I am a consultant and have adopted the IPad Pro 9.7 (256GB) as my main out of the office work machine. Typical day:
early AM: Read and respond to emails. Read NY Times on line. Transfer any files that I might need that aren't already on the IPad
Client meeting: This is a very complex meeting, so I opt to type all my notes using the smart keyboard. Works great of course and I note that the smaller footprint of my machine contrasts to others there using laptops.
Conference call: I open Notability and take handwritten notes of the things of interest. Amazing how much time these type of calls waste for the actual information received.
Working on first case: did quite a bit of internet searching and document review. Marked items of interest and save them all in the case notebook on Notability.
After lunch: Meetings with subcontractors. First case involves numerous documents the contractor has mailed to me. I have them all on the IPad and we can look at them together, commenting on items of interest. He has some photos I need, so I load them on the IPad. Second contractor arrives and his case involves several financial items on spreadsheets that I download. I take notes with the pencil, highlight items, and we agree on what we will do on this matter going forward. Save everything to appropriate notebook.
Late afternoon: Using the IPad to pay bills on line, update accounting for days activity, update calendars (personal and business) and finalize schedule for tomorrow, deal with emails, write up my ideas for a briefing I will be doing the next morning to a potential client, and prepare a one page proposal that I will print out and leave with her after the briefing. Chat with two partners located some distance away on an encrypted application.
Evening: I am a nightowl so I catch a show I am following on Netflix using earphones so as not to disturb my spouse.
Bottom line: I still have my old Macbook Air and I use it for heavy duty typing at home, but don't carry it out much at all. The IPad Pro travels around the world with me and only rarely do I even think about needing the MBA. I use the keyboard a lot; the pencil less so. Battery life on this thing is great and it has rapidly become an indispensable work tool.