I have very down-to-earth goals for an iPad mini: I just want to use it to read books. And that form factor is still my favorite iPad size to date. But even I know my aspirations for the small tablet are insane.
Because while the iPad mini is a great tool to use Apple Books on, even if it has a dated LCD screen, that price tag makes it an outrageous eReader. And this is when someone would say, well, it’s an iPad. You can use it for more than just an eReader, and that’s the real appeal. And that person would be right!
The problem is I have a MacBook Air that I do everything else on. And I have an iPad Pro that I do everything else on. So, no, I don’t really want to use an iPad mini to do those other things. Because even when I’m trying to relax at night, trying to hit my daily reading goal, I don’t want to be distracted by other things. I just want that iPad mini to be my eReader and call it good.
All this to say that I get picking up a device for one task. To fill a specific hole in your life, whether it be for school, work, or just fun. Every device out there isn’t going to serve the same purposes for everyone, and there’s obviously nothing wrong with that. One of the reasons why the iPad mini is even on my radar as an eReader is because of Apple Books, and that’s basically it.
Does this mean I want Apple to make an eReader? Well, yeah, that would be cool. But I know that’s not going to happen and so the iPad mini is my best bet in that regard.
But there’s also the reality that these devices aren’t necessarily meant to replace something else. Things get interesting when the company making those products seem to position those devices to do just that, though. The iPad Pro, for instance, has felt like the device to replace a Mac laptop ever since it debuted. And Apple has certainly leaned into that idea. The company knows that, for someone out there, the iPad Pro is probably more than enough. They don’t need a MacBook Air, and certainly not a MacBook Pro, when they can just pick up an iPad Pro and get a similar experience.
Plus, that iPad has a touchscreen and while Apple doesn’t want that for the Mac, the company knows people like touchscreens. Give the people what they want while also sticking to your guns. Definitely an Apple move.
Theoretically, the iPad Pro should be more than enough to replace my MacBook Air. And from a purely software and hardware side of things, it can. But things get wonky when I have to work with WordPress in Safari — even after Apple made specific changes to iPadOS to make using WordPress in Safari easier. But it comes down to workflow, like tweaking images or even just uploading them. It’s just enough of a pain in the backside that switching from my MacBook Air isn’t possible. Yet? Maybe. Who knows!
We hear that question a lot, though, don’t we? Can the iPad Pro replace your computer? Well, I think it can for a lot of people out there. I honestly believe that, for many, even the iPad Air could do it. It is absolutely not a blanket “No” by any means. It shouldn’t be, anyway.
So I wanted to find out from you. Have you, or anyone you know, replaced your computer with any model of iPad? And if so, which iPad model was it? How has your daily routine changed, if at all, after making the switch?