I spent a month using my iPad Pro 11” M2 as my primary computer. I won’t lie – I did use a Windows and Linux machine for some tasks that were impossible on the iPad. More on that later. But for the most part, was I able to get work done from just an iPad? And was it a good experience?
For context, you’ll need to know my use case. The use case is just the list of things you need to do with a computer. Mine is pretty simple:
- Video editing
- Music Production
- Web browsing
- SSH connections to servers
- SFTP client
- Virtualization
- Security admin work
- Messaging
- Some form of cloud storage syncing
- Markdown notes editor
- Microsoft Office suite for work
Okay, maybe my use case isn’t so simple after all. But can an iPad do all that?
The short answer is, yes, yes it can. With a few caveats. Specifically around security admin work and virtualization. iPad OS doesn’t support virtualization, meaning that you can’t run any VMs on the hardware. I got around this by running some Windows and Linux VMs in the cloud and on my home server.
Additionally, security administration work doesn’t really cut it on the iPad. There are too many missing features and some tools don’t have iPad equivalents, due to the restrictions of the platform. Things like Ghidra or any kind of debugging is impossible.
But for all other aspects, the iPad not only did the job but did the job well. In fact better than my Linux or Windows desktops. I’m serious – the experience on iPad OS is superior to a traditional desktop.
iPad Advantages
First off, the most obvious advantage is that it can be used in several different ways. Connected to the Magic Keyboard, it is a laptop. Connected to a USB C docking station with an ultra wide screen? Desktop mode. Obviously pop it off the Magic Keyboard and you’ve got a tablet. It adapts to whatever is the most convenient mode of operation at the time.
The iPad OS interface stays consistent across all modes, providing a seamless and transition free experience. Compare this to the likes of the ham fisted Windows 10 tablet mode, you can see why Microsoft dropped it.
Another advantage is that apps on the iPad are much lighter. This is a good thing because it means that beefy M2 processor is using much less power, resulting in amazing battery life, but also because you get more bang for your buck. Since the apps are lighter that 8GB of RAM goes a lot further. 8GB of RAM on an iPad is like 16GB on a Windows desktop. Apps I haven’t opened for days resume instantly when I call them back up. And even in cases where the app isn’t saved in RAM it loads so quickly you hardly notice.
And that is another benefit of the iPad, you don’t have to think about things like RAM or running programs. A program is either on the screen, doing something, or briefly in the background doing some short task. You gain the benefit of not having to think about what apps are running or what is taking up resources – it is all managed for you. This is a huge plus.
Another advantage is the M2 processor. This thing is blazing fast – it absolutely chews through everything I throw at it. I can make it chug, for example exporting complicated graphics in Davinci Resolve can really heat things up. But it never gets to a temperature that is too hot or uncomfortable. It is possible to really push the M2 so hard that the tablet discharges faster than the charger can charge it, but you really shouldn’t be pushing it that hard while on the charger anyway.
One other benefit of the iPad Pro is the amazing hardware in general. However the screen is, on the 11” model at least, acceptable, with the main feature being the 120hz adaptive refresh rate. This is a good screen – not the best, it is still a TFT panel, but it is acceptable for the high price.
The selection of available software is very strong on the iPad platform. Although, most apps are lacking the same feature set as their desktop counterparts. For example, Photoshop is very limited compared to the desktop version. There are alternative apps like the Affinity suite that provide a more feature rich experience.
iPad Disadvantages
There are some downsides to iPad OS. It is impossible to control multiple audio output sources in a sane way – this is super annoying.
Also the iPad tends to crash more often than it used to. This is specifically prevalent in apps like OneNote which don’t play nice with stage manager.
I have gotten a few kernel panics, where the screen turns bright pink. This will hopefully be addressed in software updates.
While unstable, as mentioned before the iPad is also missing critical features in some apps. For example in Excel you can’t create pivot tables. If you’re willing to use non Microsoft and non Adobe apps, which are the biggest offenders, you’ll be able to find the features you need.
Also the Macbooks have better battery life. This makes sense because they have much larger batteries. But on the iPad Pro I get 10 hours of use as a tablet, and 9 hours of use with the Magic Keyboard backlight on. That gets taken down by another hour by cellular connectivity.
However 10 hours of battery life is better than what you’d get in most Windows laptops.
Another disadvantage is that the M2 is a bit too big for its britches – as in it is a little too power hungry for the small chassis. The 11inch model I have gets uncomfortably hot when exporting video, and can chew through more power than it receives at the charger. This causes the battery level to go down even though the iPad is plugged in.
Essential Apps
My essential apps are:
Code text editor: basically VS Code for the iPad.
Working Copy Git Client: For basic Git functionality
Adobe Illustrator: For diagrams and documentation
Obsidian: For note taking and writing
1Password: For password management
Termius: For SSH client things
Shortcuts: For all things automation
Closing Thoughts
The iPad is a fully capable computer. I will continue using it as my primary computing device, meaning it will be the first thing I pick up when I want to do something on a computer. It has all the functionality and apps that I could ever need and does all the things I need a computer to do besides run VMs.
That is what I think of the iPad Pro as a computer replacement. Let me know what you think by emailing me at patrick@malware.ink and I may feature your comment in a future article.
