Weirdly, my iPad Pro. I would like the newer version, for the smaller bezels, FaceID, and the USB-C port. The new pencil has a couple of nice refinements, also. But this iPad should really last quite a while as it is. It’s extremely powerful, has a great screen, and the battery life is ridiculously good.
I have a laptop for work, a MacBook Pro, which is an extremely powerful computer. But, there are a few instances when working on the iPad is simply more enjoyable. Writing this, for example.
The other day, I was involved in a 3 hour long Webex teleconference (don’t envy me too much). I had started the conference on my MacBook Pro, but audio wasn’t working. There was an issue with the browser plug-in etc, and I couldn’t hear the discussion. So I joined from my iPad—I’d forgotten I had the native Webex client installed. The conference opened in an instant, and audio worked perfectly. I used the notes app at the same time to take notes, and the battery percentage of the iPad only went down a few points during the three hours. My laptop would have lost perhaps 20%. Lots more tasks going on in the background of the laptop, but I didn’t need them for the task at hand.
The MacBook Pro can also get rather hot and fans rather loud at times. Though the iPad can also get quite hot, especially in the sun, it does not have any fans, so it’s completely silent. I prefer this, and it’s what I liked about my 12” MacBook. I ended up selling that though, as the iPad was getting more use.
I spoke too soon regarding temperature…!
It’s not all plain sailing and flowers, mind you. This iPad has a lightning connection, so dongles are required, and though I’m on the beta of iOS13, iPadOS, the Files app still isn’t as nice as a proper file system. But, we’re getting there.
The iPad is nicer on a flight—the battery won’t run out, and it can be used throughout the whole flight including take off and landing. Battery life really is king, here. Watching a film or TV series on the laptop is fine, but the battery just gets rinsed within a couple of hours. The iPad is simply more efficient. Also, Netflix and their like to not allow easy downloading of media to a computer, so that’s another mark against them.
The Apple Pencil adds a whole new level to its use; I really enjoyed the Surface Pro 3 that I had, but I do feel the iPad concept is better. I understand the appeal for a tablet that runs “a full OS” but if instead I can remote into a “real computer” on the few times I actually require desktop-grade computation, then the iPad is a nicer tablet to use. I haven’t used the latest Surface or Surface Book computers though, so I shouldn’t judge them too harshly today on the tech they had 5 years ago. Back then, I didn’t use an iPad because it was just a large iPod touch.
So, what’s not to like? Well, there are still a few gaps in order to use the computer as a true replacement for my personal computational needs, I would need a decent photography workflow, and to commit to streaming services and subscription-based apps. I don’t particularly like either of these options, personally. For business, fine. There’s a lot of sense there. But on a personal level I prefer the idea of “ownership” of media. Whatever that means in a digital landscape. I will keep my MP3 catalogue, now most of my CD collection has been archived and the CDs recycled. Same goes for DVDs, which were one of the worst “investments” of my life. Never again, he says.
I’m weird in that I love to use my iPod rather than stream from Spotify and smash my phone battery. I use Spotify more than the iPod, though. I’m not selling the iPod anymore, so I use it more for nostalgia than anything else these days. I don’t really use the iPad for music, but I do for YouTube and Netflix. Both are nicer experiences on the iPad than a computer.
So, as I have mentioned, photography editing is the next hurdle. Do I keep my RAW files? At the moment, I do. And I have my ageing Mac Mini as my personal computer. But, the iPad edits much quicker, even RAW files, and thus if I export the files (somewhere) then why do I need the Mini? That’s the key... where do I export the files? They’re all transient, anyway. My “best” photos, I print, if I can. It’s rare to make a print, and I generally do so in large sizes for displaying rather than for smaller albums. But I do see a place for the small album. It’s nicer to look through a photo album than flick through photos on an iPad, for whatever reason. There’s more to take in. More to savour. A digital screen shows us whatever we want. There’s always something next. A printed photo is only ever going to be just that. So the real question is, after editing, where do I put my photos?
Well, I post them to my blog, and I used to use Flickr, but that’s changed. I don’t really want to pay to store my photos. I don’t mind paying once, for a computer to do so, or a drive, but I detest paying some website or service, only for them to go bust or increase their pricing model. Plus, there’s security. If you trust anyone saying “your data is safe with us”, then more fool you.
There will be a market for fully-fledged computers in years to come, for sure, but surprisingly for my usage, the next iPad I buy could meet my complete computational demand.
