iPad Pro iPad Pro or MacBook Air - Writing

[ascender]

But there is now mouse support. It came with iPad OS in September. I use a mouse all the time for the things you mention.

I understand that, but at the moment that means carrying a mouse with you when on the move or buying a Brydge keyboard with built-in trackpad. Although the pencil is handy for that stuff. I'd like to see a Smart Keyboard with trackpad from Apple, I think that could be a game changer along with improved pointer support in iPadOS.

Anyway, I've tried these things and I'd much rather just take my laptop.

 

[DiCaprioAngel]

I previously had the 2013 MacBook Pro that was ultimately killed by the new software Cortana (thanks, Apple - the laptop did last me about 6 years, so it was inevitable), but I also had a 256gb 10.5“ iPad Pro as well, so that became my backup. I do a lot of writing as well, so I ended up getting the keyboard for it and that definitely helped make it a more laptop feel for me. I started adapting to having to use an iPad as my computing device for the past few months. The only thing I seem to miss from having a proper laptop is being able to transfer files from the computer to my phone, but my sister has a laptop that I borrow for when I need to do that. Just last week, I purchased the 1TB 11” iPad Pro and I am IN LOVE. This has been a great replacement for a laptop as it does all that I need it to and more. Writing, at least in the way that I do, works perfectly well and I use Word for the same reason that you do - compatibility for use in other devices (since my current phone is the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and I write on that when I’m out of the house). I’m pretty sure the iPad will fit your needs, especially with the keyboard folio case. It converts it to a proper laptop for easy writing.

 

[Shanghaichica]

The iPad pro can be used for typing if you have a decent keyboard attached. I have an iPad Pro 10.5 and I use the smart keyboard. If I have to type a letter or an email or maybe a short piece of writing I wouldn’t mind using my iPad. However 80,000 Words is a lot of typing and I think you’ve have a much better experience on a Mac. If I had to do any extensive typing I’d use my MacBook Air.

 

[kazmac]

MBA vote here. For reasons everyone has already mentioned.

 

[MacRazySwe]

I would get the MacBook Air.

Do you have any iPad in your surroundings where you could try installing the Office suite? I have it for free on my old Air 2 and I find I much prefer working on my computer. Office for iPad is still a simplified version of its macOS counterpart. Everyone is different though, so see if you can test it out somehow.

 

[secretk]

I personally would prefer the Macbook Air. I can type on an iPad with keyboard but honestly the experience is not like with laptop or desktop. From pure ergonomics point of view I prefer bigger keyboard. I can work with 14 inch laptop size keyboard or bigger, but with the smallest keyboards I have higher error rate. This slows me down and makes me less efficient.

The other problem is the whole cursor manipulation when you want to edit something. I find it easier to do it on a laptop/desktop than on an iPad. Not just because of the mouse support, but to me iOS is rather slow in using the keyboard arrow keys for navigation. It takes a lot of time to move from right to left. Continuous holding on the arrow key does not move the cursor. This is something that affects my speed.

Another thing is the selection of paragraphs to edit, move or style. I know that there are some new gestures for that in iPadOS but honestly first I can't remember those ones and second when I type and my hands are on the keyboard I prefer to not interact with the screen for navigation and rely only on keyboard (and mouse if it was laptop). I know that now iPads can work with mouse and I buy a Bluetooth Logitech mouse specifically to handle that case but honestly I do not like the implementation. Even the smallest size cursor is big and ugly. It takes a lot of screen real estate. The scrolling is not intuitive for me (I am Windows girl). And the software for the most part is not made to work with a mouse.

The plus side of iOS is the auto correction. Definitely better than say on laptop.

Overall for me the iPad is OK for typing experience when you don't have laptop/desktop but it is not the optimal machine if you want to use predominantly for typing.

 

[danmart]

not intuitive for me (I am Windows girl)

I think that is why you might find the keyboard less productive. When using a physical keyboard with an iPad you have access to the same key combos as on a Mac, but they are different to how things work on Windows (I have Mac at home, Windows at work).

Command + left / right moves to the beginning or end of a line
Command + up / down moves to the beginning or end of a document
Option + left / right moves a word at a time
Option + up / down moves to the start of the previous / next paragraph

So: Option + Shift + Down would select from the point of the cursor to the end of the paragraph.

 

[urkel]

Its the old 80/20 rule for making a purchase decision. Consider what you will be doing 80% of the time rather than the fringe cases you might encounter 20% of the time.

For me, the Smart Keyboard is great and it is the primary reason I was able to skip the Butterfly Generation MacBook. I use it all the time but if my real world use actually had me typing that much then I’d probably go for a Macbook. (And an iPad too sometimes. The best part of the Apple ecosystem is working on a project on multiple platforms)

 

[Cashmonee]

During my master's, I had both a MacBook Pro and a 10.5" iPad Pro. When it came to taking notes and annotating research articles, I loved using the iPad with Goodnotes. When it came to typing my thesis or one of the many papers I was assigned, I exclusively used the MacBook Pro, preferably with my external monitor and CODE keyboard. I love the iPad, but word processing is one of those tasks that the iPad makes just enough more difficult that it is not really the best choice for anything other than a simple, shorter, single draft. Tables, reviewing, formatting were all a pain on the iPad. Plus an external mechanical keyboard made the actual typing so much faster and more pleasurable.

 

[John Miller]

...Really depends on what kind of 80,000 words you're writing. I've used Word on Mac, PC and iOS platforms. I believe iOS, and the Smart keyboard are unbeatable for portability, speed of composition from a blank sheet and automatic (if you use OneDrive) saving. If you are the only one working on the document, Word works well in iOS as a glorified typewriter, such as writing a novel from page 1 (which is how many of use it, so it's not a criticism).

However, if you need template formatting (such as writing into an academic thesis), collaborating or tracking changes, or any similar higher function, you'll find yourself hamstrung on an iPad -- you need full-fledged Word on a Mac.

Hope this helps.

 

[macintoshmac]

Hey guys,

Looking for first hand experiences if possible for using Microsoft Word on both the iPad Pro 11” and MacBook Air.

Simple use case: I will be writing a lot 80,000+ and need access to margins, changing tabbed spaces and tracking changes.
I’m not sure whether Office on iPad is fully fledged or a lite version.

I like the idea of iPad for consumption of media in general but it is pretty useless to me if the Office experience is hamstrung.

I like Pages but for simple cross-compatibility I will use Word.

Any help or first hand experience is appreciated

You can try with both for a while at your nearest Store and see what suits you. The iPad could overlap in functionality and provide apps that you could use to write in, and you can attach keyboards as well, but at that point that has just become a laptop-equivalent.

iPad is NOT for writing. It is a wonderful consumption device and multimedia creation and editing device for when on the move or when paired with Pencil. But serious writing, no. You will extract more value from a MacBook Air.

 

[secretk]

I think that is why you might find the keyboard less productive. When using a physical keyboard with an iPad you have access to the same key combos as on a Mac, but they are different to how things work on Windows (I have Mac at home, Windows at work).

Command + left / right moves to the beginning or end of a line
Command + up / down moves to the beginning or end of a document
Option + left / right moves a word at a time
Option + up / down moves to the start of the previous / next paragraph

So: Option + Shift + Down would select from the point of the cursor to the end of the paragraph.

Hey thanks for the those shortcuts! I knew that command replaces Ctrl and would use command V and command C for copy/paste but did not know about the combinations with left/right and up/down. Let's see how easy I will remember them.

 

[Neart]

Hey thanks for the those shortcuts! I knew that command replaces Ctrl and would use command V and command C for copy/paste but did not know about the combinations with left/right and up/down. Let's see how easy I will remember them.

If you hold the command key on any screen it will bring up a list of possible shortcuts

 

[pedregosa]

Here is a full list of iPad keyboard commands:

• Command-Return: Toggle text editor focus.
• Command-B: Boldface the selected text, or turn boldfacing on or off.
• Command-I: Italicize the selected text, or turn italics on or off.
• Command-U: Underline the selected text, or turn underlining on or off.
• Option-Delete: Delete the word to the left of the insertion point.
• Control-H: Delete the character to the left of the insertion point. Or use Delete.
• Control-K: Delete the text between the insertion point and the end of the line or paragraph.
• Command–Up Arrow: Move the insertion point to the beginning of the document.
• Command–Down Arrow: Move the insertion point to the end of the document.
• Command–Left Arrow: Move the insertion point to the beginning of the current line.
• Command–Right Arrow: Move the insertion point to the end of the current line.
• Option–Left Arrow: Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word.
• Option–Right Arrow: Move the insertion point to the end of the next word.
• Shift–Command–Up Arrow: Select the text between the insertion point and the beginning of the document.
• Shift–Command–Down Arrow: Select the text between the insertion point and the end of the document.
• Shift–Command–Left Arrow: Select the text between the insertion point and the beginning of the current line.
• Shift–Command–Right Arrow: Select the text between the insertion point and the end of the current line.
• Shift–Up Arrow: Extend text selection to the nearest character at the same horizontal location on the line above.
• Shift–Down Arrow: Extend text selection to the nearest character at the same horizontal location on the line below.
• Shift–Left Arrow: Extend text selection one character to the left.
• Shift–Right Arrow: Extend text selection one character to the right.
• Option–Shift–Up Arrow: Extend text selection to the beginning of the current paragraph, then to the beginning of the following paragraph if pressed again.
• Option–Shift–Down Arrow: Extend text selection to the end of the current paragraph, then to the end of the following paragraph if pressed again.
• Option–Shift–Left Arrow: Extend text selection to the beginning of the current word, then to the beginning of the following word if pressed again.
• Option–Shift–Right Arrow: Extend text selection to the end of the current word, then to the end of the following word if pressed again.
• Control-A: Move to the beginning of the line or paragraph.
• Control-E: Move to the end of a line or paragraph.
• Control-F: Move one character forward.
• Control-B: Move one character backward

 

[secretk]

@Neart, @pedregosa thanks for the posts! This would definitely helpful for anyone who types on an iPad .