Maybe something like this will do it? I don’t think it is possible otherwise.
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If you use Drafts app try this as a Textexpander replacement:
TIP: Using Drafts as a Text Snippet Library - Tips & Tricks - Drafts Community
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I think until this “problem” is completely solved (if it is already, great!), I’ll always need a Mac. But I think running a headless Mac Mini, for instance, could solve this…just an external data store that can do backups, and can be there just in case I run into a dead end on the iPad.
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Probably dropbox is not an option but they have a good article on this (promoting dropbox 
). Same procedure for iPad, I am sure.
I’m looking forward to hearing about how your experiment goes. Conversely, I’m going to return my M4 iPad Pro. I can’t do my work on it (web design in Figma, web dev with SSH and a terminal, audio production with a specific hardware interface not supported by iPadOS).
But every time I sit down in front of the iPad Pro attached to a Magic Keyboard, my brain decides that, since the device looks like a laptop, it must be a laptop, and I spend half my day farting around instead of doing the work. (And how many computers does one actually need?)
I wrote a bit more about it on my blog (I won’t share a link here because I don’t want anybody to think this is self-promotion), but I’m totally good with the situation. It’s life.
I’m very intrigued by this plan of yours, though, and wish you the best of luck.
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I have been thinking a lot about this lately as well. For many tasks, it is really hard to tell if it’d be better to use an actual OS before you engage in the task, and then by the time you realize you should switch, it’s too late and you’ve already wasted a bunch of time figuring out that you’re wasting time. This “iPad friction zone” is like a Bermuda triangle of productivity.
Do share the link! Self-promo shame is only really warranted if you don’t contribute otherwise, and you contribute plenty!
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Please share the link. I’d love to read your post.
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Yes, IF my iPad experiment works out, I’m thinking of replacing the M1 14” MBP with a Mac mini or MBA and add a Studio monitor. It is premature for me to make such a decision but this may be a good setup for me so I have a backup for the iPad if I need to take it for repairs.
@ryanjamurphy @MichaelHyatt it’s kind of you both to ask. Here’s the link. I wrote it while dealing with some contractors at the house, so if anything is unclear, I’m happy to clarify and/or make edits. Cheers!
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- Data that you already store and sync in iCloud, like Contacts, Calendars, and Notes
- Photos, if you turned on iCloud Photos
- iMessages, text (SMS) and multimedia (MMS) messages, if you sync messages with iCloud
- Data stored in other cloud services, like Gmail and Exchange mail
- Apple Mail data
- Apple Pay information and settings
- Face ID or Touch ID settings
- iCloud Music Library and App Store content
iCloud backup isn’t a backup, it just syncs your files. I keep my files on Google Drive which is mirrored to my Mac and backed up to Backblaze B2. AFAIK you should be able to do the same with Dropbox . If you don’t want to keep your Mac you can use an inexpensive Windows PC to backup Google Drive or Dropbox to Backblaze, etc. I’ve used this method in the past.
Yes, you can attached an SSD to your iPad and drag files to the drive (or select and move). When I want to copy an entire director I zip it first.
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I went in the Apple Store the other day and looked at the new iPad Pros. Impressively thin, of course, and they felt very solid and had great screens.
As someone with zero interest in replacing my laptop with a tablet running a mobile operating system, I still find the 11” the perfect size.
The Mini isn’t small enough to fit in my pocket, but doesn’t seem big enough to bother carrying a bag for, since my iPhone 15 Pro Max does fit in my pocket and can do a lot of the same things.
The 13” feels like someone pulled the screen off a laptop, and I find it kind of unwieldy. If I’m going to bring my bag for that size device, I might as well bring my MacBook and enjoy all of the advantages of macOS.
But the 11” is big enough to be worth taking along, but small and light enough to not be very noticeable in my bag. It’s also big enough to add a keyboard to and do some laptop stuff (kind of like a netbook) in addition to the touchscreen tablet things when you’re out and about.
That’s just my own preference and I know a lot of people here love the 13” and the Mini and should go ahead and enjoy them, but I came away thinking that Steve Jobs and his team came very close to the ideal size when they developed the first iPads.
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! I think this hits the nail on the head for why iPadOS inflames the passions. Most of us want a computer, not multiple ones (specialized needs to the contrary notwithstanding). So, I think a lot of people don’t want to buy an iPad as an adjunct to a Mac, but to have instead of the Mac. Thus, people are passionate about seeing iPadOS to enable more things traditional computers can do.
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And Apple’s incentive is exactly the opposite. They want you to buy both.
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All of that is fair, but in the meantime, since the iPad isn’t there yet, I can’t think of a lot of good reasons why I need another several expensive devices in my house with batteries in them. Folks can encourage Apple to make iPadOS “better” in the ways they want all day long. And it would be great if they did! But I’m not holding my breath.
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@snelly and @iPersuade I believe this debate about Mac vs iPad comes down to several things:
- One’s workflow needs based on the type of work being done
- Tolerance for learning new ways of doing things; “If it isn’t broken, why fix it?”
- Willingness to deal with a degree of friction.
The vast majority of my work is text-based. The iPad is well suited and, in some ways, better suited for text-based workflows than a traditional laptop. This is why I think that the iPad has the potential to replace my laptop. I listed the reasons for hoping that it can here, but only time will tell. 
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Yeah, I think your experiment is going to work out great. Sorry for derailing the thread.
Somebody recently (maybe even somebody on this forum, I don’t remember) pointed out that the Pro in iPad Pro might mean “pro artists and pro executives,” where the Pro in MacBook Pro means “other creative pros and developers,” and I thought that was an interesting distinction too.
And to clarify, I’m very OK with not needing the best iPad. I might end up picking up one of the cheap-o iPads with a USB-C pencil or something if I decide later I need it. It’s just a glorified dot grid piece of paper for me most of the time.
You have not derailed it at all, your comments are spot on.
I’ll add that for reasons I can’t quite articulate, my default impulse when needing to do “computer” work is to reach for the iPad, not the MBP even though my M1 14” MBP is great. I’m not sure why I prefer the iPad. It just “feels” more enjoyable to use. 
I think the iPad is the most enjoyable computer I’ve ever used. It is a piece of joy to hold. If it works for you, great! If it doesn’t, my general thought is that I prefer holding a hammer, but my preference for a hammer makes no difference if the work at hand requires a screwdriver. It’s not worth being upset about it either. Just grab the screwdriver and get to work.
And hence my derailment, which you’re kind enough to not be bothered by 
This doesn’t make sense to me. I understand that some people find an iPad with a keyboard works well for focused writing sessions, which is similar to the reason some people like the Freewrite Traveler or writing in a full screen terminal app, but saying it’s superior for text-based workflows implies that it’s better than a Mac for the entire process of writing, editing, and otherwise working with and using text, not just cranking out rough first drafts.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t use an iPad for all of that if you find it works better for you, just that…I really don’t get it.
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