iPad Pro What Does Consumption mean as opposed to Productivity?

[jaybar]

Hi

I am unclear about what differentiates consumption from productivity.

Certain things are obvious. For example listening to music of watching a TV show or YouTube are consumption. Writing a lengthy word document would be productivity.

What about things like posting in this forum or answering the occasional email or writing a note to myself or the occasional brief word document?

 

[onepoint]

Posting here is both. Answering email is both. Writing is production.

Why are you trying to find the boundary, exactly?

 

[jaybar]

I'm trying to figure out how much percentage I use the IPP for consumption vs production

 

[onepoint]

I'm trying to figure out how much percentage I use the IPP for consumption vs production

If you’re like most, I imagine you do more ‘consumption’ than ‘productivity’.

For hard and fast numbers, good luck - IMHO lots of usage falls under both labels.

 

[bensisko]

Around here, "consumptiom" is the phrase used by people who refuse to acknowledge that the iPad is capable of anything more than watching movies and surfing the web.

In short, "productivity" is simply producing something. Onepoint is correct - forums are both. When you read what others have posted you're consuming, but when you reply to a post you're producing. Same with email.

Look at something like doing Research - you're consuming, yet you can still be productive.

Many people would limit the word 'productive' to only getting 'work' done, thus eliminating anything not deemed as 'Of value' (crunching numbers is productive, drawing is not... programming is productive, designing is not). I would, of course, challenge that (and there's a whole tread which argues against a definition like that). There are others would would contend that you can't truly be productive until you have a file manager.

In reality, many people like to use their iPads for entertainment (consumption) and would like to separate their entertainment devices from their work devices. Fair enough. There are LOTS of people that use their iPads to play AND to get things done.

 

[darkarn]

What problem are you solving with such a dichotomy?

 

[spiderman0616]

Around here, "consumptiom" is the phrase used by people who refuse to acknowledge that the iPad is capable of anything more than watching movies and surfing the web.

In short, "productivity" is simply producing something. Onepoint is correct - forums are both. When you read what others have posted you're consuming, but when you reply to a post you're producing. Same with email.

Look at something like doing Research - you're consuming, yet you can still be productive.

Many people would limit the word 'productive' to only getting 'work' done, thus eliminating anything not deemed as 'Of value' (crunching numbers is productive, drawing is not... programming is productive, designing is not). I would, of course, challenge that (and there's a whole tread which argues against a definition like that). There are others would would contend that you can't truly be productive until you have a file manager.

In reality, many people like to use their iPads for entertainment (consumption) and would like to separate their entertainment devices from their work devices. Fair enough. There are LOTS of people that use their iPads to play AND to get things done.

This is exactly right. There are already many threads going around and around in circles on this, and it's super pointless. If you say you use only an iPad for all your content creation, someone will tell you you're not really creating much content then. If you give them a list of all the productivity tasks you do on your iPad, they'll jump right back in and say that those tasks don't count as productivity tasks. This will go on and on, because any time you back up your claims, someone who doesn't think the iPad Pro (or even a standard iPad) is a suitable "computer replacement" will be there to move the goal posts to make their own point.

These arguments are going to rage on and on amongst the techie crowd, much like it did when the switch was being made from command lines to GUI with keyboard and mouse. I think there are a lot of people out there who would love to use something as portable and powerful as an iPad Pro as their only device "if only it would______". And those people may or may not be appeased eventually. For now, I don't see any guns to anyones' head forcing them to use an iPad or justify their mix of creation vs. consumption.

For me it has been kind of a shifting ideal. When I first got an iPad, my laptop laid dormant for weeks before I realized I hadn't been using it at all. Then I started trying to use my iPad for more power user type stuff and realized that I still needed a laptop due to iOS limitations. A few years later those limitations were gone, and my iPad Pro became the only productivity machine I needed anymore.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Production is anything that is productive and creates something of value even if its only marginally so, i.e., not a time waster.

This forum is a time waster. So consumption. (caveat -- if you are reporter doing research it could be production). Games. Time waster. Consumption even if it's a wicked hard NYT crossword.

Making a to-do list of things you need to do i.e., get groceries, pick up kids, report due xDate, etc. Production. Writing email is production unless maybe it's to an escort service . Then again if that is something on your to-do list could be a gray area. Ha ha.

Making a drawing is production even it you do it as a hobby -- you are creating something. It's no different than writing a poem or a novel or editing a video, just a different medium. That is different than playing a game or doing a crossword since nothing is created, only time lost. OTOH if you design a game or crossword that is production.

 

[CrystalQuest76]

Production is anything that is productive and creates something of value even if its only marginally so, i.e., not a time waster.

Nice definition with humor.

 

[dk001]

For my use case - note: I am using August in an attempt to use my 12.9 Pro as a laptop replacement (rMB).

Consumption: Reading, video, games, light email use, music, surfing, basic internet transactions, Amazon, etc...
Productive: Constructing or modifying documents, interactive collaborative team use for work, (Excel, Word, PPT, Sharepoint, signed pdf, programming, Project Management, etc...)

 

[jaybar]

Great definition. Thanks Rhonindk.

 

[44267547]

For my use case - note: I am using August in an attempt to use my 12.9 Pro as a laptop replacement (rMB).

Consumption: Reading, video, games, light email use, music, surfing, basic internet transactions, Amazon, etc...
Productive: Constructing or modifying documents, interactive collaborative team use for work, (Excel, Word, PPT, Sharepoint, signed pdf, programming, Project Management, etc...)

Completely agree here. And the way it's separated and your definitions completely makes sense and applies likely to most consumers uses.

 

[maflynn]

For me
construction - using it for work, or using office apps for writing/editing.
Consumption, reading, playing, watching.

 

[madgibbon]

Consumption is something which 'read only' i.e watching a film, listening to music, reading this forum. Once you start changing something such as contributing to this form you are being productive. I don't agree with statement above about contributing to forms is consumption as it's 'time waster'. You are still providing input to a topic which is productive.

 

[sracer]

productive - anything that can be used to justify a new piece of equipment to the boss.
consumption - anything that can be used to justify a new piece of equipment to the spouse as leisure (while on vacation).

 

[IvanEd747]

I believe we can look it from a career, hobby and leisure perspective: what do you get out of it? If you're ultimately earning more money from it than what you're spending, then it's productivity. Money can be earned directly (translation for money for example) or indirectly (being educated for example). That would be career.

Leisure would involve spending more money that you are getting out of it, directly (movie rental) or indirectly.

Hobby could be considered a combination of both, and it could lean towards one extreme or the other depending on the hobby. A YouTube channel starts at the leisure side and could end in the career side for example.


I know this may not map very well to the usage you give to the iPad. But what it does affect is your need for reliability and a good workflow. You will be more tolerant to a slow workflow when it's a slow paced measure activity, but when it comes to making money, you lean towards something efficient and reliable.

 

[Mainsail]

For my use case - note: I am using August in an attempt to use my 12.9 Pro as a laptop replacement (rMB).

Consumption: Reading, video, games, light email use, music, surfing, basic internet transactions, Amazon, etc...
Productive: Constructing or modifying documents, interactive collaborative team use for work, (Excel, Word, PPT, Sharepoint, signed pdf, programming, Project Management, etc...)

Generally, I agree with your definition. However, there are consumption activities that are productive: reading work email, reviewing business and trade journals, reviewing work related PDFs, and conducting web research ....just to name a few.

Of course, this definition of "consumption and productivity" has become an issue because some folks want to label the iPad as a consumption device only that is not suitable for productivity. They will use a definition of productivity that reflects their specific work activities. So, they can't see how others could possible be productive with an iPad. This forum is full of threads with banter on this topic.

 

[dk001]

Consumption is something which 'read only' i.e watching a film, listening to music, reading this forum. Once you start changing something such as contributing to this form you are being productive. I don't agree with statement above about contributing to forms is consumption as it's 'time waster'. You are still providing input to a topic which is productive.

At a basic level- yes. In reality it has a lot of variations and the line is not so clear cut.
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Generally, I agree with your definition. However, there are consumption activities that are productive: reading work email, reviewing business and trade journals, reviewing work related PDFs, and conducting web research ....just to name a few.

Of course, this definition of "consumption and productivity" has become an issue because some folks want to label the iPad as a consumption device only that is not suitable for productivity. They will use a definition of productivity that reflects their specific work activities. So, they can't see how others could possible be productive with an iPad. This forum is full of threads with banter on this topic.

Very true. The line between consumptive and productive is frequently personal and varies significantly. I suspect it also has to do with your skill set.