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11 Things The iPad Can't Do That A Desktop or Notebook Can


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The iPad Pro pre-orders begins on November 11th and Apple CEO Tim Cook was recently interviewed by The Telegraph and mentioned that he believes "...the iPad Pro is a replacement for a notebook or a desktop for many, many people." and "...why would you buy a PC anymore? No really, why would you buy one?" Yes, why?

I agree that many things people do on computers these days can indeed be done on a iPad or even iPhone. But to basically say 'why would you want a PC anymore' might be a little too much, or is it? I hope Cook realizes that Apple sells Macbook's and the iMac. I'm not sure if everyone at Apple would be happy saying Mac computers are only for a few.

To me it sounds like Tim Cook isn't sure what can't be done on a iPad, that people still use computers for. Is there anything? Lets find out. I did a little thinking and research to find what people still use their laptops or desktop computers for and here are the tops answers or complaints.


No native USB / Flash Drive / External Hard-Drive / HDMI or CD/DVD Drive support. 
Yes Apple may have cloud based alternatives, but a work-around is not a solution. You can buy a plug to connect a USB device - but there isn't a USB port on the iPad or a plug that comes with the iPad - and who knows if the thing you want to connect will even work.


Can't view websites that use Flash.
I agree that the web should get rid of Adobe's Flash player and a lot of sites have stopped using Flash, but not all.


That program you use on a PC or Mac that isn't available on iOS.
Not all computer programs have a iOS version.


No full Printer and Scanner support. 


No on device storage of over 128GB. 


No File System - like on a Mac or PC.
However in iOS 9 Apple has added the ability to show the iCloud file system on your home screen.


Convenience.  
Some things are still just quicker or easier to do on a Computer.


Multitasking with multiple windows - not the same. 
Yeah, in iOS 9 you can use side-by-side multitasking, but it's not quite the same 'easy' experience like on a Mac.


No Xcode / Develop Programs. 
Here's a thought, what if you wrote those apps on a iOS device? Then I guess your not part of the 'many, many people.'


Professional Video Editing.
There are many video editing apps on iOS and there is Apple's iMovie - but if you're looking for a more professional app - you're probably still sticking with your Mac.


No Full Support for third-party web browsers.
Apple has Safari and has added Content Blockers in iOS 9, however if you use Mozilla's Firefox or Google Chrome - you won't experience their full potential on iOS with there many Extensions.


And I sure there is many, many more things that the iPad can't do, that you can do on a Desktop or Notebook computer. Let us know in the comments what you do on a Computer that you can't do on a iPad!


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