Can I just use an iPad instead of a laptop?

[BikeRunSki]

My laptop is oldish and slow. It occassionally "hangs" and it tales an age to get on the www. I only use it for "fun" - websurfing, internet shopping, a little light Word stuff and household accounts on Excel. MN, FB and eBay. (I have a work laptop for work and most eBAy/FB type websites are blocked.)

I dropped my Laptop 6 months ago and the screen is damaged, It'll cost £80 for a new screen and local IT man said he'd charge about £20 to fit it. Seems a bit much to spend on an elderly laptop.

I'd really like an iPAd. DH has one; we both have iPhones, and I have an iPod. We seem to have sold out to Apple!

If I have an iPad, with a seperate keyboard and Open Office or similar, would I miss not having a laptop for "Domestic" use?

can youprint?

I'm not sure - I only use my iPad for 'play' - it would depend entirely on how good the Excel/Word equivalent software is. I'd definitely get yourself a separate keyboard though.

I assume I can print. I can print from my iPhone very easily.

I can not print from my ipad but that is due to having an old printer. I think some new printers have something called airprint, which lets ipads print.

Would you really print anything though? Would you even use a word processor? Most things these days I do via email.

As your DH has one, I would have a play with his. See what apps you would use for creating documents that you want to print.

We have AirPrint. It's awesome.

I mostly print email letters from school that need signatures, photos and labels for the NCT nearly new sales!

I just tried to do that for a month and it was horrible! It depends how much you need to do on it but I found it a pain, the screen is small for starters minde is a year old but not high spec and it kept shutting down as if to say 'too much you are giving me a headache'. If you got a top of the range one with wifi, 3G/4G capability, lots of memory and good processor speed, it would probably be better, I have a good case for mine which protects it and has a keyboard which makes things easier. But then if you are going to start spending that much money why not just get a new laptop instead?

I haven't touched my laptop since 2011. When we got the first iPad.

I do a lot of work on it (TEFL teacher). Although I've branched to make the most of what touch screen devices can do. I still use Keynote for power points, and pages for WP. Both of those apps convert docs to PDFs that can be emailed, or even annotated in apps like Noteability.

I email the occasional docs I need printing to the place that does the printing for me. I have this arrangement becuase in 20 years I have never had a printer that doesn't hate me, guzzle ink and die just when I need it the most.

There is no way I could back to having to sit up and work after years of being nicely nestled on the sofa. I am as sick as a dog, but becuase I can work semi-prone I am still planning lessons and making digital learning ops for next week.

If you rarely use a word processor then go for it. You could always get a wireless keyboard if you find that you want one. Do you buy on ebay or only sell? It might get a bit tiring listing stuff on the iPad.

If you're doing proper accounts, lots of writing/homework, graphics software, high powered games, then you probably need/want a laptop. For anything less, an ipad would be fine as long as you're comfortable using one.

I don't do any serious wp from home; if I need to work from home I bring my work laptop home.

I think you have convinced me that iPad is the way to go for light domestic use.

I've tried it and hated it. I bought another laptop within a fortnight.

I buy and sell on eBay Bertie - not loads, mostly outgrown kids clothes and toys. I have used my phone for listing for years! Much simpler than the full website.

Lost ever since the 4 year old/tantrum/concrete floor/mobile phone incident everything we have has lived in "Lifeproof" cases!

GoooRooo can you explain why you hated it?

I have a similar dilemma than the OP, except that I'm thinking of having the iPad as it's so easy to transport and I need to do some wp work out and about with work (/self employed). The laptop is just too bulky

If you do use the iPad for wp, will it better to go for a higher spec (iPad Air2) rather than the Air?

All my devices have life proof cases too, the one for my Mac came before the computer which is a good job because it wouldn't have come out of the box otherwise! I must be a scary mother too because the children don't touch my stuff. I have quite a growl

It's quite normal that my Macbook lives inside it's protective case then inside the box the protective case came in isn't it?

I've had my ipad for just over a year now, I very rarely touch my laptop but can't give it up completely as I worry I'd suddenly need to burn a cd or download something the ipad won't let me, which has happened, but not too often.
My laptop is on it's way out but I doubt it will get replaced tbh