iPad Pro Replacing my MacBook Pro - Diary

[JonSarge3108]

Hi All,

thought I'd keep a few notes on replacing my MacBook Pro (Mid 2014) with the iPad Pro. The idea is that it is easier to travel with, the same OS as my phone, and therefore the workflows I learn on the iPad are possible on the phone and more adaptable - there are times I want to be out with work but 'consuming' like when I'm stuck in a hotel but want to relax and I hate carrying a laptop bag and a paper conference folder. My job's fairly heavy going at times and I need a file at the minute to take lots of notes and to-do lists but I also work all over England rather than in a fixed building - the portability is important to me.

I got the iPad yesterday, 128GB WiFi only. My logic is that if I want Cellular the car I drive can have a sim card in it. If I'm not in a building with WiFi then I'm in or next to the car so that should work if I need it. I can also tether to my phone. Accessories wise I bought the Apple Pencil but am waiting delivery (19-26) and bought the logitech keyboard.

I also own an iPad Mini that I never use, an iPhone 6 32GB and an iWatch.

Keyboard feels great - really glad I went for the logitech over the top of the Apple Keyboard - the keys are more like laptop keys and therefore the transition is easier. I owned a Surface Pro 2 in the past and I never really got used to the keyboard, I prefered coming home and using a dock for it. This keyboard doesn't have that constraint - I'm typing at full speed already and using the shortcuts for the Home button or volume. It's a really good solution. Slightly heaving than the Smart Keyboard but cheaper, covers the back as well and I can unclip the iPad from it when I want to do writing on the screen or just consume media.

The Pencil does feel like it's needed - I've already done a few things where I wish I had the pencil sat at the side of me.

The next bit then is Apps;

I deleted - iOS Numbers, Pages and Keynotes (Is that what it's called?)

Installed;

MS Excel/Word/Powerpoint - I subscribe as a MS 365 Customer as they just 'do' nore than the Mac equivelents, unfortunately.

Dropbox - I moved our entire business off iCould and onto Dropbox about 6 months ago and the whole team have enjoyed the move. This was a must have.

Teamviewer - I provide support to the team via TeamViewer as well as logging into a couple of Desktop computers if I really need to use Windows (Normally to show the team how something looks on Windows - only our senior guys are on Macs)

Rightmove - Looking for a rental place for one of the team at the minute and the app is easier than the browser.

OneNote - This will be my new conference folder once the pencil arrives

Roambi - To test, I like graphs and charts for everything so hoping this or Vizable will be the new PivotChart for me. This is an area that the MacBook can't do (I have to run a Windows Virtual PC on there to use Windows version of Office for PivotCharts! I can't believe Mac Office 2016 didn't add the feature!)

Paper - Just to have a look as I'd seen it mentioned in lots of reviews.

Vizable - Same as Roambi, haven't decided on the best solution yet. Might be one of these or might be another.

Then on another screen I've got the iOS apps that need to be there but I don't use daily on an iPad - Clock, Settings, App Store, iTunes, Maps, Photos, Camera and I've added Airport Utility which I occasionally use to look at issues on our WiFi networks at either of our offices.

Then on another screen it's the personal stuff - Facebook, Messenger, LinkedIn, Netflix, Sky, YouTube, WWE.

This means I can seperate better than the MacBook - there are restrictions to iOS but I'm realising there are benefits too.

My job for the morning is then to take some data I have in several pdf files on Dropbox and move it into Excel to create some charts so I know how well we are doing in one of our areas. This is pretty 'standard' workflow for us so it will be interesting to see how I get on this morning...

So far - I'm not planning on taking the MacBook Pro or the conference folder to work with me on Monday - although I do want to scan the conference folder notes and save them so I've got them to refer back to. That'll be another challenge - do I use the Brother Printer/Scanner or do I take 'Scans' using my iPhone which I suspect it quicker and send them into OneNote from my iPhone. Oooh - another advantage (Yes, I still know there are downsides).

I anyone cares - I will keep this 'trial' updated. I'm not the creative type this iPad has been so heavily marketed at but I think it just might work. We'll see...

 

[Retops]

Interesting software choices and your thought process about going all in on the IPad. I hope you will update us on your progress, positive or negative.

 

[Fthree]

Interested in your diary. Good luck!

 

[Jasmynp]

OneNote is my go to note taking app. You can take a picture of agendas and handouts and notate on the photograph. I've been using it exclusively for about a year now and love it.

 

[sjleworthy]

I have onenote installed, but am yet to trail it. I hear so much goodness in here about it i must try it out soon.
Can i use it as a spread sheet? Like a huge large sheet of paper i can write on in areas and corners of it?

 

[Beavix]

It looks like someone ripped out the rest of the pages from this diary.

 

[JonSarge3108]

It looks like someone ripped out the rest of the pages from this diary.

This made me laugh!

Wasn't much (any) interest in it - then the last couple of days it's popped back up. I'll update to where I am now...
[doublepost=1452955772][/doublepost]

I have onenote installed, but am yet to trail it. I hear so much goodness in here about it i must try it out soon.
Can i use it as a spread sheet? Like a huge large sheet of paper i can write on in areas and corners of it?

You can write anywhere you like, it's not defined to A4 or any similar style which is actually a downside for me. If you want tables, you can also insert a (fairly simple) table and add rows/columns if you need to. I regularly stick a 5x4 table in and realise it should have been 6x4 if that makes sense?

OneNote is still my go to note taking app - but the downside of it is not being able to move items around the screen after writing/typing. Because I often write lists in it or decide I want something extra in a gap I liked the ability in GoodNotes and Notability to move items around. With OneNote that means I need a laptop. Frustrating and still waiting for the rumoured January update.
[doublepost=1452956863][/doublepost]

Hi All,

thought I'd keep a few notes on replacing my MacBook Pro (Mid 2014) with the iPad Pro. The idea is that it is easier to travel with, the same OS as my phone, and therefore the workflows I learn on the iPad are possible on the phone and more adaptable - there are times I want to be out with work but 'consuming' like when I'm stuck in a hotel but want to relax and I hate carrying a laptop bag and a paper conference folder. My job's fairly heavy going at times and I need a file at the minute to take lots of notes and to-do lists but I also work all over England rather than in a fixed building - the portability is important to me.

I got the iPad yesterday, 128GB WiFi only. My logic is that if I want Cellular the car I drive can have a sim card in it. If I'm not in a building with WiFi then I'm in or next to the car so that should work if I need it. I can also tether to my phone. Accessories wise I bought the Apple Pencil but am waiting delivery (19-26) and bought the logitech keyboard.

I also own an iPad Mini that I never use, an iPhone 6 32GB and an iWatch.

Keyboard feels great - really glad I went for the logitech over the top of the Apple Keyboard - the keys are more like laptop keys and therefore the transition is easier. I owned a Surface Pro 2 in the past and I never really got used to the keyboard, I prefered coming home and using a dock for it. This keyboard doesn't have that constraint - I'm typing at full speed already and using the shortcuts for the Home button or volume. It's a really good solution. Slightly heaving than the Smart Keyboard but cheaper, covers the back as well and I can unclip the iPad from it when I want to do writing on the screen or just consume media.

The Pencil does feel like it's needed - I've already done a few things where I wish I had the pencil sat at the side of me.

The next bit then is Apps;

I deleted - iOS Numbers, Pages and Keynotes (Is that what it's called?)

Installed;

MS Excel/Word/Powerpoint - I subscribe as a MS 365 Customer as they just 'do' nore than the Mac equivelents, unfortunately.

Dropbox - I moved our entire business off iCould and onto Dropbox about 6 months ago and the whole team have enjoyed the move. This was a must have.

Teamviewer - I provide support to the team via TeamViewer as well as logging into a couple of Desktop computers if I really need to use Windows (Normally to show the team how something looks on Windows - only our senior guys are on Macs)

Rightmove - Looking for a rental place for one of the team at the minute and the app is easier than the browser.

OneNote - This will be my new conference folder once the pencil arrives

Roambi - To test, I like graphs and charts for everything so hoping this or Vizable will be the new PivotChart for me. This is an area that the MacBook can't do (I have to run a Windows Virtual PC on there to use Windows version of Office for PivotCharts! I can't believe Mac Office 2016 didn't add the feature!)

Paper - Just to have a look as I'd seen it mentioned in lots of reviews.

Vizable - Same as Roambi, haven't decided on the best solution yet. Might be one of these or might be another.

Then on another screen I've got the iOS apps that need to be there but I don't use daily on an iPad - Clock, Settings, App Store, iTunes, Maps, Photos, Camera and I've added Airport Utility which I occasionally use to look at issues on our WiFi networks at either of our offices.

Then on another screen it's the personal stuff - Facebook, Messenger, LinkedIn, Netflix, Sky, YouTube, WWE.

This means I can seperate better than the MacBook - there are restrictions to iOS but I'm realising there are benefits too.

My job for the morning is then to take some data I have in several pdf files on Dropbox and move it into Excel to create some charts so I know how well we are doing in one of our areas. This is pretty 'standard' workflow for us so it will be interesting to see how I get on this morning...

So far - I'm not planning on taking the MacBook Pro or the conference folder to work with me on Monday - although I do want to scan the conference folder notes and save them so I've got them to refer back to. That'll be another challenge - do I use the Brother Printer/Scanner or do I take 'Scans' using my iPhone which I suspect it quicker and send them into OneNote from my iPhone. Oooh - another advantage (Yes, I still know there are downsides).

I anyone cares - I will keep this 'trial' updated. I'm not the creative type this iPad has been so heavily marketed at but I think it just might work. We'll see...

It's quiet interesting to go back and read this now.. Let me fill in a few of the pages.

The pencil arrived and is great - battery on it is long enough and I use it for taking notes extensively. I haven't converted to typing notes in meetings yet, I believe it's a step for the future though with the speed I can type I on the on screen keyboard.

The Logitech keyboard is now in a drawer and never used - the lag introduced on 9.2 as well as the weight of it and the speed/ease of using the on screen keyboard makes it feel un-needed. When I want to do lots of typing I use a magic keyboard and find it a nice solution. This is being typed with the on screen keyboard and the speed is nice, response is good and now I've learnt to use the 2-fingered option for moving teh 'cursor' around then it's pretty slick.

App wise, some of what I mentioned originally have stayed and some have gone.

Roambi has gone - it needed OS X and a 'clunky' workflow to create charts that I didn't like. Too many stages, couldn't see anything fast enough.

Vizable has stayed - love it and it's actually made me purchase Tableau on the MacBook Pro as well (which in turn led me to a 27" thunderbolt monitor and a 2nd old monitor connected) for crunching some serious numbers occasionally and far better oversight of the whole business.

I use Splashtop to log into the Mac now if I'm out and about. TeamViewer never updated and the old style keyboard would me up after a while. I also ended up with 'ghosting' of the cursor after a while that I couldn't solve. Splashtop has been very 'slick' although I can't get PiP mode to work with it - I have emailed the developer with no response so far (3 days approx)

Rightmove is gone as I found a house for the team member, paper is also gone as I never draw on the iPad or anything else - the pencil is just great for note taking though.

Documents has turned into a very useful app - a good way to keep copies of certain entire Dropbox folders on the iPad which Dropbox won't allow. Means of I'm out of range I can still pull up pdf's and exports and see or share them with people.

From a time/planning point of view I've actually ended up with 3 different apps;

Fantastical is my calendar choice - great app and just seems nicer than the stock app. Can't quiet put my finger on why.

Omni Focus is my to-do list app, I tend to have 100 to-do's at any time so having something that can slice and dice the list in different ways and geographically across the country works very well. Kind of expensive for a iOS app compared to many - but as a professional tool the price point is spot on and we should be willing to pay more for that. The only bit I don't like is that one purchase doesn't give me IOS and OS X. I simply don't use the programme on OS X.

Finally, Quick Plan Pro creates gaant charts and helps me plan resources and tasks in various places (not my tasks and jobs - just source allocation for other team members really). It's very good and spot on, but I haven't found a way to let it check if I'm over-allocating resource. I still do that manually. I do wonder if the Omni app would be better at this (Omni Plan 2) - again,mother bit holding me back is £40 and that give me iOS but not OS X which is another £100 or similar... I can't justify £140 for my work case as I'm not a full on project manager but at some point I might try the £40 for iOS, but Quick Plan Pro does 95% of what I need.

Interesting I'm not the 'Pro' the device was aimed at (creative) and yet it simplifies my work flows and means I'm carrying less weight around the country with me! Very happy and a great investment.

 

[Fthree]

great update! One question if you don't mind. Do you feel that all you have done you would feel comfortable doing it on an iPad air 2 or does the size/speed of the pro make it that much "Easier"

 

[Cnasty]

On the fence on whether to sell my rMBP and go IPP. I do a bunch of media consumption, work emails, and the like so I think a IPP fits my needs better than the rMBP but may miss the program I use it for the most and not sure a Teamviewer will be the best option.

Hate this limbo but may just do the extended apple trial and bite the bullet.

 

[JonSarge3108]

On the fence on whether to sell my rMBP and go IPP. I do a bunch of media consumption, work emails, and the like so I think a IPP fits my needs better than the rMBP but may miss the program I use it for the most and not sure a Teamviewer will be the best option.

Hate this limbo but may just do the extended apple trial and bite the bullet.

What program do you use it for the most?
[doublepost=1452980105][/doublepost]

great update! One question if you don't mind. Do you feel that all you have done you would feel comfortable doing it on an iPad air 2 or does the size/speed of the pro make it that much "Easier"

I think the ability of the apple pencil to mean I'm not carrying a notebook or conference folder around with me is part of it. The on screen keyboard size being bigger than the magic keyboard is another part - it's wide enough to type at speed. And the size is the final part - I can view a spreadsheet without having to scroll around and that's vital.

I remember in an old job as a planner - 1024x768 on a 15" 4:3 ratio monitor (my numbers may not be perfect! It's been a while). I could only see Monday to Friday on the screen and constantly had to move across for Saturday and Sunday to see what was there. Upgraded to a widescreen monitor and suddenly saved hours as the whole thing was visible. This is similar - the pro is the tipping point to being 'correct'. It's so close to A4 sized, and there's a reason A4 is the most popular paper size/notepad size - it's big enough without Eco,isn't cumbersome. Just like the iPad Pro.

 

[Cnasty]

What program do you use it for the most?
[doublepost=1452980105][/doublepost]
I think the ability of the apple pencil to mean I'm not carrying a notebook or conference folder around with me is part of it. The on screen keyboard size being bigger than the magic keyboard is another part - it's wide enough to type at speed. And the size is the final part - I can view a spreadsheet without having to scroll around and that's vital.

I remember in an old job as a planner - 1024x768 on a 15" 4:3 ratio monitor (my numbers may not be perfect! It's been a while). I could only see Monday to Friday on the screen and constantly had to move across for Saturday and Sunday to see what was there. Upgraded to a widescreen monitor and suddenly saved hours as the whole thing was visible. This is similar - the pro is the tipping point to being 'correct'. It's so close to A4 sized, and there's a reason A4 is the most popular paper size/notepad size - it's big enough without Eco,isn't cumbersome. Just like the iPad Pro.

A baseball simulator called OOTP. They have an iOS version but it's not the same for what I need it for (competitive type league).

My only option is to use TeamViewer or Splashtop into my desktop iMac to access it how I need it which I am not sure how great that experience is versus of course the direct program on an rMBP. The IPP meets all my needs in a better form factor for everything else outside that single program though.

 

[ebook]

I love to hear reviews like this! A little more than a year ago my Macbook Pro died and I didn't have the money at the time to fix/purchase a new laptop for my business, so I just used my iPad 2 (not air ... I mean the old one) and my Apple Bluetooth keyboard. I got along pretty well with my daily tasks and even recorded my podcast on the iPad (although I did the posting on my home computer).

Eventually I purchased a Mac Mini because I couldn't decided on a new Macbook Pro/Air/Macbook and it seemed like the least expensive way to have a computer for work again. That being said ... after reading as much as I can about the iPad Pro I have been thinking about retiring the iPad 2 and jumping to the Pro. I think I can handle 90% of my workload on it and if what I've heard/read over on iMore about using it for video editing I may actually be able to do 100% of my work on it.

After reading the posts in this thread I think I may just skip the keyboard case and go with the pen (for notes not drawing). Then I can just use a keyboard on my desk if I really feel the need (I'm thinking of the Logitech 811 switch keyboard).

Keep the "diary" going!

 

[artfossil]

I love to hear reviews like this! A little more than a year ago my Macbook Pro died and I didn't have the money at the time to fix/purchase a new laptop for my business, so I just used my iPad 2 (not air ... I mean the old one) and my Apple Bluetooth keyboard. I got along pretty well with my daily tasks and even recorded my podcast on the iPad (although I did the posting on my home computer).

Eventually I purchased a Mac Mini because I couldn't decided on a new Macbook Pro/Air/Macbook and it seemed like the least expensive way to have a computer for work again. That being said ... after reading as much as I can about the iPad Pro I have been thinking about retiring the iPad 2 and jumping to the Pro. I think I can handle 90% of my workload on it and if what I've heard/read over on iMore about using it for video editing I may actually be able to do 100% of my work on it.

After reading the posts in this thread I think I may just skip the keyboard case and go with the pen (for notes not drawing). Then I can just use a keyboard on my desk if I really feel the need (I'm thinking of the Logitech 811 switch keyboard).

Keep the "diary" going!

Like you I love this thread and I am doing 90% of my work on my iPad Air 2 and now on my iPad Pro.

I have that Logitech 811 keyboard at home where I have it paired with my rMBP (for those times when I bring it home) and my iPad Air. It's just a terrific piece of equipment and a joy to use. I've been using my Logitech Keys to Go with my new iPad Pro but today I broke down and ordered the Apple Smart Keyboard.