We get asked this a lot by procurement managers and business stakeholders. The answer is never as simple as saying the iPad is better than a laptop, or visa-versa. It’s always going to come down to a workflow, deployment and support decisions.
Apple iPads are still by far the most rented device across the rental industry and this trend plays out in every corporate, retail and exhibition rental we fulfil on a national basis. Some businesses have highly successful iPad deployments in large numbers, others waste time trying to fit iPads into what are really best suited laptop workflows. Leading to frustration and wasted budget.
What’s right for you? Read-on and you’ll get the big picture answer.
The TL;DR
iPads shine in single-task roles – Check-in, POS, kiosks, surveys, field forms and roving staff are natural iPad territory.
Laptops own the heavy lifting – Multi-window workflows, Windows-dependent apps, spreadsheets, peripherals and printing-heavy desks need a laptop.
Not sure? Plan for the hardest 10% – If that slice needs a laptop, standardise on laptops and add iPads only where they clearly win.
Need both?– Hire Intelligence can help you hire iPads, laptops, tablets and MacBooks at scale.
💡Expert insight – Neil Levin
It’s rarely a simple matter of iPad vs laptop for most business use cases. I like to capture the task rather than the device.
Once I have a good understanding of the task I then start to think about standardising devices, walking through the workflow from start to finish, and then starting to think about the level of support required to deal with the low level issues that will cause the most disruption such as; logging in/logging on with a password, printing, Wi-Fi connectivity, battery life and access to power adaptors.
The 60-second decision filter
Most specs comparisons devolve to pretty unimportant or banal details. Before you spend too much time nitpicking and comparing though, make sure to at least ask the following questions, which encapsulate what procurement teams will care about.
1) Single-task vs multi-task
Tasks that involve staff performing a single task are more likely to migrate to the iPad. You may choose to lock the iPad to the main application and keep the user interface as simple as possible. Tasks that involve the use of a number of different applications, documents and a lot of printing are likely to require a laptop.
A good rule of thumb (we use internally), if the user is likely to have more than 3 apps open at any one time during the workflow… it’s probably best suited to a laptop.
2) Assigned vs shared
Shared devices are where iPads really come into their own, particularly in retail and event environments. A shared iPad model works well as long as you can get a simple login process, lock the device down to the right app and have a good charging strategy in place.
3) Non-negotiable apps
Apps can be the tipping point when it comes to deciding which operating system and platform you might want to use. If there is one app you need and it is available on only one platform, say Windows and not iPadOS or if it’s available but works in a vastly different way, or if you need a full web browser to access its content, that alone might be reason enough to pick one platform over another.
Tip: Test the entire workflow from first login to completion, covering any necessary authentications, printing, file access and security prompts before you commit to a large rollout.
4) Peripherals and connectivity
External devices such as monitors, printers, scanners, card readers, and special devices may determine whether an iPad or laptop will be used for a task, or iPad may be used for a very specific task using adapters, hubs and mounts.
Note: All laptops we rent will have at least 1 HDMI port and all other ports will be up to the year the laptop was made. Check with the presentation room, point-of-sale station and the event space before coming to present or do business.
5) Fleet management and support
The device is only one part of the picture. You will also need to think about configuration, security, keeping the operating system up to date, and the level of technical support that will be required.
Our laptops are fully remote-control troubleshoot-able. Our iPads are MDM managed and we have fairly good success in remote-controlling them for fleet management type of issues but inevitably we have some items that require a tech to physically visit the user’s device.
This is the bit that often catches people out, because they just aren’t thinking long term! The device might be 60 odd % of the decision, but the other 40 is how you’re going to update it and support it over the length and breadth of its lifetime.
Key Laptop vs iPad Scenarios
Corporate
In the corporate world, we believe an iPad is at its best when used for a single function rather than being a laptop replacement. Meeting room tablets for room control, calendar display and visitor registration are all great examples of single use scenarios where an iPad excels.
Field and site-based roles are where the iPad tends to excel, if you require the use of applications such as forms, checklists, cameras and possibly the Apple Pencil for capturing signatures and the like. Shared devices or an application that can be used for a single function is also a good place to look at using iPads. Another great use case is paperless workflows, they are fantastic for scanning and e-signing documents which can help to improve document management in your organisation.
The fastest implementations we have seen are when the iPad is being used as a role-specific device as opposed to trying to use it as a laptop replacement. Use a standard application for business use and a standard way of positioning and interacting with the iPad such as a fixed mount or a physical keyboard.
Lock down as many settings as possible on the device and make sure that any large files are pre-loaded so they don’t need to be downloaded from the corporate network and you are bound for success.
Laptops however, will remain the safer default for all finance and operations teams that spend their days working in spreadsheets, multiple systems and multiple monitors. Windows line-of-business apps and legacy systems typically require a full desktop OS. Printing-heavy roles and file workflows where storage capacity is a key consideration are also likely to remain on laptops.
Where full desktop browser behaviour, extensions and complex web portals are required, as well as software development, programming and other specialist workflows… laptops are also likely to be the best choice.
Laptops typically have 5-10 times more storage than an iPad, with capacities ranging from 500 GB to 1 TB, whereas an iPad generally has storage in the order of 16-128 GB. If your organisation is planning on standardising on laptops, please see our laptop hire for business page.
Retail
So, what can you use an iPad for in retail? Well, we’ve already mentioned point of sale and assisted sales, but an alternative use could be queue busting, where staff are mobile and will come and deal with customers. In addition to these fixed uses, there are a number of mobile uses where an iPad can be of use.
For example, product catalogues can be used during guided sales, customer sign-ups can be done via digital forms and stock takes are easier to do. It’s not so much a choice between an iPad and a laptop in the retail environment, it’s more a case of what accessories you will need to carry around with the device. Such as stands, cases, adapters and cables.
We assisted one of the nation’s leading retailers roll out 120 new iPad devices in-store, as well as new POS and stock checking applications. We rolled out the devices in 3 days. This was a very straightforward roll out as all devices were pre-configured. All the store managers had to do was remove the device from the packaging and plug into the mounting system and it was ready to use.
Exhibitions & Events
Deploying mobile devices in an events environment is likely to be a challenging scenario. Given the inherent constraints of an event (fixed event schedule, limited event space and resources, uncooperative local networks, hardware and infrastructure) there are limited scenarios where events will be considered flexible.
In these environments the lowest risk, standardised devices should be used. Common iPad use cases for events include event registration/check-in and badge pickup, lead capture/surveys, kiosks and self-service stations and ambassadors/walkers to help guide attendees to exhibitors, sessions and other event locations.
Locking down the iPad for these scenarios as well as considering stands, cases, charging stations and extra devices for use in the field are all things to consider.
Laptops can be considered for a multitude of tasks including on-site admin and reporting, last minute content updates and data entry, printing out packages and collateral for attendees as well as back-office reporting and sales updates.
They are also used for AV control and multi system operation depending on the event tech stack.
Last year, a client’s entire check-in system crashed 40 minutes before an event opening. The event manager was on her phone to the venue trying to delay the doors. Luckily, we were able to re-image 6 iPads and get registration back up and running in 15 minutes.
They plan to have surplus backups on-hand for future events.
You can’t plan to ‘wing it’ on the day of a 2,000-delegate conference.
The hidden gotchas that create support tickets
Procurement issues usually come from operational details, not the devices themselves.
Accessories matter more than most people expect
Accessories matter more than most people expect. An iPad on its own is a brilliant piece of hardware, but hand one to a staff member without the right accessories and you’ll hear about it within the first hour. A keyboard and trackpad (especially Apple’s Magic Keyboard) can turn an iPad into something that genuinely feels like a laptop.
Things like stands and mounts are essential for any kiosk, reception or point-of-sale setup where the device needs to stay put. Most modern iPads run USB-C, but you’ll almost certainly need a hub or adapter strategy for connecting to projectors, external displays or card readers.
We’ve seen clients order a fleet of iPads and come-back within days with an extra order of mounts and Magic Keyboards (it gets pretty impractical when you’re propping you iPad against books).
I recommend Apple’s USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter. Rock solid for compatibility and stability. We’ve heard the stories about iPadOS 16.1 breaking many 3rd party HDMI adapters and this pattern tends to repeat periodically over OS update cycles. At $100+ per unit it doesn’t come cheap, but can you put a price on peace-of-mind?
And don’t forget charging! It’s often the one that catches people out, especially with shared devices. If you’ve got 20 iPads rotating through staff across a shift, you need a solid charging station and a clear plan for who docks what and when. And for any high-risk environment like events or retail floors, always budget for spare units and spare chargers. (As a rule of thumb, set aside 10-15% spare budget for chargers, cables and cases).
Something will break or go missing… it’s not a question of if, but when. And without a backup, those chargers will be dead by mid afternoon.
Practical tip:
Order your accessories at the same time as your devices, not after. We’ve seen rollouts delayed by days (or 1- 2 weeks) because the keyboards or mounts arrived separately. Treat the accessory as part of the device, not an afterthought.
Practical tip #2:
End of shift docking should be as natural as clocking-out to your staff, make sure it’s built into their workflow to ensure all devices stay charged.
💡Expert insight – Neil Levin
Identify the key 10% of the workload and the associated infrastructure that is required to support it. Then, based on that 10% decide whether a laptop is the common device for all users and where an iPad is being used as an overlay to enhance the laptop experience (e.g. kiosks, check-in etc.) and where roaming staff will be using iPads.
Always test with real end user accounts on the production network. Do not test in a trial environment.
Security and management still matter
We often get feedback from customers about iPadOS being a completely different category of operating system when compared to the family pathways you’d see on a laptop.
There are clear differences, but the fundamentals are the same. iPadOS still needs updates and patches.
On corporate owned devices the assumption should always be that devices will be managed, patched and technically supported. But did you know that 85% of SaaS applications typically used in organisations can be classed as ‘shadow IT’ completely un-sanctioned and unmanaged.
A lockdown configuration or a standard build can help in reducing risk to the end user, as well as making the lives of the helpdesk staff a lot easier.
Common MDM platforms we recommend to get that done include Jamf Pro (Apple focused and widely used), Microsoft Intune (strong for mixed Win / Apple environments) and Mosyle (education focused).
Can an iPad replace a laptop for everyday work?
For a lot of people, yes, particularly if your main productivity work involves dealing with email, calendar, Teams or Zoom, web apps, taking notes and basic document editing.
It all comes down to this: If you are a multi-window, file-oriented user who works in a full desktop browser, or uses specialised applications, then your laptop is your workhorse device. If you have more casual use cases, then an iPad can be a great companion device.
Typing out a longer report on an iPad without a keyboard and trackpad is much more tedious. If staff are spending the majority of their day on the iPad for report writing, documentation etc. it’s probably a good idea to trial the iPad with a small group of staff to see what the full impact will be.
Business note: Hire Intelligence is a business-to-business provider so availability and eligibility may vary by customer type. Even so, the decision logic in this guide applies whether you rent or buy.
Choosing the right device comes down to the job
That’s a wrap. By now we should both understand iPads and laptops are business class devices, and should be treated as so. And the right device isn’t based on a technical spec, but rather the device that lets you work effectively and reliably on the work at the scale you need.
Remember:
- The iPad is ideal for roles that are mobile, customer facing, app based or require shared access (check-in, lead capture, POS, training, field forms).
- Laptops are the safer default when the role needs full desktop multitasking, complex files, printing-heavy workflows, multiple peripherals, or Windows-only software.
- If you are still unsure, pick the device that handles the hardest 10% of the job. That’s usually where projects succeed or stall.
Stuck in the middle?
Many organisations will use a hybrid approach. Tablets in the field and laptops back in the office, but there doesn’t have to be one hard-rule as long as you standardise the kit and implementation. Because a lot of the time the real cost isn’t the hardware itself it’s the implementation, training and on-going support.
Not sure about which way to go?
Tell us about your use cases (number of users, locations, events etc) and we’ll provide a quote with the hardware you’ll need (iPads, MacBooks, Laptops) along with pricing, delivery and support options.
Drop us a line to start your project today.
FAQs
Is an iPad good for business use?
It’s awesome for mobile, app-led, shared or customer-facing roles. But trying to get it working on laptop-esque workloads? That’s where the frustrations start kicking-in. The final answer honestly depends on how many applications your team needs open in their day-to-day operations. 1-2 iPads will get the job done, 3+ and you’ll be searching for a laptop.
Can iPads be locked down for kiosks and check-in?
Yep. Absolutely, clients will do this all the time. The key is to have it setup from day one, if you’re looking to get it added retrospectively, then you’ll be chasing your tail. There is also guided access (that can be exited with a passcode) vs MDM locked-down single-app mode to consider.
Do iPads work in managed corporate environments?
iPads can be managed, deployed, locked down and mass updated in large deployments. But it comes with a big catch: iPadOS updates can be deferred for 90-days via MDM, but after that, Apple enforces it. We’ve seen this catch clients out before, when they haven’t tested the new version against their existing business apps.
