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Topic: iPads - Picking one and backing them up (Read 220 times) previous topic - next topic
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iPads - Picking one and backing them up
Thinking of replacing my wife's dated Macbook Pro with an iPad.
She uses a computer for surfing, email, reading books and doing a little word processing. No photography or music.

The iPad all seem pretty alike to me. Differences in size mainly, as processor capabilities are meaningless for her uses.

Any preference for what she will be using it for?
12.9-inch iPad Pro
9.7-inch iPad Pro
iPad Air 2
iPad mini 4

The troublesome part for me it that it seems you have to backup to the Cloud. That's fine when we are at home when "bandwidth" is unlimited. Not so on the road. Is there a way to back up one of these suckers to an external hard drive?
Don & Dorothy
Sold our LD in June of 2023

Our boring always non-PC travel blog
Traveling Dorothy
Re: iPads - Picking one and backing them up
Reply #1 –
I went with the iPad Pro, 9.7",  128 gig version. With that capacity I can store virtually anything I care to store. Best Buy had a $100 off sale last Christmas.
I've gone crazy storing stuff and still have 100 gigs left. I have the entire CO and UT FS Motor Vehicle Use Map data base on the iPad.

In my opinion, any of the options you're looking at would work just fine but be sure to get one with a very large storage capacity. 128 gigs if possible.

Backup.
First, it only backs up changes you have made since the last backup. Not everything you have stored since day 1 so, generally speaking, you're not talking about a huge amount of data.
Secondly. You can turn automatic back-up/ app updates off and then back it up when you have free wi-fi like in a library. I do that. Rather than have the updates eat up my data allowance, I just wait. Or if it's just a few days before my new month is about to start, and I have some excess data available, I'll use it on updates/backups.

There is no way that I am aware of to backup the entirety of an iPad to a disk drive of some type. Photos, I think,  but not other stuff.
I have the Apple 50gig storage plan. $0.99/ month.
Andy is the resident Apple guru. I'm sure he will have other, and better, ideas.

Ed
Re: iPads - Picking one and backing them up
Reply #2 –
Quote from: Don Malpas  - 
The troublesome part for me it that it seems you have to backup to the Cloud. That's fine when we are at home when "bandwidth" is unlimited. Not so on the road. Is there a way to back up one of these suckers to an external hard drive?

Yes it the iPad can be backed up

From apple support   How to back up your iphone/ipad

From other sources  How to back up your iPhone or iPad to an external drive

 



personal fine art photo stuff
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It's all good .......
2014 Twin King
Re: iPads - Picking one and backing them up
Reply #3 –

There's no need to use iCloud backup. Any iPad or iPhone can be backed up to a hard drive. Just use a USB cable to plug the iPad into a Mac or PC that's running iTunes. I do this every few days.

I agree that for your wife's needs, processor power is probably not something you need to worry about. Today's iPads are as powerful as most of yesterday's desktop computers. You will need to make choices about screen size, amount of storage, and whether or not you want GPS and cellular data capability. For storage, I recommend not less than 32 GB, and if your wife wants to keep music or movies on the iPad, I'd go a step higher. You'll never regret having plenty of storage space.

With iPads, the GPS and cellular capabilities are linked: you get both or neither. I find it extremely useful to have GPS capability on my iPads, and in fact routinely use my iPad mini as a GPS navigator when driving my rig, so I always pay the extra $100+ to get it. (The cellular capability need not be used if you don't want to.)

As far as your screen size is concerned, that's something your wife can best determine after trying the various models in a store. Many people (including me) find the iPad Mini to be good for reading--a fine Kindle substitute--and handy to carry around. On the other hand, there are times when a larger screen makes reading easier, especially for aging eyes like ours.

And of course a larger onscreen keyboard makes it easier to type. But if your wife does a significant amount of word processing, she might consider a separate keyboard. Apple offers its own "Smart Keyboards" for the iPad Pro models, but they are pricey. Any standard Bluetooth keyboard should work, including both standalone models and keyboard/case combos. In the latter category, models from Logitech and Zagg have consistently gotten high marks from reviewers, and I've owned and liked both.

The keyboards that are made to fit the various iPad models have the drawback that they are smaller than standard keyboards--about 80% of full size. Most people can get used to typing on one, and they are certainly better than typing on the screen, but for heavy word processing a full-sized Bluetooth keyboard may be preferable. Again, just about any Bluetooth keyboard--whether designed for iPads or not--should work.

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Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: iPads - Picking one and backing them up
Reply #4 –
I use an iPad Air2 to do many things on but still like my laptop for a lot of things as well.
I don't like trying to type even using an auxiliary keyboard, just not used to doing it so it's not easy.
Screen size is too small for watching any videos on with my older eyes.
I do read on mine and when I went to an Apple store to check out the larger sized ones I found that
it is just too big for my needs and awkward to hold long when reading.
I will probably upgrade to a newer one when the next generation comes out, but no hurry.
Jota
96 23.5 FL
Re: iPads - Picking one and backing them up
Reply #7 –
Don, in my reply I overlooked one very important point in your question: you said that you were thinking of replacing your wife's MacBook Pro laptop with an iPad tablet. Maybe your wife is already familiar with the iOS software used on iPads, but at the risk of pointing out the obvious... these are very different animals.

None of the macOS programs your wife is accustomed to will run on an iPad. Yes, there are equivalent iOS apps for "surfing, email, reading books and doing a little word processing"--Safari, Mail, Kindle, and Pages are included or available for free with every iPad, and Microsoft Office and other programs have iPad versions available--but although competent and in some ways easier to use, these iOS apps don't feel the same as their MacOS cousins. That's inevitable, since a touchscreen-based device such as a phone or tablet just plain works differently from a mouse/keyboard device like your wife's MacBook.

Take one simple example: it's easy to type with a laptop on your lap, because you can position the screen at a convenient angle relative to the keyboard. With a tablet, the screen is at the same angle as the (onscreen) keyboard, unless you use a separate Bluetooth keyboard... and even the Bluetooth keyboards that are designed for use with iPads typically only allow one screen angle, via a slot in the keyboard that the tablet fits into.

Opening multiple windows on an iPad is not really practical, unlike on a Mac or Windows PC. And of course even the largest (12.9") iPad Pro's screen is smaller than the smallest (13.3") MacBook Pro.

I'm not saying you shouldn't buy an iPad for your wife. For all I know, she's already familiar what it can do, and is comfortable with making the switch from her old laptop. On the other hand, I've known a few long-time users of "traditional" computers who just never could get used to doing things the new touch-based way. So if you were planning to spring this on her as a surprise, I'd recommend caution, as the surprise might turn out to be unwelcome. Just a thought...
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: iPads - Picking one and backing them up
Reply #8 –
As the CTO in our home and small firm, I can relate a small sample of experience. I am an early adopter of any technology, my wife is the last adopter.  But she is the boss. Literally. I spent months convincing her to convert out data collection process to an iPad.

She immediately saw the benefit and has been screaming up the path of iOS adoption to the role of advocate ever since.  She hates going back to her kinda oldish MacBook. But it has also involved a couple of years of intense support.

Based on what I have seen, I would strongly advise an appointment at an a Apple Store to have a third party expert carefully show her the differences. They are very very good at this and see many people make this transition. Then let her decide. A computer is a very personal item that touches so many facets of life it has to be a joy to use.
Paul
'92 Mid Bath
Re: iPads - Picking one and backing them up
Reply #9 –
Amen! Well said, Paul.
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: iPads - Picking one and backing them up
Reply #10 –
Maybe your wife is already familiar with the iOS software used on iPads, but at the risk of pointing out the obvious... these are very different animals.

Good point. Not so much, she gets around OK on her iPhone, but she mainly sees it as a phone. It rings, she says Hello.

I was thinking of an iPad as a possible replacement for her 2008/2009 Macbook AND for her Kindle Fire. The battery life of the fire is shabby.

We will spend some time in a Mac store to decide. Now I am thinking it might require both an iPad and another Macbook.

Really appreciate the hack to be able to backup to an external drive.
Don & Dorothy
Sold our LD in June of 2023

Our boring always non-PC travel blog
Traveling Dorothy
Re: iPads - Picking one and backing them up
Reply #11 –
Don, it is easy to commit to all the great tool/toys at an Apple store! My wife carefully monitors my visits. But her iPhone 7 has reversed the roles, on our last trip I or the store I was the one tapping my feet and sighing.

Good luck !
Paul
'92 Mid Bath