I’ve posted about my own preference to bring my iPad instead of a laptop recently and I plan to keep to this when I give my (short) talk on using Macs in a PC world on Tuesday, still Shawn Blanc provides even more reasons why iPads are the “new laptops” (or portable computers) in his recent post:
I once again find myself using two computers. Except this time it’s my MacBook Air that serves as my “desktop” while my iPad is now my “laptop.”
And I’m not the only one. Within my circle of friends, I know several people who are also using their iPad as their portable computer. I even have a handful friends who have an iPad as their only computer.
It is not a sacrifice to use the iPad as a primary device. I wanted to take a look at some of the most compelling reasons to use an iPad as your portable, if not your only, computer.From: Why the iPad Is My New Laptop — Shawn Blanc.
Often when the discussion comes around to using an iPad exclusively (or as nearly exclusively as possible) as a laptop replacement, people talk about how iPads don’t really let you multitask. You know, have lots of windows all over the screen so you can jump around between things quickly. Now while I know this is convenient when researching or copying and pasting text and links for articles, frankly I think we’ve really overblown the “I must multitask to be working” idea. Honestly, I think forcing you to focus on the task at hand and forcing a conscious decision to switch to another app makes for better work and concentration.
Tonight I was working on my slides for tomorrow. First I did a mindmap on my Mac with a few of my thoughts, then imported to my iPad. I decided I would try drawing my slides in the iPad app Paper, so I wanted my notes with me to refer to as I drew (doodled, scribbled, whatever).
Yeah I had to jump back and forth to look at the mindmap. Yeah I had to jump to screens to look at icons. But when I was working on a sketch…that’s all I was doing. It was focused. I could ignore the emails coming in, but when I saw an important email, I switched over to it.
The same goes for writing on my iPad. I have focus. I’m trying to emulate it here using the “Press This” bookmarklet to just keep to the same screen while I write. No switching around. See it, write it, post it.
Its’ this focus that I think makes the iPad the best way to get many things done—especially on the go. I didn’t say everything. I still do most of my book chapters on my Mac. Why? Because I need to take screenshots in Chrome and refer to them as I work on text. However I believe now that our obsession with doing lots of things at once on our machines has done more to keep us from getting things done than helped. I almost wonder how fast some apps would run if one only one app could run at a time. Worth wondering about.
Maybe I can’t get absolutely everything done on my iPad I can with my Mac, but I’ll tell you one thing. My little shoulder bag that carries all the gear I need and more is a heck of a lot lighter than the laptop bag I used to haul around.
And that can’t be a bad thing.
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You know, I’m working really hard on switching over. Have an iPad 2. Even bought it a keyboard so I don’t ruin my wrists / neck. Quite solid, but I do get irritated when I can’t work at my regular frantic pace, at which point, I’m forced to wander over to the computer. While that might sound bad, it’s probably a good thing. Separation. Like you said, single-mindedness when it comes to getting stuff done.
On the go though? My gosh. iPad! – hands down! Not only is it light – it lasts FOREVER and EVER.
Bingo. A battery that lasts as long as you need to get the job done? Heck I can teach all day using my iPad for my slides & not run out of juice. Yes, you have to learn to dim/lock the screen to save power, but how hard is that really?
I couldn’t stop using my desktop–27 inch iMac. I like the screen real estate and how I can have writing and research side to side. I could live without my macbook air, but I do love me some iPad on the go. With the stylus, it’s even replaced a paper notebook.
Exactly. The iPad isn’t a replacement for a big computer on your desk, it’s a replacement for trying to lug a portable version of the big computer on your desk around! Of course a MacBook Air is pretty awesome.