Working on an iPad

Working on an iPad

I still don’t create anything using my iPad

This was originally published on my blog over 18 months ago. Still applies.

I have no doubt that one day it will be possible for someone like me to do all of my work on an iPad, without compromise. I say “someone like me” because I’ll probably have died of old age by then.

There are 2 primary camps on this issue. The first are the “True Believers” and they say, “I do everything on my iPad right now. It’s a content-creation miracle!” The second group I call “The Curmudgeons” and they say things like, “The iPad is great for games and movies, but no way can anyone get real work done with one.”

I fall somewhere in the middle, but tend to side with The Curmudgeons. While many things I need to do are _possible_ on the iPad, I find few of them to be easier. Even the True Believers tend to qualify their claims with words like “almost” and “good enough” and “I survived.” But if you enjoy it that way, good on ya. For me, no app, no matter how good, will help me to enjoy typing on glass. And if I need to bring a keyboard, I might just as well take my 11" MacBook Air and be done with it.

We’re in a period of fascinating transition but right now I feel the Curmudgeons’ assessment is more realistic than that of the True Believers. This may change, and perhaps sooner than I think.

Federico Viticci said recently, [on Twitter]…

Like I said, people who get *so mad* when they hear “I get work done on iOS” do that because they have a direct interest in OS X

I don’t understand getting angry at someone over any of this. While I’ll be sticking with my laptop for most work, I won’t get angry at you for saying you prefer to use your iPad. I may not believe you, but we can still be friends.