The pros and cons of using an iPad as a laptop

An iPad has several advantages over a laptop, including its touch screen and portability. But depending on what you want to do, it might not be enough. The pros and cons of using an iPad as a laptop.

Big Tech Apple The pros and cons of using an iPad as a laptop The iPad can be a sleek and versatile replacement for a laptop, but there are some drawbacks to know about. While the answer in the first few generations was "only for the most casual users," it’s become more nuanced since then. Today, whether you’re casual or professional, it depends on what you expect out of a computer and how much friction you’re willing to deal with.

For work like email, web browsing, video calls and writing, you won’t miss much by using an iPad instead of a laptop. With iPadOS 26 and later, Apple’s updated windowing system makes it even easier to forget you’re using a mobile device. (That is, if you also have a quality keyboard and trackpad.) But if your needs extend beyond those basic tasks, the iPad becomes a less convincing answer.

While it can do almost everything a laptop can, big gaps in software, Apple’s closed ecosystem and the iPad’s touch-first nature could lead to more awkwardness than you’d like. Think of it as replacing a laptop brilliantly about 90 percent of the time, with a few frustrating exceptions making up the remaining 10 percent.