There's been a recent uptick in articles and social chatter about the longstanding iPad conundrum: can it replace a laptop? The answer depends on who's asking and what his or her computing needs are. There's no question that the iPad excels as a tablet. But once a keyboard or other peripherals are thrown in the mix, the line between tablet and laptop computer blurs. Yet it's clear to those who have used iPad as their primary computer and found it lacking; an actual laptop is the best tool for the job. The question then is, "Why do some want the iPad to be more than just a tablet?"
More of a good thing
There are a few factors why it might make sense for a tablet to replace a laptop. One is that it's the newest kind of computer today. As such a modern device, an iPad feels like "the future of computing." Apple positioned it as such at the iPad Pro reveal in 2015 when Tim Cook said,
"iPad is the clearest expression of our vision of the future of personal computing."
And since the iPad Pro gained the same M1 chip as a MacBook, it's perfectly reasonable to assume Apple's tablet can (or should) do everything its laptops can.
Above all that, the main reason why some want the iPad to do all and be all is simply because the iPad does things so well. The iPad works so great, why not push it to do everything (like a laptop)? Simple phone-like tasks (such as email, photos, or calendar) are exceptionally nice on iPad with its huge-yet-fits-in-your-hands display. The simplicity of a smartphone with the luxury of a large multi-touch canvas makes iPad a compelling computer-like experience.
That's why some people would love for the iPad to do everything their laptop can. The iPad's simple and elegant touch-based interface makes a laptop feel clunky and antiquated. The iPad's limited feature set compared to a MacBook may be inferior, but its tangible and direct user-experience feels superior. A laptop is more capable, but an iPad is more enjoyable.
Less is more
That said, why doesn't iPad do more? For the same reason it works so delightfully: because iPad does less, yet better, by design. It was fundamentally created to do a few things really well. Simple tasks are fantastic on a tablet, which is exactly what original iPad visionary, Steve Jobs, determined from the start; the initial vision and scope of iPad was correct. Jobs said that for there to be room for a device between a smartphone and a laptop (not replace a laptop), it had to do a few key things far better than those other devices.
Since iPad excels at a few key things, it makes people naturally wish for it to do more things (or all of the things) that well.
More is too much
Pushing iPad to do more than it was designed to do stretches it beyond its inherent limits. And when fans, like Jason Snell and myself, find the breaking point, we realize, "Wait. Why am I trying to make the iPad something it's not? I should just use a laptop." Wanting iPad to do more than it can or should is asking it to be more than it was meant to be.
Because some people's needs are simple or few, the iPad can do and be all the computer they need, effectively replacing a laptop for them. Yet the iPad was never meant to be a laptop replacement. It was designed to sit between a smartphone and a laptop. It thrives in that limited space with its inherent design limitations. For those who need more than what a smartphone provides but find a laptop is overkill, a tablet makes a good fit.
When some people want or need more and push the iPad beyond its feature-set, they tend to think the iPad is a disappointment or failure. So to embrace iPad's benefits is to accept its limitations as a feature. Else you'll see those as grounds for rejection and have to "settle" for a more capable (and complex, less elegant) MacBook.
But wait, there's more
Though Apple has extended iPad's capabilities over the years, allowing it to do more, it still fundamentally remains a tablet computer, not a laptop replacement. Even with the Magic keyboard, trackpad, and M1 chip for the iPad, its software system constrains it from being as capable as a traditional computer. And despite its software advancements in multitasking, iPad's roots remain firmly grounded in tablet soil. Apple is okay with this since it offers anyone a MacBook, an iPad, or both. Whatever you want or need, Apple devices have you covered.
Viewing iPad for what it is correctly sets expectations and avoids disappointment. When you know what it's great for, you'll use the iPad for those things and find it a great device. But if you want or need the full power of a laptop, then the iPad won't suffice.
More than once, I switched to an iPad as my only computer, drawn by its simple and elegant design (and wooed by Apple's marketing), but then switched away. Though my productivity needs don't include video editing or app development, I still found iPad wasn't up to the text-based tasks of blogging and content management. A true full-web browser and file system are requisite. And being text-based, the fact that the basic iPad design lacks a physical keyboard made it a non-starter. By the time I added all the accessories, I could afford a refurbished MacBook. So I switched to one and haven't looked back.
I realize how great the iPad is as a tablet. And while it can do a few things very well, there's one key thing it wasn't meant to do: replace a laptop.