and Keynote is the presentation software. They can import Microsoft docs, xls and ppt and export to pdf, doc and xls. In addition, there is a rumor that Microsoft is working on a version of Office for the iPad. Just a rumor though.

Also, be aware that not all tablet OSs are equal. IMHO, for a tablet to be truely useful, the OS has to designed from the ground up to be touch driven not mouse driven. I believe that is why tablets haven't really taken off. So basically my advice would be to try before you buy if you are considering other tablets.

Finally, I recommend you check out Apple's website for the iPad. I think a lot of your questions will be answered there.

 

[leebase]

Apple says it's iPad "office" will be compatible with MS-Word files. However, I would not consider the iPad a replacement for a laptop. How you are describing your usage scenario -- I wouldn't recommend the iPad.

Lee

 

[wot_fan]

Apple says it's iPad "office" will be compatible with MS-Word files. However, I would not consider the iPad a replacement for a laptop. How you are describing your usage scenario -- I wouldn't recommend the iPad.

Lee

I agree that the iPad is not a laptop replacer. Based on ipad987 post, he/she has a desktop and a laptop. If he/she wants to supplement those with something that can surf the web and also edit Office files, the iPad may be a good fit.

 

[Dorje]

From my prespective having gone from a laptop to tower and them getting an iPod Touch (and power user abousing the poor thing) the iPad with the current OS will not be a traditional primary content creation platform. I still use laptops in work context but at home I use two very large displays and and spread referance windows all over the place. The iPad will not do that.

You can however bounce between apps fairly fast if they are built well, if you have a Mac try running your stuff full screen and the Command + Tabing through them as you need them and that should give you a feel. It will be a little slower as you return to the home screen.

Mobile Safari can hold 8 pages much like tabs, press a button and slide to the tab you need. Again you can duplicate this by only using one browser window and keeping 8 tabs.

If this would bug the crap out of you then you won't like the Gen1 iPad. Do remember the screen is only 9.7 inches. For me even going back and forth between dual displays and laptop screens I do feel crampt on the smaller single screen and already make heavy use of tabbed browsing, tabbing between applications, and wishing more big apps like Pages would have document tabs.

A speed tip for iPhoneOS app bouncing... move your apps that support each other to the same home page so when you return you don't have to flick between home screens. Like keeping desktop shortcuts organized.

 

[Finnedog]

It seems people either suck up the iPad propaganda and bond with this device or it just does not click. Some of these people will pick up a friend's iPad or one at a store and bond then. Some people just will not like this device.

I don't really understand WHY the iPad has to do everything.

Nobody expects a photographer to run Photoshop on his netbook as the main editing computer.

Nobody expects a large business to run on a laptop.

Enjoy it for what it is, and if you don't know what it is, go to Apple's website.

 

[Sonny Burnett]

Remember, this is the first iteration of the iPad. From a logical point of view, within 5 to 7 years the touch screen tablet will replace the notebook. It is inevitable!

 

[leebase]

Remember, this is the first iteration of the iPad. From a logical point of view, within 5 to 7 years the touch screen tablet will replace the notebook. It is inevitable!

I wouldn't think so. I would not want a tablet computer even if it was as powerful as my laptop. The clamshell design of a laptop is great for keyboard/"mouse".

I don't expect to use my iPad for word processing, programming, photo editing and the like.

Lee

 

[IpadOne]

Ipad don't cook, but can make many things

I wouldn't think so. I would not want a tablet computer even if it was as powerful as my laptop. The clamshell design of a laptop is great for keyboard/"mouse".

I don't expect to use my iPad for word processing, programming, photo editing and the like.

Lee

I totally agree with you a tablet cannot replace a laptop can do many things, but never take the place ... or maybe just for some home use but no more

 

[AbblePC]

Hi and welcome .

Most people that want multitasking for the iPhone/iPad want to be able to open a music app (like pandora) and then go work on something else without losing the music from pandora. If you want music while working, the only option now is to use the iPod. (BTW, the OS supports multitasking. Apple just doesn't let 3rd party apps to it. Rumor has it that version 4.0 of iPhone OS will support multitasking).

Finally, I recommend you check out Apple's website for the iPad. I think a lot of your questions will be answered there.

I couldn't have agreed more with everything else you so eloquently explained or described, however there are 3rd party apps that do allow listening to music while in another app, other than iPod app.

If so, can anyone recommend a tablet device which I can use as an alternative to my desktop and be able to do things as if working on my desktop.

I wanted to buy a tablet device because of the flexibility of being able to work anywhere I want i.e. in the hands, on the table, on the bed, and so on.

It's as though you answered your own question, you seem to want a TABLET not a pad, such as the iPad. Tablet PC's were designed typically as a Laptop with desktop abilities but with a clam shell that would rotate and lay flat as a tablet and be pen based.

The iPad is more a touch based os on a flat pad and designed to be lighter and still do many desktop like features only without "desktop mentality multitasking" or "mouse driven or pen based" and do multi switching between apps and still maintain data between them.

Picture your browsing a web site on an iPad, you get an idea and copy a segment from the page. You then click the Home button closing Safari and open Pages paste and begin laying out a document, alternating back and forth between Safari and Pages all the while maintaining data where you left off in the previous app.

Is this not multitasking, only you are not looking at multiple windows on one desktop?
When I watch many PC users while training or servicing their devices and they show me software issues etc, they all have one thing in common. Most often than not, they all tend to open several pages or windows within one desktop environment (unlike SPACES in Leopard, which I use heavily) and don't even make use or minimize window sizing or otherwise. Heck, some don't even know Alt Tab moves to other windows and instead move an entire window by sliding it with their mouse half way off the screen to see a window in the background before clicking it to the foreground.
I also notice when browsing a web page they will move the mouse all the way to the slider bar out of habit and scroll the page to find the next paragraph or item they wish to see next. Even after pointing out the middle mouse wheel to them, they still revert to the scrollbar time and time again. Sometimes it is just changing habits.. Is it really necessary to have multiple items open at once other than dragging files or folders from window to window or read from one while working another? I seriously don't get how hard a concept it is to realize that in a very real way the iPhone and soon iPad is already a multi tasking device just in a different way than on a desktop.

I strongly feel that after a few months of people using an iPad, they will come to terms as to what niche this device was to fill and that while it may not be a 100% desktop replacement, for most users it will be more than enough of a computing device to do their daily computing tasks.

 

[Ellie]

I will replace my I pad and I phone

Of course everyone has probably figured out "I am granny" Right now I use an I phone which has been changed to an I pod since we know longer use Phone. (We have Jitterbug for old coots) I am able to use my original Iphone as an I pod now and it works on WIFI. I spend most of my time doing basic, twitter Face book, emails and searching on web, etc. Pictures. Reading on ipod, listening to music on I pod which I find difficult to read on because it is so small for me so as I said in my case the I will use it all the time for everything and give away my laptop and iphone (ipod) to my daughter and grandkids. the only problem I will have is printing. I hope that will came eventually. Right now my DH has an old desktop I can use for some of my printing. I don't care, I will figure it out. I can't wait.

 

[Juraviel]

Like people are saying here, the iPad is NOT meant to replace the notebook and/or your (i)phone. It has a different purpose, which is to be able to surf the web and do standard activities in the most comfortable way imaginable. In addition it has the iWork which is a good tool if want to quickly create a presentation, some graphical sheets and stuff but the general purpose of this device will be to be able surf the web, watch movies and read books whatever you want, very easily and elegantly. YES it lacks multiple features that similiar devices will have in future ('cause afaik there are not any for now, and there won't be any time soon, beside the amazon kindle which compared to the iPad is a joke), the table on this site shows quite well the differences.. so the choice is yours. But im MY opinion - an itablet with a windows installed on it will be nothing but a handicapped version of desktop windows.. therefore i think that Apple really comprehended the goal of a device of this type and realized it perfectly (well i cannot say that yet but it pretty much seems they really did).. one last thing: meybe it doesn't support multitasking (but it may in future with iphone os 4.0), doesn't have a camera (but it probably will on gen2), doesn't support flash (and it probably never will 'cause flash is generally causing problems on all apple devices), BUT it has lighest weight, probably the most powerful CPU, longest lasting battery, very good pricing and ofcourse gorgeous apple design.. so if you want a device with as much as possible features and a replacement for your notebook then this is just not for you and you will almost for sure be dissapointed. Instead if you focus on it's prime features im sure there won't any real competitors at all..

 

[ipad987]

To me it seems the initial limitations of the first iPad such as not being able to multi-task out of the box is done so they can come up with a future version. They need to have selling points for a future version, don't they? Some of the features left out are not earth shattering concepts as they are all available to do, and have been for years, on desktops and laptops. I feel they've not integrated these features quite deliberately, even if they say otherwise.

 

[KiltedTim]

To me it seems the initial limitations of the first iPad such as not being able to multi-task out of the box is done so they can come up with a future version. They need to have selling points for a future version, don't they? Some of the features left out are not earth shattering concepts as they are all available to do, and have been for years, on desktops and laptops. I feel they've not integrated these features quite deliberately, even if they say otherwise.

I really don't think that's the case. I do think that some form of multi-tasking for 3rd party apps is planned (beyond what IS there now, which allows iTunes to run in the background and allows 3rd party apps to monitor in the background for events/messages and notify the user even when they're not open) for a future release, but I don't believe it was held back just so they could have selling points for future versions. I think they were held back simply because they're not ready yet.

Implementing multitasking for 3rd party applications would be trivial, IF Apple didn't care about the user experience at all. Allowing 3rd party apps to run in the background opens up all kinds of holes for poorly written apps to monopolize the System. Eating CPU Cycles, refusing to release memory, or worse, slowly eating memory and degrading performance little by little. It would also require some simple method of closing down apps by the user rather than just switching to another app.

Under the current model, an App can save its state when exiting. This means that if you're using (these are just examples mind you, I obviously don't have one in hand) Pages, it will save the state, including open documents, to temporary storage when you press the home button, you can then go to Safari, which will ideally do the same thing when you press the home button again, then you can return to pages and your document exactly where you left off.

There ARE 3rd party applications that can run in the background RIGHT NOW on the iPhone OS. I have several that play audio in the background. IM Apps can also run in the background as a service, keeping you logged in and notifying you when you have a new message. In the real world, on screens this small, users are not generally going to want multiple 'windowed' apps open on the screen at the same time. It would be a pain to switch back and forth and would quickly consume system resources. IM clients, alarm clocks and the like have a genuine need to do some background processing, but as a rule, you're not going to want to use a tablet for true heavy duty multiprocessing.

 

[bap11]

Whether the IPAD can replace a netbbook, I think that depends on what you use a netbook for. I like the instant-on for the Touch (or nearly instant-on for the IPAD) so I can check and write emails quickly, check stock portfolios, look up facts, order on Amazon, etc., etc. There are web pages that I use that are fairly extensive, and the Touch can sometimes peel down maybe 2 or 3 pages, but not much further. When I need that kind of detail, that's when I have to boot up the very slow netbook (takes 4 minutes to boot versus 10 seconds on the IPAD) or the laptop which is faster. But, nothing beats the convenience of the Touch and the IPAD. With that said, however, if you don't already have a laptop, then buy the laptop first.

Suggestion is to look at the applications available. The more applications you find that might be useful to you, the more you'll use the IPAD. And more are added nearly everyday.