Five years ago today, I blogged that My iPad Is My Computer. Not much has changed overall. Back then, I used an iPad Air 2; now it's an iPad Air 5. Since 2017, I've switched from a laptop to an iPad as my personal computer three different times. What's so compelling about Apple's tablet that I keep coming back to it? Chromebooks and MacBooks are adept mobile devices, but the iPad stands out in key ways. It’s simple, familiar, and flexible.
I'll explain those, but first some notes. Just like five years prior, I'm all-in with Apple, using an iPhone, iPad, and mostly Apple's built-in apps. Things are basically the same now, but the hardware is more advanced. And there are new software features that specifically improve the iPad-as-computer setup, which solve the previous issues that frustrated me before. Key enhancements are desktop-class browsing, full cursor support, and desktop-class apps.
My personal computing tasks are basic, which makes being iPad-only feasible. As a hobby blogger, I mainly work with text; there are plenty of good apps for that. Photo management is easy on iPad thanks to iPhone, iCloud, and a host of full-featured editors. My spreadsheet needs are also basic.
Simple
The iPad has grown more capable, if not more complex, over the years. Despite that, it remains fundamentally simple. At its heart, it's still a tablet. Hand it to a kid and watch him or her poke around, discovering how to "compute" with just their fingertips. Anyone who knows how easy it is to use a smartphone today can understand how to use the iPad. Apple has taken iPhone simplicity, added Mac productivity, and balanced them together to create iPad modernity. I think some folks see the iPad's simplicity and underestimate how capable it is. Yet the less complex design of iPad is what helps it be more productive in some ways.
Since most of my computing needs are basic, the iPad's simple approach to mobile computing makes it excel over traditional computers. It's like Steve Jobs once said, that for there to be room for iPad between a smartphone and a laptop, it must be far better at some key things. For me, it's great for email, web browsing, notes, calendaring, reminders, and the like. And while my M1 MacBook Air easily handled all these tasks, it's often easier to simply tap the iPad screen to get a few things done.
Familiar
This trait is underrated. The iPad is not only touch-designed like a smartphone, it's familiar because it runs the same software as the iPhone. The iPadOS and iOS operating systems and apps share the same core. So similar are iPad's underpinnings that it was originally referred to as "just a big iPhone." At first, this limitation may have seemed a liability, but it soon proved to be more of a strength than a weakness, as Apple's tablet computer was instantly accessible to millions of folks who already enjoyed iPhone.
When I use Notes, Photos, or Safari on my iPad for example, I see the same buttons and icons (not to mention my synced iCloud data) that are on my iPhone. The consistency is remarkable; I flippin’ love it. This extends, of course, to the Files app too, where more "traditional" computing occurs. And after my experience with the Music and Podcasts apps on the MacBook, I realized I prefer their simpler versions on the iPad since they match what I use on my iPhone.
Flexible
The iPad stands out from the single form factor of a traditional clamshell laptop. A tablet, all screen, is a blank slate, making it modular and versatile. Various peripherals morph the iPad to meet your specific needs. By itself, iPad can be a tablet. With an accessory like Apple's Magic Keyboard, it can become a laptop . Through its USB-C port, it docks to an external display, working like a desktop setup with a trackpad or mouse and a bluetooth keyboard. An Apple Pencil, along with different case layouts, makes iPad an art canvas. It works as an eReader too. And when work is done, iPad is a great mobile game device. Play via the multi-touch screen or a bluetooth controller.
While I sometimes enjoy the iPad in desktop mode, my main use-case is as a laptop-replacement. For this, I'm enjoying the Logitech Folio Touch, which I grabbed while on sale for just over $100. It has so far proven to be indispensable, making my iPad work like the MacBook Air I switched away from. And though the keyboard doesn't detach, my iPad still serves as a tablet whenever I want. My split between tablet and laptop mode lately is about 50/50. With my one device, I can type away on the keyboard for a blog draft in laptop mode, and then I can easily fold it flat, rotate to portrait orientation, and play a mobile game like Zen Koi 2.
Summary
Those are some reasons why I keep coming back to the iPad. Of course, it's also powerful, super mobile, elegant, fun to use, and with the right model on sale (or refurbished), it's also more affordable than you might realize. My iPad Air 5 was discounted to $500. And even with the Logitech keyboard case, my whole setup costs less than my refurbished M1 MacBook Air. It's simple, familiar, and flexible, which makes it compelling. So yeah, my iPad is my computer again.