iPad in 2020

by | Nov 22, 2020 | Essays | 2 comments

I recently got myself an iPad Pro and these are the consideration and experienced i’ve gathered so far.

Why

I think i’ve come to the point where i should separate my needs on different devices. I used to think that i won’t need an iPad: i already use Macbook Pro and all the computing stuff that iPad can do, the good old laptop can do with more power. It is correct but after doing work stuff for more than 10 hours on the laptop, i don’t want to deal with it again for personal / family stuff.

On top of that, I use 2015 15 inch 256 GB Macbook Pro. When i put work and personal stuff inside, I consistently have 10 GB-ish space remaining which keep me in the keep-removing-stuff-i-don’t-need loop. It is tiring. On top of that, it puts restraint on what i can do on it. Want to install these interesting tools or updating to latest OSX? Argh, i have to remove some stuff first, i’ll just put this on hold and tho this later. We all know that later never comes.

So i’m getting an iPad, initially to separate my needs on different device. The macbook will keep all the work stuff, and occasional personal stuff that can only be done in laptop form. All the personal things goes to the iPad: photos, video, planning, collecting reference, journaling, writing, consuming media, etc.

Beside these initial needs, i also want to revisit my drawing interest. I’ve watched couple of videos that show how fun drawing and illustrating on the iPad using Apple pencil. iPad seems to capable of doing 3D / CAD as well, another things that i start to keep eye on.

Which Version

After careful consideration, i went with this version:

  • IPad Pro 2020 Cellular 512 GB
  • Apple Pencil 2 Gen

The reasons:

  • I plan to vlog again (for personal use only tho) and i’ll edit bunch of video there. So i’ll need sufficient space. Editing video also means more processing power will be needed. So the pro it is.
  • I want to move all my personal file to the iPad
  • Lidar scanner looks useful if i want to get into 3D / CAD
  • I want to draw and do illustration
  • I want an iPad that won’t need to be updated for the next 5 years.

So to the premium reseller i went. Apparently getting an iPad Pro 2020 11-inch is a pretty tricky task. Literally all authorized reseller was running out of stock. It required a luck of recalling one of the authorized reseller after couple of days in which the officer said that they’ll have a stock this weekend. So i booked it and went there.

What about external keyboard?

i bought the iPad with the plan of not getting external keyboard first. I’ve laid my eyes on magic keyboard but its ridiculous price was sorta turned me down. So instead of impulsively buying it, i’ll get the iPad, using it for some time, and see if i really need a keyboard. After using it for quite some time, i concluded that external keyboard for iPad is essential. My hand feels strained after couple of days handling the weight of iPad. It feels like the strain of overusing mouse, but worse. So i’m getting an external keyboard; The question is which one?

After some time of research, i ended up getting that ridiculously priced magic keyboard. There are four cons of magic keyboard:

  • Ridiculously pricey
  • Pretty heavy
  • Unlike macbook, opening the lid requires some effort. This actually makes it in real-quick open to get some data not really doable
  • The magic keyboard is the first version of its kind. The golden rule of Apple product is to never get the first version of any new product; wait for the second + revised version (think of first compared to second generation of iPad, Watch, Pencil, etc)

That being said, Magic Keyboard is the best typing experience for iPad. Its hard and solid form factor allows the iPad to be used quite comfortably on the lap. On top of it, it might take years until next generation of magic keyboard to be available. I kinda need it now. So i looked at Tokopedia and bought one online.

How it goes so far

it went pretty great. In fact it is really good my phone screen time usage drops because iPad offers far more superior experience (as long as you’re not on the move and got some time to open that hefty magic keyboard case). These are several use case + apps that i use the most:

  • Drawing in Procreate with my son almost every single day. My son loves watching me draw then after the drawing is done, we get the timelapse and put some music to it.
  • Mindmapping using Concept. There are various time while working when i need to mindmap the issue and need to figure out visually the solution. I used to use blank of paper and pencil; the problem is these artifacts of solving the problem are generally not sharable. These days i can re-order my sketches / doodle of my thought process and ask my coworker for feedback. This becomes a very useful process to explain why certain things need to be done OR need to be done in a very specific way
  • Video editing using LumaFusion / VN / iMovie. I finally vlog again. This time i’m not going to publish it anywhere tho – we simply airplay it to the tv and watch it together with wife and kids at the end of weekend. It feels like a callback of what’s done this weeks.
  • Social media-ing. Twitter has pretty decent iPad support so using twitter in iPad is pretty fun. Instagram doesn’t even have iPad support so it needs to appear in iPhone mode which is actually great because it makes using Instagram annoying which reduces my urge to use it. TikTok only exist on portrait mode which make sit rather uncomfortable to be used while using magic keyboard which also kinda blessing in disguise so i don’t watch it too often – that app is so addicting.
  • Journaling using Day One. I’ve been keeping near two months streak of journaling since i get the iPad. Writing in larger form factor is just more comfortable. Journaling in iPhone sucks, albeit that’s where all the photos are existed. Journaling in mac.. as i said earlier i’ve spent way too much time on macbook for the day. This makes that annual Day One subscription useful 😁

This being said, there are some rough edges with iPad:

  • If you’re accustomed with Macbook Pro’s 15” keyboard, 11” Magic Keyboard for iPad feels awkwardly small
  • Some apps doesn’t have landscape support. Portrait orientation while using keyboard support is nuts; Portrait orientation of iPhone only apps are even wackier
  • Some apps automatically open apps when you’re accessing the mobile desktop version. The problem is sometimes the mobile desktop version offers more versatility compared to the app.

2 Comments

  1. Zam

    the downside of this iPad 2020 is its camera.. it sucks.. really sucks.. but hey, who’s taking picture with an iPad?? 😌

    • Fikri Rasyid

      I kinda vlog using its camera sometimes 😂