---
title: "iPad Usage Woes"
date: "2020-01-27"
author: Pixelated Thinker
tags: [Archive]
categories: []
---

> This is an imported post of mine from an older blog for historical purposes.


For the past 2-3 weeks, I have been attempting to use a 2017 iPad, with a simple folio cover, instead of my 15in 2011 MacBook Pro. The experience left me enlightened and annoyed. Before we get any further, let me say that none of these issues would have been resolved by using an iPad Pro - these are just general iPad/iOS issues.

  


I've also re-enlisted the use of a 2011 iMac to accomplish everything else that I knew the iPad wasn't capable of going into this new workflow. iMac at the desk, iPad everywhere else. This was versus MacBook Pro everywhere.

**The Good**

Let's start with what works well, and what has left me enlighted from using iPad for these few weeks and where I could continue seeing myself using it. As many already probably know, it's a great device to just pull out when you want to quickly look something up or check something while on the couch. Browsing the web and other apps for consumption and light research is great and where iPad excels. I sift through my RSS feeds in News Explorer on it, and it just feels natural.

  


Using it as a sheet music reader is also great. I have forScore paired with an AirTurn PEDpro and once again, the experience is once again great. Compared to lugging a giant binder around with me and keeping my paper music organized, having everything digitally right at my findertips is such a time saver and very compact.

  


Speaking of music, using X32-Mix with a Behringer X32 console, is a natural use of the touch screen and a preferred method over X32-Edit on a computer.

  


I love taking it to meetings. Lightweight, simple, discrete, and I can take care of notetaking and making updates to the business calendar. And if I want to jot down a quick drawing, I can take care of that right in Notes.

  


Even creating a quick document in Pages isn't that bad! I've done a number of them now and haven't had any major issues. Without the use of a Pencil, my precision is slightly hampered, even with the multiple gestures you can use on the keyboard, but that's not something I'm complaining about. I actually got fairly quick over time.

**The Bad**

...

**The Ugly**

It really isn't a pro machine - nor the iPad Pro - in my usage of "pro." Obviously for those that use the Pencil extensively for drawing and image editing or have apps that are benefited by the touch screen, it's fantastic and really is pro.

  


Document publishing just isn't powerful enough.

  


My applications just aren't plain avaiable on iOS!

  


Coding is also lacking.

  


I think it all comes down to multitasking. It's there, but it's cumbersome compared to macOS.

**Future Use**

I will continue to use it as the "couch computer," browsing and research device, sheet music reader, and light note taker. But when it comes to my real work, I still need my Mac or PC.

  


The one thing I didn't think I discover? Maybe I could get away with a smaller laptop next time. I've found that most of my heavy lifting could easily be scheduled around time that I'm at my iMac, and everything else could be accomplished with possibly something as "low" as a Macbook. Ergonomically, I really do like that desktop experience, and the price is way cheaper than getting a powerhouse MacBook Pro.

  


Maybe one day, the iPad can be my computer, but it's not today.