{"id":5276,"date":"2020-07-19T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-19T11:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviancetechnologies.com\/blog\/blog\/i-tried-switching-from-the-13-inch-macbook-pro-to-the-12-9-inch-ipad-pro-heres-why-i-failed\/"},"modified":"2020-07-19T11:30:00","modified_gmt":"2020-07-19T11:30:00","slug":"i-tried-switching-from-the-13-inch-macbook-pro-to-the-12-9-inch-ipad-pro-heres-why-i-failed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviancetechnologies.com\/blog\/i-tried-switching-from-the-13-inch-macbook-pro-to-the-12-9-inch-ipad-pro-heres-why-i-failed\/","title":{"rendered":"I tried switching from the 13-inch MacBook Pro to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Here’s why I failed"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0
\n[responsivevoice_button rate=”1\u2033 pitch=”1.2\u2033 volume=”0.8\u2033 voice=”US English Female” buttontext=”Story in Audio”]<\/p>\n

I tried switching from the 13-inch MacBook Pro to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Here’s why I failed<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

I really wanted it to work. A couple of weeks ago I closed my MacBook on a Friday afternoon with no plans to open it for a week. I wasn\u2019t going on vacation\u2014rather, I was testing the theory that the iPad could actually be \u201ca computer.\u201d<\/p>\n

My setup was as high-end as you could get: a 12.9-inch iPad Pro with 1TB of storage and cellular connectivity, a Magic Keyboard, and Apple Pencil\u2014a setup that’s more expensive than the 13-inch MacBook Pro I got it in 2016. It looked great on my desk and felt every bit like the future Apple sells. When I snapped the iPad into its magnetic enclosure, I truly hoped it could replace my MacBook with a sleek, modern, and versatile device.<\/p>\n

Sadly, it didn\u2019t work out. I spent more time fighting my iPad than loving it, and when push came to shove, it was just too difficult to get things done as quickly and efficiently as I do on my Mac. Some of it is muscle memory, of course, but there are still fundamental issues with the iPad that prevent it from being the work-first device Apple wants it to be. So I\u2019m giving it up.<\/p>\n

While there\u2019s a lot to like about the iPad Pro and Apple\u2019s whole tablet experience, it isn\u2019t as simple as a trackpad being the missing link between it and the Mac.<\/p>\n

The cursor isn\u2019t revolutionary<\/h2>\n

The iPad Pro didn\u2019t just gain a trackpad, it also gained a \u201creimagined cursor experience\u201d that Apple says is \u201cthe biggest thing to happen to the cursor since point and click.\u201d Its circular design definitely unique, but I found it to be more frustrating than fun.<\/p>\n

\"ipad<\/a> IDG<\/small>
\n

The cursor needs some help.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From the size to the slight parallax effect when the cursor hovers over an icon, the whole system feels surprisingly amateurish and cheap. Even beyond aesthetics, the cursor just felt more laborious than it should. The contextual awareness took too long with some fields, wasn\u2019t always recognized by text fields, and made me long for the classic arrow on my Mac.<\/p>\n

Multitasking is really not good<\/h2>\n
\"ipad<\/a> IDG<\/small>
\n

Switching between apps is great on the iPad, but multitasking is a confusing mess.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of the main reasons why Apple split iPadOS from iOS is its multitasking advantages. But while multitasking with my Mac is effortless and seamless, on the iPad\u2019s is kind of a confusing mess, especially when using the trackpad. Split View apps need to be opened from the Dock, a Slide Over window is impossible to close without touching the screen, and resizing is basically a guessing game.<\/p>\n

I understand that the iPad is different than the Mac so floating windows don\u2019t make sense, but iPad multitasking still feels Apple would address these confusions in iPadOS 14, but that doesn\u2019t seem to be that case.<\/p>\n