iPad Pro Who else uses their iPad truly as a tablet/no keyboard?

[Torty]

95% as tablet. For 5% I have my good old "keys to go".

 

[wib]

I just use mine as a tablet. I use the pencil all the time for writing notes and on pdfs. I love the fusion feeling of analogue style tech. I rarely type anything at all on my iPad. If I need to type something and I'm out and about, I always do it on my phone instead.

I used to have a 'Keys to Go' for travel, but never really needed it. It eventually died.

I keep wanting to buy the new version, just because I love the design and lightness, but keep talking myself out of it as I don't need it and wouldn't use it - I'd just like to have it.

 

[retta283]

I basically just use mine to play videos while I work. It’s nice having a device that I can tuck away in tight spaces, or shut my computers off or do something with them that would normally interrupt video playback. Otherwise I’ll just do some light browsing under the above circumstances as well.

I had initially tried to use my M4 Air as a laptop replacement, but I found that once I had multiple windows open my battery life was absolutely shredded, and it can get laggy. It’s sort of disappointing that an M4 chip can’t handle a couple windows at once without framerate issues. Clearly it’s something wrong with ipadOS optimization, hopefully they will fix it.

 

[xxFoxtail]

I use my 11" as my primary computer. I’d say roughly 80-90% of the time it's docked on the Magic Keyboard case or at my desktop. I use it as a tablet when I’m on my treadmill or reading.

 

[vanilla_prison]

I love my iPad because I don’t have to choose between a tablet and a laptop. My one device does everything I need/want and more. When I’m at work, I usually have it docked to the MKB. It is my primary work device, with a workflow that consists of emails, Teams, A365 apps, PDF creation and editing, browser-based tools and databases, etc. Sure, if I were to be a developer or something, the iPad wouldn’t work well. But I use it productively in professional environment every day.

When I’m home, it’s usually detached from the MKB. I use it as a tablet. Watching Youtube while cooking, doing puzzles, reading a book, playing games, journaling, browsing the web and social media, etc. I can also plop it right back on the MKB if I want to do things with my budget or type out a reply on a forum post like this. So yes, I do use my iPad truly as a tablet. However, I don’t use my iPad ONLY as a tablet.

 

[RoadWarrior56]

I have an M4 iPad Air. I primarily use it as a tablet. However, for the rare times when I do need a keyboard, I did buy an inexpensive compact bluetooth keyboard that I can place right in front of the iPad. I also repurposed an old bluetooth mouse for when I need one of those as well. I do most of my real typing on an HP Windows laptop or on my work computer, which is also Windows.

 

[Ctrlos]

I nearly always used mine as a laptop but in an effort to lighten my load I got rid of it, keeping it only for when I have to work on the train. Its been quite liberating having it as a proper tablet again. But I find the iPad Mini better for that sort of thing so bought a new one.

 

[goobot]

I too use the folio with no keyboard, if I need a computer experience I use my computer.

 

[Greenmeenie]

Ever since i bought my first iPad Pro in 2018, I sold my macbook and never looked back. My iPad Pro is my main device now. I don't own a laptop or a computer anymore and have fully adapted to an iPad only workflow. I now have an M5 13" iPad Pro, a 2018 11" iPad Pro and an iPad mini 7. I never bought an external keyboard for any of them. i use the digital keyboard only and love it. I can type just as fast on it and prefer the touch screen over a physical keyboard.

 

[svish]

I use my iPad Pro solely as a tablet and have never used a keyboard with it! Love the Apple Pencil.

 

[AppleFan.]

I have tried using it as a laptop with a keyboard case but the OS just didn’t feel as free and flexible as macOS. Now I use it as a tablet mainly for content consumption, reading, browsing, gaming and its my favorite device for those use cases.

 

[DeepSix]

I do, I use the on-screen keyboard to type on it. I also have the iPad in a super thin TPU case to keep the weight and size as low as possible. If I need to type up something long, I use speech to text and then manually correct any errors. I have considered getting a super slim low profile BT keyboard to also have in the bag if I need to type on it but the speech to text works so good that I just use that, it's very very accurate and better than the speech to text on my Samsung tablet.

The same goes for my Samsung tablet, I use the on-screen keyboard. I've gotten used to it that I can type pretty quickly on it. If you already have a laptop, I don't see a point in getting a keyboard for a tablet, it just makes it redundant and it's another device that has to be charged. Tablets are best when used just from touch whether its your finger or pencil or stylus.

 

[TheBeverage]

Also chiming in… on my third iPad, I’ve aways used them as tablets. At times I’ve needed a laptop, I’ve had a laptop. Currently (thankfully) don’t need one. I do have a wireless keyboard for my iPad that I throw in the bag when I’m on a trip, but that’s a pretty tiny percent of my use.

 

[subjonas]

If you already have a laptop, I don't see a point in getting a keyboard for a tablet, it just makes it redundant and it's another device that has to be charged. Tablets are best when used just from touch whether its your finger or pencil or stylus.

For me it's just because I want a large screen (13") to draw on with Apple Pencil. And since it's a large screen, it can suffice for productivity, if it also has a physical keyboard, so I'd rather get a keyboard for it than carry both it and a laptop, to save weight and bulk in my bag. So that's what I do. But I only use the large iPad for drawing and productivity with the pencil or keyboard--I find it too big to casually hold as a tablet for consumption. For that I prefer the iPad Mini size. But I only tend to casually use a tablet at home anyway, so I usually don't feel the need to take the iPad Mini out except on longer trips. Usually when I'm out and unexpectedly find I have down time for consumption and no place to put down my large iPad/MK, my phone is good enough.

However, if I didn't need the Pencil on a larger tablet (or Pencil in general), then I would just carry a laptop and (occasionally) iPad Mini and I would not own a keyboard.

 

[azhava]

I have a Logitech Combo Touch Keyboard for my M3 Air. When I'm traveling and away from my iMac at home, and want to use the iPad as a laptop, I attach the keyboard. Most of the time at home I'm just using it as a tablet for content consumption, so the keyboard stays detached and I just use the case part of the Combo Touch as a stand.

Eventually I'll probably buy a Neo laptop to take care of my travel/away from the iMac needs, at which point I'll most likely transition the iPad into a folio case.

 

[Sosab123]

My rule is keyboard only applies to anything larger than 9", so since my general device is an iPad Mini I use it with a stylus only. I do have an iPad Pro but it stays on its pedestal at the house controlling my home smart devices. I do have a keyboard for my pro but rarely if ever use it.

 

[snipr125]

I use both my iPads as true tablets all the time when they are taken off their MKB’s.

 

[ignatius345]

I use my iPad Mini occasionally, and don’t own a keyboard for it. It’s mainly for media consumption, web browsing, etc. Quite decent for that kind of thing!

If I want a real productivity machine, I use a MacBook Air which is better for that use case, hands down.

 

[SnowCrocodile]

At home, I have too many computers as it is.

However when I travel for work, it's a whole different story. Instead of hauling along a personal laptop, I bring my iPad and it's absolutely perfect for that. I can still do everything I need to do - pay bills, update my personal spreadsheets, send emails, work with my records, argue with random strangers on the internet - with a large enough screen and a usable enough keyboard (I find the software keyboard on the iPad fairly easy to type on, easier than most portable BT keyboards I used to travel with in the past). I did think about getting a Magic Keyboard but I don't want to pay all that money and hate it because it makes iPad heavier and harder to use as a tablet and now I have to deal with detaching and reattaching it all the time. The same reason I am always hesitant to get a 13" model. I know that the 11" works for me and I don't want to find out that the improvement in screen size came at the expense of portability and comfort of using it as a tablet.

It's a very versatile device, ever since they started supporting external hard drives, BT keyboards, mice and monitors. The improvements in window management are not quite there yet, but do help. If I could only have one device other than my phone, I'd likely stick with iPad. But where's fun in that?

 

[F-Stop]

Although I do have the official Apple keyboard for my iPad Pro I think I’ve only used it a handful of times 😱

 

[Zelda Chestnut]

I have an iPad Air (M1) and have the keyboard with it. Since the keyboard acts both as a case and as a stand for the tablet itself, I have the iPad connected to it the majority of the time. I usually use the touch screen when interacting with it, but then I love having the keyboard to type something with.

 

[tjrayj]

Why type? I taught keyboarding for years. I voice most things with length. My tablet collects dust. My keyboard collects dust.

 

[sparksd]

Why type? I taught keyboarding for years. I voice most things with length. My tablet collects dust. My keyboard collects dust.

Some people don't like to use dictation; I don't.

 

[zilchfox]

Using it fully as a tablet right now for this very post, no issues. I have the 13” M4 model with nano texture, and currently typing with the display itself. I do have a Magic Keyboard for it, but since I like to draw on my iPad a lot, I rarely bring it with me anywhere. I also prefer using it in full screen mode as much as possible to minimize distractions, for if I need true multitasking, I’ll just switch to my Mac.

I weirdly love typing on the touchscreen keyboard, using home row, it actually works quite well, and autocorrect works quite well, too.

Before iPad Pro was a thing, I used to have a Surface Pro 3 which I ultimately used for just drawing on, because it was actually a horrible tablet experience otherwise and the keyboard accessory was essential for that device to be usable otherwise.

 

[ucfgrad93]

I use my M4 iPad Pro in an Apple Folio, and it suits me perfectly.

I have three Macs, if I need to do some heavy typing.

I bought a tablet, to be a tablet. No interest in using it as a laptop replacement.

What about you?

I feel the same way.