Do you use a tablet instead of a desktop/laptop?

Hello friends. Once again I find myself in the Off-topic forum.

A few years ago I got a tablet (iPad) mainly to play with stylus-on-screen artwork. Shortly after that my desktop computer gave up the ghost. Rather than running out and replacing the desktop, and having been duly impressed by the iPad, I challenged myself to make the iPad serve all my computing needs. This was challenging. Every app has its own workaround to account for the lack of modifier keys on the keyboard. Mostly I’ve been able to do everything I need/want to do.

Mostly.

Are there any of you out there who use a tablet only? What is your backup strategy? Over time I’m accumulating more and more documents on the iPad, and especially now, at tax time, I’m reminded of the world of hurt I’d be in if my iPad were dropped or otherwise damaged. What do you guys do to back up your iPad? Sure, I can copy files and photos to an external drive, but that’s an incomplete solution. I know I could back up to a desktop or laptop with iTunes. But that misses the point. And cloud backup is out of the question.

I’m starting to think that the best thing to do would be to have a second iPad, and then periodically use the Transfer/Reset function to keep a complete backup.

Any thoughts?

 

I have ipad for daily puttering around the interwebs and couch streaming. Laptop for plugging into vehicles, etc. Desktop for household stuff like taxes and bills that aren't on phone.

I just have stiff on laptops and desktop that needs multiple backups due to sensitivity. That leaves stuff on ipad and phone can be cloud based and no worries if those are lost.

 

For a all in one decent device I vote for Microsoft surface pro tablet / laptop(ish).

• It is my go to music notes device. I have offline music websites stored in it. So I can even use it in middle of a forest and and play any song request my friends want.

• Microsoft surface pro are powerful enough to run music production tools like Ableton. I don't have hundreds of tracks running at the same time. So I can decently make music with it.

• Microsoft surface pro are powerful enough to run Abode Lightroom for my photography needs.

• Since Microsoft surface pro runs MS windows I have absolutely no trouble connecting additional monitors , web cams or other peripherals. I use a 240W Dell docking station that connects the surface pro, monitors, keyboard, mouse, web cam, external sound card (for music production work). I also use a LAN connection to my docking station to give the maximum internet speed.

• Of cause its very practical for simple tasks like emails, document work, facebook, youtube etc..

• With all that functionality it is so small when I do office work I fold it and keep it on the side and plug in my work laptop to the same docking station.

• If you are little technical you can buy a cheap 128GB version and install a stupid large capacity card.

BTW, I'm not a Apple products hater.

I'm thinking to buy a Macbook Pro for my daughter for serious keyboard workstation work. The software I'm thinking for her needs Apple.

 

I maintain storage on iCloud. Set all of the 'native' OS apps to sync to it so backups are automatic and worry free. I can create/access/edit all of my files on my phone, tablet, laptop, desktop... wherever I am.

For protection when I'm out and about I wrap my iPad with a Logitech Folio Touch. It's an excellent keyboard, has contacts for power to the keyboard (mostly backlight) and bonus, the magnetic flip over tab actually holds it up on a metal surface (I use it to hold the iPad on the side of my rig when I'm out doing astro work.)

 

You pretty much nailed the options you have for backup.

I personally backup my iPhone locally using iTunes plus iCloud backup (with Advanced Data Protection enabled to cover my privacy concerns) but I might drop iCloud in the medium-term. Sure wish Apple would be forced to open backups to other cloud providers but even if the EU forced it I doubt it’ll come to the rest of the world.

The spare iPad idea seems too cumbersome to me, going through the first-use settings repeatedly over time. If you can find an alternative way to sync them, maybe.

You can also use a third-party program like iMazing to perform backups on a computer but same issue as the iTunes/Devices app problem.

While currently I use a laptop + dock for everything else (save for a tablet for maps) I used to have a Dell Latitude tablet (the Latitude 7210 2-in-1 I believe) and I used it for everything.

It was a Windows PC though and was great with a docking station, just not enough oomph to be my primary computer, but I’d look at one of those or something similar before a Surface (even though I do not like Dell) just for the ease of repair compared to much of Microsoft’s Surface line.

 

I use both a tablet and a desktop. The tablets nice when watching TV but if I'm writing a paper, it's got to be with a keyboard.

 

I use a keyboard and mouse with the tablet. It was awkward at first but it’s second nature now. Some tasks are easier, like placing the cursor by tapping on the screen.

Sometimes I’ll have to look up instructions for the iPad versions of word processors or spreadsheet programs. But so far all the capabilities that I need are there. Really the only thing I can’t do on the iPad is format external drives. And there’s the backup issue. Right now I’m backing up to an old laptop that my daughter used in high school (vintage 2015.) That laptop has the most recent OS that it can run, which isn’t particularly recent. And I fear I’m just an iPad software upgrade away from not being able to use the laptop for backup any more. I’m not interested in a cloud backup.

 

I have an iPad and Surface.

While the iPad is nice its proprietary and doesn't work with all the software I need for work and of course to plug into the boat/vehicles.

If I only could have one I'd be forced to only pick a surface or laptop.

Back up is in the cloud. Yeah I know half the people here are paranoid and spies etc.

 

I backup my stuff to iCloud.
Really important stuff I also backup to Google Drive for redundancy.
iCloud is synced so they are locally available on my phone and macbook if iCloud goes down.