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All iPads Working vacation - take ipad Pro and keyboard, or MBP?
- Thread starter jerryk
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Implies others who may use iPad doesn’t have real work. You can just say when I have work to do. Or say my real work.
So, of course, everybody’s circumstances are different.
For me, personally, it would depend a great deal on the nature of the trip.
If it was a vacation first and foremost, but I wanted to be available in case of a real emergency, I’d just bring the iPad. It’s a 12.9” Pro with the A chip; I’ve got the fancy folio keyboard. These days, I use it with the pencil for note-taking more than anything else, but I also used to do heavy Windows development on it, using RDP to connect to a machine in a server room somewhere. It’s perfect for all vacation-type stuff, from watching movies to reading books to sending longer emails to people I haven’t had a chance to stay in touch with. And, in a pinch, I can use it by itself to do anything I might have to.
If it was work first and foremost but oh-by-the-way evenings and weekends are my own in some different location, I’d take the laptop (a first-gen MacBook Air). Not great for reading books. Not bad for movies, though the form factor isn’t as good for that as the iPad.
But, mostly … well, I normally carry both with me to campus in a backpack that’s got all of everything I might need for anything, from cables to a battery brick to pens and paper to kleenex to reading glasses … a water bottle, room for lunch … so that becomes my personal item on the plane. I don’t have to worry if I forgot some random something-or-other, because I already always have whatever I need in the backpack.
b&
For me, personally, it would depend a great deal on the nature of the trip.
If it was a vacation first and foremost, but I wanted to be available in case of a real emergency, I’d just bring the iPad. It’s a 12.9” Pro with the A chip; I’ve got the fancy folio keyboard. These days, I use it with the pencil for note-taking more than anything else, but I also used to do heavy Windows development on it, using RDP to connect to a machine in a server room somewhere. It’s perfect for all vacation-type stuff, from watching movies to reading books to sending longer emails to people I haven’t had a chance to stay in touch with. And, in a pinch, I can use it by itself to do anything I might have to.
If it was work first and foremost but oh-by-the-way evenings and weekends are my own in some different location, I’d take the laptop (a first-gen MacBook Air). Not great for reading books. Not bad for movies, though the form factor isn’t as good for that as the iPad.
But, mostly … well, I normally carry both with me to campus in a backpack that’s got all of everything I might need for anything, from cables to a battery brick to pens and paper to kleenex to reading glasses … a water bottle, room for lunch … so that becomes my personal item on the plane. I don’t have to worry if I forgot some random something-or-other, because I already always have whatever I need in the backpack.
b&
Try using the iPod exclusively while at home. Can you even do that? If it turns out to be easy, take the iPad with you can sell the un-needed notebook when you get home.
But I bet you find you can't get by on just an iPad.
I used to carry a 2015 13" Macbook Pro, and a 12.9" iPad Pro, when I needed to do work on any kind of trip. Now, with the 13" Macbook Air and an 11" Ipad, I have shaved off a couple of pounds, space in the bag, while adding meaningful power.
I'm a developer myself and my machine on-the go is an iPad. Actually, it has been an iPad for years and I do create apps for this purpose. It looks like you already have it thought out too (light coding, remote server, research, scripts...). All of this should be more than doable. My question is, why do you feel you won't be able to? What are you afraid may be missing?
IMO this is one of those use cases where the iPad shines. Getting away from the usual keyboard and "work setup", some thumb-typing here and there, letting things flow...
For me, it includes:
- coding (which OP mentioned, though I’m generally using Xcode or Visual Studio Code)
- research (Safari, FreeForm, Apple’s Developer app, and occasionally learning sites like Coursera)
- document generation (presentations, proposals, etc.)
- collaboration/messaging/scheduling
- virtualization
- web resource management (e.g., AWS)
My 3rd gen 12” iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard can technically do most of these things (Swift Playgrounds is no replacement for Xcode and virtualization is a non-starter), but it falls over unexpectedly on certain sites (e.g., it struggles with SquareSpace’s email templates and sometimes copy/paste breaks on complicated sites). It‘s low RAM also means multi-tasking becomes horrifically slow (I can see why Apple was reluctant to add Stage Manager to this model) and I find the 12.9” screen is limiting.
It’s one thing to know that certain things won’t work (e.g., virtualization) and deciding if that will impact my productivity that day, but the fact that I don’t know when Safari is going to tip over is or when its RAM limitations will become problematic is what makes it an unreliable work machine for me.
Edit: Also, I see a few folks commented on the “real work” phrase so I’d like to clarify that a bit. There are days where I’m just replying to messages or attending meetings. Sure, I get paid for that, but most of the time it doesn’t feel like “real work.” Oftentimes it just feels like “play” or “helping folks out.” However, when I have a major deliverable (e.g., making a data-driven presentation to the CTO or a proof of concept for a new technical strategy), that feels like “real work” because the stakes are higher and I can’t have my tool (e.g., an iPad Pro) getting in my way.
In no way did I mean to imply that folks who use an iPad for their employment are not doing “real work.” In fact, I wish I could do the same (and maybe I’ll be able to one day), but right now that’s just not the case. 😃
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Interesting experiment. In a typical day I really don't even try to use my iPad for work since I have Windows and Mac systems on my desks. But maybe I try using my iPad Pro
If you carry out this experiment, I’d love to hear your feedback if you choose to use the iPad Pro, because I’m in somewhat of a similar situation.
I’m in graduate school, so I’ve got lots of papers to write and weekly discussion posts; however later this year I’ve got a family reunion/vacation to go (out of the country) and I’m wondering if to bring the iPad Pro or my MacBook Pro.
Lately I’ve tried using the iPad Pro for school for the past couple weeks, and while it took some getting used to, I’ve found it doable.
For now, I guess I’m team iPad Pro and will be rooting for you. Let me know how it goes!
By scripts I mean video scripts not shell scripts. Dozen of pages of typing and some slides.
For those things - take the iPad Pro.
I use an M1 iPad Air and MacBook Pro 14, and the iPad is good enough for those things whilst being much lighter. Plus if you have the pencil you can sketch on it, which I find better for ideas/diagrams/brain-dumps, etc. (YMMV, but I use the pencil on the iPad a LOT for "thinking" type stuff - I'm guessing if you have a pencil you could use it for sketching out video ideas too). Your MacBook won't do that.
A couple of weeks ago I left my MacBook Pro 14 behind recently and did an all day training course (network admin stuff) with only the iPad Air and had 50%+ battery left at the end of the day.
The course was browser based, but I was also doing remote network administration of the office network, email, calendar, etc. for the day - similar workload to what you might be doing (text based stuff) just fine.
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if all your docs are in iCloud or other cloud provider it will be a lot more feasible. if they aren't... take the Mac.
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Thank you for the clarifications. With your list of tasks, I would chose the Mac as well. I see what you mean with "real work". I agree with you that sitting in meetings (iPad assistant) is not very taxing while production, in my case, teaching materials and scientific manuscript writing is much more taxing (Mac territory). For the exhausting and sometimes exhilarating 3-4 h one man stage performance, aka university teaching, I use the iPad for versatility (pencil) and speed of interactions with the device.
About RAM, I was on a 3rd gen and since moving to the M2, I can say things have greatly improved. The experience is now more one-to-one with what should have been all these years (no weird reloads, snappy app switches...). I still hate that remote connections may break and we have to use "tricks", but so far so good.
Leave it all behind. Life is too short to work while on vacation.
Yes, good choice. You don’t want to learn to tight rope at 200 ft. Practice 1 ft. off the ground. You need to be totally confident there before you go any higher.
If the iPad's software isn't going to hold your workflow back in any serious way (and it appears from what you've said that it won't), then it mostly depends how light you want to travel.
If you want to travel light and you are flying in economy class, the 11" iPad with Magic Keyboard is such a great device for that. It's small enough that it fits on even the stingiest tray tables, and the way it floats with the keyboard case gives it some nice elevation which helps with the neck for long flights. It's also amazing for trains, airports, and other on the go situations that can come up when travelling, especially with cellular, as you can whip it out and do what you need to do without it being a big hassle. At 2.4lbs it's not going to weigh you down much either.
If you're just driving to where you're going and you're going to be using your device from a cabin the whole time, then you may as well just take both.
I take my 11" Pro and Magic Keyboard as my only computer when travelling and it is perfect for that - however I don't work while travelling.
Neither….this obsession with working while on vacation is sickening. Unless you’re dealing with blood, take some time to recharge. The world will be just fine without your emails for a week
One of the side benefits of our company's prohibition on use of personal devices for work was that by leaving the work laptop at home, the temptation to check in wasn't even an option (I'm retired now).
Lol, absolutely no temptation here to check my work email after I clock out.
I don't want to work while on vacation either if it's avoidable.
However, at least for me, offering to telecommute for a day or two for urgent tasks or video meetings makes it easier for request for long vacations or vacations during busy periods to get approved.
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For the employed part of my work, I don't check anything while on holiday. For the self-employed parts of it, very different story. I'll put out of office replies while not at the holiday home, but I will reply to people within 24 hours, not to work while I am on holiday but to schedule whatever necessary for when I am back.
One of my businesses is a dance academy, if people get a 1 week out of office message for a class starting after my holidays, they'll simply go to the competition.
One of my businesses is a dance academy, if people get a 1 week out of office message for a class starting after my holidays, they'll simply go to the competition.
If it’s a true vacation, absolutely. (Though an iPad still has its merits — an unlimited supply of books to read on the plane, video calls with family being visited and left behind, that sort of thing.)
But … with luck, several months from now I’ll be settling into a new 100% remote job — and my wife will probably be transitioning to 100% remote as well. Should we manage to pull that off, our plan is to take extended trips various places, a few months at a time … Tokyo, Florence, etc. … where we’d be working regular schedules, and then enjoying the local “vacation” things on weekends, holidays, and a day here-and-there vacation times off.
For us, it would be the ultimate “working vacation.” I might be working a full day, yes … on a laptop … on a park bench … in a garden … between a centuries-old-temple and a koi pond.
If I have to work, why shouldn’t I have the nicest “office” possible? And why can’t I have a “vacation” on the weekend when we hop on the Shinkansen to see the fall colors in Kyoto?
b&
Vacation is not any of this. Vacation is an extended period of time where you don’t think about or do work. Work stress will travel with you and you will not be fully in the moments. The vistas will become a new resented office. This all sounds good….until you live it, then it sucks. It might be fun at first, but it probably won’t last. All you will have is memories about places where you were bothered by work and the stupid people we all work with.