Portable, lightweight, never-ending battery
When my MacBook Pro died at the end of last year I was faced with a decision; what do I replace it with? I considered at my requirements and top of the list was portability.
Looking at Apple’s laptop line-up I was stuck between the power of the MacBook Pro and the portability of the MacBook/MacBook Air. Then one other option occurred to me; the iPad Pro.
I picked up the 12.9” model for maximum screen size (mostly for multi-tasking) with 256GB of storage. It was a gamble, but one that 9 months later I’m over the moon with. The iPad Pro isn’t for everyone but for me it’s been a revelation.
The hardware retains the power of a MacBook Pro and while you lose the power of macOS, you also gain the power of iOS. It’s a different beast that takes a little getting used to but it’s works amazingly well.
Most importantly, this is the most portable device I’ve ever owned. It’s nearly half the weight of my last MacBook Pro (only 631g) and super thin. It fits in any bag and is so light you forget it’s even there. It works just as well on the couch, at a desk, in bed, on my lap or even on the floor. I work in all kinds of environments from offices to server rooms to coffee shops and can find a way to use the iPad in positions I just can’t use a laptop.
The other major revelation is the battery. With a genuine 10+ hour battery life it mostly lasts all day, which is more than I can say for my old MacBook Pro. Unlike the laptops, you can also use external battery packs. I picked up an Anker battery for about £35 that has another 2 full charges in it, meaning I don’t need to use the wall to power the iPad for over 30 hours of actual use. I can also use either the iPad or the battery to charge my iPhone too. This has been a life-saver when out and about, away for the weekend or when I’m sat too far away from an outlet for the charger to reach.
The iPad Pro has been a brilliant addition for me and I’m thoroughly enjoying using it. I’m planning to write some more blog posts about it so if you’re interested in how it’s working for me and how it’s fitting into my work then watch this space.