I never thought to consider using my 9.7" iPad Pro for primary computing when I purchased it. I thought it to be a great compliment for what iPads were initially intended for. An in between device for my iPhone and MacBook.
Unfortunately, my MacBook was having some issues with freezing and slowdowns. I brought it to the Apple Store on Monday, and they had to send it out, most likely they will have to change out the logic board. SO before they shipped it, I moved my important files over to Dropbox, and I figured this would be a good opportunity to see how well I could do using just my 9.7" iPad Pro for computing. I have the Smart Keyboard, regular Smart Cover, and the Apple Pencil, and my iPad is Cellular. Here is my experience.
Beginning with hardware, I have regularly swapped the Smart Keyboard and Smart Cover when I had a lot of typing to do, I have found a LOT of value in the keyboard this week and really glad I made the investment when I bought the iPad to begin with. The shortcuts are great, and being a touch typer I have been able to type just as fast as my MacBook with little errors. It's a little heavier than the cover, and it doesn't stay put to the back of the iPad when reading as well as the cover, and that's why I bought both. For the portability, this little combo is excellent.
As far as the Apple Pencil, I am using it the same way I have all along. Notes, highlights, and drawing. Apple Pencil was my main reason for upgrading from the Air 2 to begin with, it has not disappointed. There have been times when my bag was not with me, I would write notes on a notepad, take a photo of them in Goodnotes and it's as if I wrote them up there, I could continue the notes and highlighting and never worry about losing a piece of paper with important info on it again.
One of the biggest complaints many have is that iPads don't have file systems integrated in IOS. I have to say Dropbox has worked as a perfect workaround for this. My major files in Word Docs and Excel Spreadsheets are just as accessible and work just as well on my iPad as they do my MacBook. The edits and changes I make to templated spreadsheets and docs are great, and I am able to save the work on the fly. This is where I thought I would struggle, and it has worked out so much better than I anticipated. I am really happy with the changes Microsoft has made with Office for these devices. I always primarily used Office on my iPad to view docs and spreadsheets, I was always stubbornly hesitant to do the major work because it was always easier to just open the Mac and do them there. The verdict I am finding is that the iPad Pro is just as capable. The only con is that I cannot open 2 docs or spreadsheets side by side. I can however view one through Dropbox and edit on Excel or Word. But the screen real estate is a bit limited. So my next purchase will most likely be a lightning to HDMI so I could work on a monitor when I need to.
I am also not feeling like I miss the mouse or trackpad. Being that the screen is small, tapping works just as well as clicking.
Another thing I appreciate about emails now is that I could add attachments through Dropbox navigating to the file just as easy as I do on my MacBook. Silly, I didn't realize you could do it that way, but mailing files that I had worked on was another reason I used to grab for the MacBook, I figured it was easier to drag and drop. I am discovering simple things this week that I had no idea I could do just as easily on my iPad as I could my MacBook because I was just used to doing things one way only.
For entertainment, I have always used my iPads for reading books, magazines, and newspapers. Web searching, simple games. Nothing really changed here.
The cons I have found this week are few, but big enough where I will always need my MacBook. Flash was a big one. It's old, it slows down my work, but too many websites still use it, and my iPad will never have it. The side by side multi tasking is important, and although I have workarounds, they are not significant enough to substitute full time. I still need my more robust programs like Final Cut, and although Dropbox worked well for me for my files, I still like having them on board.
So the verdict is I will not be getting rid of my MacBook anytime soon. I also will not be finding any reason to upgrade it as often as I did. I found my iPad Pro to be a lot more capable than I had realized, and found uses for it that I probably would not had known had I not gone full time with the iPad this week. Although I will definitely be using my iPad Pro even more now, and I won't be nervous if I decide to leave my MacBook home for the day, I will always have a need for a Laptop.
Unfortunately, my MacBook was having some issues with freezing and slowdowns. I brought it to the Apple Store on Monday, and they had to send it out, most likely they will have to change out the logic board. SO before they shipped it, I moved my important files over to Dropbox, and I figured this would be a good opportunity to see how well I could do using just my 9.7" iPad Pro for computing. I have the Smart Keyboard, regular Smart Cover, and the Apple Pencil, and my iPad is Cellular. Here is my experience.
Beginning with hardware, I have regularly swapped the Smart Keyboard and Smart Cover when I had a lot of typing to do, I have found a LOT of value in the keyboard this week and really glad I made the investment when I bought the iPad to begin with. The shortcuts are great, and being a touch typer I have been able to type just as fast as my MacBook with little errors. It's a little heavier than the cover, and it doesn't stay put to the back of the iPad when reading as well as the cover, and that's why I bought both. For the portability, this little combo is excellent.
As far as the Apple Pencil, I am using it the same way I have all along. Notes, highlights, and drawing. Apple Pencil was my main reason for upgrading from the Air 2 to begin with, it has not disappointed. There have been times when my bag was not with me, I would write notes on a notepad, take a photo of them in Goodnotes and it's as if I wrote them up there, I could continue the notes and highlighting and never worry about losing a piece of paper with important info on it again.
One of the biggest complaints many have is that iPads don't have file systems integrated in IOS. I have to say Dropbox has worked as a perfect workaround for this. My major files in Word Docs and Excel Spreadsheets are just as accessible and work just as well on my iPad as they do my MacBook. The edits and changes I make to templated spreadsheets and docs are great, and I am able to save the work on the fly. This is where I thought I would struggle, and it has worked out so much better than I anticipated. I am really happy with the changes Microsoft has made with Office for these devices. I always primarily used Office on my iPad to view docs and spreadsheets, I was always stubbornly hesitant to do the major work because it was always easier to just open the Mac and do them there. The verdict I am finding is that the iPad Pro is just as capable. The only con is that I cannot open 2 docs or spreadsheets side by side. I can however view one through Dropbox and edit on Excel or Word. But the screen real estate is a bit limited. So my next purchase will most likely be a lightning to HDMI so I could work on a monitor when I need to.
I am also not feeling like I miss the mouse or trackpad. Being that the screen is small, tapping works just as well as clicking.
Another thing I appreciate about emails now is that I could add attachments through Dropbox navigating to the file just as easy as I do on my MacBook. Silly, I didn't realize you could do it that way, but mailing files that I had worked on was another reason I used to grab for the MacBook, I figured it was easier to drag and drop. I am discovering simple things this week that I had no idea I could do just as easily on my iPad as I could my MacBook because I was just used to doing things one way only.
For entertainment, I have always used my iPads for reading books, magazines, and newspapers. Web searching, simple games. Nothing really changed here.
The cons I have found this week are few, but big enough where I will always need my MacBook. Flash was a big one. It's old, it slows down my work, but too many websites still use it, and my iPad will never have it. The side by side multi tasking is important, and although I have workarounds, they are not significant enough to substitute full time. I still need my more robust programs like Final Cut, and although Dropbox worked well for me for my files, I still like having them on board.
So the verdict is I will not be getting rid of my MacBook anytime soon. I also will not be finding any reason to upgrade it as often as I did. I found my iPad Pro to be a lot more capable than I had realized, and found uses for it that I probably would not had known had I not gone full time with the iPad this week. Although I will definitely be using my iPad Pro even more now, and I won't be nervous if I decide to leave my MacBook home for the day, I will always have a need for a Laptop.
