An iPad as Laptop Replacement: How Viable is It?

Short answer: It’s been viable for quite some time now though with a few caveats in some areas.

Tablets have gotten really good in recent years. While initially seen as basically just a phone with a bigger screen for watching movies and playing mobile games better, tablets have gotten so good that they’re pretty much redefining what a computer is. Just slap on a keyboard and maybe a Bluetooth mouse and it's pretty much a laptop now.

But, can it really be used that way seamlessly? Can say, a student, forgo getting a capable laptop in favor of a new iPad Pro with all the bells and whistles? It’s still a bit more complicated though.

A huge weight off the shoulders

With an iPad, there’s no longer a need to carry a big laptop and a charger, making it easier to get around places. Even when you factor in a case and keyboard, a tablet will still be much more portable overall.

The smaller dimensions also help when working away from home or the office. It’s a lot easier to bring out a tablet when working on the small table of a coffee shop than it is to bring a 15-inch laptop. Sure, there’s smaller 14 or 13-inch laptops but you often have to pay a bit of a premium for them unless you can find a great deal, of course.

Additionally, you don’t need to deal with spotty (and at times, unsecure) public Wi-Fi networks. If you choose a tablet that’s compatible with cellular data like this iPad, you can be ready to go just as soon as you open the device.

Impressive performance in a very slim package

With something like the M4 iPad Pro, you pretty much get a desktop-class chip inside the tablet rather than the usual Bionics used in mobile devices. Being able to work on heavier projects like video editing or running some AI models was just as smooth as a Macbook for the most part.

The M4 iPad Pro definitely made a lot of splash when it was announced as it was the first device to get this new chipset, even before the Macbook. Sure, there were initial concerns about it being a binned chip that performs barely better than an M3 but, Apple has definitely put those concerns to rest during the actual release.

And even if it only offers M3-levels of performance…that’s still quite impressive for the form factor it brings. The M3 is still more than capable of handling most of your office and creative workflows after all.

It’s not just Apple either. On the other side, Android tablets have also gotten really good with things like the Galaxy Tab S10 being very capable devices. You’ve got Android desktop mode and Samsung Dex which is why these devices are already integrated into the workflow at this point.

This performance is done for heavier computer workloads as well, like video editing and multimedia. If your work revolves around writing, emails, research (all of which are still hard work of course, just not that heavy on the CPU), then a good tablet with a comfortable keyboard attachment should be more than enough. And again, much lighter for your bag too.

It can take some time to get used to working on a much smaller screen but you can also just shell out the money for something like the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra and its big 14.6” display. It might as well be a laptop at this point.

But if laptops are still your speed though, then make sure to check out this amazing price on the M4 Macbook Air here as well!

The software has some catching up to do

So far so good right? Well, there’s still a few limitations when it comes to fully converting your tablet into a laptop/desktop replacement.

Let’s stay on the iPad for a moment. While the hardware is about on par with an older generation Macbook Air, the software still holds it back at times. It just doesn’t offer compatibility with some of the software or apps you commonly use on it. The ability to use the command line to navigate your OS is still better on an actual Mac computer for one.

iPads used as a laptop replacement also don’t offer multi-user support, even on the upcoming iPadOS 26, as per reports from the latest beta. It’s understandable though as like phones, a tablet is meant to be a personal device first. But while your Macbook is definitely your personal device, you can set up a guest account in case someone needs to borrow it.

For Android, some apps just don’t support functions that we probably take for granted when working on a computer at this point. Some apps still can’t handle copy/paste properly for one when used in a desktop context. Sure, it’s not the end of the world but it’s a lot of little things that can potentially add up over time.

…and so does the hardware

Outside of the software, you kind of have to consider support for peripherals. Sure, a top-of-the-line iPad can handle video editing and multimedia but what if you need to work on multiple monitors at a time? It’s still hard, even with the upcoming iPadOS 26.

Oh, and you still have to buy these peripherals separately, instead of getting them all in one like in a laptop. The costs can really add up in these cases, especially since models like the M1 Macbook Air are now currently going on sale for cheaper prices. Don’t forget an external USB hub while you’re at it too.

And sure, something like the Realme Pad 2 is very affordable now compared to something like a Macbook Air, even when you get a keyboard+case to go along with it. But it’s not like laptops are lacking in great budget options. For office work like spreadsheets, word processors and email, you can also get something like the Alldocube GTBook here, which comes with 12GB RAM, fast SSD storage, AND a built-in keyboard.

That said, we’re not discounting the experience of using a tablet as your main productivity machine. We’ve already laid out plenty of advantages it can provide depending on your workload. It’s really just picking the right tool for the right job at the end of the day so make that the most important factor when it comes to your purchasing decision.

Well, that and our amazing tablet sales of course~

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