[blackwasp]

I never thought that I would say this, but yes, I have ditched my laptop for the iPad. Here is my buying experience and a review after about a month of using it.

What you'll like:
- Compact minimal bezel design like the iPad Pro
- Large 10.9-inch retina display
- Superfast processors
- Good build quality and premium construction
- Touch ID is built into the sleep / wake button

What you won't:
- Multitasking not as good as a conventional computer OS
- Gets pricey as you start going up the variants and add accessories
- No Face ID
- No headphone jack, only 1 USB C port
- Full desktop apps not yet available for all apps

Need for an iPad - I have been using my 2015 Macbook Pro as my daily driver when on the move. However, had a couple of issues with it - it is cumbersome to take the laptop out and work on it in some places and the battery life was going down. Back in college, I had used iPad mini 2 for taking PPTs, notes and more. The iPad Mini 5 would be a perfect fit for me. So the Mini was finalized.

However, the Air 2020 was launched, and it came with a host of new features and most importantly a new processor that whose benchmark results were very promising. I prefer to get my devices offline and headed to the nearest Vijay Sales and Reliance Digital, but none of them had both the Mini or the Air in stock. Finally, managed to secure a Wi-Fi only iPad Air 256 Gb from Maple.

Initial impressions - The device is FAST. I do some video editing using iMovie, which is blazing fast on the iPad compared to even the MacBook Pro. Web surfing is lag free and app switching is very smooth as well. Weighing in at just 458 grams, it is even lighter than the regular iPad, but fits in a larger display.

Tech Specs -
Apple A14 Soc with 2X Firestorm and 4X Icestorm cores
10.9" fully laminated display with 2360x1640 resolution (264 ppi), P3 colour gamut and anti-infective coating
Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and Bluetooth 5.0 LE
Dual speakers
12 MP back camera and 7 MP front camera

Accessories Purchased - Got an iPad case from Maple as part of a deal. It has a cutout for Apple Pencil and seems robust. Also picked up a USB C expansion dongle which has a regular USB A, HDMI, headphone out and SD card reader. However, realized that it can't be used with the cover. So as of now, using it only for transferring data from SD cards. I also had some XPEL PPF lying around, which I'm using as a scratch guard on the screen. I ordered the Logitech K480 multi device keyboard from Amazon. This is primary used at home or when I'm travelling for more than 4-5 days.

Other points:
- Touch ID makes a comeback and is now incorporated into the sleep / wake button. Makes it very convenient to lock / unlock as well as use it for apps, passwords etc. I'm not a big fan of FaceID.

- Uniform bezels around the screen are minimal and look much better than having a home button in the bottom.

- There are 4 speaker grills, but the iPad Air has only dual speakers.

- It is still not a laptop replacement for all, especially those running legacy apps which run on Windows / MacOS. However, the Mac apps could soon come to iPad as the newer computers are ARM-based.

- It is a powerful device, but sadly, most iPads are used for content consumption and not creation. Buying such an expensive device just to watch YouTube doesn't make sense. I was a bit worried if I could work on iPad, but happy to say, I have made it a part of my workflow.

- Do note, I still use my 2011 iMac desktop at home. The iPad solved my mobile work needs.

- Battery life easy lasts over day with a screen on time of over 10 hrs. I have no complaints on this front.

- This the first Apple device that I'm going to take extended warranty for. Why? Thanks to my daily usage, there is a slight chance that the battery capacity would degrade much faster than usual. Also, the warranty covers accidental damage.

- I can set virtual background without a green screen on Zoom meetings on iPad but not on my Macbook Pro!

- Apple Pencil is a tempting purchase, but not at Indian prices. I might get one in the future is someone can bring it from abroad.

- Still waiting for full Photoshop. Meanwhile, trying out Affinity Photo as well. Any other recommendations for photo editing apps?

Some pictures:




Lone USB-C port and the smart connector:


Sleep / Wake button with Touch ID:


Volume rockers:


In the case:




USB-C dongle attached:


Ports of the USB-C dongle:


Upto 3 Apps open simultaneously:


Logitech keyboard case:


Benchmark figures:








Some YouTube Reviews that helped me decide on this:

https://youtu.be/nDy32xoXM4o

https://youtu.be/EMwrJjyKzR4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rszK4_Pk6G8

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[gusfring]

Congratulations!!! Easily the best iPad to buy, in a price vs performance basis. Doesn't miss out on anything except that ProMotion which may not always be missed either.

One question though, this has the A14 Bionic, same as the iPhone 12 series and not 5G?
At the same time now I'm definitely unable to understand what Apple is getting at. Their chip making prowess is scarily good, and if Apple does bring full Mac apps to iPads some time, I feel like the number of people buying their laptops may reduce...?

Also Apple must really decrease the prices of their accessories, that Magic Keyboard (weight too here) for instance!! It'd have made it just one accessory for you instead of having to lug around two separate cases

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by gusfring

Congratulations!!! Easily the best iPad to buy, in a price vs performance basis. Doesn't miss out on anything except that ProMotion which may not always be missed either.

Yup, and with the good rear camera, I can even take pics when I would have otherwise not taken.

One question though, this has the A14 Bionic, same as the iPhone 12 series and not 5G?

Both the iPad Air 4th gen and the iPhone 12 have the same A14. Only difference is that the iPhone 12 Pro models get 6Gb ram vs 4Gb of the Air.

At the same time now I'm definitely unable to understand what Apple is getting at. Their chip making prowess is scarily good, and if Apple does bring full Mac apps to iPads some time, I feel like the number of people buying their laptops may reduce...?

This is the first 5 nm SoC made commercially. I feel that with transition to ARM Macs, we will likely have iOS apps rather than Mac OS apps. ARM based apps would be the future going forward.

Also Apple must really decrease the prices of their accessories, that Magic Keyboard (weight too here) for instance!! It'd have made it just one accessory for you instead of having to lug around two separate cases

Yup, at 30k, it's half the iPad's cost alone. Thankfully, 3rd party accessories are there to save the day. I'm waiting for Logitech's Folio touch to land on our shores.

[gusfring]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

This is the first 5 nm SoC made commercially. I feel that with transition to ARM Macs, we will likely have iOS apps rather than Mac OS apps. ARM based apps would be the future going forward.

Big Sur does look like a bloated iOS now

Yup, at 30k, it's half the iPad's cost alone. Thankfully, 3rd party accessories are there to save the day. I'm waiting for Logitech's Folio touch to land on our shores.

It's not just about the cost, which we are frankly used to now. It's also that it weighs as much as the device itself, making the tablet form factor quite useless. Thank heavens for third party accessories here

[TheHelix0202]

Nice thread! Once one has tasted the buttery smoothness of the iPad OS, it's hard to go back to anything else!

Please do give more details about using that Logitech case as I was thinking of getting it for my iPad 7th gen for college work. The price is just slightly on the higher side for me right now, and I need a solid enough reason to justify the purchase.

[Jeroen]

Just got mine a few weeks ago. Loving it. Still using my MacBook Pro too.

Jeroen

[rpunwani]

Got the Sky Blue one too; bought the magic keyboard and the Apple Pencil 2. Love the way the sidecar works with the Big Sur

[bsdbsd]

Congratulations. Good to know different perspectives. I still think iPad is a gimped device and Apple is not sure what to do with it, especially now that M1 Macs have been released. iPadOS is a bloated OS now, but still can not do what a full fat OS can do. Lack of proper multi-tasking, weird gestures, lack of ports, pricey accessories, lack of a kickstand still hold back the devices potential. I would pick up a Surface Pro anyday. I have been using one since 2013 (MS SP) but stopped with iPad first generation. My Surface Pro is getting updates even today, where as Apple stopped the updates after first year (for first gen).

[ValarMorghulis]

Nice thread. I got the Space Grey 256 GB variant with the Apple Pencil, Logitech M590 wireless mouse and Logitech K380 wireless keyboard.

If Apple keeps up with the current pace on their processors, soon everyone will be a distant second.

[raksrules]

I did once contemplate using iPad + Keyboard as Laptop replacement but ditched the plan as felt that cost would be lot more and I always want a proper dedicated laptop.
I did buy iPad recently but the 8th gen from US as got a nice deal with 1st gen apple pencil but that isn't being used much.
Also have Macbook Air M1 coming in a few days.

[rkv_2401]

(For people who aren't tied to an Apple ecosystem : )

I don't fully understand the need to go through the difficulties of migrating to a tablet from a laptop-based workflow, when Microsoft's Surface series offers a proper desktop environment in a tablet, complete with stylus? I understand that the iPad Air's pricing makes it (relatively) compelling, and that the A14 is a very powerful SoC for iPad OS, but these are the things I imagine to be difficult with making such a switch :

1) The hassle of finding iPad apps that work as a replacement for programs on your Windows/Mac PC. Stock trading, anyone?

2) Multi-tasking not being as easy and effective as Windows' Snap Assist(a game-changer for my laptop/tablet usage!)

3) Not having convenience features such as USB ports, Face ID/Windows Hello, fingerprint sensors, DisplayPort etc. I mean, my Surface Pro 6 only has one USB port and one DisplayPort and I still feel that it is not truly abundant, if I left the USB hub behind I wouldn't be able to use all my devices at once.

4) I don't have to worry about my Windows devices being outdated, ever. I'm still using a Surface Pro 2 from 2013 with the latest Windows updates. Hasn't slowed down at all over the last 7 years. Battery holds up reasonably well, too. Whereas this isn't the case with Apple's ecosystem, where Apple can pull the plug any year. Case in point, my father found out the hard way that he couldn't run xCode on a 2012 iMac, condemning an otherwise more-than-sufficient machine(in good physical condition as well!) to the bin.

These are the things I would prefer on an iPad over my surface :

1) Up until Apple's A13, I would have said using an iPad would not be the same as having a desktop processor. Now, I feel that the A14 with optimizations and for this type of usage, can definitely match my newer Surface's quad-core i7. And in the realm of battery life, trounce it.

2) Make no mistake, these screens are SMALL. Desktop-sized apps don't always scale too well to touchscreen usage on a tablet-sized screen. I find it uncomfortable sometimes to use my Yoga(14") as a tablet. And on this front, I expect iPadOS apps to be significantly better in terms of usability as well as experience.

3) You need to carry a power adapter around with the Surface! USB-C charging is the future, and I'm disappointed that Microsoft hasn't brought that in to the Surface lineup. The flip-side is, I can connect all my accessories whilst the device is plugged in, I'm not sure if you can charge the iPad that way.

[rosh_aveo1.4]

Different question though.....how is the Logitech keyboard? Heard it's very noisy? I have a samsung tab and wanted to see if this was worth purchasing.

[DriverNo.420]

The thing I love the most about Apple's ecosystem is that how everything just, works. The iCloud and it's seamless synchronisation. Microsoft is improving on this aspect in Windows too with drivers being automatically installed and all Onedrive is also great. But for those looking at ease of use+raw power, Apple products are for them.

But I still don't know why Apple considers 1$=100₹. The new iPhones(especially at their current price) don't make any sense for someone who is using their iPhone 8.

[evilmessiah]

Originally Posted by rosh_aveo1.4

Different question though.....how is the Logitech keyboard? Heard it's very noisy? I have a samsung tab and wanted to see if this was worth purchasing.

Good question. I have been using the exact black and lime accented one blackwasp has for the past 3 years (with 2 Android tablets and now with an iPad). While there is some noise, I don't find it intrusive as such. However, there are some other caveats that you might find helpful:

- Structural rigidity is suspect. It just doesn't feel very solid. It always feels a bit plasticky. The battery cover is also somewhat flimsy.
- The space bar was always a bit wonky for me. Doesn't always get registered. This irritates me while typing quickly.
- Page up/down, home and end are absent. I use them a lot and I wasn't paying a lot of attention while buying this keyboard. If you use a lot of shortcuts, this might be something you should keep in mind. It's manageable on Android since there dedicated back and home keys. On an iPad, using the Command button needs you to press the function key as well. This translates to more finger stretching than usual.
- Not suitable for using on the lap (kind of obvious). The tablet might fall face down on the keyboard.

My Dad has also bought another one recently (in white) to use with his iPad. This feels slightly better built, is not as noisy to type on and all keys seem to register correctly. There are some other positives to this keyboard:

- Form factor is very convenient. The slot for parking the tablet is quite useful.
- Multi device dial is super useful. You can switch between three programmed devices by twisting the knob at the top left corner.
- Battery life is stellar. They include Duracell AAA-s with the keyboard which lasted 2 years with my infrequent use. However, it is better not to use Duracell batteries since I find that they tend to leak.
- Good for note taking, typing out manuscripts and long documents so long as you do not use many shortcut keys.
- Decent typing feel and key travel. The new models seem to have better materials and lesser noise.

Hope this helps. If you are buying this mainly for note taking or typing out long documents with minimal usage of shortcuts, then this would fit the bill. Let me know if I can help you out in this any further.