Better iPad Pro or MacBook Pro [2020 UPDATE].

Article updated from the original on 08/19/2019

As you may already know, I am a super mega ultra fan of Apple.

I (bought) everything the Cupertino company has produced in the last 20 years and went looking for everything I had missed in the past (because I was dumb enough to use Windows 😂) until I recovered the first mythical Macintosh-the one with Steve and his team's signatures embossed inside the shell, to be clear.

In the past few weeks I found myself doing a very careful evaluation of the use I was making of my glorious MacBook Pro, always with me in my backpack (this), and it turned out that I was using it at 10% of its potential, at least lately, that I am almost always in the studio, forcing me, however, to carry its weight around with me, which also includes the not-insignificantly bulky power supply.

Not to mention autonomy, practicality, delicacy, and a certain apprehension in knowing that on the shoulder carrying 4,000 euros of aluminum and silicon.

The switch from MacBook Pro to iPad Pro

So I decided to make a major switch by switching to iPad Pro, and now that a few days of field testing have already passed, I must say that I am pleased with how I was able to Organizing the day and managing time.

I had to readjust some of my work habits, but I must say that it was not difficult at all, for two reasons:

1. Almost all of the software I use on the Mac is easily found as an iPad App, or it is simply some online platforms - as Kajabi - And they work with any browser.

2. The use of the iPad Pro with the new Apple Pencil and some apps specifically for these tools, have made my work faster and more fun.

My apps for working with iPad Pro

- E-mail: On all my devices there is installed NEWTON which gives me all the messages in one big, minimalist list, no columns, no (obnoxious) Outlook-style panes that force you with your eyes to go from one part to another, and most importantly I get everything synchronized on every device.

- Graphics: I have always had a subscription to Adobe Creative and I end up on the iPad with very good versions of Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere... the power of the tablet is impressive and I can, for example, edit my HD videos without any problem.

- Social: management, again, is quite simple since most of the web platforms I use behave very well (PostPickr e AdEspresso) or have a dedicated well-made app (Canva). Facebook's apps for the management of pages and advertisements complete the series.

- Content fruition: I read, study and document a lot. Every resource I use has its own iPad app that does great. I'm talking about the ones from Kajabi, Ted, Medium, Kindle, Audible, YouTube, Pocket, MasterClass, Udemy, and of course Apple Podcasts.

But now the fun begins.

Using the Apple Pencil for work

Apps dedicated exclusively to the iPad that cannot be found elsewhere, both in terms of format and destination, and in terms of using the Apple Pencil.

- Handwriting: there are really a lot of super cool apps, starting with the one made by Moleskine: FLOW. Flow allows you to write, doodle, draw and take notes on an endless virtual roll of paper, with many tools (from brushes to India ink) and over 1400 colors, each of which has its own name.

Organize your day and manage your time with the right apps writing by hand is unmatched by anything in the world. You go back to using tools and making natural movements.

In addition to Flow, which is super interesting but for a fee, I also point you to the following PAPER, once from the software house "53," now purchased by WeTransfer. There is also a paid PRO version, but the free one is wonderful as it is.

Another super cool thing I found for iPad + Pencil is the application on the tablet screen of the film PAPER LIKE. that makes writing similar to writing on paper, eliminating the annoying feeling of "writing on glass" which had, until now, made me desist from using the digital pencil.

- Writing with the keyboard: I've always loved Logitech keyboards, I use them with my iMac and I used to use them with the old iPad Pro and, no doubt, their current Cover + Keyboard solution is very interesting but you end up with an iPad as thick as a MacBook.

hummm...I don't like it.... So I said to myself.

But why not use Apple's Magic Keyboard?

Wireless, super thin, ultra light, in standard size and with a battery that in 30 minutes of charging lasts for months.

The result is this.

- ToDo and Calendars: in addition to the mythical Fantastical I've been using for years, always from Moleskine come (for a fee) TIMEPAGE e ACTIONS.

The graphics are super neat, the functionality essential and effective, the style super sleek and minimal. If you are a lover of the brand, you can't miss these but... There are also great free apps like Apple's calendar or Google's calendar. Also noteworthy and free, too Woven e 24me.

If Actions by Moleskine isn't for you, you can try. Any.do, Todoist or Things 3 (my favorites), super-tested and available for virtually any device (here you will find an excellent review in English of everything).

- Productivity: Let's conclude this roundup with the apps I use to administer the business, which are pretty much the same ones I use on the desktop. Apple's suite (Pages, Numbers, Keynote) takes the lead, given the simplicity, while for file management there can be no shortage of Dropbox, iCloud and Google Drive.

I have to say that initially I was very skeptical and didn't really think about leaving my trusty MacBook Pro for a tablet, partly because of its lack of power, and partly because of the limitations due to the iOS system, which was not - in my opinion - yet able to replace macOS.

With the new version now called iPadOS, 13.2.3, things have changed dramatically and we are, at last, faced with a mature and complete system.

If you, like me, need to work super-mobile without sacrificing power while enjoying unparalleled lightness and autonomy, the iPad Pro solution is for you.

2020 UPDATE

After more than six months of working with my iPad Pro, I can say that I am satisfied. Yes it's true, there are still some things that don't work very well for me, and this is due to some online platforms, perhaps with a drag-and-drop interface, that were not designed for touch devices.

But one still survives.

I purchased this fantastic Brydge keyboard that makes the iPad look like a real MacBook, without the heaviness and limitations of the MacBook.

It is a detachable keyboard with its own battery-given to last a year without recharging-that has the same layout and size as that of regular Apple laptops. Needless to say, the ease and comfort of typing is unsurpassed.

It increases the size and weight of the iPad a bit, but nothing to do with carrying around the weight of its big brother MacBook.

Another news item of interest is this other film BELLEMOND "paper effect" which I have tried and which seems to me to be of higher quality than the one listed just above.

Made in Japan, it really offers an effect-friction-noise (when sliding the Pencil) similar to a good drawing paper. You can find it here on Amazon.

Finally, I have added a couple of super interesting gadgets for those who operate as "digital nomads" and want to take full advantage of the potential of the iPad Pro.

It is about Of the adapter or rather hub SATECHI which allows via the USB 3 port to connect an avalanche of devices, including classic USB flash drives.

Super light, compact, made of aluminum, it is what you need to be comfortable and not be embarrassed if you have to connect your iPad to some other device.

Last but not least, a nice 65W charger. Compact, lightweight, multi-port, and most importantly, allowing rapid charging with Power Delivery technology.

The choice fell on the Baseus 65W that you can find here.

For those who don't know, Power Delivery technology allows you, if you have a compatible device, the right adapter and the ideal cable, to charge your device ultra fast. We are talking about a full charge for my iPad in less than 1 hour which, I guarantee you, is a lot.

Conclusions

My iPad Pro experience is very satisfactory, I continue to use it daily, and the advent of these new "gadgets" that improve my organization has made work faster and more enjoyable.

Organizing my daily tasks with this setup has been a nice step toward optimizing my time, tasks and commitments, and if the topic interests you, you can find an interesting article of mine on the very topic here "How to organize your day and time management: 9 easy strategies" with a free video tutorial included.