The 7 methods I exploit my iPad Professional

Here is a scorching take: An iPad does not want to interchange your laptop computer. I am a giant believer that (in addition to the Apple Vision Pro) each product within the iPad maker’s lineup has a distinct segment use case for which it’s best suited. Positive, you possibly can watch movies in your MacBook, nevertheless it’s not fairly as fluid as utilizing an iPad.

I’ve change into a giant 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 like my iPad Professional, I additionally consider it has a protracted technique to go earlier than anybody ought to seriously consider buying it as a laptop computer substitute.

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

1 Watching video content material

YouTube, Apple TV+, Netflix — you identify it

The iPad Professional is well my go-to gadget for streaming video content material. Admittedly, utilizing an costly sheet of steel 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, loud audio system, 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.

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2 Sketching and note-taking

The Apple Pencil is a key aggressive benefit

Probably, the primary motive folks 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 gadgets.

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 lessons. I’ve additionally made it a behavior to edit pictures utilizing the 2 gadgets on my flight residence after a visit. Doc markup, audio enhancing, and every other activity that makes use of a stylist means a MacBook cannot match, and the iPad has to come back in to do the job.

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3 FaceTime calls

Panorama digital camera for the win

I just 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 a terrific 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 slightly than this off-side video.

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4 Presenter distant and notes

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

I actually love presenting. Each time I get invited to talk at a convention or occasion, I am jazzed to design and ship a brand new keynote. An incredible advantage of utilizing Apple’s keynote app (past beautiful-looking displays) is the presenter remote feature. In the event you’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 too can view presenter notes, view present or upcoming slides, add short-term doodles or illustrations to slides, and use a vertical laser pointer to convey your factors.

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My typical presentation setup includes connecting my MacBook to the presentation show (projector or TV) and utilizing my iPad because the distant to modify between slides and examine my presenter’s notes. The 2024 iPad Professionals 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

Certainly one of my most vital private accomplishments has been transferring away from social media (with the exception ofLinkedIn). When Twitter ended assist for third-party shoppers, I made a decision it was the second to search out an alternate technique to get the information. So, I turned to an RSS reader known as Reeder. All an RSS reader does is acquire 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 technique to make amends for native and world occasions within the night. As a technique to scale back distractions all through the day, I created a shortcut to routinely shut Reeder on my iPhone once I’m at residence however enable me to make use of it whereas I am out of the home. As a substitute, I depend on my iPad as my major studying gadget whereas enjoyable on the couch.

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6 Writing and focus workflows

The Magic Keyboard supplies a tremendous typing expertise

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

iPads are nice gadgets when it’s essential to give attention to a single activity, for the reason that platform largely focuses on the consumer solely having one or two apps open. When making an attempt to write an article, my iPad Professional and its Magic Keyboard foster a terrific typing expertise the place I can give attention to the only activity at hand.

When writing on my Mac, it is easy to get distracted by an e 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 cushty typing expertise, which is anticipated of such a dear keyboard.

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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 a substitute, 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 way extra performant and definitely safer than utilizing a public Wi-Fi community.

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