It’s not accurate, but it’s been almost four years since I gave up on iPads. I had everything. I started with a “mini”, continued with one of the basic student models, moved up to the 11” “Pro”, and finished my career with the 12” “Pro”. .9 inches (the iPad Pro 2020, in particular). Mid the story with iPads has been one of love and hate. I love it because I really think that these are spectacular devices and that in terms of software and compatible applications, they are light years ahead of the others (something that I know objectively does not happen not in the mobile domain).
However, this part of hatred comes from the fact that For years I insisted on forcing myself to use it., which is the worst thing you can do with any product. Especially if it is a model that, with its accessories, rises very slowly to a four-figure price. Now, thanks to the iPad Air M1 – which is about to be replaced by the iPad Air M2 – I’ve managed to fall in love with an iPad again. But yes, with a very different orientation.
iPadOS progress is good, even if it has been very slow
In 2019, many of us were surprised to learn that Apple would release iPadOS 13, a version with a different name than iOS 13 at the time. For the first time, the iPad and iPhone were going in different directions system-wise. At least on paper, since iPadOS continues to look too much like iOS.
Their visual and even functional language remains very similar in both cases, although there are already many distinctions between the two. Own and exclusive capabilities of the iPad that we thought would never arrive, given that for years there was the promise, but never the test. Even when the iPad Pro with the M1 chip launched, it didn’t seem like Apple was giving it the importance it deserved.
Over the years, iPadOS has evolved with a hybrid system between desktop and mobileadapting both to the use of several applications simultaneously and to compatibility with already classic elements such as the Apple Pencil or the keyboard, but also trackpads and mice.
The iPad is for work, but not just any work
I admit that it’s more my mistake than Apple’s, but the fact is that For years, I subconsciously sought to do the same thing on an iPad as I did on a Mac.. And this, no matter how many professional applications are launched, is impossible. I’d say 90% of what you can do with a Mac you can do with an iPad, but the problem (logical, for the most part) is that it’s done differently.
In my personal case, I never felt comfortable using desktop functions on iPad because everything is different. More or less tedious, but different. And I’m talking about everything from more advanced functions like editing videos or images to basic actions like browsing the Internet. Since Safari forces websites to desktop versions, that doesn’t make it a desktop browser.
The fact is that I realize the benefit of an iPad for many jobs, especially anything involving note taking, graphic editing and others where the Apple Pencil is essential. There, he absolutely beats a Mac.
For that, When someone asks me if I recommend a Mac for work, I say “it depends.”. My job doesn’t require a lot of powerful tools. Actually the ones I need are on iPadOS. However, the workflow I perform requires having not one, but two and often up to three windows simultaneously. And without requiring exclusive iPad accessories like the Pencil. Therefore, in my personal case, the iPad is definitely not useful for working. Not completely, at least.
So what is the iPad for?
In accordance with the last paragraph, I must say that Yes, I sometimes use the iPad to work, but in very specific cases. In fact, the fact that its window system does not convince me too much and that the screen size is not practical, is very good for me when I want to have only one window open. In this case, Notion. For and to write, when I just need that: press the keys and that’s it, without having anything in front of me.
However, my big discovery was the entertainment area, including video games. I still prefer to watch series on my TV, but from time to time (especially on mobile) the iPad is much more popular than the iPhone. However, it’s in games that I enjoy it.
I’m not talking about triple A games, or similar. No, I’m talking about games that, more or less casually, entertain me. I have an emulator installed on the iPad which allows me to enjoy retro consoles and I also play (for the umpteenth time) the legendary GTA III, GTA San Andreas and GTA Vice City. Thanks to the fact that Netflix offers this trilogy and the possibility of connecting a controller to the iPad, I enjoy it for hours.
Also I use it a lot for reading. Not so much e-books, which is why I prefer an ebook or paper book, but short stories that interest me. Thanks to Feedly, I can have a list of media related to my interests and I check it several times a day. Here again, the size larger than the iPhone and smaller than the Mac wins the game.
Yet, When I returned to the iPad, I had to look for a common meeting point. Until now I had tried to impose on myself a certain use for which it was not useful, which is why I ended up abandoning this product. Finally, adapting the iPad to my use and finding new ones has been essential.
And that leaves me with a vital lesson that, while obvious, is sometimes forgotten by all of us tech enthusiasts. No matter how much we love a product, and I always have loved the iPad, that doesn’t mean it’s right for us. Better valuing our needs and finding a place for them in our ecosystem is vital to avoid disappointment.
In Applesfera | How to have WhatsApp on iPad
In Applesfera | The 11 best iPad games to make the most of it, for all genders and ages
