I rarely post here but I can comment on this.
I recently went through the same decision. We each had a Mac laptop that we used. We are both retired. My wife used the laptop for just web browsing, web games and e-mail. My needs were a little more but reduced substantially after retirement. Her Mac (older) was getting problematic and was not eligible for Big Sur OS update. We “retired” that one and I purchased an iPad Air with keyboard. I use that now. She likes the laptop form better and continues to use it.
I find the iPad ok and adequate for most all of my purposes but will make these few comments:
- Typing on the iPad smart keyboard is more difficult and the arrow keys do not work with all apps as well as a few websites. Not a big deal. I paired an Apple mouse to it as well as the keyboard. I did try a bluetooth keyboard (not Apple) and that just would not maintain a connection. Gave up on that. Perhaps an Apple bluetooth keyboard would do better. If you go this route I would recommend a smart keyboard (for portability) and either an Apple mouse or trackpad. I would probably lean towards a trackpad but already had the mouse.
- Unless you are using Cloud for music, you still need to have a computer to sync music files to your phone, iPad, etc. I have a larger music collection with designated playlists. I continue to keep and update that on the laptop. [I have two users set up on the laptop.]
- Photo editing is ok on the iPad but definitely easier on the laptop. Same comment regarding syncing photos between devices unless you are using Cloud capabilities.
- As a previous comment noted. Printing from the iPad is only wireless. Not much of an issue but still worth mentioning. Also, the built-in print controls are more constrained.
- I now use Pages and Numbers for documents and spreadsheets. They are ok to update on the iPad but creation is much easier on the laptop; especially for spreadsheets. I do use iCloud for document syncing and storage.
- Saving and moving files around seems a little more complicated on the iPad using iCloud. It’s not difficult - just seems a little more cumbersome on the iPad. You get used to it.
- Command prompts from menus are often different in apps on the iPad. For the most part, menu commands look about the same but some are kind of quirky in their location and take getting used to.
- The reader and media apps are generally very good on the iPad. Barnes and Noble Nook, Amazon Reader, Economist, local newspaper, Netflix, Xfinity, Sirius radio, Pandora etc. are all excellent. The iPad really shines here.
I am very happy with the iPad and the form factor. For some things, I like it better than the laptop and generally use it as a “laptop replacement.” I was a little surprised that there was a bigger learning curve than I expected with the iPad for Notes, Numbers, Photos and iCloud file management. This has been my first real use of an iPad for extended time.
I find I personally still need laptop capabilities for some specific tasks and some things are just easier due to a better keyboard and trackpad integration. Having one of each has been a good balance. I don’t think an iPad is a full laptop (or desktop) replacement but more than adequate as an adjunct/mobile device. For us, one of each is a good balance. My wife could get by with just an iPad but, as I said, she likes the laptop better (because she uses it mostly on her lap <g>).
