It’s fun, and sometimes, informative, to see what the Windows tech press is saying about Apple’s new Neo laptop:
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Apple’s marketing was that the iPad would replace a computer for some people. They were correct - I know a number of grandparents who own no computer but use an iPad to FaceTime with family and share photos.
The tech media are the ones who suggested that iPad-as-computer-replacement would be much more popular than it really was. Apple’s claims were more guarded.
That said -a $599 iPad Pro might well replace the computer for many people. But if a Neo costs half the price of an iPad Pro then clearly the Neo will win.
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I think the guys being a journalist - he wants people to read his piece so he’s taken a provocative point of view.
That said, for most people, a modern phone is more than enough computer, and they have need or desire to have an iPad or a Mac or a windows pc.
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Is iPad Pro an admission of Macbook Pro failure or just trolling?
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As an M1 MBP owner and a 71 year old male I also own an iPad and I find that they both have specific uses, but the lack of a “Desktop” on an iPad always bothered me.
Split Screen just doesnt do it for me, I want a “parking” area with folders. Not so on a iPhone, it’s a phone after all I dont expect a desktop. On the other hand if I wanted to fill in an governmant application form I would like to be able to access more than one Desktop for; my web browser, email client, Messages app, Adobe PDF reader and perhapes a word processor like pages or MS Word. I would also like access to Finder for reference material or Notes.
I want to be able to drag an drop between sources such as say, screen shots and ID in Notes to documents in Pages or cut an paste from a web page to a document.
I use a Hot Corner to initiate Mission Control which gives me instant access to multiple Desktops and active windows and I would not even want to try and duplicate the above process on an iPad.
So, all that means to me, an iPad is just a larger iPhone, visually advantageous but not as flexible as a laptop. I’m also very mouse orientated and really prefer a physical keyboard rather than cyber keyboard.
For me I much prefer the portability and full function’s of a laptop compared to what I regard as just a larger iPhone.
I consider the Neo to be an entry level laptop much like the iPhone 16/17e and the SE versions that came before it.
Is the iPad Pro a failure? Well its great for viewing subsciption magazines, movies and websites on plane flights otherwise not much use to me except when nothing else is available.
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Both my adult children perfectly described. One has an Apple TV box, but that was a hand-me-down while he was still living at home. I’m not sure he would have bought one himself.
Actually, that’s the other platform they both use — a smart TV.
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I use my iPad Pro with a keyboard, pencil and (trackpad or mouse) 90% of the time. At work I connect it to a 32” monitor. Works perfectly fine for me. The O365 apps have become good enough and Windows.app lets me connect to a VDI for access to internal systems.
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PC and Mac users have always sniped at each other but, for a long time, Mac users were in the minority. Until Microsoft created Excel for Mac, and Apple Mail was able to connect to Exchange.
That was when the Mac became a viable business computer, and it really took off after the introduction of the iPhone. Today it’s still PC vs Mac, and Apple vs Android.
But Apple users are unique, IMO, in the fact that they even fight among themselves.
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Actually, I actually wonder if anyone honestly actually knows how people actually work, let alone actually can finally actually honestly align with what they actually honestly prove about actually honestly not honestly gaslighting everyone.
In short, we’ve all be gaslit and the article proves it, being the first honest one in years because it finally aligns with how people actually write.
Oh the joys of hyperbole!
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JJW
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I had to read that a few times! But then I smiled. Thanks for the post. 
I am experimenting with my hardware setup. Recently, I have tried the Mac as my primary computer with the iPad as a complementary device, and the reverse. Now I am trying a third configuration: a high-end Mac mini on my office desk, with the 13-inch iPad serving as my primary device for everything else. I will turn to the Mac mini only when the iPad cannot accomplish a given task.
My IT department is ordering the Mac mini now. I plan to keep a log for one month, tracking how often I feel compelled to use it.
If anyone is wondering why I am going through this process, I have a good reason that I am not yet prepared to disclose. When the time is right, I will explain the reasoning behind my hardware and application changes. I believe it will make good sense. 
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Basically it’s just mobile UI in general. I can’t really get significant work done on an iPhone or an iPad.
I don’t think the Press understood this a half decade ago along with Apple.
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I worked in I.T. and before I retired I used my work Mac for email, the web, and staying organized. Anything that couldn’t be managed via a browser usually required Microsoft Remote Desktop or a Windows PC and putty.exe.
So moving to an iPad was easy for me. And today my main complaint is Safari. Apple still refuses to provide a desktop browser.
I’ll hazard a guess … Either celebrity status that requires you to travel often or retirement status that allows you to sit at the beach always. If the former, please post your itinerary so we can plan our tour date visits. If the latter, please plan to post relaxing pictures from time to time.
Just FWIW, I’m about seven months into my retirement and balancing comparable trade-offs on decisions for next purchases that you seem to be facing.
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JJW
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@DrJJWMac I am contemplating future purchases. I’m looking for very durable but light hardware for quick getaways.
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I’m assuming that this whole response is purely trolling because what has been said above is so very out of date for what an iPad can do now that it’s comical.
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Don’t kid yourself.
You’ll remember well, the derision of the teletubby like Windows XP and the Holy war between Windows 7 and Windows 8 users over which was best.
What war? Everyone knew Windows 7 was the best. Some individuals just had a tiny problem accepting reality. 
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I was firmly in your camp, but some people LOVED Windows 8.
TBH I was a fan of the Windows Phone UI, especially as a work phone.
Better than Android. Well, except it had no 3rd party apps.
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I had a chance to check out a co-worker’s phone and it looked very interesting. I guess Microsoft was just too late to the party to attract devs.
If Apple didn’t have so many loyal followers missing AI could have really hurt them. And still might because every day we wait for “Apple Intelligence” is one more day we use some other AI.
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