7 Reasons why switching to the iPad as your main computer is not just about the iPad Pro and iOS11…

Now that Apple unveiled the new 10,5” iPad Pro (which I’m going to un-box this coming Wednesday - can’t wait!) and announced some cool new ipad-only iOS 11 features, people again are flirting with a thought of using iPad for more serious work… and they’ll be disappointed unless they actually change their mindset!

I actually wrote about this quite recently and also in the past in my #iPadOnly book but let me repeat that again:

if you think that because you can get stuff done on your iMac or MacBook and after buying and iPad Pro you’ll be able just to pick it up and use it as productively as your Mac, you’re wrong.

iPad requires a change of the mindset. It’s iOS, not macOS.

Again, I’ve written about it exetensively in my #iPadOnly book. Even though my book was written for the iOS6 era it still makes great points on why iOS is different, so let me give you the 7 reasons why it takes a bit of effort to be productive on the iPad:

1. Your main stuff must be in the cloud (iCloud, Dropbox, Evernote, Nozbe) - this way you can have access to the latest versions of your work on the iPad at all times. Many apps use iCloud or Dropbox as main syncing mechanisms.
2. It’s still apps-first and not files-first, even though there’s going to be a “files app” on iOS11, iOS still is first about using apps to do things
3. You don’t frequent web sites on the iPad, and when you do, you just get their apps for travel, browsing, shopping… it’s called appification and it’s pretty great if you ask me.
4. Keyboard is optional. Yes, even with iPad Pro - I love the Smart Keyboard but it’s still optional as the main input is touch. It’s not a laptop. And that’s good. So don’t optimize your work for keyboard (unless you’re actually typing) but for touch.
5. Touching is fun. Really, it is. Working on the iPad is fun and touching the screen to manipulate stuff feels great. I should know, I’ve been using iPad as my main device for the last 5 years and I’ve been enjoying it a lot!
6. Lots of things can be automated now. We have Workflow.app, we have Editorial app with workflows built in (which I’m using right now to write this). These automations make the iPad more magical than ever.
7. Thanks to the split screen you can theoretically open two apps at once (even three with picture in picture video… or four with floating window in iOS11) but iPad productivity is still about the “one app at a time” paradigm - which is good and helps me focus on the job at hand.

Bonus: Drawing is fun on the iPad and annotating things is great and will be even better on the iOS11. I think the iPad as a feedback-giving device is amazing for a CEO like me who has to give his opinion to people on many things… many times of the day…

If you want to know more, just get my #iPadOnly book - it’s a little outdated but the key points still hold true to this day. Or just check my iPad-only archives on this blog and you’ll find lots of great articles that help you get work done on the iPad.

Purchase advice - which iPad Pro should you get?

If you’re considering working more on the iPad, get the iPad Pro of course. My suggestion is this:

• Get 10.5” iPad Pro if you want to move with the iPad - it’s a perfect size-balance and this is what I got this time around.
• Get the Celular version (4G/LTE) - I know it’s $130 extra, but you’ll thank me later - the data packages are very cheap now and you’ll experience the magic of having the iPad online all of the time. Ask yourself this question: how much would you pay for having your MacBook online all the time? For not searching for hotspots? For just opening up and being instantly online? Exactly.
• Get the mid-range GB tier - the 256GB - 64GB can be a little too cramped for you and 512GB is really too much for this device.
• Get the Smart Keyboard Cover if you’re writing a lot - it’s the smallest keyboard I know and still acts as a great cover for the screen and doesn’t need any charging or connecting - I got the US-international layout.
• Get the Pencil if you plan to draw a little or take notes by hand. I love mine (as pictured above).

I followed my own advice and got the model I described above: 10.5” Space Grey Celular with 256GB of storage and Smart Keyboard. I’ll write about it more when I un-box it later this week. Stay tuned and good luck with your iPad journey!

Question: Which iPad did you get? Have you tried doing real work on the iPad?