Goodbye Laptop, Hello iPad Pro
Why I ditched my laptop for the iPad Pro
For the past 4 years my old Acer laptop has resided in the depths of a cupboard in my living room, hooked up to my TV with the sole purpose of streaming video. I used my phone for everything: banking, shopping, photo editing, sending quick emails, and so on. The odd time I needed to use a program on a big screen (which was pretty rare), I waited until I was at work and used my computer there.
This summer, my office started blocking personal email sites (like gmail - oops). This, in combination with wanting to get more serious about my online extra-curriculars, had me researching computers with intensity. I focused on MacBooks, but the idea of learning a new OS felt daunting. A friend of mine suggested the iPad pro, and I steered my research there. Could I really use a tablet the same way I would use a laptop?
I made the plunge in October, and am so happy with my decision. Here's why:
1. Portability
We live in a fast-paced world, and no one wants to be weighed down by a heavy computer. The lighter the better. While my iPad Pro is mostly used at home while lounging on the couch, the luxury of being able to take it anywhere without having to worry about the size of my bag is definitely key. I got the 10.5 inch and it fits in almost all of my handbags (save the ones that can barely hold my lip gloss). At 1.03 pounds, I can carry it to a café to work for a few hours and then run errands the rest of day without even noticing it's there.
2. Familiarity
As I mentioned, I was doing almost everything on my phone. Being so accustomed to iOS made the move to iPad completely seamless. All of my files and apps are always synced between my phone and iPad, so I can take photos on my iPhone, edit them on my iPad, and then use my phone later to post them to IG. Easy peasy. Everything looked exactly as I was used to, only bigger and with a better display.
3. It does everything I need it to do
I totally get that some people use really specific fancy software that is not available on iPad. Some people like to play games that are only available for desktop. Some people just like the experience of a traditional mouse and keyboard. I'm not one of those people.
I'm a pretty average computer user -- I browse the web, I write emails, and I scroll through social media (endlessly). I got the keyboard for writing emails and blog posts, and love the way it feels. I loathe clunky or loud keyboards, so I was all over the low-profile design.
The only semi-high-power task I really do is photo editing, and I was not married to any specific program. I was using 2-3 apps to edit my photos (predominantly Snapseed and Retouch), and really wanted an all-inclusive solution. After reading and watching countless reviews of photo-editing software, I decided Affinity Photo was the one (note: after 1 month with it, so far so good! I'm definitely still learning how to use it to it's full potential). I got the Apple Pencil, and it makes performing those really fine-tuned edits a breeze.
I have been using the iPad Pro as my main computer for a month now, and am so happy with my decision. Have you made the switch?
Note: This post was in no way sponsored by or affiliated with Apple Inc. I read approximately 1000 reviews on the iPad Pro as a laptop replacement, and would have read 1000 more if they existed. So here is number 1001 for you.