Have iPad mini, would a small laptop be better?

David (2)David (2) Posts: 20,632
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I have been using a 3rd gen iPad mini with retina display for 9 months now. Upgraded from ios 7 to 8 successfully....but there are a few limitations to using an iPad. The touch screen is very good but not perfect. A few other things don't work well which work very well on a pc. Multitasking being the key point.

My current laptop is very reliable but too big to use in place of an iPad. I do wonder if one of the smaller laptops (13in display) might be an ideal replacement to use instead of the iPad.

Anyone gone down that route?
I know a lot of people love their iPads but I try to keep an open mind, although the thought of using windows 8 doesn't fill me with joy.

Comments

  • GeordiePaulGeordiePaul Posts: 1,323
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    Tablets are just toys. I tried relying on one as an (almost) primary device, but I always end up returning to a PC in the end. In fact, at the moment, I don't even have a tablet as my phone can do anything my tablet(s) could just as well. Any proper PC is infinitely more productive than any tablet. With a bit of tweaking, there's not much wrong with Win8 either.

    If you're going to do it though, spend a little extra and make sure you get a laptop with a 1080P screen; many laptops have 1366x768 panels and they are adequate at best, multitasking is far better with a 1920x1080 panel.
  • StigStig Posts: 12,446
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    David (2) wrote: »
    I have been using a 3rd gen iPad mini with retina display for 9 months now. Upgraded from ios 7 to 8 successfully....but there are a few limitations to using an iPad. The touch screen is very good but not perfect. A few other things don't work well which work very well on a pc. Multitasking being the key point.

    My current laptop is very reliable but too big to use in place of an iPad. I do wonder if one of the smaller laptops (13in display) might be an ideal replacement to use instead of the iPad.

    Anyone gone down that route?
    I know a lot of people love their iPads but I try to keep an open mind, although the thought of using windows 8 doesn't fill me with joy.

    What exactly do you need to do? What works well on a PC that doesn't on an iPad? One example is soreadsheets which always seem unmanageable on a tablet.

    I fully accept that a tablet cannot always replace a PC. However, I find that my PC gets turned on less and less as app and cloud services replace what my PC used to do.
  • David (2)David (2) Posts: 20,632
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    For a start I would be nice if I could leave a YouTube video running while doing other things. On the iPad youtube stops working as soon as u try and do anything else at he same time.

    The web is generally slower on he ipad (this iPad mini is only 9 months old, with retina display). Some web pages, especially large data hungry stuff and especially this web site tend to stick, and stop loading for a while, and then continue to load. Sometimes stopping the loading and refreshing it is quicker. I never get this on the pc.

    As good as the touch screen is, it's not perfect. Quite often it will auto correct what it thinks I want but it's wrong. For some reason the letter "t" doesn't always like to appear.

    Not convinced Apps are such a good thing tbh. On the pc the same feature would be web based, such as YouTube & Facebook. There's no potential probs lurking like with apps that crash or can upset other parts the system, and taking up their own memory foot print. When it's web based u don't have to deal with app updates etc.

    It sounds as tho I am being down on apples product, but really overall it's quite good - it is better, more stable, more responsive, with a tidier interface and a better touch interface than android devices, but I just wonder if despite this a little laptop would still be better.
  • Anika HansonAnika Hanson Posts: 15,629
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    David (2) wrote: »
    For a start I would be nice if I could leave a YouTube video running while doing other things. On the iPad youtube stops working as soon as u try and do anything else at he same time.

    The web is generally slower on he ipad (this iPad mini is only 9 months old, with retina display). Some web pages, especially large data hungry stuff and especially this web site tend to stick, and stop loading for a while, and then continue to load. Sometimes stopping the loading and refreshing it is quicker. I never get this on the pc.

    As good as the touch screen is, it's not perfect. Quite often it will auto correct what it thinks I want but it's wrong. For some reason the letter "t" doesn't always like to appear.

    Not convinced Apps are such a good thing tbh. On the pc the same feature would be web based, such as YouTube & Facebook. There's no potential probs I lurking like with apps that crash or can upset other parts the system, and taking up their own memory foot print. When it's web based u don't have to deal with app updates etc.

    It sounds as tho I am being down on apples product, but really overall it's quite good - it is better, more stable, more responsive, with a tidier interface and a better touch interface than android devices, but I just wonder if despite this a little laptop would still be better.

    It doesn't sounds like you want to do anything too intensive, just a bit more than the iPad mini can do.

    In that case I'd recommend any of the following:

    Samsung Galaxy tab pro/ Samsung Galaxy tab S in either the 8.4 or 10.1/10.5 variants. I recommend these as they can multitask I.e you can use YouTube and the Internet at the same time in two different windows simulataneously. If you go for the bigger Galaxy tab pro 12.2/Galaxy note pro 122 you can have 4 applications running at the same time in 4 separate windows on the screen simulataneously. You also have the option of attaching a keyboard and a mouse which would give you more of laptop/desktop experience.


    You could also try a surface pro, which is basically a laptop/tablet hybrid. Comes with a keyboard but can be detached to use as a tablet. It runs windows so you can basically do everything you can on a computer but are still able to use it as a tablet when you need to. They can be quite pricey. I'm not sure how much you were looking to spend.

    Another thing you might consider is a chromebook. A chromebook has the form factor of an ultra book (very lightweight) however it runs chrome OS and not windows. In terms of functionality you can do things like word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, web browsing, watching YouTube videos, playing some games etc. Some of these activities require an Internet connection and some can be done offline. You can also have several tabs open as you would on a normal computer. They are easy to maintain! Get software updates every 6 weeks and don't require any anti viral software. You will need to look at exactly what can and can't be done with a chromebook to make sure that it is the right product for your as it is not a direct laptop replacement. Chromebooks are relatively cheap.
  • David (2)David (2) Posts: 20,632
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    Problem, I don't like the android OS....

    I have seen a chrome book in operation and concluded its not for me - a very niche product which is too reliant on net based services which due to the infrastructure limitations in UK is simply no substitute for a proper laptop. The price of the hardware is spot on though.

    Windows 8 based surface has potential, but it's main drawback is windows 8, especially the cheaper models which only sport the win8 RT interface which is even worse. The top of the line option has full win8 so not as bad, but it's also a lot more expensive.
  • Anika HansonAnika Hanson Posts: 15,629
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    David (2) wrote: »
    Problem, I don't like the android OS....

    I have seen a chrome book in operation and concluded its not for me - a very niche product which is too reliant on net based services which due to the infrastructure limitations in UK is simply no substitute for a proper laptop. The price of the hardware is spot on though.

    Windows 8 based surface has potential, but it's main drawback is windows 8, especially the cheaper models which only sport the win8 RT interface which is even worse. The top of the line option has full win8 so not as bad, but it's also a lot more expensive.

    Apple are widely rumoured to release an iPad pro at some point this year which is thought to be around 12 inches. At the moment we have no idea what features this device would have that would distinguish it from the Air 2 and mini 3, apart from the larger screen. In addition, it is said that in the code for iOS 8 there is support for true multi-tasking e.g. Multi window. If and when this will be implemented by Apple isn't known.

    You could hold off a while and see what Apple have up their sleeves.
  • QuackersQuackers Posts: 4,830
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    Get a Macbook Air to compliment it. They are worth every penny, and simply one of the best laptops i have ever used. Apples way of working is the right device for the right moment. Sometimes i use my iPad , sometimes i use my Macbook. With handoff/continuity if you are looking at say a webpage on your iPad and your Mac is open, the Mac knows about this and with 1 click you can load whats open on your iPad and bring it to the Mac or vice versa, this works with Mail, Pages, Numbers and Keynote apps too. If you also have an iPhone you can answer calls and texts on your Mac.
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