As promised in the last post, I’m launching a new community idea: discussion threads! If this thread receives decent engagement, I’ll start sending out weekly discussion threads on a specific topic/question for members of the Overoptimize community (likely every Wednesday).
Here’s the topic for this week:
What’s the main reason people don’t use an iPad as their primary device?
I'll start off - I think the main reason most people don't use an iPad as their primary device is the lack of productivity apps like Alfred. Another reason could be that some careers (like software-related jobs) will be limited by iPadOS.
I personally Use the iPad for 100% of my work. But, being a Mac user for 22yrs and using Windows at many points of my working life, there are two main points that I have always felt the iPad comes up short are;
1) Professional App Support - This is massive as most people required apps for work or have always used an app so are use to how it works. Also, developers dont or cant give the same functionality to an iPad app as they have built into a Mac/Windows app.
2) Familiarity - I personally feel this is biggest draw back! - Ive spent the past 4 to 5 yrs forcing myself to use the iPad as my only device for Work & Pleasure. Mainly because i just like using it, but this is a massive turn off because most people don’t want to “retrain” their brain because they are use to a desktop / or shortcuts / file system etc…… I know that people will say the iPad has all of these features, and i agree, but they are different. They work differently and you have to retrain your brain and muscle memory.
For 98% of most people & peoples use case the iPad is the perfect device but for people that need the extra 2% for different apps etc, thats a deal breaker.
And finally, i think people forget who makes the iPad! It’s Apple! They create products for creative people - The iPad was never and hasnt been designed or sold as a corporate work horse. The OS has made it easier to bring into the corporate world with how most people work nowadays from the cloud and web based portals…… The future may change with the OS, but I cant see it because that would kill the Mac business.
Can you replace your PC with an iPad?…. YES!
But will people want to replace their comfort & routine and learn how to use another OS to replace what has become second nature to most.
That's exactly what I would say. Whenever I hear people saying that they can't replace their iPad with a computer, they fall into one of those two categories.
For me a major issue is that some websites I use (like B2B credit check Co) just don’t work properly on the iPad even with the browser improvements. This means for certain tasks I end up opening my MacBook Pro and end up using it the rest of the day. Free floating windows for multi tasking in Excel and Word is also something I prefer and ‘feel’ makes me work more efficiently then them being ‘stuck’ in a singular position.
By biggest issue is the lack of support for external displays. I end up using my iPad mostly as a second monitor for my laptop now!
Yeah, that definitely makes sense. Sometimes, I miss the security of knowing that anything I need to do on a computer can be done on my computer (that’s a little confusing, I hope that it made sense).
This is a timely question since I just bought my first Macbook. I've had an iPad for years and used it every single day, but I use it more as a media consumption device. Email, YouTube, social media, news, & magazines. I'm a writer, but couldn't ever get into the groove of writing on the iPad. I have tried at least ten keyboards and I just don't enjoy the experience. My new Macbook Air will be used primarily for writing and research. I want it to feel like my 'work' computer. The typing experience is great and coming from Windows, I'm getting used to the macOS.
Thanks for responding! I personally don’t care too much about keyboard experience (unless something is terribly bad), so iPad keyboards work great for me.
I don't actually think it was so much which keyboard I used as much as I find it much easier and more precise to use a touchpad to select and move around text as opposed to my finger.
Ah, that makes more sense. I was a little confused for a moment (I thought that there wasn't that big of a difference between the iPad and MacBook Air keyboards). That seems like a great reason, especially if you write for a living.
I'll start off - I think the main reason most people don't use an iPad as their primary device is the lack of productivity apps like Alfred. Another reason could be that some careers (like software-related jobs) will be limited by iPadOS.
I personally Use the iPad for 100% of my work. But, being a Mac user for 22yrs and using Windows at many points of my working life, there are two main points that I have always felt the iPad comes up short are;
1) Professional App Support - This is massive as most people required apps for work or have always used an app so are use to how it works. Also, developers dont or cant give the same functionality to an iPad app as they have built into a Mac/Windows app.
2) Familiarity - I personally feel this is biggest draw back! - Ive spent the past 4 to 5 yrs forcing myself to use the iPad as my only device for Work & Pleasure. Mainly because i just like using it, but this is a massive turn off because most people don’t want to “retrain” their brain because they are use to a desktop / or shortcuts / file system etc…… I know that people will say the iPad has all of these features, and i agree, but they are different. They work differently and you have to retrain your brain and muscle memory.
For 98% of most people & peoples use case the iPad is the perfect device but for people that need the extra 2% for different apps etc, thats a deal breaker.
And finally, i think people forget who makes the iPad! It’s Apple! They create products for creative people - The iPad was never and hasnt been designed or sold as a corporate work horse. The OS has made it easier to bring into the corporate world with how most people work nowadays from the cloud and web based portals…… The future may change with the OS, but I cant see it because that would kill the Mac business.
Can you replace your PC with an iPad?…. YES!
But will people want to replace their comfort & routine and learn how to use another OS to replace what has become second nature to most.
Just my two pence on it all.
That's exactly what I would say. Whenever I hear people saying that they can't replace their iPad with a computer, they fall into one of those two categories.
For me a major issue is that some websites I use (like B2B credit check Co) just don’t work properly on the iPad even with the browser improvements. This means for certain tasks I end up opening my MacBook Pro and end up using it the rest of the day. Free floating windows for multi tasking in Excel and Word is also something I prefer and ‘feel’ makes me work more efficiently then them being ‘stuck’ in a singular position.
By biggest issue is the lack of support for external displays. I end up using my iPad mostly as a second monitor for my laptop now!
Yeah, that definitely makes sense. Sometimes, I miss the security of knowing that anything I need to do on a computer can be done on my computer (that’s a little confusing, I hope that it made sense).
This is a timely question since I just bought my first Macbook. I've had an iPad for years and used it every single day, but I use it more as a media consumption device. Email, YouTube, social media, news, & magazines. I'm a writer, but couldn't ever get into the groove of writing on the iPad. I have tried at least ten keyboards and I just don't enjoy the experience. My new Macbook Air will be used primarily for writing and research. I want it to feel like my 'work' computer. The typing experience is great and coming from Windows, I'm getting used to the macOS.
Thanks for responding! I personally don’t care too much about keyboard experience (unless something is terribly bad), so iPad keyboards work great for me.
I don't actually think it was so much which keyboard I used as much as I find it much easier and more precise to use a touchpad to select and move around text as opposed to my finger.
Ah, that makes more sense. I was a little confused for a moment (I thought that there wasn't that big of a difference between the iPad and MacBook Air keyboards). That seems like a great reason, especially if you write for a living.