My iPad Pro Still Can't Replace My MacBook

At one time, I would have answered the question, “can an iPad replace your laptop,” with a resounding, “of course not.” And in fact I’ve written elsewhere to that effect. An iPad is a different kind of device and serves a unique purpose. A laptop typically is a more capable device that can run more software than an iPad can.

But I’ve been giving this some thought. As much as I use my iPad Pro - even for content creation kinds of work - can my iPad Pro finally replace my MacBook?

Honestly, I still don’t think it can. But it’s getting closer to being able to do so.

Pro apps work on the iPad

I have long said that one thing keeping me tied to a “real” computer is the fact that only a “real” computer can run the programs I want to use. Over the past several years, that excuse has slowly been invalidated.

There are iPad-specific versions of many professional apps we’ve come to know and love on our computers - and some that are only available on iPadOS.

Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and Premiere all have iPad versions. Affinity Designer, from Serif works great. Canva runs just fine for creating thumbnails and mockups. And even Final Cut and Logic from Apple are now available for the tablet OS.

So at this point it’s hard to make the case that iPadOS isn’t very capable.

iPad keyboard cases and accessories

Adding an external keyboard and mouse or trackpad to the iPad turns it into a convincing laptop replacement in many workflows - especially for writing. My Logitech MX Keys Mini and MX Master 3S both work great with my iPad Pro, and they work just as well in iPadOS as they do in macOS or Windows.

And with accessories like Apple’s own Magic Keyboard (and others) on the market, it’s hard to argue that an iPad can’t be used in a laptop-like form factor, albeit with a few limitations.

The iPad Pro has no shortage of available cases, styli, and accessories that turn it into a very capable note-taking, productivity and content creation tool.

As long as I have a physical keyboard with me, I find my iPad to be an excellent writing companion when I’m away from my laptop, and I sometimes I prefer it over the full macOS or Windows experience - not that there’s anything wrong with those, of course.

Could my iPad Pro completely replace my laptop for writing? At one point I would have said absolutely not. Today? It’s possible. Very possible.

Apple Pencil and touch input

Sadly Apple has yet to bring touch screen input to the Mac. But those who want touch input have the option in iPadOS. But the addition of the Apple Pencil turns the iPad into a powerful content creation tool, especially when paired with programs like Affinity Designer or Procreate.

Pen input is excellent for those who prefer to write notes rather than type them. And artists will love the ability to draw and paint directly on the screen rather than needing an external tablet and stylus.

And while I have Affinity Designer and Illustrator on my “real” computers, I find myself turning to the iPad frequently for doing certain types of design work precisely because of the Apple Pencil.

In years past, you would have had to buy an external graphics tablet - like a Wacom tablet - to use a stylus with Illustrator or Photoshop. Now that workflow is made simple and accessible by the Apple Pencil and iPad Pro.

iPadOS runs lots of apps I use.

While it’s great that the iPad can run professional software like Illustrator and Affinity Designer, if that’s all it could do, its usefulness to me would be somewhat limited.

So I appreciate that my iPad can also run many of the same apps I have come to appreciate for day to day work and productivity. Notion, for example, is one of my favorite note taking tools. It works great on iPadOS.

Outlook, Word, Excel, the Adobe Creative Cloud app, and Google Drive all help me stay productive and productive without missing a beat, even when I’m not at my computer.

And because I can have my email, notes and files with me anywhere, I have no problem taking my iPad with me on a trip unless I need to do something that would absolutely require my MacBook or Dell.

Whatever you want to accomplish on your iPad, there’s most likely an app or several in Apple’s App Store that will fit the bill.

Stage manager is great for multitasking.

Until iPadOS 16, multitasking on the iPad was less than ideal compared to a full-sized macOS install or Windows. Having more than two apps on the screen at a time was awkward at best. It could be done, but it wasn’t ideal.

Stage Manager added a new way to interact with apps on an iPad, allowing them to be resized and moved around in a more fluid way. iPadOS 17 takes that a bit further, allowing for even more flexibility.

Stage Manager makes an iPad feel just a bit more like a Mac to me, someone who multitasks constantly.

I know some people don’t like Stage Manager, but this single feature goes a long way toward making me think of my iPad Pro as a possible MacBook replacement. Knowing that I can move and arrange apps in a way that’s very Mac-like helps me see the iPad as something more than a tablet.

iPads support external monitors.

Apple iPads with M-series chips can connect to an external monitor for additional screen real estate. Using Stage Manager, an iPad connected to an external monitor can be an excellent laptop replacement. That extra screen space can be a game changer for writing, web browsing, scrolling through photos, and the like.

My 11-inch iPad is great for work on the go, but sometimes I do want more space for my apps. Connecting to an external screen can provide that extra pixel space. The only downside is that apps that require touch or stylus input aren’t ideal on the external screen.

Coupled with an external keyboard and mouse, an iPad connected to an external screen can easily take the place of a laptop or “real” computer depending on what you want to do.

What’s keeping me from going iPad only?

As capable as the iPad Pro is, it’s still not quite a replacement for my MacBook, and truly I don’t think Apple intends for it to be. Both my iPad and my MacBook Pro fill important roles in my content creation workflow, and I like them both for different reasons.

I enjoy the fact that I can connect various accessories and even an external monitor, but I just can’t see myself creating 3D content or editing full videos in Premiere or After Effects on a tablet. Maybe one day that will change, but right now, my Mac can do too much that my iPad can’t.

MacOS is a far more robust and capable operating system than iPadOS is, and while Apple has been bringing iPad features to the Mac and Mac features to the iPad, they’re still two very different operating systems.

Can an iPad replace your laptop?

Ultimately, whether or not an iPad can replace your laptop depends on your needs and what apps you need to run. At one time, I would have laughed at the idea of an iPad ever taking the place of a laptop, but as time has gone on and more features have come to the OS along with more professional apps, that position has shifted a bit.

I now firmly believe that an iPad may in fact be the _right_ choice for someone who only needs basic apps or will be focusing mainly on writing or light content creation. While there’s no doubt in my mind that a Mac is a more capable option overall, there are plenty of great reasons for preferring an iPad instead.

Personally, I’ll keep using both for now.