My iPad Professional does greater than you’d count on

This is my scorching take: an iPad does not want to switch your laptop computer. I am among the many crowd that believes (moreover the Apple Vision Pro) each product within the iPad maker’s lineup has a distinct segment use case it is best fitted to. Positive, you may watch movies in your MacBook, but it surely’s not fairly as fluid as utilizing an iPad.

I’ve change into an enormous fan of the iPad Professional since its bezel-less design was launched in 2018. At the moment, I exploit a 13″ M4 iPad Professional with mobile. Whereas I really like my iPad Professional, I additionally imagine it has a protracted approach to go earlier than anybody ought to seriously consider buying it as a laptop computer alternative.

I did not buy an iPad Pro to replace my MacBook. As an alternative, I purchased it as a complementary gadget for a particular set of duties — which it thrives at checking off the to-do record.

1 Watching video content material

YouTube, Apple TV+, Netflix — you identify it

The iPad Professional is definitely my go-to gadget for streaming video content material. Admittedly, utilizing an costly sheet of metallic and glass solely for video streaming has change into a little bit of a meme. Nonetheless, at any time when I am making dinner, preparing within the morning, or needing a distraction, I seize my iPad Professional as a result of its giant display, loudspeakers, and contact interface make it an unimaginable content material consumption gadget.

Plus, its low profile means it may be positioned on a stand or within the nook with out getting in the way in which. The iPad’s lengthy battery life, mixed with its capacity to simply save content material for offline viewing, provides to the protection of why it makes for a wonderful medium for video content material consumption.

Associated

A folding iPad could change the game, as long as Apple doesn’t screw it up

There’s apparent enchantment to a folding iPad, but it surely’s a query of whether or not Apple will let its potential shine.

2 Sketching and note-taking

The Apple Pencil is a key aggressive benefit

Your modifications have been saved

Apple Pencil Professional

The Apple Pencil Professional is a upgraded model of Apple’s stylus with pressure-sensitive sides that permits you to squeeze the stylus to entry contextual menus.

Presumably, the primary purpose individuals purchase an iPad is to make use of an Apple Pencil. Many individuals get the gadget duo with the intention of sketching and illustrating. Whereas these are nice use circumstances for the iPad and Apple Pencil, you are able to do much more with these two units.

When ending my undergraduate research, I used my iPad Professional and Apple Pencil each day to repeat down formulation and take notes throughout my arithmetic courses. I’ve additionally made it a behavior to edit pictures utilizing the 2 units on my flight dwelling after a visit. Doc markup, audio modifying, and another activity that makes use of a stylist means a MacBook cannot match, and the iPad has to come back in to do the job.

Associated

The 4 ways my iPad mini earns its keep every single day

The iPad mini 7 is much from excellent, however its 8.3-inch show makes it the proper software for these actions.

3 FaceTime calls

Panorama digital camera for the win

I lately got here again from a week-long journey to Nashville. Whereas away, my girlfriend and I FaceTimed every night to talk about our days. The iPad shortly grew to become my go-to gadget for these calls. Like video streaming and content material consumption, the iPad’s giant display, loud audio system, nice microphones, and low profile make for an ideal video calling gadget.

Combining these advantages with the brand new panorama digital camera positioned on the iPad Professional’s lengthy facet, you are now wanting proper on the individual on the decision fairly than this off-side video.

Associated

I nailed my iPad setup, and you can too with these 5 start-up tips

New iPad recent out of the field? Do these 5 issues the second you unlock it.

4 Presenter distant and notes

Take management of your keynote presentation and examine something you jotted down

Your modifications have been saved

I actually love presenting. Every time I get invited to talk at a convention or occasion, I am jazzed to design and ship a brand new keynote. An amazing advantage of utilizing Apple’s keynote app (past beautiful-looking shows) is the presenter remote feature. If you happen to’re unfamiliar with it, the presenter distant lets you have your keynote on one gadget (MacBook, iPad, iPhone) and management it with one other (iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch).

When utilizing an iOS or iPadOS gadget, you can even view presenter notes, view present or upcoming slides, add non permanent doodles or illustrations to slides, and use a vertical laser pointer to convey your factors.

Associated

How I moved from an iPad to a ReMarkable Paper Pro

Streamline and strip down your pill expertise by taking your iPad recordsdata, books, and notes to a reMarkable Paper Professional.

My typical presentation setup includes connecting my MacBook to the presentation show (projector or TV) and utilizing my iPad because the distant to change between slides and examine my presenter’s notes. The 2024 iPad Execs are a good bit lighter and thinner than their predecessors, so I’ve discovered holding my 13″ mannequin for prolonged intervals much more comfy than the 12.9″ that got here earlier than.

5 Studying the information

Your modifications have been saved

One among my most vital private accomplishments has been shifting away from social media (with the exception ofLinkedIn). When Twitter ended help for third-party purchasers, I made a decision it was the second to seek out another approach to get the information. So, I turned to an RSS reader referred to as Reeder. All an RSS reader does is gather articles and movies from web sites and feeds to pool them right into a single chronological timeline (yay, no algorithms).

Whether or not you employ an RSS or a devoted information app, I’ve discovered my iPad to be a pleasant approach to compensate for native and world occasions within the night. As a approach to cut back distractions all through the day, I created a shortcut to robotically shut Reeder on my iPhone after I’m at dwelling however enable me to make use of it whereas I am out of the home. As an alternative, I depend on my iPad as my main studying gadget whereas stress-free on the couch.

Associated

How I turned my iPad into a baby-safe zone (and kept my sanity)

There’s an iPad function that’ll maintain youngsters’ pleasant content material locked on display.

6 Writing and focus workflows

The Magic Keyboard gives an incredible typing expertise

Your modifications have been saved

Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad Professional 13‑inch (M4)

iPads are nice units when it’s worthwhile to concentrate on a single activity, because the platform largely focuses on the consumer solely having one or two apps open. When attempting to write an article, my iPad Professional and its Magic Keyboard foster an ideal typing expertise the place I can concentrate on the only activity at hand.

When writing on my Mac, it is simple to get distracted by an electronic mail or Slack message. So, writing an article in Pages on my iPad results in fewer distractions. The iPad Professional’s Magic Keyboard additionally makes for a snug typing expertise, which is predicted of such a dear keyboard.

Associated

Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad review: Productivity gains

The Magic Keyboard for iPad Professional and iPad Air is expensive, however makes engaged on the go together with your iPad an actual chance.

7 Distant productiveness

I want MacBooks got here in mobile

Apple / Pocket-lint

If Apple made a MacBook with cellular connectivity, I might purchase it in a heartbeat, and I am not the primary tech author to say this. I bought an iPad with a mobile transmitter as a result of I’ve discovered utilizing my iPhone as a hotspot to be unreliable, inconsistent, and battery-draining. As an alternative, when working away from my home, I exploit my iPad Professional’s direct mobile service for a quick and safe web connection. Most of the time, my iPad’s mobile service is much extra performant and positively safer than utilizing a public Wi-Fi community.

Associated

No, you can’t replace your phone with an iPad Mini. And that’s OK

The iPad Mini is ideal the way in which it’s — so long as you do not attempt to pressure it to be a Professional.