I don’t miss it most of the time. Almost never. That said, if it was possible to have a mouse or trackpad or if there were an integrated trackpad in a keyboard I think many would use it and would be happy to have it. When text editing I’d be happy to have a trackpad on a keyboard. All that said, the fun and beauty of the iPad is putting your fingers on the glass. Multitouch is fantastic. Maybe I’m alone in this but I really enjoy the iPad largely because of the lack of a mouse. Swiping things around is what defines the experience for me. I do use an external keyboard with it anytime I’m doing a lot of typing or in some kind of text related work mode but even then it’s become second nature to use my fingers on the glass. And with a keyboard I can navigate so much of the interface that again, the mouse/trackpad isn’t something I miss often.
Last, there’s the Pencil. For graphics related stuff, the Pencil is fantastic. So much better than a mouse or trackpad!
I’ve had an iPad since the very first and at some point in 2016 I just sort of stopped using my MBP and sold it. The tipping point for me was iOS 9 and split screen. That changed a lot. iOS 11 made things even better. But my point was that it wasn’t forced, it just happened. The answer to your question might depend on how much you currently use the iPad and how much you’ve used in in the past. If you’ve been primarily a Mac user with little iPad time and you’re thinking of a switch “cold turkey” then you might be disappointed.
Yeah, I’ll have a Mac too. I only use it for a few things, namely as a media/file server and InDesign projects. I often go weeks without using it. But I don’t a time in the next couple of years when I don’t have one.
Regarding your second point, something I’ve started doing for certain tasks is using my iPad Air 2 as my reference screen. I can usually do this on the Pro in split screen but on occasion I’ll have a project that requires two larger screens and at that point it’s like having a dual monitor Mac. I love the shared clipboard! Being able to work full screen in something like Affinity Designer on the Pro and then, as needed, reach over to the 2nd iPad to copy text from a client’s document then paste it into the document on the Pro. It feels like magic.
Lastly, agreed on context switching and always having data available. That’s something else that almost feels like magic. Knowing that no matter the device I’m on my data and apps are all available and in sync is pretty amazing. I mostly use iCloud for that and I really appreciate how far Apple has come with the reliability of sync there.
Yeah & I look absolutely forward to watching the stream
But I’m not getting a brand new one - through Facebook Marketplace I got in contact with a mom who has a son that bought an iPad Pro 10.5 64Gb for school 3 months ago, but he just can’t seem to get used to iOS as a work system, so they offered to switch devices free of charge.
I actually offered some $ his way since my MBA is from 2013, but they declined the offer twice, so I’m pretty lucky (though I’m keeping their number just in case - don’t want to rip them off).
Anyway if this iOS project goes according to plan, I’ll buy one of the new iPad Pro’s, and then let my son have this one for Fortnite, YouTube, and so on (yeah, I’ve already turned my 7-year-old into an Apple geek “…just like you, dad!”
@bowline and @Denny, => Thanks for the input on the mouse.
Excited about the new iPad Pro. It is going to push me to give up my older MBP as my away machine (I have an iMac at home and work). I was going back and forth on the size, but apple solved that. And the USB-C is solves a big gripe. Also, the magnetized pencil!
The main area where I miss the mouse/trackpad on iOS is for text selection. I would be reluctant to do any real heavy text editing on the iPad (writing is fine, it’s editing where it falls down a bit).
That is my worry - working with text, and spreadsheets. I hate working with text on IOS. I am probably going to give it a go with the iPad Pro. I can do most spreadsheet work with the keyboard.
I am hoping to be able to draw and make notes well enough lets me not have to carry a notepad.
I helped an elderly neighbor get a new computer. A touch-based OS would not work for her shaky hands, so we decided on a Chromebook. It’s pretty fantastic for text, and for $400 a real bang-for-the-buck 13.3" laptop for all things web. (It can even zip around with web-based spreadsheets - Sheets, Numbers, Office 365 - pretty much everything’s online now.)
I’m of the opinion that Apple’s moves in cross OS development are aiming toward the eventual release of an A-series notebook that dual-boots iOS and macOS (with App-Store only apps). Plausibly two years from now. I don’t expect a wholesale switch to their own chips for macOS, but if it happens I’d assume that trackpad support for iOS would be present - or would have been for a year. So I’m hoping to see iOS 13 offering iPad peripheral support via the built-in Bluetooth 4.2
This is an issue that reminds me of the first time I drank soy milk or almond milk. If you expect it to be milk you’re disappointed. It is its own thing. Working with text on an iPad is different, no doubt. But I regularly type up 50 page podcast transcripts and write and do page layout all on the iPad. I don’t think I’ve gotten used to something that is sub-par. Rather, I allowed myself the time it took to become proficient with a different tool.
I’d add that a good external keyboard is essential and for me the best has been either the Smart Keyboard or the Logitech I use with my Mac. Both of these allow for keeping the keyboard close to the iPad which makes for easier tapping. It’s a little thing but compared to the Brydge which I also have and which keeps your hands just a bit further back, I find it saves me just a bit of time and effort that adds up with 50 pages documents.
Also it’s super helpful to learn keyboard shortcuts and keyboard navigation. That’s true for the Mac too of course. But there are times when I want to prop the iPad up higher and in those cases when it’s further from my hands the keyboard becomes my primary interaction so using the option or command keys with the arrow keys, shift keys for selection, and other similar things become even more important.
@Denny How do you find the hand position with the smart keyboard?
Is it comfy enough for writing for extended periods of time (hours, basically)?
Asking since I might be getting one, but are a bit worried that it might be a bit too small compared to a full size keyboard
I have the 12.9” so it’s a bit wider but it’s one of the best keyboards I’ve ever used! That said, I tend to bounce around between tasks. I can’t say that i ever work at the keyboard for more than an hour or two and even then I end up having little breaks during that time period.
@Tonny_Bukdahl For what it’s worth I did a lot of typing on my iPad for a recent degree program. Frequent 10 pagers, but also a large part of my 100 page thesis. I never had any issues (10.5” iPad Pro).
I think that mouse/trackpad support is the biggest reason that I use my Mac when I do. I do a whole lot on the iPad but manipulating large amounts of text between multiple documents is easier when the keyboard and pointing device are side by side, rather than having to reach up to touch the screen constantly.
I can’t understand why everyone is in a hurry to ditch their MacBooks and move to an iPad lifestyle.
For me, I love working on my MBP, and although I understand the appeal of using the iPad as an “on the go” productivity machine, I don’t think I would ever want to have it replace my MBP. I definitely will continue using it as a complimentary device, but not necessarily a primary device.
This is a humble opinion from someone that travels a minimum 50% of his time.
For me, my MBP is a late 2010 model (hence much larger to carry around), and I need to upgrade.
She may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts, kid. I’ve made a lot of special modifications myself.
I am also carrying around a gen 1 iPad as a kindle, and simple browsing, as well as a notepad for notepaddy things. I do my best thinking on paper.
I have this idea to combine these items and cut down on the weight and bulk.
As cloud syncing has improved, I no longer have files locally on my MBP.
I use to do design type work on my MBP, but as the the programs have become heavier I find that I do 90% of the work on my home iMac or work computer with big beautiful screens. I find that I do most of my heavy computing at a workstation, and my MBP is used to connect to the internet.
For me the big improvement on the iPad is the keyboard, and the pencil.
I have never really loved the laptop form factor. From the first laptop I ever bought (a PC with a 486 processor) I’ve always felt the “screen attached to keyboard” was a pretty significant compromise. In particular, I’ve never really taken to using a laptop on my lap, or anywhere other than a desk or table. If I’m going to be at a desk anyway, I figure I might as well use a desktop (or a laptop in clamshell mode docked to external display(s), though the latter has it’s own, less severe, compromises).
On the flip side, I really like the iPad form factor. It’s much easier for me to use anyplace other than my desk. And if I’m at a desk I can always throw it into a smart keyboard and use it in a laptop-like form factor.
The iPad has capabilities that the Mac laptop line doesn’t, like a built-in cellular connection, GPS, touch, and the Apple Pencil. While the iPad is also lacking in some areas, based on the current trajectory of Apple’s hardware and software it seems likely that the iPad is going to gain capabilities that it’s missing much faster than the Mac is going to gain features that are currently only available on the iPad.
For a long time, these reasons meant I traveled with both an iPad and a Mac laptop. However, that’s a lot to carry and it costs quite a bit of money to buy two different machines and keep them reasonably current. If I want to eliminate one of them, the iPad has progressed to the point where it’s easier to use it for everything and drop the laptop than the other way around. Especially since I use the iPad a lot when I’m at home, but the MacBook Pro only ever comes out when I’m traveling.
To me, this makes for a pretty compelling case for going iPad only for my mobile computing needs.
@HobbyCollector great to hear - I’ve looked at the Logitech smart keyboard alternative, but feel more like sticking with all Apple, so hearing this from you reassures me a bit that it’s probably just the stance of standing up in the store that made me feel like it’s a bit cramped
@Denny Oh, okay. Yeah, I have the 10.5" - might be why I’m feeling a bit cramped when trying the Smart Keyboard in the store, but I’m starting to think that maybe it’ll grow on me, especially after hearing experiences from others like @HobbyCollector’s
I’m gonna go ahead and try it out when it arrives, otherwise I’ll just have to sell it on eBay😁
