I’ve been a long time fan of the iPad Pro. I’ve owned several different versions, including the very first model as well as more recent M1 versions of the 12.9-inch and 11-inch versions. And while neither is capable of being a laptop replacement for me, they are powerful tools that can be a powerful adjunct for writers.
I experimented for some time, using the 12.9-inch iPad Pro as a laptop replacement. And it almost worked. But the lack of true desktop-like apps was a hassle. Ultimately, it was the unavailability of an iOS version of Descript, my preferred audio and video editing tool, that pushed me to selling the larger iPad Pro and investing in a MacBook Air for when I needed to edit audio and video on the go.
I’m writing this piece from the ‘Wi-Fi hub’ at a camp ground using my 11-inch iPad Pro. Paired with Apple’s expensive but competent Magic Keyboard I can punch out a quick story, conduct some research (the cmd-tab shortcut for app switching is super useful) and store my work without too much trouble.
While there are a plethora of different writing apps for the iPad, my preferred tool is Notes. It’s simply, clutter-free and syncs easily across the rest of my devices over iCloud.
For other, more complex tasks – particularly those with clients that prefer receiving content using Google or Microsoft 365 document formats – I can easily run those apps. And while the screen size of the 11-inch iPad Pro is limited, it’s enough for executing edits and initial document creation. Other tasks, such as embedding graphics and complex formatting is much easier on a Mac. And I occasionally hit a feature that is either missing on the mobile versions or is to hard to use because of the way iOS works.
But for someone whose main business is the word business, an iPad, paired with a decent keyboard passes the ‘good enough’ for creating content that van be easily shared and even published using modern browser-based content management systems. There are plenty of great writing apps while Apple’s Notes app is perfect for quickly capturing ideas that can then be copy/pasted into more powerful apps when needed.
Anthony is the founder of Australian Apple News. He is a long-time Apple user and former editor of Australian Macworld. He has contributed to many technology magazines and newspapers as well as appearing regularly on radio and occasionally on TV.