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iPad Pro Do I wanna do life with no iPad?

This thread is great, and I can relate to what others are saying. The truth is that I could easily get by with an entry level MBA and an older model iPhone. But, there are a few things that keep bringing me back to iPad as a secondary device. It is a great reading device. Perfect for sitting in your comfy chair and watching a movie. Excellent for taking notes and annotating documents. Nice for sharing photos at family events. It is supper thin and portable if you don’t weigh it down with bulky and expensive accessories. The best tech companion for vacation.

So, I sell my iPad. Then purchase a new one. Then sell. Then purchase. On and on. This last time my wife put down her foot: ”Just go get yourself a bargain iPad ($250 on sale) and keep it. Don’t sell it even if you don’t use it for a while. Just keep it and put it in a drawer. So when you cycle back, you won’t have to repurchase.” I was driving her nuts. 😁
 
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My iPad is the one item in my lineup I need the least but use the most. It can do 90% what my laptop can except a critical few; it can also do 90% my iPhone can do except a critical few. Technically it is not needed.

However it makes the other 90% more enjoyable and I want it. I made a decision early on not to sweat it and just enjoy using it Naturally.
 
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I too get restless with my tech but when I do it's typically in the form of looking for the next great thing rather than looking to downsize my gadget collection. I'm probably in the minority but I never sell my things to fund future purchases; i'll instead hang onto them and continue to use them or I'll gift them to family members. Some stuff though just sit, like the handful of old android tablets that I have and old ipad 2.

I like the idea presented earlier of just storing the ipad and having a go without it before deciding to sell it.
 
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The iPad is my favourite device since the Newton. So nice to use. It struggles with 20% of stuff I want to do but I just prefer using it to my phone or mac. If it goes wrong I would just get another :)
 
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ssledoux said:
LOL you could be right. ;-p

Honestly, I was considering buying a bigger phone a month ago anyway, and decided against it, so IDK if that’s it. In fact, I would likely just keep my 11 for now and see how it goes with just that and the iMac.
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I think that would be best. You already have the gear so unless you were going to sell these or pass them down the family food-chain, it doesn't make sense to get rid of them.


ssledoux said:
There are definitely some practical uses for the iPad that aren’t so practical for the phone or iMac (I actually have used it for recipes in the kitchen multiple times in the last couple weeks, and I do use the digital planning, albeit not as much as I had hoped I would - still can’t fully ditch the paper). I guess I just feel like having so many devices is overkill, and I’m really wanting to minimize everything right now. I do tend to go through this after the first of the year every year - purging for the coming year I suppose. I guess I need to weigh it out.
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I hear you. I periodically go through the same phase. The difference for me is that I spend far, far less than most people on my devices so it doesn't feel extravagant to have more than a few devices.

I previous mentioned what I did... but now I'll offer what I'd do if I were you...
Keep the iMac. Keep your current phone. At the right time, move on from the 11 to the Mini.


ssledoux said:
If I was basing it on actual use, it would be a no brainer - the iMac would go. But I just can’t give it up - not right now anyway. I’d love to go back to life with no computer at all, but there are those COUPLE of things I just cannot do on any other device.
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That's the thing. There's always SOMETHING that needs a full desktop-strength computer. It might not be often, but when you need it, you need it. My Pixelbook was so close to replacing my iPad, Macbook Air, and iMac... except for those things that need a desktop. I've resigned myself to having a few devices. That's life in the digital age. 😊
 
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iPad is it. The main man. Everything else is peripheral. Mac desktop for file support and rare occasions iPad can't handle. iPhone for phone calls - too small display. Laptop not even considered - cumbersome, unwieldy, heavy. Pretty clearcut here.
 
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If I were you I would keep what you have as you may regret selling. I have far too many apple devices for very basic use, what I have is complete overkill, but I can't bring myself to sell any of them as I know I will probably regret it as I love them all lol
 
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How about box the iPad up and put it away. Our wants, needs and likes change all the time. I can’t tell you how many things Ive purchased again when my needs/wants changed.
 
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Saskat said:
My iPad is the one item in my lineup I need the least but use the most. It can do 90% what my laptop can except a critical few; it can also do 90% my iPhone can do except a critical few. Technically it is not needed.

However it makes the other 90% more enjoyable and I want it. I made a decision early on not to sweat it and just enjoy using it Naturally.
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Same here. Hence, relatively frequent iPad upgrades while I'm still on a 2016 iPhone and 2012 desktop/laptop. I don't need a powerful desktop. I just need something that runs relatively light desktop only apps (Calibre ebook, MS Office with compatibility mode, iTunes for backup/restore and DFU restore).
 
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el beisbol said:
Man, I think the iPP has been key to consolidating, actually. It's my main daily driver at this point, and has surprised me by how well it has replaced laptop use. I do augment it with a PC desktop for gaming and occasional heavy lifting.
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This is my preference - only iPad. I just can’t get it to do that 5% of crap I need the iMac for. But, between my iMac and iPhone I can do everything the iPad can do. That’s the only reason I’d consider parting with it just to minimize devices. IDK - just trying to clear excess stuff so maybe it’ll clear out my brain a bit. ;-p

Some good points have been made here though, and odds are I’ll keep it, although I think I’m gonna try putting it away for a week and see how that goes.
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sracer said:
I previous mentioned what I did... but now I'll offer what I'd do if I were you...
Keep the iMac. Keep your current phone. At the right time, move on from the 11 to the Mini.
Click to expand...

You know you’re speaking right to my heart when you bring up the mini! I just love the darn things, although I beat myself up over keeping that one because it was totally overkill with the other devices - I just couldn’t justify it.
 
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My current inventory is an iPhone 8, iPhone XS, 2012 27’ iMac, 2014 MacBook Pro, and 2017 MacBook Pro. The iMac was gifted to me from my mom after she upgraded and my work heavily subsidizes a new MacBook every three years. Despite this I was compelled to recently get the seventh gen. iPad since it was heavily discounted for the holidays. I was pretty disinterested in the iPad until I used my moms and I just have to say I love the experience. It's so much more pleasant than using any of the above for browsing, reading, and media. Hoping they can further refine iPad OS so that the experience gets even better.
 
iMac Pro, iPad Pro, iPhone 11 — works nicely for me.

I also have a 2012 MacBook Pro that exists soley to be a Catalina test machine. I cannot otherwise integrate it into my work flow. When Catalina and my apps are to the point hat I can upgrade the OS on my iMP, the MBP will be a useless object except for whatever I can get when it's sold.

I do fine with 3 devices; 4 is too many. The collective mind cannot make up your mind for you. You need to do tjat on your own.

My 2¢
 
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ssledoux said:
Thanks for all the replies and input! The thing is, I really dislike laptops, so I haven’t given that any consideration. Were it not for a few things, I could use ONLY an iPad (and did for quite a while). However, I have the option to do some of my work from home for my p/t job, which requires the iMac. It also gives me photo storage and organizing options (as well as the ability to make photo books) that I just don’t have with the iPad.

What I do at the kitchen table on the iPad (reading forums, checking email, etc.) I could do at my desk on the iMac for sure. The only thing I can’t do on my iMac is play my one game I play daily. I can play it on my phone, and often do, although the bigger screen is definitely nicer for that. It’s a game I’ve played for around 5-6 years, so it’s not likely I’ll give it up anytime soon. And does one need a $1K device to play a game? Probably not.

I think the plan of putting the iPad away for a week and seeing how it goes makes a lot of sense. I’m gonna try that.
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Firstly nice catfish photo, second keep using the iMac phone and iPad.
 
Jar Jar Abrams said:
Firstly nice catfish photo, second keep using the iMac phone and iPad.
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I must be missing something on the catfish photo. I must be a little slow. ;-p

And that’s probably what I’ll wind up doing I’m sure. I’m gonna try life with no iPad for a week, and see how it goes.
 
I used to have a MBP and ditched it for a 12.9 iPP but then realized that there are just some things I need macOS for.

To solve that issue, I bought an older Mac Mini and did some minor upgrades to it and it fills the gap between my iPhone and iPad perfectly.

In the end, a small shuffle towards a mobile life.
 
I am so surprised to see so many people relate to this dilemma.

I too have always been someone that stresses out over the numbers of gadgets I own. I feel like it’s an extension of my OCD and not something people really actively think about.

I really wish I could just let go of the intrusive thoughts of wanting to have the “perfect” number of devices that served me most efficiently. It’s really not a money thing. I can afford basically any piece of tech I want but I still just feel like I don’t want to go crazy with it.

In the past, I have felt the iPad to be more of a time waster and less of a real productive tool and that’s why I’ve sold so many. I have kept my 10.5 despite almost selling it since it’s so much more useful than previous iPads. I will still probably sell it because my 15” MBP I just bought is getting very little use and I need to start coding more :)

I agree with others - put it away for an extended period of time and try living without it first before wasting time and money buying and reselling.
 
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I found it best to move away from macOS, the consistency between my iPhone Pro and iPad Pro is just too valuable for me. Are the tasks you use it for simply impossible on the iPad? I kept a Mac around for a while just for server management, but have been able to do everything using iPadOS now. If you feel like you really need to not have 3 devices (I get it) and you must have a Mac, then ditch the iPad, but I think keeping around a macOS device for a couple tasks is overkill. Up to the individual though.
 
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I agree with others: set the iPad aside for a while and see how it goes. That will help inform your decision. Alternatively, you could use the three device in their more ”natural” mode:

  • Desktop mode when you have significant keyboard work and multiple windows opened
  • Tablet mode with Pencil but no external keyboard - notes, reading, markups, drawings, media consumption
  • Phone mode when mobile for communication, navigation, and photography
If you tend to use the devices in their natural swim lanes, you will get a more even distribution of usage so it won’t feel like overkill. In fact, you might find the experience more enjoyable because you won’t be forcing three different use cases into two devices.

Of course, there is going to be some overlap, since all three devices can easily handle routine stuff: mail, messages, calendar, reminders, safari, etc..
 
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nStyle said:
I am so surprised to see so many people relate to this dilemma.

I too have always been someone that stresses out over the numbers of gadgets I own. I feel like it’s an extension of my OCD and not something people really actively think about.

I really wish I could just let go of the intrusive thoughts of wanting to have the “perfect” number of devices that served me most efficiently. It’s really not a money thing. I can afford basically any piece of tech I want but I still just feel like I don’t want to go crazy with it.

In the past, I have felt the iPad to be more of a time waster and less of a real productive tool and that’s why I’ve sold so many. I have kept my 10.5 despite almost selling it since it’s so much more useful than previous iPads. I will still probably sell it because my 15” MBP I just bought is getting very little use and I need to start coding more :)

I agree with others - put it away for an extended period of time and try living without it first before wasting time and money buying and reselling.
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I have OCD/intrusive thoughts and it's probs just best to let it be. Your MBP doesn't have to get the most use just because you spent lots of money on it. If it's just for coding occasionally that's good enough and you don't have to upgrade as often and you would your iPad.

I think it helps to have a set purpose. My ipad for example has the casual browsing purpose while my Mac is for more powerful tasks.
 
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