You sound like your laptop comparison is to a Windows machine or an older MacBook. My MacBook Air M1 is my primary machine because it is only a little heavier than an iPad, has longer battery life, and has a better keyboard than any iPad.

But I love the iPad. I now have a 6th gen Mini and use it for a lot of things. But not even an iPad Pro could replace my laptop, so I made a deliberate choice to de-emphasize the iPad. The iPad as a primary device just doesn’t work for me.