Why my iPad can’t yet replace my laptop

Posted by: Scott    Tags:      Posted date:  June 6, 2011  |  10 Comments


Since I’ve been raving about my iPad ever since I picked one up prior to the Melbourne Worldcon so I could leave my laptop home, I figure I owe it to you to now share some of its shortcomings, especially since I’ve had my nose rubbed in many of them today.

You see, the MacBook Pro on which I work all day has been failing recently, and though I’ve been able to keep it limping along, I finally had to admit defeat. So I boxed it up late this morning and sent it to NY for a diagnosis and overhaul. Which means I’ve been working all day attempting to use the iPad as my primary computer. And though it’s capable of doing most things, it can’t do all things.

Here’s what’s irritated me the most today while using my iPad not just for fun, but for work:

1) Since the iPad is unable to use Flash, I’m unable to use the iPad to view certain videos to decide whether they’re entertaining enough to share.

2) Even when I can see videos (when they’re on YouTube, for instance), I’m unable to grab embed code, since clicking on a YouTube video brings it up in the iPad app, which doesn’t offer that option.

3) It’s annoying not to be able to have several windows open in Safari at once to be viewed side by side. To shift from one site to another means backing out to a control panel with nine tiny screens stacked three by three, choosing one, and then reentering an active window.

4) Though I can view Twitter, I can’t seem to access lists that have been created by Twitter users. When I go to list links, I’m instead being redirected back to the Twitter feed of whoever created the list. (Or is that just me?)

5) Though I can save images from other sites to the iPad, I don’t seem to be able to load them directly from the iPad into the Content Management System I use, because the CMS won’t allow me to choose a file.

I’m sure there are other things the iPad can’t do for me to allow me to fully function, but those are the ones that disturbed me today. Luckily, I have other machines in the house that can handle those tasks when they pop up. But until a future iPad can be made to do those things, I can’t survive in a house with only an iPad. (FYI—I did post this entry via my iPad.)

Just thought you should know that though I like sipping it now and again, I haven’t completely drunk the Apple Kool-Aid.





10 Comments for Why my iPad can’t yet replace my laptop


Jamie Todd Rubin

1. I’ve run into the issue with Flash once or twice, but it is not as much of a deal for me as it is for you. There is a solution: there is some software that allows you to access your desktop/laptop screen from your iPad. When you run it, your iPad is essentially acting as a wireless monitor for your laptop. In that case, Flash works because the Flash is actually running on the laptop. It’s a bit of a hack, but it does work. Of course, it still requires another laptop or desktop to make it work so it may not be of much value.

4. Are you using the Twitter app for iPad or the Twitter website?

5. I have had similar issues with image upload and I am looking into a solution. I’ll let you know if I find something.

    Scott

    The thing about #1 is that I am currently laptopless, so the workaround can’t be done. And if I had the laptop, the workaround wouldn’t be necessary. As for #4, it appears the official Twitter app does allow for just that, so it was all on me.

James Wall

An iPad was never intended to replace a full function computer. It is a media delivery device with limited abilities in all other areas. Apple is changing this. I tend to think that issues like this will continue to get worse, not better, over time. But, I may just be a gloomy Gus.

    Scott

    Oh, it’s been perfectly fine for my personal creative uses so far; that is, word processing, blogging, tweeting, sharing photos, etc. So it’s been more than just a consumption device. What it does lack, though, are all the bells and whistles I need to do my dayjob. But I have a feeling those will eventually come, because Apple hopes many people will abandon their laptops entirely in favor of an iPad.

      James Wall

      Steve’s announcements at WWDC should fulfill most of your dreams. The big one is that iOS devices will not be tethered to an other machine in the future.

Lancer Kind

Thanks for posting this! It’s always rewarding seeing someone ELSE try something that I’d have done in their shoes. I hope it all gets easier. Maybe your CMS has a nice app in the app store (I use WordPress and its iPhone app’s OK).

Not an iPad user yet, but certain to be one soon. Love my iPhone and I’ve read many books on it and have typed a few chapters of a book when I was in a pinch (my Mac was in the shop).

Hope the Mac repairs go well.

Cheers, ==>Lancer—

    Scott

    I have no problem dealing with my personal CMS — the CMS for this blog — on my iPad. It’s my company’s CMS that I have trouble manipulating.

    As for my Mac, it’s in NY now, and I wait word on its health.

Jamie Todd Rubin

To echo what Lancer said, I also use WordPress for my CMS, but I actually store all my images in a Picasa album and use the Picasa plug-in for WordPress. What I found that works on the iPad is to use the Picasa Web Albums app, which lets you upload photos and video from your iPad to a Picasa album. Then from WordPress, I can pick the photos using the plug-in. This seems to get around the “choose the file” issue.

    Scott

    Interesting. So there’s no way to pull a photo directly from the iPad Photos app into a WordPress blog? You’ve got to use Picassa?

      Jamie Todd Rubin

      I’ve always used Picasa. I like having one centralized place for all my photos, regardless of their purpose. I’m pretty sure the WordPress app will allow you to upload pictures and media to the media library in WordPress (and allow you to do so from your device), but I don’t like the WordPress media library so I don’t use it.