{"id":37803,"date":"2017-09-29T04:45:06","date_gmt":"2017-09-29T09:45:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michaelhyatt.com\/?p=37803"},"modified":"2017-09-29T04:45:06","modified_gmt":"2017-09-29T09:45:06","slug":"ipad-experiment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/ipad-experiment\/","title":{"rendered":"Can the iPad Pro Replace Your Laptop?"},"content":{"rendered":"

From the day Steve Jobs first introduced the iPad in 2010, I was hooked\u2014at least in theory. The promise of a small, ultraportable tablet was a dream come true. I saw the potential immediately. Unfortunately, it never worked out for me in practice.<\/p>\n\n

I bought every iPad ever produced (with the exception of the iPad Pro 12″), hoping Apple could finally deliver on its promise. Don\u2019t get me wrong: these machines were amazing, especially for consuming media. Whether reading on the Kindle app, catching up on my RSS feeds, or watching videos, the iPad provided a delightful experience.<\/p>\n

But I am a content creator. I need a machine for creating content, not just consuming it. That\u2019s where the iPad fell short for me\u2014until now.<\/p>\n

Apple introduced its new iPad Pro 10.5″<\/a> at its WorldWide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 5, 2017. I watched the demo and\u2014like Charlie Brown hoping that Lucy would not pull the football out from under him\u2014I ordered one.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I got the 256 GB version without built-in cellular. Within two weeks, I returned it to Apple and traded it for the cellular version<\/a>. It\u2019s a no-brainer. For a little bit more, you can have almost continuous access to the Internet without having to futz around with logging into a local network.<\/p>\n

The specs are impressive. As you would expect, it is the fastest, thinnest iPad ever. The screen is especially impressive. It sports a 120 Hz refresh rate and is 50 percent brighter than the earlier models.<\/p>\n

If you use the Apple Pencil, there is almost zero lag time. I literally forget I\u2019m writing on a screen. It also provides \u201cfast charge support.\u201d If you are using the 29W charger<\/a> (sold separately), it can cut your battery charging time to less than half.<\/p>\n\n

But how does it work in real life\u2014especially for someone who creates content for a living?<\/p>\n

Gail and I spent three weeks in Italy this summer. Rather than lug my MacBook Pro around, I decided to take my new iPad Pro and a Smart Keyboard<\/a>. This was my first time to use my iPad as my primary computer. I thought it would be an interesting experiment.<\/p>\n

Without a doubt, it took me a few days to adjust. But here are five things I loved about using the iPad Pro as my primary computer.<\/p>\n

1. Plenty of Computing Power<\/h4>\n

The new iPad Pro is powered by Apple\u2019s own A10X processor. It is surprisingly fast\u2014the equal of most laptops. This is especially noticeable when coupled with the iPad\u2019s ProMotion display.<\/p>\n

Scrolling and animations are buttery-smooth. You\u2019ll also experience virtually no lag when using the Apple Pencil. It\u2019s almost the same experience as writing on paper\u2014a big improvement from just the last iPad model.<\/p>\n

2. Super Light and Thin<\/h4>\n

My cellular iPad Pro weighs just 1.05 pounds. This is ridiculously light. And it fits nearly anywhere. This may not sound like much, but it is one-third the weight of my MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.<\/p>\n

It also doesn\u2019t require a large computer bag, because the power supply and accessories are so minimal. In fact, you might not need a separate bag at all. Nevertheless, I bought a beautiful Everki Venue Mini-Messener bag<\/a>, which is just about the perfect bag ever designed. It is super low profile and the iPad Pro fits in it perfectly. It has room for all the other items I normally carry, including my Full Focus Planner\u2122<\/a>.<\/p>\n

3. Improved Keyboard<\/h4>\n

I could never type accurately on the iPad\u2019s software keyboard. It might be fine for typing a word here and there but didn\u2019t work for serious content creation. I was constantly missing the keys. And, of course, there was no tactile feedback. I tried the Smart Keyboard for the iPad Pro 9.7, but it too didn\u2019t quite work. It just felt too cramped.<\/p>\n

However, the Smart Keyboard<\/a> for the 10.5″ machine is excellent. The difference in size between the iPad 9.7″ this one may not seem like much, but it makes all the difference in the usability of the keyboard. It feels almost full-size, unlike the one for the 9.7 iPad.<\/p>\n

By the way, I also tried the Logitech Slim Combo<\/a>. On the surface, it seems vastly superior to the Smart Keyboard. It is backlit and has function keys on the top row. It also provides for multiple viewing angles. But in practice, I found it to be too bulky. It actually feels larger than my MacBook Pro.<\/p>\n

In fact, it weighs 1.41 lbs.\u201450 percent more than the iPad Pro itself. The iPad Pro and the keyboard weigh in at 2.46 lbs. Not all that much, but you might as well take a MacBook (2.03 lbs.) or a MacBook Pro (3.02 lbs.).<\/p>\n

4. Game-Changing Operating System<\/h4>\n

Without question, iOS 11<\/a> is Apple\u2019s biggest iOS upgrade ever. I ran it for almost two months before it was released publicly, so I really got to put it through its paces. It feels much more familiar to people who, like me, work on a desktop Mac almost all day.<\/p>\n