iPad Anyone here currently or going iPad Pro only?

[JayMysterio]

Out of curiosity, is the iPad a good device for music production? I mean I know a few programs for macOS, but I barely know software for music creation/production on iPad.

The iPP became very popular with quite a few music producers, as a traveling device to put ideas together on the go.

This music producer has a series of Youtube videos about his music production on the 2nd & 3rd gen iPP and the current iPad mini.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjOdcJbnQcVjH_o4j2AbLog/videos

 

[nordique]

I was going strong with the 11” pro.....but just picked up a mini 5

 

[Coolpher]

I am iPad Pro 12.9 with XR only. Don’t miss the laptop and since iPadOS, I rarely need to use a desktop for anything other than gaming.

I am the same way I have the iPad Pro 11 inch and an iPhone X using the Google Pixel 3 XL I have a gaming PC for VR etc. but other then that I use my iPad for everything with the Smart Folio keyboard And Apple Pencil 2nd gen

 

[rowspaxe]

I have. It works really well with my workflow!

I assume your workflow does not involve any cuting and pasting? Because the ipad can't effectively do
that.

 

[The Game 161]

I’ve been considering selling my MacBook Pro and iPad Pro and getting a 3rd gen iPad Pro with iOS 13. So I’d use an iPhone XS Max and an iPad Pro. I’m just curious if anyone else has?

Yep been rocking max and iPad Pro for over a year now

 

[MisterMillz]

Out of curiosity, is the iPad a good device for music production? I mean I know a few programs for macOS, but I barely know software for music creation/production on iPad.

I think it can be. I’m partial to Fruity Loops and Pro Tools, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that GarageBand is a beast on the Pro. I never considered it before because I dabbled with Logic when I had a 12” MacBook, but I can honestly say GB is great. I use only that software with no other plug-ins to my iPad except a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter. Never realized how annoying the removal was until I started producing. If you’re wanting to get into it as a profession, you’ll definitely want a travel rig to go with it. I haven’t gotten that deep yet. Hennythabizness is a great producer to look into. He uses top notch externals and plug-ins with Beatmaker 3 I believe.

 

[jjudson]

I’ve been considering selling my MacBook Pro and iPad Pro and getting a 3rd gen iPad Pro with iOS 13. So I’d use an iPhone XS Max and an iPad Pro. I’m just curious if anyone else has?

If I didn't need to do spreadsheets and Photoshop, I would have moved on completely. I use my iPad Pro for everything else. I would say my Macbook Pro to iPad Pro usage is around 10/90 right now. Once Photoshop for iPad comes out it'll likely drop to 2/98.

 

[Populus]

I think it can be. I’m partial to Fruity Loops and Pro Tools, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that GarageBand is a beast on the Pro. I never considered it before because I dabbled with Logic when I had a 12” MacBook, but I can honestly say GB is great. I use only that software with no other plug-ins to my iPad except a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter. Never realized how annoying the removal was until I started producing. If you’re wanting to get into it as a profession, you’ll definitely want a travel rig to go with it. I haven’t gotten that deep yet. Hennythabizness is a great producer to look into. He uses top notch externals and plug-ins with Beatmaker 3 I believe.

Thank you for your extensive response.
No, I'm not looking to get into it as a profession, more as a hobby for now, but I admit I have no idea (I just don't want to get limited by the device if one day I start learning) and it surprised me that Garage Band is such a capable software.

Great, although it would be nice to have Logic on the iPad Pro as well.

 

[RevTEG]

I have a 2015 MBP but I'm do everything I need for work and entertainment on my 12.9 iPad Pro. The only reason I needed my MBP was when I was backing up through iTunes. I been using iCloud for a couple years now. I know this topic is argued and both sides feel they're right, but for me, the iPad does what I need, especially with PadOS.

 

[Never mind]

Been using the iPad for all my work needs and no need for a notebook anymore. Of course everyone has their own needs but mine is accomplished by the iPad Pro.

 

[maflynn]

Not for me, the iPad while useful is just too limiting, I cannot multitask like I can on a PC, even with iOS 13's improvements. Added mouse support in iOS 13 is helpful but not as useful. The differences between screen sizes, keyboards, and desktop apps vs. mobile apps all mean that for me, a PC is a better tool to get the job done.

 

[AutomaticApple]

I assume your workflow does not involve any cuting and pasting?

Nope! I cut/copy and paste all the time!

 

[MasterRattler]

I use a 2018 12.9 IPad Pro and Iphone X exclusively. I haven't ran into any limitations with that setup for what I do at home/personally. However, I do have laptop issued for work as well.

 

[Mainsail]

The workflow I want to evolve to is: Mac desktop for Home Office + iPad for mobile. Basically, I have an older MBA that stays at my desk connected to monitor, keyboard and mouse. When mobile, I use an iPad in tablet mode with the pencil. I don’t use a connected keyboard. The idea is to try to separate the two devices for what they do best. Mac OS is best used in desktop mode with a larger monitor so you can have lots of windows open. An iPad is the best tablet on the market, and the OS is a touch first interface, so I like to use it in Tablet mode with Pencil. Also, I like the idea of using a desktop and iPad in tandem with sidecar in MacOS Catalina.....that might add justification to having both a Mac and iPad

Anyway, I will see how this works when iPadOS is released to the public. If it meets my expectations, I might eventually replace my older MBA with a Mac Mini when the time comes.

If I had to do a lot of remote (away from my home office) work typing or manipulating spreadsheets when mobile, I would probably just get a laptop. But, at this time, that is really not my situation.

 

[Jack Burton]

I have an illustrator friend that is completely iPad Pro now he starts and finishes print quality illustrations on his iPad.

Very rarely he works on photoshop or illustrator on the Mac. When he does, he uses one of those apps to beam it wirelessly to his iPad, soon to be replaced by Sidecar functionality.

 

[JayMysterio]

I have an illustrator friend that is completely iPad Pro now he starts and finishes print quality illustrations on his iPad.

Very rarely he works on photoshop or illustrator on the Mac. When he does, he uses one of those apps to beam it wirelessly to his iPad, soon to be replaced by Sidecar functionality.

That's the appeal to me. There are apps like Procreate, and the subscription model Clip Studio Paint, that allow you do what you did with a tablet and Mac in one machine. The portability is also incredible.

Having already had Duet & Luna Display ( I unfortunately have a 2015 MBP, so only way Sidecar works is with some effort ) I imagine Sidecar will make some new MBP owners even more happy.

My one issue so far is I often to listen to music mixes on Youtube for background music. You have to have the app or the browser open to continue to listening, which I don't want cluttering my screen. Yes, I could use the Dolphin browser, but lately for me, the ads have seemed to get out of control. On my Mac Mini, playing Youtube in the background is obviously no issue.

 

[nburwell]

I tried out the whole iPad and IPP option for about a year. I caved late last year and purchased a MB for MS Office and light photo editing (LR and PS). For me, I just prefer using those programs on macOS instead (even though PS does not yet exist on iOS).

Everyone is different, but iPhone, IPP and MB work best for me.

 

[MrRabuf]

Tried it and couldn't make it work. I wound up having to jump through too many hoops to do things that are trivial on a real computer and the new iPadOS doesn't change that.

I do really like using an iPad and it has replaced my personal laptop but I still also need a real computer.

 

[sokzzuka]

I’ve been considering selling my MacBook Pro and iPad Pro and getting a 3rd gen iPad Pro with iOS 13. So I’d use an iPhone XS Max and an iPad Pro. I’m just curious if anyone else has?

am going ipad + iphone 8 only for ~3 months now.
It’s kinda okay i would say, but there are some things that cannot be done on ipad, it’s like maybe 1% of my workflow, so no biggie for me.

 

[pedregosa]

I have been experimenting with being iPad-only for about two months and am planning on sticking with it. I have the 11-inch Pro, but connect it at my desk to an external USB-C 4K monitor with a freestanding BT keyboard. That’s not an ideal set-up right now, but I think mouse support will make a huge difference with the new iPad OS upgrade (I’m not running the beta). And the other OS upgrades should also remove most of the workflow issues.

I’m a lawyer. I do serious work on my devices. Mostly writing long documents, reviewing and managing PDFs, and carrying out legal research via either a browser or a dedicated app. I find it all very doable on the iPad and more enjoyable from a tech point of view. Unlike many, I actually prefer the less cluttered version of Word on the iPad to the Mac one (although I usually prefer to work in Pages). Yes, there are workflow changes. For example, there are a few things I need to do with long PDFs — including OCR and file-size compression — that iPad apps still don’t allow. PDF Expert is pretty good, but not as fully featured as on the Mac. And I cannot understand why Adobe has not brought Acrobat Pro to the iPad. But there are some pretty good online PDF alternatives (Kami, Sedja). Overall, I like the simplicity of one device that I can use in all sorts of places and in different sorts of ways — conventional tablet being one — and where the multitasking is good, but not so good that I am distracted by an array of things all visible at the same time.

I’d been using Macs since around 1990 and maybe had just got bored with them. In some ways, my current iPad set-up reminds me of the techno pleasure I got from my very first Apple PowerBook 100 in 1991. Although the iPad can do a ton more than that device!

Part of me wonders whether I should get the 12.9-inch model, as I’m not always connected to an external monitor. Maybe I’ll wait for the next product refresh and then try that out.

 

[maflynn]

I do serious work

I think we all do serious work ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I find it all very doable on the iPad and more enjoyable from a tech point of view.

That sort of light work is fine on the iPad and the limited multitasking that the iPad offers is probably sufficient. Other people who's work is just as serious finds the limitations of iOS too large to overcome, at least my tasks have been. With the right keyboard, writing is enjoyable, and the iPad excels at consumption tasks like PDFs, and what not, so you're definitely using the iPad's strengths for your tasks.

Part of me wonders whether I should get the 12.9-inch model, as I’m not always connected to an external monitor. Maybe I’ll wait for the next product refresh and then try that out.

If you're iPad only that might make sense, though do you think a larger will help? I don't know how the iPad works with monitors, do they scale up or use the full resolution for more screen real estate.

 

[KUKitch]

I've gone to phone/iPad only. I upgraded to the third gen iPad Pro 11 from a first gen 12.9 last November and now only have the phone and the tablet. I had a 15" MBP before as well, and would alternate between that and the iPP - but I didn't really use the laptop for anything the iPad can't do, so I upgraded and my wife took the laptop (incidentally she now has a third gen 11 as well, so I don't know who came out of that better!) for her work. I would love to get a maxed-out MB just to have, now that they don't make them anymore as I just like having a laptop I can use, even if I don't need one specifically. However, I get by just fine with the phone/iPad combo as the only computers I use.

 

[rillrill]

I’ve been iPhone and iPad only for iOS 9-11. I switched back to an old MacBook Pro for a little while, but the mobility of an iPad is too good to give up. I picked up a used iPad Pro 3, and could not be happier to be back on iOS. My computer usage as dropped considerably as I have gotten older. I just don’t need the programs I used to use. Being a teacher, the iPad Pro with the pencil will be really handy. iOS 13 biggest change that will affect my professional usage, honestly, is desktop browsing. For everything else, there is a better app than what I had on a Mac.

I’ll add that I could probably be fine with the base model iPad Air 3, but the 11” looks so freaking slick, and I prefer Face ID these days.

 

[vbctv]

I have a Mac mini as my main desktop, but on the go I now use iPadOS on my 10.5 Pro. I still have a MacBook 12 but use it as a test machine for Catalyst and run the betas since I develop an app. But it has become exclusive to that since iPadOS came out. Before iPad OS, that would come with me on the road.
But everything you can do on iPadOS can also be done on iOS 13, you can plug hard drives in to your phone if powered and using the proper adapter, you can hook the mouse. So it's not really an iPad exclusive thing, but yes iPad has now become very computer like. Still need more features tho to make my everyday machine. I need High-end Photo & video editing, plus Xcode. So maybe if that ever comes to iPad, I mean Affinity comes close and so does LumaFusion but still feel desktop has more features and power.

 

[subjonas]

Macs and iPads both have their respective strengths and weaknesses (both inherent and situational). I like and need both for different reasons.
I prefer Mac for some things but I need it for (off the top of my head): specific work software, multiple large displays, plugged-in power and wired headphones simultaneously (need zero latency for work), time machine versioned backups, media library management, iOS device management and backups, and some websites.
I prefer iPad for some things but I need it for portable drawing, markup, and note-taking; and sometimes just the extra portability it offers over laptops in general.

I should also note that I avoid cloud storage and services as much as possible.

So as with most things, it just comes down to each individual’s needs and preferences.