Experiment: 11” iPad Pro with Monitor and Apple Keyboard and Trackpad: No Mac

Hardware Reviews
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Now that all of my apps and workflow are finalized (have been for a while), I’m experimenting with the iPad-only lifestyle. I have both an M4 11” and an M4 13” iPad, each with a Magic Keyboard. I also have my M4 14” MBP.

I prefer working on my iPad. However, the 11” can feel cramped at times for some work, though it is ideal as a tablet. The 13” is ideal as a “laptop,” but unwieldy to hold as a tablet. So I’m going to see if using the 11” iPad connected to my monitor, with the Apple Keyboard and Trackpad, will give me the best of both worlds.

I make no predictions, but this will be an interesting and fun experiment.

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Oh boy, @Bmosbacker is at it again.

Good luck! I’m excited to learn how your latest experiment turns out :slightly_smiling_face:

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He’s done this before???. :wink:

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I have. :slightly_smiling_face: The reasons for my repeated experiments will make perfect sense when I explain them, but this is not that time.

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Hey, things were feeling a bit slow on the MPU forum, so I thought I would add a little intrigue. :slightly_smiling_face:

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I know you have. I was just kidding you. I know many of us look forward to your semi-annual “I’m going IPad Only” posts.

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I know you were. :slightly_smiling_face: Even so, I would understand if people thought, “Here we go again, that guy is crazy!” I may, in fact, be crazy, :crazy_face: but in the end, my experiments are invaluable and will, eventually, make sense.

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image

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Looking forward to hearing about how you get on.

I’ve been on vacation since 4th August with only my iPad and won’t return until 28th. So far, I’ve not missed a thing by leaving my Mac at home. I haven’t needed it once, and I’ve been doing some work when required. I didn’t even leave my Mac turned on for remote access, because I’m confident I’ll have no reason to keep it running and would rather save the electricity.

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:rofl: :joy: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :joy: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :joy: :joy: :rofl:

Just kidding.

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Kid away! I deserve all the ribbing I get! In my defense, the reasons for my hardware experimentation are the same as for my app experimentation. Now is not the time to explain those reasons, but when the time is right, I will. I believe my app and hardware “adventures” will make sense once I provide the reasons. :slightly_smiling_face:

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I am looking forward to it. As I have said before I get real enjoyment from your reviews and thoughts.

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Interesting post. I found myself going the other way, breaking the chain, sort of saying. I have an iPad Pro with keyboard and pencil, Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and an iPhone, and I was set on using apps that were on and synced across platforms. But the reality is that whenever im using the ipad, I use it on the desk with the keyboard as a macbook. I never use the pencil. I never use handwriting. I never use the touchscreen for anything. I don’t even use it for reading books, as I prefer physical books. I never use the Apple Watch for anything other than activity tracking, which I think is inferior to Garmin watches. Productivity-wise, I rarely use my iPhone for anything other than to take quick notes. I will soon get a new MacBook Air, and that will be it for me. When the iPad dies, I won’t replace it. If anything, I would choose an e-book reader instead. Nor is an Apple Watch tempting after having a Fenix 8. The Vision stuff, I believe, will die by itself. Apps-wise I will choose quality and richness on the one platform I actually use. Point is, I no longer look for the perfect thing that ties it all together. I think perfection is excluding stuff that doesn’t add to anything.

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…and we love you for your repeated experiments.

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I guess I’m in Tellerman’s club. I’m just not a “touchpad person.” I’ve been a Mac person since 1984, and I was very excited by the introduction of the iPad, but it turned out that I just hate touch screens, whether on tablets or any brand of laptop. And for some reason the only touch device I work well with is an Android Pixel, perhaps the latter because I am tightly gripping the device in my left hand or laying it down flat on a horizontal surface while pressing down firmly with my right hand.

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Henceforth, whenever I read one of your posts, Barret, I will play this music in the background, and smile.

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…that are a year plus in the making :slightly_smiling_face:

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I live vicariously through your iPad adventures! When can we expect the big reveal? Hopefully not many moons in the future. As an aside, one YouTuber Bill McLean has said on his iPad Pro flip-flopping; “there is no right size”. https://youtu.be/sg-1I3mFhac. I find his videos wonderfully un-hyped, bordering on dry, but his views seem to pretty spot on IMHO. PS No linkage or benefit in this video recommendation.

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I’m “taking one for the team.” :rofl:

Seriously, that video is spot on. The 11" is perfect as a tablet and an occasional “laptop replacement.” The 13" is better as a “laptop replacement” and an occasional tablet. I have both the 11" and 13" iPad Pros, a 14" MBP, and, of course, the iPhone 17 Pro Max. My ideal is to have only one device plus my phone.

I estimate that 95+% of my work consists of reading, writing, meetings, and presentations. The other 5% consists of occasionally reviewing a spreadsheet or developing a short slide deck. I do not need, and have little interest in, automation. I genuinely believe I can get by just fine with an iPad Pro.

Initially, my biggest concern was ensuring that I had backups beyond iCloud, which is not really a backup. But I have successfully moved all of my work into the Documents folder. Periodically, I copy that folder to an external SSD and upload it to Google Drive, giving me copies of my work in iCloud, on the SSD, and in Google Drive.

With iPadOS 26 and Apple’s improvements to Apple Intelligence and Siri, the 13" is ideal as a laptop replacement given the nature of my work. The only friction comes when I’m reading and annotating. In those situations, the 13" is heavy as a tablet but workable.

As the video you shared explains, there is “no right size.” Each size is a compromise. I’m finding that the 11" works fine attached to a monitor if I need a large screen, but generally I do not like sitting at a desk. I prefer to sit in a chair or on the couch in my office.

As to my reasons for this experimentation, it will be a little while before I’m in a position to explain myself. What I can say with some confidence is that “I’m not crazy.” :slightly_smiling_face: I have a very rational reason for app and hardware experimentation. I’m confident that my app selection is mostly settled. I’m still working through the hardware.

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Nicely volunteered! :grinning: Actually, i don’t think you’re crazy, says one lunatic to another… I have the same range of apple tech and usage intent.

I have a 4 year old MBA which essentially is my photo storage back up nowadays. I will keep that and replace when needed - it affords a good sense of security for photos in case iCloud fails (chance negligible but never say never). The MBA is a back up strategy for my life to prevent execution by my wife, the ardent family photographer, and affords a dual external screen connectivity the iPad does not.

In fact I would consider not replacing the MBA and use an alternate backup procedure but the one external display for an iPad due to iPadOS is clunky and a limiter for me to go fully iPad. I often manage team/zoom meetings for community groups and breakout room management is painful.

The iPad 11” is great until you need more space and the whole point of an IPad for me is not being tied to a desk. Cellular and a larger screen offer more productivity for me.

A cellular Mac sounds useful but bulky and touch screen on a Mac? No thanks. The design of a fixed keyboard precludes the immersive experience the iPad offers me, just the screen and nothing between it and my viewing/reading.

So I will soon acquire a 13” to replace my retired 12.9 and then make my 11” a casual o/s travel device, run it till it expires, and then reconsider my need to replace.

I look forward to your thoughts idc and hope you can overcome the “there is no right size” issue. Or perhaps consider as I am trying and failing to do, that 90% is good enough and the extra 10% difference that two devices offers does not justify more ewaste and cost, even if one can afford it.

Matter of principle for me but then as as Groucho Marx once said “these are my principles and if you dont like them, I’ve got others” or words to that effect!