stevedownunder

I've read these comments and most pretty valid.

BUT

My Intel Mac 2019 i9 (upgrade in 2 years) needed to go in for a repair and was possibly going to be gone for a week. Could I live without it?

I'm a data engineer/developer so could my M1 iPad get me through a week.
There were a few things I couldn't do but iPad capabilities have come on leaps and bounds since I tried this several years earlier.

Stage Manager, a paired bluetooth keyboard and bluetooth mouse with an external 34" monitor worked very nicely (the usb-c/hdmi adaptor handy for this). Stage manager and Sidecar are really cool & I could remote into work using Citrix. If you use Office app, you can use Office 365 or the native iPad apps, Google apps mainly cloud anyway. You can do nearly everything with the various available Apps in the App store - someone clever has already solved most of your problems for a couple of dollars. I got through the week quite easily.

There are limitations yes, but it's getting close to fully usable day to day for me.
Being able to customise the screen, reduce icon size etc and better multitasking would be nice but I think this will eventually come. As for multitasking, if you're using a browser for office apps, emails etc - I question if this is a limitation but I understand everyone's needs are different,

After this week I have seriously thought whether to simply use a Raspberry PI and an iPad for replacing the Mac eventually.
I usually max out a Mac when I buy one then keep it for about 5 years so it's a big investment and I could just pay a $100 and get an updated Raspberry PI every year and give the old one to the local school. It's just not quite compelling enough yet but the seed in my mind has been planted.

I've been using Mac since the original Macintosh with 1 floppy !

I saw someone mention saving docs as encrypted dmg in a cloud drive - I never thought of that, brilliant idea.

People do not remember the prices we used to pay for software (PC and I know Mac's had similar pricing for the major titles)

Copy of MS Excel ? $795
Copy of MS Word ? $795
Copy of dBASE ? $795

You would have to buy it from a reseller or computer store and they of course include shipping fee and the retail mark-up plus local tax, and there was stuff all you could do about it.

Gimme a break, the App Store dropped the prices of software like a stone but created a global market for small software developers to concentrate on their products rather of having to pay huge amounts on finding a publisher or advertising in computer magazines. This platform has allowed creative people to make a living without having to worry about finding someone to carry their product and pay for advertising,

Apple created this market from scratch under intense competition, no-one helped them, no-one said here's a billion dollars build a safe, reliable distribution & delivery system that we can all use.

Don't like paying the fee to use the App Store for global delivery to millions and millions of potential customers?
It's very simple, there is another platform for you, it's called Android, build for it and go away, we don't need you.

I agrees with the other 2 posters so far.
I would prefer reviews on the apps on VP than the negativity.

We remember the iPhone initially only had Apple Apps.
The iPad was going to be a niche product.
The Apple Watch wouldn't appeal.

Let's have some serious reviews of the hardware, the experience and the current apps and new ones as they arrive.

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 No James Bond gadgets or ridiculous stunts, just really good TV.

Agree with the other people - AirFly is terrific...been using it the last year