Like many others, I have attempted to use the iPad—specifically, the 13” M4 model—as my primary computer. However, as I shared months ago in my post about my 30-day trial, while the iPad served adequately in some respects, there were too many points of friction for it to function as my main device. As a result, I have returned to using my MacBook Pro as my primary computer, with the iPad serving in a complementary role. Given this, the 13” Pro now feels unnecessarily large and heavy. Consequently, I have purchased the new 11” Pro M4 to evaluate whether it will suffice for writing while away from my Mac, for travel, and of course, for use with speaking notes, reading, and taking notes.
I don’t know if I’ll stay with the 11" as I like typing on the 13", but we’ll see.
PS, I have a Waterfield carrying case I use with the 13". Do you have a case you’d recommend for the 11"?
No case recommendation (I use either the Apple Folio or a cheap Amazon knock off) but I did want to mention that if you like the 11" size (I love it) you may find you don’t actually need the Pro. Don’t get me wrong, I love the screen.
That said, if you don’t use the pencil much, the regular iPad has proved plenty capable of the use-cases you list above and if you do need the pencil, the Air now supports the pencil pro. I’m having a hard time justifying getting the iPad Pro again any time soon given how capable the less expensive versions have become. (My use-cases sound quite similar to yours.)
My recent experience was moving from the MacBook Pro to MacBook Air. I was convinced that the screen change would be my biggest problem but it’s been a non-issue. That has me thinking the same would be true on iPads, but I do think the gap is wider than on the laptops.
I replaced a 2020 iPad Pro with an M2 iPad Air and can tell very little difference between the two, except the Air is a bit snappier. And I chose the USB-C pencil because all I use it for is taking notes, etc., and as a pointing device when I’m using a webpage.
I like the ESR Shift case. It’s a little flimsy when you use the elevated height, but it’s really convenient. Can use it portrait, landscape, detachable case if you want something lighter. I think it will be my go to case from now on.
I should have at least mentioned - I’m not a big fan of the current Apple folio case. It’s what I want (very thin, covers front and back) but the viewing angles in the two stand positions are a bit off, it wears easily, and isn’t worth the premium (IMO) vs. the Amazon knock offs. The keyboard folio thing is excellent but bulky and expensive. I carry it in my bag.
I know you purchased your sleeve already, but I saw this one today. It has built in wireless charging for your phone and AirPods. It doesn’t have a battery instead drawing power from your laptop, but it looked sleek and the charging this is interesting.
I also failed in my iPad-as-only-device but not because of the iPad but my institution which severely cripples iPads. Can’t cut-and-paste, can’t use anything except Microsoft Edge, etc. No restrictions on laptops, though. I’m not sure what the difference is. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
That’s odd. I would have thought there were more security issues with a laptop than the iPad, unless the organization is able to lock down laptops more securely than iPads. I’m blessed in that because of my position, my devices are not managed, I’m free to use what I want and to install what I need.
I’ve been testing my new 11” iPad, which I’m using right now. The keyboard is functional but feels cramped compared to the 13”. However, the 11” excels in reading, annotating PDFs, taking notes in meetings, and overall portability. My main concern is handling extended writing sessions, but I’ll need to adjust by using my laptop as the primary device for that. If financial stewardship weren’t a factor, I’d splurge by having the MacBook Pro along with both the 11” and 13” iPad Pros.
I was seriously considering making this move as well, but now I think I have decided against it. I have a 2020 11inch iPad Pro that I love. Over the past few months I have noticed the battery life is not nearly as good as it used to be. I have invested close to $400 in accessories (magic keyboard and apple pencil) that will not work with the a new iPad Pro, so I have decided to spend about $100 on a battery replacement. I cannot justify spending upwards of $1500 for a new iPad Pro, keyboard, and pencil. Macsparky has said numerous times on the show that iPads tend to last a long, long time and become obsolete at a much slower pace than Macs. So I am keeping mine for now.
So far, I am thoroughly enjoying the 11” iPad Pro. It is much easier to work with and is ideal for giving speeches and reading. It is not as nice to type on as the 13-inch, but it is perfectly serviceable with the Magic Keyboard. I’ve not made a final decision, but I’m getting close.
